One Grave at a Time .. spoiler free review

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jeaniene Frost does it again with another action packed, sexy story from Cat,Bones and friends. Very enjoyable read.



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The Friday Five: Favorite Ghost Scenes

With just a few days until the release of One Grave at a Time, here is the last installment of the Friday Five.  Here are my favorite scenes involving ghostly creatures found in the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost.  Hope you have liked this series of blog posts, and don't forget to get your copy of One Grave at a Time!

Thanks again to my guest bloggers, Kris and Jess from Happily Ever After Reads, cpblackburn73 from Frostfans and my dear friend and writing partner, BonTempsCutie! It was a lot of fun going back through the books, wasn't it!



Bones introduces Cat to Winston Gallagher Halfway To The Grave

Early in Cat and Bones relationship, Bones takes Cat to the graveyard to get some information. Not only does Cat get drunk, the ghost takes advantage of her, and Cat shows us her humorous side.  It’s also the first time she looks at Bones as something other than just another vampire to kill.

A ghost had just gotten to third base with me. Could I sink any lower?

"Winston poltergeisted my panties, that's what!" I announced with a loud hiccup.

Mencheres raising the wraiths At Graves End

This might actually be my most favorite scene in the series so far. Unbelievable action, and emotion.  I don’t think I have to say any more. Here are some of my favorite passages:

Without raising his head, Mencheres pulled a knife from his lap. Then he stabbed it straight into his heart.

I did gasp then, in open mouthed incredulity as he twisted the blade. Must be steel, not silver, I found myself thinking. Or he'd be as dead as the grainy remains of those men spackling him like grayish snow.

Dark blood poured from the wound, flowing as steadily as if his heart still beat. It covered the knife, his hands, and his clothes with a murky crimson liquid. Soon I wasn't even staring at that, however. I was staring with growing incomprehension as the red-smeared powdery substance that was the bones of the men who'd died began to separate, expand...and then form into figures.

In my wildest imaginings, I hadn't known it was possible for a vampire to do these things, but here we were, following on the magic carpet of Mencheres's power behind the vengeance-filled wraiths he'd raised. Later I'd ponder the significance of that. Like when I wrote my report to Don and watched him faint while reading it.

Cat meets Fabian Destined for an Early Grave

One of the most sympathetic and likable characters in the Night Huntress series is Cat’s adopted ghost, Fabian. I do so love Cat when she has her tender moments.  

"I didn't think you'd speak to me." the ghost replied, starting to smile. "The undead"-he nodded at Bones--just ignore us. They're among the few who can see us. but they don't even care!"

He spoke with such impassioned resonance. I would have patted him if he had been solid. Instead. I gave him a sympathetic smile.

"What's your name? I'm Cat.”

He bowed. his head going through the table. 'I am Fabian du Brac. Born 1877. died 1922.'

The Remnants This Side Of The Grave

The remnants, another supernatural force from the grave, gave Cat and Bones some interesting times in This Side of the Grave, and this scene where Vlad and Cat experiment with her new powers was a winner.  I love it when these two friends interact, well, most of the time...

I felt like ice flashed through my veins even as a shield of transparent bodies formed over me, deflecting Vlad’s blow as if they were made of solid diamond instead of only vaporous air. He stared at them with grim triumph as that shield of Remnants grew into a wall—and then fell on top of him.

“Good, it worked,” Vlad gritted out even as his whole body was smothered by them. “Magnificent weapon. This hurts . . . absolutely everywhere.”

Voices echoed all around me, some as low as growls and others in pitches so high they sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Vlad was right; it obviously worked. Now came the really hard part. I’d raised them, but I had to get them off him. It was hard to concentrate with them bombarding my mind with more voices than I could ever count. If I had any hope at controlling them, I needed to use the same techniques I’d developed while learning to keep humans’ thoughts from overwhelming me.Focus on one voice. Tune into it. Make everything else fade into the background.

I didn’t bother taking the time to pull out one of my knives, but slammed my hand onto the jagged, sharp remains of the headstone, inflicting another deep laceration.

“All right, you deadly little ghostlings,” I muttered. “Mama says go back to bed!”

Fabian telling Vlad off This Side Of The Grave

In another very powerful scene, Fabian gives Vlad a schooling on just what a ghost can do. I think Cat’s final words say it all.

Fabian didn’t flinch under Vlad’s harsh analysis. “You have no idea what it’s like, existing between worlds,” he said, floating closer instead of backing away. “We are neither the living nor the undead. It takes years to cope with the fact that even though over ninety-nine percent of everyone who dies crosses over to the next place, you are left behind. Years to accept that everything you worked for in your life is gone, and the shell of memory is all that remains. Years to recover from hopelessly trying to communicate with loved ones, only to fail time and again because no one except the crazed, psychics, the undead, or other ghosts can see you. Years

to accept—even if you don’t understand why—that vampires and ghouls will treat you worse than they do vermin, even though they are no more human than you are.”

