How to promote your book

A friend asked me this the other day and I sent him some ideas that he turned into a blog post. I'm sharing the link with you. There might be ideas in here you haven't tried yet.

Please share your ideas for book promotion in comments. Let's help each other!

Cover reveal: High Street Dares

Here's the cover for the upcoming middle-grade novel, The High Street Dares: Locket of Doom and The High Street Dares: The Ghostly Connection. Two books in one! Coming January 2015.

The Christmas Violin special: Only 99 cents

BUY TODAY 

This book has never been on special so don't miss your chance. 

...

One Christmas. Three lives. One unforgettable story.

A widower, a grieving mother and a homeless woman have one thing in common – a cemetery.

Willow, a concert violinist, begins each morning by playing her son the lullaby she wrote for him at his tomb. The melody enchants Peter during his daily visit to his wife’s grave. The homeless woman, who finds refuge in the cemetery, is equally drawn to the haunting music.

Like a violin concerto, the story unfolds in three movements, unexpectedly intertwining the fates of these characters.

Buy links

Amazon US

Amazon UK

iBooks US

iBooks UK

Ella's Rain: Cover reveal, pre-order

PRE-ORDER TODAY 

Ella's Rain will be released Feb. 25, 2015. Pre-order ebook today! It is also be available in paperback. 

Here's the skinny:

My dearest Ella,

I wish we would have had more time together, but we both know that we don’t always get what we want…

When Ella’s grandma Dorothy dies, she is consumed by grief. Left with Grandma’s ashes in an alabaster urn, Ella dreams of rubbing it like a magic lamp and Grandma suddenly appearing.

But it’s only a dream.

To protect herself from experiencing this kind of heartache ever again, Ella pulls away from Trey, the love of her life. Better to leave him than to lose him, she thinks.

Slowly Ella learns to live again as she reads the letters Grandma left behind -- one for every day of the coming year.

My dearest Ella,

I can’t believe that I’m writing the last note you will ever receive from me.  By the time you read this, a whole year will have passed since my death. I hope my notes have helped you find your way...

...................

BUY TODAY 

If you haven't read The Christmas Violin, you won't want to miss it. I hope this becomes a movie someday. 

One Christmas. Three lives. One unforgettable story.

A widower, a grieving mother and a homeless woman have one thing in common – a cemetery.

Willow, a concert violinist, begins each morning by playing her son the lullaby she wrote for him at his tomb. The melody enchants Peter during his daily visit to his wife’s grave. The homeless woman, who finds refuge in the cemetery, is equally drawn to the haunting music.
Like a violin concerto, the story unfolds in three movements, unexpectedly intertwining the fates of these characters.


Like a violin concerto, the story unfolds in three movements, unexpectedly intertwining the fates of these characters.

Black Friday deals: Freaky Frank and Gina and Mike

Get FREAKY FRANK for 99 cents.

Here's the skinny: In many ways, Frank Fratello is a typical teen. He plays baseball, hangs out with his friends at the mall and gets in trouble at home. But there’s something very different about this sixth-grader—he can read minds. And reading minds can cause problems. Like when Frank says what someone is thinking before they say it. Or answers a question before they ask it. 

Despite being telepathic, Frank must deal with everyday middle school life, which includes battling a bully who hates him. Nasty Nate and his flunkies live to get others in trouble—especially Frank. 
But Frank and his friends aren’t giving up. There has to be some way to bring Nasty Nate down. They just have to find it.

...

FREE contemporary romance

The Yearbook Series: Gina and Mike. 

Review: This was such a fun book to read. Ok so let me rephrase. It was a sad and trying book because the drama was killing me. It was fun because I love how the author switches POV's between the two main characters often. In any given chapter you can go back and forth a couple of times, I happen to really enjoy it. As for the story it was so exhausting. You know from the blurb what happened to Gina and that it tore her and Mike apart. A good chunk of the beginning of this story takes place in the past showing you what happened. Ok so then we jump ahead 20 years and all I can think is wow that is a lot of wasted time. Mike is this fantastic guy who loved his girl and had no clue what happened. Gina was a loving girlfriend whose life was ripped apart and didn't know how to cope. The entire time I'm reading I wanted to scream TELL HIM but life kept getting in the way. It was a sad book but with a very happy ending. The drama just kept coming and I kept wondering when will my HEA come. I enjoyed reading this story, it had humor and sadness but the story was so well done. It was a quick read, at least for me, and I was sad to see it end. I was very excited that I already had book 2 ready to go.

