Sylvain Reynard's Blog, page 35

New York Times Bestseller List

Dear Everyone,



Allow me to begin this new post by thanking you. Thank you for reading and for supporting my writing.  Thank you for telling your friends and family about these stories.  And thank you for your support of the organizations and charities that are important to me. Your generosity and good will is much appreciated.



I'm pleased to report that my first novel, "Gabriel's Inferno," is #35 on the New York Times Bestsellers List, (Ebook/Fiction).



I am also pleased to report that both books, "Gabriel's Inferno" and "Gabriel's Rapture," will be published by Berkley Publishing, a division of Penguin.  E-book versions of both novels will go on sale this week under the Berkley imprint, with trade paperbacks to follow in the coming months. I anticipate that audiobooks and translations of these volumes will be forthcoming.



Under Berkley, both titles will receive wider distribution, especially in bookstores around the world. This will provide easier access to current and future readers.  I enjoy interacting with readers from around the world and am eager for you to be able to read these books in your own language.



There is no author without readers. So once again, please accept my gratitude and my recognition that these events are occasioned by you and your support.



All the best,



SR





www.sylvainreynard.com



PS. Look who else is a Penguin author.

Dear Everyone,Because of your support, "Gabriel's Inf...

Dear Everyone,



Because of your support, "Gabriel's Inferno" is #101 on the USAToday Bestselling list and "Gabriel's Rapture" is #136.  Thank you.



I enjoy hearing from readers, especially about their work with various charities. Recently, a reader shared with me the fact that her choir was raising money for the Kinamba Project.  The Kinamba project is a primary school for children in Rwanda who cannot afford to school. Relying on donations, they provide everything necessary for the children, including food. Some of the children receive their primary nutrition from the school, because their families are in poverty.  Some of the children are suffering with HIV/Aids.



This project is an attempt to provide aid and education in a country that was torn apart by genocide. You can find out more about Kinamba on their website. Please consider giving.



Another reader contacted me about a fundraiser she is involved in for To Write Love On her Arms.  This organization provides support to those suffering from depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.  They also provide financial support for medical care and treatment.  The organization began with this story. 



In addition to the poetry of the story, I was struck by the contrast behind the desperation of a woman writing hateful things about her self on her own skin, versus the act of writing words of love on those same arms.  Replace the self-loathing with love. Please consider giving.



All the best, everyone, and thank you for your continued support,





SR





www.sylvainreynard.com

Exciting news!

Exciting news!


If you're not following SR on Twitter (why not!) I'll share it here...

@sylvainreynard If you've written to me to ask for a third book about the Professor, I'm listening. (And I might have begun to write ... )

I hear you squee'ing!





A few other points that have been emailed to me and I wanted to address them all at once!



**


Bookmarks, bookplates, autographed books, oh, my!


REVIEWS: If you leave a review on either Amazon, BN, Powell's, Chapters, etc.



PLEASE email me the link to the review and your mailing address and I'll send you a bookmark for whichever book you've reviewed!










Many people are discussing SR's novels as being must-reads on their Summer Reading Lists! If you see someone (anyone, whether celeb, friend or co-worker) looking for recommendations on Twitter, Facebook, the hair salon or even next to you on a beach towel, perhaps you'll recommend Gabriel's Inferno or Gabriel's Rapture?




If you do, let me know! Email Enn







**




Bookplates or autographed books




If you own a paperback copy and are interested in a bookplate , email me with your name & mailing address. *FYI, this is the most affordable method as the international shipping envelopes are apparently expensive. Email Enn




If you want the actual BOOK autographed, follow these instructions




Don't forget! There is always the Kindlegraph!










New Social Media locations for SR/Novels, etc.


We're working on a lot of fun giveaways with The Professor, if interested, please follow the fan pages/sites below and/SR's twitter account



The first one...



Take The Professor on Vacation :)





If you take The Professor on your Summer Vacation, either send us a picture of the book/kindle/nook, etc. or upload it to FB or Twitter and 'tag' SR so we see it!




















GI/GR Series Facebook Fan Page

GI/GR Series Twitter Account

SR's Facebook Fan Page




xoxo

Enn



Enn@omnificpublishing.com





Twitter: @Ennbocci

Exciting news! If you're not following SR on Twitter ...

