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