Hi Friends,
A karate school in Texas just started teaching blind students how to defend themselves. So cool!
Did you know that you’re three times more likely to be a victim of violent crime if you’re disabled? And the visually impaired have a rate of 28.8 per 1,000 compared to 4 per 1000 of the unimpaired. (U.S. Justice Dept. statistics 2011 to 2015).
When reading about the fascinating idea of the blind learning to defend themselves, I also ran across the inspiring story of Ronald Dlamini, the first black MMA champion in South Africa who went blind after a bout with meningitis, but instead of giving up, he fought his way back. He now trains other fighters and teaches the visually impaired to defend themselves.
These are real heroes who are helping those often ignored by society find a sense of confidence and develop the ability to keep themselves safe. I love it!
And it gave me the idea to add some blindfold training to Kiriai’s regimen in book 5 – an old but fun trope in martial art stories.
My Writing Update:
Thank you to the seven amazing fans who took the time to write reviews for Combat Outbreak during the launch week – you’re the best!
Combat Impulse, Book 4 is in the hands of beta readers who are catching tons of typos. I swear I read over it multiple times with a fine-toothed comb. My mind just auto-corrects when I read my own writing. Sheesh!
(Please let me know if you’d like to join the beta or advanced reading teams. You get the books early and help me by finding typos, offering suggestions, posting reviews and sharing on social media.)
Thanks for all the fun suggestions for villain characters in Combat Shift, Book 5. Let me know if you have a favorite in the comments below:
- Tauraki Makai
- Yohudo Greck
- Kichochan
- Leiko
- Yami Kuru
- Akumu Chi
- Zenaku Lamia
- Akuma (another one. Interesting, isn’t it?)
- Kuzhong
- Warui or Waruo
- Virella Manton
- Grady Stone
- Everetta Thorne
Well, back to the plotting on Book 5. I’ve got the major plots done and am now outlining the critical events that happen in each chapter. Funny how many sub-plots I’ve managed to accumulate by the fifth book. If there’s one you love, let me know so I can give it extra attention.
Happy reading and please keep emailing me your ideas and questions. I smile every time I get a reader email.
— Misty 🙂
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