Friday, December 28, 2012

Spotlight on C.J. Ellisson Vampire Vacation + giveaway!


Vampire Vacation (the VV Inn #1) by C.J. Ellisson

Meet Vivian. She's a 580-year-old vampire who exudes sex, has a talent for drama, and is passionate about two things: her human husband, Rafe, and their resort for the undead. Her ability to project physical illusions has created the perfect vacation spot-a dark, isolated Alaskan hideaway where visitors can have their wildest fantasies come true. Vivian knows the best performance requires perfect timing, but the powerful vamp is put to the test when she discovers a corpse in a locked guestroom minutes before the next arrivals. 

Always cool-headed, Rafe hides the body, convinced he and Vivian can find the culprit without disturbing their guests. Juggling the increasingly outrageous demands of their customers while tracking a killer isn't easy. Will their poking and prodding give them the answers they need, or will it uncover secrets Vivian would kill to protect?

Type: Paranormal Romance, Vampires/Werewolf
Heat: 3.5 out of 5
Rating:  5 out of 5

Ahhh total book love! I had a damn good time with Vampire Vacation. It's the first in the VV Inn series and omg it's so good. With a quick pace, irresistible characters, a fun plot and a kinky locale it's one I didn't want to put down for a single second.

The whole set up for the series is just screams fun. A slightly kinky fantasy hotel set in the middle of no-where Alaska that caters to vamps and their minions who want to get away and have a little fun. Vivian, a vamp that can basically read people's desires and uses that to create their perfect fantasy, runs the place with her human husband Rafe. I loved the hotel and getting to know the staff and visitors. Some of their secret desires are just so sweet and really made all of the characters incredibly endearing. 

Vivian and Rafe. Oh my word. If you've been around you know I'm completely smitten with JD Robb's In Death series and I swear these two had the whole Eve and Roarke vibe going on ...but... vampified and so much cheekier. And I loved it! They've got such an awesome dynamic between them and I really loved that the series starts with them already married. It just adds such a great extra element to the relationship and I enjoyed it immensely. 

The banter and teasing between them was grin inducing. <g> And the intimate moments are oh so yummy.
Where is he hiding? What space does he think is safe from me? He loves to be caught yet loves to outwit me. Desire sings through my veins, making my blood feel hot under my skin. Opening my mind up to discover his location, I'm greeted by darkness.

Trying to cheat, my dear? 

The bastard has the nerve to say it with a grin.

It is not cheating, I answer. It's called hunting. With an advantage. 

Sure, keep telling yourself that. But I can tell you, the longer you take, the more inclined I might be to start without you...

Cheeky son of a bitch! Oh, we're ON all right. I concentrate, which allows me to hear his zipper go down. 

Oh no, you don't, that's MINE!

In a flash, I pinpoint him. Racing down the hall, I wrench open the door then fly down the stairs. He's hiding in the basement workroom. The lights are off, but I can hear his ragged breathing. He's as turned on as I am and loves that he can drive me this crazy. 
Rafe is a great hero and seeeexy! He's a calming influence on his Vivian who can be a bit...passionate. She curses, loses her cool on occasional and is kinda cute when she gets all riled and exasperated over having people actually depend on her. The two are such a great pair and will keep you smiling and put a little sparkle in your eyes. 

There's some action and some heart thumping moments along the way as they try to figure out who left a dead body for them to find in one of the guest rooms. Combining the excitement of the chase with some oh so "naughty" moments and a passionate romance provided for an absolutely damn good time. Ellisson created a delightfully fresh and entertaining world that will have me coming back for more. I can't wait to see what Vivian and her crew get themselves into next!

~~*~~*~~
The V V Inn Series...
  

Vampire Vacation:  Amazon (currently on sale for 99cents)  B&N   Smashwords
The Hunt:                Amazon   B&N   Smashwords
Big Game:               Amazon   B&N   Smashwords

*FREE*
Just One Taste: Short + Half of book One

Another Sip: Half of book Two
Amazon    B&N   Smashwords


C.J. Ellisson, author of contemporary fantasy and erotica, lives near DC with her husband, two children aged 11 and 9, two Staffordshire Bull Terriers and a young cat she's newly allergic to. After spending most of her working life dealing with real estate - either as a sales manager in wholesale mortgage banking, a corporate trainer, a Realtor, or as a property manager - she's now writing full-time and happy for the first time in years. Writing has become her passion and to find people want to read her stories feels like a dream come true.



Alright dears. I enjoyed this one so much I'm giving away one Kindle ecopy of Vampire Vacation!
Plus a little bit of VV Inn swag for 2 more of you!!

Leave a review/spotlight comment and fill out that Rafflecopter!
And don't forget to add your points into the Grand rize Drawing too!

