Disaster Crimes Series Playlists with Scene Breakdowns + GIVEAWAY

UPDATE: I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t provide these updates anymore because every time I share good news, there’s a setback immediately after. My mom has been in the hospital since Sunday evening after an early trip to the ER and a diagnosis of pneumonia. She’s feeling better, and if everything works out we’re hoping she’ll be coming home today, April 12 aka my birthday. So, you know the drill…my return visits to blogs and replies to comments will be delayed but not forgotten.

In my last post, I shared playlists I've created for writers, so I thought I should also share the playlists I've created for the Disaster Crimes series. Today is also my birthday, so I really wanted to do a fun post. :)

Feel free to check out the Playlist page on my website for all of my playlists.

Click the links below to go directly to each playlist on Spotify.

You can also go to my Spotify profile to follow me.

I hope you enjoy the playlists!

DISASTER CRIMES SERIES PLAYLISTS:

HURRICANE CRIMES:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Hurricane Girl" by Alexz Johnston - The opening of the story with Beth and Hurricane Sabrina.

"Look At Those Eyes" by Alexz Johnston - When Beth and Donovan meet and Beth looks into his eyes.

"Blow Me Away" by Breaking Benjamin - When Beth sees the breaking news bulletin.

"Hurricane" by Thirty Seconds to Mars - Hurricane Sabrina.

"Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback - Intimate scene and the end.

"Living In The Eye of the Storm" by Trapt - While Hurricane Sabrina rages.

"The Thunder Rolls" by All That Remains - The Crimes Before the Storm (prequel), Donovan before he crashes his car in front of Beth's house.

SEISMIC CRIMES: 

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Waitin For You" by Demi Lovato - Beth as a kickass self-defense instructor.

"Army Of Me" by Christina Aguilera - Beth's theme song.

"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten - The theme song for The Fighting Chance, Beth's self-defense studio.

"My Kind" by Hilary Duff - Beth and Donovan intimate after they're allowed to leave police department.

"Free The Animal" by Sia - When Beth is undercover at Viper's.

"Catch My Breath" by Kelly Clarkson - Beth's growing love for Donovan.

"The Sun Will Rise" by Kelly Clarkson - Beth walking through San Francisco alone after the quake.

"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers - When Beth is trying to get back to Donovan.

"One Step Closer" by Linkin Park - Donovan's PTSD following his brother's murder.

"Somewhere I Belong" by Linkin Park - Also for Donovan's PTSD.

"Getting Away With Murder" by Papa Roach - Buck's theme song.

"I Bet My Life" by Imagine Dragons - Donovan alone in San Francisco following the quake.

"Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon - Intimate scene with ice cream.

"Back At One" by Brian McKnight - Donovan's love for Beth.

"Without You" by David Guetta, Usher - Also Donovan's love for Beth.

"I'll Never Break Your Heart" by Backstreet Boys - For Donovan's promise to Beth. The end.

TSUNAMI CRIMES:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Riptide" by Vance Joy - Opening surfing scene.

"The A Team" by Ed Sheeran - A song for April.

"Hit Me Like a Man" by The Pretty Reckless - When Beth is undercover as a sex worker.

"Drive" by Halsey - Car chase involving Beth.

"All Of Me" by John Legend - Beth and Donovan's wedding and honeymoon night.

"Kings and Queens" by Thirty Seconds to Mars - Surfing in Hawaii.

"Dead in the Water" by Ellie Goulding - Beth and the tsunami.

"Anchor" by Skillet - Donovan and the tsunami.

"My Blood" by Ellie Goulding - Beth post-tsunami.

"Lifeline" by Papa Roach - Donovan post-tsunami.

"Tears Don't Fall" by Bullet For My Valentine - When Beth is kidnapped.

"Paradise" by Coldplay - Also for when Beth is kidnapped and held hostage.

"Broken" by Seether, Amy Lee - When Donovan searches for Beth, and when they are reunited.

"Human" by Krewella - Beth's PTSD.

"Walk on Water" by Thirty Seconds to Mars - The end.

