Evil Embers by Cristelle Comby

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

After narrowly preventing the destruction of Cold City, PI Bellamy Vale needs a rest. Or rather, he needs a plain and simple vanilla case—no monsters or otherworldly creatures involved!

When foreign businessman Eli Smith shows up at his doorstep with a thick wallet and a request to find his missing sister, Vale doesn’t think twice before agreeing.

If he’d known body-hopping demons and smoke monsters came attached to this job, however, he might have.

Read an Excerpt

I started feeling eyes on me about two blocks up. I was hoping it was just one guy…and that it was the kind of guy I could win a fight against without losing all my teeth.

I turned off Maltese Street and into a familiar alley. The rusted-out dumpster was where it usually was, tall enough for me to hide behind in a crouch. I wished I had my knife with me. My gun might have been nice too, but too much noise would have put me back in Morgan’s crosshairs. I was going to have to wing it.

Another set of footsteps came into the alley. They slowed down as they got closer. I heard labored breathing on top of the steps, like the guy was running a mile to get me. In a voice so low it barely echoed off the walls, he muttered, “Where is he?”

That’s all I needed to hear. The moment the intruder got past the dumpster, I gave him a hip tackle that should have sent him into the opposite wall. But somehow, he managed to flip me around in mid-air and I was the one that hit the wall with a thud. I was still shaking my head clear when I saw a fist aimed right at my nose. I jerked my head to the side, making the attacker’s hand slam into the brick with a meaty slap. My right fist jabbed into his belly and side, working his body like a jackhammer.

I bucked my hips and used my left hand to help flip him over. But once again, he kept the flip going and I wound up on the bottom before I could blink. This time the fist struck, and my head went blank a couple of times as the blows hit home. I wrapped my hands around his arm as the third punch landed and applied pressure to the elbow. The strangled cry from my attacker’s mouth sounded familiar.

“Smith?” I asked in confusion, relaxing the pressure.

“Mr. Vale,” the shadowy figure said back, confirming my guess.

I released his arm, and we both got back on our feet, a bit unsteadily. Something about his gait told me he was a lot less steady than I was right then.

“I…I must apologize,” he said. “I was quite certain you were a robber of some sort.”

“A robber that doesn’t use a gun or a knife?” I asked. “In this city?”

He sighed. “Yes…upon reflection, that theory does seem rather foolish.”

I took the time to check myself over for any severe damage. Aside from new aches and pains, nothing was pressing. “What were you doing following me in the first place?”

“I was most interested to see if you had managed any progress on the leads we found.”

“So, instead of waiting at my place for me to come back, you stalk me across town to make sure I’m on the job?” I admit I was more than a little offended. Sure, I can be a bit devious when it comes to getting the money I need, but I’m enough of a professional to stick with a job until I either figure out that it’s not worth pursuing or I get paid.

It made me want to punch my client all over again.

About the Author:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, on the shores of Lake 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.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cristelle
Website: http://www.cristelle-comby.com
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Cristelle-Comby/e/B00EAWEODS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/CristelleComby
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Embers-Vale-Investigation-Book-ebook/dp/B07MD2Z7ZV/ref=sr_1_1

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Blind Chess by Cristelle Comby - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Cristelle Comby will be awarding all four books of the series, signed by the author (International Giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

If someone were writing a story about you, what would your blurb say?

There’s some family drama in the background. I had a difficult childhood and traumatic teenage years. I guess the blurb would rely heavily on that to entice readers to buy the book – never mind that my life is now perfectly normal and happy. I’m not sure that’s a book I’d like to read.

Would you tell us a little about your newest release that isn't in the blurb?

Well it’s the direct continuation of Danse Macabre, the third book in the series. It picks up where the other one left off. Alexandra Neve’s in the hospital, badly injured. Her life’s hanging on the thread. That leaves Ashford Egan on his own for the first time since the two of them started their PI company. He has a pretty good idea who tried to murder his friend, and he knows there’s probably a second bullet somewhere with his name on it. The only way they can both survive is for him to catch the man who ordered the hit… London’s most notorious criminal.

What was your favorite scene to write in this story?

The ending was sweet to write. The face/off with the Sorter was also a great fun to do.

