Sylvain Reynard's Blog, page 36
June 1, 2012
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
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
May 29, 2012
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
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
May 26, 2012
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
"Gabriel's Inferno" on Sale for $2.99
Dear Everyone,
"Gabriel's Inferno" is on sale for $2.99 in the Amazon.com Kindle store.
http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Infern...
This is a temporary sale.
All the best and thank you for your support,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
"Gabriel's Inferno" is on sale for $2.99 in the Amazon.com Kindle store.
http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Infern...
This is a temporary sale.
All the best and thank you for your support,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
May 22, 2012
Dear Everyone,
I'm pleased to report that "Gabriel's R...
Dear Everyone,
I'm pleased to report that "Gabriel's Rapture" is now available.
It's available for Kindle on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Rapture-Inferno-Series-ebook/dp/B00851LAKK/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1337696162&sr=8-23
(NB. You can download a sample to your Kindle to read before you buy)
It's available in paperback on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Rapture-Sylvain-Reynard/dp/1936305526/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1337696199&sr=1-1-catcorr
It's available for Nook on Barnes&Noble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/gabriel-s-rapture?keyword=gabriel%27s+rapture&store=ebook
It's available as an e-book on Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00851LAKK/novelrank-21#customerReviews
Other international Amazon sites should have the book available later on today. It's up to each individual site to decide when to put the paperback and ebook up for sale. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook for more updates.
I want to thank K for designing my new website. I hope you like it.
All the best and I hope you enjoy the story,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
I'm pleased to report that "Gabriel's Rapture" is now available.
It's available for Kindle on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Rapture-Inferno-Series-ebook/dp/B00851LAKK/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1337696162&sr=8-23
(NB. You can download a sample to your Kindle to read before you buy)
It's available in paperback on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Rapture-Sylvain-Reynard/dp/1936305526/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1337696199&sr=1-1-catcorr
It's available for Nook on Barnes&Noble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/gabriel-s-rapture?keyword=gabriel%27s+rapture&store=ebook
It's available as an e-book on Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00851LAKK/novelrank-21#customerReviews
Other international Amazon sites should have the book available later on today. It's up to each individual site to decide when to put the paperback and ebook up for sale. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook for more updates.
I want to thank K for designing my new website. I hope you like it.
All the best and I hope you enjoy the story,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
May 17, 2012
Dear Everyone,
I'm pleased to report that "Gabriel's R...
Dear Everyone,
I'm pleased to report that "Gabriel's Rapture" is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Rapture-Sylvain-Reynard/dp/1936305526/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1337272508&sr=8-4
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
PS. The e-book and paperback will go on sale on Barnes and Noble.com, Omnific Publishing, and Amazon sites worldwide on 22 May 2012.
I'm pleased to report that "Gabriel's Rapture" is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Rapture-Sylvain-Reynard/dp/1936305526/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1337272508&sr=8-4
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
PS. The e-book and paperback will go on sale on Barnes and Noble.com, Omnific Publishing, and Amazon sites worldwide on 22 May 2012.
May 10, 2012
"Gabriel's Rapture" Giveaway
I'm giving away 5 copies of "Gabriel's Rapture" through the Goodreads Giveaway contest.
Contest is open worldwide (regardless of countries listed), so please enter and tell your friends to enter, too.
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Good Luck,
SR
Contest is open worldwide (regardless of countries listed), so please enter and tell your friends to enter, too.
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Good Luck,
SR
May 8, 2012
Sequel Cover and Release Date
Dear Everyone,
I've posted a copy of the cover of the sequel to "Gabriel's Inferno" and announced the release date.
You can read more here: http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2012/05...
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
I've posted a copy of the cover of the sequel to "Gabriel's Inferno" and announced the release date.
You can read more here: http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2012/05...
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
Sequel to "Gabriel's Inferno" - Revealed and Release Date
Dear Everyone,
I'm pleased to reveal the title and cover of the sequel to Gabriel's Inferno.
Gabriel's Rapture will be released on 22 May 2012. It will be available in both e-book and paperback formats from Amazon sites around the world, Barnes and Noble.com, and my publisher, etc. It should also be available on Chapters.ca and in the Kobo e-book store.
Gabriel's Inferno (ebook) is on sale on Amazon.com for $4.99. It's available for $6.99 on BarnesandNoble.com and for $5.59 (Canadian) in the Kobo store.
We'll be posting a Giveaway on Goodreads that you can enter to win a copy of Gabriel's Rapture.
I'll also be announcing the contest on Facebook and Twitter.
I hope you like the cover as much as I do. This sequel is for you, my readers.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
http://www.sylvainreynard.com/
I'm pleased to reveal the title and cover of the sequel to Gabriel's Inferno.
Gabriel's Rapture will be released on 22 May 2012. It will be available in both e-book and paperback formats from Amazon sites around the world, Barnes and Noble.com, and my publisher, etc. It should also be available on Chapters.ca and in the Kobo e-book store.
Gabriel's Inferno (ebook) is on sale on Amazon.com for $4.99. It's available for $6.99 on BarnesandNoble.com and for $5.59 (Canadian) in the Kobo store.
We'll be posting a Giveaway on Goodreads that you can enter to win a copy of Gabriel's Rapture.
I'll also be announcing the contest on Facebook and Twitter.
I hope you like the cover as much as I do. This sequel is for you, my readers.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
http://www.sylvainreynard.com/
May 5, 2012
"Gabriel's Inferno" On Sale
The e-book of "Gabriel's Inferno" is on sale for $4.99 on Amazon. (6.99 on Barnes and Noble.com)
http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Infern...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gabri...
Kobo readers can purchase the ebook for 5.59 here: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Gabrie...
Many of you have told me that you've purchased e-books for yourself, for your Mother, for your sister, etc. If a friend of yours was thinking about buying a copy, now he/she can do so at a reduced price.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
PS. I'll be posting something special on my website on Teaser Tuesday.
http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Infern...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gabri...
Kobo readers can purchase the ebook for 5.59 here: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Gabrie...
Many of you have told me that you've purchased e-books for yourself, for your Mother, for your sister, etc. If a friend of yours was thinking about buying a copy, now he/she can do so at a reduced price.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
PS. I'll be posting something special on my website on Teaser Tuesday.
