Monday, February 21, 2011

Guest Post: A Lover's Guide To Releasing Their Inner Bones



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Thank you so much Crystal for inviting me to be part of your Countdown to This Side of the Grave.  It’s always fun to see I’m not the only one that gets giddy with excitement of book releases. And it isn’t just any book release – this is the new installment of Bones *insert swoon here* That man is positively delicious and seriously gets my blood pumping with his sexy accent.  So who better to write this guest post about then the man himself, right?

Hands up ladies, who else  finishes reading their paranormal romances and after taking a very deep sigh, wish some of the yummy goodness would rub off on their loved ones? Oh the men in our lives are amazing and totally rock our worlds, but have you ever wondered what it would be like if they added that little something extra? Maybe call us Kitten once in a while? I’ll admit there’s been times when I’ve read a scene so arousing, so swoonworthy that my first thought was to thrust the book into the hands of my husband with the command “READ THIS”  *giggles* So that’s what I thought I’d do today – I’ll go through the four books of the series and pull out a few scenes that could act as a guide for those we love to release their inner Bones. Sounds good? Then let’s proceed -and husbands, read closely



The Perfect Kiss

“ Kiss me.”
The words left me without any thought, and I realized I’d secretly wanted to say  them for a while. Bones leaned  over and his lips closed over mine softly. Gently. Giving me every opportunity to change my mind and push him away, but I didn’t. I slid my arms around his neck and brought him closer.He ran his tongue along my lips until I opened my mouth. Another flickering touch and back agai, and again. Coaxing me, persuading me. Finally I traced my tongue into his mouth, feeling the answering rub and then the unbelievable sensuality of him sucking on it.
I moaned, unable to help it. The graze of his incisors should have bothered me me, but they didn’t. They didn’t seem to hinder him, either, because he kissed me with the same passion he had last weekend. My sense ignited, and I maneuvered my hand from his neck and brought it to his shirt. One by one, I undid his buttons. When it hung open, I ran my palms along his bare skin and, oh God, it did feel as incredibly as it looked. Like silk stretched over steel. Bones reached behind him and flicked the collar off his shoulders. The whole garment feel onto the floor. All the while he kept kissing me until my breath came in gasps.
With a mind of their own my hands traveled from his chest across his back, fingers feeling out the ridges and muscle. His flesh vibrated with power, making me feel like I stroked lightning encased in skin. Bones groaned low in his throat as I touched him, sliding closer until our bodies were pressed together.
His lips trailed down to my neck, finding my pulse unerringly. He drew it into his mouth, manipulating my vulnerable artery with his tongue and lips. It was the most dangerous position to be in with a vampire, but I wasn’t afraid. Instead, the feel of him sucking on my neck aroused me unbelievably. The waves of heat sweeping thorugh me had me quivering.
His lips came up to my ear, and he licked the shell before whispering into it.
“I want you so much. Tell me you want me. Say yes.” – Halfway To The Grave

Oh Bones… yes. Yes I want you. Take me now!! *realizes I said that out loud and coughes* Ok, let’s read the next one *blushes*

Toe Curling Foreplay

“With deliberate slowness, Bones began unbuttoning his shirt. I watched his creamy skin revealed with each unfastened clasp. When he was finished, he pulled it off and then ripped each sleeve free with a tug. The reason for that strange action was revealed when he tied the fabric around my eyes, blindfolding me.
My nails dug into my palms as everything went black. He’d done a good job with it. The next thing I felt were his hands pushing me back into the bed, and then easing off my clothes until I was naked.
Something was secured around my wrist, stretching me arm out lengthwise and then restraining it, presumably to the bed frame. The same action was repeated with my other arm.
“Don’t fight them,” Bones whispered. “They’re not strong enough to hold you. Relax.” A low chuckle. “Let me work”
Thus shackled, I could only listen as he moved around. It sounded like he was in the bathroom rummaging through the vabinets, for what I had no idea. Being blindfolded and tied naked to a bed was disconcerting, to say the least, but he didn’t take long before he returned.
Hands trailed over my shoulers and moved lower to cup my breasts. A mouth closed over my nipple, finags already extended. He laved the peak with his tongue and then the flatness of his human teeth nibbled it to hardness.
I inhaled sharply when he carefully due his incisors in next, just short of breaking the skin. He drew strnoger on my nipple until ribbons of raw desire shot through me.
“I want to touch you” I moaned, pulling on the bonds that prevented me.
He clamped his hands over my wrists without breaking contact with his mouth.
“Later” – One Foot In The Grave

