REVIEW: The Hunt by C.J. Ellisson

The Hunt
by C.J. Ellisson 
The V V Inn #2
RATING:★★★1/2


Vivian thinks she can control every aspect of a deadly game with her usual manipulations… but what if she can’t? Journey along, in this next installment of The V V Inn series, for a wild ride as the tale is told through the eyes of all her new seethe members.

Seven vampires and seven werewolves pay to hunt a supernatural criminal across the cold, vast grounds of an Alaskan resort. The one to catch her, and live through the encounter, will increase their power by feasting on hers.

The tiny vampire they track is more than she appears, however. To escape a fate of ten years in silver chains, she'll do anything to survive the weeklong excursion. This time, the darkness holds more than just the stinging bite of the Arctic—it holds death.



REVIEW:


T he Hunt is very different from the first book, Vampire Vacation. It has the same characters but instead of being mostly in Vivan’s head, we get into everyone’s head. Each chapter is from someone else’s POV. It bounces between the members in Vivan’s new seethe; Rafe, Jon, Drew, Asa, Paul and of course Vivan.

It sounds confusing but it’s really not. I actually loved the way we got to see this story from all different angles. And it allowed us to get a better feel for all the other characters. But with the way it was written you really had to finish up a chapter before you could put the book down or you could forget whose head you were in.

The Hunt has all the mystery and some of the sexiness that was in the Vampire Vacation. I say some of the sexiness only because there’s not as much sex scenes in it but that’s only because of the plot. Vampire Vacation was about Vivian and the gang at the Inn catering to the fun and fantasy needs of their guests. In The Hunt they are hosting a hunt where their guest has paid to hunt down a rouge vampire. So there’s more fighting and blood and less sex. But there is still hotness.

After reading The Hunt and seeing a set up for a future mystery involving Vivan’s sexy werewolf servant, Jon; I can’t wait to read Big Game. If you are looking for a sexy and snarky mystery I would recommend that you give this series a try.

The Hunt is available at:

Amazon | B&N | ARe

I received my copy from Bewitching Book Tours for a fair review.

Next book in the series:

Cover Revealed: Once Burned

Once Burned
by Jeaniene Frost

She’s a mortal with dark powers…

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person’s
darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude…until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world’s most infamous vampire…

He’s the Prince of Night…
Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don’t call him Dracula. Vlad’s ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him – a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

As much as I can't wait to get my hands on this book to read about Vlad. I'm not digging this cover. And I like the stepback even less.

Oh well. I want what's inside not the cover.

What do you think?

Guest Blog + Giveaway: Jodie Becker & Sidney Bristol

SHOWTIME.

JODIE: I love the way shows are moving these days. There is so much variety that it's almost too hard to pick which ones to watch. I have to say that although I'm PAINFULLY behind in series that have yet to reach my shores, there are a few that I'm loving right now. First off the rank: Grimm. The fantastic story of a Grimm who can see demons and through his bloodlines must kill them. But this Grimm is different. Nick is a detective and doesn't want to hurt innocent fantasy creatures. He befriends a wieder blutbad or werewolf called Monroe who helps Nick in catching bad guys and giving him supernatural 101 crash course info. It has just started here on Foxtel and I'm loving it.

SIDNEY: Oooh, Grimm! I'm pretty sure I'm ahead of you, so I'll refrain from ruining it for you. This year is probably one of the first that sees me actually watching TV. For once I have a whole laundry list of shows I must watch. Grimm, Once Upon a Time, New Girl, Revenge, Being Human, Ink Master, Project Runway and all of the Real Housewife shows, it's a wonder I can keep them all straight! I seem to like a wide range of TV, so it's a good thing I finally upgraded to cable! But, I still watch most of my shows on Hulu sans commercials and at my convenience.

