Argyle Empire's Interview with SR –January 2014

Welcome Everyone! We are happy to present this interview with SR as The Gabriel Trilogy ends and The Florentine Series begins. The interview questions were submitted by moderators of Argyle Empire and the SRFans Twitter accounts from around the world. We forwarded the questions to SR, who graciously responded.

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Argyle Empire: Has the Dante Society of America or any other academic institution approached you or commented on the content of the lectures given in the Gabriel Series? If so, what did they think of them?

SR: Hello Argyle Empire. I want to thank each of you for your continued support. It’s much appreciated.


No, I haven’t heard from the Dante Society. But I think the local government of Florence is happy with the increased travel because of my books.


Argyle Empire: If Julia could tell your readers anything once they've finished all the books, what would she say?

SR: I think she would say that her journey began with compassion and care. She had compassion on Gabriel the first time she met him, and then later, she chose to forgive him when she could have written him off or held a grudge. I think her life is a testament to what can happen when you forgive others.


Argyle Empire: Was there anything you had to leave out – a scene or character musings – in the Gabriel series that would’ve been fun to write, but just wouldn’t fit?

SR: I enjoy writing Katherine Picton. Anything involving her would have been great. But I also enjoy writing Gabriel when he’s fighting with someone. I think an extended exchange between he and Pacciani at a Dante conference would have been most entertaining.


Argyle Empire: You've created a strong character in Gabriel. He's a hard act to follow up (even though he'll be guesting in The Raven). Do you have concerns that subsequent main male characters may not have the same “wow” factor?

SR: I’m hopeful that if current and new readers give “The Raven” a chance, they’ll like the characters. Certainly, The Prince of Florence has much to recommend him …


Argyle Empire: Prior to the release of Gabriel’s Redemption, it was noted by some that Julia never seems to drive herself anywhere. We know Paul brought this very thing up to Julia in the third book and that they discussed the matter, but we’re curious if this was a character trait deliberately chosen for Julia (and, if so, why)? Or is it that it just never really worked out for Julia to drive herself anywhere?

SR: Julia’s poverty was such that she couldn’t afford a car. She lived without one in Selinsgrove and Philadelphia. And in downtown Toronto she didn’t need one as she could walk to the university. The first time we see her having a car of her own is in “Gabriel’s Redemption,” and she explains what happened next …


Argyle Empire: Would there be a spin-off/novella/special outtake for the other characters such as Rachel, in the future?

SR: A lot of readers have been asking about this, which both surprised and pleased me. I like Rachel and Aaron and would be interested in exploring their story. I’m glad that readers would like to see more of them.


Argyle Empire: We know that the Gabriel Series literary centerpiece was Dante's work. What can you tell us about The Raven? Are you building it around a different masterpiece?

SR: There are a couple of sources in the background for “The Raven,” including the work of Edgar Allan Poe and Shakespeare’s “Othello.” Botticelli’s “Primavera” will also play an important role.

Argyle Empire: Why did you pick "Raven" for the title of your next novel?

SR: I’m afraid I can’t answer that at the moment, but the title has more than one meaning, which will become clear later.


Argyle Empire: What made you tap into the paranormal world?

SR: The Gabriel Series Trilogy pursues themes of forgiveness, hope, and redemption. In “The Raven,” the primary themes are justice and mercy. Of course, like all my writing, hope and redemption will also be present, but I wanted to pursue darker themes and it was necessary to do that in an underworld.


Argyle Empire: Your novels so far, (as well as The Raven) have a great deal of action occurring in Florence. Do you have any other locations in mind for future novels?

SR: France and Spain come readily to mind. I’ve always been fond of Paris and Barcelona.


Argyle Empire: When you start writing a book, do you already know how the story ends?

SR: Yes. I think this is essential – you need to have a goal in mind.


Argyle Empire: Your novels have large doses of sensuality and eroticism, but also a strong moral and religious component. Have you been criticized for using both aspects?

SR: Yes. I’m chuckling as I write this because writers receive criticism for a whole host of things, some of which is completely unrelated to writing. 

If there were a line in the sand I would draw, it would be this one. Our culture wants to chop human beings up into two parts – body and soul - and treat those parts as if they have nothing to do with one another. Consequently, people want eroticism without spirituality or spiritually without eroticism.

I reject these alternatives in favour of a holistic view of a human being, such that body and soul are integrated and inseparable. So sexuality and spiritually go together in my writing because I think they go together in human beings. The sacrament of marriage is one example of this. The transcendent ecstasy of an orgasm is another.

I’ve written about this here: http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2011/08/dante-sex-and-god.html


And here: http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2011/06/literature-book-of-common-prayer.html

I should mention that if you listen to the music of Mumford and Sons, you’ll encounter songs that embrace both eroticism and spirituality. Certainly, if you read the novels of Graham Greene he includes both. And Dante’s love of Beatrice is inextricably linked to his love of God. Recall that she’s the one who worries about the state of his soul when he approaches middle age, and she begs Virgil to guide Dante through Hell.

So in summary, this is what I write and I’m not likely to change.

Mumford & Sons - Below My Feet




Argyle Empire: Do the literary and art references incorporated fit in after you imagine the scene/dialogue or do you write a scene or dialogue to talk about them?

SR: Both, but it depends on the scene. Sometimes a scene lends itself to an artistic reference from the outside and on other occasions, the reference comes to me after the first draft.


Argyle Empire: What subject would you *not* choose to write about for a novel?

SR: Actuarial science and taxation are subjects I’d avoid.


Argyle Empire: As music is an integral element of the Gabriel novels, we’re wondering whether you're a musician yourself? If so, which instruments do you play?

SR: I’ve been known to play an instrument on occasion, but I’d rather not toot my own horn.


Argyle Empire: If you could entertain one author that has influenced you or your writing for dinner, and pick his/her brain - who would that be, and why?

SR: Dante and Virgil would be excellent dining companions, but no dinner would be complete without Beatrice.

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All our thanks to Sylvain Reynard for agreeing to the interview and, as always, for giving such thoughtful responses. Thanks also to the other moderators who submitted questions. We hope you enjoyed it!

~Cranberry, Mango, Iris and Coco
Argyle Empire

SR like's Christopher Walken's Cow Bell, so how about his Poe? ;-)

Edgar Allan Poe: The Raven (Narrated by Christopher Walken)



Link to The Florentine Series by Sylvain Reynard Pinterest Board

Link to Songs in or inspired by The Florentine Series by Sylvain Reynard Youtube Playlist

UPDATE:
Translations of Interview:

Spanish: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3mzNHOgsLgAbkx5cmdBbDhCLWs/edit

Romanian: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ic1KkKU__9SHZcR-8sw7YfGEKKllKuqiawG3LTMsfLo/edit?usp=sharing

German/Deutch: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hr5YqdElWr0Qu1jFt_ZY3-fIFloyEld8f-t0sRNsXaw/edit?usp=sharing

Portuguese Brazil: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yxJrD9Oev0Ak0fUFBmGWP1btcBu92jDlxSjhZfVAFho/edit

Italian:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/173V5js5djoGFQHjUA1zDseQoT5dfx7sBvXE74cZGpKc/edit?usp=sharing

Russian: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aefOnJzEPtl3B3bkvMUsK6VhqSqD5_QCbTVQrfY-3bs/edit?usp=sharing

French: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PcGGGj1ufQspoKIk0l0DrnDvrcXtrukr-xNz-eBJXfk/edit?usp=sharing

Charity Tuesday: TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) Fundraiser Opens

Hello Everyone,

Recently, we were approached by Efrat about the possibility of promoting a fundraiser she is hosting to benefit TACA. You may remember her emotional post from earlier in the summer when Argyle Empire highlighted Autism Speaks and you can read her experience with TACA below. 

