Welcome Author Michelle K. Pickett

I have to tell you, Michelle, after reading the synopsis, I can’t wait to read Concilium. The synopsis gave me more questions than answers.  So I will try to limit my questions to reasonable if not controllable. (smile). Keep reading there's a blog giveway entry button at the bottom of this blog.

1.)   Concilium was just released July 27th, but what does it stand for? 

Concilium is Latin for council.

2.)   Tell us a little bit about Leslee the heroine in your story. 

Leslee is twenty-five and a bit of a loner, although not by choice.  She has one very close friend and a lot of acquaintances/work friends, but no significant other on her radar.  She loves the outdoors and spends a large amount of her time in her yard, which is surrounded by a state wildlife refuge. When you think of the qualities you'd most like a good friend to have, you've most likely described Leslee. 

3.)   Where does she draw her strength from? 

Her father died when she was twenty-two.  Her mother was devastated and took her own life just months later. They were the only family Leslee had.  She had to learn very quickly how to navigate through life on her own.  I think this gave her a core strength that even she didn't know she had.

4.)    How did she become a target? If it's not giving too much away.

She was driving home from a girls'-night-out.  She took an old country road (always a bad choice). Something darted out in front of her car causing her to lose control and run into a tree.  Well, she was fine and her car had only minor damage, but she saw something while she was out there that she wasn't meant to see—a secret that some would kill to keep from being discovered.

5.)    Is her attraction to Miller like the Stockholm Syndrome? I know she is not his captive but he is protecting her? 

No, her attraction to him is real, although for the life of her she can't figure out why.  She thinks he's unbearable most of the time and she's right.  But she sees beyond his intolerable attitude and gets glimpses of a kind hearted person hiding underneath.

6.)    What about Miller? Is he hero or part of the problem?  

Actually, both!  He is the hero.  He protects Leslee, but that creates a whole new set of problems.

7.)    Does he have feelings for her? 

If Miller were to answer your question he would say: "I work for the Concilium and they say I can't have feelings for Leslee. So I don't."  But if you read the story you'd see a very different side to Miller than what the Concilium tells him to be.

8.)    What projects are you currently working on? 

I'm editing the sequel to Concilium.  Concilium: The Departure is scheduled for release in November. It will answer the questions left dangling at the end of Concilium.   

I also have a young adult science/fiction romance titled PODs releasing through Spencer Hill Press June 4, 2013.  I have a couple of paranormal young adult novels on submission and I'm writing a young adult urban fantasy.

9.)    Is there anything you'd like to tell your readers? 

Yes. I love to hear from readers and authors alike!  I love comments on my blog and emails in my inbox.  Whether it's constructive (that means nice) criticism or just a note to say "Hi," I'd love to get it.  You can email me at Michelle @ Michelle-Pickett.com my website and blog both have my email contacts on them, as well.  I think Marian has been kind enough to list them all below. 

I loved having you here today as my guest, Michelle. Good luck with the series.

Author Bio:

Michelle has been an avid reader since a young child.  She began writing for personal enjoyment in college, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in accounting.  Deciding sitting in a cubical all day was her form of cruel and unusual punishment, she decided to do what she really wanted to—share her passion for reading and writing with others.

She wrote her debut novel Concilium in 2010.  The sequel, Concilium: The Departure soon followed. Both will be published by Muse It Up Publishing with scheduled released dates of July 27^th and November 2012 respectively.  Her Debut young adult novel, PODs, will be published by Spencer Hill Press and is scheduled for release in paperback June 4^th, 2013.

Michelle was born and raised in Michigan.  She now resides in a small community outside Houston, Texas with her husband, four children, a 125-pound lap dog, a very grumpy cockatiel and a cat that thinks she's queen.

Michelle writes adult and young adult Sci/Fi and urban fantasy romance.

Find me on the web:

Michelle@Michelle-Pickett.com | www.Michelle-Pickett.com

 Blogger  goodreads  Twitter  Facebook Page  Google Plus LinkedIn  pinterest

Buy Links:

The Amazon Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Concilium-The-Series-ebook/dp/B008QWIC3G/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343678496&sr=1-3&keywords=concilium

The MuseItUp Buy Link:
http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=537&category_id=64&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Kindlegraph—get your copy of Concilium digitally signed by Michelle. Go to: http://www.kindlegraph.com

Blog Tour Give away:

1)      Concilium E-Book

2)      $10 Amazon Gift Card

Rafflecopter Giveaway Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Part Three-Tried and True Self-defense Techniques

