Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Magic The Gathering Tournaments

For years now, we or I should say I/Paul, have been running Magic The Gathering card tournaments in the store. I am sure some of you are wondering what Magic the Gathering is. You have probably also seen the store full of geeky kids and adults (me included) huddled around tables when we're closed on Sunday... and I am sure if you have been in the store you have probably seen the MTG posters, cards and the huge floor display we currently have up. So if you have been wondering what this crazy card game is, here is the brief low down:

What is MTG - Magic: The Gathering card game, is the world's premier trading card game. It was the first of its kind, and it's still the best and the biggest.

In the Magic game, you play the role of a planeswalker—a powerful wizard who fights other planeswalkers for glory, knowledge, and conquest. Your deck of cards represents all the weapons in your arsenal. It contains the spells you know and the creatures you can summon to fight for you. To learn more you can check out What is MTG - Here.


For the longest time we have only announced the tournament dates in store or on the Temiskaming MTG Facebook group - Click Here to Check it out. Which is great for our members but really hard for new players to find us. So we will be posting updates of Tournaments, New Stock and promo on the blog from now on!

I would also like to point out that MTG is not the only card/board game we sell in the store. We have also been having staff game nights to get our staff familiar with the board games we are selling and are hoping some time in the future to host a game night for our customers. Check out the picture from a game of Munchkin ---->

MTG TOURNAMENTS

October 1st Innistrad Release Booster Draft.
Time 10:30 Doors open 11:00 Tournament Starts
$20 Entry
Location: Chat Noir Books

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October 6th TNM - Modern
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
$5 Entry
Location: Chat Noir Books

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October 27th TNM - Modern
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
$5 Entry
Location: Chat Noir Books

** For TNM -Come out and play some Modern! Time to get out our old cards and make some wicked decks!

Please make sure you sleeve your decks!
Also, the doors open for the MTG events 1/2 hour before start times. Please wait until then to drop by the store. If you show up at 6:00pm you will be asked to leave the store until 6:30. This gives my staff time to close up shop from the regular day.

Thanks Paul

Monday, September 26, 2011

TLT looking for volunteers for their upcoming Show.

TLT(Timiskaming Live Players) are looking for some volunteers for their upcoming Show. So we thought we would help them out by passing along the info!

The Long Red Herring by Pat Cook.......cast of 9 which includes a professor and his creative writing college class made up of 2 men 6 women. Auditions are september 28 and october 3 at 7 at the Classic. Please send us some talent or bring your own and make sure we get it cast.

Maryanne Moffitt will be Directing this comedy thriller. For more information you can contact Larry Aquino at landdaquino@gmail.com.

New Coffee Beans!

We have some new coffee Beans in stock from the Las Chicas Del Cafe!!

Almost 80 years ago as he began to plant his coffee plantations, the Las Chicas Del Cafe grandfather had the great vision to not be persuaded by newer hybrids that promised greater yields and better disease resistance, but compromised flavour. He decided to plant old world varieties with strong flavour profiles. He also had the vision to plant some varieties exclusively on certain plantations, creating their own micro-niche. And so today we can enjoy the privilege of tasting thier beans by their botanical variety; such as Bourbon from El bosque, Catuai from San Antonio and Las Pilas, or Maracatu from Los Robles.

Bourbon

The first Bourbon trees found on their family's farm were planted in the 1950s in the plantations of Lagunillas, San Antonio and La Joya. They were planted by their grandfather. Bourbon was one of their grandfather's favourite varietals. While many growers in the 1950s were switching to more resistant and higher yielding plants to obtain bank financing, their grandfather decided to plant this heirloom variety. Today their Bourbon has received wonderful reviews including recognition in July 2009's Coffee Review.

Maracatu

The first trees of Maracatu were found on a plantation not far from their family's farm. This was a natural cross pollination between the Caturra and Maragogype varieties found in the area. What first strikes you about this bean is its buttery almost creamy body with its soft mellow cup. The tree itself looks very different to any other arabica varieties, much taller and with a longer leaf. The fruit of course is also bigger and it yields a large sized bean.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Treason's Grave: Mentor

We now have copies of Treason's Grave: Mentor in stock by Sarah E. Nemcsok. Sarah is a local author from Kirkland Lake and this is her first novel.

Treason's Grave: Mentor by Sarah E. Nemcsok

Description:

A Galaxy away from her home, Abalan resides on a planet she created: Earth. Searching for her son, (while escaping her government in foreign territory) she trains her brother’s motherless daughter, Brume, in the ways of their culture. She encounters an old friend; a doctor who has his own plans to manipulate her life. Wilk, a troublesome opponent that is much closer to her than she would think suddenly enters into her life. Soon she finds Wilk an asset to her escape. Wilk’s estranged “father”(a disturbing mass murderer) chases his son to complete a self-imposed mission to kill the two people in his life he loves most, creates a dangerous endeavour for all people involved in his life, including Abalan.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Cat's in a Bath Tub


We have some lovely new art work decorating our walls here in the store. Cat's in a bath tub! Laura Landers over at Canvas and Clay did a wonderful job framing it for us!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Dies the Fire by S M Stirling

Recommend reading by Paul
Dies the Fire by S M Stirling

The year is 1998 and a strange electrical storm over the island of Nantucket suddenly causes all electronic devices to stop functioning! Cars and trucks stop in the middle of street, planes fall out of the sky and the world is changed forever. Small groups of people realized that this is not a temporary event and begin gathering seeds, farming equipment, livestock and move out to the country to survive. The cities go first with disease and starvation and the more ruthless individuals' are building armies for conquest.