Efrat recently won a set of signed copies of Gabriel's Inferno and Gabriel's Rapture. She wants to pay her win forward by raising money for one of her favorite charitable organizations and allowing someone else the opportunity to own an autographed set of SR's books. In addition, Efrat will match the highest bidding amount, so your actual donation automatically will be doubled.

Argyle Empire and Bookish Temptations are happy to help promote this wonderful event and are happy to announce that between September 10 and 15, there will be an online auction held to benefit TACA. Not only will you have the chance to support a wonderful cause, you will have the chance to win a signed set of books!

• If you are interested in making a bid, you can fill out the online auction form here. 
• The minimum bid is $40.00 (U.S.)
• Highest bid will be matched, so your gift will automatically be doubled.

Please take a few moments to help spread the word about this wonderful cause and participate if you can.

Take Care and Thank You,

Jenn

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TACA (Talk About Curing Autism)

Mission Statement: Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating, empowering and supporting families affected by autism. For families who have just received the autism diagnosis, TACA aims to speed up the cycle time from the autism diagnosis to effective treatments. TACA helps to strengthen the autism community by connecting families and the professionals who can help them, allowing them to share stories and information to help improve the quality of life for people with autism.

Website:http://www.tacanow.org/

Twitter: @TACAfoundation

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkaboutcuringautism

It all begins with a stick. A stick that shows a ‘plus’ sign, or two lines, or whatever image the manufacturer deemed worthy to indicate a happy event.

It’s that glorious moment when a parent begins to imagine the perfect future of an expectant child. How the child will begin to crawl, walk and talk and the exactly right milestones, how they will grow up being liked and having many friends, how they will excel at school and be accepted into a prestigious college, how they will marry and have children of their own… Each parent has their own dreams, but common throughout is the quest for happiness for their children. It’s a quest for their child to have an easy life, with as little difficulty possible.

But for some parents, that dream begins to crumble somewhere along the way. It might be when they realize their precious child, their own creation, is not responding to his or her name, or not making eye contact. It could be when other children begin talking but their child does not. It might be when their child spends their time alone, reading books, or playing with trucks, while other children play tag. And even scarier, when their child spends a majority of the time looking at spinning objects, covering their ears at what seems to be normal-pitched sounds or throw temper tantrums at random places and times.

These people are parents to a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex neurological disorder that is characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulty in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. It affects 1:88 children, and some say that statistic is even higher. Sadly, this number just keeps growing.

The diagnosis of a child with Autism is devastating to a parent. Not only because it shatters their dream of their child’s easy and happy life, but also because it seemingly destroys any fragments of hope for the child’s future.

My son was diagnosed 2 years ago, just before he was 3 years old. It was a devastating and an emotional shock. At that time, we had no idea whether our perfect little angel would even be able to lead a healthy and productive life, as his developmental delay was just too big and his behaviors were irregular. In addition, we didn’t know what do with it – how to treat it or how to speed recovery up. There was an overwhelming sea of information that required extra mental strength to even delve into.

Luckily for us, there was TACA.

‘Talk About Curing Autism’ (TACA) is an organization that is dedicated to educating, empowering and supporting families affected by Autism. For families who have just received the autism diagnosis, TACA aims to speed up the cycle time from the autism diagnosis to effective treatments. TACA helps to strengthen the autism community by connecting families and the professionals who can help them, allowing them to share stories and information to help improve the quality of life for people with autism.

For my family, TACA has been a savior. Through their various seminars, online articles and general ongoing support, we were able to find a path to recovery, and most importantly – hope. Hope that one day, our son will lead a productive and independent life.

Their support throughout our journey was, and still is, priceless. Be it through their personal mentoring program, online parent support or various hosted events.

In addition, the friends I’ve made through TACA are mine forever, and have been a rock during tough times as well as happy ones, as I am for them. These are friendships that will always last, as this destiny and path we’ve taken binds us all.

I still keep in touch with TACA, and use their vast sources of information to keep up-to-date with the newest advancements in technology. In fact, I think they will always be a part of my family, and my son.

Please, help me support this wonderful charity, that helps so many nationwide, and will continue to help many others in the future!

~ Efrat

Grace & Richard Deleted Scene from Gabriel's Inferno Discussion

SR posted a new deleted scene from Gabriel's Inferno with Grace and Richard today on his blog. If you missed it you can read it HERE.

First, A little Mood Music:

SR Tweeted this just before the Deleted scene went live:

Loving Julia (playlist): Etta James - At Last - Lyrics: "(Hands out handkerchiefs) I didn't mean to invoke tears with that song. But I'll tell you what I know -Love doesn't die with a partner. Love is forever. I'll mention that both Richard and Grace appear in #GabrielsRedemption ..." ~SR via Twitter 7-25-13 #Grace Deleted Scene #Gabriel's Inferno

http://pinterest.com/pin/253257179018592303/

Thank You to SR and to Yel from The Itzel Library who inspired the posting of this deleted scene.

by SRFansUK

Looking back at some favorite quotes from Grace and Richard:

"If I know anything about Grace, it’s that she still loves you, and no doubt she’s lighting candles and praying for you, even now." ~Richard to Gabriel

"Without her, he seemed…adrift." #Grace #Richard

“#Grace loved you...She’s just a little closer to the source.” ~Richard to Gabriel

“I wouldn’t even speak to #Grace, even though she wrote me the most beautiful letter." ~Julia

"She was pretty sure that #Grace had had a hand in everything, and she silently whispered her thanks." ~Julia

"Perhaps this is happiness, he thought. Perhaps this is almost what Richard and #Grace had. The thought intrigued him. You love her. Gabriel started suddenly. Where had that voice come from? Had someone said it aloud?"..."You love her. Once again the voice came out of nowhere, only this time Gabriel recognized it. And he silently whispered his thanks." ~Gabriel


Tell us what you love about Grace and Richard and how they influence Gabriel and Julia.


Who do you picture when you read about Grace and Richard?

Sin and The Serpent: Paradise Lost and The Garden of Eden

Hello Everyone,

We are pleased to share another special guest post with you today.

Terry, whom you probably know as @Terry the Nurse on Twitter, is indeed a nurse, though she also has a degree in History and a graduate degree in Human Communication.

