Sylvain Reynard's Blog, page 42
September 21, 2011
Today's Blog Tour
(Parenthetically, it should be asked what is better than a book and a kiss?)
You can enter to win a copy of "Gabriel's Inferno." Don't forget that you can enter the giveaways at each stop of the blog tour, giving you (and your friends) multiple chances to win.
Thank you and Good luck!
SR
Measuring ...
I enjoy the website known as Goodreads. Through it, I've discovered many books I wouldn't have encountered otherwise. The site also allows me to tell others what I'm reading.
At the moment, I'm re-reading "Measure for Measure" by William Shakespeare. You can download this for your Kindle for $0.99 or you can read it online through MIT. The title of the play seems to be a reference to a passage in Scripture, the Gospel according to St. Matthew 7:2,
"For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."
This passage raises all sorts of interesting questions, as does the play. But what I'm interested in is in the way Shakespeare presents the contrast between a person's reputation (good or bad) and the person's character. Who are the villains and who are the heroes and heroines of the play? What sort of message does Shakespeare communicate about how we judge our neighbours and ourselves?
I don't promise to have answers to these questions but if you'd like to join the conversation you can do so on Twitter. I've recently finished Act II of the play and I welcome comments and discussion.
When I was writing "Gabriel's Inferno" I was thinking about the contrast between the way a person is perceived and that person's interior life. (Think about the Professor as he appears in Chapter 1 versus how he is presented in Chapter 2) Did his reaction to the telephone call change your perception of him?
I was also interested in the reactions readers would have to his behaviour in those two chapters, in contrast with the reactions of the other characters. Did Julia's response surprise you?
If you're interested in human behaviour, watch people and read literature. Both activities are tremendous well springs of information and insights into humanity.
I should mention that if you haven't had a chance to read "Gabriel's Inferno" and would like to, or would like a friend to read it, you can enter multiple giveaways during my book blog web tour.
Skyla11377 is offering a copy here.
Hanging with Bells! is offering a copy here.
Reading with Bakin_ Goddess is offering a copy here.
Books 'n Kisses is offering a copy here.
There will be giveaways each day of the tour. I'll be announcing them on Twitter and Facebook.
Many thanks to each of the blogs for reviewing my book and to KLB events for organizing the blog tour.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR.
www.sylvainreynard.com
September 19, 2011
Book Blog Tour & Giveaways
Today begins my 15 day blog tour. There will be contests and giveaways at each stop - so if you or a friend haven't had a chance to read "Gabriel's Inferno," now is your chance to enter to win a copy.
Today's blog belongs to Skyla: http://skyla11377.blogspot.com/
Thank you and good luck!
All the best,
SR
September 13, 2011
St. Francis, Paperbacks and Road Trips
Dear Everyone,Recently, I had the pleasure of writing a guest post for Miss Tamie of The Book Hookup, on the subject of Muses. You can read the post and see the artwork I included here.
Last week, I mentioned a Book Club that put together a list of refreshments to accompany each chapter of "Gabriel's Inferno."
These week, I want to mention a reader who took her copy of my novel to Assisi. You can see the photographs she shared with me above.
Assisi is a special city to me and to many other people. It was the home of St. Francis and today, it houses the great Basilica, in which he is buried. You can view a short video of the crypt here.
St. Francis was not only a generous and holy man, he was very wise. He had compassion for the sick, generosity for the poor, a respect for nature and an affection for animals. You can read more about his life and what Dante thought about him here. Perhaps one of his best known writings is his prayer of peace:
"Lord make me
an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, Joy.
O Divine Master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled
As to console;
To be understood,
As to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying that we are
Born to eternal life."
You can listen to a musical version of St. Francis' prayer performed by Sarah McLachlan, here.
If you have a photograph of your copy of "Gabriel's Inferno" (either paperback or e-reader) that you'd like to send to me, you can do so by emailing me through this site, or sending it to me via Twitter or Facebook.
Where would you like to take the Professor? Where do you think he should go? I look forward to your pictures.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
PS. The lovely ladies of KLB Virtual Events are hosting a book blog tour for me from September 19 - October 3. There will be interviews, book reviews and giveaways. I'll be posting more details soon.
