Wednesday, December 23, 2020

 

Ginnie West Collection

About the Book

Book:  The Ginnie West Collection

Author: Monique Bucheger

Genre: Christian fiction, middle grade

The Ginnie West CollectionBook 1: THE SECRET SISTERS CLUB

Twelve-year-old BFF’s Ginnie West and Tillie Taylor, want to be sisters. Ginnie’s widowed dad plus Tillie’s divorced mom could equal a lifetime of round-the-clock girl talk and slumber parties. Too bad Dad vowed to never marry again. Ginnie and Tillie come up with the perfect scheme to change his mind: ‘Operation Secret Sisters’ (aka OSS). After all, if they can’t get Dad to move on, Tillie can’t move in.
Things get more complicated when Ginnie stumbles across her mom’s hidden journals. Ginnie can finally get to know the mother she doesn’t remember and her dad doesn’t talk about—if Dad doesn’t take them away.

Book 2: TROUBLE BLOWS WEST

Putting her body in motion before her brain is in gear creates a mountain of problems for 12 year-old Ginnie West. She is certain that defending her twin brother, Toran, from the biggest bully in sixth grade was the right thing to do. But Ginnie couldn’t be more wrong. She quickly learns that Toran doesn’t appreciate being rescued by a girl any better than Pierce likes being knocked down by one.

When Pierce seeks revenge on Ginnie, Toran sets aside his anger and helps her plot a payback prank at Pierce’s house. Sadly, Ginnie learns that Pierce has a reason for being a bully when she sees his dad drop him to the floor like a ragdoll. Realizing he’s a boy in big trouble, Ginnie decides to be his ally, because he won’t let her be his friend.

Book 3: SIMPLY WEST OF HEAVEN 

Twelve-year-old BFFs Ginnie and Tillie are matchmaking geniuses. Sweet! Not long after they schemed to get Ginnie’s widowed dad to fall in love with Tillie’s divorced mom, Ginnie stumbled upon her late mom’s journals, making life even more awesome sauce … until her dad confiscated the journals, determined to protect Ginnie from a danger he won’t name.

Ginnie is counting on her future sister’s help to make Dad change his mind, but Tillie’s not so sure the ghost of Ginnie’s mom will make a good addition to their new family tree. The girls’ world gets flipped upside-down when a blast from the past shows up and makes Tillie go nutburgers. Ginnie is torn between helping her best friend and what could be the answer to her deepest wish.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

MoniqueWhen Monique isn’t writing, you can find her playing taxi driver to one or more of her 12 children, plotting her next novel, scrapbooking, or being the “Mamarazzi” at any number of child-oriented events.

Even though she realizes there will never be enough hours in any given day, Monique tries very hard to enjoy the journey that is her life. She shares it with a terrific husband, her dozen children, twelve grand-darlings, too many cats, and many real and imaginary friends. She is the author of several books in three series and hopes to write many more.

 

More from Monique

Hello Everyone,

 

Welcome to the Kickoff of The Ginnie West Collection (Books 1, 2, and 3) of the Ginnie West Adventures series. This omnibus edition includes The Secret Sisters Club, Trouble Blows West and Simply West of Heaven.

 

The series starts with The Secret Sisters Club and introduces the reader to 12-year-old best friends, Ginnie West and Tillie Taylor. Ginnie’s mother died when she was 3 ½ in a tragic accident and Tillie’s birth dad hit the road 6 years before the series starts.

Tillie, especially, wants a “whole” family again and who would make a better sister than her BFF? When she suggests to Ginnie that their parents would also benefit by marrying, their scheme, Operation: Secret Sisters is formed.

Things get more complicated when Ginnie discovers a box of her dead mom’s journals and reads one, getting to know the mother she doesn’t remember and her dad doesn’t talk about. Discovering the journals brings up questions and feelings that Ginnie didn’t expect and she struggles to reconcile her desire to know her real mom and while caring about her “new” mom.

