HL: I'm thrilled to welcome Aubrie Dionne to my blog today. (Lyn waits for the applause to die down before continuing): First of all, Aubrey, tell us a little more about yourself I’m a professional flutist in
AD:
HL: That's a great story about how your writing started Aubrie. Music is such a wonderfully evocative thing, and I always picture stories in my mind when I listen to a favourite piece of music.
As a fellow writer and lover of the genre, I'm interested to know what made you decide to write a Science Fiction Romance?
AD: I love the genre of space opera. A space opera is a science fiction setting that focuses on the action, romance, and dramatic elements of the plot instead of the complicated science behind it. There are still fantastical scientific ideas, but they are a subplot to the main action. Nebula’s Music is my first foray into this genre and I had a wonderful time writing it!
HL: Oh I absolutely agree, and one can really let ones imagination free rein with space opera. So what do you do for fun when not writing?
AD: My husband and I play at weddings together on the weekends. We love to travel, go out to eat, and perform. He plays the piano and we have an electronic keyboard that we take with us for outdoors.
HL: That sounds wonderful. What a lovely thing to be able to do and how nice that you and your husband share a love of music and can play together.
HL: That sounds wonderful. What a lovely thing to be able to do and how nice that you and your husband share a love of music and can play together.
HL When did you start writing?
AD: I’ve been writing all of my life! My first book was horrible! I wrote it in high school and it was about a flute player that goes back in time to play with the minstrels in the king’s court. Thank goodness I got that out of my system!
HL: *Grin* Yes, I think most of us have a 'horrible' first book tucked away somewhere. So what comes first: the plot or the characters?
AD: For me, plot comes first because that’s what I’m good at. I have to work at developing my characters like getting to know them over time. Usually the second draft deepens the character motivations whereas the first draft is all about plot.
HL: I find it fascinating that some authors are like yourself and the plot comes first, while with others it's the characters that determine the plot. I'm dying to know more about 'Nebula’s Music’ can you tell us a bit about it and what you think readers will enjoy about it?
AD: Nebula is inspired by the character Data from The Next Generation. I watched star Trek, growing up, at 7pm and 7:30pm every night for about seven years. Data's journey to become more human fascinated me. There was one scene where he plays the violin and I marveled at the fact that he can take up an instrument and play it perfectly in minutes compared to a human that has to spend a lifetime perfecting their skills. But did his music have emotion? Probably not.
Nebula is not entirely an andriod. She's made from a real human and experiences that woman's past memories. In a way, she's closer to being human than Data can ever be, but can she break some of the barriers that he never could? Can she experience fear, triumph, or fall in love? Would a human reciprocate that love
HL: Oh, I'm a great fan of Star Trek too! I always felt a little sorry for him, he always seemed rather lonely, even if he was an android! Nebula sounds like a great character. OK, this is something I always like to ask my interviewees: If someone were to play one of your characters in a movie, which character and what actor would it be and why?
AD: I’d love for Johnny Depp to play any of my characters! Besides that, for Radian, Nebula’s love interest, I pictured “Richard” from Lost. Nebula could possibly be Naomi Watts or Gwyneth Paltrow.
HL: I find it fascinating that some authors are like yourself and the plot comes first, while with others it's the characters that determine the plot. I'm dying to know more about 'Nebula’s Music’ can you tell us a bit about it and what you think readers will enjoy about it?
AD: Nebula is inspired by the character Data from The Next Generation. I watched star Trek, growing up, at 7pm and 7:30pm every night for about seven years. Data's journey to become more human fascinated me. There was one scene where he plays the violin and I marveled at the fact that he can take up an instrument and play it perfectly in minutes compared to a human that has to spend a lifetime perfecting their skills. But did his music have emotion? Probably not.
Nebula is not entirely an andriod. She's made from a real human and experiences that woman's past memories. In a way, she's closer to being human than Data can ever be, but can she break some of the barriers that he never could? Can she experience fear, triumph, or fall in love? Would a human reciprocate that love
HL: Oh, I'm a great fan of Star Trek too! I always felt a little sorry for him, he always seemed rather lonely, even if he was an android! Nebula sounds like a great character. OK, this is something I always like to ask my interviewees: If someone were to play one of your characters in a movie, which character and what actor would it be and why?
