Susan Gabriel's dirty little blog page

Halloween Cover Debut

2010-10-02T08:33:00.001-06:00

Don't you just love this cover? I know I do!
I was so thrilled to be a part of this fabulous anthology. It's a privelage to work alongside such wonderful authors.
The release date is just around the corner. I want to send a special thanks to K.A. M'Lady for all of her hard work and assistance on this project.
I can't wait to read the other writer's contributions and I hope you all stop by MojocastlePress and check out their newly designed website and some of the fabulous reads they offer.
Wishing you all a frightful Halloween!

Halloween Anthology coming soon!

2010-09-14T10:43:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again...the best time of year as far as I'm concerned. I'm talking about Autumn. And lurking right around the corner is Halloween!
To celebrate and honor this ancient holiday, I have joined with a wonderful group of authors to release a curl-your-toes, spinetingling paranormal Halloween anthology.
The book will be published through Mojocastle Press. It's my first time working with Mojocastle and I am so excited to be a part of their family of authors.
Inside this anthology you will find 8 short stories, all by different authors and all with a paranormal Halloween theme.
I personally love anthologies and find them a great way to sample works from many authors.
My story is titled: The Man in the Long Black Coat.
Here is the story blurb. I'll post more about this anthology (release date, etc) as the information comes to me.
The Man in the Long Black Coat by Susan Gabriel

“Behold, I come as a thief in the night and I tell you, ye worship ye know not what.”
Blurb:

Mariah Bishop, the preacher's daughter, lives in a town where religion and superstition are so deeply entwined there's no telling where one ends and the other begins. But her father, the good Eldon Bishop fears there is something more than religious rapture stirring in the young Mariah.

When the mysterious man in the long, black coat blows into town and holds an old-time revival on All Hallow's Eve, Mariah and the colorful characters which surround her are set on a course with consequences they couldn't possibly forsee.

Have a fabulous Autumn and enjoy all the wonderful things this season brings!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

2010-06-08T23:14:00.000-06:00

It's time to announce the winner of the fabulous Vampire Tears Necklace!

The correct answer to the question, "what hotness rating does Summer award Lucien?" is---five out of five Gloryholes with a Reach-Around.

The winner was chosen from all correct replies via random number generator.
The winner is : Shay Williams!
Thank you Shay, and everyone else who took the time to read 3 chapters of Only the Lonely.

I had a wonderful author spotlight day over at Coffeetime Romance and met some wonderful people.
I'd like to thank everyone who stopped by today. It was a lot of fun and I truly enjoyed reading all of your posts.

And the winner of a free copy of Only the Lonely is Coffeetime member: Bradyzbooks!

Congratulations Shay and Brandy!

Win this gorgeous necklace

2010-05-26T17:09:00.001-06:00

Hello all! I’d like to invite you to join me for an author spotlight at Coffeetime Romance June 8th.

I will be around all day with a fresh pot of coffee and eager to get my chat on!

Also on June 8th I will be drawing the lucky winner of my Vampire Tears Necklace.

The triple strand necklace features genuine Tahitian black pearls, as well as black freshwater pearls, faceted jet beads, Swarovski crystal rondelles and of course, Blood Red Vampire tears!

The contest is now open to entries!

To enter the contest for this one-of-a-kind creation, simply go to my publisher’s website where you will find a download for a 3 FREE chapter read of my latest release, Only the Lonely. One of those chapters holds the answer to the question, “What level of ‘hotness’ does Summer assign to Lucien?”

Simply email the answer to Susanlgabriel@yahoo.com

The winning entry will be chosen from all correct entries by a random number generator on June 8th, Midnight CST. I will personally notify the winner by email as well as posting the winner on my blog site and in the Coffeetime forum.

Good luck to everyone!

Also, throughout the month of June I will be posting in Coffeetime Romance and More Special Interest forums about playing guitar and jewelry making.

I look forward to chatting it up with everyone and please feel free to bring along a “plus 1” or more!

Latest news, upcoming events and an incredible giveaway

2010-05-25T14:36:00.005-06:00

I'm so thrilled today because I opened my inbox to find high praise for a short story I had submitted for a Halloween anthology and a promise to get back to me with details. I can only assume that means it will be accepted for publishing in that same anthology. I will let you know when I know anything further, e.g. release date, title, etc.

Additionally Coffetime Romance and More will be spotlighting me in June (date to be announced soon).

