Misty Zaugg's Blog, page 7

Deadly Rescue #3 Out in 2 Days! Big Sale Next Week!

Hi friends,

In two days, Deadly Rescue, the final book in our Escaping the Virus trilogy will be out! It's always a bit bittersweet to finish up a series, though we left a few small threads that could be teased into extending the series in the future.



And since I tell you about all the deals first, Deadly Lockdown will be on sale for 99c all next week to celebrate! We really appreciate your support!

Deadly Lockdown follows Kate and Alisa, two sisters fighting to survive a surge in the fictitious Siberian Flu that makes the world implode around them. We wrote the sisters with real and complex personalities, each with flaws that they work to overcome throughout the series . . .

. . . which kinds of bites us in the butt when a reader wants them to be perfectly capable from the beginning.

Yes, I'm serious. And these readers can get really mad! LOL.

It earned us a couple of scathing 1-star reviews about how Kate and Alisa are "the two stupidest women I have ever read about" and they "have the IQ of a stick."

Ouch!

Though I had to laugh that people get so intense about a book that's supposed to be something fun and entertaining.

Thankfully, many of you appreciate characters who develop throughout the series into heroines, instead of starting out that way.

Like these readers:

"Great female characters and honestly rather realistic. Love it."

"In order to survive they must fight to find the strength they will need, this is a great series and I am anxious to read the third book!"

What you may not know if an angry 1-star review takes four 5-star reviews to make up for it. (think how many A's in school it takes to make up for a single bad test score)

And since people are far more likely to complain than to compliment, it's even more than that.

So, do any of you want to inject a little positive into this series?

Counter the grumbling complainers!!

We'd love your reviews!

Review Deadly Lockdown and make Misty smile! :)
(On Amazon's page, just scroll down and look for a button that says "Write a Customer Review" to the left of the other reviews)

Thanks guys! You're the best!
______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

My big writing news, as already mentioned, is Deadly Rescue coming out on the 19th.

And my awesome co-writer Steph has set up a bunch of promotion services who will send out a notice to their subscribers that Deadly Lockdown is on sale.

It's funny, but I never realized how much work all this marketing stuff was going to be when I started writing. But I should have expected as much, considering there are complete companies who specialize in advertising and marketing, LOL.

I am looking forward to putting that kind of author work behind me soon and digging back into creating fun worlds and adventures to share with you!

I appreciate your encouragement and support.

Enjoy reading this week!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

Back hammer fist: Fast escape from a rear grab - Self-defense Tip #16

Hi friends,

We said goodbye to our third this week as he left on a two-year, self-funded mission trip for our church.



There were more than a few tears at the airport as we said goodbye, particularly the six-year-old who doesn't like change. As we drove away, she tearfully insisted that she wanted him to be 17 again . . . so he wouldn't be leaving yet. :(

I can't believe I've sent three adults off into the world now. The house feels a bit empty with only three kids left at home. :)

And, thanks again, for your tips on staying connected with adult children. Using social media and scheduling virtual visits on the calendar were two of my favorites.
***

Back hammer fist: Self-defense Tip #16

This is one of my favorite moves to teach in a self-defense seminar, because if you can swing your arms while walking, you already know how to do this move.

Basically, you clench your fist and then swing it swiftly down and back to hit an attacker's groin or inner leg.

It works best against a rear grab where the attacker has pinned your arms and thinks you can no longer use them to fight back.

Wrong.

1. Take a small step to the side with your left foot (if you're left-handed, flip these instructions). This puts your opponent's groin directly behind your right arm and hand.
2. Close your right fist and swing down with a fast, hard blow, like you're trying to drive a hammer into his groin or thigh = thus the name: hammer fist.
3. Simultaneously yell or make noise to attract attention and help yourself hit harder.
4. Hopefully the sudden pain causes the attacker to let go.
5. Get out of there, fast.
6. If you're still not free, try using a head butt with the back of your head, a back elbow strike, or a hard stomp to the top of their foot. (These have been mentioned in previous newsletters)

Your goal is to cause as much pain as fast as possible until you're free and can escape.

