Valerie J. Clarizio Interviews her Character Deputy Ryan Larson

Bio: Ryan grew up in Door County Wisconsin.  Being the son of a two law enforcement officers he chose that career as well.  Ryan is twenty-six years old.  His hobbies are fishing and hunting, and he is a sports fanatic.

Interview:

1.   What is your biggest fear?  What frightens you the most?

            Having my sister out-hunt or out-shoot me.  Park Ranger Talia Johnson frightens me the most.

2.    Where do you see yourself in five years?

             I see myself being promoted to sergeant. 

3.    What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Shopping.  There, you pried it out of me.  My guilty pleasure is shopping. I’m a kitchen gadget guy.  If it’s a kitchen item from ‘As seen on TV,’ it’s in my kitchen.

4.   What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was real young I wanted to be a professional wrestler.  My friends and I even made our own wrestling ring in the backyard. 

5.   What is your favorite pet?

My parents had two Siamese cats.  They were brilliant.  They could do tricks like dogs and everything.   

Ryan Larson is the main character in Pandemonium on the Peninsula which is a short story set in Door County Wisconsin and will soon be released in a romance anthology featuring 11 beach stories.  The anthology is titled Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea…11 Beaches where anything can happen.

Valerie J. Clarizio Bio

Valerie Clarizio lives in romantic Door County Wisconsin with her husband and two extremely spoiled cats. She loves to read, write, and spend time at her cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or sweet contemporary romance novel.

Author of:

Taken by Surprise - Romantic Suspense - VJC Books

Unforeseen Obsessions - Romantic Suspense - Whiskey Creek Press

Covert Exposure, A Nick Spinelli Mystery  - Romantic Suspense - Novella #1 in the Spinelli Series - Melange Books, LLC

Craving Vengeance, A Nick Spinelli Mystery - Romantic Suspense - Novella #2 in the Spinelli Series - Melange Books, LLC 

Crazed Reckoning, a Nick Spinelli Mystery - Romantic Suspense - Novella #3 in the Spinelli Series - Melange Books, LLC 

Connect with Valerie:
Website/blog
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon


Sign up for her Newsletter
Join Street Team: 

                                                                             END

   ___________________________________________________

11 Beaches, Anything Can Happen

I have joined together will ten fabulous authors to bring you Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea – 11 Beaches, Anything Can Happen. 

These are short stories by best-selling and award winning authors pulled together for your beach reading enjoyment.  The collection includes a bit of suspense, mystery and yes, romance.  Available at all major retailers, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Want to win Money, Books, Money & Books?  Help us hit our pre-order goals.

We’re so excited about this limited edition box set that it’s only .99 cents! We want as many people as possible to enjoy these stories, and we’re offering some great prizes as we hit our pre-order goals.

Want to win a Money, Books, Money & Books?  Help us hit our pre-order goals.

We’re so excited about this limited edition box set that it’s only .99 cents! We want as many people as possible to enjoy these stories, and we’re offering some great prizes as we hit our preorder goals.

No purchase necessary in order to enter to win. On June 28th, when Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea, 11 Beaches – Anything Can Happen releases (shortened to #11Beaches), we’ll see how many preorders we’ve received and give out the prizes accordingly.

Here’s what you can win!

One winner will win the box set (you can gift this if you’ve preordered it already!)

If we hit 1,500 preorders: One lucky winner will win $25.00 in Paypal money.

If we hit 2,500 preorders: One lucky winner will win a $50 Paypal money plus 10 signed paperbacks from the authors participating in #11Beaches.

If we hit 3,000 preorders: One lucky winner will win $100 plus 10 signed paperbacks from the authors participating in #11Beaches.If you would like to help us reach our preorder goals, you can grab your copy for only .99 cents on:

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/11Beaches-Amz
B&N: http://smarturl.it/11Beaches-BN
Kobo: http://smarturl.it/11Beaches-Kobo

Disclaimer: *Emails may be distributed to the nine participating authors for them to add to their mailing lists.*

I have joined together will ten fabulous authors to bring you Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea – 11 Beaches, Anything Can Happen. 