If you could trade places with one of your characters, who would it be and why?

I wouldn’t mind being Dimitri. His life is never really in danger, and by the end of the book it looks like his trafficking business is really going to be booming. So yeah, I think he’s made a pretty sweet life for himself. Plus remember that he can get you an excellent caviar at a very low price – no custom fees applicable.

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.

Enjoy an excerpt:

A gentle wind is blowing, but it is too cold for the leaves to carry any scent. Seconds tick away, as I wait.

A few minutes before the half hour, I hear the whining of the Lantesks’ garage door and soon after the rumble of a car engine coming to life. Mrs Lantesk is on time to go to work.

Ten feet long the old woman had said of the gravel lane. It isn’t much and I count the seconds after I first hear the crunching of gravel under the car’s tyres. On three, I take a large step forward, bracing myself for the impact I know is coming.

An instant later, the front of Mrs Lantesk’s car hits me on my right side and I fly to the ground, instantly losing all sense of direction. Up is down, down is left and I am only certain of one thing.

I hurt.

Turns out, no matter how ready you are for it, no matter how much planning is involved, or how carefully you give in to the motion and roll to the floor to absorb as much of the momentum as possible... getting hit by a moving vehicle hurts.

The car comes to an abrupt halt an instant later, tyres screeching against the gravel. The engine dies and I hear the car door open. It is followed by a steady stream of feminine and high-pitched, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.’

Monica Lantesk must be wearing heels for I hear her feet tapping the pavement as she hurries towards where I lie sprawled.

‘Are you all right?’ she asks in between another chortle of oh-my-Gods.

I am, for the most part. I’m not seeing stars or anything and I take quick stock of the situation. Nothing seems broken; my glasses are missing, but I still have my cane in hand. I push myself up on one elbow and make a show of moving the cane about in what I hope is a dazed and confused manner. There is another wave of oh-my-Gods, as the woman realises I am blind and she starts to pat me awkwardly on the shoulder.

About the Author: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.

Website: http://cristelle-comby.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Cristelle
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cristelle-Comby/e/B00EAWEODS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1453461683&sr=1-1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CristelleComby

Buy the book at Amazon.

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Danse Macabre by Cristelle Comby - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter will receive a signed copy of Danse Macabre. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Cristelle has visited with us a couple of times before-- you can see her stops here Welcome back, Cristelle! Would you tell us a little about your newest release that isn't in the blurb?

The story is set a few weeks before Christmas, so private investigator Alexandra Neve trades her Converse sneakers for faux-fur boots, as she and her partner Ashford Egan are hired to find a missing ballerina. The dancer’s mother is certain her daughter wouldn't simply run away like the police have suggested and everything Neve and Egan manage to find suggest she may be right.

In the meantime, young girls keep turning up dead in East London and both investigators soon fear their missing ballerina could become the next victim if they don't find her fast enough.

What was your favorite scene to write in this story?

At some point, Neve and Egan find one of the missing girl’s body. It’s pretty gruesome crime scene and the aftermath of that discovery was delightful to write. I love writing big emotional scenes. The parts where Neve and Egan go down into the closed-off lines of the London Underground were pretty fun too.

If you could trade places with one of your characters, who would it be and why?

I wouldn’t mind being Neve for a couple of days. Her life is much more interesting than mine, and I’d love trying to solve one of her case. Although I’d chose a simpler case; one that is less life-threatening. Maybe following a cheating spouse, or spying on someone while wearing a disguise.

How did you create your characters, where do their personality traits come from?

I started by creating Neve. From the get-to, I knew I wanted her to be tough, but she had to have flaws too. I wanted her to be smart, but to make mistakes sometimes. I wanted her to be fierce and strong minded, to a fault and that would get her in trouble. I wanted her to be young so that she would still have a bit of a naivety to her, and the possibility of growing into one remarkably fierce woman.

Then I created someone who’d walk the streets with her. I wanted a man, but not a potential boyfriend. I wanted someone older, more mature. I thought Neve could be a student and the man could be one of her professors. But I didn’t want this to be too one-sided. If his role was to help her grow and reach her full potential, then I wanted her to be able to bring him something in return — and I didn’t want him to be a perfect, well rounded person either; he had to have flaws too. This was the point where I thought, why not make him blind, and ill-mannered, and closed-off? And so… Egan came to life.