JODIE: I hate you. I don't know half these shows! And I have pay-TV! I live too close to the artic, that's the reason I haven't seen some of these. I must admit, I do like Project Runway. I watch it EVERY season. I am by no means a fashionista. You'll find me in casual wear almost all the time. And I generally end up liking what the judges hate. (>.>) I have to, of course, stay away from social networks sometimes so I can avoid getting spoilers. But thems the breaks I suppose. I'm eagerly waiting for New Girl, that just started. I love Zoey, she is so right for the role. And Coach... Ohh Coach. I already googled (I know bad) But I'm eerily good with faces and KNEW he was a WAYANS. I was right. I remember Damon WAYANS, his dad, in the movie Major Payne. LOVED it. Oh that's right, we're talking about TV shows we watch. Have you noticed over the last few years, series TV has picked up it's game. They are producing really good and original series and moving away from the usual Law & Order or CSI type stuff. I mean, I love them, but that's all I get here. It's like nothing else survives, everyone just wants to watch crime drama. *sob* Give me variety! I'm liking Teen Wolf... Is that bad? It seems more teen based but I don't care! I remember the original with M.J Fox and am liking the darker remake. What show is your guilty pleasure?

SIDNEY: I was really bummed when they replaced Coach on New Girl. His character was awesome and awkward in his own way. Dang. I watched Major Payne when I was... ready for it? ...in junior high. Awesome movie.

My guilty pleasure show right now is Ink Master. It's a reality tv show on Spike here in the US that puts tattoo artists against each other. If you know me at all, you know I have and love tattoos. When they announced the show I was practically salivating. It's hosted by Dave Navarro, and has two judges that along with Dave pass judgement on the tattoos the artists perform each week. It's only on it's second week, and I'm already watching reruns over and over and over again. Besides that, I love.... Bride Day on TLC, where all they do is show wedding shows. You know what's really twisted? I'm not married, engaged or even dating someone, and I don't particularily desire to be right now. I just really like the shows!!!



Keep reading to find out more about the books and authors. Also to enter the GIVEAWAY. It's CHOCOLATE!!

In My Mailbox: January

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, is a weekly feature where you can showcase new books, ones checked out from the library, bought, won or received for review.

*For 2012 I've decided to only do IMM once a month. Kind of a end of month wrap up on what book(s) or bookish things I got for the month.

Free Downloads:

'Til We Meet Again
by Stacey Kennedy
Downloaded from All Romance Ebooks

Free downloads from Red Hot Readers

Ardeur
by Danielle Gavan
via Smashwords code from author

Tarnished Tiaras

by Danielle Gavan

via Smashwords code from author

More Than Tolerable
by C.J. Ellisson
via Smashwords code from author

FREE from B&N

Zombies Don't Cry 

by Rusty Fischer

"Free" Audio Book:

Magic Slays
by Ilona Andrews
used my 1st credit from my 3 month subscription that I won from UTC.

From Library:

First Grave on the Right
(Charley Davidson #1)
by Darynda Jones
Audio book

Second Grave on the Left

(Charley Davidson #2)

by Darynda Jones

Audio book

Listening in preparation of book #3 for Cocktail Society Book Club

Bargain Buys:

Dark Time
(Mortal Path #1)
by Dakota Banks
$0.99 at B&N

Kiss of Life

(Generation Dead #2)

by Daniel Waters

I got this one in the bargain section at Hastings.

I had gotten books 1 & 3 months before

had to pick this one to 

complete the series.

Audible.com had a sale and I got 3 Audio Books.

  

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh

The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

For Review:

House of Pleasure
by Deborah Court
Received from author

Covet

by Felicity Heaton

Received from author

Swag:

Jery Smith-Ready was kind enough of to send me some signed bookmarks.

Yes, I'm going to share. 

They are going into the giveaway pot for YA Month in May.

REVIEW: Second Grave on the Left

Second Grave on the Left 
by Darynda Jones
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: Charley Davidson #2
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
My copy: Library MP3 download
RATING:: ★★★1/2

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans.


REVIEW:

At the end of the audio book there is a short interview with Jones and she states that Charley is a kind of mix between Stephanie Plum, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lorelai Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls. Now I’ve not read the Plum series yet nor have I watched the Gilmore Girls but I can see some of Buffy in Charley.

Both Charley and Buffy are one of a kind (well Buffy is you don’t count Faith and the end of the last season). Charley like Buffy is special and finding out more about herself and her powers as she goes. Yeah she is the grim reaper, but what does that all mean and what cool powers does she have?

Charley finds out a little bit more about what it means to be the grim reaper in Second Grave on the Left. But there are still tons of questions in that department.

Ok so the formula for this series seems to be that in each book Charley has a mystery/case to solve using her P.I. skills. While a larger plot goes on with her and Reyes and what they are and what they can do for the existence of the world.