AD: I’d love for Johnny Depp to play any of my characters! Besides that, for Radian, Nebula’s love interest, I pictured “Richard” from Lost. Nebula could possibly be Naomi Watts or Gwyneth Paltrow.
HL: Oh great choices! Johnny Depp is such a versatile actor too.
The road to publication is full of surprises. What have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?
AD: That characterization is more important than plot. And other trends surprised me, such as first person point of view is considered to be in, whereas the epic fantasy, omnipresent point of view is old news!
HL Absolutely! And things change so much too. What's 'in' this week may not be the next. All we can do is try to keep up! Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?
AD: I listen to music in the car to get my ideas! It’s always classical music. (I bet your not surprised!)
HL: Not at all! I find it very inspirational myself! Well, before I let you go, and give the readers a chance to comment and ask any questions they have themselves, one last question from me, just for fun. If you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why?
AD: I would be a unicorn. They get to live forever. :)
Thanks for the interview!
HL: Ah, a unicorn. Absolutely my most favourite mythical animal. Thank you, Aubrey, it's been fascinating finding out more about you and I'm going to have to add Nebula's Music to my long wish list. It sounds exactly my sort of story.
NEBULA'S MUSIC - Blurb
Each note brings her one step closer to the truth. When the cyborg Nebula plays the piano she
Aubrie will be giving away a download of Winter Queen, the first book in her Seasons of Fantasy series to one randomly drawn commenter
"The Snow Queen has haunted the northern lands for generations using the temptation of a fabled paradise to lure men to their deaths. Can Barrow Tiln, a local farmer’s son melt her heart and set her free, or will she freeze his body and steal his soul?"
To be in the running to win, just leave a comment on this post.
The road to publication is full of surprises. What have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?
AD: That characterization is more important than plot. And other trends surprised me, such as first person point of view is considered to be in, whereas the epic fantasy, omnipresent point of view is old news!
HL Absolutely! And things change so much too. What's 'in' this week may not be the next. All we can do is try to keep up! Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?
AD: I listen to music in the car to get my ideas! It’s always classical music. (I bet your not surprised!)
HL: Not at all! I find it very inspirational myself! Well, before I let you go, and give the readers a chance to comment and ask any questions they have themselves, one last question from me, just for fun. If you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why?
AD: I would be a unicorn. They get to live forever. :)
Thanks for the interview!
HL: Ah, a unicorn. Absolutely my most favourite mythical animal. Thank you, Aubrey, it's been fascinating finding out more about you and I'm going to have to add Nebula's Music to my long wish list. It sounds exactly my sort of story.
NEBULA'S MUSIC - Blurb
Each note brings her one step closer to the truth. When the cyborg Nebula plays the piano she
experiences memories from a time before her creation. These memories — which involve a captive rebel fighter being held on their ship — bring with them complex human feelings and awaken a desire for her to discover her origins.
Radian is the long-lost love of the woman from which Nebula was made. He’s vowed to avenge his fiance’s death and rescue her sister from the Gryphonites, a fierce race out to enslave the galaxy. Nebula grapples with her identity and how much of who she is comes from someone else’s past. She is not the woman that died, yet she is undeniably drawn to Radian.
Together Nebula and Radian seek to rescue his fiancé’s sister and end the Gryphonites’ cruel reign. But can Radian learn to love again and can Nebula accept a past made from someone else’s memories?
Radian is the long-lost love of the woman from which Nebula was made. He’s vowed to avenge his fiance’s death and rescue her sister from the Gryphonites, a fierce race out to enslave the galaxy. Nebula grapples with her identity and how much of who she is comes from someone else’s past. She is not the woman that died, yet she is undeniably drawn to Radian.
Together Nebula and Radian seek to rescue his fiancé’s sister and end the Gryphonites’ cruel reign. But can Radian learn to love again and can Nebula accept a past made from someone else’s memories?
EXCERPT:
The man stared at her like he knew she’d been coming all along. Their gazes locked, blue on black, and she stood unmoving. She felt uncomfortable as he studied her, his eyes watery with tears.
Unpredictably, he rose from his position on the floor and walked toward her, closing the distance. Although combat tactics flashed through her circuits, she overrode each one and allowed him to take her into his arms. He held her close, smoothing over her back in gentle strokes, and buried his face into her hair.