Fabian advanced again, until his finger disappeared into Vlad’s chest. “I’d dare the strongest of your race or any other to say that they’ve conquered the same hardships my people have overcome. So think again before you question a ghost’s worth, or judge those younger ones who are still in the process of becoming tougher than anyone tied to flesh will ever be!”

Stunned silence filled the air once Fabian was finished. I wanted to break out into apologies and applause all at the same time, but I was still recovering from my shock at how my mild-mannered, Casper-esque friend had just unloaded a truck full of I-dare-yous onto one of the scariest vampires in existence. Damned if I would ever underestimate a ghost’s chutzpah again, or question their fortitude. Being noncorporeal clearly didn’t equate to lacking a pair of balls.

The Friday Five: Favorite Cat & Bones Love Scenes!

Hello Cat and Bones fans! It's Kristin and Jess from Happily Ever After - Reads and we were given the assignment of coming up with our top 5 Cat and Bones sex scenes. Really, like rereading those scenes was such a hardship! We chose 5 scenes that stood out, not only for the sexiness of them, but for the circumstances surrounding the scene, and with Cat and Bones that usually means high emotion of some sort.

Chapter 32 Disclaimer:

We intentionally left out chapter 32…It belongs on a list all on its own, and we wanted to give the spotlight to some standout scenes without the famous #32 stealing any thunder!

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HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE: The first (of many!) time:

If anyone could prove to Cat that not all vampires were horrible creatures, it’s Bones. It took him a little time (161 pages to be exact!) but she came to believe in him and began to trust him, and see that not all vamps are created equal. It was still a struggle for her to see beyond the hate, but Bones breaks down her walls, slowly but surely, and their first time was the perfect combination of sweet and tender, and while Cat may have ran away as fast as she could after, this scene was just a sign of what was to come for our favorite couple:

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Those fingers caressed me knowingly, as if I’d told him secrets, and I bit my lip to stifle the cries. When his thumb circled the ball of my flesh and a long finger rubbed inside me, I trembled in uncontainable need.

A harsh noise of protest escaped me when he stopped. He moved his hand away, his mouth left my breasts, and he dragged his lips down my stomach. It wasn’t until he was past my naval that I realized his intention.

“Bones, wait!” I gasped, shocked.

He paused at once, mouth still on my belly. “Stop?” he inquired.

Color flamed my cheeks and I couldn’t articulate my objection. “Er, not stop all of it, just…um, I don’t think that’s appropriate-”

Something like a snort escaped him. “I do think,” he muttered, and lowered his mouth.

---

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE – The first bite

As smitten as Cat becomes over Bones in Halfway to the Grave, she still holds many biases from past experiences with vampires, their need to “bite” being one of them. But before the end of book #1, Cat lets go of her fears, and gives in to curiosity. It takes some convincing Bones on her part once she accepts that she wants to be bitten, but before long, she and Bones pass that point of no return that only a vampire can provide. While this scene isn’t, shall we say “consummated”, the sensuality of the moment alone, made it on our favorite love scene list.

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His hand brushed through my hair, smoothing it aside and his mouth dipped to my neck. I gasped at the feel of his tongue circling my pulse in a more predatory manner than ever before. He fastened his mouth over it, sucking. Drawing the artery closer to the surface and pressing on it with his sharp teeth. My heart was pounding now; its throb must have been pounding against his lips.

“Kitten,” he moaned into my skin. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes.”

Fangs sank into my throat. I braced myself for pain, but it didn’t come. A long, deep suction froze me with surprise instead. Oh! This wasn’t like before when Hennesey bit me. It didn’t hurt. On the contrary, I began to feel delicious warmth spreading through me. It was as if our roles were reversed and the blood spilling into his mouth was feeding me as well. That heat increase, taking me down with it, and I curled my arms around his neck to pull him close.

“Bones…”

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ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE: Cat & Bones Reunion

After being apart for years, we knew, we just KNEW, that the next time these two got together it would be fast, hard and hot, and yup, it totally was. After having a dinner date cut short by being shot at (who hasn’t dealt with that scenario at least once?) Cat and Bones escape and are able to question the hitmen. Once the panic of the moment was over, they both needed a big release and we as readers benefited! While Cat and Bones have their sweet, tender moments, it’s the scenes filled with high emotion that really hit home – and they have plenty of emotion being two strong willed, passionate individuals:

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My mind was seized with a single jumbled rant: Harder-faster-more-yes! It was all I could think as I clawed at his back, desperate to somehow get closer. Bones’s arm was under my hips, holding me tighter even as the solidness at my back rocked with our movements. Between his kiss, my grip, and that unknown brace, I could barely breathe, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was the escalating passion within that had my nerve endings contracting and twisting in a frenzy.

