The Readers Guide to Barefoot Heroines

By Mongoose750 (mongoose750@yahoo.com)

For a while, I?ve been reading many stories in this site?s library. Some of them I thought were excellent, some pretty good, some okay, some very bad, and some stories I read made me seriously wonder about the author?s mental/psychological state. Let?s face it folks, some of either the subject matter or action in a few of these stories is unwell. But I digress, that?s another topic, another rant for another time. The question for this is how did all this craziness start for me?

How it started for me, it was during a slow period of stories being posted. There was a series of stories being posted by an author that will remain nameless for his/her sake and mine. Anyway, I thought the author?s stories were horrible, and eventually the thought entered my mind, I can write better than that. So one day I decided to write a few stories where the heroine was a decent, moral woman who would fight for doing the right thing and for her loved ones. My plan for this experiment was to write just three stories, then quit.

Three stories, that?s all.

Then after my first two stories, I received a few emails from you folks telling me you liked this stuff. So I kept going.

And now I?ve wrote at this sitting nearly ten times that number.

I?d like to thank my fans (I?m still not used to that term) for your encouragement, compliments, and story suggestions. Even those of you who has some criticisms about my stories, I thank you, because that meant you actually bothered to read this stuff in the first place, and was motivated enough to tell me about the little errors that crept in. Your input and ideas for new characters has been a great help.

And that brings me to the reason for this guide. Those of you who read my work from the beginning pretty much have at least a fair idea of the order of my stories. For those of you who tuned in late however, you may have questions like: ?Who?s Betty??, ?Who?s the DOA??, or ?Where?s their shoes?? If you have burning questions like these, then this guide is for you.

For the most part, all of my stories are connected to each other; each character is connected to somebody or something, like a family tree. And there is a certain order to the stories as well. They can be found in the bookshelf under my pseudonym, Mongoose.

Apparently, since I?m still writing, this guide will be updated every time a new story is written. When my well is dry, and I can write no more, I will let you know, but it won?t be anytime soon. I still have at least ten more stories to write!

And now, the stories:

Susan?s Bad Day - The story that started it all. College student and amateur kickboxer Susan Davidson had a rotten day from her oversleeping for class and climaxing with her boyfriend breaking up with her. Then things really get crazy.

Susan?s Bad Day, Part II - Susan?s bad day has started to get better, and now she was going to find the man responsible for a good part of it.

Love Can Be Weird - My third (and supposedly last story) that introduced a new character named Janelle, and how she found Benjamin, the love of her life. Naturally there?s a little more to it than that, but it?s weird, hence the title.

Velvet?s New ?Maid? - The villain from Susan?s Bad Day (remember him? No, you don?t know who he is? Then go back and read the first two stories, I?ll wait.) plots a plan for revenge. However, he didn?t count on running into a very good friend of Susan named Velvet, who doesn?t appreciate people plotting revenge on her friends. The result? Well, you may want to read the title again.

Barefoot Betty?s Auto Repair Shop - This is the origin of my most popular character. Betty, a mechanic, prepares to open her garage, but a few folks have an issue with that. When these folks try to mess up her garage, Betty takes an issue with that.

It?s funny how characters come to you. How Betty came to me was while I was filling in for an auto shop teacher at a local high school. As I watched the students work on their cars, I thought why not write a story about a lady mechanic? So I did, and here it is.

Betty?s Visit - The sequel to the previous story. Simply stated, someone gets a whack across the head.

Fred Again? - Some people don?t learn their lesson and leave well enough alone, so Betty has to repeat the lesson again, a little more painfully this time. So also receives a reputation and a title she doesn?t want, along with a new assistant!

The Iron Foot - This tale came from a story synopsis sent to me by Andrew Rue. Janelle and her fianc? Benjamin go on a pre-engagement trip to the South Seas, and find adventure there.

Roco is Raw Meat - This was a story idea sent to me by Esterina. Betty comes to the aid of an old high school friend who?s being terrorized by her big thug of a boyfriend.

The Gang?s All Here - Toughwoman Sheila has assembled a gang, and she wanted to gain a reputation by beating up the toughest woman in town - our own Betty. This story also has a few guest stars.

It should be noted that when I say ?guest stars? or ?cameo appearance,? I?m referring to my characters from other stories. No movie stars or anything like that.

Birth of a Warrior - A sequel of sorts. Betty?s friend from Rocco is Raw Meat receives a major makeover from three of Betty?s friends, Susan, Janelle, and Velvet. This story covers a year in her recovery.

And Now It?s Time for a ?Short? Story - The main character came from a request by B52 to write a story with a character who?s short, Asian in decent, and strong, but not a bodybuilder. And so Love Story (LS) Chang was born. I became fond of the character (metaphorically speaking of course) after finishing this story. In this tale, the 5?2? judoka (who?s a cousin of Betty?s tae kwon do teacher, Kim) takes over a gang! Now she has to figure out what to do with it.

Agony in the Mud - Sheila concocts another plan to beat Betty up - and it almost works. The tale has some guest stars, plus we learn of Betty?s hatred of mud.

Irena?s Visit - In The Gang?s All Here, we learn that Betty?s old high school gym teacher seems to be a little more interested in her outside the bounds of a normal student-teacher relationship (and for those of you who find the idea of your high school teacher falling for you icky, say it with me, ?Ewww!?). So Irena, Betty?s assistant, takes it upon herself to challenge her to a wrestling match. If Irena wins, the gym teacher has to stop stalking Betty; if the gym teacher wins . . .