I will be running a contest on that day and giving away to one very lucky winner, this gorgeous one-of-a kind Vampire Tears necklace. (designed by ME!).

The triple strand necklace features genuine Tahitian black pearls, as well as black freshwater pearls, faceted jet beads, Swarovski crystal rondelles and of course, Blood Red Vampire tears!

So I hope you all can come and join me. Just follow the Coffeetime Group link on the left of this page and that will take you directly to my group page or you can hit this link.

During the month of June I will also be blogging about playing guitar and jewelry making on the Coffeetime Special Interest area

But wait, there's more! On August 24th I will be interviewed on the Molly Daniels Blogspot, Please mark your calendars and stop by the site. I'll be running a special giveaway promotion on that day also, which I will announce here on my blog...so be on the look out.

So as you can see, summer looks like it will be a blessedly busy time for me. Now if I can only find the discipline to sit down and work on the three stories I have in various stages of development. Any ideas on how to get my attention span under control would be greatly appreciated.

Who would you like to see play the leads if Only the Lonely were a movie?

2010-04-22T11:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday at my CyberLaunch party for Only the Lonely over at Cyber Launch Party Blogspot , a reader posed the question, "Who would play your two leads if it were to go to the screen?"
I thought this was a truly wonderful question and decided to post it here and ask your opinion. In fact, your responses will speak volumes to me about how my characters came across on paper.
I, of course, have my own ideas about who would play Lucien and Summer, but I prefer to let my readers picture them in their minds as they wish.
Please, add your comment to this blog and let me know who you think should be Lucien and Summer in Only the Lonely--the movie.

Win a free copy of Only the Lonely..today only

2010-04-21T18:36:00.000-06:00

Hurry and hop on over to Author Island's Cyberlaunch party blogspot where my new release Only the Lonely is featured today. All you have to do is place a comment and be entered to win a free PDF version! It's that simple.
Here's the link: Cyber Launch Party
What are you waiting for...go win that book!

Getting to the heart of the character--the character interview

2010-04-13T12:53:00.000-06:00

I am going to share with you an amazing tool for developing your characters--the Character Interview. I wish I could claim it as my own original idea, but I cannot. I ran across the idea somewhere on the internet and have begun to use it on my current work in process with great results. Recently I "sat down" with one of my new characters as I felt I needed more of a focus on her. I visualized the setting in which the interview might take place, what she looked like, what she was wearing, and paid special attention to her mannerisms during the interview. I tried not to shape her answers to fit the storyline, but allowed her to do the talking.

The results were amazing. The longer the interview went on, the more I felt an understanding of the character as an individual and I now feel much more confidant when writing her into a scene. For instance, I found out that she was an Aquarius and her full name was Mia Maria Sinatra (at the start of the interview, I only knew her first name).

I have several other main characters in the current work that I still need to interview (as they make themselves available to me LOL), but once those interviews are completed it's full steam ahead on the manuscript. In fact, I feel strongly that I shouldn't even set one more word to paper (or computer monitor) until I have completed the interviews--that's how valuable I think they are!

For those of you who enjoy writing, or perhaps even have just a germ of a story idea and need some sort of jumping off point to get it started, I have included the interview in this blog. It's a lengthy set of questions that you can tweak as you see fit. Enjoy and I'd love to hear how you used the interview and what you found out about your characters!

The Character Interview

Set the scene. Visualize sitting down with your character to talk. Are you in a quiet office, or at a noisy restaurant? Is it daytime? Night time? Once you have a picture of the setting, visualize your character seated across from you. How do they react as you ‘interrogate’ them? Are they confidant, relaxed? Are they fidgety, nervous? Do they resent you asking such personal questions? Tell the control freak inside you to take the afternoon off, and let your character talk. Don’t try to manipulate the answers to fit your plot. You just want to get to know this character. Write down the first thing that comes to you. In fact, if you can get a “discussion” going over a certain question, then let it rip! Add questions, delete questions. Have fun!

DATA and PHYSICAL INFORMATION

Begin by asking… “What was your full given name at birth?”