These are short stories by best-selling and award winning authors pulled together for your beach reading enjoyment.  The collection includes a bit of suspense, mystery and yes, romance.  Available at all major retailers, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Blurb: 

A summer breeze, sandy shore, and sparkling waters. Is it the perfect setting for love or something more dangerous?
First loves, second chances, mystery, and intrigue, even murder.
Drift away with this collection of stories about Sun, Sand and Sea to 11 beaches…where anything can happen.

The individual stories and their authors are:

Whispers in the Wind by Angel Sefer

Blackmailed by a ruthless mastermind, Emily Stone finds herself on the Greek island of Alonnisos, impersonating the golden heiress of a luxury beach resort. Seductive Captain Andreas Aliveris is torn between his irresistible attraction to the stunning imposter and his need to protect a loved one. Can passion overcome suspicions and regrets in this game of danger, betrayal, and greed?

Amanda’s Revenge by Julie Sarff

One Hollywood heartthrob, one happily married woman and one very vindictive ex. Amanda is back looking like Winged Victory in a business suit, and Lily Bilbury is the only one who can stop her from ruining her husband’s career. Join Lily as she travels to sunny Miami and loses a very important missive that could get her husband fired. But that’s okay, because she has a plan to get the letter back.

Beach Baby Blues by Stephany Tulis

When bride to be, Honor Elin Mattison, threatens to boycott her Caribbean cruise bachelorette party, matron of honor and older sister Shelby dismisses her sister's idle threat reminding her that the cruise is her last chance to let loose and live it up.

Celebrating her last few days as a single woman with a bikini clad bridal party that could make a professional model feel like an ugly duckling depresses Honor even more than the family made decision to include her father's love child, (her 18 year out of control step sister) in all the wedding festivities.

A mystical ambiance permeates the LaMagnifique cruise ship that not only transforms the bridal party but infiltrates old, newly formed and promised relationships.

In the midst of the sublime, an unexpected malady called blues on the beach, infiltrates the ship.

Will older sister Shelby's promise that what happens on the ship stays on the ship hold true?

Or are some secrets too dangerous to keep?

Beach Blanket Murders by Judith Lucci

Kat had been counting the days until her beach reunion in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with her college friends from New Orleans. It would be the first time she’d seen major heart-throb Liam Cross since Christmas. She dreamed of a diamond engagement ring as she tucked her new bikini into her suitcase. Little did she know that in a few hours her life would change forever. Fire and Ice, Love and Murder. The Ocean can be Deadly.

Love Notes in the Key of Sea by Anna Celeste Burke

Georgie Shaw and Detective Jack Wheeler have a second chance at love—despite the fact they met during a murder investigation. Decades earlier, Georgie lost the love of her life in an attack on the beach that left one man dead and two others missing including her fiancé, Danny Farrell. When Georgie returns to Corsario Cove, more than memories haunt her as a song Danny wrote just for her echoes in the air: Love Notes in the Key of Sea. Who else, other than she and Danny could know that song? A new mystery brought Georgie and Jack together, will an old one drive them apart?

Pandemonium on the Peninsula by Valerie Clarizio

Talia Johnson is living her dream in Door County, WI. But, being a Park Ranger comes with sacrifices.

Deputy Ryan Larson loves his job but worries about the attraction he feels for the surly Talia Johnson.

When pandemonium breaks out, Talia's life becomes endangered. Ryan races to help her. Will her stubbornness prevent Ryan from saving her?

Copper Moon – The Meeting by PJ Fiala

The Artist…

Brie Spencer is in need of solitude and scenery to help her heal from the loss of her sister. Feeling she will never be able to move on from this heartache, and the torment of the night her life changed forever, she makes the trip to Copper Moon, to paint and heal.

The Biker…

Hank James has always wanted to win the coveted Copper Moon Cup. But having the fastest time has eluded him, that is until this year. Having spent every waking moment tinkering on his baby, he thinks he's finally going to bring home the elusive trophy.