Previously, Terry shared her thoughts on Abelard and Heloise and their place in the story of Gabriel and Julia, as well as her thoughts on Madame Butterfly and her cameo in Gabriel's Inferno. The response to her pieces was enthusiastic and we're thrilled she is able to share more of her insights on the series.

Enjoy and Take Care,
Jenn

Sin and The Serpent: Paradise Lost and The Garden of Eden

As most of you know now, SR symbolically uses the theme of The Garden of Eden as the backdrop to his passion- filled story of The Professor and Julia. After reading Chapter One of Gabriel’s Redemption, several of my friends and SR’s readers asked me about the connection to Milton’s Paradise Lost. In this post I would like to discuss some of the symbolism and the connection to Inferno, Rapture, (and what we know of Redemption) to The Garden of Eden and Milton’s epic poem.   Several comments following the posting of the first chapter of Redemption on SR’s website reflected some concern about the mention of Paradise Lost in relation to what happens to Gabriel and Julia in the third book. In reality, however, Milton’s theme of the Serpent, Adam and Eve, and the expulsion from Paradise has been running through the books since the Professor said, “Miss Mitchell!!” Right from the onset, the Garden of Eden has metaphorically trickled through the text.

While the Garden of Eden plays prominently in the Judeo-Christian tradition, it’s worth a quick mention of the main characters and what they symbolize.

Of course, we all know that Adam is the first man created by God, and Eve was created from his rib to be his partner. Eden is also referred to as Paradise, and the Selinsgrove orchard, where so many key scenes take place in Inferno and Rapture as well as the only place Gabriel feels true comfort, is a metaphor for the Edenic Paradise. The nakedness of both Adam and Eve are representative of innocence which ends once both have eaten the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Life. It is perhaps the only place Gabriel feels true innocence – remember that it is the only time Gabriel feels no need for seduction when he first takes Julia there.

The Serpent is emblematic of seduction and sin and appears frequently in both books.  Indeed, Gabriel has tattooed the serpent (or dragon) on his chest – a reminder of his self-perception as one who is corrupting and sinful. We know that Gabriel, especially in Inferno, perceives himself as a “magnet for sin,” unable to overcome the seductive qualities of meaningless and empty sensuality. It is interesting to me that the serpent is subtly mentioned in one of our favorite love scenes in Inferno – the office kiss after the seminar fiasco. If you catch the Edenic references scattered throughout, you know that there will be trouble in Paradise, because SR is hinting at it even as the relationship begins. Consider this very revealing line:

“She was silent as she felt the energy between them shift, like a serpent circling back on itself, swallowing itself whole, anger and passion feeding off of one another. (Inferno, p.236.)

The mention of the serpent, so evil, so seductive, in the midst of the intense romantic connection that we all impatiently waited for is a hint that things just may not be what they seem.  In fact, Gabriel refers to himself as a “fallen angel” – a term which many believe represents the serpent before he became jealous of God’s relationship to Adam and Eve.

The Tree of Life (sometimes called The Tree of Knowledge in the Judaic tradition) is frequently thought to be an apple tree. In fact, apples themselves are also considered symbolic of knowledge, and this reference is frequently used by SR throughout the books.  I propose that the apple references are an accentuation of both Gabriel’s and Julia’s growing and developing self-knowledge as they progress through their turbulent interpersonal relationship.  Earlier in the story, when Gabriel is battling his inner demons, the apple can be understood to be one of two things – either sin (as Gabriel himself refers to it when he proposes to Julia) or as a hint of the coming redemption brought by Gabriel’s increasing faith and  an accepting knowledge of himself, his mistakes,  and his flaws. In the Christian interpretation, many perceive The Tree of Life as symbolic of Jesus and the eventuality of the redemption He brings. With Gabriel’s growing spirituality, I suggest that the silver apple charm that he gives to Julia signifies their mutual connection to the orchard and all it represents to them both, his love for Julia, and his respect for Julia’s intellectual ability (at least as far as Chapter 2!) Even his gift to her – a homemade pie – is an apple pie.

In the epic poem Paradise Lost, Milton focuses on Adam and Eve’s disobedience and fall from grace. With multiple references to archangels, including Raphael, Michael, and of course Gabriel, the story is far more involved and complicated than what we read in Genesis. Written in the 17^th century, it is not necessarily an easy read in its original form.  But the themes are timeless, as are the themes in Inferno and Rapture (and undoubtedly in Redemption). Choice vs. change, forgiveness vs. revenge, mercy, facing the consequences of our actions, and intimidation as a form of persuasion are all revealed in the poem as well as our own lives. A recurring theme is also Eve’s “status” – is she less than Adam or somehow secondary? Subordinate since she was created after Adam? Should this be taken figuratively or literally? Is she weak, or is she merely human? Are women the first “sinners?”

Perhaps more relevant to the love story between Julia and Gabriel is the long-held concept of the Tree of Knowledge bearing forbidden fruit. Is there anything more magnetic, more appealing, or more erotic than forbidden love, desiring the one person you can’t have? (Personally, I don’t think so, and obviously Gabriel would agree.)  Therefore, while we know that the Garden of Eden is the primal backdrop to our favorite story of forbidden love, I would suggest that the concept I would emphasize while reading is what can happen (and does) when our hearts take over our brains, when we know we are breaking the rules and do it anyway, and realizing, sometimes too late, that the consequences were far more than we bargained for. Good and evil live side by side. Now that Adam and Eve have eaten from the Tree, the free will God has given us is where the choices lie.  That is the essential message of Paradise Lost.

I would again thank you for reading and commenting on my musings about the hidden gems regarding the art, literature, and Scripture that SR uses to intensify the story throughout the Gabriel series. Perhaps you have formulated a different interpretation, and if so, that is great! Please share them. And, as always, I want to thank SR for allowing me to interpret his lovely writing. I hope I do you justice, kind sir. 

~~Terry~~

Why did Gabriel select Puccini’s Madame Butterfly?

Hello Everyone,

We are pleased to share another special guest post with you today.

Terry, whom you probably know as @Terry the Nurse on Twitter, is indeed a nurse, though she also has a degree in History and a graduate degree in Human Communication.

As some of you may know, Terry has been in the hospital this past week, but she submitted this piece before she was admitted. Please send her your good thoughts as she recovers from surgery.

Previously, Terry shared her thoughts on Abelard and Heloise and their place in the story of Gabriel and Julia.  The response to her pieces was enthusiastic and we're thrilled she is able to share more of her insights on Gabriel's Inferno.

Enjoy and Take Care,
Jenn

“YOU are not Pinkerton!” 

Madame Butterfly, Paulina, and Gabriel’s Inferno (Chapter 31)

“Julia knew that something was wrong, and it wasn’t solely because she could hear the strains of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly wafting from the living room….”

“…. Julia demanded that he silence Maria Callas so that they could talk.”

