Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Romance Author
Random stuff from NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Caridad Pineiro.
Today’s post will be a quick one since I’m off to the Authors After Dark Conference. This is my first visit to this conference and I am so looking forward to it! If you’re also attending, please look for me as I love meeting new people. I’ll be doing two different panels and will also be at the book signing on Saturday from 2 to 4.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
On today’s Kiss Me, Kill Me Tuesday we’ve got a very special guest – KM Fawcett who is a Nidan (2nd degree black belt) in Isshinryu Karate and co-owns The Tenchi Isshinryu Karate Dojo, located in Lebanon, NJ with her husband. She is also a certified women’s self-defense instructor with the FLAG (Fight Like a Girl) Program. KM writes sci-fi romantic thrillers and paranormal romances, and loves kick butt heroes and heroines. When not writing or teaching karate, you can find her blogging about martial arts and writing action at the Attacking the Page website.
Sit back as KM chats with us on how to improvise weapons for your characters!
First, think about where your fight scene takes place. What are some common (and perhaps some not so common) items available in the area?
A really simple example is the good old bar brawl. What’s available? You’ve got all the old standbys: bottles, stools, chairs, tables and pool cues. Maybe a pinball machine or a jukebox or a window someone can get thrown into. These have all been done before. Now…think of some unique bar items a character can use as a weapon. The tip jar, a fist with a roll of coins taken from cash register. What about taking the cord to the Neon beer light to strangle someone? Think outside the box. Make your scene stand out.
But you’re setting isn’t a bar, it’s in a dark and spooky old mansion. What can your character use to protect himself from Miss Scarlet in the library with her deadly lead pipe? The old standbys are letter openers, heavy paper weights, ashtrays, figurines, statuettes, vases, an avalanche of books and wall sconces. Can you think of something more unique? Curtains, tiebacks, or drapery cords can be used for strangling, the settee pillow over the face can suffocate someone, break off the leg of a vintage ottoman for a hard hitting weapon, a shard of glass from a picture frame can be used to stab, cut or slit a throat. Make a list of what might be available and then choose something interesting. Or use an old standby weapon, but imagine a unique way your character can utilize it.
Try this brainstorming exercise for fun. What improvised weapons could your characters find in a parking lot? What improvised weapons could they find in a bathroom? Leave your answers in the comments section.
So how did I improvise some weapons recently? In SINS OF THE FLESH, Mick Carrera walks into the office of one of the Wardwell scientists. As he’s walking in, he’s scoping out what he can use as a weapon and spies a heavy bookend. He decides that he can use it to either bash in someone’s head or break one of the large plate glass windows in order to escape.
Today’s Guilty Pleasure is Scott Adkins, a British martial arts expert and actor who has appeared in a number of movies and television shows. You may recall him from X-MEN:WOLVERINE as Weapon XI or as Agent Kiley in THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, but also look for him in NINJA, a March 2010 release in the United States.
Besides being way buff and handsome, he is an amazing martial artist with black belts in Wushu, Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing, Judo and Jujitsu.
If you cannot see the video below, you can click on this link or cut and paste the following link into your browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFkO84QKmpE
I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to visit a number of cities in the United States, so today I am sharing some of my favorites with you.
1. New York City. My hometown is my favorite hands down. There are so many unique things to see and even after living there virtually my entire life, there is still so much I have yet to explore!
2. Philadelphia. A beautiful town with a great city center and filled with history, arts, amazing museums and food!
3. Boston. Another city filled with history, museums and food. For those who love to walk, doing the Freedom Trial is an inspiring way to relive America’s past.
4. Miami. What can I say? The Cubanita in me loves the Art Deco sights of South Beach and dropping by Versailles and La Carreta in Little Havana.
5. Baltimore. The Inner Harbor is a great place to relax. Drop by the amazing Barnes & Noble in the Power Plant. Visit the Science Center or National Aquarium as well as the Inner Harbor shops, Fells Point and Fort McHenry where the Star Spangled Banner was born.
6. San Diego. OMG, what a great place, especially on the 4th of July. For those who love fireworks, park yourself on the sand in Mission Bay to watch shows for several hours from a number of nearby areas.
7. Santa Barbara. A gorgeous coastal town with a mission that is not to be missed.
8. New Orleans. For a town with a diverse mix of cultures and amazing food, this is the place for you.
9. Chicago. Beautiful architecture and a vibrant urban scene make this a great city to explore.
10. Orlando. Disney, Sea World, Universal and lots of other attractions make this a fun place to visit.
11. Washington, D.C. History, monuments, cherry trees and nearby Arlington make this a great place to visit and immerse yourself in American history.
12. Las Vegas. So much to do without ever spending a penny gambling. Amazing shows, good food, spas, themed casinos and the nearby Red Rock Canyon make this a must visit location.
13. Atlantic City. It’s no Las Vegas, but of course Las Vegas doesn’t have the wonderful Jersey Shore right outside its casinos. Definitely worth it.
Hope you enjoyed today’s Thursday Thirteen. I welcome you to add any of your favorite U.S. cities in the comments section.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
I think you all know by now based on the locations for SINS OF THE FLESH and STRONGER THAN SIN that I love being down the Jersey Shore. There is something about being close to the water that just does my Piscean soul a world of wonder, plus there’s the laid back pace. So different from my everyday hustle and bustle when I go to work in Manhattan.
That’s why I’m looking forward to a long weekend at the shore and I thought I would share five things to do down the shore on this Friday Five!
1. Ride a wave, whether with a surf board, boogie board or a teeth-rattling body surf (conditions permitting of course).
2. Spread your blanket beneath the stars and just lay back and enjoy the peace and quiet. Do it on the 4th of July and experience the excitement and wonder of some amazing fireworks.
3. Stroll along the boardwalk and catch the sights. My favorite strip is from the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park down to the Shark River in Belmar, just a few miles of a nice mix of different towns.
4. Satisfy your hunger with a Windmill hot dog loaded with the works.
5. Work off that hot dog with a walk through Ocean Grove and stop for an ice cream at either Days or Nagles, or head to Bradley Beach for ice cream at Beach Plum or an amazing freshly-filled cannoli at Del Ponte’s Bakery.
Hope you all have a marvelous and blessed Labor Day Weekend.
Take a moment to blog hop on Meet an Author Monday!
This Fun Friday we’re doing something new: The Fun Friday Five. Today’s Five are the Most Emotional Moments in Life. There are moments you will never forget, whether good or bad. I’m sharing Five of my Most Emotional Good Moments in Life since I want to get the weekend started on a positive note for you!
So here they are:
How about you? Take a moment to share you’re most upbeat and happy moments in life.
Hope you all have a grand and beautiful weekend.