Buffy Andrew discusses her latest YA book

I’ve always loved the story of David and Goliath. I suppose it’s because I’ve always rooted for the underdogs, believed in them even when they failed to believe in themselves.

Here was a shepherd boy who took on the champion of the Philistines. Who would have believed David even had a chance. After all, Goliath was stronger, bigger. He had everything going for him. Or did he?

David, armed with a bag of stones and a sling, defeated the mighty warrior. He might not have been stronger, but he used what he knew how to use. 

I’m sure King Saul, after watching David remove the armor he had dressed him in, doubted the young boy had a chance. But David used the talents given to him to achieve great things.

When I began writing “The Lion Awakens,” I wanted to tell the story of David and Goliath with a twist (or two, or three). I knew that Gabriel would be the messenger and that Peter would provide the foundation Annie and David would need to build a new world. 

I incorporated a lot of religious imagery in the book, from crosses to a crown of thorns. And of course, the lion.

The book involves a parallel universe, mean girls who will make your blood boil, and loyal friends who you can’t help but love.While this book is aimed at the young adult market, I think people of all ages will enjoy it.

And the ending? Let’s just say it will make your jaw drop! 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Lion-Awakens-Buffy-Andrews-ebook/dp/B00JAPBVVI/

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... $3.99 Ebook          $13.99 Print   EXCERPT Copyright 2014 Buffy Andrews Annie Lange’s heart beat like a bass on steroids. How does a person who’s been dead for thirteen years come back to life? That was the question on her seventeen-year-old mind as she watched a video of her mom on her laptop. She’d found the jump drive containing the video inside an anonymous gift left on her front porch. A stuffed lion, identical to the one her mother had given her when Annie was a child. The animal was Annie’s most prized possession because it was the last present she had received from her mother before losing her in a fiery car crash. At the time, Mary Beth had told Annie the lion would give her courage. All Annie had to do was squeeze its right front paw and say, “A posse ad esse.” In time, Annie learned the phrase meant from possibility to reality. It didn’t make any sense to Annie, and it took years before she could actually say the words, but she never forgot what her mother had told her. Squeezing the lion’s paw was a habit that followed her into her teen years. And, as childish as it was, it still made Annie feel better. So when Annie opened the gift and found the lion, she naturally squeezed its right paw. That’s when she discovered something hidden inside. A closer look revealed a row of stitches on its underside. Annie snipped the thread and opened the seam. A silver ring tumbled to the floor as Annie pulled out the memory stick. She picked up the ring and noticed a Celtic lion’s head on its face and trinity knots on each side. Tiny Celtic circles surrounded the setting. Annie turned the ring over. The band tapered and the back was smooth. She examined the inner rim and found printed in Celtic lettering were the words a posse ad esse. Thoughts flooded Annie’s head. She went to her laptop and inserted the stick into a port. Seconds later, she clicked on the video named a posse ad esse. * * * David McClure upchucked the water he had just guzzled all over his keyboard. He pounded his chest and coughed, trying to clear his throat. The man in the video was his dead dad. Thirteen freakin’ years, and just like The Great Oz, the man appears out of nowhere. David ran his fingers through his hair. Unbelievable! Freakin’ unbelievable! He’d found the jump drive containing the video inside an anonymous gift left on his front porch. David was stunned when he opened it and found the sneakers he’d been saving money to buy. He couldn’t believe someone would buy him such an expensive gift. It wasn’t until he’d put the left shoe on that he’d felt something hard hidden in its tongue. As soon as David removed the flash drive and spotted the ring with the Celtic lion’s head, he knew the sneakers were more than a present—a lot more. David remembered the night his dad had given him a silver pocket watch with a Celtic lion’s head on the cover and the inscription a posse ad esse inside. David’s mom was working the night shift at the hospital, and he and his dad had made the biggest ice cream sundae he’d ever seen. The memory made David smile. They’d bought ice cream, rainbow sprinkles, whipped topping, and chocolate syrup. His dad dumped the half gallon of ice cream into a big bowl. David added the tub of rainbow sprinkles, the bottle of chocolate syrup, and topped it off with the entire container of whipped topping. Afterward, David’s dad told him he had something very special for him. He gave David the watch, explaining it wasn’t a toy but a big boy’s watch, handed down from one generation to the next. Now, it was David’s turn to own it. The watch had been inside David’s sock drawer ever since, stashed in the corner and covered with white tube socks. Thoughts bombarded David’s brain. He went to his laptop and inserted the stick into a port. Seconds later, he clicked on the video named a posse ad esse.  www.prismbookgroup.com