“Don’t stop, don’t stop!” I cried, but it came out as only a garbled shout against his mouth. Bones must have translated, however, because he ramped up his speed until I wasn’t even sure I was still conscious. Spasms began to shake me from the inside out as my body convulsed with the overload of pleasure. I heard Bones groan, barely audible above the thundering of my heartbeat, and then moments later felt the wetness of his release inside me.

It took a few minutes before I could speak. “Something’s jabbing me…in the back.”

I was still panting. Bones wasn’t, of course, that whole not needing to breathe thing. He pulled me away and then glanced at the offending object.

“Twig.”

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AT GRAVE’S END – Possessive sex in a semi

When a meeting has Cat and Tate getting a little more up close and personal than they had planned for, Bones takes his possessive traits to a new level.

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“It was just an act,” I said again.

“Oh, I know that,” Bones replied at once. Those glittering green eyes met mine. “Tate wouldn’t be alive right now if it wasn’t. I know you only did this to get Hyosko, Kitten.” His voice deepened. Hardened.
“No matter the cause, don’t you dare, ever, let someone handle you in such a way again.”

Then, to my complete surprise, Bones yanked my underwear down.

“What are you doing?” I gasped.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” He muttered, even as he spread my legs.

Of all the things I’d expected, this would have been last on my list. “But you’re, er, still mad at me.”

“Right you are,” was his somewhat muted response as a deep lick made my knees weak.

I was about to say this wasn’t a fair way to fight, when Bones grasped me around the waist and lifted me. Color rose to my cheeks, because my legs were around his shoulders and my head almost reached the ceiling.

“Bones,” I managed to say. “Stop. Let me down.”

Ruthlessly his tongue continued to tease me. “No. You’re mine, and I’m taking you now.”

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THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE – Candle wax and fangs

It was said early on by Jeaniene herself that This Side of the Grave contained a scene that might be a contender for the hottest scene in Night Huntress history, possibly even better than THE chapter 32. While we can’t be the ultimate judge of whether it was or wasn’t, we certainly did enjoy book five’s now infamous scene, when Cat decides it’s her turn to take Bones to new heights—with candle wax and her own fangs.

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“Do it,” he said, his voice so rough I almost didn’t recognize it.

I blew the candle out with a soft puff that still left it smoldering, then poured the entire scalding contents onto the flesh in my hand.

His whole body jerked while flashes of pain and pleasure assaulted my subconscious. I mashed the top of the candle together to ensure that it was out before throwing it aside, ignoring the fleeting burn in my hand. Then, before the wax had chance to cool, I fastened my lips around the head of his cock. A primal groan came from his throat when I pulled him deeper, tonguing his flesh, taking as much as I could with two sharp, pointed fangs in the way…

I sank my fangs into him, reveling in the shudder that went through his body and the shout that seemed to erupt from his throat. The ambrosia of his blood teased my tongue as, very carefully, I rocked my mouth against him, taking his cock deeper without enlarging the punctures I’d made with it.

This had taken practice to be perfect.

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So, there you go, these were the 5 scenes that stood out to us in the series. There were so many other great moments that we just couldn’t fit on the list, so let’s hear them! We’d love to know what YOU think is the hottest Cat and Bones moment of the series so far. 

The Friday Five: Favorite Mencheres Scenes

 My guest blogger this week is my lovely friend and writing partner, @Bontempscutie.  I know this was a touch assignment for her. We both love Mencheres and I know I couldn't pick just five scenes! So let's see what btc picked this week!

Happy Friday Night Huntress Fans! It’s time for the next installment of the Friday Five! This week belongs to Mencheres.

I first fell hard for the gorgeous Mega Master Egyptian Vampire way back in One Foot In The Grave. I've always been a fan of historical fiction and I was immediately intrigued by the powerful and mysterious Mencheres who just happens to be based on a Pharaoh from the 4th Dynasty.

From the moment we meet him in the steam tunnels in OFITG you know he’s going to be something special:

Mencheres looked no older than thirty. He had long black hair, charcoal-colored eyes, and a hawkishness to his nose that, combined with his finely tinted skin, suggested Middle Eastern ethnicity. But it was his power level that flabbergasted me. His crackling aura was like nothing I'd ever felt before. No wonder Bones had said Ian wouldn't want Mencheres as his enemy. Feeling the power surging off him, neither did I.