FLAMING CRIMES:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Girl On Fire" by Alicia Keys - Beth's theme song for Flaming Crimes.

"All Around Me" by Flyleaf - Beth's PTSD and Donovan's love for her.

"Just Drive" by In This Moment - Donovan's monster truck driving/competition.

"Fire and Fury" by  Skillet - Beth and Donovan intimate.

"Fire Meet Gasoline" by Sia - Beth and Donovan intimate.

"Let It Burn" by Red - For all the fires burning throughout Central Florida, and Lori's house.

"Burn It Down" by Linkin Park - For the fire surrounding Beth and Donovan's house.

"Let Us Burn" by Within Temptation - Beth confronting Viper in the middle of the inferno.

"My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark" by Fall Out Boy - Beth and Donovan intimate after the fire.

*All the Demi Lovato songs represent Beth, and all the Daughtry songs represent Donovan.

FROZEN CRIMES:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Feel Invincible" by Skillet - Theme song for Frozen Crimes.

"Somebody's Watching Me" (Epic Trailer Version) by J2, Lola - Stalker at the window, stalker in the car.

"Applause" by Lady Gaga - Donovan performing in his monster truck.

"Home" by Daughtry - When Donovan comes home after traveling for monster truck shows.

"Anchor" by Skillet - Beth and Donovan intimate when he returns home.

"Broken Arrows" by Daughtry - Donovan feeling helpless.

"Traitor" by Daughtry - The stalker messing with Donovan's head.

"Battleships" by Daughtry - During and after the blow-out between Beth and Donovan after the stalker sends explicit photographs to taunt Donovan.

"Every Breath You Take" (Re: Imagined) by Denmark + Winter - The stalker's theme song.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by The Carpenters - Slow dance with Beth and Donovan during their holiday party.

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey - Another song Beth and Donovan dance to at their holiday party.

"I'll Be Home For Christmas" by Michael Bublé - Slow dance with Beth and Donovan during their holiday party.

"Where Are You Christmas" by Faith Hill - Played during their holiday party.

"Wonderwall" (Acoustic Stripped Version) by J2, Miranda Dianne - Beth's point-of-view during the times when Donovan is trying to get back inside the house to her, post-blizzard.

"Aint No Mountain High Enough" (Epic Trailer Version) by J2, Coleen McMahon - Donovan's point-of view while he is trying to get back inside the house to Beth, post-blizzard.

*The rest of the songs I listened while writing the holiday party and blizzard scenes.

A FIGHTING CHANCE:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Amanda's past abusive relationship from when she was still with Damon.

"Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato - Amanda's theme song.

"Crawling" (Acoustic Stripped Version) by J2, I AM WILLOW - Amanda's PTSD and anxiety from past trauma, as well as her panic attack after Damon shows up.

"What About Now" by Daughtry - Opening scene when Thorn is getting up the courage to ask Amanda out on a date.

"Waiting For Superman" by Daughtry - For Amanda before she meets Thorn for their coffee date at the park.

"The Sound of Silence" by Disturbed - Thorn's point-of-view following Amanda's panic attack after Damon shows up.

"Every Breath You Take (Re:Imagined) by Denmark + Winter - When Thorn realizes Damon has been spying on Amanda.

"One Way Or Another" by Until The Ribbon Breaks - Damon's theme song.

"Halo" (Epic Trailer Version) by J2, I AM WILLOW - Amanda falling in love with Thorn more and more.

"Feels Like Tonight" by Daughtry - The moments leading up to Thorn and Amanda making love for the first time.

"Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding - When Amanda and Thorn make love.

"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" by Denmark + Winter - When Damon breaks in during the storm.

"Warrior" by Demi Lovato - Amanda fighting Damon off.

"Blown Away" by Carrie Underwood - The tornado.

APRIL 5 – 22

PRIZES: Signed paperback copy of A Fighting Chance, XOXO wall art décor, XO bath bombs coconut scent, travel size first aid kit, and an emergency flashlight that you recharge by squeezing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

QUESTIONS: Do you make playlists for your books?

