My Favorite Sport

Can I share my favorite sport with you? It's not your typical activity like basketball or football or soccer. Actually a lot of people think I'm insane for doing it. What could it possibly be? It's mixed martial arts or more commonly known as MMA.

To be honest, I am a new convert to MMA. A little over a year ago I didn't even like it. It all started with my novel Breaking the Cycle. I needed to find something that my hero, Max, was forced to sacrifice for my heroine, Chloe, and I decided it would be his job as a fitness trainer. I wanted to find a sport that people would look down on him for being a part of. It didn't take long to decide on MMA. However, I knew nothing about mixed martial arts. I didn't want to Google it or watch videos. I wanted talk to a real fighter.

I e-mailed Keoni Koch, the owner of my local gym, Hard Drive MMA, and asked if I could send him a few questions. He graciously agreed and I did. As I waited for him to send them back I checked out the gym's website and noticed they offered kickboxing classes. I always wanted to try kickboxing plus I really needed to lose weight. One month wouldn't hurt, right? I am still not sure how I survived that first class.

I am happy to report, however, that I am still a proud member of the Hard Drive family. I still attend class twice a week and go to open gyms all weekend. I sport my many, many bruises with pride. I've gone to live events and am currently helping a couple of friends through fight camp.

What does all this have to do with being an author? Being a part of Hard Drive has given me a unique perspective to writing MMA romance. When I write about a fight I know how to describe the punches because I've thrown them. I've watched jiu jitsu holds up close and personal (sometimes a little too close!). I know the jargon because I speak it.

And my Hard Drive family has helped me tremendously with my MMA romances. They explain things that happen in a fight I don't understand. Three of the fighters have posed for the covers including Keoni who is on the cover of Breaking the Cycle. They support me, promote me and inspire me. They are the most incredible people I know.

People may think I'm crazy to be a MMA fan and even crazier to train. Other than writing I can't think of anything I'd rather do.