The Problem…

Looking to capture the perfect sunrise, Brie tumbles into the path of Hank James - literally. Making final adjustments on his bike before the race begins, Hank heads to the beach for a trial run. Almost running over a woman and dumping his bike is the last thing he needs.

Love on the Rocks by P.J. MacLayne

Carena Galloway has big city ambitions and a broken heart, and men have no place in her agenda. Aiden Wade is only in town to help his grandmother and his schedule doesn't include the local ladies.

But Fate, it seemed, had other plans.

The Art of Getting Away by Nicole Sorrell

When her SUV leaves her stranded, Carlos helps get it running again, then can’t stop thinking about the sassy girl with the blue-green eyes. After discovering she’s in the cross hairs of the most violent outlaw motorcycle gang in the Midwest, Carlos is in way over his head when he tries to help her get away.

After the Storm by Kinsey Corwin

Charlene "Charlie" McCann isn’t looking to repeat her mistakes and all Beck Holland wants is to tear down the walls she’s built. Can they survive what comes after the storm?

Dead End Beach by Cherime MacFarlane

The last beach at the end of the road and the last party of the summer. Some people are leaving when the embers die. He wants to stay. Will she welcome him into her life?

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/11Beaches-Amz
B&N: http://smarturl.it/11Beaches-BN
Kobo: http://smarturl.it/11Beaches-Kobo

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Author 911: The Authors' Writing & Medical Academy: Cheat Sheets forWriting Body LanguageTranslate emo...

Author 911: The Authors' Writing & Medical Academy: Cheat Sheets forWriting Body LanguageTranslate emo...: Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language Translate emotions into written body language  Body language tells a story and body language is ...

Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language

Translate emotions into written body language 

Body language tells a story and body language is central to our writing. Sometimes, it's easier said than written. The cheat sheets below (www.writerswrite.co.nz) will help you show a character's state of mind. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. Use these combinations as needed.

The Top Five Tips For Using Body Language

1. Use body language to add depth to dialogue. 
2. Use it because more than 50% of human communication is non-verbal.
3. Use it to show how your character's emotions affect his or her actions.
4. Use it to help you show rather than tell your reader everything.se it in moderation.
5. Overused body language can slow your story down.

A FEW GOOD FOLKS

Needed for

Judith Lucci’s Street Team

Hi Everyone!

I’m inviting you to be a member of my Judith Lucci Street Team (we need to pick a name) to spread the word about my books.

I believe the best way to sell anything is via personal recommendation. Just tell or email or post on facebook about my books – it’s as easy as that – and doing that would be fabulous. And the more people you tell the better.

If you become a member of my street team you’ll earn my love and appreciation forever and ever and maybe a few other prizes.  Here are a few of the perks!

*Membership in the Exclusive Judith Lucci Online FB Community!  This is a place where I’ll be happy to answers any questions about writing, the business of writing, or my books – or your books. We will talk about best ways to market my books and I will ask for help with Beta Reads and editing as well. I’ll be seeking your opinions and ideas for my books too.

Other Perks…

* A chance to name a character in my books.
* A chance to win autographed print copies in a monthly special drawing for Street Team members only. All Street Team members will be automatically entered.
* A drawing each release month for a $25 Visa gift card or an Amazon Gift Card!
 *Random insider Street Team e-letters and info that most readers don’t know and insider tidbits about my characters.

Here are things you can do to be a Judith Lucci Street Member. Please do whatever you feel comfortable doing. If you even do one thing, that’s all you need to do to become a Street Team member.

In-Person Team Spirit:

* Talk the books up and share promo materials with friends & family to spread the word. Ask others to share promo info too.
* Buy my books the first week of release, which helps them get on the bestseller lists.
* Ask your local library to order my books. Give the librarians the title, name and publisher.
* If my books aren’t on the shelves, ask the bookseller to order it.
* Take promo materials (bookmarks, postcards, rack cards) to your local stores, place them with the booksellers. You can leave them with libraries and even at coffee shops and ask permission in doctor’s offices.
* Take promo materials (bookmarks, postcards, excerpts) to your local reader group, writer group and share with other members.
* With the bravado of a saint, take all of my books and front them on the new release table in the front of the store! (Note, if you insist on slipping one or two in a few best seller slots it won’t hurt my feelings.)