Without further ado, and in the order they appear in the series, here are my Top 5.

In At Grave’s End we begin to understand some of Mencheres powers. It is revealed that he has visions, can read human and half-breed minds, is extremely strong, a deadly fighter, and can fly among other things. In this scene we learn he has powers beyond just the physical. He has just imploded the bones of the 23 brave souls who fought and died when Patra sent the grave after Cat and Co.:

Without raising his head, Mencheres pulled a knife from his lap. Then he stabbed it straight into his heart.
Dark blood poured from the wound, flowing as steadily as if his heart still beat. It covered the knife, his hands, and his clothes with a murky crimson liquid. Soon I wasn't even staring at that, however. I was staring with growing incomprehension as the red-smeared powdery substance that was the bones of the men who'd died began to separate, expand...and then form into figures.
Before my gaze, it looked like ghosts formed, shrouding Mencheres. He was muttering something in a language I couldn't even begin to recognize, and those hazy forms kept increasing. They grew until they looked like shadows come to life, because I could still see through them, but they were three-dimensional, all right.
Only when all twenty-three people who'd been killed the night before stood around him did Mencheres pull the knife out and speak.
"These are not our friends. They don't recognize any of you, and they have no memory of their former lives. They are the mindless rage that lingers in the remains of all murdered people, and I have yanked that rage from their bones and given it form. They will be drawn to their murderer with the single-minded purpose of revenge. All we have to do once I release them...is follow them. They will lead us right to Patra no matter where she hides."
Mencheres then lifted everyone else into the air and flew them to Patra's undisclosed location.

We learn so much more about him and the depths of what he knows about black magic in the Eternal Kiss of Darkness. This book is a feast for Mencheres’ fans. In Kira, Jeaniene has built the perfect partner and lover for Mencheres. Even if he finds it hard to believe at first.

I really enjoyed the scene in EKOD where Kira learned about Mencheres being a vampire. His internal dialogue was hysterical:

“Ah.” She smiled then, the first one he’d seen that didn’t look forced. “So, Mencheres the Egyptian vampire, are you really old, or are you as young as you look?”
He gave her a sideways look as he began walking back toward the house, feeling the oddest pang as he contemplated their age difference. “I’m older than dirt,” he answered dryly.
“A vampire with a sense of humor. I really didn’t know that existed,” she quipped with equal dryness. Mencheres didn’t answer. First, he was telling her things he had no reason to reveal, now he was joking about his age. How strange. He’d thought his sense of humor had expired a long time ago.
“I suppose putting that room back together will give me something to do for the next few hours,” Kira noted with a sigh.
“That is not necessary, you’ll . . . stay in another room.”
Mencheres almost tripped as he bit back the words that had so nearly crossed his lips: You’ll stay in my room. What possessed him even to think such a thing? He hadn’t found his sense of humor—he’d lost his mind.
Undead senility. There weren’t very many vampires left who were older than he was. Maybe it was an actual condition after all.

I have to admit I thought it was totally hot in EKOD when Mencheres arrives at the club to save Kira from Flare and co.:

Kira opened her eye in time to see the two doors across the room explode outward, ripped off the hinges by some invisible force. They crashed onto the floor with a thud that seemed to reverberate around the room. Flare, Baldy, and Dreadlocks jumped, backing away.
Then a tall cloaked figure swept into the room, long dark hair swinging with his rapid stride, charcoal-colored gaze turned to blazing green.
Kira’s heart felt like it skipped a beat. Mencheres.
His eyes seemed to meet hers without pausing over anyone else in the room. Then Mencheres stopped, his features hardening like sand turned to glass. The fury that emanated from him was palpable, making her heart skip a beat again.

So, you can’t talk about EKOD and not discuss the amazing sex scenes lol. But one of my faves, was the sex scene that wasn’t. The whole bathtub scene was hot! Here are bits and pieces of it. JF did an amazing job describing it. You can just picture him, water dripping down his body...:

Mencheres slid through the water toward her, drawn by the same inexorable compulsion that led moths to dance with flames.
Kira’s eyes darkened to a richer shade of green as he approached. He set his hands on either side of her, bracing against the ledge of the tub as he rose to his knees. Her legs brushed his chest, the water running down him soaking the ends of her dress, but she didn’t draw away. Instead, her scent flared with desire as she slowly perused his body.
“I can almost feel your gaze on me,” he murmured, heat winding into his loins as he sent his bath-warmed blood there at last.
“If you expected me not to look, Mencheres, you underestimate yourself.”
Her voice was husky, lingering over the syllables in his name like she was caressing them. He moved closer, pressing his body against her knees until she either had to edge away from him or open them.
Kira parted her legs, careless of the water that soaked her as he brought his body flush against hers, savoring her moan as their skins met. She slipped her arms around his neck, her fingers separating his hair into several thick strands while she stared into his eyes.