Nebula had never been embraced. The sudden rush of contact flooded all her senses. She nestled her face into his shirt, taking in the feel of his body close to hers. She wanted to know if he had the same rush of pleasurable feelings and looked into his eyes for her answer.
He must have seen something strange in her gaze, or it was what he didn’t see, what she lacked, that brought him back to the moment. His eyes chilled to a frosty cerulean and he released her.
“I’m sorry.” He turned away. “But you look so much like her. Damn it, you even smell like her as well.”
The man stared at her like he knew she’d been coming all along. Their gazes locked, blue on black, and she stood unmoving. She felt uncomfortable as he studied her, his eyes watery with tears.
Unpredictably, he rose from his position on the floor and walked toward her, closing the distance. Although combat tactics flashed through her circuits, she overrode each one and allowed him to take her into his arms. He held her close, smoothing over her back in gentle strokes, and buried his face into her hair.
Nebula had never been embraced. The sudden rush of contact flooded all her senses. She nestled her face into his shirt, taking in the feel of his body close to hers. She wanted to know if he had the same rush of pleasurable feelings and looked into his eyes for her answer.
He must have seen something strange in her gaze, or it was what he didn’t see, what she lacked, that brought him back to the moment. His eyes chilled to a frosty cerulean and he released her.
“I’m sorry.” He turned away. “But you look so much like her. Damn it, you even smell like her as well.”
Find Aubrey at:
Aubrie will be giving away a download of Winter Queen, the first book in her Seasons of Fantasy series to one randomly drawn commenter
To be in the running to win, just leave a comment on this post.
Aubrie will be stopping at the following Blogs on her tour. The more blogs you comment on, the greater your chances of winning a copy of this great story.
April 14: Downtown YA
April 15: Amber Skyze
April 16:
April 19: The Neverending Shelf
April 20: The Fickle Fan
April 21: The Library of a Distracted Musician
April 22: Amber Scott Project
April 23: Authors by Authors
April 26: Chris Redding Author
Thank you for the lovely interview :) !
ReplyDeleteWelcome Aubrie, it's a real pleasure to have you as my special guest today.
ReplyDeleteVery nice interview! I'm just now learning about space opera *G* It's not my genre but I think it's something I'd like to attempt one day.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for visiting, Hales. Space Opera is a wonderful genre to write in, as Aubrie said. Give it a go, I think you'll enjoy the challenge.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the interview.
Hi Aubrie and Lyn, I very much enjoyed the interview. Nebula's Music sounds intriguing!
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by.
Hi Aubrie
ReplyDeleteI played the flute in school and college. I loved it (and the piccolo.) I still miss playing with a symphony - although I don't miss Marching Band.
I write to classical and new age music. Lyrics distract me.
Look forward to your work.
Beth, so pleased you came by.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about Aubrie, but I certainly agree about the lyrics being distracting. Orchestral is more conducive to writing, for me anyway!
I think I'd be an endangered species, like the Panda. They get great treatment. And everyone love them!
ReplyDeleteSpace Opera a new genre for me. But it reminds me of Anne McCaffrey and her space ship series.
How wonderful to be able to play the flute, and professionally, would be wonderful! To do something you absolutely love for a living. The icing on top is that you can do it with your DH and it works!
Good luck,I gotta read this!
What a lovely way to be drawn into writing, and the best writing reads with its own rhythm like music. I'd love to read this.
ReplyDeleteThank you, everyone, for reading my interview!
ReplyDeleteAnd many thanks to Hywela!
Hi Mary, thank you so much for stopping by. Oh,, I just loved 'The Ship That Sang'
ReplyDeleteby Anne MC C and it does sound like Anne and Aubrie are on the same wavelength . I'm really looking forward to reading 'Nebula's Music.'
Hello Sheila
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling in and commenting and you're so right about the 'rhythm' of writing.
Thanks again Aubrey, for a fascinating interview, it's been such a pleasure having you as my guest. And thanks again to everyone who visited, whether you left a comment or not.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a unique story! I'm a Star Trek fan too. Loved the excerpt. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Miss Mae
ReplyDeletegreat to 'see' you, thanks for stopping by and commenting. Yes, this does look like a great story, doesn't it, and such a beautiful cover!