1. What is your full name now?

2. If it is different from your birth name, why did it change?

3. Nickname, if any

4. Age

5. Birth date

6. Birth place

7. Birth order (oldest/middle/youngest)

8. Astrological sign (study for typical characteristics of the sign)

9. Height

10. Weight

11. Hair color

12. Eye color

13. Eyesight

14. Nationality

15. Is Nationality a factor for you? How?

16. Appearance (skin color scars/handicaps/deformities/birthmarks/posture)

17. Heredity; inherited characteristics

18. Speech pattern

19. Mannerisms

20. Traits (list from strongest to weakest trait)

HOME--Childhood

Description of home: Interior/Exterior; Single/Condo/Apartment/Trailer

Geography (rural/city/coastal/mountains/plains)

Description of home atmosphere (physical/mental/emotional)

FAMILY--Childhood

1. Class (upper, middle, lower)

2. Parents

3. Parents relationship with each other

4. Parents relationship with you

5. Siblings

6. Parents relationship with siblings

7. Your relationship with parents

8. Your relationship with siblings

9. Emotional atmosphere while growing up

10. What did you want from mother and never got

11. What did you want from father and never got

12. Sometimes you would look at parents and think:

13. How are you different when with your family than with your friends? Why?

HOME--Adult (Present)

Description of home: Interior/Exterior; Single/Condo/Apartment/Trailer

Geography (rural/city/coastal/mountains/plains)

Description of home atmosphere (physical/mental/emotional)

FAMILY--Adult (Present)