Welcome to part three of my series on Self-defense. You can find Part One here,(http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4087819597135667611#editor/target=post;postID=4403068653682043077) where I talk about the ABC’s of Self-defense. Part Two, the Psychology of Self-defense, can be found here.(http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4087819597135667611#editor/target=post;postID=8430491088434212925) Today, I’ll address the physical aspects of self-defense. This covers a lot of material, so I’m going to try to boil it down to the must know information. The suggestions below are just a few of my tried and true favorites. For an awesome video of techniques that will work every time, no matter your size or strength, go to http://www.justyellfire.com. I’ve also recently been introduced to Dr. Ruthless, an amazing woman with a fabulous philosophy and great tips for finding your inner “Neander-babe.”

The techniques below are only to be used in a defensive situation. They are meant to disable an attacker and allow you to escape and get help.

Targets to aim for: Eyes, ears, nose, throat, solar plexus, groin, joints.

Weapons you possess: Fingers, fingernails, cupped palm, loose palm, elbows, knees, feet, head, (that includes your brain!) Look for ANYTHING in your immediate surroundings that can be used as a weapon.

If someone approaches you and means you harm, you must react. You have a few choices here, but your job is to survive and escape.

1)      You can attack them first. This option should only be employed if an attack is imminent. We don’t want to mistakenly beat the crap out of the pizza delivery guy.

Scream as loud as you can, FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! And don’t stop screaming. Kick them in the groin (see the video for an extra special technique called a “Scoop kick”), scratch or poke the eyes, cuff the ears with cupped palms, and then grab the ears and pull their face down into your rising knee. If you choose this method, you must not hesitate. You have to follow through and be willing to disable your attacker. This requires an incredible amount of courage, self-confidence, and practice, but if done right, your attacker will never see it coming.

2)      You can wait until they have their hands on you and react.

If they come at you from the front and grab you by the wrist, follow through with the above scenario or use a circular movement of your wrist and hand to break free and escape. If they have their hands around your throat, employ the “stick ‘em up”, or “combing the hair” technique. Basically, to break someone’s grip on your throat, you shoot ypour hands straight up into the air and turn your body away. You can see the “combing the hair” technique on the video and it will make perfect sense. Once you turn away and their grip is broken, take a step back and drive your elbow in a horizontal striking motion and slam it into their temple. Follow this with a slap to the groin. I learned the groin slap from watching the video, but it makes sense. A loose wristed slap will have a greater vibrational impact on the groin than a closed fist which is more compact and requires more accuracy.

3)      You can fake collapse.

If someone attacks from behind, this is a good option. If you feel overpowered, rather than struggle, go completely limp, bend your knees, and drop toward the ground in a crouch. This takes a tremendous amount of self- control and presence of mind. An attacker will not expect this and they will have to change their grip to hold you up rather than hold you still. It will also disrupt their balance and have them leaning forward.  Once their grip has loosened or their guard is down, you can respond with springing up on your knees and slamming the back of your head into their nose. This should loosen their grip enough to allow you to drive your elbow into their solar plexus or temple. Turn around to face them, cuff the ears, grab the ears and drive their nose into your rising knee. If you are caught in a standing position and are being choked from behind, it is sometimes not an option to drop into a crouch like this. In that instance, scraping the side of your shoe down their shin and slamming your heel into their instep is an effective attention getter and will force them to loosen their grip. You can read about this sequence in detail in SAVAGE CINDERELLA, when Cody is teaching Brinn to fight—team Cody lovers think this scene is kind of steamy). You would then follow with that elbow to the solar plexus, groin slap, poke to the eyes, and cuff to the ears. Another technique that will bring your attacker down to your size is a kick to the lateral side of the knee, a great option if you are fighting from the ground.

Basically, the rule is fight and don’t stop fighting. Use whatever tools and weapons that you have at your disposal. Scream, kick, scratch, bite, or gouge. Do whatever it takes to survive. You have a right to defend yourself. You have a right not to be a victim.

Any questions?


Author PJ Sharon's Bio:
I knew I would be a writer someday when I was a little girl sitting on my grandpa’s knee and telling him stories that he would help me put on paper. By the time I entered kindergarten I could already read and write, and I couldn’t wait to look up new words every morning in the ginormous Webster’s Dictionary that sat in the book case at the bottom of our stairs. I would get on the bus and ask my friends, “Do you know what pulchritudinous means?” Between that and challenging the boys to push-up contests at the bus stop, I mostly sat alone on those bus rides to school. But that just meant I had more time to make up stories.