The cases in book one and two have overlap with her Uncle Bob’s (or UB as Charley likes to call him) police cases. In SGOTL, Charley helps UB solve a mystery about a missing person while working a case about a different missing person that is friends with Charley’s BF, Cookie. (I so picture Charley and Cookie as Thelma and Louise)

We have another funny and snarky case to solve and more romantic tension between Charley and Reyes. I find myself not caring as much about the “side” stories in this series as I don the “main” story of Charley and Reyes. I like to think of Charley and Reyes as the meat and potatoes of the series and all the other plots the gravy on the potatoes. Jones has developed some fun and interesting characters.

After the way SGOTL ended I can’t wait to listen to book three, Third Grave Dead Ahead. I absolutely love the narrator of these books. She does a great job with the character’s voices and personalities.

Second Grave on the Left is available at:

Amazon │B&N│Audible.com

“If it has tires or testicles, it's gonna give you trouble.—Bumper Sticker”

“He was like chocolate-covered heroin, and I was an addict through and through.” (Charley's thoughts on Reyes)

“For the first time in my life, I was in a shoot-out. A real, honest-to-goodness shoot-out with a bad guy. And, apparently, we both sucked.”

Book to Movie Challenge

The Parajunkee is hosting a fun challenge this year that is a little a bit different…It will have the best of both worlds, movies and books.

Your job – read the books, see the movies. You were probably going to do it anyway — why not join in on the challenge?

• Post about this challenge on your blog stating that you are participating

• Grab the button and display it in the post (use grab code underneath the button) or on your sidebar so others can join in the fun.

• Challenge goes from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012

• The challenge is to read 10 books and see their corresponding movies

• Post your reviews of the movies, the book or both on the review link-up and discuss them in the comments below

To see a list of some of the books/movie that Parajunkee has come up with take a look at her POST.

Here's my list so far. It may change later in the year.

One for the Money

The Hunger Games

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Breaking Dawn Part 2

Guest Blog: Cat Kalen

Welcome Cat Kalen to The Book Nympho. 

On today's tour stop we have a guest post 

for ya and more info about the book and author. 

Oh and a giveaway.

Bullies

By

Cat Kalen

High school…ah, doesn’t it bring back memories. Well, I have to admit, I am one of those people who actually enjoyed high school. I grew up in a fairly small town with six hundred kids in our school. We were all bussed in from different districts, but everyone knew everyone.

Sure we had the jocks, the cheerleaders, the preppies and the stoners. Who was I? Well, I hung out in the smoking crowd, went to parties on weekends, was happy go lucky, got along well with everyone, was oblivious to most things, and generally did enough work to get myself a scholarship to university.

Who wasn’t I? Well, for one I wasn’t a girl who picked on anyone else and hated anyone who did. I was also the girl who said what she felt, always stood up for my beliefs, stood up for those who were unable to do so for themselves and didn’t much care what other people thought about me. I figured if the girls were talking about me, they were leaving someone else alone.

What I didn’t realize until the end of my senior year was that I had a reputation. I received a phone call late one evening from a girl who I used to hang around with in junior high. Let’s call her Beth. She asked if she could walk the halls with me at school the next day because there was this girl bullying her. This girl was older, had been held back a few years, and had a nasty reputation.

Honestly, I had NO idea why she wanted to walk the halls with me until she explained it. She told me that people knew better than to mess with me.

Me?

Who could be afraid of a ninety pound runt like me?

Regardless, I told her she could hang with me, and as we walked through the cafeteria I spotted the mean girl and her posse. They were all staring at us. But she didn’t do anything. Nothing at all. She just sat there and watched. Apparently, my friend was safe for another day. The next day, however, when I wasn’t in school because I’d finished my exams, this bully ended up knocking out Beth’s two front teeth. I was so angry!

It was the end of the school year and I never saw that bully again, but I did hear that Beth and her family had pressed charges.

I asked my boyfriend at the time, who is now my husband, why she made that call to me that night, why she thought I could protect her. He told me I had a strong personality and stood up for myself, and for others, and that scared the bullies. He also told me, however, that I was like a Chihuahua dog, and at ninety pounds if anyone challenged me to a fight I would have been in big trouble, because really, I was all bark and no bite!