* Find people to sign up for my email list on my webpage at www.judithlucci.com

Online Team Spirit

* Feature interviews, reviews, excerpts or my video trailer via your blog, site, Pinterest, Google plus, Instagram, Twitter and other social media groups.
* Visit during online appearances (workshops, blog tours, chats, etc)
* Share your (honest) review of the book via Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com

Remember, do whatever you feel comfortable doing, even if it’s just one thing – although I’ll be YOUR biggest fan if you do all of these. Joining is easy! Help promote my book using one or more of the above ideas to help promote my books.

Please email me at JudithLucciwrites@gmail.com and tell me what you would like to do on my team and join my email list at JudithLucci.com. Please remember I am always open for suggestions in all areas.

Thank you for your interest and support!

All best,

Judith

Writing Fight Scenes: The Real Deal with Eric Gates

Up for a Fight? – Writing the Real Deal

With Amazing Thriller-Writer Eric J. Gates

Hello Everyone!  I am happy to welcome the amazing Eric J. Gates back to Author 911 today to discuss the best ways to write a fight scene.  Eric is the author of the incredible Cull series, Outsourced, and the must have book on How NOT to be An Aspiring Writer.  I just finished reading his fourth book in the Cull Series, Blood Demon and is was Extraordinary....

Recently I have been chatting with a friend and fellow author about writing fight scenes in her novel. Unlike most writers, this is an area that doesn’t give me too many problems, or at least, not of the same kind that they experience.

Let’s lay down a few antecedents: I have been trained in 26 different fighting systems, holding black belt degrees in 14 of these, and a host of weapons during a long and interesting life. But my knowledge is not just theoretical. Unfortunately, I have had to use those skills on occasion… and I’m still here, so they must work. I also have an encyclopaedic knowledge of many other fighting styles and weaponry. Oh, and with two exceptions, none of that stuff was oriented to competitions (with rules and regulations etc).

I love to read thrillers and there are many written by ex-soldiers. Whilst most get the details of the ‘conventional’ fighting right (using weapons issued by their army/navy etc), many have little or no experience of ‘unconventional combat, particularly the close-quarter variety that their protagonists display on the pages of their books. So as a source for a writer attempting to produce a convincing fight scene, studying them is not always the way to go. As for Hollywood, well forget it. Bruce Lee once commented on the difference between real combat and theatrical representation of combat – in movies you only ever see the latter.

Now I’m going to try the impossible here (those who know me well, will recognise the trait that gets me into trouble more than any other). I’m going to give you, the potential writer of fight scenes, a few pointers for making your combat more realistic. This will give you a good foundation which you can then embellish at will. So this post isn’t too long, I’m going to stick to unarmed fighting – maybe, in a hypothetical Part 2, I’ll talk about weapons, although they will get a mention or three here. The following will be Fictional-genre generic; I won’t be speaking about magic spells – never used them – you’re on your own for that.

There’s a huge difference in the way a trained fighter and Joe Public react to the threat of a fight. It all starts in the amygdala. This beastie sits at the base of our brains and associates stimuli with emotion. It’s the thingumajig that stops you holding your hand over an open flame (once you’ve done it the first time, of course). It’s a primitive part of our brains responsible for the fight or flight reaction. Joe Public will usually go for the flight option, if available. If it isn’t, then the submission option is next up. It’s only when Joe Public tries for the fight option that trouble occurs. A trained fighter is, of course, also subject to this process. The difference is analysis. Someone who has fighting skills (not just an experienced bar brawler) will take in a series of factors which will enhance the decision the lizard brain chooses.