*pants slightly* Next.. *squeaks*

Let’s Get Down and Dirty

“God, Bones, yes!”
It was a sob and a scream combined, He responded by flipping me on top of him, lifting me in the same motion, and burying his mouth between my legs.
I convulsed at once, the spasms shaking me. His arms clamped around my waist while he tongues my flesh and sucked without fangs, as if he were drinking my pleasure into him. I clutched his head, shuddering, as the last remaining waves rippled over me.
Bones set me back against the mattress without breaking contact with his mouth. I was still panting from the orgasm and now half-sagged on the pillows. He lifted his head, his gaze pinning mine as he crawled upward toward me.
“Look at me,” he said, lowering his hips between mine. I did, opening my thighs and arching to meet his first thrust. Oh God. I’d forgotten how Bones stretched me when I wasn’t used to him. His hardness pushed against my walls, filling me so deeply, I felt tears in my eyes. Yes. Yes. I’ve needed you like this.
“Harder.”
Moaned when he began to move gently in me, but I didn’t want gentleness. I wanted what I knew he had lurking past his concerns for being tender.
He moved with more force and kissed me, his eyes still open. I didn’t close mine, either. Seeing his face while he was inside me overwhelmed me. I grabbed his hair, locked my gaze to his, and kissed him until I had to break away to breathe…
… I ground myself against him, crying out at how good that felt. “More. Take me harder.”
He unleashedhis restraint, leaving me gasping at the blinding concentration of sensations. It hurt in the sweetest way, causing me to strain toward him even as I cried out at his rough, rapid strokes. When he reached his climax, he threw me against the headboard and shouted with rapture, his whole body trembling. I clung to him, shaking also, my heart beating fast enough to explode.
After several seconds, Bones unglued me from himself – and the headboard – to lay me back on the bed. “Bloody hell, Kitten, are you all right.”

*sits languidly on the seat, trembling, using my hand to rapidly cool off my overheated body* So there we have it. Guys, see what you need to do? Need any more examples? No? *jumps up and goes in frantic search for my husband* Have fun and enjoy the released of This Side of the Grave  Tuesday. Class is excused!
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Okay, confession; you don't know how many times I read this before posting it! OMFG, wow *fans self* nope, not working *fans self w/both hands* Dang, I do love me some Bones. Yeah, I'm speechless. Wow, Belinda, that is one super hot and fabulous post! Let me get down on my knees and thank you for that one! LoL
TBS buttonIf you liked this post then you should definitely check out Passion Palooza, where Belinda celebrates the month of love everyday in February at The Bookish Snob!
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Remember, each post that you comment on is an additional giveaway entry! Make sure to include an email address and whether you are US/CA or INT

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Guest Post: All About The Secondary Characters!






All About The Secondary Characters!



The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost is one of my Favorite series EVER! When Crystal invited me to guest post during this Countdown for “This Side of The Grave”, I said YES immediately! Then came the issue of what i was going to write about, so i decided to do a little post about my favorite Secondary Characters in the Night Huntress series!


There are so many awesome secondary characters in this series, from Cat’s mom, Justina, to Bones’ “friends” and of course Cat’s fellow team members under her uncle Don.


I was thrilled when Jeaniene started the Night Huntress World Books, since that way we got to see the spotlight shine of other hotties like Sapade, Mencheres and very soon Vlad! What more could a girl want?