Writing About Pregnancy and Intimacy in FROZEN CRIMES + Giveaway + Free Ebook

 

So, I don’t have any children, and I’ve never been pregnant. What I knew about pregnancy and labor before writing Frozen Crimes, I knew from my sister, who’d had two boys, and a friend who had three boys. Throughout Frozen Crimes, Beth is pregnant, and I found myself having to Google quite a bit so I’d have even the smallest details right.

I researched:

-      Maternity jeans

-      Maternity underwear and bras

-      Best intimate positions for pregnant women

-      Labor (stages)

-      Contractions (stages)

Whom Would You Want To Be Stuck with During a Blizzard? / Frozen Crimes Blog Hop + GIVEAWAY + FREE EBOOK

 

Frozen Crimes Blog Hop Prompt: Whom would you want to be stuck with during a blizzard, and what would you do?

My Answer: It would be a cliché to say I'd pick my own characters. No, not Beth and Donovan. Are you crazy? I don't want to go through what they go through in Frozen Crimes. Nuh-uh. Nope. 

NOT INADEQUATE / A Post about Self-Defense and Abuse

Can you help share the details about my mom's debut middle grade book Bad Fairy on your blog or Facebook? The post won't include an article but rather be a book blast consisting of the cover, blurb, links, excerpt, my mom's bio, and a giveaway. Dates June 3 - June 30.

***This is long. Feel free to skip the excerpts.***

Someone once said that Beth Kennedy (in Hurricane Crimes) wasn’t a very adequate self-defense instructor and all because Donovan had bested her a couple of times.

(Don’t worry…this is not me attacking a reviewer but discussing my characters and real abuse/sexual assault.)

Let me make it clear that Donovan was never trying to hurt Beth. In fact, she was the one attempting to hurt him. When I wrote Donovan, I wanted him to be a good match for Beth in every way. And, for the sake of the story, I couldn’t let Beth get away. It was intentional, not a failing on her part.

A Man Like Donovan / Vlog

Thank you for stopping by for this vlog post on Write with Fey!

A reader of the Disaster Crimes series (Toi) asked me if there is or ever was a man like Donovan in my life. Here's my answer. ;)

A Man Like Donovan

Length: 3:47

My Real-Life Experience in Tsunami Crimes / Vlog

Welcome to a TSUNAMI edition of my vlog here on Write with Fey!

I hope you have floaties. HA-HA!

In the first video, I share an experience that I had on the beach when I was a kid that I wrote into Tsunami Crimes.

In the second video, I talk about the tsunami dreams that plague me and how they helped me with my story.

Enjoy!

My Real-Life Experience in Tsunami Crimes

Length: 7:03

My Experience with Hurricanes + Reading / Vlog

Welcome to another vlog post on Write with Fey.

Hurricane season started on June 1st, so I thought it would be appropriate to share two videos I did for Hurricane Crimes. The first is about my experience with hurricanes. And the second is a short reading from Hurricane Crimes.

Enjoy!

My Experience with Hurricanes

Length: 12:12

Interview with Lori Graham, Editor of the Disaster Crimes Series

I am thrilled and honored to have my editor, Lori Graham, from The Wild Rose Press here today. She is the one who gave me a chance and brought me into the world of publishing when she saw something in Hurricane Crimes and offered me my first contract.

Welcome, Lori!

1. What’s your editing process?

An author submits a query along with a synopsis and the first five pages of the manuscript through our query email address. This query goes to the senior editor from the appropriate genre line for the initial review, and if appropriate, the query is assigned to an editor.  The initial review will look at whether or not the manuscript would be a good fit for our publishing house, both technically and subject matter.  There is a meeting then between that editor and the senior editor to decide upon a contract.  Once a manuscript is approved, there are several rounds of edits, and each editor has their own style with which they do this.  For me, I do an initial review editing everything that comes up which could involve pacing, point of view control, and plot issues as well as some punctuation, grammar, etc. With the second and subsequent edits, we go deeper into that polishing process.  The final edit looks at formatting, chapter length, etc.