Practice: Have a friend hold up an old couch cushion or a rolled up sleeping bag and stand directly behind you. Practice the step to the side, followed by the strike and yell. Repeat until you feel confident.

Then try with a friend grabbing you strongly from behind. Practice again, but don't actually hit your friend. This is to train yourself not to panic when being grabbed and to instinctively fight back with an effective move.

Good luck and stay safe out there!

______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

Remember last week I was going to try writing more than one first chapters of my new litrpg series?

LOL.

I wrote chapter one . . . and then chapter two . . . and then started chapter three.

I don't know if I want to try a different chapter one, because I like the one I came up with.

But I think I'll still force myself to do it, as an experiment, anyway.

Then my plan is to have my teenage boys and my husband (who all love reading Brandon Sanderson) read the two and give me a verdict.

Stay tuned!

In other writing news, Deadly Rescue, the third and final book in our Escaping the Virus trilogy is almost here. Ten more days!!



Steph and I are pretty excited about how well the series has done. You're the best readers, especially those of you who took the extra time to post a review!

You're the best!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

What do you do if you lose a finger or toe? I learned the hard way! Health Tip #1

Hi friends,

I hope you're enjoying the tail end of summer with your friends and family! With school starting for many, this can be a hectic time of year.

I've got kids starting college classes, the younger ones dragging their feet a bit with homeschool subjects and my third is now an adult and leaving soon on a self-funded two year mission trip! (I'll add some pics next week.) Crazy times, here!

Soon, we'll have just three kids at home, which may seem like a lot to many of you, but feels so quiet to us after raising six rowdy homeschoolers.

Any tips on best practices for staying connected with adult children? Just send them my way, since this is new for me! :)

On to my health tip (warning - medically graphic. Please skip if this bothers you):

This is the kind of information you don't want to be looking up in the middle of an emergency, like I did, when my daughter lost the tip of her finger in a door. Preserving the body part correctly is a simple process and useful to know in advance.

Back story:

I injured a finger badly in a car door as a child and often cautioned my children not to slam doors or fight over opening and shutting doors.

One evening, I heard a blood-curdling scream from upstairs, followed by a panicked yell from an older voice.

I knew instantly it wasn't good. You probably know what that sounds like.

My husband and I raced up the stairs to find my third son holding his hysterical four-year-old sister with a bloody left hand.

Apparently, during bedtime shenanigans, he had picked her up to carry her, struggling, out of the boys' room and into the hallway so they could go to bed. At the last moment, she stretched back toward the open doorway and grabbed ahold of the doorjamb on the hinge side.

Inside the room, without looking, a frustrated younger brother, slammed the door shut a split second later.

The door took the tip of her third finger off, including the nail and a small sliver of the bone.

As my son frantically explained what happened, my husband took her while I grabbed clean paper towels to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. (Guess I should do a how-to handle emergency bleeding in a future newsletter)

My mind raced, trying to decide what to do before racing off to the hospital. And what about the finger tip? Could it be reattached? Should we bring it with us? Or just leave it?

I vaguely remembered something from medical school about keeping it moist and cold, but not much else. I did the fastest Google search of my life, while my husband worked to keep her calm.

Here's what you want to know so you can skip the 'Google' step in a similar emergency:

1. Moisten a clean cloth, paper towel, gauze, etc. with a saline solution (contact solution is great), if you have it. Otherwise, use distilled water or the cleanest water you have. Think damp but not dripping.
2. Wrap the body part in the clean, damp cloth/towel and seal it in a plastic baggie.
3. Place that baggie in a second baggie you fill with ice.
4. Bring it to the hospital with you.

That's it.

