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Thank you, David Gandy. You really are the perfect Gabriel Emerson.Read-a-long & Chat

July 10, 2013

From Enn:

Have you seen this?

No? Well take a moment to watch.

Now watch it again.

Are you still with me?

I have a treat if you are.

The lovely The SubClub Books is hosting a Gabriel Emerson chat on 7/13/13 at 5PM Est.

That’s right, Gabriel takes over SR’s Twitter.

On 7/12/13 (stretching into 7/13/13) in preparation, I’m hosting a Gabriel’s Inferno Read-a-Long on Twitter. Your mission should you choose to accept it is…

1. Wear kick ass heels
2. Pour a drink
3. Open your book
4. Tweet your favorite lines with the #GabrielsInferno hashtag
5. Tweet a photo of you, your kick ass heels, and your ereader and/or novel to me @ennbocci

No start time, just jump on when you can and send the photos to me. End time can be just before the chat starts on Saturday.

What will your kick ass heels and awesomely perfect lines get you?

How about either…

a Gabriel’s Inferno audio book or a set of foreign editions (with bookplates from SR)

Speaking of foreign editions, the Italian version of Gabriel’s Rapture has just been released. If you haven’t seen it, yet the cover is gorgeous!!

See you soon!

Enn

www.sylvainreynard.com

Exclusive extras for those that pre-order Gabriel’s Redemption

June 1, 2013

Gabriel’s Redemption Pre-Orders

Hi Everyone,

It’s Enn.

If you follow SR on Twitter, Facebook, or on this site, you know that the Gabriel series was supposed to end with “Gabriel’s Rapture.” A third book was not planned.

However, because so many of you contacted SR asking for more Gabriel and Julianne (and Paul), the series has been extended to include “Gabriel’s Redemption,” which will be released in December.

As a way of showing appreciation for your support and enthusiasm, SR wanted to give something extra to those who pre-order “Gabriel’s Redemption.”

Actually, it’s two somethings. Two separate somethings.

If you’ve pre-ordered the EBOOK of Gabriel’s Redemption from any site, Amazon, BN, iBooks, etc. email the receipt / proof of purchase / screenshot to me here EBOOK@sylvainreynard.com

If you’ve pre-ordered the PRINT of Gabriel’s Redemption from any site, Amazon, BN, iBooks, etc. email the receipt / proof of purchase / screenshot to me here PRINT@sylvainreynard.com

What do you get for pre-ordering?

Those that pre-order the EBOOK you will get a special Authorgraph from Gabriel with an exclusive bit that isn’t in the novel. *****(Please make sure your authograph email / Twitter is listed somewhere so we can match them up)

Those that pre-order the PRINT you will get a special bookplate from Gabriel with an exclusive bit that isn’t in the novel. *****(Please make sure your MAILING ADDRESS is listed so I can send you the bookplate)

No, they’re not the same ‘special’ bits.

So, EBOOK and PRINT will have two separate goodies from Gabriel.

Yes, this is open internationally.

It’s very important that you’re accurate with your information so everyone gets their Gabriel treat.

If you have questions, please email me at enn@sylvainreynard.com with PRE-ORDER in the subject.

NOTE / UPDATE: Audio pre-sales will count as an ebook so please send accordingly once it’s available from Audible.

This will run until the novel is released. I know that some sites / countries aren’t available yet but don’t worry. As soon as they’re up, you can pre-order and send.

xo
Enn

ALSO, THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GABRIEL’S REDEMPTION

WILL BE POSTED HERE ON 6/3/13

The Cover – Auguste Rodin

November 12, 2012

Dear Everyone,

Several people have asked about the cover artwork of “Gabriel’s Inferno.” There are three images – the flames, the embracing couple, and the male figure. As a way of celebrating the release of the novel, I thought I’d write a few words about the cover, explaining the significance of the art.

The male protagonist in my book is Gabriel Emerson, a professor of Italian Studies at the University of Toronto. He spends his days teaching and writing about the life and works of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), who is best known for his work The Divine Comedy. The Comedy is divided into three sections: Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise, marking the worlds through which Dante travels beginning on Good Friday in 1300 AD.

