The Amazing Vivian Zabel

Hello everyone,

Please welcome my guest today, the award-winning author Vivian Zabel. She is the author of Stolen, an emotionally charged, fictionalized account about the kidnapping of her two grandchildren.

"Based on a true story, Zabel conveys much of the agony and utter despair that is evoked from having a father steal his children from their mother." Karen Cioffi

When troubles and tragedies steal the joy and happiness from life,
a person has two choices: to rebuild and find a way to continue living or to give up.
Torri faces adversity after adversity and finds a way to reconstruct her life.
However, when the most drastic tragedy hits,
she doesn't know if she can continue or not.

The inspiration for Stolen came from the fear, frustration, and pain caused by two of my grandchildren being taken by their father. For over 12 years, we didn’t know where they were, if they were all right, even if they lived or not. Very scary.
I couldn’t make the book nonfiction because some details would open me up for lawsuits, breaches between people dear to me, or hurt someone else. The events and details I did use were ones that allowed the despair and heartache to show as well as the helplessness, without causing more problems. Some details were true: such as the scribbles on the wall, dreaming one or both the children were hurt, running to check beds which were still empty, etc. I kept journals where I wrote messages to the kids for about the first six or seven years. I can’t find them now, and I do wish I could. Also we had stacks of Christmas presents put back for them for the first five years. We finally began to give those presents to Faris’ and Yameen’s nephew and nieces. However, I still have the huge stuffed lion the two loved to use for a pillow.

In February 2007, I opened an email and read, “I think you’re my grandmother.” Finally, we knew the two lived.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with my blog, Vivian. Thank you too, for the opportunity to be entered into your contest:

3 Contests For Bloggers:

1. The host with the most comments from different visitors will receive a hard copy ARC.

2. Send Vivian an email with a possible ending to the novel and two winners will receive an ARC.

3. Anyone not hosting a blog stop but who promotes the novel will have a chance to win an ARC. (ARC means Advance Reader Copy). Just email Vivian with the url to the promotion.Email Vivian at vivian@viviangilbertzabel.com Note: Winners of hard copy ARCs must have a U.S. address. Anyone outside the U.S. who wins will receive a PDF ARC.

I wish you all the very best, Vivian!

Warmly,

Jenny:)