I went on to many other endeavors in life, including the world of figure skating, and later, earning a black belt in martial arts. Though I was a mom at seventeen, I did manage to finish school and somehow made it through college, earning a degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant. After nineteen years, two sons, a divorce, and some fairly lean years, I found that it’s true what they say about life beginning at forty. It was about that time when I reunited with the love of my life and worked my way to owning my own business as a Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Yoga Instructor—all of my favorite things. To make my bliss complete, I moved out to the Berkshires and found my muse waiting for me there amongst the lilacs and humming birds.

I now write Extraordinary Stories of an Average Teenage Life in order to share hope with others, especially teens, that no matter how tough life gets, there is always a bright spot waiting just around the corner. My published books include the award winning YA Novels, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and SAVAGE CINDERELLA, available through Amazon and B&N Booksellers.

Contact Information for PJ Sharon

Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/pjsharon64

Website: http://www.pjsharon.com

Follow PJ on Twitter: @pjsharon

“Like” PJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjsharonbooks

Find PJ on Amazon’s Author Central page: https://www.amazon.com/author/pjsharon

Follow PJ’s Promotional blog @ http://pjsharonyawriter.blogspot.com

Follow PJ’s Tuesday Scribes blog @ http://secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com

Follow PJ’s Friday Healthy Teen Tips blog @ http://yabeyond.com

I want to thank PJ for all the great information she supplied in this three-part series. I know I have re-read it several times so it is imbedded in my head.

Part Two: The ABC's of Self-Defense

PJ Sharon here, bringing you the second part of my Self Defense series. Last week, I talked about the ABC’s of self-defense.  AVOID, BUDDY UP, AND COMMUNICATE. You can read more about these simple rules. http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4087819597135667611#editor/target=post;postID=4403068653682043077

So what do I mean behind the psychology of self-defense? Let me start by explaining the biggest challenge facing women when it comes to defending ourselves. We are taught (conditioned) from the time we are toddlers to “be nice, don’t talk back, be polite, don’t hit, don’t bite, don’t scratch, don’t hurt anyone,” etc. etc. It’s not easy to change a lifetime of conditioned responses. We are essentially taught NOT to trust our own instincts, but to conform instead to a standard of civilized behavior that, in a confrontational situation, could cost us our lives. Now I’m not saying our self-preservation instincts can’t take over, or that we should behave like barbarians, but if we hesitate when we are attacked, we will lose more than a place at the Miss Manners table. That’s why it’s so important to practice techniques over and over in a controlled environment, until they become automatic. We need to learn a new conditioned response to face an attacker and gain the advantage.

I mentioned in last week’s post that if someone is coming toward you and you are unsure of their intent, put your hands up and say loudly and clearly, STOP! If that person continues toward you, they most likely mean you harm. You need to be prepared to act. You can scream loudly, FIRE! and run away if they are far enough away that you can escape. It’s better to look foolish than to foolishly stay in place and become a victim. If the person comes upon you quickly, you need to have a plan. Watch the videos on http://www.justyellfire.com or check out Dr. Ruthless for specific techniques. And stay tuned for next week’s post when I go into more detail about my favorite self-defense moves sure to make an assailant think twice. Whatever action you choose to take, you have to make the decision before that person gets their hands on you…before they are even ten feet away if you have time. Know what you will do and be prepared to do it.

That brings me to another aspect of the psychology of self-defense. Your greatest advantages in an attack are knowledge and the element of surprise. Attackers target victims whom they believe to be easy targets. If you are prepared to fight back, they have already underestimated you, and this gives you a significant advantage. Training in martial arts, women’s self-defense classes, or even cardio kickboxing will give you the confidence and know-how to take control of a bad situation. If you have trained, you will more likely be willing to kick, scream, claw, gouge, bite, tear, or otherwise forget your civility entirely, and fight like a girl. You need to be willing to stand up for yourself, speak out, run the risk of seeming rude or even downright nasty. Confidence and quick action are weapons that will turn the tables on an attack scenario very quickly. If you have spent most of your life being a mouse, it is time to step up and become a lioness.

For those women who have been victims of a violent crime, I applaud your survival. If you are alive today, it’s because you did the exact right thing at the time. The purpose of these posts is not to make you feel as if you should have done more. It’s to help save others from experiencing the horrors of being brutalized by the bullies and cowards of the world who prey upon women. If we can stop one attacker by stepping forward, teach one more sister to stand against an abusive relationship, or help create a safer environment where women don’t have to live in fear, I say, spread the word and know that you have done your part. It is never too early or too late to learn to defend yourself. Learn to FIGHT LIKE A GIRL!

