Mystery We Write Blog Tour with Vivian Zabel

AN INTERVIEW WITH VIVIAN ZABEL, MYSTERY WRITER AND PUBLISHER

Vivian, welcome to Mystery We Write Blog Tour, and thanks for spending time with us. We appreciate your sharing details about your life and about your latest novel? Would you start by describing STOLEN and how it came about?

My latest novel, Stolen, is a mixture of mystery, suspense, and even love, but it is not a classic mystery. Torri Adamson discovers her playboy husband has a second wife and takes her children home to Oklahoma. She rebuilds her life with her grandparents, mother’s brother and his wife, and closest friend, until her friend dies of cancer. Torri rebuilds her life again and shared grief with her friend’s widower develops into love. Then her life is torn apart when her children are stolen.

The story is one I had to write after I couldn’t find a way to deal with the pain of two grandchildren being taken by their father. When the novel was written, we didn’t know if they lived or not or where they were. I took the agony, loss, and frustration and gave them to Torri. Of course I still felt the loss, deeply, but at least could better deal with it.

Losing a child must be the most frightening thing imaginable. Just the thought makes my blood run cold. This book is in now my TBR stack. Will you be writing any other books of this sort?

I have a sequel to Stolen in the works, titled Betrayed, because that how missing or kidnapped children feel when they return home and discover everyone else’s life continued.

I’d never thought of the emotional trauma kidnapped children must suffer after they’re safe. Just their coming home has always seemed like a happy ending to me, but just your one sentence has opened my eyes. Of course, that’s exactly how they would feel: BETRAYED. Now I have a new title on my book list.

Were there any challenges in getting STOLEN published?

I had my novel “sold” to two different publishers at different times, but they wanted a happily-ever-after ending. I couldn’t change the ending because doing so would change the whole theme of the book: rebuilding one’s life when trauma and destruction hits. Therefore, I put the manuscript back in the computer and waited.

When I started 4RV Publishing, I wasn’t going to do self-publishing. My submissions go through the acquisition editors just as every submission does, anonymously. Stolen was accepted, however one of my submissions has been rejected.

It’s astonishing that you were ejected by the publishing company you started and now operate. That’s what I call a testimony of integrity. I’m going to check out more of the 4RV books! Now, another question: Who designed your book cover and did you have any say in the final result?

Willow Raven designed the book cover. I was able to give suggestions after she did the design, but I didn’t have any other control. She captured the essence of the writing.

I think readers would like to know something about your personal life. Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about this special relationship.

I have two cats. I love German shepherds, but we don’t have a room for a dog. Therefore, we have Funny Face, who’s nearly 15 years old, and Shadow, who’s about six months old. Funny Face can count to three and knows “treat” means run to the kitchen because I’m going to give him canned cat food. He isn’t able to climb into my lap well any more, but he will sit by my chair until I help him up. Shadow is the great-great-great-great (etc.) grandson of a tom cat I had for over ten years, and he’s smart as can be.

Your cat stories put a smile on my face. I love cats! So independent, a bit like writers, don’t you think? Tell us what are you now reading and who are your favorite authors?

I read Carolyn Hart (what a delightful woman), J.A. Jance, Merline Lovelace, William Bernhardt, Jordan Dane, and others. However the ones named are from Oklahoma, even though Jordan has now moved to Texas, and I know or at least met them all.

If you could choose another time in history to live, when would that be?

I would want to live in the future when houses cleaned themselves and the medical world healed us easier.

Good choice! I think that we’d all like that. Now just a couple more questions:

If you could travel anywhere in the world to research a book, and if someone else pays expenses, where would you pick?

Just one place? Hmmm … I would love to go to Europe and visit the countryside. Yes, a few places in some of the major cities would be enjoyable to see, but I would want to visit the country, castles, villages, and such. I’d like to see places where some of my ancestors lived.

Another good choice and I’d like to trail along. Now for one final question: How do you motivate yourself to write when you’re not in the mood to create even one more sentence?

I allow my mind to take over and create more of the “movie” of my manuscript in my head. That’s how I do my writing anyway, in my head. I have the characters, plot, everything real to me before I put my fingers to the keyboard or pen to paper.

Ah! The magic of writing.

Thanks so much Vivian for stopping by and sharing your life and experiences with us. It’s been fun.

Readers, post any questions or remarks that you have for Vivian, I’m sure she’d be glad to respond. May all of you have a joyful and creative day.

Vivian's Links:
Blogsite:  http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com/

Website: http://vivianzabel.com/

STOLEN and other books by Vivian Zabel can be purchased through any bookstore, on Internet book stores, and through http://4rvpublishingcatalog.yolasite.com/

Hugs,

Jackie