Read all about Vivian and her new Young-Adult novel, PRAIRIE DOG COWBOY in the following interview.
And get this: She's giving away four canvas bags. All you have to do to be entered in the drawing is leave a comment and a way to reach you. So comment away.
Thanks for stopping by.

I have the pleasure of interviewing Vivian Gilbert Zabel, author, editor, publisher, and extraordinary woman, on her Virtual Book Tour.
Bev: First of all, Vivian, when and why did you decide to start your own publishing house?
Vivian: In 2002, I realized that authors didn’t have much choice between major publishing houses (very difficult to have manuscripts read), vanity presses, and self-publishing. I began to think about a publishing company then, one to fill that gap. Finally, a few friends and I pushed me into starting 4RV Publishing. The LLC papers were filed in 2007, changing a partnership to a limited liability corporation.
Bev: What challenges do you face as a small publisher, trying to get your books into bookstores and other recognition for them among the thousands of books published each year?
Vivian: The challenges become greater, much greater, with the CPSIA looming over us, but hopefully by the time this interview is posted, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will be a thing of the past.
If the CPSIA is in effect, all publishers will face the challenge of being able to afford to do children’s books.
Getting our books into bookstores is possible if people request them. We work through a distributor, have a return policy, and give a standard discount. Therefore, our books are available to every bookstore just as books from the “big boys.” We work to get reviews on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, as well as in print newspapers and magazines.
Our books are entered into contests, too. A few of our books are entered for major awards, such as for the Newbury and Caldecott. We participate in as many book festivals as possible, and authors are encouraged to participate in those close to them.
Bev: Now let’s hear about Vivian the author. Tell us about your latest book for children, Prairie Dog Cowboy. What sparked the idea for this story?
Vivian: For years I’ve wanted to find a way to use my husband’s stories of being a cowboy and of breaking horses. When I discovered the Western Heritage Awards, I thought, “Ah-ha.”
Bev: I love the cover of Prairie Dog Cowboy. How did you decide on an illustrator for your book?
Vivian: From the time I started Prairie Dog Cowboy, I wanted pen and ink illustrations and Jordan Vinyard. She is one of the best artists and illustrators I’ve ever seen.
Bev: How do you manage your time between being a writer, editor, and publisher?
Vivian: I add ten hours to each day. Of course by the end of the week, I’ve run out of days about Thursday night, but …
Seriously, at times editing takes the majority of my time, at other times I act as publisher, and then I have times that I do nothing but write – usually late at night.
Bev: What advice do you have for aspiring writers or for those considering starting their own publishing business?
Vivian: For aspiring writers, never give up learning and improving and trying. For those considering starting a publishing business, visit your therapist. Burning money is a less stressful way of going broke.
Bev: Do you have anything you’d like to add about your writing or the book industry?
Vivian: Too many people don’t realize the importance of books and reading. We need to find a way to reach our children and our teens and adults – fostering an interest in reading and a need to write well.
I write because I have no option: I MUST write.
Bev: Where may your fans and writers find out more about you and 4RV Publishing? Website, blogs?
Vivian: The 4RV Publishing website is http://4rvpublishingllc.com;
my most used and visited blog is Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap, http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com/; my mystery blog is Vivian’s Mysteries, http://viviansmysteries.blogspot.com/; the blog for Prairie Dog Cowboy is http://prairiedogcowboy.com/; the one for Midnight Hours, my mystery/suspense/thriller is http://midnight-hours.weebly.com/.
Bev: Thank you, Vivian, for taking time out of your busy day to give us a glimpse of the publishing world from both sides: the publisher’s and the writer’s.
Thanks, Bev, for having me.
Bev: First of all, Vivian, when and why did you decide to start your own publishing house?
Vivian: In 2002, I realized that authors didn’t have much choice between major publishing houses (very difficult to have manuscripts read), vanity presses, and self-publishing. I began to think about a publishing company then, one to fill that gap. Finally, a few friends and I pushed me into starting 4RV Publishing. The LLC papers were filed in 2007, changing a partnership to a limited liability corporation.
Bev: What challenges do you face as a small publisher, trying to get your books into bookstores and other recognition for them among the thousands of books published each year?
Vivian: The challenges become greater, much greater, with the CPSIA looming over us, but hopefully by the time this interview is posted, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will be a thing of the past.
If the CPSIA is in effect, all publishers will face the challenge of being able to afford to do children’s books.
Getting our books into bookstores is possible if people request them. We work through a distributor, have a return policy, and give a standard discount. Therefore, our books are available to every bookstore just as books from the “big boys.” We work to get reviews on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, as well as in print newspapers and magazines.
Our books are entered into contests, too. A few of our books are entered for major awards, such as for the Newbury and Caldecott. We participate in as many book festivals as possible, and authors are encouraged to participate in those close to them.
Bev: Now let’s hear about Vivian the author. Tell us about your latest book for children, Prairie Dog Cowboy. What sparked the idea for this story?
Vivian: For years I’ve wanted to find a way to use my husband’s stories of being a cowboy and of breaking horses. When I discovered the Western Heritage Awards, I thought, “Ah-ha.”
Bev: I love the cover of Prairie Dog Cowboy. How did you decide on an illustrator for your book?
Vivian: From the time I started Prairie Dog Cowboy, I wanted pen and ink illustrations and Jordan Vinyard. She is one of the best artists and illustrators I’ve ever seen.
Bev: How do you manage your time between being a writer, editor, and publisher?
Vivian: I add ten hours to each day. Of course by the end of the week, I’ve run out of days about Thursday night, but …
Seriously, at times editing takes the majority of my time, at other times I act as publisher, and then I have times that I do nothing but write – usually late at night.
Bev: What advice do you have for aspiring writers or for those considering starting their own publishing business?
Vivian: For aspiring writers, never give up learning and improving and trying. For those considering starting a publishing business, visit your therapist. Burning money is a less stressful way of going broke.
Bev: Do you have anything you’d like to add about your writing or the book industry?
Vivian: Too many people don’t realize the importance of books and reading. We need to find a way to reach our children and our teens and adults – fostering an interest in reading and a need to write well.
I write because I have no option: I MUST write.
Bev: Where may your fans and writers find out more about you and 4RV Publishing? Website, blogs?
Vivian: The 4RV Publishing website is http://4rvpublishingllc.com;
my most used and visited blog is Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap, http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com/; my mystery blog is Vivian’s Mysteries, http://viviansmysteries.blogspot.com/; the blog for Prairie Dog Cowboy is http://prairiedogcowboy.com/; the one for Midnight Hours, my mystery/suspense/thriller is http://midnight-hours.weebly.com/.
Bev: Thank you, Vivian, for taking time out of your busy day to give us a glimpse of the publishing world from both sides: the publisher’s and the writer’s.
Thanks, Bev, for having me.