There's a lot of me in 'Ella's Rain'

I’m often asked how much of what I write comes from personal experience. I don’t think you can be an author and not have what you are be a part of what you create. 

I was recently editing my book “Ella’s Rain,” due out early next year. At the end of the book are 365 letters Grandma wrote to Ella before she died. Grandma instructs her best friend, Maddie, who becomes Ella’s guardian upon her death, to give Ella a new note every day. 

When I wrote the notes, I thought about my sons and what I’d want them to know if I wasn’t able to grow old with them. I also thought about my sister, Wendy, and her husband, Brad, and all of my friends who have passed away and the children they left behind. What would they want their children to know? 

What I discovered while writing the notes is that many of them were born out of actual conversations I’ve had with my sons over the years. When I completed them, I felt not only good about the guidance Grandma had provided Ella, but also a sense of pride in the legacy I’m leaving behind.

Here are some of those notes. 

Believe in yourself: Sometimes it’s hard to believe in yourself. That little monster called Doubt taps you on the shoulder and makes you question if you really have what it takes. Shoo that beast away. You must believe in yourself, even if no one else believes in you. Too many dreams are lost because a person gave up too soon.

Gifts for writers and authors made sweeter with free shipping offer

Start your holiday shopping early and get gifts from my BanterByBuffy store.

Here's the skinny:

FREE Shipping from on orders over $45* when you use coupon code: 

SHIP6ZG

*Free Economy shipping for CafePress.com orders. Delivery address must be within the United States and cannot be a PO Box. All orders will be Economy shipping unless the order is not eligible for Economy shipping (e.g., order exceeds Economy weight restrictions), in which case order will be automatically upgraded to free Standard shipping. Coupon code SHIP6ZG must be entered at checkout. Promotion starts on August 29, 2014 at 12:00 a.m. (PT) and ends on December 31, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. (PT). Offer valid online at CafePress.com only, cannot be combined with any other coupons or promotions and may change, be modified or canceled at any time without notice. This promotion cannot be applied to past orders.

Inspiration for 'The Moment Keeper'

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I've often been asked what was my inspiration for writing THE MOMENT KEEPER. 

I’ve always been fascinated by the moments in our lives and how they connect to form our life stories. And by the choices we make and how those choices lead us down a certain path.

I think so often in life we don’t recognize the most significant moments of our lives until they have passed. And sometimes when we’re young, we can’t see past tomorrow. We live in the now. We all know that with age comes wisdom. And it’s only when we get older and look back on our life that we realize the mess we had gotten into as a teen is but a small blip in our life story. And that nothing is ever so bad that you think about taking your life.

So I wanted to explore all of these things and to show two lives in a parallel narrative, present and past, ending up at the same place but making different decisions that ultimately lead them down different paths.

My other books:

The Christmas Violin

The Moment Keeper

The Yearbook Series: Gina and Mike

The Yearbook Series: Sue and Tom

The Yearbook Series: Tess and Jeremy

The Lion Awakens

Freaky Frank

Will, Middle Name Trouble

The story behind 'The Christmas Violin'

Buy

The Christmas Violin and how it came to be:

I remember the morning as if it were minutes ago. Winter was tumbling into spring and I woke up from a dream that followed me like a shadow.

I was standing on the stone steps of a cemetery. A young woman with beautiful red hair played the violin in front of a small granite tombstone in the shape of a teddy bear. I was mesmerized, watching her slender fingers dance as the violin bow tickled the strings.  She was playing a lullaby, a beautiful lullaby.

From my perch, I saw an old homeless woman watching the violinist, peeking out of a cluster of arborvitae bushes. And I also saw a young man, dressed in a suit, watching the violinist from a few graves away.