As such Lexa could be his eyes, and he would be the ears. And because she’s so fierce and fiery, he would be the exact opposite and be cold and collected. That’s how I ended up with two co-protagonists who complement each other in a completely dissymmetrical way.

Private investigators Alexandra Neve and Ashford Egan are hired to succeed where the police have failed, to safely return home a missing ballerina. With no lead to pursue and no idea who could be behind the young woman’s kidnapping, they soon find themselves at a loss as to what to do.

To make matters worse, the heart of England seems to be caught in the middle of a little Ice Age. With snow endlessly falling and Tube lines either too cramped up to use or out of service, it is a pain to do any legwork in the huge metropolis.

Oh, and because trouble never comes alone, there may also be a serial killer on the loose in the streets of East London...

Enjoy an excerpt:

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.

About the Author: 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.

Danse Macabre is her third new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the Neve and Egan series.

Website: http://cristelle-comby.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Cristelle
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cristelle%20Comby&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CristelleComby

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Ruby Heart by Cristelle Comby - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. 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) Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

As a child, I loved jigsaws. Then I had this phase, where I wanted to be a magician, and I was obsessed with finding out how tricks works. I guess it’s no wonder I’ve been drawn to mysteries and detectives stories. I love a good mystery: solving the puzzle, finding out who did it and how.

What research (or world-building – for fantasy/paranormal/Sci-fi) is required?

It’s pretty straight forward actually. One of the biggest challenge for me is making my London look like the real London. Luckily, I’ve been there several times… and for the rest, there’s Google Maps ;)

The second challenge is the blindness of one of my main character. It’s a tough thing to write; it keeps me on my toes from the first page to the last.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

Patience. You better have the stuff in stock when you’re on a tough case to crack, or when you’re a writer planning her next story.

Any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I have found that I cannot write out of order. I know some people can write one scene here and one scene there, and, at the end, somehow patch it all up together. I just can’t. I have to start from the beginning and always move forward.

Plotter or pantser?

I plan everything carefully, spend a long time working on my outline. I find it’s the most efficient way to avoid the blank page monster.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A large window. The blinds are half-open to let the sun in, without it blinding me.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I’m working on the next title in the Neve & Egan series, Danse Macabre. It will be available later this year. I’m actually taking a break from writing the last chapter to do this interview ;). Then there will be the epilogue left, and a few months of editing.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What did you think of the story? What did you like, or not like? I love getting feedback; it’s so helpful. Please write down a review or send me an email, or a tweet to let me know what you thought of it.

About the Author:

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.

Website: http://cristelle-comby.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cristelle.comby
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Cristelle,br> Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cristelle%20Comby&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CristelleComby

When elderly client Doris Hargrave informs private investigator Alexandra Neve that her beloved antique ruby heart necklace has gone missing for the second time in a period of over sixty years, Alexandra knows this is no ordinary jewellery theft. The ruby heart is a family heirloom and the only thing that connects an ailing Mrs. Hargrave to her parents, who were murdered during the Holocaust.

To solve the case, Alexandra and her business partner, blind history professor Ashford Egan, must sift through obscure Holocaust documents to find out the truth. It’s that way that they learn of a secret World War II-era love affair which could hold the key to all the answers they are looking for. Meanwhile, Egan is under immense pressure from the university to quit his private investigating business, and Alexandra is afraid that a man she trusts will leave her. Again.

When Alexandra begins to receive anonymous threats and her flat is vandalised, this all becomes personal. Knowing that there is someone out there to hurt her, Alexandra vows to find that elusive ruby heart if it’s the last thing she ever does.

Buy the book at Amazon.

Russian Dolls by Cristelle Comby - Virtual Tour and Giveaway

Today we're spotlighting Cristelle Comby on her tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for the New Adult mystery, "Russian Dolls".

Cristelle will be awarding an autographed print copy of Russian Dolls to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so comment today AND follow her tour (if you click on the banner above, it'll take you to a list of tour stops)! The more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win a really cool prize!

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.

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.

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