These factors include:   

a  Number of assailants – even a large group is limited in how they can attack one person. I’ve fought more than ten at once, successfully, because I used the other factors below to restrict the number that could interact with me at any given time. Almost all group assailants will not have practiced their attack, so they will get in each other’s way naturally, something your protagonist can help with.

b Space and terrain – it’s a very different thing fighting in water, on ice, on sand or loose dirt, on a hard surface, on an incline or uneven surface, in a narrow area, on a moving vehicle (think cars, trucks, trains, aircraft, or even horseback). The area you have to operate can be used to limit what your opponent(s) can do, and it can limit your protagonist’s options too. Hollywood took this to a ridiculous extreme in the second ‘Kill Bill’ movie with the fight in the trailer. As a master swordsman, I teach my students to draw a metre long katana in a space the width of their bodies, in less than a second, and most get the hang of it very quickly. The trick is in the use of your waist and the way you ‘manage’ the sword scabbard. The scene in question, where the swords couldn’t be drawn because they kept hitting the walls, was hilarious, for all the wrong reasons! Using the terrain as a weapon (Hollywood again tends to limit itself to throwing dirt into the eyes of the fighters) is important. Many of the older fighting systems that use throws are based on this. When a human body is thrown onto a hard floor, against a streetlamp, railing, wastebasket, parked car etc, the terrain becomes the weapon. It’s not about using a kerbstone to hit the bad guy, just the opposite in fact.

c Natural weapons – in traditional Japanese fighting philosophy it is recognised that the human body has 16 natural weapons (obviously including items such as hands, which can be used in a huge number of ways, feet, head, elbows etc). Learning how to use these effectively is the basis for the world’s unarmed fighting systems. But there is another natural weapon that trumps all of these – your intelligence. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen people in casts because they threw a punch and broke bones in their hands or feet (of the 206 bones in our bodies, more than half are in our hands and feet). There’s a Golden Rule in striking – never hit something hard with something soft (an untrained fist against a jawbone is not recommended).

d  Acquired weapons – there are so many everyday objects that can be turned into effective weapons that you would be surprised. In the average room, in an average house, there will be over fifty! In your car, probably about another twenty (I once took on three assailants, as part of a demonstration, while sitting behind the wheel of a stationary car. After a few seconds I had trapped all three using everything from the driver’s seat belt, steering wheel, window frame, and handbrake, left the vehicle and walked away). No I’m not superman, or Jason Bourne, but by using imagination tempered with a little knowledge (primarily of anatomy and physics) you would be surprised just what can become a weapon if needed. What’s the weirdest weapon I’ve used? It’s a tie between a banknote, a cardboard drinks coaster and an ice cube. Newspapers, magazines, umbrellas and walking sticks are almost conventional. It’s all about being flexible …in your thinking.

e  Attitude – I always advise my students (bodyguards, police, military, Joe Public) to act if attacked. The puffing out of the chest, bluster approach could get you killed or seriously hurt. It’s tantamount to incitement. I recommend making yourself smaller (than the attacker), stepping back at an angle (better defensive position as it allows offense while reducing target area), relaxing your whole body (it makes for far quicker reaction time), and slowing your breathing (deep breathing increases oxygen flow to the brain and muscles which helps think clearly, react faster and control the adverse effects of adrenaline). I also strongly insist that (in a mugging situation) nothing you have on you, NOTHING, is worth your life – just hand it over and forget about violence, even if you are confident in your abilities. Only if your assailant is clearly bent on doing you harm no matter how much you collaborate, should you react.

f)     Offense/defense – many Martial Arts taught as Self-Defense are based on allowing your opponent to make the first move. Whilst legally this allows for justification for your defense, one blow etc could be all they need. The old adage of ‘a good offense is the best defense’ may be applicable. When faced with multiple opponents, often the bluster-boy is not the leader. Scan the group, identify who’s in charge (eye contact between them can be a dead giveaway) then going on the offensive against them can be a good strategy if your protagonist has the skills. Don’t know who’s the leader? Go for the biggest. That scene in the Tom Cruise Jack Reacher movie where he explains his defense to the four thugs (something you should never do – explain, that is) is strategically accurate, believe it or not. In the herd mentality, when a leader is taken down, the herd usually is unfocused, needing time to find a new leader – time your protagonist should not allow.