76 comments:

  1. Great review; I'm so ready to read the books now. How many books total are planned in this series?

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    1. Hi, Books4me, thanks for stopping by and reading Anna's review! I'm thrilled to see she enjoyed it so much. To answer your question there are at least seven books planned, with the first four covering one over-arching storyline (even though each book has it's on mystery to solve), and then the last three are completely stand-alone story lines.

      There are also prequel books planned, by reader request, so they can see how their favorite characters came to the Inn. I have four of those plotted so far, with the first one releasing next month, caviled Death's Servant.

      Thanks for you interest and I hope you enjoy the series!
      C.J.

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    2. Oooo you know, I don't right know. I'll have to look into that. I know there's a new one coming out soon though :)

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    3. LOL looks like C.J. and I were typing at the same time. That's excellent to know!! Thanks C.J!!

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  2. Thanks for the review, I've never heard of this series but I'll have to try it soon!

    Adria
    Breath of Life Reviews

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    1. Oh I hope you like it Adria! And it's a great time with book one being on sale for only 99cents!

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    2. Thanks, Adria! I hope you enjoy it!

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  3. ^^ I never heard of this series before buit i will be very happy to discover the novella to have a taste of it^^
    it's seems to be a really funny one

    Please don't enter me for the kindle ebook ^^; swag would be good

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    1. Sounds good Miki! I haven't tried the shorts yet but they do have part of the actual book included too. Great way to give readers a taste to see if it works for them :)

      Hope you enjoy!

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    2. Thanks for commenting, Miki, and for trying the freebies. The first one has a very short story attached in the beginning, about ten pages only. And then the first half of Vampire Vacation tacked on--it's been great for introducing new readers to the series.

      Happy Reading!

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  4. I haven't read this series, sounds good though.

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    1. Ahh it so is. If you like vamps/shifters and humor it's so one to check out!

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    2. Thanks, Mary! Hope you give it a try!

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  5. Great review. Sounds like something to add to the to-read pile. Thanks.

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    1. Thanks, hlasala! Appreciate you giving the books a shot.

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  6. Pretty covers! Thanks for the giveaway and the review :)

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    1. Aren't they neat? They really caught my eye.

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    2. Thank you, Aly! I did them all myself. Those years of art in high school and college finally paid off ;-) Good luck in the contest!

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    3. Oh my goodness that's so neat C.J. I had no idea but I love em too! And they're so perfect for the series! Awesome job :)

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  7. A new author for me. Yay! Will have to add her to my wish list. Thanks.
    Happy Friday,
    Lori

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    1. And she's such a fun one!! Hope you enjoy making a dent in the wish list this year! I know I'm gonna enjoy the heck out of it!

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    2. Thanks, Lori! Good luck in the contest!

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  8. Thanks Anna. These books look like so much fun. I love a laugh with some HOT romance and suspense!

    Thanks for the give away.

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    1. Oh they so are Pat! I kept snorting out loud from laughing so hard. She's got a crazy sense of humor and yep the romance is yuuuummmmyyyy!

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    2. Thanks, Pat! Hope you enjoy the books!

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  9. The excerpt, and review, reminds me of a mix of MaryJanice Davidson and Emma Holly. But in a good way. MaryJanice tends to be too fluff and vegue, and Emma is great, but heavy and dark. Mixing those would be a great read, and I enjoy more spice than MaryJanice's Betsy's books.

    Thanks for the contest,
    vickykerr(at)sbcglobal.net

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    1. Hmmm I'm gonna have to check out Emma Holly. Oh yeah more spice than the MaryJanice books and not quite as airy as the characters can be in that series if that makes sense. They're a little more solid :)

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    2. Hi Vicky,

      You have no idea how happy I was to see someone mention the QUEEN of good erotica -- EMMA HOLLY!! OMG, I love her work. I can definitely say her early Black Lace titles inspired me in my writing. She's smoking!

      I enjoyed Davidson's Betsy character at first, but then I kind of grew out of it and wanted more substance. So I hear you on the fluff ;-)

      Good luck in the contest!

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  10. Thanks so much for the review, Anna! I was thrilled to read how much you enjoyed the book and characters. After a while, they seem like real people I'd run into on the street.

    I hope you like The Hunt and Big Game as much, they are written in a different style (multiple POVs that rotate each chapter). But if you read fast, and it sounds like you do, I don't think you'll have any issues with remembering who's POV you're in.

    Thanks again for your time and effort in the review. I really appreciate it, Anna!

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    1. Thanks for coming over CJ! I really loved the book and it's been killing me sitting on it the last couple months but I knew I wanted to have it as part of the event :)

      I love em all and will have reviews up in the next couple months!