1. Single/Engaged/Married/Separated/Divorced

2. Spouse

3. Children

4. In-Laws

5. Extended family

6. Pet(s)

7. What does marriage mean to you

8. Emotional atmosphere at present

9. How are you different when with your family than with your friends? Why?

PERSONALITY

1. Sense of humor and kind

2. Ambitions/hopes and dreams

3. Immaculate/Slob at home/work

4. Finish this sentence: It is sometimes hard for people to talk to me because I

5. Do you learn by: observation/participation/trial and error/asks questions/writing

6. First thing you notice when you walk into a room: people/décor/things need fixing/tension

7. Perceive world: visual/problems to solve/conquer/uncharted territory

8. What do you absolutely hate to do, why?

9. Abilities

10. Principals

11. Behavioral pattern

12. Complexities (obsessions, inhibitions, phobias, superstitions, pet peeves)

13. Cravings

14. Compulsions

15. Flaws

16. Preferred fragrance/none?

17. Dress preference

18. Clothing color preference

19. You feel that you are the most like you when you wear

20. Favorite colors

21. Favorite foods

22. Favorite beverages

23. Morning/Night person

24. Indoor/Outdoor person

25. Couch potato/Sports/Hobbies

26. Extrovert/Introvert/Shy/Assertive

27. Domesticated

28. How do you behave in a foreign environment

29. Important attachment

30. Political affiliations/social groups, etc.

31. Kinds of music/art/books, etc. do you prefer?

32. Culture preferences (museums, theatre)

33. Culture preferences (community values, activities)

EDUCATION AND WORK

1. As an Adult--Class (upper, middle, lower)

2. Intelligence (i.e., natural, street smart, book smart, labored, etc.)

3. Education/degree?

4. Career/Job

5. Employer

6. Work experience

7. Work habits

8. Income

9. Work history

10. What is the secret to your success

11. Interests in school that may or may not effect adulthood

FEELINGS

1. Cares about (motto lives by)

2. What makes you angry

3. What makes you envious

4. What really tries your patience

5. How do you take out your frustrations

6. Black/White or Grey way of thinking

7. Saint/Sinner/Combination of both

8. Temper

9. Temperament

10. Conscience

11. Hold a grudge/seek revenge

12. Trust: easy/not easy; experience with others; first impression; slow; fast

13. Likes/dislikes/frustrations/successes/failures

14. What do you like about yourself?

15. How do you control your anger?

16. How do you relax?

17. I feel happy when

18. I feel happy when people

19. I feel hurt when people

20. Loneliness to me means

21. Finish this sentence: Sometimes I feel that people think of me as

22. Sometimes I hide my hurt by

23. Sometimes I like to be alone because then I

24. Sometimes I’m afraid to be alone because then I

25. The kinds of buildings/stores I like to go to are…because…

26. What do you regret?

27. What do you regret never having done?

DREAMS/ FANTASIES/ DESIRES

1. If you could change one physical thing about yourself, you’d change…because…

2. If you could have three wishes, you’d wish

3. If you could have three books, you’d pick…because…

4. If you were sure that no one would laugh at you, you’d

5. If the child in you could speak, he would tell you

6. If you could live in another time: why/when?

7. What do you fantasize about?

8. What is your favorite way to spend a night

9. One thing you wish people could know about you is

10. What do you do for excitement

11. What would you consider a perfect day

12. What would you consider a perfect date

13. What would you do over if you could

14. Where do you go for peace and quiet?

SOCIAL & RELATIONSHIPS

1. Best friend(s)

2. What best friend would say about you?

3. What worst enemy would say about you?

4. What you would say about yourself?

5. What people like about you?

6. What people don’t like about you?

7. Team player or not

PERSONAL RESPONSES

1. Behavior patterns: how do you react:

a. In an emergency

b. A woman in tears

c. An angry child

2. At a gathering, where would you gravitate

3. What’s your response to a stranger: potential friend/enemy/rival/quick/reserved/guarded

4. Did you ever do anything on a dare

5. How do you react to: doubt/fear/guilt/pride/stress

6. In what situation are you most brave

7. In what situation are you most afraid

8. Where are you vulnerable

9. When was the last time you cried

10. The person who most influenced you is…because…

11. What is your least favorite memory

12. What is your favorite memory

SEXUAL RELATED QUESTIONS

1. Straight/Gay/Etc.

2. With whom would you have a fantasy affair

3. What do you think about sex

4. Sex affects a relationship, how

5. Could you be tempted to cheat on your partner?

6. Sexual attitude

7. How did you lose your virginity

8. The hardest thing about intimate communication is

9. Are you more comfortable around men or women

10. What attracts you most about your own sex is

11. What attracts you most about the opposite sex is

12. What attracts you most to the person you are attracted to

13. Complete this sentence: When a woman touches me, I feel

14. When a man touches me, I feel

15. Are you easy to fall in love with?

16. Easy to love? Why? Why not?

17. Do you fall in love quickly, gradually?

18. Do you notice it happening? Do you try to stop it?

19. What scares you most about being in a committed relationship?

20. What do you love the most about being in a committed relationship?

21. What does your lover know about you that no one else does

22. What does your lover love about you that no one else does

23. How are you different with your lover than with anyone else?

MORALS/FAITH

Moral standards

Are you always honest with others

Are you always honest with yourself

Do you support any charities and why?

What do you think of religion

How do you feel about dying

MONEY

If you had a million dollars, you would

Money means to you

READER AWARENESS

What trait will make this character come alive and why?

Will reader like/dislike character for same reason?

PLOT BUILDER

1. What is your Goal in the story?

2. How are you motivated to obtain this goal?

3. What is standing in your way of obtaining this goal?

4. How do you plan to achieve this goal?

5. Enemies with…and why

6. Do you have a Secret

7. How do you see yourself now/in five years

8. How will it get worse

9. What do you want to accomplish/find/or become by the end of the book? Why?

10. What is your self (internal obstacle) is preventing you from reaching your goal?

11. What will have to happen for you to overcome outside/inside obstacles?

12. One line characterization

FINALE

Tell me about the day in your life you’ll never forget.

Easter-the horny little holiday

2010-04-02T14:52:00.001-06:00

Long before Easter was Easter, the pagans celebrated the arrival of Spring with Eostre. There are many other related names for the Easter celebration, but no matter what you call it there is one thing they all have in common...fertility! Eggs, chocolate, rabbits (we all know what those furry creatures like to do), they all subconciously relate to sex.

Forget the usual jelly beans and malted milk balls. How about a ...

Okay I understand if marshmallow treats don't quite do it for you. So, in honor of this horny little holiday, I'd like to present you with a basketfull of tasty treats, dressed in their finest Easter colors. Enjoy and have a Hot Holiday!

How would you like this guy hopping around in your bed?

Is that a chocolate bunny in your pants or are you just happy to see me?

What's the first part you'd sample if you found this March Hare tucked into your Easter grass?

And just because it makes me laugh...

Marathon writing session

2010-03-31T22:23:00.000-06:00

Wow, so I just finished a 3 day marathon writing session and I am exhausted. Thank goodness it was only for a short story or I would never have made the deadline. I heard about a call for submission for paranormal short stories to be considered for a Halloween themed anthology. Being the sort of person who can never miss anything tagged "Halloween" I just had to grease up my writing chops and get to work in order to meet tonight's midnight deadline. The problem was, I only heard about the project 3 days ago!
I see it and think, no problem, I can do that. I already have the storyline in my head (sort of). Little did I realize how many hours I would put into that 8K word short story! But it's finished. I love it! And I was able to submit it before the deadline. Yay!
Now all I have to do is wait and see if it will be accepted for inclusion. I suppose the worst case scenario is that I will at least have a completed work hanging around for future opportunities.
I'm kind of shocked at myself that I completed the work from concept to finished project in such a short span of time. I'm wondering if that's how I always need to work...but then I see my pillow beckoning and I think...nah.

