Cole Gibson's: Top 10 Items Every Samurai Girl Needs

  As part of the Teen Book Scene promotional tour for Cole Gibson's debut novel, Katana, I have Cole here to share with us the ten most important things that every samurai girl needs. While I haven't gotten around to reading the book, I've heard great things about it. A lot of reviewers are describing it as Buffy meets Kill Bill. If that sounds like your kind of book, be sure to check it out. Katana was released on March 8th!

 Cole Gibson's Top 10 Items Every Samurai Girl Needs

1. Glitter bandages. There’s no reason an injury can’t be stylish.

2. Kakute. Another decorative item that can double as a weapon. The kakute or “horn finger” is a metal ring with two metal spikes most often worn on the middle finger for the ultimate “give ‘em the finger.”

3. Neosporin. Infections from cuts and scrapes are no joke. Don’t be a hero.

4. Dr. Scholl’s shoe inserts. Who says you can’t fight in comfort?

5. Chip-resistant nail polish. Because you know how annoying it is to chip your polish after delivering a perfectly timed left hook.

6. Kanzashi. These decorative hair pins can double as a fashion statement as well as a hidden weapon.

7. Kashi Trail Mix. Surviving a ninja ambush takes energy. Keep trail mix on hand for a pick-me-up on the go.

8. A list of clever comebacks. You never know when you’ll have to engage in witty banter with the enemy. Best to be prepared so as not to resort to the ever clichéd, “Your face!”

9. Listerine pocket packs. What better way to get the taste of blood out of your mouth?

10. A cute boy. Who else is going to hold your stuff for you while you fight?


 Rileigh Martin would love to believe that adrenaline had given her the uncanny courage and strength to fend off three muggers. But it doesn't explain her dreams of 15th-century Japan, the incredible fighting skills she suddenly possesses, or the strange voice giving her battle tips and danger warnings.
  While worrying that she's going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she's harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.
  Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana--a deadly Japanese sword that's also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she's always been and embracing the warrior inside her.