Do you have what it takes to stand up and fight for yourself? Do you have a fighting spirit?

PJ Sharon's Bio:

I knew I would be a writer someday when I was a little girl sitting on my grandpa’s knee and telling him stories that he would help me put on paper. By the time I entered kindergarten I could already read and write, and I couldn’t wait to look up new words every morning in the ginormous Webster’s Dictionary that sat in the book case at the bottom of our stairs. I would get on the bus and ask my friends, “Do you know what pulchritudinous means?” Between that and challenging the boys to push-up contests at the bus stop, I mostly sat alone on those bus rides to school. But that just meant I had more time to make up stories.

I went on to many other endeavors in life, including the world of figure skating, and later, earning a black belt in martial arts. Though I was a mom at seventeen, I did manage to finish school and somehow made it through college, earning a degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant. After nineteen years, two sons, a divorce, and some fairly lean years, I found that it’s true what they say about life beginning at forty. It was about that time when I reunited with the love of my life and worked my way to owning my own business as a Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Yoga Instructor—all of my favorite things. To make my bliss complete, I moved out to the Berkshires and found my muse waiting for me there amongst the lilacs and humming birds.

I now write Extraordinary Stories of an Average Teenage Life in order to share hope with others, especially teens, that no matter how tough life gets, there is always a bright spot waiting just around the corner. My published books include the award winning YA Novels, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and SAVAGE CINDERELLA, available through Amazon and B&N Booksellers.

Contact Information for PJ Sharon

Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/pjsharon64

Website: http://www.pjsharon.com

Follow PJ on Twitter: @pjsharon

“Like” PJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjsharonbooks

Find PJ on Amazon’s Author Central page: https://www.amazon.com/author/pjsharon

Follow PJ’s Promotional blog @ http://pjsharonyawriter.blogspot.com

Follow PJ’s Tuesday Scribes blog @ http://secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com

Follow PJ’s Friday Healthy Teen Tips blog @ http://yabeyond.com

Thank you, PJ, for all this great information. I look forward to Friday for the conclusion to your series.

Eternity! Are you ready for it?

ETERNITY

Cursed for 2000 years, Roman Nicolis has tracked his lovers’ soul through each reincarnation only to lose her horribly every time. Reclaiming their love is their only salvation. He’s been her friend, her father, her neighbor, but never again her lover … until now.

 

ROMAN NICOLIS

Personality: Honest but direct. Used to being obeyed

Age: 35ish

Height: 6’7”

Birthplace: Thrace, Greece

Dominant Feature: Piercing Blue Eyes

Occupation: CEO of Nicolis Security

Financial Status: Independently Wealthy

History: Cursed to find his love through time 

Siblings: Twin is deceased. Sister Aria is deceased.

Inspiration: Losing Reign, his twin, inspired him to be a better person

Birthdate: 10/ 26  

Skills: Swords and guns

Fears: Failing to protect Stella

Dreams: Finding Reign and uniting the family

Food: He loves Italian

Lifespan: Unknown. Will he still be immortal after he finds Stella

Offspring: None

Background: Vague.

Interview with Roman Nicolis

Hi this is Tmonique Stephens, I’m here interviewing Roman Nicolis, CEO of Nicolis Security. In light of recent events concerning The Village Strangler he, surprisingly, requested this interview to set the record straight.

Tmonique Stephens: “Mr. Nicolis, you’ve had a very interesting summer.”

Roman Nicolis: (he chuckles) “So I’ve heard. Ask me what you want to know.”

TMS: “Your company is not known for personal protection. Why did you agree to protect Stella Walker, the latest victim of The Village Strangler?”

RN: “She was a unique case. She needed immediate assistance. Without our help she would be dead.”

TMS: “Is it true you're keeping her at your mansion?”

RN: “I can’t confirm or deny that statement.”

TMS: “How does your fiancée, Bianca feel about your house guest?”

RN: “I’m no longer engaged.”

TMS: “Really, the wedding was three months away. Have you already met the next Mrs. Roman Nicolis?”

RN: “My personal life isn’t up for discussion.”

TMS: “If that’s the case then this interview is over.”

(Roman stands up to leave.)