Exciting news!


If you're not following SR on Twitter (why not!) I'll share it here...

@sylvainreynard If you've written to me to ask for a third book about the Professor, I'm listening. (And I might have begun to write ... )

I hear you squee'ing!





A few other points that have been emailed to me and I wanted to address them all at once!



**


Bookmarks, bookplates, autographed books, oh, my!


REVIEWS: If you leave a review on either Amazon, BN, Powell's, Chapters, etc.



PLEASE email me the link to the review and your mailing address and I'll send you a bookmark for whichever book you've reviewed!










Many people are discussing SR's novels as being must-reads on their Summer Reading Lists! If you see someone (anyone, whether celeb, friend or co-worker) looking for recommendations on Twitter, Facebook, the hair salon or even next to you on a beach towel, perhaps you'll recommend Gabriel's Inferno or Gabriel's Rapture?




If you do, let me know! Email Enn







**




Bookplates or autographed books




If you own a paperback copy and are interested in a bookplate , email me with your name & mailing address. *FYI, this is the most affordable method as the international shipping envelopes are apparently expensive. Email Enn




If you want the actual BOOK autographed, follow these instructions




Don't forget! There is always the Kindlegraph!










New Social Media locations for SR/Novels, etc.


We're working on a lot of fun giveaways with The Professor, if interested, please follow the fan pages/sites below and/SR's twitter account



The first one...



Take The Professor on Vacation :)





If you take The Professor on your Summer Vacation, either send us a picture of the book/kindle/nook, etc. or upload it to FB or Twitter and 'tag' SR so we see it!




















GI/GR Series Facebook Fan Page

GI/GR Series Twitter Account

SR's Facebook Fan Page




xoxo

Enn



Enn@omnificpublishing.com





Twitter: @Ennbocci

Interview with Sylvain Reynard - Part V

Dear Everyone,



Since "Gabriel's Inferno" and "Gabriel's Rapture" entered USA Today's Bestseller list last week, they've each been afforded a page on the USA Today website.



Here's the link for a description and reviews of "Inferno:"  http://books.usatoday.com/book/sylvain-reynard-gabriels-inferno/l47145



Here's the link for a description and reviews of "Rapture:"  http://books.usatoday.com/book/sylvain-reynard-gabriels-rapture/l47258





What follows is the fifth and final instalment of my interview with Serendipitous, a long time reader. Her words are in bold below:

























You’ve
posted teasers for "Gabriel's Rapture" on several blogs, including your own.  Is
there any other information you can give us about it?




 “Gabriel’s
Rapture” was released 22 May 2012. Here is the summary: 




Professor
Gabriel Emerson has embarked on a passionate, yet clandestine affair with his
former student, Julia Mitchell.




Sequestered
on a romantic holiday in Italy, he tutors her in the sensual delights of the
body and the rapture of sex. But when they return, their happiness is
threatened by conspiring students, academic politics, and a jealous ex-lover.




When
Gabriel is confronted by the university administration, will he be forced to
share Dante’s fate? Or will he fight to keep Julia, his Beatrice, forever?







Since
the publication of “Gabriel’s Inferno,” you’ve been actively advocating on
behalf of charitable work.  You promote different charities on Twitter
every day, and you encourage your readers to volunteer or otherwise
donate.  What inspired you to promote these good causes?




Several causes are charities I’ve supported for years. Some of them are
newer charities that I was introduced to through my readers. In all cases, my
goal is simply to encourage charitable giving and volunteerism and to encourage
my readers to do the same through their social media accounts. Working together we can make a difference.










And now for something
completely different: a short list of your favorites...




Season?  Fall

Holiday?  Christmas

Pair of shoes?  Black,
made by Florentines

Movie?  I
think today it’s “Casablanca.”

Quote/saying?  Angelfucker.

Time of day?  Morning.

Snack?  Pain
au chocolat

Sport/recreational pastime?  Hockey.




I'd like to thank Serendipitous once again for conducting the interview. It was a pleasure.




For my Canadian readers, I should mention that "Gabriel's Rapture" is now available on Amazon.ca and Chapters.ca.