That incident has always stuck with me and when I sat down to pen my first YA werewolf novel, Pride’s Run, I knew I wanted a strong heroine. I made her small, in fact she’s the runt of the litter, but she’s a survivor, a fighter, and people believe in her because she believes in herself. I put her in a difficult situation and sat back to watch how she’d fight her way out.

Have you ever had to stand up to a bully? If so, how did you handle it?




Pride’s Run
By Cat Kalen
Genre: Paranormal YA

Seventeen year old Pride is a tracker—a werewolf with a hunger for blood. Taught to trick and to lure, she is the perfect killing machine.

Kept leashed in the cellar by a master who is as ruthless as he is powerful, Pride dreams of freedom, of living a normal life, but escape from the compound is near impossible and disobedience comes with a price.

When she learns her master intends to breed her she knows she has to run.
But Pride soon learns that if she is to survive in the wild, she must trust in the boy who promises her freedom, the same boy she was sent to hunt.

With life and death hanging in the balance the two find themselves on the run from the Paranormal Task Force—officers who shoot first and ask questions later—as well as her master’s handlers.

Can Pride flee the man who has held her captive since birth and find sanctuary in the arms of a boy who has captured her heart? Or will her master find her first?

Buy Links:

Amazon 

Smashwords

Barnes and Noble: Coming Soon.

All Romance Ebooks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cat Kalen is a multi published author in the romance genre under two pen names, Cat is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and watermelon. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cat can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.
A maritime native and former financial officer, Cat has lived all over Canada but has finally settled down in her childhood hometown with her family.

Author Links:

www.catkalen.com

www.yabeyond.com

Twitter

Facebook

Make sure you stop by and follow Bewitching Book Tours at:

Website | Facebook 

What to read an excerpt?

Interview: C.J. Ellisson

C.J. welcome to The Book Nympho today!

Thanks for having me! I’m looking forward to your questions.

I’m loving your VV Inn series. So far there are three books; Vampire Vacation, The Hunt and the next release Big Game. And in your own words how would you describe the series to someone that has not read them yet?


Thank you! It’s always great to hear someone say nice things about the series; I don’t think I could be given a nicer gift.

Now, how to describe the books…. I think reviewer Laurie Jenkins, said it best: An erotic, paranormal mystery set in the Arctic. I thought that line was great when I read it—fit the bill perfectly! I know the books don’t technically qualify as romance, and yet romance readers seem to be the only ones really prepared for explicit sex in a book. I’ve found the non-romance readers tend to shock pretty easy. ;-)


You've done vampires and werewolves, I mean you've written about them. If you had to pick a different supernatural creature to write about what would it be? And why?

REVIEW

A magic user—whether a witch, wizard, or something similar—I haven’t really decided yet. But I’d like to pen a tale full of magic. I think the freeing aspects of today’s paranormal and fantasy genres are just plan fun to read and write. If I want to escape into the pages of a book, I really want it to take me away.

You have your fingers into a lot of pies; Everything Erotic, Red Hot Publishing and now Red Hot Readers. How do you find balance between all these projects, writing and a family?

I’m finding it very hard actually. My writing is suffering right now and my husband is very unhappy about it! He worries if I don’t get back to it I’ll lose the readers I’ve gained, but I know producing a good book that reels someone in is more important than churning out a bunch of words just to sell a book.

I’ve got a big deadline coming up and I’m not sure if things are going to stay even keeled for me. Certain projects, like the recent Red Hot Reader Page, take time initially to set up, but after that they require less attention. Everything Erotic pretty much runs itself now, we’ve had that up and running for over a year now and the writers are well seasoned with how things work.

It’s similar to a lesser degree with Red Hot Publishing. The company is set up like a co-op where we’re all responsible for our own projects start to finish. The company takes a small overhead to handle corporate accounts, book keeping, promo, and some other small things, but 90% goes directly back to the authors involved.

And speaking of family, I have a 5 year old son and it's hard to read the "smutty" books when he is around. He seems to know the right time to ask 101 questions right when mommy is getting to the really good parts. How do you get into the mind set to write the really good parts? Do you wait until you are alone in the house?

I write while my kids are in school. My husband and I both work from home, so I’m not truly alone in the house, but it’s close enough. Very rarely will I try to pen a sexy part when the kids around, it kills my mojo pretty quick.

I know you are going to be one of the guest speakers at Vamps at Sea cruise, do you have any other appearances planned that you would like to share with us?


