Why I Wrote an MMA Romance
On Monday I announced my upcoming release Battered Not Broken and revealed all the official details. If you read that post or have so much as glimpsed at my Facebook or Twitter page (seriously, have you seen my new Twitter layout? ;), you're probably aware that Battered Not Broken is a contemporary romance about two MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters, Ryan Moore and Ally Rivera.
There's a lot more to the story than that, like the issues caused by Ryan's war veteran status and injuries, and Ally's problems with her family and a local gang. But in this post, I'd like to talk about the MMA elements and why I chose to write an MMA romance.
As you also may already know, martial arts (multiple forms, including jujitsu, karate and muay thai kickboxing) have been a hobby of mine since I was a teen. It's something I've enjoyed learning and practicing, along with my brothers, father and husband. (It's nice to have something to participate in and enjoy along with my family.)
I've had some of the most kick-ass instructors you can imagine and I've been super-fortunate to have fun and meet a lot of awesome martial artists. I'm certainly no Bruce Li, but martial arts have provided years of enjoyment (and some great workouts!) for me, so it was a delight to write about my favorite sport. (There are not many sports I enjoy, so I need to focus on the ones I do. LOL)
Unlike Ally and Ryan, I've mostly participated in these sports for fun and recreation rather than competitively. Although I did do a little bit of competitive fighting for extra cash (okay, and fun too) during my college years.
So not only was it a pleasure to write about a sport I care about, but it was nice to write 'what I know', knowing that my involvement in the sport as a student, participant and frequent observer would help me to write realistically about it.
There are already some MMA romances out there, and that's a sub-genre that definitely appeals to me as a reader. So far, I've read a (very) small percentage of those books, and while those have been well-written by skilled authors, as someone who is familiar with the sport, I couldn't help but think how much more I personally would've enjoyed them if they'd included something more. Namely, realistic details about the sport. (The last book I read had no fight scenes. *weeps*)
In Battered Not Broken, MMA is not just sexy window-dressing. I told the story of two amateur MMA fighters, which is probably (as far as I can tell) an anomaly when it comes to this sub-genre. You won't find any high-rolling millionaire UFC world champions in Battered Not Broken. Instead, you'll find two real people participating in the sport they love. And I sincerely hope that you'll enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
All of my books contain certain elements of real-life experience and certain elements of imagination and fantasy. The balance varies from book to book. For example, in my Half Moon Shifters Series, the only part of that that's real is the fact that I've enjoyed spending some time in the gorgeous Great Smoky Mountains.
Battered Not Broken contains a higher percentage of real-life experience (and I wasn't thinking of the sex scenes when I said that - ha!). Every lesson I've learned, every sparring or competitive match I've participated in, and every ugly bruise I've received in real life played a part in helping me write this story. There are other subjects I'm passionate about in real life that I want to write about in the future. MMA is one I've been looking forward to turning into a story for a long time. And it feels good to have done so.
Ryan Moore forged his own path when he defied his wealthy family’s expectations by joining the United States Marine Corps as an enlisted man. After a period of service that’s cut short by an IED explosion, the lingering physical and mental effects of war result in an isolated struggle to exist in the civilian world. He throws himself into competitive MMA fighting – the one thing he’s still able to excel at, even if every match is a risk he can’t afford to take.
His first encounter with amateur female fighter Ally Rivera ignites a spark of desire he hasn’t felt since before a bomb left its marks on his life and his body, but his flirtation with her turns out to be anything but harmless. She’s struggling to hold together a family ravaged by violence – a feat that isn’t easy when her father has been imprisoned, leaving her vulnerable to relatives who run a local gang. Can two unrelenting fighters overcome challenges they couldn’t defeat alone, or do the wounds of war and crime run too deep for even love to heal?
Releasing December 19th
Paperback edition to follow in January
Full-Length Novel
There's a lot more to the story than that, like the issues caused by Ryan's war veteran status and injuries, and Ally's problems with her family and a local gang. But in this post, I'd like to talk about the MMA elements and why I chose to write an MMA romance.
As you also may already know, martial arts (multiple forms, including jujitsu, karate and muay thai kickboxing) have been a hobby of mine since I was a teen. It's something I've enjoyed learning and practicing, along with my brothers, father and husband. (It's nice to have something to participate in and enjoy along with my family.)
I've had some of the most kick-ass instructors you can imagine and I've been super-fortunate to have fun and meet a lot of awesome martial artists. I'm certainly no Bruce Li, but martial arts have provided years of enjoyment (and some great workouts!) for me, so it was a delight to write about my favorite sport. (There are not many sports I enjoy, so I need to focus on the ones I do. LOL)
Unlike Ally and Ryan, I've mostly participated in these sports for fun and recreation rather than competitively. Although I did do a little bit of competitive fighting for extra cash (okay, and fun too) during my college years.
So not only was it a pleasure to write about a sport I care about, but it was nice to write 'what I know', knowing that my involvement in the sport as a student, participant and frequent observer would help me to write realistically about it.
There are already some MMA romances out there, and that's a sub-genre that definitely appeals to me as a reader. So far, I've read a (very) small percentage of those books, and while those have been well-written by skilled authors, as someone who is familiar with the sport, I couldn't help but think how much more I personally would've enjoyed them if they'd included something more. Namely, realistic details about the sport. (The last book I read had no fight scenes. *weeps*)
In Battered Not Broken, MMA is not just sexy window-dressing. I told the story of two amateur MMA fighters, which is probably (as far as I can tell) an anomaly when it comes to this sub-genre. You won't find any high-rolling millionaire UFC world champions in Battered Not Broken. Instead, you'll find two real people participating in the sport they love. And I sincerely hope that you'll enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
All of my books contain certain elements of real-life experience and certain elements of imagination and fantasy. The balance varies from book to book. For example, in my Half Moon Shifters Series, the only part of that that's real is the fact that I've enjoyed spending some time in the gorgeous Great Smoky Mountains.
Battered Not Broken contains a higher percentage of real-life experience (and I wasn't thinking of the sex scenes when I said that - ha!). Every lesson I've learned, every sparring or competitive match I've participated in, and every ugly bruise I've received in real life played a part in helping me write this story. There are other subjects I'm passionate about in real life that I want to write about in the future. MMA is one I've been looking forward to turning into a story for a long time. And it feels good to have done so.
Ryan Moore forged his own path when he defied his wealthy family’s expectations by joining the United States Marine Corps as an enlisted man. After a period of service that’s cut short by an IED explosion, the lingering physical and mental effects of war result in an isolated struggle to exist in the civilian world. He throws himself into competitive MMA fighting – the one thing he’s still able to excel at, even if every match is a risk he can’t afford to take.
His first encounter with amateur female fighter Ally Rivera ignites a spark of desire he hasn’t felt since before a bomb left its marks on his life and his body, but his flirtation with her turns out to be anything but harmless. She’s struggling to hold together a family ravaged by violence – a feat that isn’t easy when her father has been imprisoned, leaving her vulnerable to relatives who run a local gang. Can two unrelenting fighters overcome challenges they couldn’t defeat alone, or do the wounds of war and crime run too deep for even love to heal?
Releasing December 19th
Paperback edition to follow in January
Full-Length Novel
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