Cristina LePort: A Meaningful Sum
Cristina LePort’s reading list
9 books mentioned in this interview
- Dissection
- Memory Man · David Baldacci
- Transplant · John Elefteriades, MD
- Body Double · Tess Gerritsen
- Atlas Shrugged · Ayn RandRecommended 9 times
- Les Misérables · Victor HugoRecommended 4 times
- The Name of the Rose · Umberto EcoRecommended 5 times
- Art of Fiction
- A Question of Belief · Donna Leon
Dr. Cristina LePort was born in Bologna, Italy. She attended medical school at the University of Bologna and then completed her medical training at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn and at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases and has been practicing medicine for more than thirty years. Cristina is also the Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Genescient, a biotech company devoted to genetic research on ageing and the amelioration of chronic diseases. Medicine and fiction are her twin passions, and she is absolutely thrilled to be able to share her medical thrillers with the world.
Enjoy our interview with Cristina LePort…
As a writer, can you talk us through your writing process? I’ve read that you like to write a plot before the characters – why is that?
I need to have a story in order to shape the characters. I need to enter a world I want to be in, to create characters I want to meet. My first plot outline is a combination of bullet phrases describing the events and snippets of dialogue as they occur to me while I’m brainstorming. Once I have at least the skeleton of my plot, including the possible climax and end, I get to work on the characters.
What is something about you that people might find surprising?
When I came to the USA at the age of 26, fresh out of medical school, I barely spoke English. I never expected that one day I would write novels in my second language, get an agent and a publisher, and endorsements by famous authors such as Lee Child and Tess Gerritsen.
What are you reading at the moment and what made you want to read it?
I like to read thrillers for fun and to learn new ways of improving my writing. At the moment I’m reading Memory Man by David Baldacci.
What inspired the idea behind your new book, Dissection?
One day I saw a commercial on TV about a medication used to treat heart attacks. A man opened a card while a voice said “Wouldn’t be nice if we got a notice when a heart attack is going to strike, so we can prevent it?” I thought that was a great idea for a medical thriller.
Where did the title Dissection come from?
A dissection is the name of the blood vessels’ injury at the center of the plot. It is the splitting of the wall of an artery.
What was the last book you purchased, and why did you buy it?
Transplant by John Elefteriades, MD. I am writing a sequel to Dissection; the novel will be another medical thriller about heart transplants and I wanted to see what other similar thrillers were on the market.
What are perfect reading conditions for you?
On a deserted beach, holding a drink with a little paper umbrella in it.
How does your medical career compare to your writing career? Are there any similarities or transferrable skills?
Several of the qualities defining a good doctor overlap with what makes a successful author of thrillers, such as the ability to “read” people, to conduct meticulous work in high-stakes situations, investigative talent, and the ability to integrate many clues into a meaningful sum.
What’s the best book you’ve read in the last 6 months?
Do you have a process for creating characters? Do you find yourself relating to certain types of characters more than others?
I derive my characters by combining elements from people I know in person or through books and media. I often relate to male characters better than females.
If an alien landed in your garden; which three books would you gift them to showcase humanity in the best possible way?
What is the book that you feel has had the single biggest impact on your life? What impact did it have?
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. It showed me the philosophy needed to live on Earth. It also opened the door to her non-fiction books, including the Art of Fiction, which got me started as a writer.
Your book, Dissection, has a political element to it, what sort of research did you have to do for that part of the story?
I did extensive research, mostly online, about the function of the government during emergencies, available defense weapons, the response to terrorism threats, FBI and police training and their work.
Which book sat on your shelf are you most excited about reading next and why?
A Question of Belief by Donna Leon. It is part of the Guido Brunetti series. I love the Italian background of this series. It is set in Venice and the characters, Inspector Brunetti and his family, are so exquisitely Italian, and their elaborate 3 courses lunches provide timeout during their gruesome murder investigations.
If you enjoyed this interview with Cristina LePort, be sure to pick up a copy of her book, Dissection, and follow her on Twitter.
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