This forum was prompted by a pitch from SR Staley based on a post from his blog on Practical Self Defense at blog.defensivewarrior.com. This blog discusses martial-arts based approaches to self-defense and protection, tracking the development and implementation of a unique, 15 week basic self-defense curriculum suitable for application in high schools, colleges, and universities.
Sam was also a featured writer along with Glynn Marsh Alam, Ann Marie Bryan, Peggy Kassees, and Susan Cerulean a recent roundtable discussion on writing as part of WFSU (public radio) series Perspectives.
Check out our Roundtable Discussion on women, girls & self defense. As bullying and violence continues to take center stage in public discussion, I thought bringing together some of the nation's best female martial artists might help shed some light on why we don't see more women & girls studying practical self-defense through martial arts. Their insights are unique, and they have unique insights on the power and limits of martial arts for self defense. On January 3rd, we published their thoughts on the first of five questions: Why don't more women & girls study martial arts?
Renegade wins 2nd place in the Seven Hills Literary Competition, a national contest sponsored by the Tallahassee Writers Association! Renegade was entered in the children's chapter book division, and the entries were blind reviewed by judges with expertise in their genre. (Other winners in the chapter book division hailed from Maryland and California.) Check out my interview at the blog Writers4Higher, too.
Also, thanks to everyone who made the launch of Renegade a success, including the Ninjas at the Dayton, Ohio Quest Center for Martial Arts, the Boulder, Colorado Quest Center and the Ninja booksellers at the Bookshelf at Midtown, Tallahassee!
Check out this article on the launch event featuring SR Staley. The reviews are also coming in at amazon.com, and readers are calling it "unforgettable," "a real page turner," and "action packed from the beginning."
Order your copy of Renegade through the Quest Center as well as on amazon.com (in paper and digital formats!).
Follow SR Staley on facebook, youtube, and twitter @SamRStaley
Bullying, cyberbullying and predatory behavior are getting unprecedented exposure through the news and on-line.
Luke and Lucy's story is more relevant than ever for today's young adults (grades 4-8). The action-driven plot in A Warrior's Soul doesn't shy away from the real dilemma's our kids face as they confront bullies and gangs in our schools. And Luke has a lot to teach our kids about what it takes to stand up for what's right. (Teachers: This is an ideal book for the classroom or summer reading lists! We've also made it easy to adapt to the classrom by adding Discussion Questions in the back of the book.)
A Warrior's Soul is available now on-line or through bookstores (it's wholesaled through Ingram Book Company) or through the SKH Dayton Quest Center, the Wheatmark book store, amazon.com, or Barnes & Noble.
- Check out the trailer here; and
- My interview that discusses the main themes of A Warrior's Soul on our Youtube channel; and
- Reviews can be found here, here and and, of course, on amazon.com.
- My interview that discusses the main themes of A Warrior's Soul on our Youtube channel; and
- Our video series on bullying, self-defense, and martial arts can be found on youtube (as well as interviews with SR Staley on the writing of A Warrior's Soul and Renegade the second book in the Path of the Warrior series).
The [Pirate of Panther Bay] sometimes seems more romantic novel than adventure yarn, but S.R. Staley puts plenty of zip into the action sequences.... [H]e masterfully captures a sword fight, building tension it seems hard to believe possible short of seeing it on a huge movie screen.
- John Lehman, founder and former editor, Rosebud literary magazine, at BookReview.com
Renegade has won 2nd Place in the 7 Hills Literary Competition in the children's chapter books division! The competition drew from a national field. Check out the other winners here.
A Few Kick-Butt Characters by SR Staley
Isabella: The runaway slave and master swordsman who captains a pirate ship in the Caribbean Sea in 1781. (The Pirate of Panther Bay)
Luke: The 7th grader in Dewey Middle School who has to rediscover his martial arts skills to finally confront the school bully and his gang. (A Warrior's Soul)
Juan Carlos: The dashing Spanish army captain and expert interrogator who must defeat Isabella or face the gallows at El Moro. (The Pirate of Panther Bay)
Maria: The 7th grader in Carson Middle School whose scrappy street smarts is the only thing that keeps her alive. (Renegade,)
Lucy: Luke's best friend who doesn't know her own natural talent in martial arts until...she tries it! (A Warrior's Soul)
Jean-Michel: The crusty second mate to Isabella who has to figure out a way to keep her alive and out of the clutches of mutineers and rival pirates.
In brief...
A Warrior's Soul is a fine and exciting read for younger readers, highly recommended. - Midwest Book Review
A Warrior's Soul was an inspiring book.
-Readerviewskids.com
His gritty and gripping story brings to life the kind of dilemmas today's kids face on a daily basis.
-Stephen K. Hayes, Black Belt Hall of Fame, founder of To-Shin Do martial art.
A swashbuckling tale of piracy, action and romance.
- Christi McEntyre, Allbookreviews.com, on The Pirate of Panther Bay
Staley has crafted a tale that will stir your emotions and your mind.
-Tim Bete| Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, on The Pirate of Panther Bay
-Bookreviewvenue.com
Many of my students in middle school can relate to this and that is why this book is now sitting on my shelf for anyone to read.
-Liveteachcreate.com
The author's writing brings the story and emotions to life-fear, anger, frustration and trying to establish a powerbase is poignant to any establishment with an age range.
-Beckvalleybooks.com
