Giveaway of a signed copy of The Voices of Ire

The Voices of Ire is a Young Adult epic fantasy and the first novel I wrote after I decided to pursue publication. Told through multiple viewpoints in the style of Tolkien, I wrote it without any market trends, literary agents, or publishers in mind. For awhile it sat on my c drive collecting virtual dust until I decided to polish it up and submit it to Wyvern Publications, an independent press that focuses on teen fiction. The title of the company caught my attention because I knew they would like fantasy!

And now here it is in paperback! Here's the Amazon link.

To celebrate, I'm giving away two signed copies. All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me your favorite fantasy character, whether it be from LOTR, or another book. The winners will be chosen on Friday afternoon. So you have until then to enter.

Good luck! I'll leave you with the back cover blurb:

Nebula's Music is out today!

Here is the buy link
Here is the buy link on Amazon

This ebook is inspired by two things:

1. The character Data from Star Trek, The Next Generation. He is my all time favorite Star Trek character. I always remember this one scene where he plays the violin. He plays it perfectly, but without emotion. I wondered if a cyborg was made from real human parts, would it have emotions? Memories? And what if it was a woman and not a man?

2. The genre of space operas! I love Star Wars, Serenity, Star Trek, Star Gate, you name it. I wanted to create a world of my own with action, adventure, drama, romance. This is my first try.

Here is the 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 finance’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?


***As always, I'm looking for reviwers to post their review on their blogs and amazon. Is anyone interested?***

My New Website

I finally finished the final edits to The Voices of Ire today! Yay! I'm so sick of taking out adverbs and was's. I'll never use them again. E-v-e-r. I've learned my lesson. Now it goes to the final editor, and then to print. It will be my first novel in print, available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com. I'm so excited and a little nervous because it was the first thing I wrote as an adult.

While I worked on my edits, my husband fixed up my website: www.authoraubrie.com. It has every single thing I've ever published on it, complete with reviews and pictures of all the covers. Take a look and let me know what you think!

Seer's Destiny Available at Gypsy Shadow Publishing

Here is the buy link.

Vira’s crystal ball only shows bleak and harsh truth. Visions of her own destiny haunt her, an inevitable night where ecstasy and horror are intertwined. In her future, she is reunited with her long lost love and then viciously murdered, her limp form stained in blood. Logic screams at her to flee the carnival and challenge fate, but her heart keeps her on a steady path, longing for a last chance with the man she loves, even if it means her own demise. Can Vira change her fortune?

Again, I'm looking for reviewers to post a review on their blog, so let me know in the comments section if you would be willing to give it a try.

Cover is in for Messenger in the Mist

Boy did I have a crazy day today! Someone hacked into my email and started sending out spam messages and links to a canadian pharmacy. How embarrassing is that? So, if you received an email from me today with no subject in it, please disregard. And no one should buy from them!

The highlight of my day came when Lyrical Press presented the cover for Messenger in The Mist, due to come out in August 2010. (I'm at work on the second round of edits right now).

Let me know what you think of it!

Progress on Desert Nomad

desert nomad by ~salamandersoup on deviantART

I'm now up to 20,146 words. I'm taking my time with this novel, making every sentence shine. There are absolutely no was's had's or adverbs to be found! I plan to send this novel to agents. Yes, scary as it might sound, I'm going to try to break out of my ebook reign and feel the heat and sting of rejection. It was one of my New Year's resolutions. I'm not rushing it because I find that if I take my time thinking about the plot and the characters, the story develops with much more depth. If I write fast, all I write is crapola.

My question to you is: What would you expect from a sci fi book titled Desert Nomad? What comes to mind? Dune? Luke's home planet of Tatooine? Stargate?

So many stories combine the sci fi with the desert!!! What did you like about them? What drew you in?

Which Novel Sounds Better?

I'm stuck between two novels right now, trying to figure out which one will grab an agent's attention the most and what the market is turning towards. I thought you guys could help me decide which one to focus on.

Novel #1 Young Adult, Fantasy, Steampunk (so far 11,120 words)

City of Sparkling Light

Gilda is a simple seamstress in the small tatter town of Lamplight Alley, a village nestled in the shadow of the city of Shine. When a strange chest appears outside Shine’s locked gates, tempting the citizens of Lamplight Alley to part with their meager gold for a ticket inside, Gilda gets the chance she’s always wanted. But soon she learns that dreams don’t always come true, and Shine is not the place of hope that her townspeople make it out to be. Under the city’s glitter and glamour lies greed, vanity, and a dark secret that could change the lives of the people of Lamplight Alley forever.