The Thrill of the Hunt - My second story featuring LS Chang. A few months after she?s taken over the surrounding gangs in the neighborhood, she and her boyfriend, Lewis, find themselves stalked by a woman and her mysterious ?gang.? Then LS turns the tables.

An Invitation - One day, Susan, Betty, and Irena each receive a hand delivered invitation to fight a woman named Crimson, with the winner receiving $1,000. Who is Crimson? How does she know so much about them? And will they accept?

Encounter #1 - This was the first of four stories that introduces a new villain into the heroine?s busy world. This one is about a mysterious bald woman who enters a dojo and challenges the sensei to a long-standing duel for ownership of the place, and more.

Encounter #2 - A college student is used and discarded by her basketball-playing boyfriend. One day, two women dressed in black (and bald-heads) provide her with an excellent opportunity to wreak revenge on him and his fraternity.

Encounter #3 - A history professor who gets into women?s skirts about as well as he gets into his subject, receives his punishment from a woman who looks vaguely familiar.

How About a Great Big Hug? - This story came from an idea from bearhug1. June Lewis and Beth Harper were longtime childhood friends, bodybuilders, and wrestlers. Every year they would have a friendly wrestling match against each other. This time, a sudden emergency emerges and interferes with the match. This features a cameo appearance by Susan.

Encounter #4, The China Experiment - To explain the title in case there is some confusion, athletes in China are generally trained intensely in whatever sport they participate in (one only has to see the medal count in the Olympics to see their success). This story also explains how the Daughters of Athena (the villains behind the last three Encounter stories) train their recruits, and how that impacts the lives of four women.

Declaration of War - The Daughters of Athena (DOA) launch one of their first offensives against Janelle; first through her fianc?, and then against her directly. Actually, it?s one of several offensives launched against different locations in an attempt to gain a foothold on the city. Costarring Velvet.

To Find a New Dawn - Like with any war, both sides have their share of characters, not necessarily totally good or totally evil (or as Sting put it in one song, the Russians love their children too). This story introduces Aurora (the name means ?dawn?), as she auditions for the DOA's Elite Guard in Indiana (near LS's neighborhood). It?s told from the viewpoint of a former gang leader who was ?invited? for the audition.

Debt of Combat - Blue Elephant, a DOA enforcer arrived at a particular dojo to finish a duel with the owner, only to find out that the owner handed the dojo over to his sister, while he is operating a new dojo upstate (see Declaration of War for details). After defeating his sister, Blue Elephant tracks down her original opponent to finish the duel they originally started.

To Find a New Dawn, Part Two - As being one of the only two gang members not placed in the hospital during the results of part one, the former gang leader sees Aurora return into his life once more, this time to claim her prize - him.

Dreaming of Blue Elephants - This is a story that takes place before the events of Declaration of War and Debt of Combat. The DOA enforcer is in Chicago protecting a new dojo from a mob boss. Again, thanks to Andrew Rue for the story synopsis.

The Search for Information - Betty and Irena have gotten tired of Sheila sending people to fight them, especially now that she put a price on their heads. So Betty decides to take the battle to her by looking for her in the bars and nightclubs she hangs around at (which for Betty was a new experience). What happens next is an evening of pool, kicking butt, and - evangelism? Barbie and an upcoming new star make a cameo appearance.

A Very Special Love Story - Dora, a DOA member, moved to another town, leaving everything, including her jazz musician boyfriend. Upon finding out she can?t live without him, and that he?s seeing some two-timing woman who doesn?t deserve him, she comes back to set things right, and get her man back. This story also features my attempt to write song lyrics, so be warned.

Just Business - Er, the plot for this one seems a little bit complicated to explain, so here goes: A DOA enforcer prepares to beat this woman to a pulp because she won?t sell her business for twice the price because her boyfriend advised her not to, but the woman decides to sell anyway, making things a little complicated for the enforcer, who?s told by her boss to escort the woman until the sale is made. During that time, she meets the woman?s boyfriend and, oh, I forgot to mention the gang of hooligans they encounter twice, and -

Tell you what; read the story and figure it out yourself!

The Other Side of the Tracks - In this story, I finally get to use a character I?ve wanted to put into action for a long time; even if it is a cameo role. Other than just being around in And Now It?s Time for a Short Story, she?ll get to do a little something here. And she is . . . Kim?s sister, Jasmine!

I know, I know, who? To explain, I created this character, in thought, that is, I guess about as far back as when I started writing Betty stories. More detail will be given to her in future stories, but to summarize, she?s Kim?s (Betty?s sensei) younger sister, who?s skilled in Tai Chi and Aikido, and has excellent physical memory. That?s a fancy way of saying anything she sees you do physically, like a fancy dance move, she can duplicate. And she?s the only one of my heroines who wears shoes!

I know you?re wondering what the story is about, so I?ll tell you. Two women joined the Daughters of Athena, and hooked up with a martial arts program that is unique as it is potent. A little too potent, in fact. When they go almost too far in a duel with two fighters, they stop for a conscience check. And you can read the rest.

If the story reads a little incomplete, like there should be a sequel, that?s because one is on the way.

