Hi! I’m Cordelia Kingsbridge, and I’m pleased to welcome you to the blog tour for my novel Can’t Hide From Me. Thanks so much for checking it out!
Krav Maga
My second biggest passion in life after writing is Krav Maga, the Israeli self-defense system originally developed for the IDF. It’s a much more recent passion – I started practicing about a year ago – but I was hooked from the very first night. I knew then and there that this was something I would dedicate myself to for years to come.
Though I began practicing Krav Maga for my own health and safety, it’s had a beneficial secondary consequence – it’s making me a better writer. As an author, I’ve always been drawn to the thriller genre, with its adrenaline-laced slugfests and shootouts. Yet, like many (most?) people, I had never been in a real physical fight. When it came time to write fight scenes, I always did exhaustive research, reading dozens of articles on various martial arts techniques and watching endless videos on YouTube. But at the end of the day, there’s no substitute for real-life experience.
Now I know what it feels like to be choked from behind. I know what it feels like to take a punch, and to land one. I know how it feels to nail someone in the groin with a good hard kick (albeit with protective gear), to have a knife slashing towards me, to be shoved face-first into a wall by a surprise assailant. I leave my Krav Maga classes exhilarated and covered in bruises, and I’m able to bring those experiences into my writing. As I continue gaining new knowledge and skills, my goal is to make the fight scenes in my novels increasingly vivid, visceral, and authentic.
Of course, there’s a danger inherent in learning any new skill, which is the unconscious assumption that other people are as familiar with its terms and techniques as you are. I ran into this a couple of times in the fight scenes in Can’t Hide From Me, where it became obvious that I’d written some parts of them in ways that would be confusing to a person who didn’t practice Krav Maga. Breaking down and reframing those elements in clearer, more explicit language was a great challenge, and a necessity that I’ll keep in mind as I move forward with my next book.
Krav Maga is an excellent discipline for authors in particular, because it’s a practical system that’s grounded in how to survive common real-life attacks. Techniques are always taught in the context of when, why, and how to use them in various scenarios. Right from the very first level, Krav instruction includes discussion of strategy, tactics, situational awareness, use of the environment, and other important details that go far beyond how to throw a nice side kick or block a punch. So if there are any thriller/mystery/action-adventure authors out there looking for inspiration for their fight scenes, I can’t recommend Krav Maga highly enough. Besides all of the good things it’ll do for your writing, it’s also the most fun you can have while wearing a groin protector!
About Can’t Hide From Me
Charles Hunter’s team is on a mission to extract an unidentified ATF agent from an undercover job gone wrong. All they’ve got to go on is the rendezvous location—until Charles recognizes the ex he hasn’t seen in years. Their “simple rescue mission” is about to get a lot more complicated.
For Ángel Medina, adjusting to life after his cartel nightmare is hard enough without confronting memories of a failed relationship. All he wants is a fresh start. But when a violent stalker lashes out from the shadows, Ángel realizes his nightmare is far from over.
As the stalker’s obsession escalates and bodies start dropping, Charles and Ángel are thrown together in a desperate search for the culprit. Tempers flare and old passions reignite, drawing them back into the same turbulent relationship that once ended in disaster.
But the stalker isn’t letting go—and the next strike might hit straight through the heart.
Available from Riptide Publishing: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/cant-hide-from-me
About Cordelia Kingsbridge
Cordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.
Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!
Connect with Cordelia:
- Tumblr: http://ckingsbridge.tumblr.com
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Can’t Hide From Me, one lucky winner will receive a $15 Riptide Publishing gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 8, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!
REVIEW
4.5 stars
I love stories about trained tough guys (cops, military, etc.) working together and going to bed together. Something about all that intelligence, strength and alphaness just really ‘does it’ for me.
Ángel’s confidence is so attractive. I admire how he owns each part of himself. Charles has a beautiful heart. He’s always concerned for others. Their relationship isn’t perfect. It’s realistic.
Can’t Hide from Me’s action level is high throughout, and some parts get pretty suspenseful. There are also off-the-chart-hot sex scenes. I figured out the direction things were headed before the end, but I still loved the entire ride. I highly recommend it to those who like thrillers, mysteries and M/M romance.
Title: Against the Grain
