Once in a while you come across an author you fall in love with right after the first chapter. Gabrielle is one of them. We have circled each other in the social media for well over a year and finally I decided to check out her work. All I can say is wow, these books are hard to put down. The characters are believable and plot well thought out and the sex? Hot don't come close to the way she can make a page sizzle. I finally got a chance to have her on my humble blog and answer some of my questions. So grab your coffee enjoy.
Do you do anything to get you into the zone to write?
I need to have some kind of music playing and always need to have a glass of iced tea nearby. I'm pretty easy-going other than those two things.
Which authors inspire your writing?
I'm inspired by the big names in my genre—Christine Feehan, Gena Showalter, Kerrelyn Sparks—but I also find the classics inspiring too. I read a lot outside my genre, so those books inspire me too.
What is your favorite book, character and why?
I have so many characters I love that it's hard to choose but two who stand out are Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights and Edward Rochester from Jane Eyre (Can you tell I love brooding heroes?).
Do you prefer to write erotic or sweet?
I don't know if it's a preference, but I just seem to always write erotic romance.
Which famous person, living or dead, are you drawn to?
Alexander Hamilton. (I bet you don't get that answer all too often. LOL) I'm a history lover, and Hamilton is one of my favorite Founding Fathers. So bright and so complex, like many of his time, but Hamilton stood out above the rest to me.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
That's always a tough question. I can tell you where I'd like to be in five years—writing full time and living somewhere warm. Those two things would make me a happy woman.
Finish this sentence: I know I’ve made it when_______________?
I knew I made it when people began talking to me about my characters. It was at that point (to be honest, it was about Vasilije in the Sons of Navarus series) that I felt like I had made it.
What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Don't hurry. The good stuff takes time. Take it easy, learn the craft, and fine tune your work until it shines.
What do you see yourself writing in the future?
I have a few more books in the Sons series, and there's a possible spin-off series with the dragon brothers readers first hear about in Blood Prophecy, but there could be a contemporary inside my brain and an historical fiction (non-romance) there too.
If you could have one superpower what would it be and why?
Hands down, it would be time travel. I love the past, so being able to visit any time and see history being made would be incredible to me.
What time of the day are you at your best to write?
Because I home school my son and teach college students during the day, I have to write at night. Conveniently, I'm a night-owl, so that works. :)
And now for something completely different…
What do you look at first with an attractive man or woman, face, body or smile?
I look at the face of an attractive man first.
Explain your perfect day.
My perfect day would involve lots of sunny skies, hot temps (above 80), steaks on the grill, a big glass of iced tea, my sitting on my porch, and the words flowing like never before. Then when the sun goes down, a cold beer and good music. The man of my dreams to share this day and night with wouldn't be bad either.
What is the most decadent desert you can’t say no to?
Anything with caramel. I have something with that sugary substance.
Do you have a favorite holiday what is it and what makes it special to you?
My favorite holiday is the 4th of July. I share a birthday with my father—July 7—and my mother's only brother's birthday was July 5, so the 4th of July holiday meant not only celebrating this country's independence but all our birthdays, so it was always a weeklong celebration for us. I even thought the fireworks were for us until I was old enough to realize there was a bigger holiday. Even today, I celebrate my birthday for a week because of how it was when I was younger.
What key words describe you best?
Determined, caring, strong.
Blood Avenged Blurb:
I am everything you desire. I am vampire.
Powerful and manipulative, Vasilije does as he pleases. A vampire beholden to no one, he takes what he desires, drinking deeply the pleasures this life has to offer.
When one of his own is staked, Vasilije must travel to New Orleans to exact his revenge. There he meets Sasa, a beautiful woman who arouses him like no other has for centuries. Vasilije’s need for vengeance is equaled only by his passion for her, but what he finds in his revenge is just the beginning...
When one of his own is staked, Vasilije must travel to New Orleans to exact his revenge. There he meets Sasa, a beautiful woman who arouses him like no other has for centuries. Vasilije’s need for vengeance is equaled only by his passion for her, but what he finds in his revenge is just the beginning...
Blood Avenged Excerpt:
Vasilije looked around the room he’d just appeared in, his body alert to any danger. He’d followed the sense he’d gotten before Teagan’s spirit had been extinguished and knew he was in his home in New Orleans. Everything about the place was Teagan—from the Turkish cigarettes he smoked, to the bottle of Guinness that sat on the coffee table, to the musky scent that identified him as one of Vasilije’s vampires.
And the beautiful woman staring at him.
“Who did this?”
Big brown eyes stared back at him. “I don’t know. It happened so fast. I left to grab another six pack and when I got back, someone had a stake...”
Vasilije stood watching the stranger as she cried, needing more information but forced to wait until there was a break in her tears.
“Who are you?”
The woman dried her eyes and sniffled. “Sasa. I was his girlfriend.”
At the use of the past tense, she began tearing up again, but Vasilije didn’t have time for it. Whoever had staked Teagan couldn’t have gone too far and any more time wasted with Sasa’s crying may mean he’d lose the fucker.
