Since I was born on an Air Force base (Randolph AFB, Texas), right under the flight path, I knew I had to be a plane. I often wondered if I were a B52 or a C130. No one can imagine the surprise, the dismay, the shock I felt when my mother told me I was a person. I often wondered why I had people for parents.

One thing, before I continue - no, I did not watch the Wright brothers test their plane. I'm not that old.

Now, for some of the boring stuff. Born July 28,1943, I traveled all over the United States and half way around the world west and east. I started in Texas and graduated from high school in Limestone, Maine. I lived on Guam and in Morocco. As an 'Air Force brat,' I followed my father to most places the military assigned him.

I married my husband on February 18, 1962. After our three living children were in school, I returned to college and studied to become a teacher. I taught school for nearly 30 years, grades five through twelve, from time to time, but mainly high school. I taught English, speech, drama, debate, French, yearbook, newspaper, creative writing - I think that's all. Now I write poetry, stories, and books, as well as frantically learning the publishing trade.

When I'm not writing, I'm attending ball games or traveling. Thanks to three grown children, I have ten grandchildren, two great grandsons, and two great-granddaughters. Three of the grandchildren used to live in the same town I do, and all three boys play all kinds of ball (baseball, basketball, football, and we were able to attend most of their games. However, we don't get to since they moved away, and after this year, one will be in college. But their interest in sports is one reason some of my stories and books are about boys who play ball and have adventures.

Oklahoma, which means "Land of the Red People," has been my home for most of my life. I don't think I would ever want to live anywhere else. The state has sandy beaches around a large salt lake, hills so tall they are nearly mountains, farm land and forests, flat land and rolling hills, cities and rural areas. Our state isn't heavily populated. Our two major cities, Oklahoma City (which is also the capital) and Tulsa aren't as large as Dallas or Los Angeles, but we can find almost anything we could want here. We have Broadway plays and community theater; we have minor league baseball and the University of Oklahoma Sooner football; we have a classical symphony and the Oklahoma Opry. We can claim Garth Brooks, Reba McIntire, and Toby Keith, just to name a few of the celebrities from my home state.

Home is where the heart is, and my heart is with my family in Oklahoma, West Virgina, Colorado, and Texas, even when my head is in a book -- either writing one or reading one.

Most Recent Release




ISBN: 978-0-9825886-4-2
by award winning author
Vivian Gilbert Zabel
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

Also Available


The case of the Missing Coach is the sequel to The Base Stealers Club. Both books tell the story of the Jonesville Chargers' challenge to reach major championships against all odds.

A sub-group of the team call themselves the Base Stealers Club because only bases should be stolen. This bunch of players, led by Ryan Scott, Colby Bryce, and Shane Foster, help solve mysteries in both books.

Both novels for youngsters can be ordered from the 4RV store.

Memberships

  • Pen and Keyboard Writers, president
  • Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (OWFI)
  • Poetry Society of Oklahoma
  • National Federations of State Poetry Societies
  • Sisters in Crime
  • Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI)

Walking the Earth: Life's Perspectives in Poetry is a collection of poetry from eight writers across the United States and Canada. Vivian Zabel not only contributed over thirty poems for the book, but was also senior editor. Poetry in the volume shows the variety of views of life as displayed by the poets.

Hidden Lies and Other Stories joins the talents of Vivian and Holly Jahangiri. Although both authors have different writing styles, their stories mesh to create an interesting collection of short stories.