Wish me luck!

P.S. A big, heartfelt thanks to all of my followers!

Only the Lonely released today!

2010-03-29T09:49:00.002-06:00

Today is the big day! Only the Lonely has been released and is available for purchase! It takes a bit of time for it to appear on all of the websites, but it is available right now at fictionwise.com and Blackvelvetseductions . I can't wait to hear what my readers think. There are also 3 free chapters available for download at Blackvelvetseductions, so if nothing else, stop by there and preview for no cost and hopefully you will love it enough to want to find out how it all works out in the end!

May there always be romance in your life,

Susan Gabriel

So, what makes vampires so damn sexy?

2010-03-25T12:36:00.000-06:00

Over the years the vampire stands alone as the monster we most relate with sex. But why? What is it about the vampire that inspires us to feel so turned on by this bloodsucking, undead predator? Let's explore the unique aspects of the vampire. The vampire's unbridled, unaplogetic bloodlust is a metaphor for our own sexual desires. The vampire is mythology's embodiment of sexuality. His victims swoon to his touch and his bite is about ecstacy as equally as it is about pain. In him, we see our sexual selves...the self that sometimes lies dormant or supressed, but never dies. Although undead, he is forever young and vital. His need for blood is as urgent as adolescent hormones. He is magical, powerful, mysterious and fatally flawed. He walks in this world, but yet is apart from it, aloof and elusive. He is a dream, a fantasy, just beyond our grasp and certainly beyond our control. Which brings me to another aspect of the vampire's appeal...domination. The vampire, whether male or female is the quintessential alpha-male which appeals to our need to surrender. With the vampire we have no choice but to bend to his will and by doing so, he rewards his victim with a sort of sexual awakening that would be impossible without complete surrender. Yet, an encounter with a vampire is never safe. There is always the element of danger lurking around the edges...even if the vampire is head over heels in love with you. And who doesn't like a bit of danger to spice up their lovelife? The vampire is also our most enchanting monster...a wonder to behold. Fair in face and form...the beauty that walks in the night. We appreciate him not only for his prowess, but also for the macbre sense of beauty he brings. Above all, there is a part of the vampire that remains unmistakably human. He loves, he laughs, he plays and he hurts as humans do. Perhaps more. Even the story of Dracula is a love story which exemplifies that while the body may grow cold and dead, love is the thing that never dies.

And above all, our desire to be loved is the most demanding need we possess and to be loved by a vampire is to be loved and desired for eternity. AND THAT IS SEXY!

If this has inspired you to take a second look at vampires, then please check out my new novel Only the Lonely, debuting Monday, March 29th. I think you will find it's not your typical vampire romance!

Have a great day and thanks for reading!

May there always be romance in your life,

Susan Gabriel

Getting antsy

2010-03-24T01:44:00.001-06:00

So the release of my new book , Only the Lonely is just a few days away (March 29, 2010). I'm a little antsy about this release because this is a project that's been in the works for what seems like forever.

It's also work that I am really proud of. I've heard the old adage that it isn't difficult to write, all you do is sit down and open a vein. Well, that's pretty much exactly how I felt when writing this book. I dug deep and went to some pretty dark places. I lived, breathed, slept and dreamed these characters to the point that they became quite real to me and at times I wondered if in fact, I had caused them to actually exist in some form.

I must say that I was almost sad when the final draft was completed as I feel a bit lonely myself without the company of Summer and her sexy vampire. In just a few days, I release these characters into the world of my readers and I am keeping my fingers crossed that they enjoy reading Only the Lonely as much as I did writing it.

The book will be available in all formats at Fictionwise.com and through my publisher Blackvelvetseductions.com.
My publisher tells me that it may take a bit more time for it to appear on Amazon, but it will be there as soon as Amazon gets around to listing it.

If you'd like to know more about Only the Lonely, I have posted the video book trailer below.

I love to hear from my readers, so drop a comment whenever you feel the urge....and that's good advice for just about everything, don't you think?

Only the Lonely Book Trailer

2010-03-24T01:15:00.001-06:00