Also, a group of readers have put together a Twitter account for readers to share information, photos, music, art, etc., related to the books. You can find them here.




Thank you for your continued support and for telling your friends and family about the novels. I truly appreciate it.  All the best,




SR




www.sylvainreynard.com

Interview with Sylvain Reynard - Part IV

Dear Everyone,



I'm pleased to announce that both of my novels have been included in the USA Today's Best-selling Books list of 7 June 2012 (representing combined print and e-book formats).  "Gabriel's Inferno" is ranked #108 and "Gabriel's Rapture" is ranked #113.  This week, "Gabriel's Rapture" earned the #2 spot on the Brisbane Courier Mail's Best-selling list of e-books, up from #4 last week. Thank you, everyone, for reading and recommending my stories.  Thanks to you, I'm receiving messages from people all around the world and I'm very grateful to you all.



I have a favour to ask you, however. If you are on social media, will you join with me in trying to raise awareness about the many charities, causes and organizations around the world that are working tirelessly to make the world a better place? I have a few that I support and I'm sure you do as well. Together, we can spread the news of their good works and their needs to a wider audience. Thank you.





What follows is the next instalment of my interview with Serendipitous, a long time reader.  Her remarks are in bold.






Julia is a woman of some
contradiction.  She has insecurities and low self-esteem, though her
innate charity never wavers.  And there are times when she stands up to
Gabriel, for her own sake as well as his.  What are they key qualities you
thought were necessary for the woman who would pierce Gabriel’s hard exterior?




I envisioned Julia as having
the character qualities that would inspire someone to love her. I pictured her
as being gentle and kind, giving and loyal, and having the intestinal fortitude
to protect herself.




Gabriel and Julia spend a
lot of time in bed together before they become fully intimate.  It seems
easier for them to speak from the heart when they share a bed innocently, and
allows them to have some very necessary conversations as their story
progresses.  Do you think sex would have ruined their early, fragile
relationship - or at least, got in the way?




Gabriel needed to woo Julia, especially after he’d
treated her so badly.  She didn’t
trust him, although she certainly cared for him.  If they’d had sex immediately, it would have short-circuited
the strides he needed to make in order to repair his relationship with her and
she would have assumed he wanted from her what he wanted with all the other
women he’d slept with.







He won her love, but winning her trust was a whole different matter.
Gabriel seemed to understand that once they grew closer. And he had to work
hard at it. I think it was part of his journey.




It must be difficult to
maintain a consistent tone when you’re writing a book.  Your mood and
inspiration can be different each time you resume your work (unless you’re able
to write it all in one sitting...).  Do you find it challenging to slip
back into a particular frame of mind when you write?




It can be challenging, but since the character of the
Professor is so strong I find it easy to write him. I can hear his reactions
and my head (which is slightly disturbing).




Quite a few readers would gladly take your place if it means
having the Professor around all the time!




Can I quote you on that? He’s quite the annoying
neighbour and is constantly borrowing milk.




The final chapter, set in
Florence, is exquisite.  You’ve often said you love the city, and you
showed your readers its extraordinary beauty through the couple’s eyes.
 Are there other reasons you chose this location?  It seems significant
that Gabriel and Julia became intimate in a place that’s far removed from the highly
charged atmosphere of the university.




To me, Florence is the epitome of a beautiful city.
There are fantastic restaurants, magnificent vistas and a large treasure trove
of Renaissance art. 




What would you like your
readers to take away from reading “Gabriel’s Inferno?”




The central idea is that redemption is possible even
for two broken people.




I'd like to thank Serendipitous once again for interviewing me and agreeing to share our questions and answers with you. I'll be posting the final instalment of our conversation on Tuesday.




All the best and enjoy your weekend,




SR




www.sylvainreynard.com

Interview with Sylvain Reynard - Part III

Dear Everyone,



Thank you for your continued support of me and my writing. I'm pleased to say that Heather Huffman and I are in talks about co-authoring a romantic comedy whose royalties would be donated to charity.  More details will be forthcoming. If you haven't read Heather's novel, "Throwaway," please do. Not only is it a compelling and redemptive read, Heather donates a portion of her royalties to combat human trafficking. I'm honoured to be able to work with her on a project that will continue to support those efforts.





