Blog Tour: Russian Dolls by Cristelle Comby (Interview)


New Adult - Mystery&Detective
Date Published:3/13/2013

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.


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.
 www.cristelle-comby.com
twitter:            @Cristelle
facebook:        /cristelle.comby


Author Interview 

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

One of the main protagonist is blind, and, throughout this book, he discovers that he can be a good private detective nonetheless. This is a really important topic for me -- I wanted to show that even if Egan is blind, he has other strengths that more than make up for his blindness. Everyone has the potential to become extraordinary.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The first thing was the first-person POV seeing as it was a first for me. I’d always written in third-person before, but, after a little while, it comes to you very naturally. The other and major difficult point was Egan’s blindness. I tried hard to portray him in a realistic, respectful way. I knew from the get-go that it would be difficult -- it’s something that kept me on my toes all along.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
Russian Dolls is my first published novel. I have an epic post-apocalyptic fantasy novel stored in one of my desk’s drawer. It’s not quite finished yet, and I doubt it will ever see the light of day. So, unquestionably, Russian Dolls is my best work -- I have very strong feelings for my characters, and there are moments where I still can’t quite believe I’m the one who created them.

If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who
would you pick and why?

That would be a really difficult thing to do. They have faces in my head, and seeing them being portrayed by someone else would be very strange. I guess I wouldn’t mind having Jennifer Lawrence play Neve: she’s pretty much the right age and she has the right kind of look and attitude. Egan would be much more difficult to cast... I don’t know, maybe Mark Gatiss or Tony Curran?

When did you begin writing?
I’ve been writing since I was a kid. Stories and essay at school, then more serious stuff when I became an adult.

How long did it take to complete your first book?

The core of the writing -- getting a full-fledge completed draft -- took me about 4 months. Editing the manuscript took me the same time, and then some more. This is the one true lesson that writing my first novel taught me: editing is more difficult than writing.

Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

Not really. It was a mix of all the things I’ve read in my life. And this unstoppable need to bring my characters to life.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

The actual writing. When I’m alone at home, that everything is quiet and I just type, and see the story come to life in front of my eyes -- it’s magical.

Describe your latest book in 4 words.

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your
writing?

I’m working on book #2 of the ‘Neve & Egan cases’ right now. Ruby Heart picks up a few months after the end of Russian Dolls, and, in this one, Neve and Egan are looking for a stolen necklace. The first draft is complete and I’m soon going to start with revisions and edits. If everything goes well, it will be published before the end of 2013.


I will have a REVIEW later today! 

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1 Comments

  1. It doesn't seem to fit the YA or even New Adult mold. This sounds more adult. Are you going to review it?
    Gwynn
    http://gwynnethwhite.blogspot.com

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