That’s the image I woke up with and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Even when I tried pushing it aside to work on something else, it wouldn’t let me. It had a real attitude and, gosh darn it, I was going to listen.

So I did. I learned a long time ago not to fight my characters when they are insistent that I come out to play. So I stopped ignoring them and said, “Okay, if we’re going to do this, I need each of you to help me tell your story.”

BanterByBuffy Shop opens

I have three collections in my BanterByBuffy shop. You will find these graphics on everything from clothing to household items to glassware. I hope you enjoy shopping!

Make Me Care collection



Climax collection

Grammar Rules collection 

 WIP collection

Cliffhanger collection

Five-star reviews for Will, Middle Name Trouble

First reviews are in for Will, Middle Name Trouble. YAY! 5 STARS

REVIEW: Will is a twelve-year-old boy who, in spite of his best efforts, is always in trouble. When his mouth and his reputation get him into more trouble than usual, his loyal friends rally around to help prove his innocence.

Will, Middle Name Trouble is Buffy Andrews second middle grade novel with MuseItUp Publishing, and once again she tells an entertaining story with a message. Young readers of all ages will laugh as Will gets himself into and out of trouble, and they will learn several life lessons in the process. First, Andrews shows that each person, no matter how perfect his or her life might seem, has insecurities and problems. In addition, her story reveals that people aren’t always who we think they are. Finally, her characters learn that the choices we make determine what kind of person we become.

Andrews is a multi-talented writer who has published books of many types. Regardless of the genre, however, her characters are always realistic and loveable, and her stories are finished before the reader is ready to stop.


REVIEW: This is a cute, fun read about a boy whose heart's always in the right place, even though the rest of him is usually in trouble. You'll love how Will and his friends come together and the way they grow during the course of the story.

Review my list of books available. 

Publication day for Will, Middle Name Trouble

So excited today that my second middle grade, WILL, MIDDLE NAME TROUBLE, is now available. WILL joins FREAKY FRANK in my line of middle grade books from MuseItYoung. Happy reading! 

BUY ON AMAZON

Sometimes we find more than we’re looking for… 

Will Moran is always getting into trouble. But this time, Will, who cleans and cooks and takes care of his younger twin sisters while his mom works, didn’t do it. 

Will’s class is collecting donations to benefit the local soup kitchen. Every time his teacher catches Will earning a buck from a bet, it ends up in the donation can. When the money goes missing, Will’s the prime suspect. After all, most of the money came from him. 

Will and his eclectic group of friends set out to find the thief and prove his innocence, but they end up finding so much more.



Other middle-grade books

Freaky Frank

Ebook specials

Here are the current specials:

Contemporary romance

FREE: The Yearbook Series: Gina and Mike

99 CENTS: The Yearbook Series: Sue and Tom

99 CENTS: The Yearbook Series: Tess and Jeremy

Young adult (but adults will enjoy, too)

99 CENTS: The Lion Awakens 

Sunday column: Letting go is never easy

I remember his midnight curls.

The way his pudgy fingers clenched mine.

His gummy smiles and baby giggles.

The smell of powder as I cradled him in my arms.

Rolling, sitting, crawling.

His first steps, wobbly at first. More like jabs than steps. Or maybe lunges. Falls and fears and tears. He'd tumble and I'd help him up.

Read the rest

Poll: Which book in The Yearbook Series is your favorite?

poll by twiigs.com

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BUY ON AMAZON

BUY ON AMAZON

Cool interactive book flyer

Check out this interactive book flyer I created using Layar. Layer adds digital content to print. It other words, it makes the print world clickable. So if I were to publish this page in a newspaper or magazine or simply as a flyer, people could see the interactive layers by downloading the free Layar app on their smartphone and scanning the image. I added 24 buttons, including point of purchase on Amazon.

What do you think? 

Used Listly for my books

Buffy Andrews Books

View more lists from Buffy Andrews

Writing 'The Moment Keeper'

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I’m often asked how I come up with my story ideas. Sometimes they just pop into my head.  I’ve written all over church bulletins, jumped out of the shower more than once to write down an idea and turned meeting handouts into storyboards.