Sylvain Reynard, Gabriel’s Inferno

In this post, I thought I would change gears a little bit, and discuss an important classical music reference that is found in one of the most painful chapters of Gabriel’s Inferno.  You might recall that in chapter 31, Gabriel and Julia are getting ready to go to Florence. Gabriel knows that it’s time (far past time, really) for his confession about Paulina, for his explanation of the tattoo above his heart, and what the name Maia means to him and will soon mean to Julia. When Julia arrives at his apartment, Gabriel is at his worst: emotionally cold, drinking heavily, and avoiding eye contact.  And, the music he’s listening to? Puccini’s Madame Butterfly...

Why did SR choose Madame Butterfly for Gabriel to listen to on such a painful occasion? After all, there are so many beautiful and melodic operas that SR might have chosen.  What is it about Madame Butterfly (sung with passion by the great Maria Callas) that makes the moment so painful and revealing? What should not be a surprise by now is that it is there for a reason, or so I suggest.

There’s significance to this magnificent opera as it connects to the story of Gabriel and Paulina. In fact, I hope after you read this post, you will feel just a little more sympathetic toward her character and understand why it is  yet another hidden gem and a way for SR to emphasize Gabriel’s guilt through Puccini’s haunting music and operatic narrative (known as the libretto.) There’s a parallel here that will grab your heart – I promise. Remember that Gabriel was consumed with pain and guilt over what happened with Paulina and Maia, and fear that he would lose Julia after he explained what happened. And why does Julia try so hard to reassure Gabriel that (he) “is not Pinkerton?” Who was Pinkerton, and what did he do?

For those not familiar with opera Madame Butterfly, I want to provide you with a brief summary. For a full summary provided by the New York Metropolitan Opera, go here.

The tragic story takes place in Japan at the turn of the 20th century. Cio-Cio-San is a geisha known as Butterfly.  She meets an American naval lieutenant, B.F. Pinkerton, whose goal is to sail the world looking for pleasure, sexual and otherwise. Butterfly falls in love with him and they marry, although unbeknownst to her, Pinkerton does not take the marriage seriously and plans to marry an American woman upon his return to the USA.  The couple spends a few romantic nights together, and then Pinkerton leaves to join his ship. Butterfly is so convinced that they will have a life together that she converts to Christianity to reinforce to Pinkerton how much she loves him.

Three years pass. Butterfly is waiting for Pinkerton to return to her while she raises their son who is now three years old. Everyone around Butterfly is convinced that Pinkerton will never return, but Butterfly has faith that he loves her and will be happy to hear that they have a son (prophetically named “Trouble.”) She feels sure that he will return to her.

The day comes when Pinkerton’s ship returns to the harbor, and Butterfly excitedly makes preparations to see him. When he arrives, he is accompanied by his American wife, Kate, and Butterfly realizes that the life she thought she’d have with him was nothing more than a fantasy. Heartbroken and shamed, Butterfly says farewell to her son and commits hari-kari,  the Japanese tradition of honor suicide. As the curtain drops, the audience hears Pinkerton offstage calling her name in torment and grief.

When I first read Inferno, I was so caught up in the story that I didn’t quite make the connection, although I have always loved this opera. After a few re-reads, I had an “aha” moment.  Julia does her best to convince Gabriel that “he’s not Pinkerton.” Perhaps… but Butterfly certainly represents Paulina. I think the parallels are unmistakable.

Paulina was Butterfly. True, The Professor didn’t promise her a marriage or a life together, but he didn’t exactly discourage her either. As cool and condescending as Paulina was externally, she was fragile and desperate for him within. Like Butterfly who loved Pinkerton intensely and waited years for him, Paulina loved Gabriel just as passionately and hoped he would return to her. And like Pinkerton who treated Butterfly horribly, Gabriel (as Julia accuses him in Rapture) “fed her scraps” and led her on just enough to keep her hopeful. And we know how he treated Paulina when she told him she was pregnant. Although Butterfly’s attempt at suicide was successful, remember that Paulina also attempted suicide shortly after her miscarriage.  Both Pinkerton and Gabriel are wracked with guilt when they come to terms with the eventual outcomes of their sins.

So, imagine this scene. Gabriel is in psychic agony. He knows he has run out of time, and he must tell Julia a secret about his past that has haunted him for years, slowly eating away at his soul.  I imagine him walking around his apartment without purpose, with a glass of Laphroaig in his hand.  He is sweaty, pale, unshaven, and scared.  His hair is messy, his eyes red behind his glasses. Wallowing in guilt and shame, he is convinced that he will lose Julia once the secret is revealed. And THIS haunting, sad, and celebrated aria is playing in the background. The aria, sung by the remarkable Maria Callas as Butterfly, yearns for “Un bel di vedremo” (or, “One fine day we will see”) when Pinkerton will return to her and make her life complete. As Paulina did with Gabriel… and more than anyone, it is Gabriel who knows that. It is no wonder that he is listening to Madame Butterfly – in so many ways, he knows that he and Pinkerton have too much in common, and that he has caused Paulina terrible sadness. In listening to Butterfly, he is remembering and acknowledging Paulina’s pain. We know that Gabriel eventually found his redemption. Did Pinkerton?

I realize that opera (like expensive Scotch) is an acquired taste. Still, I am going to encourage you to listen to this aria while you read the chapter again -- your heart will break for everyone concerned – Gabriel, Paulina, Julia, Pinkerton, and Butterfly. (Parenthetically, you will need some tissues, too.)  I think you will feel Gabriel’s pain and anguish in a deeper way because that is where the music brings you. And, perhaps you will better appreciate Paulina’s despair and loneliness for Gabriel, as well as her hopelessness. She is not an unsympathetic character in the story. The voice and the music have a special way of not only accentuating the emotions, but personalizing it as well. I chose two videos to provide you with some scenes that better illustrate my summary of the opera as well as the parallels in these two romantic but tragic love stories. As SR often says: “Take time for beauty.” When you let the music wash over you, it is indeed lovely.

What do you think? Was Julia correct? Or, is Gabriel a modern day Pinkerton?

  Maria Callas

To watch and hear Madame Butterfly in its entirety, go HERE.

Or, to see and listen to key scenes from a more modern version (including the fantastic finale that will give you goose bumps) as performed by Patricia Racette of the New York Metropolitan Opera, go here.

For a multi-part documentary about the fascinating and operatic diva Maria Callas, go here to learn why she is considered the greatest operatic voice of the 20th century.

To read more about Giacomo Puccini, go to PBS here.

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As always, thank you to SR for your brilliant writing, and to you, his readers!! <3 p="">
~~ Terry

Guest Post: Margie compares Prof. Emerson to Mr. Darcy

Hello Everyone,

Today's post was submitted by Margie, who you may know as the administrator of the very popular Professor Gabriel O. Emerson Fanpage on Facebook. She shared a guest post with us during our recent fundraiser for the American Red Cross/One Boston Fund, and we were happy when she agreed to share her thoughts on how much the Professor and Mr. Darcy have in common.

We've been happy to hear from several of SR's readers who were willing to share their views on the Gabriel series.  If you'd like to submit a post for consideration, please feel free to email jenn@argyleempire.com.

