I'm happy to be participating in the Against the Ropes Blog Tour, hosted by Sourcebooks. Today I have author Sarah Castille's thoughts on why MMA Fighters are so hot right now, and a giveaway.
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: 9/3/13
He scared me. He thrilled me. And after one touch, all I could think about was getting more…
Makayla never thought she’d set foot in an underground mixed-martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand, it’s these guys. Trouble is, at her first sight of the club’s owner she’s the one feeling breathless.
All sleek muscle and restrained power, the man they call Torment plays to win at any cost. Whether it’s in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly when to use a soft touch and when to launch a full-on assault. He always knows just how far he can push. And he’s about to tempt Makayla in ways she never imagined.
Why
MMA Fighters are so Hot Right Now
Orange is the new black. 40 is the new
30. Violence is the new sex.
Check out the top ten grossing adult movies
of the summer and you’ll notice a common theme. Whether it’s a fist fight, a
shoot-out, or a good old “ground and pound”, most blockbusters rely on violence
to keep the adrenaline flowing and the audience glued to their seats.
Gone are the days when every movie had
to contain a throwaway sex scene. Today’s audiences are looking for more
substantial fare. They want excitement—the thrill of the forbidden—and no
popular sport can hope to rival MMA for its hot-blooded intensity and unabashed
embrace of violence.
After all, everyone loves a good fight.
And a good fighter.
The Greeks had their chariot drivers.
The Romans had their gladiators. In medieval times, knights participated in
vicious jousting tournaments that often ended in death. Modern day boxers and
WWF wrestlers have become sports icons. Who doesn’t know Muhammad Ali or Hulk
Hogan?
But they have nothing on the stars of
MMA rings and cages around the world.
Unlike the rough and gritty MMA fighters
of the 1990s, today’s MMA stars are highly skilled, trained professionals
versed in a wide range of martial arts. MMA is no longer a blood battle but a
competitive combat sport that has crossed into popular culture.
In other words, it’s got the cool
factor.
And cool is hot. Very hot.
MMA fighters are not only professional
athletes, they are also consummate performers, ripped and tatted, with ring
names, theme songs, larger-than-life personalities and even bigger paychecks.
They have become the modern equivalent of the Roman gladiators. Some, like “The
Spider”, “The Axe Murderer” and Georges St-Pierre have even achieved mythical
status among their legions of fans.
My new release, sports romance, Against
the Ropes, is set in the underground MMA world. And yes, there are tats and six
packs, sweaty bodies and chiseled pecs galore (it is a romance, after all). But
there is also honor and discipline, loyalty and friendship. Because underneath
the taut abs and toned **ahem** bottoms, and aside from all the “mounting”,
“dominating”, “grounding and pounding”, MMA fighters are all just regular guys.
Well...maybe all except my sexy,
breathtakingly gorgeous hero, Torment...
He scared me. He thrilled me. And after one touch,
all I could think about was getting more...
Makayla never thought she’d set foot in
an underground mixed-martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand,
it’s these guys. Trouble is, at her first sight of the club’s owner she’s the
one feeling breathless.
The man they call Torment is all sleek muscle and
restrained power. Whether it’s in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly
when a soft touch is required and when to launch a full-on assault. He always
knows just how far he can push. And he’s about to tempt Makayla in ways she
never imagined…
Thanks very much to The Bookish Babe for
hosting me today!
~ Sarah Castille
GIVEAWAY
I have one copy of Against the Ropes to give away, courtesy of Sourcebook.
Must be 18 years of age. Open US only.
Purchase Against the Ropes
About the author:
I have noticed that MMA is becoming more and more popular. I really don't like any kind of fights nor I see that as sport. I haven't heard of this author but book sounds interesting. Grea post Andrea :)
ReplyDeleteI loved that guest post, Andrea! I haven't heard of this series before, but it sounds pretty fabulous. I haven't read any books on MMA fighters, so this should be an interesting read for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and thank you for the giveaway.
Thanks for sharing a great guest post, Andrea! While I haven't yet read a book with MMA fighters in it, I will admit that the blurb for this one has me curious...very curious! ;)
ReplyDeleteAwesome guest post, and yep we are adrenaline junkies!
ReplyDeleteI've never really had much (or any!) interest in MMA fights before, nor am I a very violent person, but I'm definitely curious about this book now. I'll admit that I was sold after one look at that cover. ;) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat guest post!! I have a friend who does MMA fighting and is really good at it. I think it's really cool to watch live. I never thought I would enjoy it since I don't really like violence or violent sports, but there is something about it that is really awesome.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your comments and thanks very much to Andrea for hosting me today. Glad to have stirred up a little interest in MMA - it does make for good entertainment - if only to watch the fighters LOL!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the guest post! This is definitely a different setting for a romance novel. I like that! It's nice to see something a bit different.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love this quote from above "Orange is the new black. 40 is the new 30. Violence is the new sex." What a great guest post. I have read a couple of books with MMA fighters and I really liked them. My husband likes to watch the real thing - me, not so much - the books and movies are much more dramatic and exciting, where as the real thing seems like they hug too much and have cauliflower ears - sorry. I guess that is why I always preferred to watch a Rocky movie rather than the real thing - even when he got to be an old man - LOL.
ReplyDeleteI do love that cover.
ReplyDeleteGreat Guest Post! I think MMA Fighters are more popular since the release of Real! I know that I can't wait for the Worth the Fight Blog Tour! There is just something so sexy about professional fighters, not to mention they are in great shape, and have awesome bodies!
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
Yay!!! Thank you so much for the giveaway! I still can't believe I won. :)
ReplyDelete