FREE EBOOK - LIGHTNING CRIMES

FREE SHORT STORY EBOOK!

I self-published my first ebook! I also designed the cover art myself, so don't hate on it. lol And I've made it PERMA-FREE!

 Title: Lightning Crimes

Series: Disaster Crimes 2.5
Genre: Romantic-Suspense

NOTE: LIGHTNING CRIMES is a teaser story that takes place between Seismic Crimes and Tsunami Crimes.

BLURB:

A freak lightning storm unleashes its energy on Central Florida. Bolts of lightning crash to the ground. Torrential rain soaks everything within seconds. And the power goes out, casting Beth and Donovan’s apartment into darkness. Beth is already on edge after receiving a menacing phone call several months ago, and this storm doesn’t help with her nerves.

Donovan tries to distract her from Mother Nature’s tantrum, but someone else has other plans. When they find the front door to their apartment wide open, they soon realize that it Isn’t an accident. Someone is in their apartment with them.

What crime can happen as fast as lightning?

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE:

Amazon / Smashwords

Barnes& Noble / Kobo

FREE IN ALL AMAZON STORES!

****

QUESTION: What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?

I wish I never heard that passive voice is wrong. Although active voice is better, and I do eliminate as much passive voice as possible in my work and the work I edit, I (for one) don’t think it’s entirely wrong. 

Another rule I struggled with (only because I stressed out about eliminating it from my writing) is that comma splices are incorrect. Comma splices are super common in most books. It's apparently acceptable in some languages, but in English it's an error. Go figure. :P

These two rules gave me the biggest headaches when I first started publishing. Why? Because I had to learn to change the way I wrote. Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds are FULL of passive voice. I'll admit it. And comma splices can be found in my stories up until recently as well. Since then, however, my writing has grown. And I am proud of that! :D

OPTIONAL FEBRUARY 1ST QUESTION: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?

Reminder: The questions are optional and meant as a prompt if you struggle with what to post. You don't have to answer a question if you don't want to. :)

S - Seismic Activity in SEISMIC CRIMES

You can probably guess that there’s a lot of seismic activity in Seismic Crimes from a massive quake to aftershocks. I had fun writing these thrilling scenes and the aftermath of the quake. To really pique your interest in the second installment and full novel of the Disaster Crimes Series, I’m sharing an excerpt to show some of that seismic activity.

This is the official excerpt for Seismic Crimes:

The moment she realized Buck was shooting under the cars to hit her, the tire she hid behind blew. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to make herself smaller by pressing her body into the SUV. The Morse code of bullets hitting metal started up again. She could've sworn she felt the SUV shaking with the continuous beat of bullets slamming into it, except the shaking was below her feet. It started gentle but as soon as she noticed, it became violent.

Earthquake!

She fell backward and struggled to get back up. Her body bounced up and down and rolled from side to side simultaneously, which told her the quake's epicenter was close. The origin could've been beneath the hotel for all she knew. A light came crashing down from the ceiling and slammed into the concrete floor with such power it exploded into a trillion stars. Glass shot out in all directions like the Big Bang. Beth screamed and covered her face with her hands as tiny pieces of glass bit the skin on her arms.

She fought onto her hands and knees and hugged the tire to keep from falling over again. The intensity of the tremors grew. The concrete below her feet didn't feel solid anymore. It felt alive, as if two gigantic gophers burrowed through the earth. The truck behind her slid with the vicious shock waves and bumped into her, pushing her roughly into the tire. She let out a cry of panic.

(AND A LITTLE MORE....)

“Beth, get under the car!”

She heard Donovan yelling over the roar of the quake and shimmed underneath the SUV. When she was under the vehicle, she lifted her head to look for Donovan. The shaking suddenly increased, as if Mother Nature had her hands on the asphalt that smothered her creation and wanted to rip it off the ground. Chunks of concrete tumbled down. Donovan raised his arms to shield himself, and that was the last she saw of him before a wall of rubble came down between them. She screamed his name, but the sound of the garage collapsing swallowed her voice.