The Event - This story attempts to ask the musical question of what bodybuilders and fitness models do the day after a contest. Okay, I know they eat, I mean besides that. The idea for this friendly match came from bearhug1, who told me he wanted a match with bearhugs and muscular women. It?s short, which coming from me is rare. Thanks to bearhug1 for the idea.

Wrestle My Way Into Your Heart - This story will be a first for me in this bookshelf in that the only fighting here will be in competition. No fighting for a boyfriend, no ?whacking people across the head,? and no spies being assassinated. It?s just the story of a mixed martial artist on her way to the championship who also finds love along the way.

I?ve found that a lot of the competition stories on this site, not all, but a lot of them, seemed to be based on two models, either professional wrestling or catfighting. The problem with that is it must be remembered that professional wrestling is fake, which means that the moves used in that farce would either not work, or if they did work, they would be extremely dangerous, even fatal. For example, delivering a body slam on your opponent and then picking them up to send them against the ropes is unnecessary because a body slam in of itself could guarantee a submission. And think about it folks, a real pile driver can paralyze or even kill a person. So if someone really gave Hulk Hogan one of those for real, not the stunt version, it doesn?t matter what surface he?s hitting; chances are he won?t be getting up real soon if at all. And regarding catfights, pulling hair, ripping clothes, scratching each other, etc., where?s the skill? It grows dull very early.

What I?m trying to say is that for this story, I wanted the action to be as realistic as possible, which involved watching a few UFC and Pride tournaments. That was fun research. And of course, I put the Mongoose trademark (the barefoot heroine) in it, and there it is.

Oh, one more thing. Regarding the implied and bold insults that I made against professional wrestling in this story? I meant every word.

Rewriting the Script - Linda Kim was just your normal Creative Writing teacher in a normal high school. Then one day, she saw two figures approaching the school, one of them an old student. However, their intentions were far from normal. Will they follow through? Not if Linda has anything to say about it. Susan B. provided the story idea. My thanks to her.

Rini - Jasmine Chang, the younger sister of Kim Chang and cousin to LS Chang, and the only Barefoot Heroine who?s not barefoot, reminisces about one of her best friends. They went to the same dojo together, and they kicked butt together. Speaking of Rini, in the near future, you?ll see or rather read more of her. I already have a story in the ?oven? featuring her in a solo role.

The Breaking Point - As advertised previously, here?s a story featuring Rini in a solo role. The martial arts teacher goes to the bank where she encounters a group of bank robbers. After she subdues them, she later learns of what they have done, which include fiercer deeds worse than robbery. When she tracks down two of them who escaped, the question arises of what should she do with them. How much is too much? Will she reach that breaking point?

You Owe Me - This story features two of LS's students. Life for Joseph was going wonderful: good job, nice place, a nice girlfriend, etc. But one day, he lost his job, and almost everything with it. Then one day, a shady friend told him of a way to get by that wasn?t so ?ethical.? Then he runs into a fellow student from the judo classes he used to attend (oh yeah, he quit judo practice earlier because he didn?t ?need? them). Well, to tell any more would be to give the whole story away, and I?d rather you?d read it. I think this is one of my shortest stories at six pages, so you?ll be able to read it without taking a chunk out of your day. A small cameo by LS Chang comes later in the story.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished - Caroline Barusta was just a normal woman who attended college and hung around with her friends like most college-going women do. Okay, her and her friends were also the top of their class at the aikido and tai chi dojo they attended too. But still, life was fine. It was, until one day, she saw a policeman preparing to beat up an innocent woman and her daughter. From there, needless to say, her life changed. Jasmine Chang is one of the co-stars (a fellow student at her dojo) in this one.

To Reap the Lightning - The first part of a little trilogy. It starts off with a prisoner remembering the event and woman who was responsible for putting him in prison. And he was the lucky one. Readers who are used to my standard length when it comes to my work may be shocked about the page numbers of this story.

To Reap the Lightning, Part II - The second part of this trilogy. Two members of the gang that was almost single-handedly wiped out in the last story, find the woman responsible and prepare to wreak their revenge. However what they didn?t expect was the woman?s friend standing in their way.

The Other Side of the Dojo - The sequel to The Other Side of the Tracks. Hanna and Isabella from the previous story are enjoying their martial arts classes with their new teacher, Jasmine. One day, their old teacher drops in to confront her about her new students. And then some punks from a karate dojo drop in to confront Jasmine about her guest. What happens next is good old-fashioned martial arts mayhem, teacher and students reunited, and good old-fashioned hospitality. And if that explanation didn?t make any sense to you, go ahead and read the story. It?s not easy writing reducing a story to a two to three sentence synopsis.

Changes Can Be A Real Whack Across the Head - One of the hardest things about writing a story for me is not always the plot or the characters, it?s finding a title for the dumb things after I wrote them. This story, which is a transitional tale from the fallout of Barefoot Heroines, sat in my in-box for a few weeks before I could title it. Finally it dawned on me that since this story is in a way about transition, or change, why not title it as such. Betty comes back to work, meets new friends, meets new enemies, and gets another mechanic. Regarding the last part, it?s about time.

Schoolhouse Rock - This is another one of my ?quickies;? in fact, it?s the quickest of the quick (say that three times fast). This is another story of the Female Fight Club, except it takes place in an abandoned school building. That?s it, read it while you can. It?ll probably be another long while before I write a story of three pages again.