I’m hoping to go to DragonCon in Atlanta next fall with the artists who are doing the graphic comic work for the re-release of the V V Inn series. I’m planning to de-sex the books and publish them under new titles and cover art to appeal to the younger (and prudish) set who are put off by the explicit scenes. I love the heat, but others… they don’t. Go figure. ;-)

Other than those two, I don’t have anything on the schedule yet. Could change in a few weeks, we’ll see!

What are you reading right now?


I’m at the tail end of Boone Brux’s Shield of Fire and absolutely love the world she has created. The fantasy elements are rich and complex and the romance plot does not overwhelm the story. She really did a great job balancing it.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Book Nympho to answer a few questions for my readers. Keep up the great writing.

Thanks so much for having me! I really liked that some of your questions were out of the box, thanks for the effort!

You can find out more about C.J. 
or stalk her if that's your thing at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter 

Make sure you stop by and follow Bewitching Book Tours at:

Website | Facebook 

Keep reading for more info on the books...

Cocktail Society Book Club

I'm hosting the March book and drink. 

If you care to join us we would be happy to have you. Stop back by on March 7th for review and discussion.

Each month, the members of the Cocktail Society Book Club reads a book that was selection by that month's host and then meet back here, on Cocktails and Books, to discuss it on the first Wednesday of every month. For each book, we'll have an associated cocktail, because why have a Cocktail Society if we aren't going to drink!!!

Sound fun? Join us and see what fun it is to have a cocktail with your book!

Join the Goodreads group as well.

Start reading book 2/9/12 and finish by 3/7/12

To find out more about the book and drink keep reading.

REVIEW: First Grave on the Right

First Grave on the Right 
by Darynda Jones
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: Charley Davidson #1
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
My copy: Library MP3 download
RATING:: ★★★

A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.


This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

REVIEW: 
I had checked this audio book out back during the summer and could not get passed chapter 4 so I stopped listening to it. I don't normally give a book a second chance but since I've joined Cocktail Society Book Club and the book for February is book 3 in the series, Third Grave Ahead; I thought I'd give it another shot.

Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood the first go around because I did finish it and enjoyed this time around. I really liked the idea of a series about a woman Grim Reaper and that's what drew me to it in the first place.

Ms. Jones has written a great smart ass heroine in Charley Davidson. The snarky one liners and hint of romance between Charley and Reyes was a nice balance to make me what to know  "Will they or won't they". (I'm not telling.You'll have to read or listen to find out.)

While First Grave on the Right didn't knock me off my seat; I did enjoy it enough to want to give  the second book, Second Grave on the Left a listen. In fact, I already have it on loan from the library so you can expect a review on it in the next week or so. I have my fingers crossed that the 2nd book will be even better than the first. At the very least it should have more of the sexy Reyes in it. ;)

First Grave on the Right is available at:

Amazon │B&N│Audible.com

“My fore-parts, as you so ineloquently put it, have names." I pointed to my right breast. "This is Danger." Then my left. "And this is Will Robinson. I would appreciate it if you addressed them accordingly.”

“After a long pause in which he took the time to blink several times, he asked, "You named your breasts?"I turned my back to him with a shrug. "I named my ovaries, too, but they don't get out as much.”

Shameless Giveaway Hop

Hosted by 

Jen (Red Hot Books), Brie (Romance Around the Corner) 

& Michelle (Michelle's Book Blog)

The Shameless Giveaway Hop is open from 

12:00am on Friday, January 20, 2012
to 11:59pm Friday, January 27, 2012. 

What's up for grabs?

Winner's choice. 

You get to pick 2 of the ebooks listed below.

I have read something from each of these authors and 

they are great erotica authors and I want to share them with you.

     

Daughter of Lust by Ann Mayburn {REVIEW}

Paranormal Romance

Erotic M/F, M/M/F, F/F

Johnny Living Dangerously by C.J. Ellisson
 M/F/F, M/F, F/F

Somewhere in Between by Stacey Kennedy
GLBT/Ménage

Her Dark Angel by Felicity Heaton
Paranormal Romance

Sapphire by Jeffe Kennedy {REVIEW}
BDSM

Books will be purchased at All Romance eBooks by me.

Bound to the Prince by Deborah Court {REVIEW}
Erotic Paranormal Romance
from Smashwords

How do I enter?

Leave your name, email address 

in the comments below.