'It's in the Stars' released today

It's release day for IT'S IN THE STARS. WOOT! I had so much fun writing this book about a journalist who decides to turn her eyes to the sky and leave her love life up to fate. We're talking following her horoscope, baby, in search of love. This book will have you in stitches as Sydney's new tactic provides plenty of laughter -- and maybe some love. You'll have to read to find out.

Here's the first review:


I loved the idea of this book, run your life by what your horoscope tells you to do! Is that really possible, and if it is, can it work?

Sydney is disillusioned with her love life, or the lack of it. Following complaints at work she checks out the horoscope section. While browsing she decides to throw caution to the wind and try something new. And why not? Her love life couldn't get any worse than it already was, so anything is worth a try. Right?

This book has a lot of laugh out loud moments. The humour comes out right from the first page, where the author describes the main characters initials. I won't say more than that, but it is funny to say the least.

Living her life based on the stars leads to some strange moments for Sydney. It definitely makes for some interesting situations.

I really enjoyed this book and loved that it ends exactly where I wanted it to. This author is a firm favourite of mine who never fails to surprise me with her writing, and she is one I intend following in the future.

Get rom-com 'It's in the Stars'

10 days until IT'S IN THE STARS is released. Preorder today. Here's the skinny:

Love always turns up…

Newspaper journalist Sydney Turner Davies is the last person you’d call clueless when it comes to romance. She knows what she wants in a man (if in a little too much detail!) and is everyone’s go-to girl when it comes to relationship advice. So why is she still single? Turning 26 only makes it clearer—it’s time for a change!

Where you least expect it. 

When inspiration strikes in the form of her daily horoscope, Sydney decides to turn her eyes to the sky and leave her love life up to fate. What her horoscope says, she does! With her straight-talking best friends and the zodiac to guide her, what could go wrong?

Navigating the dating game has never been simpler. But for Sydney, finding love is just the first step. When romance finally blossoms…will she be brave enough to follow her heart?

The story behind 'The Christmas Violin'

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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.”

Writing 'The Moment Keeper'

BUY ON AMAZON

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?

***

The Moment Keeper is Amazon best seller

Wow. I seriously have tears in my eyes this morning. When I went to check Amazon.com, I was stunned to see that beside The Moment Keeper was a "best seller" tag. It hit No. 1 spot in inspirational romance, No. 3 in women's fiction and No. 7 in romance. Plus, it's 104 in Kindle store. It would be awesome to be in the top 100! 

I am humbled and happy that readers are finding this book. Please share so that we can keep it going. The book is only 99 cents, less than a buck. First and foremost, glory to God. He is so great!

You can get it NOW for only 99 cents!

The Christmas Violin is out today

I'm thrilled that The Christmas Violin is out today. I absolutely loved writing this book. Read about the inspiration behind it. 

Can there ever be an encore to true love?


It used to be that the only woman he could think about was Camilla. When he closed his eyes it was her that he saw. But now, he saw Willow. And it scared him and made him feel guilty. And yet he couldn’t help himself, couldn’t help feeling what he was feeling…


The last thing grief-stricken widower Peter St John expects to find at the cemetery is love. But one evening, as he lays flowers on Camilla’s grave, he is drawn to the haunting melody of a solitary violin player. 
And so he encounters beautiful concert violinist Willow Channing, who has her own grief to contend with. 


A second, chance meeting fuels the fire. And soon Peter knows that as one song ended, another might begin.


Reviews:

5 stars: "One of the advantages of being friends with lots of authors is the occasional opportunity to read ARCs or advanced review copies of soon-to-be-published manuscripts. It’s always fun to read something new and fresh, but it’s especially rewarding when the book is sure to be a winner. Yesterday I read a winner.

The Christmas Violin by Buffy Andrews is the story of three people – Willow, Peter, and a nameless schizophrenic homeless woman – all of whom take a journey from despair to hope. Their journeys begin in separate pits of misery, but their paths converge around a teddy-bear shaped tombstone.