Reforms & Rivals - This is another story with Betty in it, however she just has a supporting role (meaning she doesn?t whack anyone across the head). This is also a story that will be hard to describe in twenty words or less; so here we go. Four sumo wrestlers change leagues, meet Betty and company, be friends, and that?s that. No, of course not. There are other things I left out, and you?ll just need to read the story to find out what. It?s more comedy than drama, I will tell you that.

Couples, Cards, Cash, and Consequences - In the latter pages of Barefoot Heroines, Billy Conrad (Betty?s brother) and Irena had a disagreement. Well it actually wasn?t a disagreement as much as Billy said something that Irena didn?t like, and that landed him on ?probation.? So one day, after a failed attempt to smooth things over, Billy runs into an old friend from high school who teaches him how to win at blackjack and make lots of money. Oh, and she had a longtime crush on him too. And things pick up from there.

I?ll go ahead and tell you, this is more drama than action, so if you?re expecting to read a fight every five pages, you may be disappointed. As for the source of the tiff between the couple in the first place, at first I thought it might be petty. Then I realized that fights, divorces, wars, and international incidents were waged over much less.

Origins - Love Story Chang - Simply put, this is a story about how Love Story Chang (or LS as she?s better known) got started with, well with just about everything. I will tell you right now that this tale has no fights in it. Subtle romance, yes, as well as some muscle flexing, but you?ll need to wait for a future tale where she throws somebody. Her and her new friend Janelle Edwards are at a Chinese restaurant eating dinner and sharing. This is a two-part story in a sense; part two will feature Janelle?s origin.

Origins 2 ? Janelle Edwards ? Funny story with this one.  After a long period of time, I dug out the story, both in hard copy, and on hard drive, with the intention of finishing the tale so I could post it like I should have a long time ago.  And that?s when I found out to my surprise that I already finished it!  A moment?s reflection told me that I held back on posting it because it was rather long, and I pondered breaking it in two.  Then I also wondered when have I let a little thing such as length bother me in telling a story?

To explain, the story is similar to LS?s story, except it features Janelle, one of my earliest and favorite characters.  There?s muscle flexing here, and romance that?s anything but subtle.  Unlike LS?s story, there is some conflict.  For those who are new to the character, or need to refresh their memory, you may to read Love Can Be Weird, The Iron Foot, Birth of a Warrior, and Barefoot Heroines.

The ?Barefoot Heroines? Novel

When I first outlined this story, it was intended to be a tale a little longer than normal, and it would be a turning point for some of my characters. As time went on, more was added to the original idea. When I finally started writing it, I began to realize I had a monster on my hands. For what was intended between twenty to fifty pages, now started approaching the length of a small novel.

By the way, the length of a novel is at least 50,000 words. That?s equivalent to roughly eighty-three typewritten pages. To put it another way, the average story on this site is about five to six pages long. If you strung 16.6 to 13.8 of them together, you?ll have your novel. So how long is my story? Much longer than that.

So here?s what the story is about. To thwart the plans of a corrupt councilman, LS travels to where Kim lived to enlist her help. She also receives the help of Kim?s top student, Betty, along with others. Once she assembled that part of her team, they go back to Indiana to wage war. Of course there?s more to it than that, but you?ll need to read the story to find that out.

Since most people don?t have the time to read over two hundred pages in one sitting online, I?ve divided it into five smaller parts for easier viewing. Actually, I decided to do it both ways. The parts are relatively bite-sized, though each one doesn?t end with a knockdown, drag out fight. Most chapters in a novel aren?t like that anyway. Again, you have a choice. You can read it piece by piece, or in its entirety.

Barefoot Heroines, the Complete Novel -

- Or -

Barefoot Heroines, Part I

Barefoot Heroines, Part II

Barefoot Heroines, Part III

Barefoot Heroines, Part IV

Barefoot Heroines, Part V

Caught Between a Dojo and a Hard Place

(The Second Barefoot Heroines Novel)

Fifteen years ago, Yoko Nagano was a young woman, a brown belt attending her aikido class. Suddenly the dojo was under attack, as a gang of hoodlums attempted to run roughshod through the studio, attacking students and teachers alike. The school managed to chase them off, but not without a cost as the sensei saw Yoko on her knees, and the bodies of five gang-bangers in front of her. To add to it, someone caught the whole thing on their cell phone and broadcast it over the Internet.

Almost overnight, Yoko was seen as a local hero by the community, but a failure in the eyes of her sensei, who preached non-violence. Through, or rather because of a number of random events, she became an aikido teacher herself.

Now fifteen years later, her dojo is one of the most popular in the city, yet though the gang who attacked her is no more, she still gets resistance from her former sensei?s disciples and challengers who seek to defeat her in combat for bragging rights to be the person who beat the unbeatable aikidoist.

Now after all this time, she has a chance to live a normal life and have a normal relationship. However, there are some people who stand in her way. Will Yoko be able to achieve this, or will the past interfere once again?

I wasn?t planning on this being a novel. It probably became that way because I did something new by writing this story in sections. In other words, instead of writing straight through, I would write the climax, romantic portions, and other parts at different times, not in order. By the time I added these different sections together, I had a big story on my hands. Not as big as Barefoot Heroines, but still novel-sized. I hope you enjoy it.