September 7, 2011
Book Clubs and Libations
Recently, Professor Emerson sat down with Julie of "A Tale of Many Reviews" for an interview. You'll want to read it and enter the contest.
Those of you who have read "Gabriel's Inferno" know that the Professor is impatient with mediocrity. This impatience is directed at persons, places and things, especially those things having to do with the pleasures of the body. He's extremely fastidious about his choice of alcohol, for example, and how that alcohol is served.
A lovely group of ladies in Texas decided to read "Gabriel's Inferno" for their book club. They put together a drink list for each chapter, which, I'm told, made their meetings even more enjoyable. Here's an excerpt from their letter to me:
http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2011/09...
September 6, 2011
Book Clubs and Libations
Dear Everyone,
Recently, Professor Emerson sat down with Julie of A Tale of Many Reviews for an interview. You'll want to read it and enter the contest.
Those of you who have read "Gabriel's Inferno" know that the Professor is impatient with mediocrity. This impatience is directed at persons, places and things, especially those things having to do with the pleasures of the body. He's extremely fastidious about his choice of alcohol, for example, and how that alcohol is served.
A lovely group of ladies in Texas decided to read "Gabriel's Inferno" for their book club. They put together a drink list for each chapter, which, I'm told, made their meetings even more enjoyable. Here's an excerpt from their letter to me:
"When the book club I'm in, the Winsome Wenches of Windmere Place, a collection of bawdy babes who love to read and dissect good books, chose my recommendation of Sylvain Reynard's book, Gabriel's Inferno, as the next novel for our edification, amazement, and amusement, I was thrilled.
Our club meets in each other's homes on a rotating basis. We share a meal and drinks before we begin our feasting upon the chosen novel. I thought it might be fun to imbibe what the characters in Gabriel's Inferno drink in order to share their mind sets more acutely. Since the book was my recommendation, I also got the honor of creating the following schedule:
Week One
Chapters 1 – 3
pps. 1 – 20
For the less practiced and less refined palate, a Tequila Sunrise.
2 msr Tequila
orange juice
Pour tequila in a highball glass with ice, and top with orange juice. Stir. Add grenadine by tilting glass and pouring grenadine down side by flipping the bottle vertically very quickly. The grenadine should go straight to the bottom and then rise up slowly through the drink. Garnish stirrer straw with a cherry and a wedge of orange.
Week Two
Chapters 4 - 7
pps. 21 – 65
*Julia demonstrates how to properly drink wine.*
*Antonio serves Chianti.*
*Gabriel serves Chianti after letting it come to room temperature.*
Week Three
Chapters 8 - 9
pps. 66 – 109
*The girls drink Cosmopolitans."
Cosmopolitan
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz triple sec
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz cranberry juice
Shake vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice vigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lime wedge on the rim, and serve.
*Gabriel ordered a double shot of Laphroiag twenty-five year old neat with a small glass of spring water, non sparkling.
Laphroaig
(Pronounced: La-froigk) "
Thank you, Ladies, for preparing this guide and for sharing it with me.
If your Book Club decides to read "Gabriel's Inferno," would you let me know? The ladies of Windmere Place are willing to share their One Sip at a Time guide to the book. And if you need discussion questions, I can provide them.
As always, I welcome your comments. Thank you to everyone who commented on last week's post on Kindness.
All the best,
SR
PS. Through my Twitter account, I've been trying to highlight charities to raise awareness about various causes. If you're on Twitter, would you consider doing the same? Thank you.
August 30, 2011
Kindness is never wasted
Kindles and Kindle applications allow readers to highlight lines in a book that they find particularly meaningful or poetic. Similarly, Goodreads allows readers to add quotes from an author or to favourite those quotations.
There are two quotations from "Gabriel's Inferno" that are mentioned by readers more than any others. First, "Kindness is never wasted." Second, "Sometimes goodness doesn't tell everything it knows. Sometimes goodness waits for the appropriate time and does the best it can with what it has."
I included these ideas intentionally, associating them both with the character of Julia Mitchell. Let me explain why.
Kindness is an underestimated virtue. It's common in our society for people to champion tolerance, and rightly so. It's less common for people to go further and advocate kindness. Toleration puts up with people and their idiosyncrasies, their flaws and imperfections. Kindness welcomes people. It honours a person's humanity and dignity. It says, "You are worthwhile and valuable, just as you are."