In my opinion, Mencheres book has been the best Spin off so far. I loved his Heroine, Kyra and I found him to be surprisingly AMAZING! Now, I can’t wait to read Vlad’s story and hopefully get to read Ian’s as well. I do feel like I wanna see Justina get a HEA as well, I’ll def miss Rodney =/


Besides her, Another character I’d love to see have a HEA is Annette and after reading the Night Huntress RPG on Twitter, I can totally see her with Gorgon, Mencheres employee. Seriously, that would be an awesome pairing!


What about you?? What’s YOUR Favorite Secondary Characters from this AWESOME Series?


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Thanks, Larissa, for stopping by and helping us Countdown to This Side of the Grave! I'm sure all of you know but for those of you who have been living under a rock, LoL, Larissa has a amazing book blog, Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life. She always has fun posts, features and great giveaways and author visits! 
                                                  Thanks again Larissa!
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Squee, only two days to go! And some of you lucky dogs got your hands on TSoTG early! I'm turning green here! Remember, each post that you comment on is an additional giveaway entry! Make sure to include an email address and whether you are US/CA or INT. 

Saturday, February 19, 2011

A Guy’s Perspective On The Night Huntress Series






Hey Frosties! So today I have a special guest joining us at Reading Between the Wines. The lovely Rhi from RhiReading has graciously loaned out her man candy to me today to give us a guy’s perspective on the Night Huntress series. 

       First and foremost though I want to wish Adam a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." Hey, why are you holding your ears? Okay, okay...

So Adam, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?


I'm a father of 3 and married to the greatest woman in the world.  I am a listened falconer who will be taking his first passage Red Tail Hawk in the Autumn and I am super psyched about it, BUNNIES BEWARE!  I also like to nerd out with family while playing World of Warcraft and I tend to read books more at work on breaks and lunch than at home due to the quiet... mmmmm quiet.

Are you an avid reader? What are some of your favorite genres?

I read quite a bit, reading a series of book is my favorite as I can get that dreaded first book done so the rest is just story and development. I like Military Science Fiction like E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth and Urban Fantasy. My favorites include the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman, The Hollows/Rachel Morgan series, Night Huntress/World (obviously), and Vicki Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac novels. I recently started the Fever series and am currently on book 3. So far I'm 50/50 on it.

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance is known to have more of a female following, what made you pick up the Night Huntress series?

My wife had suggested it to me as one series I would probably like, and I was a huge Buffy fan.


Always nice to meet another Buffy fan!

Which novel have you enjoyed the most?

I would say First Drop of Crimson.  It didn't have the ridiculous Cat and Bones "OMG WE GOTTA HAVE SEX RIGHT NOW!" every other page.  I'm a guy and I want to see guys beating ass and winning the girl over.  Cat likes sex and I can appreciate a woman with a healthy appetite but I don't need to read it every other damn page.

What do you think about all these ladies, including myself, swooning over Bones? 

I think they had a Spike crush in the Buffy days so it makes it easy to relate to the bad boy character, I think Spade can take him though.

Actually I was more of an Angel girl, that whole tortured/cursed hero thing, then when he turned all evil....yeah...*ahem* Back to the interview.
Who is your favorite character in the series?

Spade, he is all business when he has to be with no stupid quips *coughBonescough*, lady time comes when it has too.

Do you have a favorite quote or scene?

I like the ending of First Drop of Crimson, *spoiler alert* Denise and Raum where duking it out and Spade was flying super sonic to get to her to protect her.  When he sees them for the first time she is all ghouled out and holding her own, being a book you create an image in your head while reading and I must say it was pretty sick. ;)

What did you think of Chapter 32? *wink,wink* 

I felt that being already a "special" sort of vampire she didn't really need to take it to the extreme she did with Cat if that is what you're talking about.  If it's about Mencheres and his visions that man has WAY too many secrets and needs a hobby like Falconry! *wink,wink*

*sigh* Men... ;)
What are you looking forward to in This Side of the Grave?