What follows is the third instalment of my interview with Serendipitous, a long time reader. Her words are in bold:





















There are many references
to art, literature and music throughout “Gabriel’s Inferno.” Did these works
inspire the scenes you wrote? Or did the writing come first, to be complemented
by art?




In some cases, the artistic elements were part of my
original idea. The works of Botticelli and Holiday’s painting of Dante and
Beatrice were part of my outline. 
As the story progressed, pieces of music and literature were added in
order to illustrate a point or to signal something to the reader.




You created your characters
with a very sure eye. Their mistakes, their failures, and their victories are
perfectly in line with what we come to know about them.  How much
character development was done before you began writing? Was it challenging to
adjust when they took an abrupt turn from what you’d planned?   




When I began the story, I
outlined the arc of the narrative from beginning to end. But the way in which
the characters interacted and the things they said emerged through successive
drafts. The character of Professor Singer, for example, wasn’t in my original
outline. But when I envisioned Professor Emerson’s public lecture, I saw her
sitting in the audience and I knew they would have a history.







I can’t imagine the story without her.  She’s vile, but she plays
a certain role in the progression of Julia and Gabriel’s relationship. 
Gabriel is rather vague when Julia questions him on what happened with
Professor Singer. Did you prefer leaving it to the reader’s imagination?




Yes. The reader can decide
for his or herself what happened between Gabriel and Singer.  For Gabriel, those encounters were
self-destructive and desperate and that wasn’t a place I wanted to go within
the context of the narrative.




Paul treats Julia with
kindness from the start, and he makes it clear he’d like to be more than a
friend. But Julia’s heart knows only one direction, and it leads to Gabriel:
 someone who acts remote, cold, and even cruel to her on occasion.  Do
nice guys finish last, even if they’re Virgil?




I don’t think nice guys ever finish last, including
Virgil.  If someone is good, he is
rewarded by being good. No amount of failed relationships or unrequited love
can ever diminish that.  Certainly, the historical Virgil didn't finish last. He spends eternity in the Vestibule with Homer and Ovid.
(Parenthetically it should be noted that readers shouldn’t give up on Paul so
quickly. There is much more in store for him in the sequel)







It’s good to hear that, because Paul deserves happiness and someone who
truly appreciates everything he has to offer.  Thanks for
the little glimpse into the next book! 




I'll be posting more from our interview soon.





All the best and thanks for reading,





SR



www.sylvainreynard.com

Interview with Sylvain Reynard - Part II

Dear Everyone,



What follows is part II of my interview with Serendipitous, a long-time reader. Her words are in bold.

There is a lot of humor in
“Gabriel’s Inferno:” professors possibly collecting shrunken heads of graduate
students; Gabriel wishing he had a camera to record Julia so he could twitch in
private; Gabriel coining the term “Angelfucker.”  It lightens up what is
often an emotional, dark story. How important is humor to you and your writing?





Humour is very important to me and, I think, also to
my readers.  The story could have
been very dark without the use of the narrator and his snarky asides, or the
quirkiness of several characters. 
The humour is also meant to communicate to the reader that the Professor
takes himself too seriously.




Gabriel and his Beatrice
started out in their own dark woods at a time when he’d “lost the path that
does not stray.”  What is it about Dante and his works that inspired you
to tie Gabriel and Julia’s story to them?  




In La Vita Nuova Dante makes it clear that he
admires Beatrice from afar, apart from few brief encounters. I’d always
wondered what it would be like if the story was reversed – if Beatrice admired
Dante from afar. Worse still, I wondered what it would be like if Dante was
oblivious to her existence.




I’ve wanted to ask you
about Chapter 14 of “Gabriel’s Inferno” for a very long time. So much of the
subsequent story hinges on its events because of what is revealed.  But
what affected me the most is how Julia finds her voice with Gabriel.
 Everything she held inside herself for six years breaks wide open.
 It was enormously satisfying to read it.  How did it feel to write
it?




I enjoyed writing it immensely. Julia is not a
doormat. She chooses her battles very, very carefully, and in this case, she
decided to tell him what she thought of him. It was very satisfying to write
it.




