Professional Bio
Melissa McAllister owns Dungeon’s Gate, a friendly local game and book store in Ankeny, Iowa
(a suburb of Des Moines), which she and her husband, Rob, opened in July 2020 and have
operated since. Melissa grew up in mid-Missouri and graduated from Mizzou, where she studied
political science, then went on to get her law degree. Melissa is an owner, as well as the front-end manager, social media/marketing manager, and event/programming coordinator for the store–and the finder of things. In another life, she was a juvenile law attorney, a stay-at-home mom, a room mom, a school volunteer, a jewelry maker, a community volunteer, and a singer. She has served on boards for community nonprofits, including TAKE (The Ankeny Klothing Exchange) and Ankeny Pride. She is a lifelong reader and it’s common knowledge that she is always reading at least three different books (sometimes four or five) at the same time–some with her eyeballs, but most with her ears, as that allows her to do all.the.things.
(a suburb of Des Moines), which she and her husband, Rob, opened in July 2020 and have
operated since. Melissa grew up in mid-Missouri and graduated from Mizzou, where she studied
political science, then went on to get her law degree. Melissa is an owner, as well as the front-end manager, social media/marketing manager, and event/programming coordinator for the store–and the finder of things. In another life, she was a juvenile law attorney, a stay-at-home mom, a room mom, a school volunteer, a jewelry maker, a community volunteer, and a singer. She has served on boards for community nonprofits, including TAKE (The Ankeny Klothing Exchange) and Ankeny Pride. She is a lifelong reader and it’s common knowledge that she is always reading at least three different books (sometimes four or five) at the same time–some with her eyeballs, but most with her ears, as that allows her to do all.the.things.
Company/Bookstore
Dungeon's Gate
Ankeny, IA 50023 515.635.5170 https://www.dungeonsgate.com
Independent Bookstore Member
Bookstore Role
Owner, Events, Social Media, Operations, Frontline Bookseller
The year I started bookselling
1/1/2020
Categories I am well-versed in
Comics, Dystopian, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Social Justice, Memoir, Nonfiction, Political
Preferred media format
Audiobooks
Would I like to receive ARCs
Yes
ARC genre preferences
Children's, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Biography, Comics, Dystopian, Fiction, LGBTQIA2S+, Memoir, Social Justice, Nonfiction
Where I post book reviews
Personal Social media, Other