Linda Kim (Rewriting the Script) has a small cameo appearance.

Big, Beautiful, and Barefoot

Okay, we?ve read stories on this site about women with ?perfect? hourglass figures, or at least breasts the size of watermelons while they beat people up and save the day. Well this category is about the other women, particularly those who don?t look like a Barbie doll (which is by the way anatomically impossible). These stories that will have some continuity with the standard Barefoot Heroines storylines will feature full-figured women. Not FAT women, but women who are in excellent shape like their slimmer sisters, they?re just curvier.

Actually, on a site like this that focuses on strong women, I shouldn?t even have to explain this. A woman who pumps iron, be it bodybuilding or weightlifting for example, most likely will not have the figure of a supermodel, who are as thin as a stick, and eats like one too. But I digress. Here are the stories.

The Quest for Peace and Quiet - Daya Coffman was a college student who likes to have her peace and quiet like everyone else. One day she visits a coffeehouse to read a book. Little did she know this coffeehouse was infested with skinheads. And on top of that, she encounters a woman who wants to even a score with her. Oh, what?s a woman to do?

No Fat Chicks Here! - This is the first of my stories involving Shin Sumo, or Women Sumo Wrestling. And no, it?s not what you think, if what you?re thinking is two-ton women slamming into each other; there?s more to it than that. But rather than bore you with my research, you can read these stories instead. Anyway, in the story, the sport is introduced for the first time on a college campus. Donnie Hawkins, a football player who pretty much had that opinion of the sport; until one sumo wrestler shows him the error of his ways.

Still Looking for Peace and Quiet - Daya Coffman went to a bookstore to get her book signed by one of her favorite authors. As she settled down to read it, that bothersome woman from the previous story came by to meet her. This time she has a new beau to settle the score that wasn?t settled the last time. So the question is, will anyone leave her alone long enough for her to read her book?

The Dark Alley - Every now and then, I go through Diana?s library to look for those few stories I either had not read yet, or to reprint one I misplaced somewhere. While looking, I noticed there are a few stories that had the common theme of walking down a dark alley and encountering a mugger, the bogeyman, or a bodybuilder. In any case, I decided to give it a try myself, except using a female sumo wrestler walking home from her day job. She meets a mugger, etc. So read it, and see how you like my twist on things.

My Prize - Now this is one of my occasional love stories that pop in my mind, and I go ahead and write them out to get them out of my system. Continuing with the sumo wrestler theme, I just put as a description for the story that beauty comes in different packages. I think that explains it; of course with sumo women, you already know I?m not talking about a stick model. I found upon reading it I actually liked it, though you may think it?s corny. Anyway, it?s boy meets girl, and another boy meets another girl. Oh, twins are involved.

The Ice Box - Thise quickie is a tribute to one of the authors who wrote some stories I liked, Ice Cold Alphaman. His arena fight club stories were like firecrackers; you light one, and BOOM! Short, quick, and effective. Now if you?ve read any of my stuff at all, you know being short is not one of my endearing traits, but I give it a try. Naoki and Brenda encounter each other in an improvised fighting arena in Minnesota; that?s roughly it. Oh, and Naoki is a sumo wrestler. But don?t let that stop you. J

It?s Not Nice to Anger A Sumo Wrestler - After seeing the exhibition women?s sumo match (No Fat Chicks Here!), one woman remains skeptical and challenges a sumo wrestler to a match. But no, that?s not what angers the sumo wrestler.

Survival of the Fit - This is another one of my quickies. An angry woman walks into a dojo, and has a little talk with the instructor. Yeah, right. The ?talk? is a little more involved, and a point is made.

Looking for Dark Alleys - This is a sequel to The Dark Alley. Naomi, the sumo wrestler from that story started developing a case of blood lust after nearly sending a mugger to the Happy Hunting Ground. Since then, she had a sudden desire to walk the streets, looking for a crook to destroy. Will she give in to her dark urges?

Extreme Sumo ? A female Japanese historian who also was a sumo fan, desired to bring the sport closer to its original roots. The result was a more violent version of the sport. It?s a short little ditty. Hope you enjoy it.

A Change of Rules ? Over time, with the popularity of women?s sumo wrestling growing, a number of stables (that?s a place where sumo wrestlers train and live for those who don?t know) have been banning the sumotori (sumo wrestlers) from participating in the Female Fight Clubs. One particular club, the Old Schoolhouse was on the fence concerning the matter, until one particular match took place.

What a Sumo Wants, What a Sumo Needs ? Three American men, freshly laid off from their jobs, decide to travel to Japan and see the sights.  They saw plenty when they stumble into a bar off the standard tourist site, and watch some underground sumo.  Oh, I should mention one of them was half drunk at the time.  I got the title for this tale from some goofy song I heard, What a Girl Wants, What a Girl Needs. So I put some weight and muscle on these girls, and boom, a story was born.

The Domino Club ? Another sumo story, except this time, it takes place in a businesspeople?s club.  I meant to place emphasis on the initial match itself, but it turned into more of a love story.  Characters will do that to you if you?re not careful.  Fellow writers, let that be a lesson to you to not turn your back when you?re writing.  They?ll get you.

Extreme Dare ? In this sequel to Extreme Sumo, a man watches an Extreme Sumo tournament, and boasts to his two friends that he can do it. Be careful what you ask for.

