We talked to Gabrielle for a bit, asked her some tough and not so tough questions, and even have a special treat for you at the end, so stay tuned the whole way through.
Interview:
§
1. If dragons were alive and well in the
here-and-now, would you fear them or befriend them?
I would of course fear them but also respect
them. I would love to befriend them, however; only if they wish it. If dragons
were alive today I fear they would be misused for their power, strength and
abilities. They would most likely not want to befriend any human. It would take
time and patience to befriend one of these amazing creatures. I would need to
first regain their trust.
§
2. You suddenly find yourself in the world of
the Crimson Rose novels; what is your weapon of choice?
This is a difficult question to answer. The
world is infused with different weapons that can be wielded. It would depend on
what my goal or purpose was for being there. If I was a warrior I would have
both a bow and a broad sword. I would also carry a ghost blade (a blade forged
with dragon scales). I do not want to
say anything else as it would give away much of this important tool.
However, if I were to have to pick just one,
it would be a ghost blade.
§
3. Did you read comics when you were growing up
and, if so, which comics would you attribute as being the biggest influences on
you as an artist?
I read comics with my father since he
introduced them to me. I read most of the superhero comics like Superman and
Justice League. The art did not intrigue me but the vast dialogue did. Comics sparked my interest in screen plays
and novels. Artists Amy Brown and Nene Thomas were my biggest influences on me
as an artist. I would draw a replica of their art but add my own flare to the
piece. It wasn’t until I had been drawing for seven years that everything came
together for me as an artist. My art work somehow evolved into a talent I did
not recognize.
§ 4.
What is your favorite medium to use when
working on your artwork?
I grew up using traditional graphite. I
preferred mechanical pencils because of the sharp thin tip. It was not until I
was older when I became introduced to oil pastels, charcoal, different shades
of graphite pencils and black ink drawing pens. I love charcoal, however; my
shading is still a little rusty. I know in time I will master the techniques
needed to use charcoal as a medium fully.
§ 5.
If you could only draw one thing for the rest
of your life (i.e. people, animals, etc) what would you choose to do your
artwork on?
I am very meticulous about how I draw
dragons/want them to look. So sadly, it
would not be them. If I could draw one thing, it would be my character in my
stories. Doing them helps me develop them and to fully picture them.
§
6. What was the first thing you drew/created
that started you on your artistic path?
The first thing I drew was a drawing from Amy
Brown’s art book. I drew a fairy holding a staff with a crescent moon at the
top. The fairy was clothed in a deep blue cloak with a wolf sitting beside her.
§
7. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Write often and never stop. The best advice I ever
received was from my cousin Patrick. He told me to write about anything even if
it was just about what happened during the day.
Take anything you see in the world and place your own
interpretation onto it. This allows you
to take anything and turn it into a story. Having an open mind throughout your
day opens a whole other world of opportunities. Having an open mind also allows
you to see stories waiting to be told that can stem from one simple event or object
in everyday life. I see writers as the
interpreters of the world. Do not be afraid to tell any kind of story.
§
8. If you had to choose vampire or werewolf
which would you share your life with?
I would choose a werewolf probably because
one of my best friend’s characters that I am in love with is a werewolf. I also
have my own character as one but with a different twist. I enjoy their
protective instincts and toughness. I have always favored werewolves over
vampires out of preference for as long as I could remember.
§ 9.
What would you tell young girls who want to
become writers?
Same thing as above. I do not see young girls
differently from anyone else. They should not feel pressure or inferior to a
male writer. Take chances with your writing; after all it is YOUR writing and
YOUR interpretation of the world you see or wish to see around you. Write from
your heart.
§ 10.
Have you ever wanted to base your life on one
of your stories or someone elses?
Of course I have. I believe every writer
would love to life within their stories, however; us writers tend to take a
perfectly good character and see what they can do to make their life a living
hell. Knowing that, I would still love to base my life off my stories or
someone else’s because it’s the adventure that I am after.
§ 11.
What makes your character, Crimson, so
important to you?
