Today I have S.J. Pajonas over sharing a great deal about Sumo Wrestling. I'll be quiet for once and not say anything. Take it away Stephanie!
Sumo Wrestling in RECLAIMED,
The Final Book of the Nogiku Series
Every time I start a new
book, I think, "How can I educate my readers on something cultural about
Japan?" And in variably, it's a chance to learn something new myself! When
I started writing RECLAIMED, I knew I really wanted a great scene at a sumo
wrestling tournament, so I did what any writer does, I hit YouTube. From the
comfort of my own desk, I watched some amazing sumo wrestling bouts. I studied
the way the wrestlers met each other in the ring, the expressions on their
faces, the ritual behind every stomp, throw of salt, or grunt. I read Wikipedia
articles on the history of sumo wrestling, studied the names of famous
wrestlers and what they did with their careers, and watched interviews of those
who had won or lost.
What it boiled down to was
one three-thousand-word scene in which my heroine, Sanaa, her beloved, and a
team of friends and family attend a match, learn more about this ancient and venerable
sport, and get caught up in the fun for one brief moment. Fun moments in the
last book of a series like the Nogiku Series are hard to come by. Trying to
decide where the enemy lies and who will betray them next is a full time job.
It felt good to take a break, to take a deep breath and have a chapter where we
could see smiles on faces, kisses on cheeks, and the roaring crowd all rooting
for someone to win the Emperor's Cup.
I am happy to say that sumo
wrestling lives far into the future!
Want to watch a few matches for yourself? Check out this YouTube playlist I've put together of the tournaments I viewed to write this part of RECLAIMED.
RECLAIMED
On the road and gaining
ground against Fujiwara, Sanaa and her team find the local population hesitant
to accept them. Charm and bribes can only get the colonists so far, and no
matter what Sanaa does, she is not welcomed amongst the men and women of Yūsei.
When Sanaa is denied help again, she reaches out to a Northern clan, the Odas,
and bargains for a secret technology that will give her an incredible advantage
but comes at a steep price.
Being on the road means
leaving Yamato undefended, though, and when enemies strike, they leave
everything in chaos. With Sanaa and Jiro sacrificing all their time and effort
to keeping their home secure, they both must give up nearly everything to save
the colonization, their future together, and reclaim Yūsei for its people.
Family lines collide, secrets
are finally spoken, and the freedom of Yūsei is in the hands of one woman
determined to find equality and justice for everyone on the planet.
RECLAIMED, Book FOUR of the
Nogiku Series, is the FINAL book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance
series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into
the future between Earth and a faraway land.
Genre: Adult Science Fiction
/ Post-apocalyptic Science Fiction
Series/Book Number: The
Nogiku Series / Book 4
Heat Level: Level 3 Flames
Rating: Rated R for violence,
language, and sexual situations
Publishing Date: May 28, 2015
Haven't read REMOVED, the
first book of the Nogiku Series? You're in luck! It's currently free and the
rest of the series is on sale!
http://www.spajonas.com/removed/
Website:
http://www.spajonas.com/
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/spajonas/
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/SJPajonas/
Tumblr:
http://spajonas.tumblr.com/
Instagram:
http://www.instagram.com/spajonas/
Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/spajonas/
Wattpad:
http://www.wattpad.com/spajonas/
Amazon Profile:
http://www.amazon.com/author/sjpajonas/
Goodreads Profile:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7233209.S_J_Pajonas
Thanks for having me, Liza!
ReplyDeleteAny time. Enjoyed the blog.
ReplyDelete