In general, is it easy or difficult for you to write anger? Do you have
a “favorite” emotion to write?




Anger is enjoyable to write
because it provides opportunity to let the character’s inner musings fly. It
also provides an opportunity for humour.







I'll be posting more of my interview with Serendipitous next week. Thank you, Serendipitous, for the opportunity to speak with you about my writing. And thank you for reading.




If you haven't discovered the website Goodreads yet, you might want to look at it. It's a great resource for finding new and interesting books and for interacting with authors and other readers.




All the best,







SR




www.sylvainreynard.com

Interview with Sylvain Reynard

Dear Everyone,



Recently, I had the pleasure of exchanging emails with Serendipitous, a long-time reader.  She asked if she could interview me and we agreed that we'd post our exchange in a series here on my website.  What follows are Serendipitious's questions in bold and my answers in italics.








Gabriel Emerson is a
complicated man: brilliant, demanding, tightly controlled, and secretive. I’m
curious about the changes we see in him during the course of the story.
 Was he truly transformed by his journey? Or did it reawaken an essential goodness
that had been subsumed by the dark parts of his life?




I think it was a little of
both. On the one hand, he wanted something more and better out of his life. On
the other, he needed motivation and a goal to help him change.  The loss of Grace, although it happens
off stage, affects several of the characters. Her death reminds Gabriel of his
own mortality.







 I think Grace’s memory also moved him to be kinder to Julia, even
before he realized who Julia is.  Glimpses of Gabriel’s inner qualities –
generosity, the desire to share knowledge and inspire students, even tenderness
– allow the reader to see he isn’t as corrosive as he appears at first
glance.  Is Gabriel’s arrogant behavior also a defense mechanism? Perhaps
he’s protecting himself from being vulnerable.







Gabriel’s arrogance could be
a defense mechanism, but it’s also related to his pride. He’s accomplished a
lot in his short life and he’s proud of himself. When he believes he isn’t
being given the honour that should be due to him, he lets people know it.







Julia undoes Gabriel at
almost every turn, starting with that first day in his seminar.  In
response, he treats her in a condescending manner and explicitly provokes her.
 Maybe it’s because he’s unaccustomed to falling in love and he can’t
abide the loss of control.  I’ve also wondered if he made a choice, in line
with his own moral code, to alienate her so he doesn’t corrupt her.  Your
thoughts?  




Gabriel's deepest flaws are his arrogance and pride. "Gabriel's Inferno" begins with him asking Julia a question and because she’s so wrapped up in taking
notes, she doesn’t hear it. He thinks she’s ignoring him and immediately takes
offense.   So his first
impression of her is that she doesn’t take him seriously, and that pricks his
pride. A comedy of errors occurs with the note she left him and of course, he
becomes even more enraged. This sets the stage for their future interactions.




 It seems that wounded pride would be a big issue for Gabriel – and it
would make him rather prickly. Does this keep him from acknowledging his
growing affection for Julia?  He sends her mixed messages in the earlier chapters.




I
think that’s correct – his pride is wounded and he’s also cognizant of his own
failures. He doesn’t think he’s deserving of happiness, for example...






I'd like to thank Serendipitous for interviewing me and for agreeing to share our conversation with you.  I'll be posting more questions and answers in the days to come.



All the best and thanks for reading,





SR





www.sylvainreynard.com

Extra Credit from The Professor

Hi all,  Enn here, SR's Publicist.




I come with an announcement and some prizes...




In case you didn't see, Gabriel's Inferno (Kindle copy)  is on sale this weekend for only $2.99!






Here's the contest. 
Follow the directions within the Rafflecopter and potentially win great prizes.




All while introducing your friends to The Professor.






On FB or Twitter, post-it note, carrier pigeon, sky-writing, etc. It doesn't matter as long as you share it and include a little blurb, a passionate sentence or two about why you love Gabriel's Inferno so much.











Then you email me with a link to your post, or to your tweet, or blog, take a photo of the sky where you've written out I <3 Professor Emerson, or if you've drawn your love for Gabriel in ink on your arm, take a photo of that and send it to me 




Enn@omnificpublishing.com 




Any questions email me,  :)




Good luck!!!




Enn

a Rafflecopter giveaway