Playing the Maestro with Aubrie Dionne

Today it's my pleasure to host author Aubrie Dionne and review her new release, Playing the Maestro. Welcome, Aubrie! It's great to have you here today.

How Practicing an Instrument is Like Writing.

There’s a quote in music: “The more you practice, the more you want to practice. The less you practice the less you want to practice.” That is so true about writing as well.

A beginner flutist starts by practicing 10-15 minutes a day, which might be like 200-500 words a day. As you improve, you build your muscles to be able to blow longer, hold the flute longer, and play longer pieces of music. You move up to 20-30 minutes a day. Writing is the same way. Your brain is your muscle, and you have to exercise it regularly to increase your word count.

I started with just a few hundred words a day. I remember how hard it was to keep going, and how I’d just keep rereading what I previously wrote instead of coming up with new words. My first book took over 2 and a half years to write. That was over 6 years ago. I slowly increased my word count each year, so now I can sit for an hour and write a thousand words no problem. Last year my goal was 365k or 1k a day all year. I managed to get to 316. This year I’m trying for 2k a day, or as close as I can get. I can write a short novel in two months, and a long one in three. Playing the Maestro took me two.

But, I still have a long way to go if I want to be a professional author and have 4-5 releases a year. Some people can sit down and write 10k in one day! After about 3k my brain goes fuzzy and all that comes out is mush- which means I’m not quite ready for that yet. But, I’m working my way up.

What are you at with your writing? What do you want to expand your writing muscle to?

That's fantastic, Aubrie. You are very inspiring. I'd love to be able to write 2k a day. You've given me something to shoot for. What about the rest of you out there? What are you working toward?

Don't miss this opportunity to win a beautiful necklace from Aubrie. You can enter below.

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Now without further ado, let's get a peek at this book's gorgeous cover and the blurb.

Melody Mires has sworn off dating musicians, but when the sexy European conductor Wolf Braun takes over her struggling symphony, her hesitation almost flies out the window with the notes of her flute—until he opens his mouth. Wolf is arrogant, haughty, and seems to have a personal vendetta against Melody. Oh, and he’s her boss. If she wants to keep her job as principal flutist, she’ll have to impress Wolf while simultaneously keeping her undeniable attraction to herself.

Wolf came to America to get as far away from his past as possible, and to recover some of the swagger he had as one of the world’s best maestros. He never imagined being forced to reassess the entire orchestra’s talent—and potentially fire anyone who doesn’t make his cut. Dating the attractive flutist is out of the question, but as their feelings reach a fever pitch, can they risk both their careers for a chance at love?

Here's my review:

Playing the Maestro is a charming love story that captured my attention immediately. My initial engagement came from Ms. Dionne’s choice of setting. I found it refreshing to get a glimpse into the inner workings of an orchestra. The pressure of not only having a seat, but the constant struggle to maintain it, while the characters deal with real life challenges kept the tension high, and me turning the pages.

The chemistry between Melody and Wolf is evident from their first meeting. As they each struggle with trying to overcome personal obstacles as well as those thrown into their path by a crafty set of secondary characters, their relationship deftly builds into an uplifting story that will have you cheering for them to be together. 

If you’re tired of reading the same old sweet romance, I suggest you give this one a try. Its distinctive storyline and engaging cast will keep you thoroughly entertained from the first page to the last.

You can purchase your very own copy here:

http://www.amazon.com/Playing-the-Maestro-ebook/dp/B00BFQDEPG/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playing-the-maestro-aubrie-dionne/1114502925

I did receive a copy of this book from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you very much for being here with us today, Aubrie. Wishing you much success with this fabulous story!!