They chat, she finds out it's been a while since he had sex... and then the scene continues:

He laughed, pulling her down into the tub with him. “No. I’m warning you that I will show you no mercy.”
He kissed her with all of the pent-up hunger that had been raging in him for the better part of a millennium. Kira’s arms tightened around him, the taste of her mouth intoxicating, the caress of her tongue a sensual extravagance. Water sloshed from the tub as he pulled her dress off and flung it aside. Her bra and underwear were likewise discarded, until nothing interrupted the sleek smoothness of her flesh along his.

The scene comes to an abrupt end and once again we are reminded that Mencheres is a bad ass territorial vampire. Again, remember, water is dripping down his large, hard body...:

Mencheres shot from the tub with a snarl, only their centuries-long friendship stopping him from striking out with lethal force at the vampire who intruded. Gorgon stood in the bathroom doorway, his expression grim.

I could go on an on about various scenes from EKOD but you should just go ahead and read the book if you haven’t already. It really is an amazing story and we get to know so much more about Mencheres then we ever could have in the Night Huntress stories.

My last fave scene for the purposes of this post, is from This Side of the Grave. I loved that a huge chunk of the book found the unlikely trio of Cat, Vlad and Mencheres hanging out.  

I love the scene in TSOTG where Vlad thinks he has pulled one over on his dear old friend Mencheres. He wants to test Cat’s new found power before they go into battle:

“Now, let’s get in the graveyard and get started. Before Mencheres calls and then lectures us into an early grave about how imprudent this idea is.”

After Cat figures out the key to using her new power, she and Vlad head home:

“You two are back early,” a dry voice stated.
I glanced up to see Mencheres framed in the doorway of the town house. Vlad got out, shut his door a little harder than was necessary, and threw the Egyptian vampire a jaded look.
“Car trouble,” he said, in a voice that dared Mencheres to inquire further.
“You’re back a bit early yourself. Did you find anything interesting?” I asked, trying to divert his attention from the obvious fact that I was splattered in blood while the car looked and sounded fine.
“Nothing Dave had not already confirmed,” Mencheres replied, with a slight shrug.
“Don’t be disappointed, Cat. I didn’t expect to find anything. That’s not why I went,” Mencheres said, opening the front door for us.
My brows rose, but I went inside, figuring this conversation was best held somewhere other than on the small lawn. Vlad glanced at Mencheres with equal curiosity but also followed me inside. Once the door was shut, I gave a longing glance at the couch but stayed standing.
“Are you going to tell us why you went, then?” I asked.
“Because even if I didn’t expect to find anything new, it would be foolish not to make certain,” Mencheres said. He leaned against the door frame, the picture of nonchalance. “Besides, if I hadn’t left, then you wouldn’t have attempted to exercise your new powers, would you?” he added.
“You knew?” I blurted, not sure which stunned me more; the fact that Mencheres was obviously aware that I had the ability, or that he’d let me try using it without telling Bones on me. “Did you, um, know because you saw it?” It would be great if his visions were back up to full strength again . . .
The look Mencheres gave me—and Vlad, too, I noticed—was pointed. “No. But I, too, heard you this morning, so I didn’t need a vision to predict what Vlad would do if the two of you were left alone long enough. People’s natures can be far more telling than even visions at times.”
Vlad let out a chuckle. “You sly dog, you set me up! Here I thought I was pulling one over on you, but in reality, you were playing me like a chess piece.”
Mencheres flashed him a grin that was full of mischief. I stared, never having seen the normally reserved mega-Master vampire with such a wicked, teasing expression.
“You forget, Vlad, I’m the one who trained you in deviousness. Maybe in a few more centuries, you’ll be able to outwit me, but not yet.”

TSOTG is another fabulous installment in the Night Huntress series and is FILLED with Mencheres goodness. If you haven’t read the series yet it’s not too late - there’s still plenty of time before the latest book comes out at the end of this month.

Thanks Mare for giving me this delicious assignment! I had a great time hunting through the books to find the passages for all of my fave Mencheres scenes. But it also made me realize a full NH reread is in order!

And for those of you that have read the NH books, please be sure to tell me which Mencheres scenes were your faves! I had to cut 3 scenes just to finish this post, and yes, they were all from EKOD lol. Thanks for reading!
~btc

The Friday Five:Favorite Bones Scenes

Howdy Night Huntress fang-atics! Missie from  The Unread Reader here to present my top five favorite BONES scenes.

But first, I have to ask, what was I thinking? Seriously?

