A reader recently asked me if I would do a Fun Facts Wednesday about random facts around my inspiration for the Night Huntress series. I love this idea! So, here we go. I’m starting with the first book, HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE, and warning: a few of these are odd. What can I say? I have a bit of a twisted mind.
Fun Fact 1. The reason Cat buries the bodies of her vampire kills in the back of her family’s orchard is because as a teenager, I had a recurring dream that my class mates would find the bodies I’d buried in my back yard.
Now, before you call the police, THERE WERE NO ACTUAL BODIES. Unlike my heroine, I haven’t killed anyone. However, my subconscious didn’t give me normal teen anxiety dreams, like suddenly finding yourself naked in class. Instead, it gave me dreams about people finding the bodies I’d buried. I had no idea why I’d killed or buried these people, either. I didn’t even know who they were. I just knew that I was super stressed about anyone finding their bodies. I’m sure there’s a Freudian explanation for this, but I never bothered to look it up. I just used it as a plot point many years later, heh.
Fun Fact 2. Speaking of the cherry farm that Cat and her family lives on, it was inspired from my own memories of frequently visiting a fruit orchard owned by my mother’s friend back when I was a child. This was also in smalltown, rural Ohio, so I had many firsthand memories of that when I later chose it as a setting for HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE. Again, though, to my knowledge, there were no bodies buried in the back of that orchard. If so, I imagine it would have ruined the taste of the fruit!
Fun Fact 3. The cave that Bones uses was inspired by Worley’s Cave, which is actually located in Tennessee, not Ohio. I went spelunking in Worley’s Cave right before I got the idea for HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE. It really is amazing how the narrowest space can open up into a cathedral-like room, and how you have no idea what’s above you, beside you, or below you when every nook and cranny can hide cavernous spaces. Not to mention the darkness! You don’t appreciate how absolute it is until you are immersed in it, and everything beyond the narrow light on your hard hat is complete blackness. I remember thinking, “This would be a great place for a vampire to hide.” So, when I got the idea for HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE a short time later, it was a no-brainer as where Bones would live, although of course, he added various comforts that the real Worley’s Cave did not have.
You can see pics of Worley’s Cave here.
Fun Fact 4. And speaking of the inspiration that led to HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE, some of you might know that it came from a dream. In my dream, I saw two people arguing. Somehow, I knew that the girl was a half-vampire, the guy was a full vampire, and they were arguing because he was upset over how she’d vanished years before. In the dream, I knew that the girl loved him and hadn’t wanted to leave him, but she thought things could never work between them. I also knew that the guy loved her, had been looking for her this entire time, and wouldn’t let any obstacles stand in their way now that he’d found her. I woke up wondering who they were, why she’d left him if she loved him, why he’d looked for her all that time, and how a half-vampire and a full vampire came to fall in love, anyway.
I wanted to write their story to find out those answers, but I’d never written a book in my life at this point. I’d tried, many times, but I always gave up after the first few chapters. But, those two characters kept sticking in my mind, teasing me with more tidbits about themselves, until I started writing their book even though I had no expectation of finishing it.
*grins* That’s how HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE was born, but by the time I got to the end of it, I still hadn’t reached the part from my dream which had started the whole thing. You find that scene in ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE, the second Night Huntress novel. So, the girl who didn’t think she could finish one book kept on writing Cat and Bones’s story—and many other stories—from that dream forward :).
Wish someone would make a series or movies from your novels. That would be the bomb. 🙃
From your mouth to God’s ear. Lol.
I read your books, out of order, from a recommendation. I fell in love with your characters, all of them. Afterwards, I found the reading order and started from the beginning. The only problem I have is there isn’t more for me to read. As most writers get inspired by their characters, when their voices get louder than their own, I am praying Cat or Ian has more to say. Maybe Menchares wants to talk about life. Thank you for providing me another world to escape to.
BTW- you managed to do something amazing, you provided a HEA early and kept the main characters engaging throughout multiple books. I haven’t decided who I love more, Cat and Bones were first but I’ve always had a thing for Vlad and Ian is hard not to love especially with Veritas. I’m sure by my fourth time through I’ll know.😊
I’ve read most of your Night Huntress books. All your Night Prince Books and all of your Night Rebel books including g Spade’s one novel and Mencheres one novel. I have not however read Both Feet in the Grave, The other Side of the Grave or A Grave Girls’ Getaway yet. I’m excited to add the Night Prince and Night Rebel books along with the other 3 books. I’ve read the books so many times that the pages are all yellow and brittle. Some of the spines are slowly coming unglued. But I must tell you that you are in fact one of my favorite authors. I love Bones and Cat along with Vlad. I’ve fallen in love with all your characters but those are my favorite. It may be time to start updating my older books again. But thank you Jeaniene for great reads. I certainly can’t get enough of the books.