In the meantime, sit back and enjoy Margie's fun and informative piece and, if possible, leave a comment below.

Thanks and enjoy!

Take Care,
Jenn

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As an avid reader, you know how easy it is to fall in love with characters that live in books.  I fall in love with new characters constantly, almost every day, but never like this.  I fell in love with Gabriel Emerson so hard, I was head over heels! There are only two characters I have ever given my heart and soul to and they are Mr. Darcy & Edward Cullen.  Then I met Gabriel Owen Emerson and I was toast! I became obsessed. Really obsessed. I read this book over and over when it finally hit me, “OMG!  He IS Mr. Darcy!!!!!”

I would like to show you a few parallels I found in Gabriel’s Inferno and Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice!

This post will be rather informal and mostly in pictures! (I made these pictures for our Fanpage in January when Pride & Prejudice celebrated its 200th Anniversary, because I am a Jane Austen FREAK!)

First of all Gabriel is an arrogant, selfish man. Well, so is the haughty Mr. Darcy!

 • Both men claim to be very selfish, yet they do nice things for others without the need to publicize their generosity.  Gabriel gives Rachel money to buy Julia a new bag and doesn’t want her to know it is from him. In addition to that he buys her clothes and gives her the bursary so she would not have to struggle as much and go without things she may need.  Mr. Darcy goes out of his way to help Elizabeth too.  He makes sure her little sister is taken care of after she runs off and elopes with his enemy Wickham.  He takes matters into his own hands and pays Wickham off to marry Lydia that way the other Bennett girls will not have to live in shame and be ruined because of the actions of their little sister.  He never tells Elizabeth of his involvement but like Julia the ladies eventually find out who is behind the anonymous generosity.

• In the beginning of Gabriel’s Inferno, Gabriel shames Julia for being poor. In her apartment he asks her “Why do you live here?” All the while making mental notes in his head about how unsatisfactory Julia’s little apartment was, “trying for her sake to hide his distaste.” He even noted how she had no place to hang his Burberry coat!  Poor Julia is humiliated; she has nowhere else to go. There is a very famous scene in P&P when Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and tells her that he loves her despite everything that is wrong with her situation, “Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of relation, whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?” They both show actions that are very arrogant toward the women they love. But both are more than willing to eat humble pie to make up for their rude behavior later in the story.

They adore their little sister 

• Both men are orphans and inherited a lot of money from their biological parents. Darcy losing his parents at a young age left him to raise Georgiana.  This situation makes the siblings very close. “He is certainly a good brother. And this is always the way with him.  Whatever can give his sister pleasure is sure to be done in a moment.  There is nothing he would not do for her.” (P&P pg.162)

• Gabriel was an orphan and adopted into a good and loving family. Gabriel loves his feisty little sister Rachel the way Darcy loves his baby sister Georgina.  He also sees to it to keep his sister happy, “He didn’t relish spending an evening with both of them, but his sister was suffering at the moment, and he wasn’t about to do anything to add to her suffering.” (GI pg. 43)

• Both girls bring out compassion and the heart in their brothers. Darcy doesn’t have a brother but he does have a cousin Col. Fitzwilliam which to me plays the Scott role in Gabriel’s Inferno.  Darcy is jealous of the easy way Col. Fitzwilliam has with Elizabeth as Gabriel is a bit put off with how well Scott and Julia get along. Scott knows Julia and has seen her grow up.

One of my favorite things about Gabriel and Darcy is the way they watch their beloved.  They stare at the then with such intensity it makes me tingle all over!

• Both men were so head over heels in love before they even realized what in the world was going on. I love that sooooo much.  And they were not afraid to go and tell their lady loves just how much they wanted them. They both basically say “you either want me now or never.”  Luckily both ladies loved their grumpy beaus with just as much passion and agreed to be with them.

• Both Darcy and Gabriel have no problem admitting their faults to Julia and Lizzie and they apologize when they are wrong.  They own up to their shortcomings and try to work on them for the betterment of their relationships.

• I love the Dante Seminar fight in Gabriel’s Inferno.  It reminds me of the first proposal Mr. Darcy makes to Elizabeth.  The dialogue in both scenes is of them flinging insults at each other all the while pining away for one another.  After all, there is a thin line between love and hate. The arguments in both books are a few pages long and do a great job of building the longing both couples face when trying to win the love of the other.  I LOVE IT!!!!

• Another scene I think is super sweet is when Gabriel finds Julia in his carrel.  She is embarrassed and he does everything he can to reassure her that he is happy she is there and it is not a problem for him.  A similar situation occurs in P&P when Elizabeth and Aunt and Uncle are visiting Pemberley at a time they are sure Mr. Darcy is away.  Meanwhile Mr. Darcy comes home early and finds Elizabeth at his home.  She is embarrassed and he also does everything he can to reassure her that her visit is a pleasant and welcome surprise and tries to make her comfortable.

There is a lot of Elizabeth Bennett in Julia Mitchell as well. Both are smart young women. They both love to read!  They have fathers who adore them. They are kind girls who try to find the goodness in everyone they met.  Yet, they are feisty when they need to be and I can safely say that they both fit Lady Catherine’s description of the “Obstinate headstrong girl.”  When they fell in love with their prospective suitors, nothing or no one stood in their way of happiness. I think both heroines are good role models for young women because they do not mindlessly follow what other people tell them to do, they do what they feel is right for them.

No story would be complete without the rival girl trying to break our love birds apart and while Gabriel’s Inferno has Paulina, Pride & Prejudice has Caroline Bingley.  Both ladies think they have rights to the men because of past experiences and family connections. Paulina & Caroline are similar in ways that their vanity and entitlement cause them to think poorly of those they feel are beneath them. Both are jealous and deceitful women with their sights solely to try and break the couples apart.

I hope you have enjoyed my Gabriel and Mr. Darcy comparisons.  Both are the most beautiful characters and both stories are timeless.  I feel Gabriel’s Inferno reads like a classic novel, so perfectly like poetry.  It is beautiful.  I know that Gabriel and his Julia will live on as a classic literary couple much like my Darcy and his Elizabeth.

Another Forbidden Love: Abelard and Heloise and the Parallels to Gabriel’s Inferno and Rapture Part 2

Hello Everyone,

We are pleased to share another special guest post with you today.

Terry, whom you probably know as @Terry the Nurse on Twitter, is indeed a nurse, though she also has a degree in History and a graduate degree in Human Communication.

Last week, Terry shared her thoughts on Abelard and Heloise and their place in the story of Gabriel and Julia.  The response to her piece was enthusiastic and we're thrilled she is able to share more of her thoughts about the subject.

Enjoy and Take Care,
Jenn

Another Forbidden Love: Abelard and Heloise and the Parallels to Gabriel’s Inferno and Rapture

Part 2

In the study of historical literature, the letters of Heloise and Abelard are considered emotional and tragic epistolary exchanges between two doomed lovers who are forced to live chastely and apart for the majority of their lives, even after marrying and having a child together.  In my previous post, I provided some of the historical background. In this post, I will describe what I view as the parallels between SR’s characters in Inferno, Rapture (and, now Redemption), and my two favorite medieval lovers, as well as discuss the letters  for which they are so famous; the final letter of which is partially quoted in Rapture.