Crimson is very dear to my heart despite how
frustrating he is. He demands everything to be about him when he clearly knows
the story is about others as well. He is very difficult to write because I am
so close to him. I see Crimson as an extension of myself. I see him as all the
mistakes I have made and all the dangers in my life that I fear. Crimson is all
my phobias into one along with forbidden temptations of everyday life. He is the part of my mind that goes wild when
I walk around in the dark to say just take the trash out. He is also a haven or
comfort for me. Crimson is my rational thoughts of reason. He is my decision
maker when I am stressed or frazzled. Crimson is all that I love, all that I
hate and all that I fear.
§ 12 . If you were to write a Tell All book, what
would you include? What wouldn't you include?
I would write about how to market your own
novel from self-publication. Not all
writers are fortunate enough to have a publisher to market and turn their world
into something more. Marketing a book is hard work and not everyone knows the
proper way to go about this.
Born in New Jersey, Gabrielle was raised around
a slew of artists that only aided her overactive imagination and was fully
brought to life from her love of books, storytelling, drawing, and movies. At
the age of twelve, Gabrielle moved to live with her mother and younger sibling.
Unlike most children, she adored middle school and high school because this is were her writing career first began to flourish. Gabrielle spent her days sitting at her desk and her head firmly within the stories she wrote as her teachers went along their daily activities for the class. With the help of inspirational teachers, they were able to guide her work and mind set in the right direction to pursue her dream of becoming an author. The birth of her Crimson Rose series sprouted while she daydreamed within her torturous math class.
As most characters grow in stories, Gabrielle slowly began to ease from the comfort of herself. There were always many paths before her, however; none took kindly to her heart. Her love began to reside in her stories instead of finding hope in another as a partner. Nonetheless, when she wasn't looking when her loving fiancé, Vincent appeared in her life. He helped to motivate her when blocks hit her and was there to bounce ideas off of. With Vincent's encouragement, she was able to finally finish her series as well as reach her dream as an author. Like any good shifting story, Gabrielle had to quickly adjust to the pros and cons of being in a military relationship.
Gabrielle continues to write many years after her early beginnings sitting at a desk in middle school with a handful of notebooks to accompany her. Her work stretches far beyond her series now with short stories, poems, sketching out her characters and much more.
Unlike most children, she adored middle school and high school because this is were her writing career first began to flourish. Gabrielle spent her days sitting at her desk and her head firmly within the stories she wrote as her teachers went along their daily activities for the class. With the help of inspirational teachers, they were able to guide her work and mind set in the right direction to pursue her dream of becoming an author. The birth of her Crimson Rose series sprouted while she daydreamed within her torturous math class.
As most characters grow in stories, Gabrielle slowly began to ease from the comfort of herself. There were always many paths before her, however; none took kindly to her heart. Her love began to reside in her stories instead of finding hope in another as a partner. Nonetheless, when she wasn't looking when her loving fiancé, Vincent appeared in her life. He helped to motivate her when blocks hit her and was there to bounce ideas off of. With Vincent's encouragement, she was able to finally finish her series as well as reach her dream as an author. Like any good shifting story, Gabrielle had to quickly adjust to the pros and cons of being in a military relationship.
Gabrielle continues to write many years after her early beginnings sitting at a desk in middle school with a handful of notebooks to accompany her. Her work stretches far beyond her series now with short stories, poems, sketching out her characters and much more.
Links:
And now...as promised we have a special treat. On December 31st, 2013 Gabrielle's first novel will be hitting readers everywhere. Her book titled Crimson Rose will be available on Amazon among other places, and just for you, lucky readers, we have some special words form the author herself. We hope you enjoy this tasty tidbit, and will run out...or type whichever the case is, and purchase our lovely Fire Sprites amazing words in print.
Blurb from Crimson Rose:
When Alachia learns
that children are mysteriously vanishing for an unknown reason, she must fight
with a burning force growing stronger inside her as she unravels the
explanation of this pandemic. Death and
creatures only heard in stories torment her along her quest while being haunted
by the lives lost in her old home. They long for a life instead of laying waste
to the dead kingdom and Alachia makes a hefty promise to them.
While carrying the
murdered souls, Alachia must make sure her own changing nature does not disrupt
them. Questions swarm her mind wandering if she will make it in time for her
lost people and the children. Alachia must choose between a path of
destruction, or one of everlasting peace. An eerie man makes the decision for
her and sets her off on an unforgettable journey to the possible demise of her
friends and herself.
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