I actually haven't read the blurb yet but I would like to know who/where/what this Timothy character has been all this time being that Ian sired three vampires and we have only met two of them. That is what I would hope would be in it.

What does Rhi think of your Night Huntress fandom? 

She just started reading them not too long ago so I've had to keep a tight lid on spoilers, but I think she appreciates someone she can talk to about her books that's within earshot.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I wonder who would win in a fight between Rachel Morgan and Catherine Crawfield...

Thanks again Adam for stopping by and I hope that you have a fabulous birthday tomorrow. Make sure to treat him right Rhi. ;) And I know a book that would make an excellent birthday present!
You can find more of Adam at Adventures in Falconry and Rhi at RhiReading



So who do you think would win in a fight? Rachel Morgan (The Hollows) or Cat Crawfield?



3 Days to go! *squee*

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Remember, each post that you comment on is an additional giveaway entry! Make sure to include an email address and whether you are US/CA or INT.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Interview & Giveaway with author Laurie London

Today we are taking a break from the Countdown to This Side of the Grave to have the lovely Laurie London over for an interview. Laurie is the author of a fabulous paranormal romance, Bonded by Blood, and if you haven't read it yet then you definitely should! You can check out my review on it HERE
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Author Bio:
A graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in Business Administration and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie London  writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children.  

She is a member of Romance Writers of America®, Greater Seattle Area RWA, RWAOnline, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, FF&P (RWA chapter devoted to all things paranormal), and two book clubs.  

When not writing, she can be found running, reading, or riding and showing her horse. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again.

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Hi Laurie! Thank you so much for joining us today at Reading Between the Wines!
Thanks, Crystal, for having me on today! I love books and I love wine, so I feel right at home.

First, can you tell us a little bit about ‘Bonded by Blood’ and the Sweetblood series?
It’s the first book in the series and my debut novel as well. Since it just came out, I’ve been a little giddy.
Here’s the back cover copy:

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy—Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors.

Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she’s cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.

For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her…

How did you come up with the term sweetblood, the rare blood type that some humans have and vampires crave?
Since vampires have been living secretly among humans for centuries, they are able to blend in well. They absorb our energies and don’t need a lot of blood to survive, so killing a human host isn’t necessary.

However, I knew Mackenzie was different from most humans. She tempted Dom in a way that he’d never experienced before. What was it about her? I wondered. It had to be her blood—her sweet blood—that called him like a siren, causing him to question his beliefs and his sense of right and wrong.

As a Guardian agent, he’s sworn to protect humans from Darkbloods, bloodthirsty members of their kind, but her blood gives him the power to exact revenge on the enemy he’s been after for centuries. He’s suddenly faced with terrible choice.

And when I realized it wasn’t just him, that all vampires were attracted to the addictive Sweet, I saw all sorts of potential conflict to write about.

Was there anything specific that inspired the series?
The inspiration for the Sweetblood series came to me as I drove past a tiny old cemetery near where I live. Although I’d driven by many times, there was something about this one particular time that stuck with me. Tucked beneath a stand of fir trees at the side of a busy highway, it seemed glaringly out of place.

Because I’ve always been intrigued by cemeteries, I doubled back and got out of my car. Not seeing any fresh flowers, just crooked and broken gravestones littering the forest floor, my mind started imagining all sorts of things.

So I created characters that had a reason to be there, and the Sweetblood series was born.

If you want to see pictures of this cemetery, click the For Readers tab on my website at www.LaurieLondonBooks.com.

How many novels are planned for the Sweetblood series?
Right now, I’m contracted for two, but I originally planned five books, with the possibility of more. And after having finished book 2, there are a few more characters whose stories I’d love to tell.

And how big of a role does the romance play in your novels?
The romance is the most important element. My books are romances set in a paranormal world, as opposed to a paranormal world with a romance.