“The Moment Keeper” was different. The idea came to me quietly, tip-toeing into my mind like someone who wants my help but is afraid to ask. And it waited patiently, nudging me now and again until I was ready to give it my full attention.

I knew that structuring The Moment Keeper in the way I wanted and keeping the narrative moving wouldn’t be easy. How do I write parallel narratives of two people -- one dead and the other alive? One in the past tense and the other in the present? And, how do I bring these two narratives together so that the separate narratives become one?

***

Interactive book flyer

Run Mouse over this interactive book flyer to connect to reviews and Amazon to purchase books.

Poll: Favorite "Shrek" character

poll by twiigs.com

"Freaky Frank" on special

Buy NOW for only 99 cents!

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Here's the skinny:

In many ways, Frank Fratello is a typical teen. He plays baseball, hangs out with his friends at the mall and gets in trouble at home. But there’s something very different about this sixth-grader—he can read minds. And reading minds can cause problems. Like when Frank says what someone is thinking before they say it. Or answers a question before they ask it. 

Despite being telepathic, Frank must deal with everyday middle school life, which includes battling a bully who hates him. Nasty Nate and his flunkies live to get others in trouble—especially Frank. 

But Frank and his friends aren’t giving up. There has to be some way to bring Nasty Nate down. They just have to find it.

Love my new banner!

Cover reveal: Will, Middle Name Trouble

Watch for this middle-grade coming later in 2014!

Humorous middle grade 'Freaky Frank' is now out

WOOT! It's here. My humorous middle grade Freaky Frank from MuseItUp Publishing can be purchased here.


Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Apple (iTunes)

Omnilit

BookStrand

Smashwords




In many ways, Frank Fratello is a typical teen. He plays baseball, hangs out with his friends at the mall and gets in trouble at home. But there’s something very different about this sixth-grader—he can read minds. And reading minds can cause problems. Like when Frank says what someone is thinking before they say it. Or answers a question before they ask it. 

Despite being telepathic, Frank must deal with everyday middle school life, which includes battling a bully who hates him. Nasty Nate and his flunkies live to get others in trouble—especially Frank. 

But Frank and his friends aren’t giving up. There has to be some way to bring Nasty Nate down. They just have to find it.

First reviews: 5 Stars

REVIEW: Freaky Frank is a lot of fun to read, and even more fun to read out loud. My daughter and I read it together and we cracked up the whole time. I'm a fan of the anti-bullying message and Frank's authentic sense of humor. This book led to a lot of conversations in our family about whether we would want Frank's ability to read minds. In the end, we decided we like our thoughts, and the thoughts of others, kept silent.

REVIEW: I really enjoyed Freaky Frank. By trade, I am a middle school teacher, so I totally get the H-u-m-o-r with a capital H. Freaky Frank touches upon different personal and social issues that come up in a kid’s daily life, but with the added twist of mind reading to further complicate things. Freaky Frank takes a humorous look at these issues, and the names of the characters involved, along with all the body humor, give the story added appeal. This is a fun book

Humorous middle grade 'Freaky Frank' will be out June 27

Big release day coming up for my humorous middle grade "Freaky Frank." If there is an 8- to 12-year-old child in your life, this would be a great read for them. I had so much fun writing it. 

This is the first of my middle grades that will be released from MuseItUp Publishing. The next one coming in the fall will be "Will, Middle Name Trouble."

About "Freaky Frank"

In many ways, Frank Fratello is a typical teen. He plays baseball, hangs out with his friends at the mall and gets in trouble at home. But there’s something very different about this sixth-grader—he can read minds. And reading minds can cause problems. Like when Frank says what someone is thinking before they say it. Or answers a question before they ask it.

Despite being telepathic, Frank must deal with everyday middle school life, which includes battling a bully who hates him. Nasty Nate and his flunkies live to get others in trouble—especially Frank.

But Frank and his friends aren’t giving up. There has to be some way to bring Nasty Nate down. They just have to find it.