      Thanks for writing such great books C.J. Can't wait to see what you come up with next :)

      Happy New Year!

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  11. What a great review. I also like that the couple starts out already married. I hope that they have a fun, strong, sexy marriage. It would be great to see more of those in books.

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    1. I agree!! That's why I wrote it. Why aren't there more books with married couples? I never understood that.

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  12. This sounds great! C. J. Ellison....this author sound so darn familiar to me yet I can't place how. I usually never forget an author I've read so it has to be a book I've picked up and is o my TBR somewhere.....now to hunt cause this is going to bug me lol Either way totally going ot have to read these!

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    1. Oh those TBR piles will get you after a while. I've thought I found a "new" author to me a couple times, went to add them to the list and oops! already on it! LOL

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  13. I am new to this series and author. This is one of the reasons I love book blogs, I have been introduced to so many great authors and books that I don't think I would have otherwise found. This series sounds like a lot of fun. I look forward to reading them.
    Thanks for the giveaway.
    kitcat76(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. I really love blogs too! I've found so many from visiting others and from what yall recommend to me on here. It's a wonderful little problem these tbr piles growing so quickly!

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  14. Mmmmm, thinking I can't wait to "get my hands on" Rafe! This entire series sounds like it will be fun to read.

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    1. LOL he's delectable! Hope you enjoy him too! Oooo and he's only 99cents on Amazon :D Such a good deal!

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  15. Seems like a great series to read and enjoy.. Thanks for sharing the wonderful review :)

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  16. Great review, I definitely have to get these books. :)

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  17. I really enjoyed Vampire Vacation and am currently reading The Hunt. Thanks for the great stories!

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    1. Ahhh yay!! So glad you're enjoying the series too! CJ's the best!

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  18. These sound like a lot of fun!

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  19. Love this, =) can´t wait for my chance to read more!
    Thanks for the giveaway & Happy New Year!
    //Linda

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  20. I just realized I have some of these books already on my Kindle. YAY! I love it when that happens. I can't wait to read them.

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  21. great series and looking forward to the next book!!! Thanks CJ for your books!

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  22. Oh my, The VV Inn series sounds like such steamy fun reads. I'll definitely
    have to check these out. Thanks for the fun review and the giveaway.

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    1. Oooo I hope you love it!! I can't wait to re-read them :) Good luck with the giveaway!

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  23. Oh vampires, shifters and humor? Sounds like my kind of book. I cannot believe I have not heard of these yet :D btw, love the covers they are eye catching

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    1. I thought the same thing when I picked it up a month or so ago. Couldn't believe I hadn't heard of them sooner! So good!

      Happy reading!

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  24. You had me sold on this series with the Eve and Roarke reference!!

    Happy New Year & thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com

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    1. LOL Love that so many of yall are Eve/Roarke fans. *swoon* just adore them!

      Hope you enjoy these two!

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  25. Wow, you compare them to Eve and Roarke, really? These books are already on my wishlist but now I really need to read them!

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    1. LOL yep! There's cheekier and not nearly as serious but it's the dynamic and how they work off each other that really reminded me of Roarke and Eve.

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  26. love the covers and the idea behind this series :)

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  27. there are so many books out there that I'm always looking for a strong recommendation like this one. I love to follow fun characters thru multiple books.

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    1. Me too. It's fun to really get lost in their lives over the months and years :)

      Happy reading!

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  28. I love this series and the cover art is so awesome. I am always excited to see the author doing interviews. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Aren't they neat? I can't believe CJ not only wrote the awesome books but designed the covers! So much talent!

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  29. I enjoyed your review and I think I should get started on this series. I'm not sure how I've missed it up until now.

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  30. Oh wow, this series sounds like a lot of fun. And another new to me author. I downloaded the one book for free and can't wait to get started reading it. It sounds like CJ has a lot planned for the series. It's great that you made the covers yourself.
    luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

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    1. It's really such a blast :) Oooo I hope you enjoy the short story and bit of book one! If you're anything like me you'll be hooked!

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  31. Thanks for the review, I really love it :)

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  32. Looks like a fun series.Going on the TBR Pile.

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  33. Ive been thinking about picking this up. Going to have to now.

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  34. This is a new one for me and that is surprising. I am finding so many new authors and series..and books, that I am thankful to read the reviews on because I probably wouldn't have bought them. I have read other books from C.J. And liked them.
    Thanks for introducing me to all of these!

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  35. A new writer for me.... Haven't read any of the books before but sound good!

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  36. Sounds like a fun book to me

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I always enjoy hearing what YOU think so come on and leave a comment. Everyone's welcome :) And feel free to leave comments on old posts. I'll check in on you there too :)

Bloggers don't forget to leave your links!
~Anna

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