What kind of readers do you think these novels will appeal to? 
My books will appeal to readers who enjoy hot romance and men with a little bite.

What kinds of writing process or rituals do you have when writing your novels?
Because I don’t have an office to block out the distractions (my husband works from home and bogarts the actual office), I use noise-cancelling headphones which I turn on without any music. 

Was there a character that was harder to write than others? Any you have a love/hate relationship with?
The characters that are hard to write are the ones I know are going to be killed off. It’s like knowing someone has a terminal illness and there’s nothing you can do about it.

I have a love/hate relationship with the villains. For some reason, the scenes I write in their point of view flow very easily. I hesitate to think what that says about me.

What is your favorite type of hero to write about? Bad boy, alpha, brooding, nice guy or something else? And what is your favorite to read about?
Bad boy/alpha heroes! Anyone with a dark, tortured past. And I love it when they have deep dark secrets that they can barely admit to themselves. They bring lots of baggage to the relationship and I love pairing them with the one woman who can help them heal.

These are the same kinds of heroes I love reading about too.

Could you tell us a bit about the sequel to this novel, ‘Embraced by Blood’? 
It’s Alfonso and Lily’s story. Alfonso is Dom’s brother and the black sheep of the family. Lily, also a vampire, is a single mother and one of the best Scent Trackers within the Agency. Here’s the back cover copy:

Alfonso Serrano is a hunted man. For months he’s managed to elude the Darkbloods, vengeful foes who won’t rest until he’s dead. But he still craves one dangerous temptation: Lily DeGraff, the sexy Guardian agent he’ll risk anything to protect.

Lily is a wanted woman. Her talent for tracking Sweet-a rare blood type that’s addictive to vampires-makes her a prime target for enemy capture. Her only hope is the stealthy vampire operative who stole into her bed...then left her in despair. Danger aside-Lily won’t let Alfonso near her heart again-until an irresistible hunger draws them back together...and into an assassin’s snare.

Do you have anything your working on now that you can share?
At this exact time, I have no news that I can share. 
But stay tuned. ;-)

On your website you state that when you’re not writing you can be found running, reading, or riding and showing your horse. Can you tell us some more about your horse?

She’s a gorgeous Quarterhorse mare that I showed on the breed circuit until she got hurt just two days before the biggest show of the season. After almost four months of complete stall rest, she made a full recovery. I can’t wait to get her back into training and start showing 
again.

You are stranded on an island with only five of your favorite books, what are they?
1. The Giver
2. The Shadow of the Wind
3. The Count of Monte Cristo
4. Lover Awakened
5. Rebecca

What is your favorite color?
Green

Do you have a favorite dish?
Homemade macaroni and cheese.

And last but not least, what is you favorite wine?
Alexandria Nicole Cellars Crawford Viognier

Thanks again for stopping by Laurie, I hope you’ve enjoyed your time here.  Any last comments or words you want to say to readers?
Thanks so much, Crystal, for having me on today!!!

Readers can check out my website at www.LaurieLondonBooks.com or find me on Facebook www.facebook.com/LaurieLondonAuthor and Twitter www.twitter.com/LaurieBLondon

I’d love to give away a signed copy of Bonded By Blood to one lucky commenter who can tell me what books you’d bring if you were stranded on a deserted island.
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To enter to win a signed copy of Bonded by Blood that Laurie is graciously giving away just leave a comment answering her question above. The giveaway is opened to residents of the US & Canada, please make sure to leave an email address with your comment. Giveaway will end at 11:59 pm on March 4th at which time a winner will be selected at random and contacted via the email address provided. Good luck everyone! 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Review: Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

*Originally posted at our sister blog, Paranormal Romance Addict.


Gallery & Pocket Book Blog Tour
Kresley Cole
Immortals After Dark #11

Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
Publisher: Pocket (February 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439136807
ISBN-13: 978-1439136805


He vowed he'd come for her. . .
Murdered before he could wed Regin the Radiant, warlord Aidan the Fierce seeks his beloved through eternity, reborn again and again into new identities, yet with no memory of his past livesonly an endless yearning.