Novel #2 Science Fiction, Romance, Space Pirates (so far 19,334 words)

Aries is a Lifer: a sixth generation colonist living aboard the Ark, a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet three hundred years away. Her purpose is to maintain the life support systems and marry Lieutenant Barliss, producing two genetically superior children to take their place at the helm.

Stifled by an existence predestined by computer calculations, Aries manipulates an escape months before her marriage ceremony to Barliss. Her flight pod crashes on a desert planet with minimal survival conditions and she is caught between the search and rescue teams of the Ark and the primitive hunters on the alien world. While struggling to survive, she is rescued by Striker, a space pirate exiled by his mutinous crew. Together they search for the last relic needed to revive an ancient alien craft, their only means of escape. With the search teams flying above and the hunters stalking them below, Aries is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice; her freedom for Striker’s life.

Which novel would you be more interested in reading and why? Please comment, (even if you've never commented before!) I need your help!

The Cover is in for Nebula's Music!

I'm in awe. It's more than I could have ever imagined!

Here is the 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 finance’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?

It comes out in April 2010!!! www.lyricalpress.com

Writing Update

Well, I didn't win NaNo this year, but it did give me a jumpstart to my new novel, Desert Nomad, which is slowly progressing (Chapter 7, 15,000 words).

It's my fourth full length novel to date. My first novel, The Voices of Ire, was published as an ebook by a company that went under, so it's been put on the back burner for some time. Last week I got an email from the owner of Wyvern Publications asking if I had anything to submit to their new adult fantasy book line called, "Dark Spire." I thought The Voices of Ire would be perfect! It even rhymes: Spire and Ire! So I'm currently waiting on the edge of my seat to see what they think. If they like it, it will be an actual print book available at Barnes and Noble online and Amazon. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

As for my short stories, I'm still working on Song of the Bard for this anthology. Anyone that wants to submit a story with me is welcome. It's really neat to make it into the same anthology together, which has happened to me and my critique buddies twice now.

My Christmas shopping is 90 percent done because I did most of it online! And no more stressful flute concerts until the Nutcracker in late December. Now I have the time to focus on my writing. *sigh*

Did everyone have a good Thanksgiving?

My Thoughts about Ebook Publishers

Right now I have three Ebook Publishers:


Lyrical Press
www.lyricalpress.com
(Nebula's Music, and Hopefully Messenger in the Mist)


SynergEbooks
www.synergebooks.com
(Dreams of Beauty)



Gypsy Shadow Publishing
www.gypsyshadow.com
(Night Dance, Seasons of Fantasy Series)

At first all I wanted was for my book to be in Barnes and Noble, smack in the middle of the fantasy section next to Neil Gaiman and Tad Williams. And then I realized that you needed an agent for that, and that to attract an agent you need publishing credits. So I started working with ebook companies.

I don't know how much of a publishing credit it is, but it has given me a lot of experience with editing, marketing, and reviews. I've worked with editors on rewrites, marketed my books, designed covers, and submitted them to reviewers for their critiques. The whole process has made me a better writer!

I liked it so much that now I have three ebooks companies. Each one is a little bit different in what they accept, which provides me with three different sources to send my writing to.

Lyrical Press is an adult publisher. They are relatively new and have a beautiful website. I was drawn to them because they had a lot of fantasy/sci fi books and I thought that they'd like mine. So I've sent them my most mature book up to date, and will be submitting Messenger in the Mist soon.

SynergEbooks is great for my young adult books because they don't sell erotica and I can send my young readers to their site without being embarrassed about alluring covers. They have a great young adult section and work with a distributor for home school students: Writers online books. Also, they've been in business since 1999 so they are well established.

Gypsy Shadow Publishing accepts short stories over 3,000 words, which is very hard to find in an ebook publisher. Usually the minimum is 10,000 and up. I love writing short stories, so I send all of my short stories to them. They are a brand new company, so the possibilities are endless.

I highly recommend trying out the ebook publishing world if you are having trouble getting an agent and need more experience to make your writing better. All three of my ebook companies are accepting submissions, and Gypsy Shadow is new, so I'm sure they would love to see some new submissions.

What have been your experiences with ebook companies? Do you think it's a good step for a writer?

Nebula's Music signed with Lyrical Press

This morning I got an email from Lyrical Press with an attachment. They sent an author contract for Nebula's Music!