He moved to leave and her hand caught his arm.
“Please don’t go.”
She looked up at him with such a sad expression for a moment he didn’t want to go. But he couldn’t let Teagan’s murderer escape. Vasilije touched his hand to hers to remove it from his arm, but all this did was make her squeeze tighter.
“Please,” she begged in a voice that matched the pathetic look in her eyes. “Don’t leave me alone now.”
The urge to tear his arm from her hold and leave her to her misery spiked in him, but it was overruled by that small part of him that understood her sadness.
“Fine. Follow me. And keep up. And if I tell you to do something, do it. Do you understand?”
For a second, she looked surprised and Vasilije thought he was going to hear a string of irritating questions. None came, though, and when he turned to head out the door, she followed silently.
At the street, he stopped and inhaled deeply, hoping to sense something that would help him find Teagan’s killer. Nothing came. But there’d been something in the apartment...something that he was sure he recognized.
Eyes closed, he let his other senses take over, but he got nothing. “What did he look like?”
“I don’t know. It was so quick. Blond, I think.”
Vasilije snapped his head to the left to look at her. “Man or woman?”
Instantly, Tatiana’s threat repeated in his head. Now I take something you cherish. Had she staked one of his vampires in retaliation over Alex? Vasilije doubted even Tatiana would stake a vampire herself, but she wasn’t above having someone else do it.
“Man.”
That didn’t mean Tatiana wasn’t behind Teagan’s murder. And who was this woman who claimed to be Teagan’s girlfriend?
“Did you see which direction he ran?”
Sasa shook her head sadly. “No, I’m sorry. Are you his sire?”
“How do you know about that?” he asked, more suspicious than he’d been just a minute earlier.
“Teagan was a vampire, and you just look like a sire would. That’s what you call them, right?”
As she spoke, Vasilije studied her under the streetlight’s glow, still unsure she was who she claimed to be. Not bad looking, she seemed like someone Teagan could like. He’d always preferred brunettes with big eyes and bigger tits, and although she didn’t measure up to porn star level, she still had a nice body. He could see her as Teagan’s girlfriend.
“Yeah, I’m his sire and right now I need to find the fuck who killed one of my vampires,” he said looking down the street.
“What’s your name?”
Turning to look at her, he raised one eyebrow. “You’re a curious one, aren’t you, pet?”
“Well, I think I should know your name if we’re going to work together to find Teagan’s killer.”
Vasilije continued to work on getting any sense of who he was looking for, but nothing came to him. Frustrated, he’d need time to think and find his way around this new place before he could search for the killer, and the last thing he needed was a weepy woman tagging along.
“Uh, no. We’re not going to be working together to find anything. Just point me to the nearest place I can get something to eat and I’ll be on my way.”
In a second, her hands were back on his arm and squeezing. “Please let me help. I want to see the person who did this brought to justice.”
Justice? Vasilije smiled at the idea of justice, sure she would be appalled by what he intended to do to Teagan’s killer. Humans were always more squeamish than he thought they should be, considering their own history.
“How long were you and Teagan together?”
“Why?”
Vasilije noticed her defensiveness immediately. Her body language screamed she was hiding something.
“You just seem very attached. That’s all.”
Sasa shifted her weight between her feet. “I was. I mean, we were. Attached. And even though we had problems, we were trying to work things out.”
“Problems?”
A sheepish look came over her face. “I forgave him and we’d have worked things out...”
Sasa’s lip quivered for just a second, and Vasilije was afraid she’d begin crying again. Teagan hadn’t changed in his new home, it seemed. A notorious ladies’ man, his wandering eye had been the reason he’d moved three thousand miles away from the only place he’d ever called home. Obviously, that relationship hadn’t survived since Sasa stood next to him all dewy eyed over his death.
“I see.”
“It’s not like that. It doesn’t matter what you think anyway. I just owe it to him to find out who did this.”
Vasilije smiled at Sasa’s words. She was probably completely unaware that the one she’d caught her boyfriend with was likely one of many. Such blind devotion.
“Love, I don’t think you understand what’s going to happen when I find the guy who did this. My idea of justice and yours aren’t the same, I guarantee you.”
Sasa’s eyes grew wide. “Why? Is there some kind of ritual you plan to perform when you punish him?”
Vasilije’s fangs snapped into position and he grinned to show her the weapons he’d use to punish the motherfucker who killed one of his own.
“No ritual. Just these and all the blood I can handle.”
The shock at his words was written all over her face.
“You plan to drain them?”
“My kind of justice, love. So if you plan to stick around, you know what to expect.”
And the beautiful woman staring at him.
“Who did this?”
Big brown eyes stared back at him. “I don’t know. It happened so fast. I left to grab another six pack and when I got back, someone had a stake...”
Vasilije stood watching the stranger as she cried, needing more information but forced to wait until there was a break in her tears.
“Who are you?”
The woman dried her eyes and sniffled. “Sasa. I was his girlfriend.”