g  Time – there are two aspects to this subject; real fights are short (10-15 seconds, maybe half a dozen blows exchanged) which is extremely boring for novels and Hollywood. Chasing the bad guy across rooftops as blows are exchanged is visually creatively exciting, but it takes its toll on the body’s ability to sustain the fight. Impacts and injuries from the other guy do too. Only a superhero would last more than a few minutes, so if you want to be real, watch the clock. The other aspect I mentioned is the apparent slowing down of time in a fight – this is a sensation produced by the excess of adrenaline released into the body – it makes you react faster; it doesn’t make you a time traveller. Also, when the fighting stops and your body tries to resume normal operations, it usually induces nausea and vomiting (show me the last time James Bond threw up!).

h  Adrenaline – I’ve already mentioned this several times. I hinted at its adverse effects too. One of these is that it’s an exceptional natural anaesthetic. I‘ll give you a fr’instance: a few years ago, one of my students saw a bunch of some 30 skinheads beating up a single individual in the street. No cops about (cowards generally choose their terrain more carefully than their victims). So he intervened. Finally the cops turned up… and arrested everyone… including the victim and my student.  They were in a police car on the way to the cop shop when someone remarked that my student’s white shirt was bright red at the back – he’d been stabbed during the fight and was unaware of this due to the adrenaline coursing through his body. (As I’m sure you want to know - he did get released with no charges and he put 6 of the attackers in hospital before the cops arrived).

iAttacker’s weapons – In my experience, most attackers when wielding a weapon, tend to focus on that weapon to the exclusion of anything else they could do. This means that often, when you ‘remove’ that weapon from their control, psychologically you’ve won the battle. There’s something I also teach my students about using ‘recovered’ assailants’ weapons – if you know how to use it, keep it; if you don’t, throw it away where the assailant can’t regain control of it.

  Finally, don’t be too specific. This was the mistake I made. Compare these two short fight scenes (the first is from ‘2012’ my first novel, is technically correct, and makes this mistake; the second is from ‘the CULL – Bloodstone’ – see I’ve learned something too!):

2012

The third attacker had grabbed the woman’s bag and was trying to wrest it from her limp form. Grey stepped towards him, and the man released the bag, letting the woman fall to the sand again. He sidestepped her prone body and faced off against Grey. The man launched a series of short, rapid Wu Shu punches aimed at Grey’s torso and face. Grey slapped them away. He countered with a couple of stabs at the man’s eyes, designed to focus attention on his fingers. The man did not take the bait; he stepped back out of reach and lifted a leg, preparing to drive a forward kick at Grey’s stomach. Grey sidestepped the kick, pushing it further aside with his raised knee, trying to spin the man. The attacker knew his business. He altered his motion into a sidekick catching Grey a glancing blow on his ribs. Grey stumbled back. The assailant advanced, preparing to finish him off. Grey tripped and extended his right hand down to the sand to stabilise himself. The assailant raised his left hand ready to deliver a chop to Grey’s exposed neck. As he stepped in, Grey twisted and brought up the knife he recovered from the sand, burying it to the hilt in the man’s upper leg. The man let out a primal scream, sharply cut off as Grey chopped to the man’s Carotid. (and so on for 4 paragraphs)

The CULL - Bloodstone

Katie jumped. She twisted in mid-air, hitting the speaker squarely in the chest with her left heel. His hand came away from the gun as inertia threw his body backward. Katie struck at the neck of the man to her right, connecting solidly. The third man already had his weapon drawn and was raising it to fire. Katie ducked, grabbed the box the shouter had dropped, and flung it with all her might at the gun arm of the worker.