Here is the link to their site.

After I jumped for joy, I read through the contract, added Lyrical Press to my favorites, and called my parents. I am so excited. Their website and book covers are visually stunning and they are on all the biggies like fictionwise and mobipocket.

I'll keep you updated on the release date and so forth. Thank you to my beta readers: Christine and Cherie, you guys really made me put my commas in the right places and took out all the embarassing mistakes like UPS instead of UPA for United Planets in Action. Can you imagine the UPS in outer space??? Good thing they caught that. Thanks guys.

Dreams of Beauty Makeover!

My young adult novel, Dreams of Beauty, now has a new cover!

This wonderful piece of artwork is done by Saskia Peters.
www.ikinkgraphics.com
http://ikink.deviantart.com

It will be going into print in December 2009! I'm hoping the new cover catches more eyes than the last one.

Writing a Space Opera

Okay, so I'm putting the finishing touches on my Space Opera for my submission to Samhain Publishing for their Space Opera Anthology and I've been thinking: what makes a good space opera? What is the definition of a space opera?

Wikipedia defines a Space Opera as a subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing powerful (and sometimes quite fanciful) technologies and abilities.

My favorite Space Opera: Star Wars, followed closely by Star Trek (The Next Generation ofcourse!) With Data being my favorite character.

But what makes a good space opera? Scary aliens? (The Borg) A great love interest? (Hans Solo) Epic Battles? (The Star Destroyer) Strange new races? (The cantina scene)
Robots? (Data, C3po, R2D2?)

I've tried to include all of the above in my Space Opera just to be safe.
Here is the blurb:

When Nebula plays the piano she experiences memories from a time before she was made. Her memories bring complex human feelings and a great desire to discover her origins. These mysteries are tied to one rebel fighter that is held captive aboard their ship. He is the long lost love of the woman from which she was made, and has taken it upon himself to avenge her death and rescue her sister from a fierce race enslaving the galaxy, the Gryphonites.

Nebula grapples with her identity and how much of her comes from the past. She is not the same woman that died, yet she is undeniably drawn to the same man. After she learns of her long lost sister, she decides to help him in his quest. Together they are taken prisoner of the Gryphonites and discover their newfound love while working together to defy the odds.

What do you think constitutes a great Space Opera?
How would you define the term?

Messenger in the Mist is out for Queries!

I am happy to report that my third novel, Messenger in the Mist, is being queried to literary agents right now! It took six months to write: December-May, and it was the deepest, most thought out writing I've ever done! My proof readers say that it's the best book I've written yet. (Seeing that it's the third, that makes a lot of sense!)

So please keep your fingers crossed for me. It's a tough market and fantasy/sci fi isn't the best way to make it in.

Here's the blurb:
Two factions on the verge of war…
A countryside overrun with mysterious beasts…
A love tested against duty…

Star Nightingale is one of only a few riders fast enough to elude the mysterious beasts that lurk in the moors. She has trained her entire life to be a messenger for the Elite Riders of Evenspark and races on horseback through the misted countryside, delivering correspondence to the bordering Fortress of Ravencliff. She risks her life for the gold to relocate her parents from their precarious home in the outskirts, for her illustrious career, and for an unrequited love.

On an important mission, Star discovers that she carries plans for the assassination of the one man who has captured her heart, Prince Valen of Ravencliff. Star must weigh her love against the livelihood that she has spent a lifetime to build and the country that she once thought was peaceful and just. To make matters worse, she learns that Prince Valen is secretly betrothed to Princess Vespa of Evenspark. Consequently, loving him would mean sundering already unstable relations between the two kingdoms.

Meanwhile, the mist is rising, enabling the Elyndra to gather in numbers and threaten the borders of both kingdoms. Star must unravel the mystery of their existence and forestall the war before they fall under invasion. In her search she uncovers the secret origins of her ancestors, revealing untold truths about the history of humanity.

Messenger in the Mist, complete at 60,000 words, is a fantasy novel with a flavor of science fiction and a good dose of romance. Set in a repressed, post apocalyptic civilization, it features a strong female protagonist and deals with the themes of over population, peace, and humankind’s relationship with nature.

I hope they like it!

Dreams of Beauty Book Review

This is written by a fellow author, Christine Rains. If you are interested in her writing, follow the link below.