Digital:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / KOBO / The Wild Rose Press

Print:

Amazon / The Wild Rose Press

QUESTION: In this excerpt, Beth is in an underground parking garage. Where would you NOT want to be during an earthquake?

F – Fighting Chance + Excerpt

The Fighting Chance is Beth’s studio where she teaches self-defense. She’s had her studio for five years and is widely respected among those in her line of business throughout Central Florida. She started out as a student when a girl she knew was raped and killed. Later she became an assistant and then became an instructor.

Helping others, showing them how brave and strong they can be is her mission. She hates to see women and children abused and strives to give them all a fighting chance.

Here’s an excerpt in Donovan’s perspective as he views her class.

Excerpt:

The sun was submerging into the horizon, leaking oranges and pinks across the sky. Seeing such a beautiful sunset brought back the memory of the bruised skies from Hurricane Sabrina’s bulking mass.

Amazing how nature can reward us with beautiful things one moment then punish us on a whim.

He entered the studio to the sound of sneakers pounding the blue mat and gloved hands punching protective gear. Corissa, Beth’s front desk receptionist, a young woman with 24-karat gold hair and diamond eyes—a pale gray bordering on translucence—beamed at him as she put down her psychology book.

He glanced at the blue mat where Beth coached seven people on how to get out of a bear hug by lifting their elbows and rotating from side to side as fast as they could. Some connected with the head of their attacker and others didn’t, but the objective was to loosen the hold around their middle so they could spin out of the hug, grab their attacker, and finish with a knee to the groin.

Donovan had been amazed when he saw Beth’s studio the first time. She had done a great job creating her business and studio. White walls with purple words—Strength, Rise, Strive, Live—encouraged her students as they learned to protect themselves. At the far end of the room, Beth had turned the wall into a slate of signatures. Everyone who had ever set foot on the blue mat had signed his or her name. Quite a lot of names were already scribbled in permanent marker.

To read more of these scenes, pre-order Seismic Crimes on Amazon.

QUESTION: If it were real, would you go to Beth’s studio?

B - Beth Kennedy + 3 Excerpts

Beth Kennedy is the heroine of the Disaster Crimes series (Hurricane Crimes and soon-to-be published Seismic Crimes). She is smart, tough, and romantic; what every good heroine should be.

Character Profile:

Name – Bethany Grace Kennedy

Occupation – Self-Defense Instructor

Location – Central Florida

Doppelganger – Kate Beckinsale

Love Interest – Donovan Goldwyn

Likes – Canoeing, boxing, writing poetry, poker, the beach

Dislikes – Snakes, hurricanes, cheating ex-fiancés, car troubles

Here are some special never-before-shared teasers from Seismic Crimes to illustrate just how smart, tough and romantic Beth really is.

Smart Teaser:

“Chewy, one of the cops…” She stopped suddenly, her face burning as she looked at the four officers in front of her. What if one of them is in league with Chewy? What if they all are? They could kill me and then kill Donovan.

“It’s okay, Ms. Kennedy,” Officer Burnett said. “Please go on.” His gentle smile and sincere, brown eyes calmed her, and she found the courage to tell the truth.

“Chewy was in the house when Donovan went in to retrieve the footage. I heard a gunshot, and I got out of the canoe to help him.”

“And all you had was a shovel?”

“That’s right.” Beth explained how she saw Chewy hit Donovan and hold him under the water in Ryan’s living room. “I hit Chewy in the back with the shovel so he’d release Donovan. He fired a shot at me and told me to drop the shovel. I did and that was when I stepped on another gun under the water. It’s in the canoe outside. I’m sure if you checked it, you’d find it’s registered to Chewy.”

“We’ll check,” Burnett reassured her.

“I told Chewy I had Ryan’s journal in the canoe because I knew he wouldn’t want any evidence out there for someone to use against him. Chewy held the gun to Donovan’s head and told me to back out of the house. I dragged the gun under my shoe down the driveway to the canoe and slowly reached inside. I brought out a journal, but it wasn’t Ryan’s. It was mine. When I saw Ryan’s journal was identical to the one I wrote poetry in, I thought we could replace Ryan’s with it. Before Chewy could take my journal, though, I threw it. He went after it, and I went for the gun. When I came back up out of the water, Chewy had his gun pointed at me. I fired before I could even think. The bullet hit him in the head.”

