Reynard on love, lust, marriage, etc.

For Valentine’s Day, I will depart from my usual parenting topics to give our readers an exclusive interview with Sylvain Reynard, international best-selling author of romance novels, Gabriel’s Inferno and Gabriel’s Rapture, with the third book in the works.

These books are my current madness. And with very good reason at that.

Reynard’s profound views on love and lust, sin and redemption, faith, hope and charity were brilliantly and inspiringly written that they leave you enlightened and aching for more.

But this isn’t a book review. This is about the wonderful opportunity of interviewing Reynard. Get to know the man behind the romantic novels that keep you enthralled!

Magandang Araw sa iyo, Ginoong Reynard. Tell us about the process of writing Gabriel’s Inferno (GI) and Gabriel’s Rapture (GR). To inspire you, were you actually in Florence at the time of writing your novels? Sitting in a café, sipping espressos?

“Magandang umaga, Christine. It’s a pleasure to be with you. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you and your readers.

“My enthusiasm for Florence and Florentine history is part of what motivated my writing, along with my affection for the love story of Dante and Beatrice. The city center is beautiful, as is the Arno River and the bridges that cross it. Even the skyline is majestic. I like nothing more than to stand at the Piazzale Michelangelo and gaze at the Brunelleschi’s domes and the tiled roofs of the buildings. Magnificent.

“My time in Florence has influenced my writing a great deal. But I would say that much of the inspiration comes through visiting the art galleries, especially the Uffizi. Florence is a great backdrop for a novel.

“The Umbrian landscape is beautiful. Todi, Spoleto and Orvieto are all worth a visit in addition to Assisi and Perugia.”

Why were you particularly drawn to the story of Dante and Beatrice (the protagonists of Dante’s The Divine Comedy)?

“Their relationship typifies passionate, courtly love and challenges the assumption that passionate love requires sex. I think that’s an interesting theme and I wanted to explore it in a novel.

“Dante is a gentleman to Beatrice, which is another aspect of the courtly love tradition I thought was worth exploring.  Manners and respect might be old-fashioned, but they are also important, which is why I believe readers like the Professor so much. They like the way he treats Julianne (eventually).”

Do you personally share the same views with Dante and Professor Emerson on love and lust, sin and redemption, faith, hope and charity ?  

“I can’t swear to agreeing with everything that Dante or the characters say or do. Part of what I try to do as a novelist is to provoke the reader to think — so of course, there are words and deeds that are mistaken or wrong.

“In general, however, I affirm the overarching themes of the novel, which is that faith, hope and charity are essential to a happy life, that grace is necessary and that we all need forgiveness and redemption.”

 Long before you became famous as the author of G1 and GR,  you were already known to use your fan fiction works as a platform to promote your charitable and noble causes. I’m glad to hear that you support World Vision (WV). My husband, newsman Julius Caesar Babao, and yours truly are both ambassadors of WV. How did you come to know about World Vision?

“World Vision enjoys an excellent reputation in Canada and around the world as a charity committed to helping those in need, especially children. They do tremendous work with the poor, the displaced, the hungry and those suffering with HIV/AIDS.  I’ve wanted to raise awareness about their projects and also to encourage people to support them.”

Julia is a compassionate character. 

“I love that chapter when Gabriel and Julia were in Florence and had an issue about giving alms to the poor man at the Duomo — and you mentioned Saint Francis of Assisi.

“Julia Mitchell tells Professor Gabriel: ‘St. Francis didn’t make his charity conditional.’

“No matter what he does with the money, that will be a good thing.”

In real life, are you the Julia who is compassionate, especially to the poor?

“Like most people, I see opportunities to be charitable on a daily basis, but I fall far short of seizing those opportunities. Since I began to be a semi-public figure as a writer, I made the decision to try to raise awareness of various charities and organizations as an effort to use social media for good. My readers have responded by volunteering, donating goods and money and raising awareness among their friends and neighbors. On more than one occasion, I’ve been overwhelmed at the response a single tweet or act by a reader has gotten

“One of my readers wrote to me about Gawad Kalinga. I researched their mission and projects. I was so impressed with the organization. So I’ve added them to the list of charities I spotlight through my Twitter account.”

