Sandrine Gasq Dion - RIP

I first met Sandrine Gasq Dion in Atlanta, October 2013.

Up until I met her, we had a FB friendship that mostly consisted of teasing each other. See, we used to get to number 1 on Amazon in those days, and I used to joke that I would only be at number one long enough for her, or Amber Kell, to release a book and knock me off. So when I met her for the first time, it was just more teasing, more of the same.

She met Steve (RJ's hubby) in smoker's corner along with others like Tim Brehme, and they would disappear for half an hour at a time, talking, laughing, and basically putting the world to rights.

That was a good con. My first one and one of my clearest memories was of the teasing.

We met again at GRL again, still with the teasing, but then sometimes more serious. She saw the same things I did in some of the new authors, and we would talk on FB about issues we had, and sometimes share new releases. She shared the last Railers' hockey book for me on her timeline, and backed a thunderclap; she was that kind of person, and we really thought of ourselves as two of the *old authors* with less of the *old* LOL.

The last I spoke to her 'face to face' was a Skype session, but without video, because I don't handle skype video very well. But she sounded well, and was happy, apart from the crap we talked about like scammy authors, and midlisters being knocked out, and the heady days before KU when there wasn't the same level of people out there taking readers for a ride. She was strongly passionate about her fellow authors, about fairness, and about looking out for her friends.

The last I spoke to her on Facebook, she had just read a short story of mine, and she demanded I carry on the story to a full book. She wanted to Facetime me, but I was out with family, and yeah, i'm not good with Facetime. I wish I had made the time to do it, sorry Sandy for my stupid fucking anxieties.

She wanted to help me with the rest of the story when I was initially horrified at the concept of having to write a book that went outside of my comfort zone. I told her that I felt like it was a finished short story.

Her response, in true Sandy fashion - "Oh hell no. lol. You need to go on with that. lol"

I promised her I would in 2018. Never imagined she wouldn't be here to read it, because things like dying, and leaving her family, was never in her plans, or in my thoughts.

I look at her Facebook now, at the fact she planned a book with her co-author for next year, and it makes me so sad. So fucking sad.

RIP Sandrine, I'm sorry I didn't write the story fast enough for you to read, and I'm sorry the world has lost such a bright light.



17 comments

  1. As a new author, she took the time to help promote me. I so appreciated that. She was someone who I admired as a writer, but also as a person. Her books were something I would look forward to, but I really enjoyed her zest for life. She will be greatly missed.

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  2. So sad. It seems to have been a bad year for losing members of the mm family.😖

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  3. My heart still hurts just seeing those words...the thought that she's now gone from us. The stories that she's not going to be able to tell us. My heart goes out to her family and friends and readers. She will be so damn missed.

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  4. So sad, she was someone you just always thought would be there :(

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  5. Literally crying as I read this. I feel like this is a horrible nightmare that I can't wake up from. I can't imagine what her family and close friends are going through. I had the pleasure of having a call from Sandrine and she asked about me and mine more than she spoke of herself. She was a lovely lady and will be missed. Thx Rj for such a lovely post. 😢

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  6. I am so sorry for your loss and that you have regrets. She'll be in your memories though and that may give you the strength to finish the book that started as a short story. Hugs.

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  7. She had a way about her that made her readers and Skull Blasters feel like best friends. She took the time to join in on funny posts and add her own comments. Will miss her fun loving spirit and the stories she had yet to tell. So sad!

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  8. She had a way of making her fans feel like best friends. She would joke, post sexy pictures and comment with the Skull Blasters all the time. We loved her free spirit, her books and her sense of humor. She will truly be missed. 😢

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  9. Thank you for sharing your story. Sandy was a dear friend if mine since we met in 2010 and I still nust can't wrap my head around this. Just doesn't make sense. And you are so very right. The world lost a very special person!! Rip Sandy

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  10. She was my next door neighbor in Alaska before her days as a published author. We haven't talked in years but I remember how kind she was. Having lived in Cali and experiencing earthquakes, she was my neighbor when we had a big earthquake in AK in the early 2000s and a smaller one a week or so before that. It was the middle of the night and she called me, "Hi, are you ok? Want to go sit out front and smoke?" We smoked and she helped me to feel at ease. Hearing through a mutual friend all of th success she was experiencing, I was so happy for her and excited for the new direction her life had taken. I've been writing a book myself, different genre, but I found it so great that she had so much success with it and it never came up between us when we were friends that we had this in common. It's such a dang shame and I feel for her babies. That's how I remember them and what a great mom she was to her little ones. RIP Sandy. This is so hard to believe.
    -Sheila

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  11. I am sadden by Sandy Gasq Dion's sudden death. I cannot express my shock and disbelief. My deepest heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.

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  12. I am truly sorry for your lost. Sandrine Gasq Dion was amazing at her work she will be deeply missed. My condolences to her family and friends.

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  13. Loved Skull Blasters so much. I can't believe that she is gone I am in shock, she was amazing at her work. She will be truly deeply missed.

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  14. So sad to hear of Sandrine's passing. Such unexpected news, I also saw a dedication in a new book and just about froze! It couldn't be! and selfishly, I though "oh no, who's going to finish the assassin books, no i'll never read anything else from her". Then my thoughts turned to how beautiful and young she was, how full of life she looked just days before from videos on facebook, her family and friends and how they must take this. I have every single book she wrote and have loved them all; I cried for someone I had never met but loved for her imagination, wit and ability to have made me reread her books at least 4 times after the first time and still love them like the first read! Rest in peace Sandrine, the world is poorer for your absence.

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  15. i was a great fan of her writing.. can anyone say what happened ?? I didn’t know she was sick or didn’t hear anything serious about her.

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  16. Olivette, my fellow “Skull Blaster”, my heart still hurts & there are times when I’m just looking for a lil bit of Sandy outside of fb. I’m sure you can relate.
    RJ, I was speaking to another friend recently, who was saddened that he didn’t record the Skype sessions he had with Sandy & a couple other ladies. He’d have liked to review them, just to see her again.
    Sandy had a presence that left everyone who met her with a desire to know her more & spend more time in her light. She was short for our world, but her impact will resonate forever.
    Miss you, Alpha. ����

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