Andrews is a masterful story teller who uses words to paint scenes the reader can see and to create characters the reader comes to regard as friends. If you’re not yet in the holiday spirit, spending an afternoon reading The Christmas Violin is a beautiful way to ignite that spark."

...

5 stars: My toddler has had trouble napping recently, so I've had to revert back to rocking her to sleep like I did when she was a newborn. It was during this rare moments of quiet that I picked up "The Christmas Violin" -- a sweet little mental snack during an otherwise hectic schedule. 

Andrews tells the story of three weary souls whose lives are interconnected by their visits to a cemetery. Two of the characters are grieving lost loved ones and another a life she was denied -- all help pull each other out of darkness and offer renewed hop about what their lives could be. 

If you love all those Hallmark Channel specials this time of year and you're looking for a quick, uplifting read to whisk you away from the holiday rush while reminding you of what the season is really about, then pick up "The Christmas Violin."

...

5 Stars: The Christmas Violin surprised me. I read the cover synopsis and thought it would be about a man and woman who fall in love over a shared experience of loss and love of music. I was wrong. This story is so much more than that. Written to follow the format of a beautiful violin concerto, this story teaches us that no matter how dark life can seem, there is always hope. It teaches strength to carry on in the face of loss and gratitude for what we still have despite our loss. Never give up because there is so much in life to live for, and even the smallest seemingly meaningless part of one person's life can have a profound impact on another's.

Other books available:

The Yearbook Series: Gina and Mike

The Yearbook Series: Sue and Tom 

The Moment Keeper

This review made my day

This review for "The Moment Keeper" made my day. Thank you to all of my readers. I am truly blessed. 

REVIEW: I love Buffy Andrews' writing! Once again she has written a story that will pull you in from the minute you start reading! Andrews' imagination and creativity are truly amazing. The premise behind the story made me wonder if Moment Keepers do in fact exist. I loved the main characters Sarah and Olivia. At times it was so heart-breaking to see how unfair life can be sometimes. You are drawn in and feel such a part of each of their lives. There is such a powerful message about life, love and unanswered questions, the ending was phenomenal. I wish this book was available in print! I am not fond of reading electronically and would love to have a copy to keep and re-read many times over, wearing the pages thin! I give this book and A++

WOW! Read this Moment Keeper review

Check out the latest review for The Moment Keeper.

A tragic end...a new beginning... The Moment Keeper touched my heart, bring back a flood of "moments" from my own life.

Sarah, growing up feeling alone and abandoned, on the outside edges of life, now having to chose between starting over, or dropping out of the race, decides she would rather die than face the future alone.

Olivia, so wanted, so loved, and so privileged...living a life that Sarah could only dream about, finds herself facing the same challenges that drove Sarah to the end of her life.

The story that ties these two lives together is shared with us by "The Moment Keeper". Sarah's life ends...Oliva's life begins. All of the hopes and dreams of these two extremely different girls are shared with the reader in such a unique way, that you are drawn into the story...The reader feels as though they know both of these young ladies personally. I know that that silly old line "I laughed, I cried" has become a punchline for jokes, but in this case, well...I laughed and I cried. I loved the concept of Moment Keepers, and I hope that one day I will be chosen as a Moment Keeper, too. This story of love, life, tragedy and hope, shared with the reader by The Moment Keeper is sad, beautiful, complex, and completely believable.

The real tragedy here is that this book is only available as an e-book. As the owner of a bookstore, there are literally thousands of people that I would love to share Sarah and Olivia's beautiful story with, but alas, bookstore customers are not fond of electronic readers.
To the e-reading public I offer this advice: Download this novel. Read anything that you can find by Buffy Andrews. You will not be disappointed!

To the publishers, I offer this advice: Publish everything ever written by Buffy Andrews in paperback format. You are missing a huge chunk of the reading public by keeping her tethered to electronic publishing. I would love to be recommending her books to my customers...but....

The Moment Keeper reviews

Couldn't wait to share the first reviews for The Moment Keeper.