You don't want to put the body part directly into water - think of how your hands swell after too long in the bath. But you also don't want it to dry out. The cold helps keep the tissue from degrading.

Unfortunately, reattaching fingers and toes often comes with a lot more complications that learning to live without the finger. But sometimes it works out. Plus, there is fascinating information about using leeches to help with the swelling after reattachment.

In our case, the small fingertip was reattached successfully and the nail bed realigned. The surgeon explained it might not take, but would function as a 'living bandage' as it healed.

In the end, her fingertip regrew successfully underneath and has full sensation and function now, though the repaired nailbed ended up slight claw-shaped.



The kids pay better attention now when I insist no one slams doors!

Hopefully this is information you never need to know in the future!

______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

I decided to try an experiment this week.

After working on the detailed outline for my new litrpg/fantasy series, I couldn't figure out how best to start the story, which then hampered my ability to rough in the following chapters.

Now, I'm thinking of setting the outlining aside for a bit and writing two or three different first chapters, just to see what happens.

Maybe I'll have some friends read them and pick their favorite.

My other idea is to reread the first chapters of some of my favorite books in the genre and jot down notes on what parts I like best. Then I'll make sure I'm doing something similar plot-wise in my first chapter.

I'm thinking that just jumping back into writing, like flinging myself into a cold pool without all the dithering, might be the way to go right now. I've been out of the writing game for too long and feel rusty.

Wish me luck, and I'll let you know how it goes

You're the best!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website
p.s The content on this newsletter is for informational or educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals.

The Aftermath Sale was awesome! And I made it back alive . . . minus more kidney stones!

Hi friends,

Thanks for all your well wishes for our adventure across the United States with four kids, a broken toe, kidney stones again, a teen driver, TONS of road construction, and plentiful summer storms, both beautiful and some a bit terrifying - especially the lightning and winds at night:



Also, lots of hay bales:


All after tearful goodbyes to our amazing family (this is up in Wyoming where we spent a couple of days away from civilization - such a nice break!):


Plus, after a scare of flank pain just before the long drive, I survived with ibuprofen and left FOUR kidney stones at a random rest stop in Nebraska . . . though only one was very big. (I did take a picture, lol, but some of you probably don't want to see them, so . . .) Good riddance! :)

We arrived home late and everyone fell gratefully into their own beds, though my 6-year-old insisted the carpet in our house had somehow changed. LOL. I guess our memories aren't what we think they are.

And while I was on vacation, we had our grand sale of the Aftermath series, with a few hiccups tying to coordinate the $0.99 sale pricing of the first five books.

I hope some of you were able to get the books on sale!

Here's the link to the series page if you're still looking for the books



Aftermath US Series Page

Thanks again for all your support!
______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

Thanks to all of your support, our Aftermath series is helping fund our future writing, so expect to see new series from both Steph and me - probably at the start of next year.

We're also getting a much better grasp of the business side of writing, which includes a lot of social media work and learning the basics of the three most-used ad platforms: Amazon, Facebook and Bookbub.

Of course, the most effective advertising is word of mouth, friend-to-friend, or an upbeat and positive review on Amazon, Bookbub or Goodreads. So, thanks to all of you who have mentioned our books to your friends, shared our FB posts and taken the time to write awesome reviews!

All of your help is really helping Steph and I take the author thing from a hobby to something closer to a full-time venture.

You're the best!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

2 Day drive across the U.S. . . . with a teen driver! Vacation newsletter :)

Hi friends,

First off, thanks to all of you who have supported our Aftermath post-apoc series. Searching for Victory, the finale, is coming out next Friday!

We hope you love the nail-biting showdowns for our two heroines, Rita and April, though we're sad to say goodbye to the crew.



Searching for Victory: Aftermath 6

And second: I survived!! We made it alive to the other side of the U.S. :D

After two long days in the car, over 1600 miles and a teen driver taking turns to get some hours toward his driving test, we finally arrived safely to visit our huge extended family out west.