She awaits his return. . .
When Regin encounters Declan Chase, a brutal Celtic soldier, she recognizes her proud warlord reincarnated. But Declan takes her captive, intending retribution against all immortals, unaware that he belongs to their world.

To sate a desire more powerful than death. . .
Yet every reincarnation comes with a price, for Aidan is doomed to die when he remembers his past. To save herself from Declan's torments, will Regin rekindle memories of the passion they once sharedeven if it means once again losing the only man she could ever love?




My Thoughts:
Dreams of a Dark Warrior is an emotionally intense novel that will leave you breathless. Cole really outdid herself with this one, it is EPIC people and I am going to skip my normal form of short reviews here on PRA and get comfy because I cannot say enough good things about this book!

A thousand years ago Regin lost the man she planned to spend eternity with; a berserker warlord by the name of Aidan the Fierce. But he vowed to find her again, and he has. (How flippin' romantic is that?!? But you know there is a catch...) Aidan has been reincarnated four times thus far, but with each one comes an even more gruesome death following their first kiss and the return of his memories. This time, Regin is determined to stay far away from Aidan so he doesn’t die again in this reincarnation. But when he turns out to be the evil-immortal-hating Magistrate for The Order, Declan Chase, she must use their curse against him to save herself and her friends being held prisoner.

Declan is a scarred man, inside and out. He survived a brutal attack as a teenager that killed the rest of his family and now he is out for revenge, against the entire immortal race. When he is sent to capture Regin the Radiant he has no qualms about bagging her until he twists that knife and it makes him physically ill. Once she is in the prison he is reluctantly drawn to her over and over again.  Why is it this immortal, this freak of nature, can ease the tension he has felt a lifetime by just being near her? How can she affect him when none other can and when his medicine shouldn’t allow it to? She must have enchanted to him, to lure him to his doom, which is the only explanation for these insane feelings he is having and the impossible stories of reincarnation she is telling. Or maybe he's just going crazy...

It’s an ongoing battle between these two of intense emotions and profound actions. My heart clenched, twisted and somersaulted throughout this entire novel! Seriously, it was like it was on it's own little roller coaster ride. This story went a total different direction then I thought it would from Demon from the Dark, in there Aidan sounded like an unwanted stalker, not Regin’s soul mate. But I absolutely loved where Cole took it! The story line is parallel toDemon from the Dark and Pleasure of a Dark Prince so every now and then it overlaps with Regin's POV. 

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is full of torment, passion, revenge, and a HEA that's weaved together piece by piece in amazing detail with characters that were peeled away layer by layer until they seemed as real to you as your neighbor next-door.
Regin the Radiant, the loud mouth glowing Valkyrie, hides her emotions behind outrageous humor. I cannot get "rock out with your cock out" out of my head, I've been saying it all day! She absolutely hates having inner dialogues with herself too but finds she’s doing exactly that because of Declan, which only frustrates her more. Her character earns depth & dimension and along the way you get look into her history with side trips into Aidan’s past reincarnations, their relationships and ultimately his demise. There’s a lot of detail but you never feel lost or bored, the story continues at a fast pace throughout.
Declan is straight up complicated, he has so many inner struggles and baggage you think ‘just end it for him now, put the poor guy out of his misery’. But Cole comes through for him with some wicked good twists. He never looses that bad-boy, slightly evil, edge - even at the end, and it’s great to see an author stay so true to her characters. And I do love me some bad boys. Num, num.  
The dialogue between Regin and Declan is witty, spicy, full of tension and if you didn’t love Regin already you will by the end of this book. And you can’t forget about the scorching scenes between them that Cole delivers with a perfect balance between love, lust and sex.