As we know, in several scenes of both books, Gabriel alludes that he already sees himself as Abelard, references that make Julia want to grind her teeth since they both construe Abelard’s actions differently.  Their different interpretations can be partially explained by the letters being originally written in Latin and having undergone numerous translations.  And, in contemplating meaning or significance, we interpret language from our inner selves, from our own experiences, and from our own perspectives. To me, it’s natural that Gabriel would be sympathetic to Abelard, and that Julia would be more appreciative of Heloise’s feelings of frustration and anger.

You may be surprised to discover that there are only eight published letters, lengthy as they may be. The exchange of letters began after both had been living in cloister for some time, and only occurred because Letter I (from Abelard to his friend Philintus) made its way to Heloise. These are not letters that are regularly exchanged – years passed between each letter.  They are not merely snapshots in time, but a true description of two unhappy people forced apart by circumstance. As readers, we can feel and sense their confusion, their sorrow, their irritation, their passion.

Heloise never wanted to be in the convent, nor was she “called” in any way. She remained there because she had no choice. Her love for Abelard remained passionate and undying:

“Yes, it was your command only, and not a false piety brings no peace or sincere vocation, which sent me into these cloisters; I sought to give you ease and not to sanctify myself. How unhappy am I! I tear myself from all that pleases me; I bury myself alive…” (Heloise, Letter IV.)

But Abelard’s responses seem to vacillate with push/pull messages which serve to anger Heloise – and, like Julia, she is nobody’s fool. In Letter III, he declares his passion for her:

My love burns fiercer amidst the happy indifference of those who surround me, and my heart is alike pierced with your sorrows and my own. Oh, what a loss have I sustained when I consider your constancy! What pleasures have I missed enjoying…

But later says to her:

If since our conversion from the world to God I have not yet written you any word of comfort or advice, it must not be attributed to indifference on my part but to your own good sense... I did not think you would need these things..."

Heloise, in anger, writes:

"But tell me whence proceeds your neglect of me since my being professed? You know nothing moved me to it but your disgrace, nor did I give my consent, but yours. Let me hear what is the occasion of your coldness, or give me leave to tell you now my opinion. Was it not the sole thought of pleasure which engaged you to me? And has not my tenderness, by leaving you nothing to wish for, extinguished your desires? Wretched Heloise! You could please when you wished to avoid it." (Letter II)

As you can see in these brief snippets, even though the letters were exchanged 800 years ago, their emotions and reactions are as fresh and contemporary as if they were written a decade ago. They are full of angst, devotion, anger, frustration, passion, and faith. You can read six of the letters in their entirety here. It is really the best way to appreciate the relationship and all that happened in it.

After all I’ve told you about Heloise and Abelard, I hope that you can now appreciate that there are some stunning similarities between these two couples; specifically between Abelard and Gabriel, but also between Julia and Heloise. Is it possible that SR wanted us to appreciate the parallels between the two brilliant but thwarted intellectuals to better understand Gabriel’s deep emotional conflicts? (Speaking for myself, I think that he did.)

 Both are academicians; one who lived in the Middle Ages, and one who is a specialist in Dante, considered one of the greatest poets of the Middle Ages. With both men, the medieval period is prominent. And what was the name of the book Gabriel hid his message to Julia??
“Marriage in the Middle Ages: Love, Sex and the Sacred.”

 Both lost a child; one through miscarriage, and the other by adoption, disgrace, and escape to religious life.

 Both are unable to impregnate a woman after their lovers’ conceived the first and only time; one through castration, and the other through vasectomy.

 Both find a sense of peace in religion; Gabriel by his extended visit with the Franciscans in Assisi, and Abelard who became an abbot at the Saint Gildas de Rhuys monastery. Neither remained there permanently.

 Both return to teaching after a period of religious influences, and neither returns to their university of origin.

 For both Gabriel and Abelard, they find their “bashert” in their most gifted student, and in both cases, there is a considerable age difference.

 Both (for a time) question their relationship with God due to shame and self-loathing.  Abelard writes that he is aware that, according to the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible), “eunuchs” (as castrated men were called) were not permitted in the Temple, which scripturally suggests how eunuchs were shunned.  Gabriel says, “I’m closer to a devil than an angel, and I’m beyond redemption because I’ve done unforgivable things.”

 Both are in love with one woman while another professes her love for him. We already know the story of Paulina and Gabriel.  A maid named Agaton in Fulbert’s household was in love with Abelard while he was in a sexual relationship with Heloise.  She told him:

“I am in love with you, Abelard; I know you adore Heloise, and I do not blame you, I desire only to enjoy the second place in your affections. I have a tender heart as well as my mistress; you may without difficulty make returns to my passion. Do not perplex yourself with scruples; a prudent man should love several at the same time, then if one should fail he is not left unprovided “(Letter 1, Abelard to Philintus)

And like Paulina, Agaton’s response to unrequited love was ruthless and vengeful (read the first letter to find out what she did.)

 Both are charismatic and irresistible to women, and display narcissistic behavior in their relationships with them. It’s fair to say that both are self-absorbed, unfamiliar with sexual rejection, and pretentious control freaks. Abelard’s need for control is evident in the Letters and his distasteful habit of frequently lecturing Heloise; Gabriel’s in his inability to allow Julia to make her own decisions. (Is it possible we will see more of this behavior in Gabriel’s Redemption??)

There are similarities between Julia and Heloise as well:

 Both live with a single male family member who dislikes their choices; Julia lives with her father who dislikes Gabriel, Heloise with her uncle who (eventually) detests Abelard.

 Both fall deeply, passionately, and irrevocably in love with their professors; both are well aware that a relationship would be considered forbidden.  Both witness their lovers’ professional humiliation following a scandal directly due to the relationship, and both are forced into circumstances that cause them pain, separation, and heartache.

 Both feel abandoned, and both feel that Abelard and Gabriel’s positions as Professor were more important than they were --in both cases, they were wrong. Heloise paid a much higher price than Julia, however. Abelard eventually returned to teaching and became a hero of The Enlightenment, whereas Heloise remained in the convent for the rest of her life.

 Both are constantly worried and insecure about how attractive their lovers’ are to other women.

o Julia to Gabriel: “I have to share you with your past – with Paulina, with Professor Singer, with Jamie Roberts – with countless other women I’m probably going to pass on the street in Toronto.”

o Heloise to Abelard: “When you appeared in public, who — I ask — did not hurry to catch a glimpse of you, or crane her neck and strain her eyes to follow your departure? Every wife, every young girl desired you in absence and was on fire in your presence; queens and great ladies envied me my joys and my bed.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since first reading Gabriel’s Inferno upon its release in 2011, I have suggested to other readers and friends  that to fully appreciate the incredible beauty and complexity of SR’s writing, it’s worth it to become familiar with the hidden nuances and multi-layered references buried like gems throughout the books.  The literary, operatic, and artistic references are not only essential to the lovely story, but also provide an opportunity for us to learn more about the humanities -- which enrich our own lives in so many ways.   I hope these two posts have served that purpose for you in relation to Heloise and Abelard, and that you will want to read more about them.