So what would do if the world ended tomorrow? What skills do you have that would help you survive?

A Cure for Emma Book Signing

Time: Thursday, October 13 · 4:30pm - 6:30pm

Location: Chat Noir Books


Come out and meet local author Julie Colvin and get a copy of her book A Cure for Emma signed! Live music by Robyn Dewar!!

A Cure for Emma chronicles a mother’s quest to heal her child from a nearly invisible disease: type 1 diabetes. Millions of parents around the world will relate to Julie Colvin’s roller coaster of despair, frustration, and hope when her daughter Emma was diagnosed with this life-threatening, incurable nightmare. Overnight, Julie left her medical career to become a full-time surrogate pancreas for her daughter. A Cure for Emma is also a spiritual look at one woman’s journey from anguish to hope. Writing with humor and honesty, this devoted mother offers a warm, revealing look at the spiritual questions disease forces into one’s life. We follow Julie’s quest to cut a deal with her analytical, scientifically-trained mind and investigate a world that could not be proven in a lab. While seeking a cure for Emma she risks everything, including her marriage, to follow a path of discovery and wonder.

"From one Mother Warrior to another, I have deep respect and compassion
for Julie's brave and loving journey in search of a cure for her daughter, Emma. There is nothing more powerful than mommy intuition and perseverance as one travels down this difficult, uncharted road. I commend Julie for her tenacity and dedication. You go girl! Much love and best wishes with your journey and your book."

... Jenny McCarthy - model, comedian, actress, author and activist.


"Nothing touches us more meaningfully than the story of a parent's care for a child-in-need. As the father of a diabetic, I understand Julie's roller coaster of despair, frustration, and hope. The love we feel for our kids is unlike any other emotion in the human spectrum, and capturing it in prose is an art. With gratitude and congratulations to Julie..."

Alan Thicke - actor, songwriter, game and talk show host.


The Faustman Lab is proud to support Julie Colvin and her ongoing efforts to raise awareness about Type 1 Diabetes. This is a disease which demands constant vigilance and determination on the part of diabetics and their families. Our hope is that this book will shed light on the issues surrounding this disease and facilitate the advancement of a cure"

... Dr. Denise Faustman - Director, Immunobiology Laboratory, Associate Professor of Medicine - Harvard Medical School.


Monday, September 19, 2011

The return of the 1909 Roast...dun dun da!

For our Coffee lovers! We should have more of the 1909 roast back in stock on Oct 1st! It is going to go fast so is you would like to have a bag give us a call and we can reserve you a bag!

Pure and honest.
Sweet and strong.
Just like Abuelito Reynaldo.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Luscious Peach Coffee Cake

We have a new Coffee Cake from the Orchard on display at the coffee bar. The Luscious Peach Coffee cake is sooo Tashmmmtasmatyyy! Sorry quality control... had to make sure it lived up to its name!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Our 2011 Harvest Queen Sponsor Miranda Phillips

Well Friday turned out to be a beautiful day for the New Liskeard fall fair! Last night was freezing unless you were in the Horne Granite Curling Club, which Jenn and I were to cheer on one of our staff members Miranda Phillips! Miranda is a valued minion at Chat Noir Books and we are proud to be sponsoring her in this year's 2011 Harvest Queen Pageant.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Hit the nail on the head!

Books 'Are Memories'

"Books can be passed around. They can be shared. A lot of people like seeing them in their houses. They are memories. People who don't understand books don't understand this. They learn from TV shows about organizing that you should get rid of the books that you aren't reading, but everyone who loves books believes the opposite. People who love books keep them around, like photos, to remind them of a great experience and so they can revisit and say, 'Wow, this is a really great book.' "

--Daniel Goldin, owner of Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, Wis., in an interview with OnMilwaukee.com

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Please HBO, AMC or Showtime pick up Locke & Key!



I really hope AMC, HBO or Showtime picks this show up! Amazing cast! Great story and a crap load of spookiness! We have the graphic Novels here in the store, and I have been following the story for about a year now! It is a must have for your Graphic Novel Collection!!

Based on Joe Hill’s comic, Locke & Key tells the story of Nina Locke (Otto) and her three children, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode, who survive an unspeakable horror and attempt to rebuild their lives at Keyhouse, their family home in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. It is a mysterious New England mansion, with fantastic and transformative keys hidden inside its walls that are also being sought by a hate-filled and relentless creature with ties to the Locke family’s past who will stop at nothing to accomplish his sinister goals.