Cordelia Kingsbridge's Blog, page 9

PSA

Things are going to be a little crazy for me over the next couple of weeks, so I just wanted to give everyone a heads-up that my communication is likely to be erratic for a bit.

I can’t remember if I’ve discussed this here before, but a while back, my dad was diagnosed with Stage I prostate cancer. They caught it pretty much as early as it’s possible to catch, so he had plenty of time to consider his options. Eventually, he decided to go with surgical removal rather than radiation. His surgery is this coming Friday, Feb 1. 

He’s having the surgery done at Sloan Kettering in NYC, so he, my mom, and my paternal grandmother are flying up tomorrow morning. My parents will be staying in the city until after the surgery, then staying at my maternal grandfather’s house in North Jersey for at least a week while my dad recovers.

Usually, my mom (who doesn’t work outside the home) takes care of both their dog and my sister’s dog during the day. My sister works with our dad, so she drops her dog off at our parents’ house in the morning on her way to work and picks the dog up at night on her way home. But with my mom out of town, that means three dogs (including my own) who need to be taken care of.

Since I don’t relish the thought of keeping three dogs in my third-floor walkup apartment all day long, I’ll be going to my parents’ house (which is only about 5 minutes away from mine) every day and basically running a doggie daycare. The plan is for me and my dog Molly to go over in the morning, stay there during the day, and then my sister will pick up her own dog and our parents’ after work and bring them to her house for the night, after which Molly and I will return to our own apartment.

So basically, between my own continuing health issues, the emotional stress of my dad’s surgery, the logistics of traveling back and forth every day, and not being in my home environment much of the time, I anticipate being fresh out of spoons for the next two weeks or so. In particular, this means that my response time to messages is likely to be slower than usual, so please be patient if it takes me a few days to answer asks, emails, etc.

Thank you to everyone in advance! <3

I listened to Kill Game a while back and absolutely loved it! Are there any plans of releasing the rest of the series into audio? Please say yes - it needs to be made into audio books. The wait and unknowing might just kille me :)

Thank you! The audiobook for Trick Roller is currently under production, though I don’t have any news yet on a release date. Whether or not the rest of the series is released on audio in the future will, in all honesty, depend on how well the first two sell. I’m not actually involved in any of that decision-making, though!

hello! the previous krav maga beginner anon here again to let you know I tried a free class on your advice and I really liked it! I live in a really small city so the only school close to me has only all level classes since theres not too many people but i

This makes me so happy! It’s awesome that you tried the class, and I’m really glad you enjoyed it. :D

holy shit. I cant believe i finally found you. You're the writer of Bloodred and Close Protection, aren't you? Your works have literally shaped my life and was an intregal part of my self-discovery but I couldn't find you for years and years

Yes, I am! That’s amazing to hear, thank you so much. I’m really happy you found me again, and I hope you enjoy my newer works as well. :-)

I love your seven of spade series - i really enjoy Levi and admire his character a lot. I actually wanted to try out krav maga after reading about it in the books and your own positive experiences, but I'm really nervous. I'm pretty young (early 20s) but h

I know that I could commit to class at least once or twice a week, but with my schedule I dont know how much more I could do… with how out of shape I am I dont know if just going to class would be enough. I guess I just want an outside opinion before I jump into this and potentially really embarrass myself :/ I know that you’re not a coach or anything but any thoughts you could provide would be much appreciated. I love your work so much and am eagerly anticipating a chip and a chair! (2/2)

Thank you for your kind words! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the series, and I’m really glad it’s inspired you to try Krav Maga.

Let me dispel both of your concerns immediately: First, once or twice a week is a perfectly normal training schedule for a beginner. My school only has the adult Level I class on Monday and Wednesday nights. Two hours a week is usually enough to get you from total newbie to P1-ready in about six months. You probably wouldn’t need to put more time in than that until P3.

Second, being “weak” or “out of shape” is no barrier for a beginner. Krav Maga is purposely designed to be widely accessible, especially at the earliest levels. A beginner’s class will likely have people of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels. Krav is also great exercise, so starting it will actually help you get in shape and make you stronger.

In my experience, the most important element of success for a beginner isn’t how physically fit they are or how much time they can commit, but rather how willing they are to learn how to flip the “aggression switch”. Beginner’s classes focus a lot on teaching people how and when it’s appropriate to stop being civilized and go into to beast mode, because Krav techniques require aggression and intensity. 

It can take a surprisingly long time for people to learn how to comfortably flip that switch, because we’ve been socialized not to (which is of course a good thing, unless you’re in danger). There’s also an element of overcoming self-consciousness about looking “silly”. But all the instructor wants to see is that you’re putting in a good-faith effort and that you’re willing to learn. 

I’d suggest checking out a free trial class, if a school near you offers that - you might be surprised at the variety of people who are in a Level 1 class. I know I was! The coaches there can also reassure you about your fitness level and time constraints.

Finally, I have a Krav Maga tag if you’re interested in seeing some other questions readers have asked!

I hope this has not been asked before, and if so, I apologize, but might you be the same Cordelia that does ASMR videos? I remember ASMR Cordelia was/is a writer as well.

I’m afraid not! I know what ASMR is, but I’ve never listened to it, and I’ve definitely never produced it. :-)

January Patreon Bonus Feature

This month’s bonus feature on Patreon is a behind-the-scenes look at my annotated research notes for a potential new series idea I’ve been developing! Get a sneak peek at how I organize my early-stage research to conceptualize possible themes, character motivations, and plot points.

arondeus:Anyway I doodled @ckingsbridge‘s character Levi Abrams...

arondeus:

Anyway I doodled @ckingsbridge‘s character Levi Abrams because I adore 

I love it!!!

Hi Cordelia, I just wanted to say that I hope you feel better soon. I started reading your stories around high school (or maybe freshman year of college, not sure) but I'm 24 now and really happy that I can support you on patreon (not that much, but some!)

That’s very kind, thank you so much! It’s amazing that you’ve been reading my work for so long. I really appreciate your continued support! :D

Hey Cordelia! I don’t mean to bother you by asking this, just curious, but do you might know when the next install you Assistant Verse might be? I’m kinda of new to ur Patreon and haven’t figured the updating system yet. Thank u in advance ♥️

Patreon story updates are on the 5th and 20th of every month! (You can read all of the info in the page’s intro section.)

That being said, I just finished today’s update, so I want to let it sit overnight before I edit and post it. It’ll go up in the morning tomorrow - I’m in EST.