If I have stimulated further interest, there are many academic resources on the Internet that you can refer to (NOT Wiki! :) ) Here are several:

To see Fordham University go here

To see Stanford University go here  here

Article: “Society as Portrayed by The Letters of Abelard and Heloise” go here 

To read Abelard’s “Confessions” from Fordham, go here

To read a great article in the NY Times Book Review about what might be newly found letters:  read Love Hurts

Another Forbidden Love: Abelard and Heloise - Guest Post by Terry

Hello Everyone,

We are pleased to share a special guest post with you today.

Terry, whom you probably know as @Terry the Nurse on Twitter, is indeed a nurse, though she also has a degree in History and a graduate degree in Human Communication.

You may have read her Charity Tuesday spotlight on Covenant House, and we were thrilled when she offered to submit another blog post for the Empire.

She's a big fan of SR's writing, and in today's post, she shares her thoughts on comparing Gabriel and Julia with Abelard and Heloise.

Enjoy and Take Care,
Jenn

Another Forbidden Love: Abelard and Heloise and the Parallels to Gabriel’s Inferno and Rapture

If you’ve read Gabriel’s Inferno and Gabriel’s Rapture (is there anyone left who hasn’t?) you already know that the medieval lovers Peter Abelard and Heloise d’Argenteuil are referenced by both Julia (in anger) and Gabriel (in love). In fact, I could argue that the comedy of errors that forces Gabriel and Julia apart, and indeed breaks their hearts --and ours-- can be partly because Julia and Gabriel have very different opinions of these two famous professor-student lovers and whose own fictional experience is not terribly different from this tragic medieval couple.

Who were Abelard and Heloise? Why are they referenced so often in the books? What are the parallels between Gabriel and Julia, and Abelard and Heloise? And what is it about those famous letters to which Gabriel refers?

Let me begin by telling you a little about this illustrative couple and why I think SR makes them relatively prominent in both of the first two books. Likewise, there are countless similarities between Gabriel and Peter Abelard. Indeed so many that I would theorize that much of The Professor is modeled on Peter Abelard. Maybe there’s a deeper reason why Gabriel says to Julia in Rapture “Read my sixth letter. Paragraph 4.” In many ways, Gabriel and Abelard mirror each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Abelard and Heloise are considered the iconic couple of forbidden love. Peter Abelard (1079 – 1142), the better known of the couple, was considered one of the greatest intellects of the 12th century. Brilliant, attractive, and arrogant (especially when writing about himself), he drew thousands to his school in the province of Notre Dame in Paris. (Paris was the intellectual center of Europe in the 12th century.) He could place his roots within the French nobility, but according to some historical sources, Abelard gave up the knighthood that was due him in order to be the philosopher and teacher, a role for which he was much better suited. In addition to his knowledge of Greek and Roman philosophy and logic, he was also a renowned theologian.

While we don’t know exactly what Abelard looks like in terms of physical appearance, we do know that he held himself in high esteem. For example, he says of himself with some hubris:

So distinguished was my name, and I possessed such advantages of youth and comeliness, that no matter what woman I might favour with my love, I dreaded rejection of none. (from Abelard’s Historia Calamitatum [The Story of My Misfortune]) Clearly, he was not suffering from a lack of self-confidence, particularly with women. I know another Professor who could have said the same thing about himself.

Heloise d’Argenteuil (1090 – 1164) was a brilliant young woman of a lower social standing than Abelard and was twenty years younger than him when he became her professor. Very little is known about her family, except that she was in the care of an uncle, Fulbert, who was a Church canon of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Keeping in mind that women of this historical era were not commonly well-educated, Heloise stands out as a learned woman fluent in both literature and ancient languages. In fact, her intellectual acumen is so unusual that by the time she met Abelard she was already known across Europe for her scholarship. Writings about Heloise describe her as beautiful as well as accomplished – for Abelard (and for another professor, it seems) this is a magnetic combination that becomes difficult to resist in a woman.

Fulbert engaged Abelard to further educate Heloise privately, and Abelard went so far as to take residence in Fulbert’s home in order to be closer to her. That’s where the fireworks begin. He promptly falls deeply in love with her, and she with him even in view of a significant age difference. And their love is like fire -- impassioned, fervent, and all-consuming. And…forbidden.

As Abelard describes his passion for Heloise:

Our speech was more of love than of the books which lay open before us; our kisses far outnumbered our reasoned words. Our hands sought less the book than each other's bosoms -- love drew our eyes together far more than the lesson drew them to the pages of our text….. No degree in love's progress was left untried by our passion, and if love itself could imagine any wonder as yet unknown, we discovered it. And our inexperience of such delights made us all the more ardent in our pursuit of them, so that our thirst for one another was still unquenched. [Abelard’s Historia Calamitatum (The Story of My Misfortunes)]

With a passion as evocative as Abelard describes in his confessions, it should be no surprise that their love affair rapidly becomes sexual and Heloise finds herself pregnant. In a devoutly Catholic France, Heloise’s illegitimate pregnancy begins the progression of Abelard’s disgrace and Heloise’s exile following the birth of their son; eventually forcing her to spend the rest of her life in a monastery, isolated from Abelard and her son Astrolabius forever. But it gets much worse for Abelard.

Secretly married following the birth of Astrolabius, the couple left their son with Abelard's sister. When Heloise went to stay with the nuns at Argenteuil at Abelard’s insistence and ostensibly for her protection, her uncle mistakenly believed that Abelard had rejected and abandoned her by forcing her to become a nun. In a planned attack designed by Fulbert, Abelard is beaten and castrated by Fulbert’s minions in what can only be described as an act of ultimate revenge and rage. This is how Abelard describes the attack:

Violently incensed, they laid a plot against me, and one night while I all unsuspecting was asleep in a secret room in my lodgings, they broke in with the help of one of my servants whom they had bribed. There they had vengeance on me with a most cruel and most shameful punishment, such as astounded the whole world; for they cut off those parts of my body with which I had done that which was the cause of their sorrow. [Historia Calamitatum]

Abelard, like Gabriel, is filled with self-loathing and shame, and for very similar reasons. Both feel God has punished them for their “sins” and that redemption is not possible for them. Neither Gabriel nor Abelard can have children again – one by choice and the other by castration.

