Today I welcome C.J. Ellison, author of Vanilla on Top, a romance novel that if you pick up you better prepare yourself some time so you can finish it. I started it and was even reading it while watching one of our favorite TV shows and I never do that!. So grab your favorite cuppa and sit and learn a little more about D.L. Bogdan and check out my review of Vanilla on Top.
What three things do you need in order to write?
A relatively quiet space, no headache, and an idea.
What's your favorite season?
Fall. I love the color changes, the crisp smell in the air, and of course -- Halloween!
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I eventually want to travel the world, but right now
I'd love to be healthy enough to bring my kids to Zimbabwe to visit
friends of ours stationed there for a few years. It's a chance of a
lifetime and I'd love to be able to share it with them!
What intrigues you most about the concept of speed dating?
It's nothing I'd like to try, that's for sure! I
think the fact that normal adults want to participate in such an event
proves, without a doubt, that the hope of falling in love and having a
happily ever after is still in many people's hearts.
What's the first sentence of Vanilla on Top?
"The bartender approaches us, carrying our drinks, a lopsided grin on his aging face."
How would you describe Vanilla on Top?
I
would call it a journey of self discovery containing light BDSM
elements. Some readers have complained VoT wasn't a true BDSM or
"femdomme" book, but it was never meant to be. First and foremost, it
was two people letting go of their past and trying something out of
their comfort zone.
Dish, who’s your favorite character?
Hmmm…
that's a hard one. I loved both Heather and Tony so much I can't let go
of them! Before this book finished the editing process I had outlined a
second story for them and started it. I eventually want three stories
for the couple.
What can we expect next from you?
I'm
working on the second novel in the Wild Side series. It will star a new
couple, Carla and Andy. This book will submitted to my publisher by the
end of the month (but not come out til perhaps the summer) and then
I'll get back to Death's Servant. It's the prequel novel from my V V Inn
series, detailing how the hunky werewolf, Jon, came to be by Vivian's
side.
Thanks, Crystal!!
Whew, is it hot in here or is it just this book? Talk about steamy. Talk about attraction. Talk about an author that can write a love scene. C. J. Ellisson can do it. But that's not all, she can also write characters the reader can relate to, she can write a story that absorbs the reader and she can write a romance that is both hot and believable.
Heather. I love Heather, what woman can't relate to Heather. She wants to be more, she wants to be sure of herself and she finds a way for Tony but is she really this persona she is putting on for him? Or is she something in between? I loved her act, her demeanor and her real person. I loved how eventually they began to merge and her self-confidence grew. And Tony, wow Tony. He's hot, he's hot for Heather, he's an idiot when he's around her at first and that's unusual for him so the reader knows he's falling for her and that makes him all the more endearing. There is some mystery surrounding him. The reader knows that there is something he's not telling at first and that makes it interesting. He's eager to please and again he's just hot. So what's not to love? I like how both characters grow during the book, and you know me I'm big on the growth. In romance it's key, they have to learn something about themselves and these two characters do. I loved watching them learn too. And their attracting is off the charts, they cannot keep their hand to themselves and you'll just have to read those parts for yourself. ;)
The plot was interesting and engrossing. I honestly sat down to read this while my husband and oldest son went to Boy Scouts. They returned about an hour and a half later and we usually watch an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Netflix as a family. We did, but I kept sneaking reads of this book while watching and I never do that. I always watch Buffy and I usually can't read with the TV on, but I could do it with this book. I was caught up in the spell woven by CJ Ellison. The plot had sucked me in and by the time we were watching TV I was right in the thick of things and I could not put the book down. I had to know what would happen next and how things would work out.
Vanilla on Top may be more "vanilla" than some people want it to be, but you can't deny that it has the heat and the attraction between the two main characters. Again I loved Heather and Tony and their romance completely worked for me and the heat and their play was quite fun to read. The plot had me enthralled and I could not get enough of this book. I was excited to read in the interview above that she has more books in mind for Heather and Tony because I definitely would love to see more of them. But for the time being I will be happy to see the next Wild Side book and see what happens with Carla. Ms. Ellison has a way with a romance book that makes me want to read more of her work and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
My Rating: 5.0/5.0
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About the book:
Title: Vanilla on Top (Walk on the Wild Side, #1)Author: C.J. Ellisson
Genre: Category – Contemporary
Length: 279
Release Date: January 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62266-798-7
Imprint: Brazen
Discover your inner bad girl, and set her free…
Heather Pierce is done being a wallflower, both personally and professionally. Desperate to live a different life for one night, she attends a speed dating event. Maybe here, anonymous
unless she chooses otherwise, she can become someone new. When a man way out of her league sits across from her, Heather gathers her courage and takes charge of what she wants, secretly
fearing he won’t desire the real person she’s desperate to hide.
Top acquisitions officer and international playboy Tony Carmine is about to close the biggest
deal of his career. But then he meets Heather at a speed dating event…and discovers losing
control may be exactly what he needs. Her blossoming sensuality occupies his every thought,consuming him with the need to possess the most intriguing lover he’s ever encountered—until he walks into the boardroom and sees Heather on the other side of the negotiating table.
About the Author:
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.
Author Website
Goodreads
Facebook Fan Page
***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free. ***
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7 comments:
Thanks for stopping by to read the review and interview, Heidi! I hope you give the book a shot -- maybe stop by my website for the first chapter or do the free sample thing a try at Amazon. Best way to decide if it's too "vanilla" without buying ;-)
Thank you, Crystal!! So stoked to hear you enjoyed the book as much as you did -- and yup, I have no problem writing details in the sex scenes! :-D
A great review. I was like you, Crystal, once I started I couldn't put it down. It was really bad for those who uninterrupted me. Tsk, tsk... can't wait for the next installment in the Wild Side Series... more Tony and Heather, and more of the VV series. I must say, C. J. Ellison is one of my favorite authors!
Interesting cover.
Ann
Oooo really CJ? They're gonna have more books? I swear I didn't just squeal at work. Really. I didn't ;)
I loved this book and happy to know Heather and Tony will have another book down the line. I hope you do have readers try this out, even if it's not the type of book they usually read. Great interview and I hope you get to go on that trip!
CJ deserves that 5/5 stars. This book is amazing the type you can not put down. I agree with the reviewer its steamy :D
Great interview! I also couldnt put it down! Loved it and cant wait to read more in the series!
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