TMS: Really, it was a joke. (laughs nervously. Roman sits back down, unimpressed) Okay…you have a very interesting family. Can you tell us more about them?

RN: “There is not much to tell. I have 6 brothers. Thane, E.J., Avery, Tyrone, Brayden and Quin. Oh, and Hector, my butler.”

TMS: “Yes, but they’re not really your brothers. Not biologically.”

RN: “Blood couldn’t make us any closer. Many are descendants of my sister Aria. They were orphaned and adopted by me.”

TMS: “Who lets a single man adopt young boys?”

RN: “Are you saying I did something illegal?”

TMS: “Did you?”

 RN: (His smile wasn’t warm and welcoming)

Tmonique shuffles her papers, searching for a question to get the interview back on track.

TMS: “Is there anything you’d like to say about your twin?”

RN: “My twin is dead. There’s nothing more to say. Next question.”

TMS: “You’re rumored to be very wealthy, but no one knows how you obtained your wealth. Do you want to comment on it?”

RN: “An inheritance from a very distant relative.”

TMS: “Is it true there has been a Nicolis in every war since The Revolution?”

RN: (his face shuttered) Possibly.

TMS: “More than possibly. I’ve done some research and dating back to the 1777 there’s documentation of one a Roman Marius Nicolis. And in each subsequent war I’ve found variations of that name until The Vietnam war. You come from a long line of military men.”

RN: “Is that an insult or a compliment, Mrs. Stephens?”

TMS: “Definitely a compliment. What is your biggest regret?”

RN: “This interview.”

TMS: “Come on. Give me one.”

RN: “… I have many regrets. None I care to share with your rapacious readers.”

TMS: “Why did you agree?”

RN: “Lack of good judgment.” (He stood) “Your time is up Mrs. Stephens.”

TMS: “One last question. If there was one thing you could change, what would it be?”

RN: (He pauses. For a brief moment his gaze becomes distant, almost wistful. Then his features became guarded) “I’d change nothing. I would live my life as I have, on my own terms with no regrets. (He leaves)

Coming August 15^th from Soulmate Publishing

Eternity  

The cover is great. Really hot! So hot, I'm fanning myself. Thanks for being my guest today, Tmonique.

Author's Biography

In high school, Tmonique Stephens wrote her first novel about a reporter and a hockey player after the U.S. hockey team won gold in the 1980 Olympics. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing from City College of New York where she won an English Department Award for her play Tea with Salt in 1987. She took a break to graduate from college, get married, have a daughter, but she never gave up on her dream.

She loves paranormal and fantasy romances and will read anything about fairies, demons, or angels.  She also enjoys Stephen King and Dean Koontz. The first romance she remembers reading was a Harlequin about a sheikh and his forbidden love for an American woman way back in middle school. That’s before loves scene were included. Tmonique loves writing flawed characters who reflect the emotional baggage we all carry. She writes complicated stories for complicated people. Hopefully, you will enjoy her efforts.

Tmonique Stephens was born in St. Thomas USVI, but she grew up in The Bronx, New York one mile from Yankee Stadium. She loves the SyFy and History channels, and Asian cuisine. But her heart and stomach longs for anything from the Caribbean. Have any Caribbean recipes out there? Please share! Her mother died before she had a chance to teach Caribbean cooking secrets.

Currently, Tmonique is working on an Egyptian God series. Why the Egyptian Gods, you ask? She challenges that with, “Why not?” All the other gods have been extensively covered, except the Egyptians. Undiscovered territory has always appealed to her.

 Expect her first book, Eternity, out this August from Soulmate publishing. You can find her on her fan page Author Tmonique Stephens and Like her.  Also stop by http://www.tmoniquestephens.com for more information on future projects.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Author-Tmonique-Stephens/334686337991

https://twitter.com/Tmoniquebooks

Eternity Book trailer on YouTube. 

http://youtu.be/WLBSiOVSltg 

The ABC’s of Self Defense presented by Author PJ Sharon

YA author PJ Sharon has some great advise for teens and women on the art of self-defense in a three-part series.

The ABC’s of Self Defense

Part One

I wanted to share some practical tips that every woman, young and old, should know about defending themselves against an attacker. I’ll start with some staggering statistics. Every two minutes in this country, a woman is raped or sexually assaulted. One in four college women are victims of rape. One out of every two women who are raped is under the age of eighteen. Twenty-six percent of high school girls have been the victim of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or date rape.