REVIEW: I completely fell in love with the book's main characters, starting with Sarah, the Moment Keeper for Olivia. The concept of each of us having a Keeper of the moments of our lives is intriguing. Who is our Moment Keeper and why are we chosen for each other? You'll see as the story unfolds that even the Moment Keepers themselves don't quite understand why they were chosen until the exact moment they are meant to. Both Sarah and Olivia, with their differing lives, have a great deal of life insight to offer us. Their stories are intense, emotional, upsetting, and wonderful at different times. I can identify with both main characters, as well as others, such as Olivia's mom. If you are interested in a book that really makes you think about life and its many questions, you may very well adore this lovely story about Olivia and her Moment Keeper, Sarah.

REVIEW: I love the concept behind Andrews' novel: That each of us has a moment keeper, a spirit responsible for keeping track of every moment in our lives, even--or perhaps, especially--those moments that seem small at the time but evolve into life-changing memories. Andrews wove this concept into a beautiful story, one that touched my heart and will stay with me forever. I recommend this book to anyone who has questioned faith and fate (so basically everyone). You will fall in love with and root for these characters.

REVIEW: The Moment Keeper is a story of two girls' journey into adulthood, and how the choices they make influence their lives. The book tells the story of Olivia and her moment keeper Sarah, whose own life was cut tragically short. The characters are so relatable, it's easy to recall those junctions where a decision changed your life. THe Moment Keeper is about love, loss, relationships, and how they influence our lives. Share this book with your daughter, your mother, and the other women in your life.

REVIEW: I was instantly captivated by this story and its premise of a moment keeper that stays alongside you, recording and tracking every moment of your life. Sarah is Olivia's moment keeper and the contrast between the character's circumstances could not be more pronounced. Despite this, Sarah lovingly looks on as Olivia experiences moments from her first steps to her first kiss and unfailingly records each moment.

This story will stick with you long after you've read the last word. Andrews has managed to craft characters that are unique yet familiar, it is impossible not to fall in love with and root for both of them. The girls are brought together through a terrible tragedy and as Olivia's moment keeper, we see Sarah continue to evolve and grow into the woman she would have become.

This story is haunting and leaves you thinking about each moment of your life and how it may intertwine with that of another.

The Moment Keeper is now available

Buy on Amazon

Totally doing a happy dance. The Moment Keeper is NOW available.

Our lives are often connected in ways we never would have imagined...

Two babies; two very different upbringings. 
First there is Sarah: raised by her loving grandmother, but neglected by her own father who views her as the instrument of her mother’s death. She will lead a hard life, searching to belong and to be loved.

Then there is Olivia, surrounded by love, nurtured and adored by her parents, a golden child with a golden future.

When Sarah’s life is cut tragically short and she is assigned to record the moments of Olivia’s life as her Moment Keeper, their lives become intertwined.

Sarah is able to overcome the heartbreak of her own lost years and Olivia is able to deal with a future that isn’t nearly as golden as what she had planned – or is it?

RELEASE PARTY: 7 tonight at The York Emporium, 334 W. Market St., York, Pa.

'The Moment Keeper': How this idea became a book

Get The Moment Keeper 

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?

***

I’ve always been fascinated by how the moments in our lives weave together to tell our life stories.Small moments. Big moments. Quiet moments. Moments that if we aren’t paying close attention, slip by without our realizing their significance until much later.

And I’ve also been fascinated by the choices we make and how those choices lead us down a particular path toward an outcome we can’t possibly foresee.

Release party for 'The Moment Keeper'

Mark your calendars for 7 p.m. Nov. 1. I will be holding a release party for "The Moment Keeper" at The York Emporium, 343 W. Market St., York. In addition to reading from this book (which will be released that day on Amazon as an ebook), I will also read from "The Yearbook Series: Gina and Mike." I will have paperbacks of Gina and Mike for sale and, of course, I will sign them. 

I hope you can join Jim and Pam and me at The York Emporium for this very special night. And please spread the word so I'm not there all alone with no one to read to:) 

Thanks bunches!

Cover reveal: The Christmas Violin

Oh my gosh! I am beyond excited to share this cover of my upcoming novel, The Christmas Violin. Wow! is all I can say. This book will be out Dec. 2 and can also be pre-ordered on Amazon.