Big Girls.net ? Five men who produce a website that features scantly clad fat women, break into a women's sumo village. Naturally they get caught. And they also receive an education, a rather painful lesson.

The Battlefield Series

One of the joys of writing for myself is writing a good fight. If done right, a well-written fight scene can be as exciting to read as a well-choreographed one can be exciting to watch in the movies or television. While I always try to improve my writing in the areas of plot, characterization, among other things, I?m always trying to create a fight scene (where applicable) that people will want to read again and again. I can?t say I?m as skilled at this as demented20, Ice Cold Alphaman, Kane, Noel Burch, or Little Silverstar, but I hope I?m improving.

By the way, that was a little plug. If you haven?t read any of their stories, especially their fight scenes (the plots are good, too), then I recommend them to you. Good writing.

Anyway, this series of stories focuses more on the fighting. There will be some plot involved, but these are fight scenes I?ve had floating around in my head, and I need to get them out.

Battlefield - The Office - Amber was an executive assistant or secretary who basically likes to do her job. She works hard, does the right stuff, and is basically a good employee. So why does Laura, another secretary, and the unofficial leader, not like her? And the kicker is what does any of this have to do with You Tube?

It?ll make more sense when you read it.

Battlefield - The Cornfield - There?s not much detail to describe in this story. It?s basically two women wrestling in a cornfield at a Female Fight Club event.

Battlefield - The Gate - Mistress Cynthia?s Martial Arts Camp was a tough summer program where martial artists came to improve their skills. Outside the camp were a number of places where a person could relax and have fun. However, during the program, no one is allowed off the campus grounds. So what?s an arrogant, rebellious woman like Pam to do? Well, for a good time, she just has to go through the one gate from the camp to the outside world. Simple, right? No, not exactly.

Battlefield - The Mall - I was cruising through You Tube? one night, when I ran across an old Frozen Ducks video. I thought that was great, because I?ve wanted to see that particular tape for years. So I watched it, and later the idea of writing it as a story emerged. So, here?s my interpretation: a vacant mall becomes a war zone for two women fighting each other with their tae kwon do skills. Short, simple, and to the point.

Now that I think of it, I haven?t used anyone using tae kwon do since I had Betty fight. Hmm, I?ll need to work on that.

Battlefield - After the Match - Sometimes when you write, there are characters you like so much, you want to use them again. That?s the case with the heroine Belle, who I used in and earlier Battlefield story, The Gate. I remember writing a line in that story about her almost killing a rapist, and then I thought, hey, why not write a story about it, so I did. Belle just finished a sumo tournament, and she gets attacked. Read, and join in the fun.

Battlefield - The Trailer Park - This story takes place in a trailer park, where a young girl is attacked by four would-be rapists. Of course, there?s more to it than that.

Battlefield - The Fairgrounds ? In this story, you have a Fitness Festival, a baseball player, and one ticked off woman.  Put them all together, and somebody is getting a beatdown.  It?s a short little story (three pages) that I wrote on a whim.  As a general rule, my whims are somewhat longer in content, but every now and then, I slap together a little ditty.

The Barefoot Assassin Series

There?s a Yahoo!? group entitled Spy Femme Fatales that features the adventures of female spies that fight for whatever spies fight for within the two secret organizations of COIL and DOOM (the symbols stand for something, but I always forget what it is). One day while I was checking my emails, I saw the moderator sent his members a message entitled ?Writers Needed.? I thought it would be a challenge, so I pounded out a story, sent it in, and that was it. The moderator liked it, so I figured I?d write a few more stories until he tells me to stop or I run out of ideas. And now, I?m sending them to this site as well. This also explains why my stories are arriving here at a slower pace than they used to.

Anyway, these stories are of a different storyline altogether, and they?re a little darker than what I have normally written. What does that mean? Well, it doesn?t mean I sacrificed my integrity in my writing of these tales, so it?s not about that. What it does mean is that people are killed in these stories, something you?ll never see with my Barefoot Heroines. Of course, what would you expect? They are assassins, after all. Also in my defense that I haven?t stepped over to the ?dark side,? they are heroes. To give some background, the government of Brazil was at one time infested by these two covert agencies of COIL and DOOM.   After a major tragedy occurred that damaged a major city, not to mention endangered the lives of innocent people, the president said ?No more,? and demanded that both agencies leave the country or be arrested. Well, you can probably guess how well spies keep their promises, and it was later discovered that some of these spies were still around, making life miserable for Brazilians, especially the government officials who never know if a local governor, senator, or dog catcher may be in reality a secret agent plotting to take over the country. This is where the Barefoot Assassins come in. They are the final solution to Brazil?s spy problem. No looking for hidden files or anything like that, they just simply dispose of spies the old fashioned way - they kill them.

There?s more details to that, of course, but for that, you?ll need to read these stories. If I explained it all, why read them, right?

Stay Away from Brazil - Four DOOM agents take a trip through the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil to find a secret facility.   Could this help in their search for the missing DOOM agents?

Just Doing Her Job - The second in the series. This story is told from the viewpoint of a bodyguard on the wrong side. Fred Johnson was hired to guard Mr. Weekly, a DOOM mission chief. All went well until they flew to Brazil, and ran into an assassin who was just doing her job. And she did it well too, I may add.