Does that grab your attention? It certainly grabbed mine. Although I have a black belt in martial arts, I never take for granted that anything can happen. One thing I’m certain of is that there are bigger, stronger, faster, and better fighters than me out there who have become victims of sexual assault. That’s why I think it’s so important to teach women how to stand up for themselves and learn some self-defense techniques that work every time. These are my ABC’s of self-defense.

AVOID

Prevention is about avoiding situations that put you at risk. Even though some of this is common sense, women everywhere refuse to follow these simple rules.

Avoid poorly lit parking lots and walking alone in remote areas. Be aware of your surroundings. (That means don’t get caught up in listening to music with your ear-buds while running alone in a park or other such high risk behavior). NEVER get into someone’s car that you don’t know well. If you feel uncomfortable, trust your instincts and get away from whatever situation is tipping off your radar. If something feels wrong, it probably is.

 One of the biggest risk factors for sexual assaults and date rapes is the use of drugs and alcohol. It lowers our inhibitions, interferes with judgment, and affects reaction time. That means that even if you know how to defend yourself, if you’re under the influence, you are less able to utilize those skills. DON’T put yourself in a vulnerable position by compromising your ability to remain in control of your faculties.

BUDDY UP

There is strength in numbers. Hanging out in groups or staying close to a trusted friend will be a deterrent for an attacker. There are still no guarantees, but making sure you and your friends are prepared to defend yourselves will go a long way to keeping you safe.

COMMUNICATE

You have the right to stand up for yourself. You have the right to change your mind at any time. You have the right to say NO! If someone approaches you and you feel threatened, put up your hand and say firmly, STOP! If they continue toward you, they are deaf and blind, or they mean you harm. Scream FIRE! And get away. It has been proven that people will ignore a cry for HELP, but will almost always pay attention to someone screaming FIRE!

 If you have been attacked, abused, or raped, tell someone. Many assaults and rapes go unreported because victims feel as if they have done something wrong, that they are somehow responsible, or they feel afraid and ashamed. The trauma related to a violent crime takes time and therapy to recover from, and keeping it a secret will only compound the emotional pain and suffering. Communicating is the only way to move beyond the wounds and find healing.

For more information and a MUST SEE video for about self-defense and rape prevention, check out this amazing site, started by a teen-age girl who started a movement. http://www.justyellfire.com/

Join me Wednesday for Part 2, the Psychology of Fighting Back. Then on Friday, right here at Marian’s place, I’ll be talking about some specific self-defense tips you won’t want to miss.

Would you know what to do if you were attacked? Are you prepared? What self-defense tips can you share?

Author's Bio: I knew I would be a writer someday when I was a little girl sitting on my grandpa’s knee and telling him stories that he would help me put on paper. By the time I entered kindergarten I could already read and write, and I couldn’t wait to look up new words every morning in the ginormous Webster’s Dictionary that sat in the book case at the bottom of our stairs. I would get on the bus and ask my friends, “Do you know what pulchritudinous means?” Between that and challenging the boys to push-up contests at the bus stop, I mostly sat alone on those bus rides to school. But that just meant I had more time to make up stories.

I went on to many other endeavors in life, including the world of figure skating, and later, earning a black belt in martial arts. Though I was a mom at seventeen, I did manage to finish school and somehow made it through college, earning a degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant. After nineteen years, two sons, a divorce, and some fairly lean years, I found that it’s true what they say about life beginning at forty. It was about that time when I reunited with the love of my life and worked my way to owning my own business as a Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Yoga Instructor—all of my favorite things. To make my bliss complete, I moved out to the Berkshires and found my muse waiting for me there amongst the lilacs and humming birds.

I now write Extraordinary Stories of an Average Teenage Life in order to share hope with others, especially teens, that no matter how tough life gets, there is always a bright spot waiting just around the corner. My published books include the award winning YA Novels, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and SAVAGE CINDERELLA, available through Amazon and B&N Booksellers.

Contact Information for PJ Sharon

Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/pjsharon64

Website: http://www.pjsharon.com

Follow PJ on Twitter: @pjsharon

“Like” PJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjsharonbooks

Find PJ on Amazon’s Author Central page: https://www.amazon.com/author/pjsharon

Follow PJ’s Promotional blog @ http://pjsharonyawriter.blogspot.com

Follow PJ’s Tuesday Scribes blog @ http://secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com

Follow PJ’s Friday Healthy Teen Tips blog @ http://yabeyond.com

PJ, thank you so much for this posting. I look forward to parts two and three. It is important for all women to know how to protect themselves.