Do you envision GI and GR being made into movies? If yes, has Hollywood bought the rights of your novels?

“Readers have been asking for the books to be made into films and I like to keep the readers happy. (Supermodel David Gandy and Hollywood actor Henry Cavill are strong fan favorites for the role of Prof. Gabriel Emerson.)”

When I sent you my first tweet, you replied in Filipino. I was pleasantly surprised. Are you good with languages (just like Prof.  Gabriel himself ). Do you have Filipino friends?

“I don’t really speak Filipino. I have a few phrases and a dictionary, which makes me more dangerous than anything. I’ve always thought it was important as an act of respect and friendship, to greet people in their own language. As much as possible, I try to do this with my readers.

“I should mention that one of my favorite snacks is dried mango slices, imported from the Philippines.  I think everyone should try them. (Dried mangoes will arrive at your doorstep soon!)”

Outside the author, who is Sylvain Reynard?

“I enjoy sports, poker, Scotch, sometimes at the same time. I drink tea but prefer coffee. I think it might be a requirement that writers drink strong black coffee. I like crime dramas and drinking in pubs with friends. I have an enviable collection of argyle socks, because argyle, as everyone knows, is the fabric of seduction.”

( I didn’t know this until the interview. I wore Argyle socks, in my favorite purple color during my grade school years.)

Some question thrown in by fans via Twitter, instagram and Facebook:

Do you love like the Professor?

“(Blushing) I try.”


Will you come up with a CD of your Julia playlist?

“I don’t know about a CD but in addition to the playlist, I have on my website, Argyle Empire has posted a more extensive playlist here: http://www.argyleempire.com/2013/01/music-in-or-inspired-by-gabriels.html.”

When will Gabriel Part 3 be released ?

“I’m writing Book Three as we speak and the writing is coming along nicely. I don’t have a release date or a title yet, but I hope to have both soon. Believe me, I want the book in your hands as soon as possible. But I’m still writing and then the manuscript needs to go to my editor.

“I also wanted to mention that I hope to be able to release a teaser to Book Three in the Gabriel series soon. I’m working with my publisher to make this happen.”

(Links to Book Three teaser is already posted on his website, sylvainreynard.com) 

Reynard, you are the author who continues to intrigue your legions of fans from all over the world with your mysterious persona. You mentioned in one of your interviews that you prefer the spotlight on the story and characters of your books rather than on you. But for how long do you intend to remain anonymous?

“I’ve remained anonymous because I treasure my privacy. It enables me to lead a quiet, simple life. Few bestselling authors have this kind of life and so it’s something I’m committed to protecting. I’m uncomfortable being on the spotlight.”

May I ask for a special message for your legions of fans in the Philippines? Will you ever visit, albeit anonymously ?

“I’d be delighted to visit the Philippines. I want to thank you for your support and for all the notes, e-mails, tweets and messages you’ve sent to me, especially as I’m writing the third book. Your encouragement motivates me to write faster and better. Salamat.

“My readers from the Philippines have been very kind and enthusiastic. In fact, a few readers banded together to operate the @GIFansFilipino Twitter account — where they tweet in Tagalog and English.

“So it’s a great pleasure to be able to speak to readers in the Philippines and say: Salamat.

Maraming Salamat din po sa iyo, Ginoong Reynard. I am sure your Filipino fans are thrilled to read this interview to get to know you more. Mabuhay ka. With Gratitude and blessings.

(For this interview, my gratitude also goes to Enn Bocci, publicist of Reynard and hopeless Romantic. Thank you, Enn.

Gabriel’s Inferno and Gabriel’s Rapture are perfect Valentine gifts for your loved one. Follow Sylvain via Twitter:@sylvainreynard and on FB: SylvainReynard www.sylvainreynard.com.)