A Female Ninja Warrior?

So this is a new blog, and I am trying to establish a certain feel that will inspire teen girls and young women. A few posts back I mentioned Kacy Catanzaro, a very exceptional and inspirational young lady who was the first ever female to qualify for American Ninja Warrior. After her, two more women qualified in different cities, but only Kacy made it through the city finals.  She has become a viral sensation, and I'm happy to say, I was on the cutting edge of noticing her. My boys and I have been following the Ninja Warrior shows for years, and it is so exciting to see females finally rising to the occasion. Kacy's success has won her a strong fan base among men and women alike.

While I believe that God created males and females differently to represent varying sides of His image, I also firmly believe that he has called both his sons and his daughters to be strong and courageous. That he has given each young woman unique gifts and callings, and that women should feel as free as men to explore and use those gifts, whether they be in more traditional venues as stay at home mothers, teachers, and nurses, or less traditional ones like engineers, soldiers, or politicians.

Kacy's amazing combination of feminity and strength really captures the spirit of the Valiant Heart Series, and as I mentioned before, she would be a perfect candidate to play my tiny, tough, acrobatic Merry Ellison of the first book, Dauntless. Here is the video of her finals run.

Tonight begins the national finals. I do believe one more woman will be there on a wild card draw, but I think you all know who I will be cheering for. Go Kacy!

Inspiration from "The Quest"

Yes, it's true, television CAN rot your brain. But you know what else is true? Television can supply great inspiration for fiction writers while also letting overworked brains chill and reboot. For this series I've found inspiration from the BBC's Robin Hood and Merlin, and even from the feisty real life heroine of American Ninja Warrior. My latest inspiration comes from yet another reality show, The Quest.

If you've ever heard of LARPING (live action role playing), this is LARPING on steroids. Real life larpers are taken from their everyday lives and drawn into a medieval fantasy world to battle bad guys and monsters alike. Of course my books are historical, not quite fantasy (although there are some legendary and supernatural elements), but this show is a great place to get a feel for medieval settings, dress, and weaponry. The Quest features plenty of real life valiant heart heroines that are tough, brave, and strong. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment and can't wait to watch more. "Part reality, part fantasy, pure adventure"--check out the trailer video below!