Abelard writes about his suffering in a parallel to Gabriel when he describes his anguish to Julia:

What path lay open to me thereafter? How could I ever again hold up my head among men, when every finger should be pointed at me in scorn, every tongue speak my blistering shame, and when I should be a monstrous spectacle to all eyes?…First was I punished for my sensuality, and then for my pride. For my sensuality I lost those things whereby I practiced it; for my pride, engendered in me by my knowledge of letters and it is even as the Apostle said: "Knowledge puffeth itself up" (I Cor. viii. 1)

Following the attack and castration, Abelard retreated to a monastery and lived as monk. Heloise, already in the convent and also now forced to live an asexual life, remained there and eventually became a Prioress. Unlike Gabriel (who reunited with Julia following his retreat to Assisi), the lovers were never to see each other again. However, their love for each other never waned, and is fully expressed in their exchange of letters. In my next post, I will further discuss the famous letters and discuss more similarities between the two couples – one fictional, and one authentic.

Julia: “Congratulations, Professor Abelard. No one has ever made me feel as cheap as you did…”

Gabriel: “But Abelard truly cared for Heloise and I care for you. So in that sense, there is a similarity. He also hurt her as I have hurt you. But he was deeply sorry for having injured her…”

(To be continued in Part Two)

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Congratulations To Our Winners!

Hello Everyone,


Listed below are the winners of our Giveaway.  All winners have already been notified by email. 

Winner of a set of signed UK paperback editions of Gabriel's Inferno and Gabriel's Rapture. Courtesy of Sylvain Reynard:  

Eleanor P.

Winners of 1 copy (either paperback or ebook) of either Gabriel's Inferno, Gabriel's Rapture or Gabriel's Redemption (release day 12/3/2013). Courtesy of Professor Gabriel O. Emerson Fanpage on Facebook:

Sarah L.

Jenn D.

Margaret H.

Debbie M.

Maria D.

Congratulations to all, and thank you yet again for participating in our fundraiser to aid those affected by the tragic events in Boston and West, Texas.  Our final total raised was $2,685.00!

Take Care,
Jenn, Coco, Elli & Sere

Reader Review from Karen

Hello Everyone,

After Margaret shared her review of the Gabriel Series last week, we received a lot of positive feedback. I also received this review of "Gabriel's Inferno" from a reader named Karen.  I enjoyed what she had to say about the book and asked her permission to post it here.

If you haven't read "Gabriel's Inferno" yet, please be aware there are spoilers in the review below.

I'm also excited to share that we have another reader submitted post scheduled for tomorrow. If you'd like to share something with us, please feel free to email me at jenn@argyleempire.com.  Coco, Elli, Sere and I love receiving these kinds of things from fellow fans of SR's works. We also love to encourage discussion in the comments section below.

Thanks again to Karen for sharing her thoughts with us.

Enjoy and Take Care,
Jenn

 

Gabriel's Inferno is a hauntingly seductive story of lust, forbidden love, faith and redemption. This is not your usual love story. In fact it is rather dark. If you are looking for sex on every page, you won't find it. Reading this book will more often than not leave you feeling on edge. My heart beat so fast throughout parts of this book I could hardly stand it!

The angel and the demon. The innocent and the sinner. Can they find love with one another? Redemption, grace, atonement, forgiveness, restoration, faith, hope, virtue and pure, unconditional love are the main themes throughout this book and not coincidentally, main themes in the Bible. We learn that no matter how great our sins are, if we repent and show remorse, forgiveness and love is for everyone who wants it. Thus we can experience a little piece of what heaven must be like. I have never been more absorbed by a story in my life!

This is a tale of a man's escape from his own personal hell while trying to earn what he believes is impossible...forgiveness and love. It is a story of two broken souls that meet a long time ago, lose each other, find each other again, and find in each other love and forgiveness. Gabriel is the quintessential Prodigal Son. By day Gabriel Emerson is a well-respected Dante professor at the University of Toronto who likes to wear bow ties and expensive suits. By night he's a man who pursues a life of pleasure, with a taste for fine food and fine wine. He uses his good looks and charms to gratify his lustful nature with most any woman he can seduce into satisfying his lust. He is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by his deep belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption because of past transgressions, or as he sees them, outright sins. In fact, he feels he is a magnet for sin, especially lust. His sincere hope is that goodness can be recognized, despite the fallen angel's sad and desperate addiction to sin.

When Julia Mitchell, a girl from the states enrolls as his graduate student, his mysterious attraction to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sets him on a path in which his past and present collide. She is a passive, innocent, kind young woman in her early twenties who has been beaten down by people in her life who should have protected her. As a result she has no self worth. The event that directs her life happened when she was 17. She meets her best friend's adopted brother, who is 10 years older than her. For her it was love at first sight. For Gabriel it was an emotional encounter in an orchard when he had just been through a traumatic event in his life. This meeting and the evening they share together leaves a lasting impression on them both. Julia remembers this past encounter with a troubled young man, because he showed her how special a first kiss could be. She never forgets him. Gabriel thinks it was nothing but an hallucination.

When they finally meet again, Gabriel feels he is unworthy of her, not to mention there are rules about fraternization with students. They each have painful secrets and painful pasts that they want to remain secret and in the past. But slowly secrets are revealed and they each deal with their personal demons. At the same time their attraction for one another grows. The reader doesn't learn all the secrets till much later in the book, but this is part of what keeps you on the edge as you read. The transformation that Gabriel makes throughout the book is a radical one, however, the heartaches along the way are many. Eventually Gabriel sees Julianna's forgiveness and unconditional love as the source of his redemption. And Julia, who has experienced shattering heartbreak, struggles with her own worth and her belief in Gabriel's love.

There are some serious issues dealt with in this book, i.e. drug abuse and alcoholism, but many of the scenes have humor to help get the reader through. You can feel the joy of their intimate confessions to one another, the playfulness they have when they let their guard down, as well as the heat of their passion when angry or loving.

There is a lot of discussion and comparison with Dante, Italian art, and literature, thus making this book intellectually stimulating, as well as romantic. You don't need to be an expert to follow the story though. I did find myself going to the internet to do research on these subjects, however. There are also many songs mentioned throughout the book that I proceeded to download onto my Kindle. All of this helped me to feel the story in a more personal way.
There are those that have compared this book to the 50 Shades Trilogy. Yes, there are similarities simply because there is an older man, younger woman, and Gabriel is damaged as Christian was damaged. But Gabriel's Inferno is a far better book!

Love wins out at the end of the this book, so you do get a HEA ending...sort of. But in the meantime, Gabriel and Julianna's happiness is threatened by vindictive students, university politics, and a jealous ex-lover.

In the end Gabriel no longer seeks just fulfillment of sexual desires, but is searching for a deeper, almost spiritual experience to share with Julia. The author has written: "Perhaps sex (when done in a worshipful way) is a glimpse, a shadow of what it would be to bask in the glory of God in Paradise, like Dante and Beatrice. As Dante expresses in his Paradiso, the universe is held together by love..."

I think Gabriel finally finds this with Julia, his Beatrice.

This book has affected me profoundly. Maybe it's because in a way I feel I'm married to a Gabriel, and I'm his Julianna. Everyone deserves love! This will be a book I read over and over again.

There is a sequel, Gabriel's Rapture that continues the story, which I downloaded even before I finished reading Gabriel's Inferno. I'm halfway done with it, and it is every bit as good! These books are must read!