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 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, and a jewelry maker. She has served on volunteer 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 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, and a jewelry maker. She has served on volunteer 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
Pronouns
she/her
Your Bookstore Role
Owner
What year did you start working in bookselling?
1/1/2020
Do you want to receive ARCs?
Yes
Which media types do you prefer?
Audiobooks
Do you post reviews?
Social media, Other
What are your ARC genre preferences?
Children's, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
What categories are you well versed in?
Biography, Comics, Dystopian, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Social Justice