Tough Teaser:

“Empty out your pockets. Now!”

“All right.” She slowly dipped her hands into her pockets and pulled them inside out to show she didn’t even have a gum wrapper. Lint occupied the deepest recesses of the cotton squares. “See,” she said, forcing calm. “I don’t have any money. Now let me go.”

“Turn around.”

“What?”

“I said, turn around. I want to see your back pockets.”

Beth glared at him as annoyance washed over her. I don’t have time for this. I have to get back to Donovan. She grabbed his wrist, stepped around him, and wrenched his arm behind his back, forcing his hand toward his head while twisting his wrist at an awkward angle. He let out a growl and released the blade. It clattered to the asphalt at her feet. She didn’t waste a second to peer down at it. She kicked the back of his knee with the side of her foot as hard as she could. He crumbled and she let him fall. When he was on the ground, she gathered a fistful of his dark hair and slammed his forehead into the ground, knocking him unconscious. Then she launched into an all-out sprint.

Romantic Teaser:

She helped him back into bed and even stretched out beside him. Her fingers stroked his temple and combed through his hair. It wasn’t long before his breathing became deep with sleep.

Mid-day, she peeled the gauze off his burn to clean it and reapply salve. Removing tape from skin and hair—not to mention from an irritated wound—always hurt, so she barred her teeth and lifted the strips centimeter-by-centimeter. Donovan’s eyelids fluttered open when she was half-way through the task. Her fingers stilled.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Your burn needs to be cleaned.”

He made a soft humming sound from deep in his throat before his lids lowered, curtaining his worn-out eyes. Stroking his brow, she murmured endearments to him even though she figured her words wouldn’t have enough power to penetrate his subconscious. Regardless, she hoped he could hear them in his dreams.

To read more of these scenes, pre-order Seismic Crimes on Amazon.

QUESTION: Which teaser did you like more? The smart teaser, tough teaser, or romantic teaser?

Self-Defense Tips + October Question of the Month

I'm co-hosting Unicorn Bell today with: Dear Distracted Writer

*******************************************

Beth Kennedy in Hurricane Crimes is a self-defense instructor. She’s strong and smart. I wish I was more like her! While researching self-defense techniques that I could describe her teaching her students, I came across easy tips everyone can do to protect themselves. Since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month that I’d share some self-defense tips with you:

1. When you’re walking by yourself in a dark garage, parking lot, or neighborhood and you don’t have something that can be used as a weapon (umbrella, cane, etc.), make a fist and hold a key or pencil/pen between your fingers. If someone tries to grab you, punch him with that fist, aiming at the shoulder or other limb. You can also aim at the neck or eye to cause more damage.

2. Carry mace or pepper spray while walking by yourself, put your hand in your purse and hold it, so if someone attacks you, your hand is already on your best defense.

TIP: No mace or pepper spray? Carry perfume or hairspray.

3. Carry a taser or stun gun. And know how to use it!

4. Talk on the phone. Let someone know you’re by yourself and where you are in case something happens.

5. If you manage to get away from your attacker, run in a slight zigzag pattern so it’ll be harder for the bastard to aim at you if he has a gun.

6. Scream! Don’t let an attack silence you. Scream and yell for help. Get someone’s attention.

7. Bite, pinch, and scratch. All of these things can hurt.

8. Grab anything you can get your hands on and use it against your attacker.

9. Kick your attacker’s shins. If you’ve played a sport, you know this can hurt.

10. Hit your attacker’s ears with your fist or elbow. A good hit can rupture an eardrum.

11. Kick the front or back of your attacker’s knees. Doing so will cause him to fall.

12. Lift your arm with your hand rigid as if it is a butcher’s knife and chop (karate chop) your attacker’s neck.

13. Hit the nose. Noses are sensitive and can easily break. Give the nose a good punch or even hit it with your elbow. If you don’t know how to punch, try creating a fist and pretending it is a hammer. You can also drive his nose up with the heel of your hand.