I can’t (and shouldn’t) write your fight scene’s for you; it’s your novel after all. I will however put my knowledge at your disposal. Write to me via my website (www.ericjgates.com – contact Eric page) and ask specific questions please. I’ll do my best to help where I can. You don’t want to fight about that, do you?

Check out Eric Gates! He know just about everything!

check out  www.ericjgates.com to read extracts and discover the inside secrets...

follow me on Twitter: @eThrillerWriter  and on my Blog http://my-thrillers.blogspot.com/

   

Let’s Talk Blood!

Let’s talk about blood…the marvelous red, magical fluid that carries oxygen to our brain so we can think, pumps quickly through lungs so we can breathe and provides a quick, ready source of cash for college students.  Blood is the magical potion that British Rakes and Vampires lust after and many a folks have paid big bucks for legally and illegally to live.

A FEW BLOOD FACTS…

Scientists estimate the volume of blood in a human body to be about 7 percent of body weight. An average adult body with a weight of 150 to 180 pounds will contain approximately 4.7 to 5.5 liters (1.2 to 1.5 gallons) of blood or about or 5 ½ pints.  The average woman has 6-7 pints of blood and the average man has about 8 pints.  Children, of course, have less blood. 

HOW MUCH BLOOD CAN YOU LOSE? Usually, 40% or greater blood loss is considered the maximum amount of blood an adult can lose before the body can no longer compensate. In an 80 kg or 176-pound adult, this would be about 2.24 liters. WHAT ABOUT HEMORRHAGE? Hemorrhage is best defined as a blood loss and often occurs in traumatic injury that may be due to a car accident, gunshot wound or stabbing.  Other injuries can also facilitate serious blood loss A Class I Hemorrhage occurs when a patient loses 15%, or less, of their blood volume. In an 80 kg person (or about 176 lbs.) this would be about 0.84 liters. At this level there are almost no signs or symptoms so in essence, your victim would be asymptomatic. Class II Hemorrhage becomes evident when a person experiences a 15 to 30% loss of their blood volume or about 1.68 liters in a 176 lb. person. At this level of blood loss, the heart will start to beat faster, and the person will start to look pale and feel cool. When this occurs, the patient is in the beginning stage of hypovolemia shock so if action isn’t taken quickly, the patient will become worse. Class III Hemorrhage represents a 30 to 40% loss of blood. In an 80 kg person this would be about 2.24 liters. At this level the heart will be beating very fast (tachycardia) as it works hard to keep up with the oxygen needs of the body. Remember, the heart always shuttles blood to the brain first, but the person will look very pale, and may appear confused, dizzy or may have nausea or vomit. The patient’s respirations or breathing will increased but ineffective. The lower extremities will feel very cool and may begin to discolor as will the upper extremities. The nail beds may discolor and appear a greyish-blue.  The victim is in shock and will be in severe trouble in a matter of a couple of minutes. If the patient is bleeding externally, a large amount of blood will pool around the wound onto the floor or wherever gravity takes it. Class IV Hemorrhage occurs when there is a greater than 40% blood loss.  In an 80 kg adult this would be more than 2.24 liters. The body can no longer keep up with the blood loss and the person, without immediate care (IV fluids and wound compression) will die. Types of Bleeding

 

Arterial Bleeding

With arterial bleeding, the blood is bright red and under pressure from the pumping heart. Therefore, blood is spurted from the wound in time with the heartbeat. A severed artery may produce a jet of blood several feet high and can rapidly empty the circulatory system of blood.

Venous Bleeding

With venous bleeding the blood is dark red in coloration. It is under less pressure than arterial blood, but since the vein walls are capable of great distention, blood may pool. Thus, blood from a severed major vein may gush profusely.

Capillary Bleeding

This type of bleeding can be characterized as oozing and occurs at the site of all wounds. Although capillary bleeding may at first be brisk, blood loss is generally negligible.
Need More Info About Blood
http://anthro.palomar.edu/blood/blood_components.htm
http://redontap.com/all-about-blood
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2263/

Until next time, take care and stay safe!