New interview with author Cristelle Comby

Author Cristelle Comby is back for a visit. We’re chatting about her new urban fantasy mystery, Hostile Takeover (Vale Investigation, book 1).

During her virtual book tour, Cristelle will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

She is the author of the Neve & Egan Cases series, which features an unlikely duo of private detectives in London: Ashford Egan, a blind History professor, and Alexandra Neve, one of his students.

Currently, she is hard at work on her Urban Fantasy series Vale Investigation which chronicles the exploits of Death’s only envoy on Earth, PI Bellamy Vale, in the fictitious town of Cold City, USA.

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, Cristelle.

Please tell us about your newest release.

Hostile Takeover is the first book in a new series of Urban Fantasy mysteries I’m working on. It’s set in the fictitious metropolis of Cold City, USA. The main character, Bellamy Vale, is a former US Marine turned Private Investigator. A couple years ago, desperate and at an all-time low, Vale signed a compact with Death in exchange for a favor. Now he’s on Her payroll and acts as Her envoy on Earth… and the only reason he’s employee of the month is that no-one else was foolish enough to take the job.

What inspired you to write this book?

The main idea was to set the story in a world where every mythology you’ve ever heard of exists. Not everyone knows it, but there are hundreds of different mythologies on our planet. Sure, we all know the big ones like Roman, Norse and Celtic, but there are so many more. And each one’s filled with its own monsters and legends. It’s a fascinating subject.

Excerpt from Hostile Takeover:

I ripped the yellow tape away and entered the arcade. My nose was assaulted by a mixture of bleach and cleaning products. The cleaning team must have worked through the night. It wouldn’t do for the neighbors to wake up to someone lying dead on their sidewalk. No amount of bleach was going to get rid of those bloodstains, though. And it was going to take a lot more than soap to repair the cuts in the carpet and the claw marks on the concrete walls.

My stomach churned at the sight. Either that or it was protesting against all the painkillers I’d popped down. I heaved a sigh, knowing the next step was going to make that feel like a paper cut in comparison. Closing my eyes, I forced my breathing to slow down and emptied my mind of everything superficial. I counted down from five to one, opened my eyes, and looked at the scene in front of me again.

The world had narrowed down, dimmed to a tunnel of sharp, laser-like focus, allowing me to make out the individual fibers of carpet even. The smells had multiplied into a rich palette of chemical compounds that I could separate and identify. Knowing I couldn’t keep my concentration up like this for too long, I hastened to get to work, taking in all the tiniest details of the crime scene.

From the intensity of the claw marks and the pattern left by the blood splatter, I could map out the attack to the point of being able to discern the moves of the victim from those of the beast. Whatever it was that had made the attack, it had a cruel streak that would have done credit to Jack the Ripper. It had trapped the victim in a corner, pushed him further and further inside as it kept moving forward, claws digging into the carpet like some low-rent Hellraiser knock-off, ready to strike when the fear hit fever pitch.

Sweat and fear permeated the air around the place where the old man had stood, trembling and facing a voracious, tall monster. In one giant leap, the beast was on him, claws fully extended and shredding flesh into beef strips.

I recoiled at the thought then shook myself out of it. Despite the cold air, I’d broken into an even colder sweat. The world was spinning around me. I walked back to the street, desperate to get fresh air that didn’t reek of death. I was shaking as I fought to suppress the dry heaving of my stomach. There would be no need to revisit the scene. Everything I’d seen of that massacre was deeply etched into my mind.

What’s the next writing project?

I’m almost done with the second book in the series, and percolating ideas for the third.

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)

I tried to stay true to the legends, while making it work in a contemporary setting. So I had to update some of the Gods and monsters. I asked myself what they would they be like today; how they would behave. It was challenging and fun at the same time.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?

For this book, a lot of the research was mythology-related. Seeing as it’s a subject I’m passionate about, it was no chore for me.

I do all the research beforehand, while I write the book’s outline. Outlining is a pivotal part of my method that takes me several months. I sketch out all the major plot points up to and including the ending.

I only start writing when I have everything figured out; it allows me to avoid things like writer’s block, and unfinished manuscript.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.

