Character Spotlight ~ Elizabeth White's Gabriel Laniere

Today the spotlight shines on........................................................... Gabriel Laniere

I have loved Beth White's stories since reading her novella, The Trouble with Tommy, in the anthology, Sweet Delights. You will have to wait a little longer for Tommy's spotlight but for now I have Beth's latest leading man, Gabriel Laniere from her recent release, Redeeming Gabriel. Enjoy!

Brief physical description

Gabriel Laniere, hero of Redeeming Gabriel, is half Creek Indian, half French-Canadian. He's dark-complected, dark-eyed, with black hair. As the foster son of a blacksmith, he's tall and strongly built. Think Michael Greyeyes...

Strengths and weaknesses

Having trained as a physician, Gabriel is a brilliant scientist and linguist, which leads to a somewhat cocky attitude - especially since, at the beginning of the story he is pretty far away from God. He is a chameleon, able to charm or intimidate as the need arises (he is a spy for the Union navy). But....as God gets his attention and he falls in love with Camilla Beaumont, going his own way begins to seem less and less a good idea.

Your inspiration for the character.

I dreamed up Gabriel nearly ten years ago when I visited the Mobile Museum and learned a bit about the Hunley submarine, a Civil War vessel built on the Gulf Coast, then sent by rail to Charleston, South Carolina, where it sank a Union gunboat. I knew I wanted to write a spy story with some medical elements. As I studied Mobile history, I became fascinated with the fate of the Creek Indians who were forced to leave South Alabama just before the Civil War began. So Gabriel's character took on a little of all those elements....and he became an intelligent, exotic and charismatic man worthy of my abolitionist heroine.

Synopsis

Spying for the Union army has taken a heavy toll on Gabriel Laniere. With deception a constant in his life, he can't allow himself to get close to anyone- not even God. Yet Camilla Beaumont, daughter of the Confederacy, just might be the exception. Camilla has a dangerous secret that rivals Gabriel's...and the unlikely partnership they forge could be the key Gabriel seeks to a soul-shaking truth larger than any conflict-love.

Thanks Beth - I really liked Gabriel! You do know how to create great leading men with substance and style!


On Monday, the spotlight will shine twice!

Once on Linda Leigh Hargrove's Isaac Hunt and twice with a special Christmas spotlight on Kevin Alan Milne's fascinating characters from The Paper Bag Christmas.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Redeeming Gabriel

Visit Beth's website

Buy Redeeming Gabriel from Amazon or Koorong