You can preorder The Moment Keeper

I absolutely LOVE this cover. It's perfect:) You can pre-order The Moment Keeper today!

Synopsis

Our lives are often connected in ways we never would have imagined...

Two babies; two very different upbringings. 

First there is Sarah: raised by her loving grandmother, but neglected by her own father who views her as the instrument of her mother’s death. She will lead a hard life, searching to belong and to be loved.

Then there is Olivia, surrounded by love, nurtured and adored by her parents, a golden child with a golden future.

When Sarah’s life is cut tragically short and she is assigned to record the moments of Olivia’s life as her Moment Keeper, their lives become intertwined.

Sarah is able to overcome the heartbreak of her own lost years and Olivia is able to deal with a future that isn’t nearly as golden as what she had planned – or is it?

Another book contract from Prism Book Group

Prism Book Group, who will be publishing "The Lion Awakens" in 2014 will also be publishing "Ella's Rain." I'm so excited. 

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE  

The Yearbook Series RELEASED ON AMAZON

1st book: Gina and Mike

A romance series that begins with Gina and Mike, high school sweethearts that reconnect 20 years later when the past catches up and turns their worlds inside out. 

Consecutive books in series focus on another member of the high school class. 

The Christmas Violin COMING from Carina UK fall 2013

Written like a violin concerto in three movements, this novella tells the story of three people who have one thing in common -- the cemetery. It is a beautiful story about love and loss and the enormous power of the human spirit.

YOUNG ADULT/CROSSOVER

Ella's Rain COMING from Prism Books 2014

A young girl learns to live again when her grandma, who dies, leaves her 365 notes, one for every day of the coming year.

     

The Moment Keeper COMING from Carina UK fall 2013
As a Moment Keeper records the moments of her charge's life, she comes to see how life is a intricate tapestry of which we are threads woven together in ways we have never anticipated or imagined. The charge learns that a second can change a life forever and that it's what we do with the moments that count.

YOUNG ADULT

The Lion Awakens COMING from Prism Books 2014

Two 17-year-olds find information hidden in anonymous gifts that leads them to a parallel universe and an enemy hell-bent on taking over their world.

That leaves me with my middle-grades to sell:

MIDDLE GRADE 

Freaky Frank
Humorous middle-grade for boys about a telepathic middle-schooler who battles bullies along with his rag-tag friends. 

     

High Street Dares/Locket of Doom

Five middle-schoolers double dared to walk through the cemetery at midnight and perform a spell that will make a particular stone statue cry must solve a mystery involving the statue, an old lady and a shrinking locket before it’s too late. Book ends with a dare setting the next book up in the series.

High Street Dares/Ghostly Connection (second book in series)

Will, Middle Name Trouble

12-year-old Will Moran is always getting in trouble. But this time Will, who cleans and cooks and takes care of his younger twin sisters while his mom (a single parent) works, didn’t do what he is accused of doing. Through an eclectic group of friends comes redemption and the true meaning of friendship.

Just signed two-book contract with Carina UK

More great news! I've just finalized the contract with Carina UK for a two-book deal for "The Moment Keeper" and "The Christmas Violin."

 I'm super excited that I will be sharing these two books, along with "The Yearbook Series" being published my Limitless Publishing, with you.

 If you missed my earlier news about the Limitless contract, read it now. Here's the post from Limitless about "The Yearbook Series." I'm currently writing book 2 of this series. What fun!

I have some other books that I am trying to place as well and I'll let you know if/when that happens. Here are the deets on these two Carina books and here is the other work I'm trying to place. 

"The Moment Keeper"
As a Moment Keeper records the moments of her charge's life, she comes to see how life is a intricate tapestry of which we are threads woven together in ways we have never anticipated or imagined. The charge learns that a second can change a life forever and that it's what we do with the moments that count.


"The Christmas Violin"
Written like a violin concerto in three movements, this novella tells the story of three people who have one thing in common -- the cemetery. It is a beautiful story about love and loss and the enormous power of the human spirit.