My son took the wheel a few times during the long trip. Often, the drive was loooong stretches of just freeway, fields and the occasional windmill:



And other times, we hit road construction mixed with tons of crazy drivers when we passed south of Chicago. Let's just say I didn't take any pictures and was a teensy bit anxious giving my teen directions from the passenger seat.

I'm sure some of you can relate and probably have stories of training your own teen drivers.

Thankfully, my guy has a cool head. At one point, he was driving on a crowded and narrow two-lane construction section. On one side, he had a humungous RV towing a car next to him while on the other, orange construction barrels whizzed by. The RV suddenly drifted into our lane and there was nowhere to go.

I forgot to prep him on horn use for this type of situation and froze for a critical moment on what to do, other than to hit the brakes. I pretty much just kept repeating a panicked, "Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. . . ."

He somehow kept from hitting either the barrels or the encroaching RV before the other driver noticed and corrected.

When we were safe again, my son turns to me, looking a little panicked himself. "Just saying 'Whoa' was NOT helpful, Mom. Maybe something a little more specific next time." LOL.

We said a few grateful prayers after that situation. :D

And if you were wondering about how well the comfrey worked on my broken toe: all the bruising and swelling is completely gone, just leaving the tender joint where the break is still healing up. I hope the info helps some of you out with similar injuries. I love how well comfrey works!

We're really enjoying our visit and are staying at four different homes during this trip. Luckily, we have multiple families who can accommodate us. The joys and extra work of a huge family.

In another week and a half, we'll troop back east where it's just us again . . . until next year.

What about you? Any fun adventures this summer? I'd love to hear!

Thanks again for your support.
______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

Um . . . vacation writing is pretty much limited to this newsletter. Hopefully, my adventures with tons of family will give me a whole new set of experiences I can weave into future characters.

It's interesting how life experiences bleed over into my writing, hopefully making the characters come alive with triumphs and struggles that touch readers.

It seems that readers tend to enjoy one of two types of characters:

1. The heroine/hero who has all the best in life that the reader might not: money, love, superpowers, success, strength, abilities, etc.
2. A more relatable character who starts the story with real flaws, weaknesses and struggles. These, they eventually overcome to emerge as a triumphant hero/heroine at the end.

Sometimes, Steph and I get praise for our heroines being real enough for readers to relate to. Other times, they're too weak at the start of the story for some readers.

We got a recent scathing review that was upset at how "irrational, overly emotional and borderline unhinged" our female characters are. Sigh. :)

On the other hand, I think that is probably a pretty accurate portrayal of how many of us might act and feel if we were suddenly thrust into a world-ending disaster. Too bad the reviewer didn't keep reading the rest of the series, because our heroines persevere and overcome the obstacles, emerging much stronger by the end.

Which type of character do you like best? The 'over-powered' (a gaming term) character who has it all from the start? Or the one who starts just like you and takes the full story to reach hero status?

Just curious. :)

Happy reading this week!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

Huge 99c Aftermath Series Sale to celebrate Finale Release!

Hi friends,

I had to schedule this email to go automatically a few days ago, since I'm off-grid up in the Wyoming wilderness for our last two days of vacation before the long drive home.

We're enjoying vast stands of pine trees and rocky, gravel roads that we hope our minivan will navigate safely. Wish us luck!

And great news on the book front!!

Searching for Victory, the sixth and final book of our best-selling Aftermath series is out today!

It's so exciting to see the final book out and in the hands of our awesome readers.

To celebrate and say thanks to our loyal readers, we're discounting books 1-5 to 99c each!



Here are the US and UK series pages if you'd like to get all the books with one click:

Aftermath Series US

Aftermath Series UK


Or go right to Searching for Victory, if you've been waiting for the epic conclusion! We hope you love it!



Searching for Victory: Aftermath 6

(As always the entire series is FREE to read with a Kindle Unlimited subscription)

And thanks for the fun stories you sent about your summer adventures this year. I hope you and your families are doing well!

