Thursday, February 16, 2012

Interview with Aubrie Dionne


Last fall I got the opportunity to be part of Aubrie’s blog tour for the release of Paradise 21, the first book in A New Dawn Series. With the release of Tundra 37 I quickly agreed to be part of the fun again! This time I got the chance to do an interview (my first ever). Hope you enjoy my questions and her answers.

I know you play and teach the flute (yay for flute players), so what made you want to be a writer?

Great question! I like to make up stories to go with the music, and my students started telling me my stories were so good I needed to write them down! So, here I am today. I'm glad I listened to them! 

Where does the inspiration for your books come from? 

I watched all three older Star Wars movies over and over as a kid. I used to act out scenes in the backyard with my sister. We'd fight over who got to be Princess Leia! (Although she looks more like Leia than I do!) And I loved Star Trek The Next Generation. My favorite character was Data. I loved how he wanted to become more human and I rooted for him in every episode. 

The details in the planets you've created are incredible, so vivid. How did you come up with the idea for these as well as Paradise 21 and Tundra 37? 

Thank you! You are so nice to me! Can I take you home? LOL. The sandworms in Paradise 21 are in homage to Dune. Although my sandworms are smaller. I wanted a big monster type creature for Tundra, and I thought about all the creatures that inhabited the Ice Age. Mammoths came to mind! But, they needed to be scarier...so I thought up a few changes that readers might like. 
*packs bags* Haha. J
Do you have any other projects, aside from A New Dawn series, that you are or will be working on? Anything other than science fiction?

Oh yes, I write young adult and fantasy as well. My agent is currently submitting my YA tie in to the New Dawn series. I've gotten some full requests, so we're waiting to see where it's home will be! I also have a new YA series planned that takes place in the height of the high rises before the downfall of old Earth! It's so secret right now, I can't tell you any more about it! 

That is so awesome!!! *waits patiently for news*

It's said writers should also be big readers, so who are your top five favorite authors?

Tad Williams: I grew up reading his fantasy trilogy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. I also am a fan of his Otherland series.
Patricia Mckillip: I've read her book, Winter Rose, five hundred times and most of her other works.
Ursula Le Guin: Love Earthsea!
Sherri S. Tepper: Love the strong female characters.
Anne McCaffery: Gotta love those Dragons! 

What books, other than yours, that are being released this year, are you super excited about?

I just read Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson and I loved it so much I want to read the second book right now!!! But, it doesn't come out until the fall.*pouts*

I'm also excited about my critique partner's ebook: Defying Gravity. It came out Feb 14th, and I helped edit it and made the cover myself. It's an awesome story and I hope it does well. 

Besides science fiction, what other movies do you enjoy watching?

Lord of the Rings! I could watch those movies over and over again all day.
Pirates of the Caribbean! Go Orlando!!! (Missed him in the last one)
Indiana Jones: I actually liked the newest edition with the alien skulls! 

We seem to share a love of Orlando!

Do you play any instruments besides the flute? And what instrument do you not play that you wish you could? 

I wish I could play piano because I stink at it! I play piccolo, alto flute, and native american flute. Do those count? 

Woo hoo for flutes! And yes, those count (at least in my book). I’ve never seen/heard an alto flute play!

And a few to be silly...

Breakfast foods for dinner....yay or nay?

Yay! I love going to Cracker Barrel and eating their french toast for dinner. Yummy. :) 

Yum! My favorite is their Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes!

If you could buy any car in the world, what would it be?

I have it! A cyber green VW Beetle. I love my Beetle. 

What is one place you've always wanted to travel?

Tatooine- the cantina in Star Wars (although I'd need a bodyguard!)
Rivendale- Maybe I could meet Legolas?

Thanks for this wonderful interview!!! 

You are very welcome and thank you for letting me host you. And everyone else, be sure to check out Aubrie’s books.




Tundra 37
A New Dawn, #2
Author: Aubrie Dionne
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Length: 288 pages
Release Date: February 2012
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-49-7
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-51-0


Amazon               Barnes and Noble

Tundra 37 Book Trailer:

A New Dawn Novel, Book Two
Gemme is a hi-tech matchmaker who pairs the next generation of Lifers aboard the Expedition, a deep space transport vessel destined for Paradise 18. When the identity of her lifemate pops up on her screen, she’s shocked that he’s the achingly gorgeous and highly sought after Lieutenant Miles Brentwood—a man oblivious to her existence. Believing everyone will think she contrived the match, she erases it from the computer’s memory.
Just as comets pummel the ship and destroy the pairing system forever.
With the Expedition disabled, the colonists must crash land on the barren ice world of Tundra 37 where Gemme is reassigned to an exploratory mission, led by Lieutenant Brentwood. Only in the frozen tundra does she understand the shape of his heart and why the computer has entwined their destinies.

A Hero Rising
A New Dawn, #3
Author: Aubrie Dionne
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Length: novella
Release Date: February 2012
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-83-1

Prequel to A New Dawn - Book Three
After watching his love leave on a colony ship, James Wilfred must save those left behind from a planetary apocalypse. Their salvation lies in an unfinished ship tucked away in a secret government base, and only James can break in and pilot him and his people to freedom on a nearby space station.
Skye O’Connor’s boyfriend never returns after his gang attempts an assassination of the Governor, and the State Building is destroyed. Worse, crazed moonshiners addicted to the chemical Morpheus have stormed the city, and she must find a safe place for her and her boyfriend’s daughter. When a heroic man saves her, Skye asks to accompany him on his quest to find the last colony ship left on Earth.
As the city falls around them, James and Skye must work together to build a new future, all the while rediscovering their ability to love, before the apocalypse claims them both.

Paradise 21
New Dawn #1
Author: Aubrie Dionne
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: August 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-02-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-03-9





A New Dawn Book One

Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind’s last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where humanity can begin anew—a planet that won’t be reached in Aries’ lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe, she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries-long voyage.

But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers the rumors about pirates—humans who escaped Earth before its demise—are true. Handsome, genetically imperfect Striker possesses the freedom Aries envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet’s native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns her freedom will come at a hefty price.

The life of the man she loves.

About the Author:

Aubrie is an author and flutist in New England. Her stories have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, A Fly in Amber, and several print anthologies including Skulls and Crossbones by Minddancer Press, Rise of the Necromancers, by Pill Hill Press, Nightbird Singing in the Dead of Night by Nightbird Publishing, Dragontales and Mertales by Wyvern Publications, A Yuletide Wish by Nightwolf Publications, and Aurora Rising by Aurora Wolf Publications.  Her epic fantasy is published with Wyvern Publications, and several of her ebooks are published with Lyrical Press and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. When she’s not writing, she plays in orchestras and teaches flute at Plymouth State University and a community music school.


4 comments:

Aubrie said...

Thanks so much for the interview! I had a lot of fun answering your questions.

the Maine wild blueberry pancakes is a favorite of mine, too. I get the blueberry syrup to go with it.

Melanie_McCullough said...

I loved Paradise 21 & Tundra 37 is awesome so far! Great questions & answers. You guys rock.

Jamie Manning said...

Never heard of these, but I'll have to check them out!
Excellent interview...yay for breakfast at dinnertime! :)

Katelyn said...

You did such a wonderful with your first interview Mandie! I loved how you asked questions about the book, you asked questions about the author's other interest (music, yay!), and that you included silly questions. I am also a breakfast for dinner type of person too! In fact I am also a breakfast for breakfast and breakfast for lunch person :) Checking out the author's books soon!

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