I GOT U, BUFFY...

I GOT U  is the brain child of Sheri Larsen.   She asked us to each pick a bloggy friend that we've had a special connection with and write a little something about them...

I chose someone special... I met her a long time ago...Well, time is relevant, isn't it?  I can't give you an exact date, but I think we met when I had about 40 followers...I liked her name...So I clicked on it, went to her profile, went to her blog, found a beautiful "voice" and a friendship was born.  :)

BUFFY ANDREWS

Buffy is an Assistant Managing Editor of Features and Niche Publications,York Daily Record/Sunday News and writes fiction for kids and teens.  She also is an active member of the writing community.  She is one of the founders of The inkwell.   It's a great growing welcoming community for both new and established writers and artists. It's full of resources and support that will help you be successful. (Did I mention it's free?)  On a more personal note, Buffy loves running is learning to play golf and is a very active community member.

Buffy has shown me so much support.  I can't tell you how many emails we have exchanged (and no we've never met).  She's offered me advice, critiqued pieces for me without me asking for anything in return...She's something special...I am so glad that I've always liked the name Buffy and my first cousin in NY has the same last name as Buffy...

BTW...her voice...Let me give you a sample of some of her lovely words...

******

Ella's Dance (ya novel)

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

Opening: Ella stared at the alabaster urn the funeral director had given her. It was hard to believe that Grandma had become nothing more than a pile of white ashes. She longed to feel her grandma’s thick arms around her and to smell her sweet perfume that hung in the air like an August fog. How does a cream-puff-of-a-lady become a bag of brittle bones? she wondered.

Cancer. That evil C word. The word she had lived with for almost a year. The evil thing that had devoured Grandma like a vulture devours a dead carcass, gorging itself until its crop bulges and leaving nothing but splintered bones behind.

It was so unfair, Ella thought. Grandma Dorothy was all she had. And now her beloved Dorothy was gone, off to an Emerald City from which she would never return. And Ella was left with nothing but the damn alabaster urn Grandma had picked out before she died. Picked out like everything else.

The hymns that would be sung.

The biblical passages that would be read.

Even the flowers that would sit beside the urn on the pedestal table.

Picked out everything like it was some damn picnic…

*****

Here's a link to some other samples...

***** 

I'd like to share a few of Buffy's Tweets...I think they tell a lot about her...

*Writing is that thing that gives us peace.
*Writing allows me to be someone I'm not.
*Revising reminds us that our writing can always be better. Strive for the best.
*Writing is like opening an unexpected gift. It surprises us and makes us smile. I love unexpected gifts.

I hope you'll hop over and meet Buffy...You won't regret it...

She's got great voice, Baby!!!

PART TWO...I'M BACK...(Have you noticed I love using...s?)

Half Moon Cay was the best part of our trip to the Bahamas!  The sand was white and had the consistency of powdered sugar.  It did not get hot and we were barefoot on the island for most of the day.  This island is owned by Carnival Cruise Lines.  We took a boat from the ship over to the island.  Katherine and I walked the length of the beach.  It was drop dead gorgeous!  We walked until we came to a sign that prohibited us from climbing on the rocks at the end of the beach.  On our way back we saw lots of little white fish swimming in the surf.  We were served a lovely lunch, they even had veggie burgers for Katherine and I.  Lots of fresh fruit garnished the table and lovely cakes to top off the meal.  Walt and Katherine then played volleyball for about two hours.  It really didn't matter that the seas were too rough for our excursion.  This island paradise was the best part of our trip!

Now I have some awards to present...

This Sweet Friend Award goes to Susan Fields.  She's fairly new to blogging, but not to writing.  She has completed two awesome novels, a beginning chapter book mystery and several shorter stories.  I hope you will check out Susan's blog.  She is a dear friend and a talented writer.

I'm also presenting this award to my dear virtual friend Buffy.  Buffy is a full time newspaper writer and a novelist on the side.  Her mg novel ELLA'S DANCE is a wonderful tear jerker.  She is definitely worth checking out.

The third Sweet Friends Award goes to Kelly. Kelly has to be one of the happiest bloggers around.  She is always positive and has the best smile on the web!  So for a good dose of happiness check out Kelly's blog.

This next award goes to a new blog friend.  It's hard to find picture book writers in blog land.  Shelley Moore Thomas has numerous picture books on the market and got them there without an agent.  Her blog is wonderful and she has a great marketing technique.  I hope you will check out her Kingdom. 

I'd also like to present this award to Judith Coughlin.  Judith is a multi-cultural writer and has a great blog.  She shares her thoughts and occasionally a good recipe.  Judith has a very cheery blog and I hope you will hop over and see why I read it.

Lastly, I present Jill Kemerer this Creative Writer Award.  Jill is a romance writer with a sweet blog.  She's a lovely person and you will be a better person for reading her blog.

Susan, Buffy, Kelly, Shelley, Judith and Jill I charge you with telling me ten things that make you happy.  You can do it in my comments or on your blog (or you can totally ignore my charge).

I think this is a really fun award, because the recipient has to list ten honest things about themselves, so I chose Suzette over at Shoot Stars and Sharon at Bookish Blonde.  I think both of them are great characters and I hope you will check them out.  (FYI...Sharon writes for grown ups.)  Ladies, you can tell us ten truths about yourselves either in my comments or on your blog (or you can totally ignore my plea to get to know you better).

I do hope all of you will hop over and check out some of my favorite (and new favorite in the case of Shelley) blogs.  I will back to "normal" or as close as I get to it tomorrow.  Have a great evening!