______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

I'm itching to get home and start writing again . . . after I catch up on sleep and adjust to the two-hour time difference again.

Do you find you need a vacation from your vacations, or is it just me?

. . . I think it is directly related to the number of children who come on vacation with you - lol.

With the Aftermath series finale out and the final Escaping the Virus book coming out in a few weeks, I've been doing just a bit of the non-writing author work on vacation, keeping tabs on the business tasks that seem to keep piling up.

And I just wanted to say a quick thanks to all of you who've taken the time to write reviews on our new books as they come out. It makes a huge difference - so thanks!!

Happy reading this week!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

Use comfrey to fix a broken toe - Photo Tutorial. Herbal Tip #1

Hi friends,

First a big thanks to everyone for helping our book 2, Deadly Escape get a fancy #1 New Release banner in the Infectious Disease category.

And special thanks to the eight people who gave us the crucial reviews a brand-new book needs, like:

Scott: "The intensity is ramped up in this entry, as the non-stop action makes for one exciting story. All while building up the suspense as the plots continue to unfold. With the authors doing a great job on the characters (both good and bad) as well. I can’t wait for the finale to hit."



Deadly Escape: Book 2 in Escaping the Virus

But what about my broken toe? And how am I fixing it?

I gotta say that comfrey is one of my top ten favorite herbs. Nicknamed 'Knitbone' for it's ability to heal broken bones, it contains allantoin, a substance that supercharges the healing process so injuries can heal much faster - and it can even help minimize scarring.

It grows via root propagation and if you can get a start, it's hardy enough to come back year after year.

The root is medicinally stronger than the leaf, but either works. Both fresh and dried can be used.

So, how do you use it for an injury?

Simple: Make tea. Soak the owie. :D

Here are a few pics and a bit more explanation:

Step 1: Broken Toe (hint - the purple one next to the pinkie)



Step 2: Chop up a bunch of prickly comfrey leaves (root works well, too):



Step 3: Cover with water, bring to a boil, cover and turn down to simmer for 10-20 mins or just leave to steep and cool on its own if you're not in a hurry.



Step 4: Strain off the 'tea' or extract. Keep refrigerated and heat a portion when it's time to soak



Step 5: Soak the injury 2 - 4 times a day and watch how fast you heal. It's amazing! For hard to soak injuries like a rib or shoulder, warm the extract, dip a cloth or paper towel and drape over the injury. You can reuse the clothes by bagging them and refrigerating them for next time.


This is my foot right now as I'm sitting at my desk typing this up. :D

Note: Comfrey has been painted as dangerous for internal use (still fine for external) because of a substance that can damage the liver. But the data is questionable, ie. isolating the dangerous substance instead of using the whole herb, rat studies, using excessive quantities, etc. Check out the studies and decide for yourself. (Or compare the number of deaths due to liver damage by correctly prescribed Tylenol vs comfrey.)

Have any of you ever used comfrey? I'd love to hear your experiences.

And thanks for the well wishes for my trip - we're driving cross country and will be visiting family and friends for the next few weeks. Road Trip!! :D

Thanks again for all your support!
_____________________

Misty's Writing Update:

Here's a sample of what I've been doing this week:
• Changing the oil and rotating tires on the van
• mountains of laundry
• buying lots of snacks - healthy and not-so-healthy
• loading phones and tablets with audiobooks, ebooks and movies
• buying new shoes for a teen boy who insisted just 2 weeks ago that his were "perfectly fine!"
• buying shorts for a different teen boy who found only one pair when it came time to pack.
• repacking the suitcase the 6-year-old girl packed 2 months ago when she found out about the road trip. It was full of clothes that didn't fit and others she didn't like. LOL. But, hey, at least she tried.

Yep, we’re going on a big road trip. Two days of driving out West to visit family and friends and then the same drive back two weeks later.