When Mare asked me if I'd like to guest post about my top five Bones scenes, I squee'd. I love Bones so much I figured it would be easy to single out my favorite bits featuring him. But then as I prepared to do this post, I thought, Really, only FIVE favorite Bones scenes? Bloody hell, how am I supposed to do that?

Suddenly, the task seemed impossible. I mean Bones is such an magnetic and mesmerizing character, and he plays such a pivotal role in the series. You could say that literally, everything he says or does is my favorite! But I guess if I have to pick, I'll try to go with stuff that is a bit off the beaten path in order to avoid listing all the poignant scenes we all know and love so well.  

1. Bones teaching Cat how to fight dirty. "There is only one way to fight, and that's dirty. Clean, gentlemanly fighting will get you nowhere but dead, and fast. Take every cheap shot, every low blow, absolutely kick people when they're down, and then maybe you'll be the one who walks away. Remember that." HTTG, chapter 3.

Could Bones get any more real with Cat in making sure she understood this lesson on defending herself? Fighting dirty may not be very honorable, but somehow the way Bones explained it, I couldn't help but admire him. 

2. Bones revealing his human name. "But I'm not lying, pet. My name is Crispin. Crispin Phillip Arthur Russell III. That last part was merely a bit of fancy on my mum's part, since clearly she had no idea who my da was. Still, she thought adding numerals after my name would give me a bit of dignity. Poor sweet woman, ever reluctant to face reality." HTTG, chapter 8.

I loved how Bones set up a ruse around his name just to take Cat out on a real date.  It was so incredibly sweet and thoughtful of him, but not only that, as he revealed his human name, it was with complete honesty and a bit of mirth.

3. The reunion sex. *blushes* Don't judge me. Four years is a freaking long time! And yes, I know everyone makes a big deal about Chapter 32, and I'll admit it's good, but the need to connect they felt after Cat's near death experience and after so long was something I could hardly forget.

"I can't wait," Bones muttered fiercely.  If speaking was still in my control, I would have immediately agreed. But all my vocal abilities were used on gasping at the unbelievable sensations his fingers caused. Bones shifted, I heard another rip, and then he thrust deeply inside me. His mouth claimed mine at the same instant, muffling my cry at the ecstasy of his hard flesh filling me. Then there was the sweetest edge of pain as he began to move rhythmically, almost roughly, inside me. OFITG, chapter 21.

4. The piano slam. Bones' pain was so freaking palpable, I almost chocked on it. Not only did that scene leave me drowning in my tears, it freaking tore my heart out. After all they'd been through and after all the ways he never wavered and always fought to prove his devotion and love to Cat, the utter defeat he felt in this scene really made me want to reach through the book and tear Cat's limbs off myself.

“Kitten.” His voice was thick with something I couldn’t name. “This  is  the part...where you don’t have a choice.” DFAEG, chapter 17

5. The crumbling of the last wall. As thick-headed as Cat can be, a character trait makes her truly remarkable to Bones (if not a bit infuriating), I was so happy when she not only realized the depth of Bones' true feelings for her from his simple statement, but also decided that she needed to bare herself to him completely. It was such a tenderly aching scene that I needed to see their infinite circle of love solidified. 

   
“Kitten”—Bones paused from pulling on his shirt—“four hours of sleep while holding you is far more beneficial to me than eight hours of endless tossing and turning because you’re not there.”
I couldn’t say anything for a moment. His tone was utterly matter-of-fact, no hint of romantic exaggeration or playful bantering. After all this time, I should be used to Bones’s unabashed bluntness about his feelings, but it still struck me. He didn’t hesitate to bare the most vulnerable parts of himself without care that I wasn’t the only one who could hear him. TSOTG, chapter 25

So that's it! A few of my favorite Bones scenes from a basket the size of Texas. Thank goodness Mare limited me or I'd be quoting the whole series.

What are some of your favorite Bones scenes? I'd love to compare notes.

Texas sized hugs to Mare for letting me guest post today. This was a fun (and exhausting because of staying up way past my bedtime to re-read Bones' scenes) assignment, and I can't wait for the release of One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress, #6) so I can add more favorites to the long list.

Missie, The Unread Reader

The Friday Five:Favorite Vlad Scenes

Graphic Art by Syd Gill   http://www.sydgill.com/

The lovely Tradermare asked me about contributing to this Night Huntress endeavor and, being a huge fan of the subject material, it was a no-brainer. Pick out my five favorite Vlad Tepesh scenes. It is well-known in my circle of friends, both nearby and online, that I absolutely adore Jeaniene Frost’s Vlad Tepesh. My husband will even let me know when there is something on TV, most often The History Channel, involving, as he says, “my boyfriend”. So, with flames at my fingertips, here I go.