Dreams of Beauty by Aubrie Dionne

If you enjoy elegantly told fairy tales, then you should search out Dreams of Beauty. It's a story that wraps up several old tales, weaves them together and spins out something wonderfully new. This isn't one where the prince boldly rides up and saves the helpless princess. Emme is a brave young maiden who starts to have strange dreams about a handsome man and her family's mysterious past. These dreams lead her to discover an evil secret and only she can make it right. Emme is a well written character that the reader cannot help but care for and cheer when she strikes out to help those who need her. She isn't a heroine above the reader's understanding with fantastic powers or personal problems beyond our every day woes, but someone who is real and lovable, and who's real power lies in the strength of her heart.

Dionne paints a rich landscape in the small town and woods, and uses that same brush to color the characters that share Emme's world. Emme's brother and sister-in-law are sweet in a humble way. Her two friends add for some nice tension as they pair off leaving Emme as the third wheel. Even the stubborn horse, Snowdrop, is vivid in the reader's mind. Davian is the perfect compliment to Emme. Though he is young and daring, he's not over the top with his bravado. He's genuine and far more likable than the many overly masculine male leads that we see in many tales of romance these days. Rosalie is a terror with her ambition and a striking picture of a fairy tale villain. Like all fairy tales, there's a moral to the story. Dionne brings it out in a humble way rather than mashing it into the reader's face. Her style has a dream-like quality. It is similar to another author I greatly admire, Patricia McKillip. If you like stories that have a hard and fast edge, this one isn't for you. Dreams of Beauty is sumptuous read that reminds you of fairy tales you use to read as a child, but now you can appreciate them on a whole new level. Christine Rains http://christinerains.net/

Book Give-away

I'm giving away a free copy of Dreams of Beauty (ebook). All you need to do is comment on this post answering the following questions: Who is your favorite fairy tale character and why?
The winner will be announced April 1st.
For those of you that can't wait, you can buy it now here.

Dreams of Beauty Available through SynergEbooks!

“Although Emme has never met him, his face appears every night in her dreams.”

Emme, a demure young woman living on the fringes of Briarswood, is doomed to be an old maid. Her childhood friend is recently engaged to the town beauty, and Emme is reluctant to venture into society and find love. Instead she entertains idle dreams of Davian Hawthorn, a nobleman who disappeared nearly a century ago. When Davian’s elderly sister, Lilly, and her daughter, Rosalie, return to claim his abandoned Estate, Emme discovers that he is still alive, held captive under a Sorceress’s curse. The curse leaves him suspended in time as a young man in an eternal slumber, only to be awakened by a kiss.

With Rosalie struggling to keep Davian’s existence a secret, only Emme believes in the curse and discovers his true whereabouts. To make matters worse, Rosalie intends to squander the family’s fortune, selling the Estate, along with Briarswood to developers and endangering the entire town. Emme must overcome her fears and risk her life on a perilous quest to awaken Davian before his inheritance is lost as well as her home. During her journey she unearths secrets about the parents that she never knew, learns to trust in herself, and discovers that true love is not won with a kiss, but cultivated and nourished over time.

Here's the link:http://www.synergebooks.com/ebook_dreamsofbeauty.html

Three Blogs for Three Books

I've created three different blogs, one for each of my novels.

For Voices of Ire:
http://voicesofire.blogspot.com

For Dreams of Beauty:
http://dreamsofbeauty-aubrie.blogspot.com/

For Messenger in the Mist:
http://messengerinthemist.blogspot.com/

I've put up excerpts on each site. Please visit them and let me know what you think!

First Lines: The Hook

The first line of any novel is the most important line in the book! It sets the mood, establishes a character, narrator, or setting, and should compel the reading to keep reading. It sums up the book in one line, and also sets up expectations of what is to come. It is like the first notes of a symphony.

One of my favorite first lines in literature is:

Pride and Prejudice, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

I thought I'd also share the first lines in my books:

from Dreams of Beauty:
Although Emme had never met him, his face appeared every night in her dreams.

and I'm currently tweaking my first line for Messenger in the Mist:
It wasn’t the thought of the countless spindly legs that frightened Star, it was the idea of being carried away into the mist to a place that no one had ever returned.

What are your favorite first lines in literature?

Authoraubrie.com

Good News! My author website is now up and running thanks to Chris! All of the links are not working yet, and I've had to choose temporary pictures for the covers, but at least I have something up. I have a wonderfully talented artist right now designing a cover for Voices of Ire. I can't wait!

Check it out at:
www.authoraubrie.com