I write on a laptop so I’m flexible with locations. I usually write from home, but I don’t have a fixed spot. What matters the most is that the room is quiet, so I can loose myself within my thoughts.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?

My all-time favorite is Jim Butcher. Other than that, it’s a mix of crimes, fantasy and science-fiction. At the moment, I’m reading the second Repairman Jack novel, by F. Paul Wilson.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?

I have some free prequel novellas that you can get on my website. There’s one for Vale Investigation that showcases Vale and Death’s first encounter. And another one for my Neve & Egan Cases series (cozy mysteries set in modern-day London).

Links:

Website | Twitter | Amazon

Thank you for coming back to Reviews and Interviews!

Thanks for having me.

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Interview with mystery novelist Cristelle Comby

I’m chatting with Cristelle Comby today about the newest in her Neve & Egan mystery series, Blind Chess.

As she does her virtual book tour, Cristelle will be awarding signed copies of all 4 books in the series to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Blind Chess is her fourth new-adult novel in the Neve & Egan series.

Welcome, Cristelle. Please tell us a little bit about Blind Chess.

It is supposed to be Neve and Egan. Two partners, a team. What happens when a member of this team of Private Investigators is shot, prognosis unknown?

As Alexandra Neve lays comatose and defenceless, Ashford Egan must take on their enemy alone, and find the cagiest criminal Scotland Yard has seen in decades. Determined to succeed, Egan will stop at nothing. He’ll hit on married women, plant bugs, hire hitmen. And he’ll do it all blind, which makes things ten times as difficult.

Double-crossed by friends, convinced there is corruption in those sworn to uphold the law, Egan is forced to form unlikely alliances as he moves forward in a game that requires skills, nerves of steel, and a willingness to play against all odds.

What inspired you to write this book?

Blind Chess is the direct continuation of the previous book, Danse Macabre, and the conclusion of a grand story-arc that begun in book one.

After being shot at the end of Danse Macabre, Neve lays in the hospital, comatose — prognosis unknown. It’s up to Egan to pick up the torch and go after the man who ordered the hit on his partner, alone. That’s a big step up for a man who, just a year ago was nothing more than a blind middle-aged History professor with a the most mundane and boring of lives.

Egan really shines in this book. He was a hollowed man before Neve came along. He had his uncomplicated life, with a carefully planned routine. Neve broke the walls he had built around himself and shook his life up-side-down. She gave him a chance to become someone better, something more. Everything led to this moment — Egan’s final trial. Blind Chess is the story I’ve been dying to tell since the beginning of the series.

Excerpt from Blind Chess:

There is something Dimitri isn’t telling me. It is there in his voice. Hidden behind the words, behind the constructs he is trying to project. He isn’t being honest, I am convinced of it. He has the means to get in touch with The Sorter, if he so wants, but that service won’t come for free.

‘You’re a merchant,’ I say.

‘Da,’ he replies. ‘I am.’

‘And you accept all kinds of currencies?’

‘Da.’

‘Well,’ I sigh, ‘what will it cost me?’

Dimitri chuckles again. There is a dark sincerity to the sound. ‘I like you, Ashford,’ he says. ‘I have always liked you. You’re blind, but you see more than most. You understand how life works and you accept it. You’re not of my world, but you fit right in.’

I grit my teeth in reply, waiting for the penny to drop.

I hear Dimitri snap his fingers and then footsteps coming closer—a man, judging by the sounds, tall and a little on the heavy side, according to his stride and the echo his boots make on the tiled floor.

‘Sir?’ the newcomer says. He sounds younger than Dimitri, closer to Lexa’s age, I would guess, and eager to please.

Dimitri addresses him in his mother tongue.

‘Yes, sir,’ the newcomer replies before turning on his heel and walking away at a brisk pace.

‘There is a certain something you could help me with,’ Dimitri tells me.

‘Anything,’ I say.

‘A man I have been doing business with has... how would you say... played me.’ He spits the words out as if they are distasteful. ‘He’s been missing since Monday.’

‘What did he do?’ I ask.

‘He ran away with my money.’

‘And?’

‘And I can’t find him. He’s hiding, but his wife is still in town.’