1. The intro scene. Bones had already stated his disdain at Mencheres’ guest, scoffing at the impending arrival of the showhound. Jeaniene’s writing creates such a vivid picture. From the first time we see Mencheres under the campus of Virginia Tech, you realize that he doesn’t just walk into a room, he commands it. So, when Mencheres climbs out of the helicopter with his guest, I was immediately clued into how this new guy, the Showhound, would command a room in the same manner Mencheres does. AGE, chapter 15.

2. The cliff. By this point in At Graves End, those of us emotionally invested in the story were either in tears or close. It felt as if every single one of us had waited those four years of separation for Bones with the same amount of intensity as he had searched for Cat. Cat climbed the cliff with the knowledge that her love, the one she had willingly separated from for four years, was dead. So, why not join him? Other than her mother, who often treated her as the after product of a bad sexual experience that she regretted, Cat had no one and the man she loved more than life herself was gone. Enter Vlad. Cat stands on the cliff, interrupted only by a voice. Granted, in my giddy fan girl mental experience, that voice is deep, rumbling and drips with cultured, accented ease portraying a calm he probably did not feel. We learn later that Vlad and Cat are friends and Vlad, at that point, had probably already begun to look at her that way. AGE, chapter 21.

3. Destined for an Early Grave was such a pivotal book in the Cat and Bones universe. I have spoken with many fellow Frosties and this book gets a lot of emotional reaction. In my humble opinion, this book changed everything. There were many changes. Cat had to fully trust Bones instead of rushing head first into decisions. Bones had to fully embrace that he loved someone who acted before thinking sometimes. And Vlad Tepesh was solidified into the Night Huntress universe. Curiosity was raised in AGE but DFAEG sealed the deal. I could literally list every one of his scenes in this book as favorites, but I’m going to hold back on my Vlad giddiness and pick one.
Cat, in her years working on a Special Forces team, was understandably a light sleeper, but Vlad snuck into her room at his castle undetected. Cue the shrieks from dedicated Cat and Bones peeps as they were undoubtedly horrified at what could have happened. But nothing did. Cat and Vlad both were at a low point. Vlad, as much as I hold a literary love for the character, is arrogant as hell, fully earning the earlier mentioned nickname Showhound that Bones had given him. I think this is a pivotal point where the readers are seeing that Vlad is ready for a happily ever after (I’m right here Vlad, call me, we’ll talk *wink*). Cat was coming to accept that Bones was done and Vlad needed a friend. He even mentioned that a friend was difficult to come by for him, or more so than other forms of female companionship. “Sex isn’t what I’m after. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept next to a woman who meant something to me.” This was one of my favorite quotes, one which he told Cat before they both fell asleep at dawn. He became even more of a curiosity to Jeaniene’s fans as he solidified himself as a friend for Cat. AGE, chapter 20.

4. Mencheres in a toga. So, after 4000 years of life, one would assume that Mencheres had a couple of people he could trust. In Eternal Kiss of Darkness, we got a better understanding of who those people are and the lengths Mencheres goes for those in his inner circle. My favorite Vlad scene in EKOD is from the point where he utters “Mencheres…If anyone, other than you, had me fly halfway around the world just to keep me waiting while you were obviously lingering in bed, I’d have my driver run then over. Twice.” Then we get tidbits of the relationship between Mencheres and Vlad and we see how deep that relationship is. As much as Mencheres loves Bones as a son, there is a mutual respect between Vlad and him. The part that made me laugh was Vlad sitting in the room as Kira fed. Everything leading up to the “children of the night” remark was indicative of the sense of humor that lends his character such appeal on a more personable level, other than the sex appeal he exudes. EKOD, chapters 25-26.

5. “Premature inflamulation…Happens sometimes. Very embarrassing, I don’t like to talk about it.” This goes down as one of my favorite Night Huntress chapters ever. Cat gives Vlad a wave as Bones is making a mess of Vlad’s driveway with the ghoul’s head and Vlad could care less about the damage, focusing in on the information the ghoul was giving out between shrieks. And talk about an entrance, Vlad just walked out of his door with flames creeping up his arms, creating a mental picture of a man who was this close to busting hell wide open and sending his intruders in, only to stop short with his trademark sardonic smile when he realized who the intruders were. One of the things that I enjoyed the most was getting to see Vlad the Impaler at work. Jeaniene has done a masterful job of making us fall in literary love with one of history’s most questionable people. The actual Vlad’s tactics on the battlefield were legendary for their brutality and God help you if you happened to end up his prisoner. So seeing his methods of dealing with the ghoul was fascinating. Jeaniene, as usual, did not disappoint. The dialogue was masterful. After the questioning, Cat was making valid points, in her typical Cat reasoning as Bones was mercilessly beating the sod and Vlad was countering with arguments that made you realize exactly how terrifying he could be, should he put his mind to it. As Cat and Bones were arguing, Vlad took matters into his own hands and sent the ghoul up in flames, responding with the quote at the beginning of this paragraph. TSOTG, chapter 14.