At the use of the past tense, she began tearing up again, but Vasilije didn’t have time for it. Whoever had staked Teagan couldn’t have gone too far and any more time wasted with Sasa’s crying may mean he’d lose the fucker.
He moved to leave and her hand caught his arm.
“Please don’t go.”
She looked up at him with such a sad expression for a moment he didn’t want to go. But he couldn’t let Teagan’s murderer escape. Vasilije touched his hand to hers to remove it from his arm, but all this did was make her squeeze tighter.
“Please,” she begged in a voice that matched the pathetic look in her eyes. “Don’t leave me alone now.”
The urge to tear his arm from her hold and leave her to her misery spiked in him, but it was overruled by that small part of him that understood her sadness.
“Fine. Follow me. And keep up. And if I tell you to do something, do it. Do you understand?”
For a second, she looked surprised and Vasilije thought he was going to hear a string of irritating questions. None came, though, and when he turned to head out the door, she followed silently.
At the street, he stopped and inhaled deeply, hoping to sense something that would help him find Teagan’s killer. Nothing came. But there’d been something in the apartment...something that he was sure he recognized.
Eyes closed, he let his other senses take over, but he got nothing. “What did he look like?”
“I don’t know. It was so quick. Blond, I think.”
Vasilije snapped his head to the left to look at her. “Man or woman?”
Instantly, Tatiana’s threat repeated in his head. Now I take something you cherish. Had she staked one of his vampires in retaliation over Alex? Vasilije doubted even Tatiana would stake a vampire herself, but she wasn’t above having someone else do it.
“Man.”
That didn’t mean Tatiana wasn’t behind Teagan’s murder. And who was this woman who claimed to be Teagan’s girlfriend?
“Did you see which direction he ran?”
Sasa shook her head sadly. “No, I’m sorry. Are you his sire?”
“How do you know about that?” he asked, more suspicious than he’d been just a minute earlier.
“Teagan was a vampire, and you just look like a sire would. That’s what you call them, right?”
As she spoke, Vasilije studied her under the streetlight’s glow, still unsure she was who she claimed to be. Not bad looking, she seemed like someone Teagan could like. He’d always preferred brunettes with big eyes and bigger tits, and although she didn’t measure up to porn star level, she still had a nice body. He could see her as Teagan’s girlfriend.
“Yeah, I’m his sire and right now I need to find the fuck who killed one of my vampires,” he said looking down the street.
“What’s your name?”
Turning to look at her, he raised one eyebrow. “You’re a curious one, aren’t you, pet?”
“Well, I think I should know your name if we’re going to work together to find Teagan’s killer.”
Vasilije continued to work on getting any sense of who he was looking for, but nothing came to him. Frustrated, he’d need time to think and find his way around this new place before he could search for the killer, and the last thing he needed was a weepy woman tagging along.
“Uh, no. We’re not going to be working together to find anything. Just point me to the nearest place I can get something to eat and I’ll be on my way.”
In a second, her hands were back on his arm and squeezing. “Please let me help. I want to see the person who did this brought to justice.”
Justice? Vasilije smiled at the idea of justice, sure she would be appalled by what he intended to do to Teagan’s killer. Humans were always more squeamish than he thought they should be, considering their own history.
“How long were you and Teagan together?”
“Why?”
Vasilije noticed her defensiveness immediately. Her body language screamed she was hiding something.
“You just seem very attached. That’s all.”
Sasa shifted her weight between her feet. “I was. I mean, we were. Attached. And even though we had problems, we were trying to work things out.”
“Problems?”
A sheepish look came over her face. “I forgave him and we’d have worked things out...”
Sasa’s lip quivered for just a second, and Vasilije was afraid she’d begin crying again. Teagan hadn’t changed in his new home, it seemed. A notorious ladies’ man, his wandering eye had been the reason he’d moved three thousand miles away from the only place he’d ever called home. Obviously, that relationship hadn’t survived since Sasa stood next to him all dewy eyed over his death.
“I see.”
“It’s not like that. It doesn’t matter what you think anyway. I just owe it to him to find out who did this.”
Vasilije smiled at Sasa’s words. She was probably completely unaware that the one she’d caught her boyfriend with was likely one of many. Such blind devotion.
“Love, I don’t think you understand what’s going to happen when I find the guy who did this. My idea of justice and yours aren’t the same, I guarantee you.”
Sasa’s eyes grew wide. “Why? Is there some kind of ritual you plan to perform when you punish him?”
Vasilije’s fangs snapped into position and he grinned to show her the weapons he’d use to punish the motherfucker who killed one of his own.
“No ritual. Just these and all the blood I can handle.”
The shock at his words was written all over her face.
“You plan to drain them?”
“My kind of justice, love. So if you plan to stick around, you know what to expect.”
Purchase Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Avenged-ebook/dp/B006L8S59S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327865125&sr=8-1
To find out more about Blood Avenged and the Sons of Navarus series, including the next book, Blood Betrayed, due out in May, visit my blog at http://gbisset.blogspot.com/
And find me all over at
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