‘And you think she knows where to find him?’ I ask, guessing what I am being “hired” for.

‘Maybe, maybe not. Alas, she has connections and I have to be careful.’

‘Connections?’ I ask.

‘Her sister is police.’ Again he says the word as if it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. ‘My men are keeping an eye on her, making sure the husband doesn’t come for a visit, but that’s all we can do. We can’t be seen. I don’t want the cops to get near me. They are like bloodhounds once they have your scent.’

‘But,’ I say, ‘if someone who isn’t part of your organisation were to do the job and get caught by the dogs... it wouldn’t inconvenience you too much, would it?’

I can hear the smile in Dimitri’s reply. ‘No, it would not.’

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’ve just begun working on a new series. It’s going to be quite a change from the Neve & Egan cases… a new city, new characters, a new genre.

I’ve been living with the same characters for the past four years and I needed a break. Plus I’ve been dying to try my hand at some Urban Fantasy for awhile so that’s what I’m working on now.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I started working on an actual book. I’d done things before, essays for school, the odd poem here and there, some fanfiction… but I would never have dared label myself ‘a writer’ before I finished an actual book. Being a writer isn’t just about writing a story. It’s also editing it, proofreading, typesetting, publishing, advertising, and so much more.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

No, I have a day-job that pays the bills. But, I’m very fortunate to have found a company that has a real family feel to it – and I love it. We’re a small team, but we’re very close and good friends. And the job’s fun and interesting, albeit insane at times. Sadly, it doesn’t leave me much free-time to write, but that’s what holidays are for… right?

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I cannot, for the life of me, write out of order. I know a lot of writers who have zero problem with jumping about the story like mad-rabbits, but I can’t. I need to start the draft with the first word and work my way forward, one chapter at the time. When I edit, I also work in a very linear way.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An actress. I would have loved to do that. Play make believe; become someone else for a short while. I guess writing isn’t that different, it’s all about creating new universes and escaping reality.

Links:

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads 

Thanks, Cristelle!

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New interview with mystery writer Cristelle Comby

I’m happy to have mystery novelist Cristelle Comby back for a new interview. You can read the January 1 interview if you’d like. 

Today we’re focused on her newest mystery novel Danse Macabre (Book #3 of the Neve & Egan cases).

Cristelle is doing a virtual book tour with Goddess Fish Promotions and during the tour, she will be awarding a lucky winner with a signed copy of Danse Macabre. To be entered for a chance to win use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too. 

Bio: Writer, chocolate addict, overall nice girl!

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, Cristelle. Please tell us about your newest release.

Danse Macabre is the third installment in my ongoing series the Neve & Egan cases. In this new novel, private investigators Alexandra Neve and Ashford Egan take on their darkest case and come to grip with a serial killer.

What inspired you to write this book?

The ballet aspect, mostly; I’ve been wanting to do something with dancing for awhile. I also wanted to tackle a serial killer case. That makes for a very ying-yang concept, doesn’t it? Something beautiful, graceful on one side and some of the darkest, ugliest acts of violence on the other.

Excerpt from Danse Macabre:

I take a better look at the dancer facing us. He looks… fragile more than shy. He has bags under his eyes, his nails show the traces of nervous biting, and his clothes are ill-fitting. Lack of sleep, tension, weight loss. What is going on in Marc Jules’ life? What is he trying to hide from us? ‘That’s not all, is it?’ I lean forward, look at him square on. ‘There’s something you’re not telling us. It’s plain to see.’

The young man shrinks in on himself even more. ‘No… no, nothing. I told you everything I know. I have no idea where Isabella is. I swear.’ A thought strikes me, and I try another angle. ‘She obviously means something to you.’

The man’s eyes shift to the side as he focuses all of his attention on the half-empty lemonade glass sitting on the table. Gotcha!

‘You like her, yet you refuse to help us; it doesn’t make sense,’ I continue. ‘What would Isabella say if she could see you now?’

‘I don’t know anything,’ Marc protests with fervour.

‘Really?’

‘I’d tell you if I knew. I like her, she’s my friend. I want to find her too.’