The Lore is gearing up for the Accession and more characters show up that I’m sure we will see more of in future installments. I am so loving Lothaire, the Enemy of Old and Nix’s opposite, it might be the mystery, maybe the perfection or just the total bad-boy package, I don’t know. Yes, more bad-boy lusting but you can never have too much IMO! His novel is up next with plans to be released in January of 2012, so long to wait! But Cole said that there may be another IAD story in between, fingers crossed.

To sum it up, Dreams of a Dark Warrior is a dark, gritty, sexy and absolutely gripping tale! I seriously need a whole new rating system for this book.

One of many favorite quotes: “I finally understand what a dickie-do is. Your gut does stick out more than your dickie do.” (Regin)

Rating: 5 Wine Glasses!

Review: First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Night Huntress World
by Jeaniene Frost
ISBN-10: 0061583227
ISBN-13: 978-0061583223

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows—her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield—and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness—and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.
He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human—even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .
Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.

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First Drop of Crimson is Jeaniene Frost’s first book in her Night Huntress World series, a spin-off to the Night Huntress series. The events here take place after NH Destined for an Early Grave.

After zombies killed Denise’s husband she retreated from the undead world, even cutting contact with her best friend, Cat. She has been living quietly in Fort Worth, Texas for about a year. But when family members start dying of so-called heart attacks and a stranger appears right before another cousin drops dead right at Denise’s feet, she knows that the undead might be the only ones who can help her.  Unable to reach Cat & Bones, Denise dials Spade, the vampire that reminds her of blood and death, and all the reasons why she’s scorned their world. And when the stranger appears again, revealing himself as a demon and making a bargain with her to save the rest of her family Spade reluctantly agrees to help her find a lost family member for the Demon.
During their hunt Denise struggles with her growing attraction to Spade and her guilt over her husbands death. While Spade, being attracted to Denise from the start, knows where being involved with a human leads…only to death and misery.
It’s a race against time to not only save Denise’s family but herself as well while dodging the demon and other vampires; with the help of some friends they just might make it, but it won’t be easy and someone will be forever changed by the end…

This is a quick read, when First Drop of Crimson was first released I read it within a day, then when I re-read it the other night it only took a few hours.

Fast paced and entertaining, Frost takes a bit of a side-road from the main series and gives some captivating side characters a chance at their own HEA’s. 
Being a fan of Spade since Cat first tackled him in Bones' cave, I absolutely loved getting this in-depth look at him in his own book. We knew from reading NH that he has had a traumatic experience with a human he loved and refuses to have relationships with the ‘fragile’ creatures; in First Drop of Crimson we delve into his past and find out why that is, what happened to his fiancé, what his family was like, and how a Barron ended up in a South Wales penal colony. And despite being around for a few centuries he still has a lot of growing to do and Frost develops his character masterfully. He’s stubborn and arrogant, dark and sexy and is determined to protect those he loves. The way he tries to shelter Denise so her PTS doesn’t act up is so sweet and heart warming.
I have to say though that I liked Denise better before she got her own book, LoL. She is still a great character and I think my problems had to do a lot with her guilt and insecurities but she does work through these issues and I was happy with who her character grew into by the end. She goes to any length possible to protect her family and loved ones though and she really is quite fierce.
First Drop of Crimson is full of exciting twists and turns, heart pounding action, and scorching romance. And it just wouldn't be a Night Huntress novel, even Night Huntress World, with out some favorite characters joining in the fun - Cat and Bones, Ian and Mencheres. And Ian has some pretty hilarious scenes!

This novel can be read as a stand-alone but there are some scenes and comments that refer to events in NH novels and Frost doesn’t give too much of an explanation. This doesn’t take anything away from the story itself but I recommend you reading the entire series, despite the fact that it is The. Best. Series. Ever!!!

My favorite scene was the shower scene, OMG that was great! And no, it didn’t even involve smexy time! =D

The second novel in the Night Huntress World series is Eternal Kiss of Darkness, featuring the ancient Egyptian vampire Mencheres. You can read my review on that HERE. 



4 Wine Glasses Filled to the Brim AND a Snack Tray!