We have a special book chat today with author Aubrie Dionne. Her science fiction romance novel Tundra 37 debuts tomorrow and her sci-fi romance novella A Hero Rising will be out this month too, and she is here to talk about the people behind the creation of a book, also known as critique partners.
How I met my Awesome Critique Partner, Cherie Reich
(My additional comments in BOLD)
A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away, my very first book was accepted by a really small ebook publisher (who shall remain nameless And for good reason!). While I was at this shady publisher, I met Cherie Reich, the awesome owner of this blog. Aww! We started exchanging stories, and I realized I had no idea what the rules of grammar were, especially commas. Cherie very patiently helped me through this rough period, explaining the ways of the grammar world, and thus we become critique partners. (I hope I helped her back, but I really had no idea what I was doing at the time since I'd never been published before, or worked with an editor) You've definitely helped me back! I wouldn't be half the writer I am today without you. We kept together throughout the dissolution of the publishing company who shall remain nameless and succeeded in publishing our work elsewhere.
Although we picked different publishing companies to republish our work, we kept in touch, and I submitted everything I wrote to Cherie first before submitting it for real! I think she's read every single word I've ever written since I started writing seriously! (I could send her the unicorn poem I wrote in 6th grade...*scratches chin* Hehe! You can send it, but poetry is not my specialty.) She's helped me grow as a writer and gave me encouragement along the way. We even had a group blog for awhile with a fellow author called Raven and the Writing Desk. Here's a quick plug for our book of short stories that just came out, which you can buy here.
There was one point where I really thought I was going no where. I'd submitted to so many agents and gotten hundreds of no's. I didn't think I could submit to another agent EVER again without screaming my head off at the computer screen. Cherie pushed me. She found an agent I hadn't submitted to, who she'd met at a conference, and she very politely pushed me until I finally caved in and sent this agent Paradise 21, the first book in the New Dawn series. This agent became my agent. From there, my agent sold my New Dawn series to Entangled Publishing, and my writing has gone uphill ever since.
So I only owe Cherie EVERYTHING. She's so awesome and I'm so glad I met her. It was worth going through all that awfulness at the publisher who shall remain nameless, just to meet her. For me, having critique partners made the difference between success and despair.
Aww! *blushes* I'm glad I could help out, and I completely agree that critique partners have the power to make or break a writer. I'm so glad we met, despite the publisher-who-shall-not-be-named.
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.
Twitter: @AuthorAubrie
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
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.
6 comments:
Great post! Critique partners are so important. Tomorrow's the big day, Aubrie! I'm excited for you. :)
Thank you, Christine! And thank you, Cherie, for posting this!
Good critique partners are worth a million bucks! Glad you two each have someone to push and cheer.
I don't know where I'd be without my awesome CPs. And with two groups, even more so. Great post today! :)
Lovely! The thing I like MOST about the writing gig is the connections I make with other writers. They are invaluable!!!!
Nice post and congrats~!
An awesome critique partner is worth their weight in gold!
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