‘Then stop lying to us,’ Egan says. ‘What are you not telling us?’

‘If what you’re saying is the truth, you would do well to stop keeping things from us. You’re slowing us down, Marc; you’re wasting our time,’

I continue, relentless. I can feel we’re close to breaking him, so very close. ‘Do you know how valuable time is, in a situation like this? Time is everything. Every second we’re wasting on you is taking us further away from Isabella.’

‘You’re letting her down, right now.’ Egan adds. ‘Maybe you’re not her friend after all.’

‘No — she’s my friend. I swear.’ Marc rushes the words out, tears welling up in his eyes.

‘She’s helped me when no one else would. I owe her so much.’

My eyebrows rise up at the words and I cock my head to the side, my expression expectant.

Marc bites down hard on his lip the second he finishes his sentence. He didn’t mean to reveal this much to us, but it’s too late now. The cat’s out of the bag. I soften my tone now that I’ve got what I wanted. ‘What do you mean, Marc? How did she help you?’

‘I don’t… she just…’ He stops himself, crosses his arms over his chest. ‘It’s nothing to do with any of this.’

‘Let us be the judges of that,’ Egan says. ‘If Isabella was involved, it could be relevant.’

‘It’ll stay between us,’ I promise. ‘We’re not the police, Marc. Whatever it is, no one else needs to know.’

The young man lets out a long breath as he uncrosses his arms. Defeated, he lets his hands hang limp in his lap.

What’s the next writing project?

The next book in the series, of course: Blind Chess. I have the first five or six chapters finished already, and I’m looking forward to my Christmas Holidays to get the next big chunk done. It picks up where this one ends.

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book?

Pace, always. I love my characters and give them a lot of attention -- I want people to understand why they do what they do. Sometime I can be a bit too wordy when dealing with their feelings and it slows things down. Keeping up the pace is what I focus on the most when editing. I also have to chase down adverbs with a battle axe.

Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?

I research before, while I plan the novel and work on the outline. I like to get all the “technical” parts done before I start writing the book. Then I can focus on the more “creative” aspect of the job.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.

I often write in bed, because my desk is a bit cramped up and not that comfortable. In the summer, when the weather allows for it, I sometimes go outside on the balcony. The where isn’t that important to me; what matters is that I’m comfortable and that the place is quiet so I can lose myself within my thoughts. The muse is shy; she doesn’t come by when there’s too much people around :).

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?

I don’t read that much within my genre; I like to try out other things. I’m really into Urban Fantasy at the moment; love me some Jim Butcher or Larry Correia. Brandon Sanderson’s new series, Reckoners, is pretty good too.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?

Just a big, fat thank you! I’ve been on a little cloud these past couple of weeks. I got some wonderful feedback on my book and couldn’t have been happier with how it’s been received. Thanks everyone! And thank you, Lisa, for having me back. 

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads  

It's been my please, Cristelle. Thank you for coming back to Reviews and Interviews!

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Interview with new adult mystery author Cristelle Comby

We’re starting off 2014 with new adult author Cristelle Comby. Her newest novel, Ruby Heart, the Neve & Egan Cases (Volume 2)

Cristelle will be awarding a signed paperback of Ruby Heart plus a signed copy of book 1, Russian Dolls, to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (US only) To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and leave comments there, too! 

Bio:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Ruby Heart is her second new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the Neve & Egan series.

Welcome, Cristelle. Please tell us about your current release.

It’s the second installment in my ongoing ‘Neve & Egan cases’ series. London: today’s time. Two PI have just opened their agency, clients are hard to find and bills keep piling up. They long for a real case and get it in the form of an elderly woman who's heirloom, a ruby heart necklace, is stolen for the second time in a period of sixty years.

Excerpt:

I close the lipstick, drop it in the door pocket, then look back at the rear-view mirror and check my blond wig one last time. ‘I wouldn’t want to be doing all this for nothing.’

Egan ignores my comment and asks, ‘What’s your plan?’

‘Well, Mrs Hayder said her husband has a type when it comes to women—’ I tug at the wig a little ‘—I’m doing my best to fit the description.’

‘Which is?’ he asks, and I don’t need to look at him to know he’s smiling.