Kindness isn't easy. But it is valuable, no matter what. Kindness is the right choice because it's the right thing to do - not because it will win us friends, or fame or money. Thus, kindness is never wasted, even though the recipient of kindness might reject us or our actions or spit in our faces, for one reason or another. Kindness makes the giver vulnerable. It can change the life of the recipient.
Julia Mitchell is not a woman who has experienced much kindness in her life. Yet, she is kind. For all her flaws (and she has many), she chooses to be kind. She chooses, even in difficult circumstances, not to hit back, not to curse, not to be bitter. Readers have had very strong reactions to her, but I think most would admit that her kindness is a virtue to be recognized and praised. As the author, I believe that the contrast between the way she has been treated and the way she treats others shows that she is a praiseworthy character.
I welcome your comments, as always.
All the best everyone and thanks for reading,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
August 24, 2011
Music- Bésame mucho
As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm interested in the way music can help an author set a scene. In two scenes in "Gabriel's Inferno," the song Bésame mucho (recorded by Diana Krall), plays an important role. However, the meaning of the song shifts with the narrative.
You can listen to the song on my playlist. Here are the lyrics by Consuelo Velazquez, a Mexican songwriter and pianist who wrote the song at the age of sixteen, before she had been kissed:
“Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta noche
La última vez ....
http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2011/08...
August 23, 2011
Music - "Bésame mucho"
As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm interested in the way music can help an author set a scene. In two scenes in "Gabriel's Inferno," the song Bésame mucho (recorded by Diana Krall), plays an important role. However, the meaning of the song shifts with the narrative.
You can listen to the song on my playlist. Here are the lyrics by Consuelo Velazquez, a Mexican songwriter and pianist who wrote the song at the age of sixteen, before she had been kissed:
"Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después
Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después
Quiero tenerte muy cerca Mirarme en tus ojos Verte junto a mi Piensa que tal vez mañana Yo ya estaré lejos Muy lejos de ti
Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después
Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después
Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después."
Here is the English translation:
"Kiss me a lot
Kiss me, kiss me a lot, As if tonight was the last time.
Kiss me, kiss me a lot, Because I fear to lose you, To lose you later on.
Kiss me, kiss me a lot, As if tonight was the last time.
Kiss me, kiss me a lot, Because I fear to lose you, To lose you later on.
I want to have you very close To see myself in your eyes, To see you next to me, Think that perhaps tomorrow I already will be far, very far from you.
Kiss me, kiss me a lot, As if tonight was the last time.
Kiss me, kiss me a lot, Because I fear to lose you, To lose you later on.
Kiss me, kiss me a lot, Because I fear to lose you, To lose you again.
Because I fear to lose you, To lose you later on."
Although the translation might help, it's probably unnecessary. The music speaks for itself and that's exactly the kind of song I was looking for in these scenes.
Thanks for reading (and listening).
All the best,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
PS. I mentioned author Heather Huffman and her support of WorldVision in a previous post. She has moved her books to Booktrope.com. You can read "Throwaway" for free on that site. Please consider donating to WorldVision if you read one of her books. I highlight a charity every day on my Twitter account. Today's charity is WorldVision.
I was fortunate to be interviewed by Miss Tamie of The Book Hookup yesterday. You can read the interview here. In it, I mentioned a book club that has compiled a drinks list for each chapter of "Gabriel's Inferno." I'll be sharing part of that list with you soon.
Thank you to Didimarble for more information on Consuelo!
August 19, 2011
Announcement
I'm afraid if you're reading this you probably received an email update earlier today, stating there would be an announcement of the release date of my book.
I apologize for the confusion and the - ah - premature release. It's most embarrassing, I assure you, even if it's rather common.
Somehow, there was a technological glitch that re-sent the announcement from the release of "Gabriel's Inferno." I'm afraid the release date for its sequel hasn't been set.
However, the sequel is progressing nicely. Thank you kindly for asking about it and offering your enthusiasm and encouragement. I appreciate it greatly.
Enjoy your day and your weekend.
All best,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
PS. In the meantime, if you haven't seen the post on Dante, Sex and God you can read it here. Several readers weighed in with comments. I welcome more.
Also, if you'd like me to autograph your Kindle, you can do this through Kindlegraph.