Let me briefly give the inspiration for this story. It came from a graphic novel I read entitled Kabuki: Masks of the Noh. It had a great scene involving a giant aquarium. I tried to duplicate that one particular scene in my story, using different characters of course. I hope I did it justice. You may want to read the book sometime.

A Tally of Kills - In number three of the series, three government Barefoot Assassins enter a DOOM stronghold to sanction (that?s spy-speak for ?kill,? civilians) the leader. However, in doing so, they get carried away with the mission, resulting in what else? A tally of kills! Simple enough, huh?

Looks Can Be Deceiving - A Barefoot Assassin is assigned to sanction a very deep cover DOOM operative. This leads into a battle with the operative?s bodyguard, a Silkworm. This is roughly my first story using another person?s characters.

I don?t know about any of the other writers here, but at first, it?s kind of a strange feeling, like using your mother?s car over the weekend while she?s away. Maybe that was the wrong example. My point is it?s a challenge because you want to do your thing with them, yet you still want to leave them with the same mystique the original writer gave them. After all, they?re someone else?s baby, born out of their mind. Okay, I?m getting a little too philosophical here. Anyway, the creator gave me free reign with them, which is good, because I plan to really go to town with them in future stories.

Natalya, the Cleaning Lady - This little tale is simply about a cleaning lady who really knows how to take out the trash with devastating effect. For future reference, after you read this, you may want to be a little more careful with how you treat a housekeeper the next time you stay overnight at a hotel.

Diary of a Barefoot Assassin - Nadia - This you could say is a series within a series where every now and then, I feature a particular assassin, and either find out what makes them tick, how they came to be, or follow them closely during a particular mission. This one features Nadia, an accountant (what?); and we all know how vicious accountants can be, especially around tax time.

Diary of a Barefoot Assassin - Delores - This is another story featuring another barefoot assassin. The only differences in this story from the last one are that Delores is asked to help bring in a drug kingpin (that?s bring in, not terminate), and the story is told from a variation of the third person.

Your Enemy is My Enemy, Parts 1 & 2 - Quite simply, the Barefoot Assassins uncover a plot to assassinate a Brazilian presidential candidate. Of course, it?s a little more detailed than that, but that?s the core of it. Plenty of butt-kicking action too for you fight fans.

The Triad - This is the epilogue to Your Enemy is My Enemy, and the prologue to a new storyline that will effect the major spy organizations. Bliss, the head of the Barefoot Assassins, receives an invitation to travel to Hawaii to visit with the leaders of the Poison Geisha and the Silkworms.

The Day After - This tale gives a series of scenarios of what happened the day after the Poison Geishas and Silkworms declare war on DOOM. And just in case you?re lost by what I just said, you may want to read the previous two stories again.

A Legacy of Sorts - Eva Harding once thought when she married GP, her troubles were over. But years later, she found herself fitting the status as a trophy wife, while her philandering husband cheated others out of their business deals as they hopped all over the globe. And now to make things worse, they?re being stalked by a Silkworm. How can things be worse? A stand-alone story in the series.

Revenge and Emancipation - To avenge the death of a fellow colleague, a Korean Poison Geisha enters a DOOM prison to have a "visit" with the warden.

Kai Kunoichi - This is one of those stories that I wrote in a ?fever,? which means it was one of those story ideas that possess your mind so much, you need to write it down right away. To simply describe the story, it?s about a female ninja (kunoichi in Japanese) who reflects on her beginnings while performing a job.

The Temp - Since this section is about barefoot assassins, it should be simple to tell you what this story is about. A member of the Lionesses, an assassin guild based in Africa, poses as a temporary office worker to eliminate her target as a favor to the Poison Geisha and Silkworms. That?s the story. Of course the question is, how is she going to do it?

The Long Sunset - This story is the second part of the war between the assassin guilds the Poison Geisha and Silkworms vs. DOOM. Like the previous story The Day After, it consists of a series of scenarios. Like the previous story, it doesn?t get any better for DOOM.

Secretarial Revolt - I guess you can consider this a story that you should remember every Secretary?s Day. In a DOOM branch office, the mistreated secretaries have had enough, and decide to join the other side and become Silkworms. Just imagine what would happen if all the secretaries at your workplace decide to take over, or worse, decide to take it out on all the bosses and others they work with. Yeah, not pretty.

Three Down, One to Go - This was another story I wrote in a ?fever,? and I actually did it in one day. While the story may reflect that it?s a one-day job, it?s nice to know that it doesn?t always take me forever to write a story. Anyway, this yarn is about a liquidator who suddenly found herself disliked by the new management, and decides to do something about it; simple as that.

The Bloody Hand of Mercy - The best way I can think of to categorize this story is to call it a ?Ninja Murder Mystery.? However, that?s rather misleading in itself, because no ninjas were murdered. It?s actually a ninja solving a mystery. Oh I stink at titles. Fortunately I?m a little better at descriptions, so here it is.

Katsumi, the plus-sized assassin from Kai Kunoichi, had been hired to find the murderer of a department store chain CEO's daughter. This job is different from Katsumi's usual contracts, considering that she's a ninja and not a detective. Will she find the murderer and perform justice, or will this be her last assignment?

There, that should make more sense. I hope you like it.

Geisha Surprise - Three accountants embezzled from a Russian mob to which they were employed, and fled the country.  Their flight led them to Japan, where they?re living it up with the geisha.  Little do they know . . .