'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' marks 50 years. Who was your fave character?

Before "Harry Potter" and the "Hunger Games" we had Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It's hard to believe this children's classic turns 50 this month. In honor of the anniversary, take my poll.

poll by twiigs.com

My books to date

Author Buffy Andrews on Dipity.

The Yearbook Series: Tess and Jeremy now available

It's finally here! Book 3 of The Yearbook Series: Tess and Jeremy. Here's the skinny: 

Falling in love was easy for Jeremy and Tess…But that was college. 

Now, they have everything they could’ve hoped for then. Jeremy has a successful dental practice and Tess stays home with the kids. Life seems perfect, but their marriage is falling apart. 

The kids are getting older and Tess misses her pre-mommy self—most importantly having a career she loves. Jeremy's refusal to support Tess widens the divide between them. 

But Tess has a secret plan. If it works, she might get the career she wants and find the husband she once knew.

First review: 5 STARS

listen"In a lot of ways, Tess and Jeremy's story is my favorite among Buffy Andrews' The Yearbook Series. I felt the relationship was authentic. So many couples I know become stuck as attention goes from raising small children to each other. Tess feels isolated now that the children are in grade school and her role as mommy is less on-demand. But Jeremy, a dentist, is content with how things are now, and takes too much pleasure in the provider role to actually provide Tess with what she wants and needs. This, of course, deadens the spark between these college sweethearts. Can the spark that brought them together be kindled again? Or is Jeremy too set in his ways and Tess too bitter? You've got to read to find out!"

More books coming out in June: 'Freaky Frank,' 'Yearbook Series: Tess and Jeremy'

I’m looking forward to a busy June with new books coming out.

Readers will be able to catch up with Gina, Sue, Cookie, Tess and the rest of the gang when “The Yearbook Series: Tess and Jeremy” hits store shelves.

                                 

Here’s the blurb:

Falling in love was easy for Jeremy and Tess. But that was college. Now, they have everything they could have hoped for then. Jeremy has a successful dental practice and Tess stays home with the kids. Life seems perfect, but their marriage is falling apart. The kids are getting older and Tess misses her pre-mommy self -— most importantly having a career she loves. Jeremy’s refusal to support Tess widens the divide between them. But Tess has a secret plan. If it works, she might get the career she wants and find the husband she once knew.
Sometimes you need to look at the past to figure out the future

Right now, you can get the first book in the series for FREE: Gina and Mike. The second book in the series is Sue and Tom.



‘Freaky Frank’

My humorous middle-grade, “Freaky Frank” from MuseItUp Publishing, will keep kids (and adults) in stitches.

In many ways, Frank Fratello is a typical teen. He plays baseball, hangs out with his friends at the mall and gets in trouble at home. But there’s something very different about this sixth-grader — he can read minds. And reading minds can cause problems. Like when Frank says what someone is thinking before they say it. Or answers a question before they ask it.

Despite being telepathic, Frank must deal with everyday middle school life, which includes battling a bully who hates him. Nasty Nate and his flunkies live to get others in trouble—especially Frank.

 But Frank and his friends aren’t giving up. There has to be some way to bring Nasty Nate down. They just have to find it.

The book should be out by the end of June.

‘The Lion Awakens’

“The Lion Awakens” is an action-packed young adult fantasy. This book is available and getting good reviews and it's on sale for 99 cents. Here’s the skinny:

Two worlds, two teens, two destinies...

For thirteen years, Annie Lange and David McClure believed their parents were killed in fiery car crashes. They learn the truth about the past when they find hidden messages in anonymous gifts left on their front porches. The notes lead them to a mentor who helps them discover and master their special powers, powers they will need if they have any chance of saving their world from the tyrant Goliath.

When the lion awakens, their world is forever changed...

‘What’s ahead’
I’m working on a new book called “Starstruck” about a 26-year-old who’s looking for love in all the wrong places. The main character is Sydney and she’s been a blast to hang out with. My goal is to finish this book by the end of the summer. We’ll see.

Happy reading everyone!