So, not much writing going on here, I know (except for this newsletter). But this is the last big trip of the summer, and then my son (the third child) will be leaving to serve a two-year mission for our church. With him leaving the nest, only three will still be living at home when fall comes.

Such a happy and sad moment. When they're adults stepping out on their own with confidence, but you still miss them.

Wish us luck on our two-day drive out West! The middle teen will be helping with some of the driving to get hours before he tests for his license in the fall. Eeek!!

If you don't hear from me after this, it was nice knowing all of you! :D

Happy reading this week!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

Today's the Day - Deadly Escape is finally here! How do you like the series?

Hi friends,

If a deadly virus is rampaging across the country and you're trapped away from home, what would you do first?

I'm guessing you'd gather some essential supplies and try to team up with a few reliable people before doing your best to get back to your family.

That's exactly where we left Kate in Deadly Lockdown, the first book in our Escaping the Virus series. She's geared up with a few friends and ready to fight their way out of St. Louis to start the dangerous trek home.



Deadly Escape: Book 2 in Escaping the Virus

If you grab a copy of Deadly Escape today, I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Plus, since it will have a 'big fat zero' in the review section because it's brand new . . . would you could take a minute to post a quick review? You'll make our day and help other readers take a chance on the book.

And remember how we were so close to a milestone 200 reviews for Searching for Shelter? Last week, I asked if you could help us get there.

Guess what I found this morning:



200 reviews on a single book! A first for both me and Steph! Thanks so much!

You're the best!

On another topic, in the midst of preparing for our upcoming summer road trip, I just broke a toe. So, I'll be simmering some comfrey to soak it and report back on how this simple herb can supercharge the healing time of injuries.

Thanks again for all your support of our stories!
______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

Today, Deadly Escape came out and that leaves two more books still to come this summer:
• Aug 20th: Searching for Victory: Aftermath #6 and Finale
• Sept 19th: Deadly Rescue: Virus #3

Check out all my books here!

I'm still world-building and outlining for my next series, but mostly being pulled into family summer activities and everything that goes along with making sure everything runs smoothly.

How about you?

Anyone having great summer adventures you'd like to share?

And I need a few good audiobooks for our upcoming 2-day drive across the States to visit family in August - if anyone has some good SFF or litrpg suggestions!

Happy reading this week!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

How do you get out of a grab? Hit first! Self-defense Tip #15

Hi friends,

Good news! Deadly Escape, the second book in our Virus series is coming out on Friday. Thanks to all of you who've already pre-ordered the book!



Deadly Escape: Book 2 in Escaping the Virus

______________________

How do you get out of a grab? Hit first! Self-defense Tip #15

So, you've probably heard the old adage that the best defense is a good offense. Turns out that works pretty well in self-defense situations, too.

Now, the caveat here is that the best choice is always to avoid or get away from the dangerous situation first, if you can.

But let's say someone has grabbed you and is pulling you into a room, toward a deserted area or even into a vehicle.

Most people's first reaction is to focus on the grab and try to break free. They'll jerk their arm back if someone has grabbed their wrist or try to wrench their shirt free of an attacker's grip.

It turns out, there a much easier way to make someone let go of you.

Hit them. And make it hurt.

Once you decide you need to fight back, make sure to move fast, strike hard and without warning.

Instead of trying to pull your arm free, use the other to snap a fast heel palm right to the nose or slam the side of your hand into their throat.

You can stomp hard on the top of their foot and even add a scrape down the shin to this move.

The goal is to cause sudden unexpected pain in your attacker, which makes them instinctively let go of you to protect themselves.

That's when you take off, running toward a safer and more populated area.

It's a simple and very effective technique: Cause sudden pain in your attacker and they're likely to let go long enough for you to escape. :D

Stay safe out there!

______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

Searching for Shelter has 193 reviews! Almost 200! I can't believe it. :D

Neither Steph or I has ever had 200 reviews on a single book.