14. Go for the throat. No, not with your teeth but with your fist. Doing so could collapse your attacker’s windpipe. I was hit in the throat with a football...it’s not pleasant. Your gasping for breath, your eyes are tearing up, and pain is radiating.

CHOKE HOLDS:

15. If you’re attacker is in front of you (choking you), take your thumbs and gauge his eyes by applying as much pressure as you can. Once he backs up and releases you, run.

16. Also if you’re attacker is in front of you, grab his shoulder and lift your knee with as much force as you can to strike him between his legs. Even if you’re aim is higher, you’ll hit him in the gut. This is my favorite one to do. ;)

17. Another technique if you’re in a choke hold is to bring your arm between your attacker’s arms and flatten your hand in the middle of his chest by his collar bones. Push hard while turning your body away from him. He should release his hold.

18. Yet another move is to swing your arm across your attacker’s arms almost like a windmill to break his hold. You can do the same thing if he’s behind you but you’ll just swing your arm back.

BEAR HOLD/WRIST HOLDS:

19. If you’re ever in a hold with your back to your attacker, lift your arms and swing your elbows back, striking him repeatedly until the hold loosens and you can free yourself.

20. If someone grabs your wrist, bend your knees so you’re in a squat, lean forward slightly while you bend your elbow, bringing your fist toward your body and your elbow to your attacker’s elbow. Doing this will force him to let go.

SHARE: Your self-defense techniques.

QUESTION: Have you ever had to defend yourself like this?

To join this monthly blog hop visit Michael G D'Agostino's blog.

QUESTION: Who would play you in a movie of your life?

That’s easy. Emma Watson. Our birthdays are three days apart and there have been times in my life where we looked alike. Take Hermione Granger from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, for instance. Our faces looked very similar. Besides that, she’s my favorite actress, we have a bit in common, and I think she could portray me very well.

Writing About: Self Defense Instructors

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about Monster Truck Driving, the profession of Donovan Goldwyn from my Disaster Crimes series. Well, now it’s Beth Kennedy’s turn! She is a self-defense instructor and in Seismic Crimes we get to see her in action for the first time.

Here are a few things to remember if you ever want to write about a self-defense instructor or class:

1. Studio/Gym

Where does your character go to take self-defense classes? Or if your character is the instructor, where does he/she hold classes? Describe the building and the room. It should be spacious enough for a blue mat to cover most of the ground and several pairs of individuals to go one-on-one. In Seismic Crimes, I got to create a visual of Beth’s studio. I mentioned the front desk and what was on the walls to inspire the students.

TIP: Give the studio a unique name that highlights the purpose of the class. Beth Kennedy is all about teaching women who experience domestic violence at home and want to be able to defend themselves a fighting chance. That’s why her studio is called The Fighting Chance.

2. Equipment

A blue mat is not the only thing that needs to be in a studio, but also safety gear for the students to wear such as helmets, mitts, and even body gear to protect their torso and legs.

Aside from safety equipment, there will also be teaching equipment: dummies students can punch and kick, punching bags, striking pads that fit along the arms, over hands, and are large enough to hold in front of the body.

3. Techniques

There are many self-defense techniques out there that your character can learn in a class or teach students. Everyone should first learn the proper stance to get into to minimize getting hit and to prepare the body to strike. How to throw a good punch is the next biggest obstacle followed by how to strike with your feet. After that, a self-defense instructor can teach how to get out of holds such as wrist holds, choke holds, and even bear hugs. Scenarios are the best thing for instructors to teach. For example: what to do if someone grabs you from behind or how to incapacitate an attacker who is in front of you.

TIP: Watch videos (you can find a bunch on YouTube) and even go to a real class for research. Firsthand experience is always the best.

Stay tuned for easy self-defense techniques everyone should know. 

QUESTIONS: Have you participated in a self-defense class? Would you? What do you think of The Fighting Chance as a studio name?