‘Tall, blonde, sexy and exotic.’

‘Exotic?’ he asks.

I frown at my own reflexion. ‘I hope Italian will be exotic enough for him. I’m not sure I’m able to use any other accent convincingly.’

‘I’m looking forward to that part,’ Egan chuckles, tapping the little earpiece he’s wearing. ‘And you’re really certain he’ll want to have a drink with you?’

‘In this dress?’ I ask. ‘I assure you he most definitely will. I’m going to go all Monica Belluci on him — he won’t know what’s hit him.’

‘Monica Who?’ he asks.

‘She’s a well-known actress. She’s all curves and very popular with the male population… some of the females too.’

Egan chuckles as I open the door and step out.

‘Just don’t miss your cue,’ I say, closing the door behind me.

I walk the length of the car and cross the street. There’s a bar on the other side, snuggled in-between two large office buildings.

I wobble on my heels and have to force myself to take slow measured steps. Porca vacca, it’s easier to walk in a straight line after hitting your head against a wall, than when wearing ten-inch heels — trust me, I’ve tried it.

What inspired you to write this book?

I heard a song in German on the radio and it got me the idea about using Germany and WW2 as a sort of backdrop for this novel. The rest is all about Neve and Egan learning to work together, and trying to make it as PI.

What exciting story are you working on next?

The next title in the series, Danse Macabre. This one will be a bit darker; it’s coming up nicely.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The day I finished my first book.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I wish I could write full-time, but it’s not enough to pay the bills. I have a day-job in an office… for a company that design and installs kitchens and bathrooms. I’ve been with them for over 10 years now.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I have this thing with punctuality… I can’t stand to be late, so I’m always early everywhere.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I really wanted to become an actress. I studied stage acting, was in a few plays back in the days… Sadly my country doesn’t really have a movie industry. I’d have had to leave to follow that path.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Just wanted to say thank you for having me. And, if you read any of my books, please let me know what you thought of it: review.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Paperback | Kindle 

Thanks for kicking off the new year on my blog, Cristelle!

Virtual book blast stop for "Russian Dolls" by Cristelle Comby

Today is a virtual book blast stop for Russian Dolls by Cristelle Comby. 

She'll be awarding a lucky commentor with a signed copy of the novel during the tour. To be entered for a chance to win, leave an e-mail address with your comment below. And for more chances to win, visit other tour stops today and leave comments.

BLURB:

Alexandra Neve is a student at University College London whose world suddenly falls apart. When her best friend jumps from the university’s rooftop, she can’t stop herself from asking, ‘Why?’ The police rule her friend’s death a suicide and for them the case is closed — so whom can she turn to for help?

Sometimes the person you need the most is the one you least expect to find, and in this case it’s none other than Ashford Egan, a blind middle-aged history professor, who’s more willing than most to listen to what she has to say.

Neve and Egan are as different as they come. She’s restless, careless at times, and fearless when the need arises, while he’s almost the complete opposite: a deep thinker with an analytical mind, a highly rational and collected individual.

As they enter the violent world of the Russian mafia, they must overcome their differences and learn to work together. It’s their only chance if they want to survive.

EXCERPT:

Life, death. Two concepts, two words.

You don’t think about them unless you’re forced to. You take the first for granted and try to forget the second.

You get on with your life, worry about meaningless things and you simply stop thinking about death, even though you see it every day on the telly, in the papers you read.

So long as it’s happening to others, you continue to go on with this comforting lie that says it’s never going to happen to you. The Reaper won’t come anywhere near you — until the day he does.

It could be a car crash, it could be a stroke. Or it could be your best friend jumping from the rooftop of the university you both attend. And suddenly you remember that death is very real and there’s no way of knowing who is going to be called next. You’re forced to face the frailty of life and accept your own mortality.

My best friend recently passed away and I almost died twice myself in the past couple of weeks. My name is Alexandra Neve. I’m a student who used to live in a reassuring bubble. It burst, and now I finally see the world for what it truly is.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, somewhere between Geneva and Lausanne, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Russian Dolls is her first new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the series.

Find out more at www.cristelle-comby.com