The Flames

Steeped as he is in Dante’s world, Professor Emerson cannot help but see his own existence in Dantean terms, especially the concepts of sin and punishment. The flames on the cover of the book, along with the title, reflect Gabriel’s self-understanding. He sees himself as existing in Hell. Given this view and the journey that he takes through the course of the novel, it seemed appropriate to use images from the Inferno on the cover, especially the flames of Hell.

The Male Figure

In order to explain the significance of the other two images, we need to look at the work of French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Rodin (1840-1917) is perhaps best known for two of his works – The Thinker and The Kiss. What is lesser known is the fact that these sculptures were part of a larger work inspired by the text of Dante’s Inferno.

In 1880, Rodin was commissioned to sculpt a monumental door entitled The Gates of Hell.

In the middle of the door, at the top, sits a very familiar figure – The Thinker. But who is the Thinker? For Rodin, it could be Dante, himself, since he later renames the figure The Poet. One could also theorize that The Thinker is one of the inhabitants of Limbo or The Vestibule. Limbo is populated by virtuous persons who died unregenerate. The poet Virgil is part of this group, as is Aristotle, Socrates, and a host of others. For my purposes, I choose to identify The Thinker as Dante.

On the cover of “Gabriel’s Inferno,” we see a male figure in the top left, who bears some resemblance to Rodin’s Thinker, with at least two intriguing differences. Rodin’s figure has his hand clenched in a fist underneath his chin, while the figure on the book cover has his hands clasped together. Both figures are contemplative. But the position of the man’s hands and his down cast eyes suggest that the man on the cover is doing much more than thinking…

The Lovers

The final image on the book’s cover is that of a nude man and woman who are locked in an embrace. The woman’s face is turned to the side, her hand disappearing into her lover’s hair. The man is hugging her tightly, his mouth hidden in the crook of her shoulder, while his hands caress her back. The embrace is tender but almost desperate. The woman’s fingers are tensed in his hair. The man’s hands press deeply into her flesh. But they aren’t kissing. Perhaps his lips are kissing her shoulder, but we can’t tell for sure. He could be whispering to her. He could be simply resting, enjoying their physical connection. He could be weeping.

Once again, in order to explore the significance of this image we need to return to Rodin’s sculpture The Gates of Hell. The statue of Paolo and Francesca from The Gates of Hell was later renamed The Kiss. The story of Paolo and Francesca is told by Gabriel Emerson in one of the passages of the novel. In summary, they were guilty of the sin of lust and thus consigned to Hell upon their tragic deaths. Rodin’s sculpture captures the passion between the two lovers just as they begin to give in to it, but before their lips connect. The figures are naked and caught in an embrace. Francesca’s arm is thrown around Paolo’s neck. But although the sculpture is called The Kiss, the couple aren’t kissing.

The same can be said for the nude lovers on the cover. They’re embracing one another tightly, but they aren’t kissing. Although their configuration suggests passion, their image doesn’t reflect the fires of lust and wantonness. Their pose is loving, tender, and unlike Rodin’s sculpture, there is no space between the man and the woman. One might wonder about the significance of their pose and why it appears both erotic and peaceful…

All the best everyone and thanks for reading,

Hurricane Sandy

October 30, 2012

Dear Everyone,

I’ve been hearing from readers who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. The devastation is incredible.

I hope that you, your family and friends are safe.

As we look toward the clean up process, there are a number of charities that can help. First, the Red Cross. In addition to providing immediate help to those in need, they are accepting donations and running blood drives. Please consider giving.

Second, the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is offering emergency disaster services already, including food, shelter, and clothing. They need donations and volunteers. Please consider giving.

Third, Covenant House. I’m including them because their house in Atlantic City, New Jersey had to be evacuated. Covenant House provides a safe place for teens in crisis, many of whom are running from abusive households. If you can, please consider giving to the Atlantic City Covenant House to help them continue to provide a home for their youth.

In addition to these charities, many local governments, faith-based groups, and humanitarian organizations are putting together teams of volunteers to help with disaster relief. Please consider giving of your time. Please consider becoming a sticky little leaf for someone in need.

All the best and thank you,
SR

www.sylvainreynard.com

Extra Credit from The Professor

May 27, 2012

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

Here’s the contest.

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