So, if any of you have a few minutes to help us reach this awesome milestone, we'd love it:

Review Searching for Shelter!

And in the next few weeks we've got a few more books coming out:
• July 30th: Deadly Escape: Virus #2
• Aug 20th: Searching for Victory: Aftermath #6 and Finale
• Sept 19th: Deadly Rescue: Virus #3

Check out all my books here!

I hope you're enjoying some fun summer reads!

Happy reading this week!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website

Why is an insult dangerous? Warning Signs #7 And Deadly Lockdown hit #1!!

Hi friends,

We're so excited that you helped Deadly Lockdown reach a #1 ranking in the Natural Disaster category in Amazon!

And Searching for Resistance, Aftermath #5, has been having a great first week thanks to all of you!

Not to mention, Deadly Escape, Virus #2 will be out in just two weeks!

Your reviews have really helped the books do so well - Thanks!

If you haven't read them yet:

Deadly Lockdown: Book 1 in Escaping the Virus

Searching for Resistance: Book 5 in Aftermath

And a quick note: If you want to be notified when my new books come out - head over to Amazon and click the "Follow" button under my pic on my author page:

https://www.amazon.com/author/mistyzaugg

______________________

When is an Insult Dangerous? Warning Signs #7

Here's the seventh and final tip about behaviors that can warn you an attack is imminent from the informative book "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin deBecker.

Remember, no single one of these seven behaviors predicts that an attack will come, but if you see multiple ones, be warned.

Here's the list of the ones I've discussed so far:
1. Discounting the word "No"
2. Too many details
3. Charm and Niceness
4. Loansharking
5. Forced Teaming
6. Unsolicited Promises

And for today:

#7 Typecasting (or manipulative insults)

A potential attacker will insult the victim to try to influence them to go against their better judgment and do what the attacker wants.

"There's such a thing as being too independent, lady."
"What? You're too racist to accept help from a black man?"
"No need to be scared of everyone. I'm just trying to help."
"You don't want me in your car? You don't give rides to poor people?"

Example #1:

A kind-looking man in the parking lot offers to help you load your groceries from the cart into your trunk. (possible Loan Sharking).

You refuse politely.

"Really," he insists. "Let me help." (Discounting No)

You don't know him and refuse again, hoping he'll just go away.

"I guess you're too good to accept help from someone like me," he says in a disappointed tone. "I just wanted to help." (Typecasting)

Feeling suddenly guilty, you apologize and thank him for his offer.

Without realizing how it happened, you find yourself stepping back while he finishes loading your car with a kind smile on his face. (Charm and Niceness)

When he asks for a ride to the nearby gas station, (Loansharking) you find it very difficult to refuse.
***
This is an example of how a potential attacker will use insults and typecasting to make you feel guilty, hoping you'll then do what the attacker wants in order to disprove the insult . . . which generally leads to you and him being alone where there are no witnesses.

Now that you know about this warning sign and can recognize how manipulative it is, it should be much easier to resist.

Respond with calm but firm instructions.

"I don't need your help. Leave me alone!"

You're not obligated to be polite when you feel your safety is threatened.

And remember, a stranger with no ill intentions toward you won't try to manipulate you.
***
Stay safe out there! And if you've noticed any of these warning signs in a real situation, I'd love to hear what happened. I enjoy reading your stories!

All the best,
______________________

Misty's Writing Update:

With my mom and dad in town visiting and new books releasing, most of my author work has been squeezing in time to upload manuscripts, finish editing, set up advertising, etc.

The not-so-glamorous part of writing, that I was mostly unaware of when I started this adventure - lol.

What about you? Have you started a new venture, only to find out there's a lot more involved than you think? Or do your plans always go along smoothly with no surprises? :D

Tell me it's not just me!

Happy reading this week!

— Misty :)
Misty Zaugg Website