I have been writing stories about the war between the spy organization DOOM, and the assassin guilds of the Poison Geisha and the Silkworms.  This particular story takes place after that war is over.  There are a few ties to the previous storylines, but it?s a stand-alone story.

When is a Geisha Not a Geisha?

This is simply a series of stories of women being not what you think they are, or more than what they appear.  Here, you?ll see murderous geisha, sinister stewardesses, lunatic librarians, mad maids, you got the idea.  I decided to title the series after geisha, because they?re one of the last people you?ll expect to do mean things to you.  I?ll have some heroes in the mix too.  As always, I?m open to suggestions, but with this series, I really welcome it.  Maybe you have an idea about that woman who works at Starbucks being a sniper assassin in her free time, who knows?

Don?t Open the Trunk ? Cody Brown was a cop who took advantage of his authority, especially when it came down to attractive women.  One day he pulls over a geisha.  I?ll leave it at that; you can read it for yourself.

Is It Live, or Is It YouTube? ? A man comes home, and decides to watch some videos online.  He then runs across a video featuring an airline stewardess doing something that airline stewardesses normally don?t do.  Maybe at times they?re tempted to, but they don?t.  So this story asks the question: When is a stewardess not a stewardess?

NEW! ?  Sister Sophia ? Before I introduce this story, let me say that I have nothing against nuns. I greatly respect them and their work.? That said, this story was hard for me to resist.

????????? The idea for this story started at an inkling of an idea that I developed while I was writing another story.? It sat there in the back of my mind for a while.? A little later, Jim Priest wrote his two tales about killer nuns, which further inspired me.? Finally, with a plot in mind, I wrote the story.

????????? Now I did a little research before I wrote this tale, so I would at least sound like I know halfway what I?m talking about.? When writing a story that has any historical mentioning, that is a good idea.? I did take liberties with one factor however.

????????? First, the title ?Discalced Carmelites? is a real order that started in the sixteenth century, founded by two Spaniards, Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross.? These orders live in enclosed monasteries, and dedicate their lives to prayer.? The word ?discalced? is Latin for meaning without shoes, a sign of humility.

????????? Other than the obvious liberties I took with Sister Sophia?s character, enclosed or cloistered monasteries means they primarily stay put.? They may travel every now and then, but not much.? This particular order in this story takes trips to wherever they are needed.

????????? As for the story itself, a member of a street gang found that some of his men, as well as the men of another gang were turning up dead.? And who is this mysterious nun who just happened to show up?

Miscellaneous

While I?m putting other stories together within the other two story lines, every now and then, a story idea comes forth that I can?t put in either category. So to take care of that, here?s my miscellaneous category.

Dinner Guests - Let me start by saying again that this story has nothing to do with my Barefoot Heroines, or Barefoot Assassins, and it?s not for those with weak stomachs. There?s no sex or overly graphic violence in it, but I know the subject matter is not one that people like to read about on a regular basis. The idea came to me while I was on the verge of finishing one of my stories. This is also my first horror story, so bear with me if it doesn?t curl your toes or make you keep your night light on when you go to bed.

The story is simply about three convicts who escape from prison, and find a warm cabin on a snowy hill. Of course there?s more to it than that, and guess what? This is my second short story (five pages) in a row! I?ll be getting back to my regular twenty-page epics after this.

Lei - It?s a short three-page story, but there?s a story behind this one.

One evening while I was cruising the web, I stumbled across this one site that was dedicated to belly punches of all things. To make things worse, it was belly punches with women being the primary recipient of them (kind of makes you wonder what goes through a persons? mind, doesn?t it?). Anyway, while checking out the stories - some good, some okay, the rest garbage - I found this story with the same title as my story that?s featured here. In that story, a teenage girl walks home from her friends? house, gets jumped by five older teenage boys, who takes turns punching her belly. And that?s it, that?s how it ends.

Well that annoyed me. If I wanted a story about people getting beat up, I?ll watch the news. The story was a waste of cyberspace with no reason to be there. I thought if I were writing the story, I would make it different. However, I don?t do plagiarism. Then I realized something. The author was by ?unknown.? To me, that?s like having the baby and abandoning it. So I took it in, fed it, and made the necessary changes.

If the original author happens to contact me, I?ll own up to what I did. And I would tell him or her that writing fiction is not about something that happens every day in the real world, it?s about the unusual with a point to the madness. And to do something about that fetish of desiring young women beaten up by thugs.

Loose Ends - A Hungarian woman, a new American citizen is held for interrogation for allegedly attacking some man, who was also a former Hungarian. But since the police had no evidence and no reason to keep her, they figured she was innocent and let her go. But how innocent is she, really? And does she have any connection with the man she was accused of attacking?

Becoming Marilyn - This is just a little story about a man and his wig. Okay, it also involves a costume party, an Amazon woman, and weird stuff. You?ll just have to read the story to find out the rest.

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Whew! And there you have it for right now, the chronological order or some such of my stories. Hopefully things will make a little more sense should you decide to read them again. Thanks to all of you who do read them, and thanks to those of you who have given me story ideas. I still remember them, and I plan to use all of them further down the road. As always, if you have any questions, comments, story ideas, or even complaints, just send me an email to shrewsberry@juno.com. I will try to respond as quickly as I can.

Now if you?ll excuse me, I?m going to write some more.