I hope if you are reading this and you have not read the Night Huntress books by Jeaniene Frost, that you will go immediately and buy them all. Next spring, we get another glimpse into the Night Huntress world with the Night Prince series, detailing Vlad and the journey to his HEA. August 30, we get the next piece of Cat and Bones’ story with One Grave at a Time. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts on Vlad with you!


Be sure to check out the awesome trailer and first three chapters of One Grave at a Time on Jeaniene Frost's website.

Introducing the Friday Five

Hi there!

Welcome to the Friday Five, a little idea I had to pass the time until the release of One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost. Between now and August 30, I’ll be posting some of the five favorite scenes from the Night Huntress and Night Huntress World Series, written by guest bloggers who love this series as much as I do!  

So I hope you will come back each Friday, and join in the discussion with your own favorites!

To kick things off, I’m going to start with some of my favorite Cat scenes. It’s hard to just pick five for Cat, but I’ve managed to select one from each of the Night Huntress series books! 

From Halfway to the Grave

"Say it. I need to hear the words. Tell me."

I licked my lips and cleared my throat. It took three times, but finally my voice returned.

"I love you, Bones."

You know she loves him, but admitting it to herself is one thing, and telling him is entirely different. But when Cat manages to be honest with him and admits it, it’s really a wonderful moment in the story, before the poo hits the proverbial fan. It’s really nice that we didn’t have to wait for this moment until another book in the series.

From One Foot in the Grave

His hair was different. Honey-brown instead of the platinum blond from my memory. It was also longer than before, curling over his ears instead of hugging his head like a sleek helmet. Pale skin glittered against the ebony fabric of his tuxedo, such a creamy breathtaking contrast. Eyes so deep brown they were nearly black bored into mine with none of the shock I felt.

Objects in motion stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. I proved Newton's Law of Inertia, because even though my breath caught and my heart skipped a beat, I somehow managed to keep walking down the aisle.

Bones's gaze devoured mine. Inside me a completely unfamiliar sensation exploded, taking my lagging mind a second to diagnose it. Joy. Pure, unadulterated joy flooded me. I was actually about to spring forward and hurtle myself in his arms, when I stopped myself.

Another great moment of joy for Cat, and one we had been waiting for. Don’t you just want to scream at her when she stops herself? And I have to say, the physics reference is awesome!

From At Graves End

"Please don't wake me up," I begged, terrified someone would shake me out of my dream. I clutched the figure that seemed so real, squeezing my eyes shut." Just a little longer."

Another great scene! Bones comes back from the dead, and Cat can’t quite believe he is there with her. When she finally realizes Bones is indeed alive, they waste no time renewing their connection to each other. Outstanding emotional scene.

From Destined for an Early Grave

"You're a good friend.” I said.

That was all I got out. One of the Guardians closed his arm across my throat, choking off my attempted goodbye to my mother, and I was dragged out into the clearing. The blond female Guardian was  already in the middle, a long silver knife in her hand. Quick with carrying out the punishments, aren't they? I thought mustering up my courage. I couldn't bring myself to look at where people were gathered around Bones. If he was alive. I didn't want him to see this. I was hoping the Guardians would be really quick and  it would be over before Bones even realized what was happening.

There are so many scenes from this book that I would include on my favorites list for Cat, but I love the ending most of all. I still get choked up when I read this scene. As a matter of fact, the ending of Destined for an Early Grave is just full of awesome, from Bones getting prepared for the fight, to the bloody end. It’s emotional and there’s a happy ending, although Jeaniene keeps you on the edge of your seat through it.    

From This Side of the Grave

Well, I was done hiding, hating, or apologizing for the parts of me I hadn’t chosen and couldn’t change. If some people had a problem with my differences, that was just too fucking bad for them.  “That’s right, I eat vampires,” I said again, louder this time. I pushed his body away and stood, shaking the blood off my sword as I faced the remaining group of ghouls.

*sigh* This is also my favorite quote from this book.We see a very different Cat from the one we met in Halfway to the Grave. I love how Cat accepts herself here, and how she has grown throughout the series. I’m very curious to see what challenges, both personal and external, Jeaniene has in store for Cat next.

So, what are your favorite Cat scenes or moments? I’d love to hear from you!