 

Trouble Blows West takes a complete turn from Book 1 when the biggest bully in 6th grade goes after Ginnie’s twin brother, Toran,  and results in Ginnie knocking the bully, Pierce, on his rear in front of the whole student body in the  cafeteria on page 2. Things get more complicated when the reader realizes that Pierce is being abused at home. Ginnie doesn’t find out right away—but when she does, Ginnie, Toran, and Tillie decide to become Pierce’s allies—because he won’t let them be his friends. Trouble Blows West is a story of kids on the opposite sides of many issues who try to come to some peaceful understandings.

Because of her great influence in my life, I made my high school creative writing teacher, Mrs. Marion Joyce Johnson, a character in this book years ago. A fun happenstance has recently occurred. Mrs. Johnson’s real life son is Col. Greg Johnson, pilot and astronaut for the Space Shuttle Endeavor. I reached out to Greg who read: Trouble Blows West and fell in love with Ginnie and her family. He has graciously written a Foreword for the book.

 

Simply West of Heaven starts three weeks after The Secret Sisters Club ends. The one thread that wasn’t reconciled in Book 1 is resolved in this book—and the thread opens up a whole lot of possibilities of fun and new adventures for Ginnie, Tillie, and the Wests. This book has my four best twists and guarantees the reader lots of surprises as the story unfolds. Hopefully readers will want to continue to read about Ginnie and Tillie in Book 4: Being West is Best.

 

The Ginnie West Adventures series truly is a labor of love for me. I enjoy sharing the West family and their stories with new and longtime readers. I especially love it when readers share with me their experiences of finding courage and peace to overcome their own trials and share those stories with me. I hope to empower and uplift my readers and love it when they connect with me.

 

Laugh lots … love much … write on!

Monique Bucheger

MY REVIEW 

The Secret Sister’s Club

This was a good book about two girls and their friendship. Can you remember who your best friend was growing up? I can still see me running across the street every afternoon to go to my best friends house. We would sit in her room, play records and talk for hours . She was a bright spot in my life and maybe someday I’ll get to tell her how much I appreciated her. 

Ginny and Tillie are wonderful characters. I love their friendship and how much they stuck together through bad times and good times. They hatch a plan that reminded me a lot of The Parent Trap. Oh how I could feel both these young girls pain as one dealt with the death of their parent and the other one deals with a patent that deserts her. They yearn to be a family and have high hopes that their plan will work. 

I really enjoyed reading about the horses and how much fun they had riding them. Do you remember when you were younger and wanted a horse? Funny I never did because they scared me. I liked looking at them, but to own one was out of the question. I really liked when Gennie finds her mother’s journals. I wondered if Gennie would be able to handle what her mother wrote. The emotions in the story were good as each girl deals with family issues, wanting to belong, letting go of the past and finding happiness. 

I understood that the author was trying to portray the yearnings of a young girl who wanted both a mother and father. It was hard to read at times how much this girl hurt because she felt abandoned. The other girl is not so sure she wants to share her father and second thoughts pop in her head. The journals were the most intriguing to me because we witness the words that a mother wrote about her life and I had hopes that the journals would heal a broken heart. 

Come join the fun as we mingle among the families in the story. Two young girls on the cusp of being teenagers find themselves in trouble at times but are surrounded by love. They laugh together and share their hurts with each other. There may be subjects in the book that parents may want to discuss with their children before they read the book. The author handles these subjects with care and understanding of the target age group for the book. It is a family story that will warm your heart. I look forward to reading the other books in this series. 

Trouble Blows West 

I am really enjoying reading this series and highly recommend this for middle school through adults. The first book introduced us to Ginnie, Toran and Tillie where we were able to see how close family and friends are. This story is a bit more in-depth and the subject is be that needs to addressed more. Bullying is something I went through growing up. It was horrible to go to school everyday where I was teased by a group of girls. I never told anyone because I didn’t think anyone would care. 

The author does a very good job of showing what happens when bullying gets out of hand. I can understand why Toran was so upset with his sister for stepping in and protecting him from the bully. How embarrassing it was for a girl to fight his battle. Ginnie thought she was doing the right thing but she soon finds out there are consequences for her actions. I applauded her dad for handling it the way he did. He never backed down even when Ginnie gets an attitude with him. 

There is always a reason why someone is a bully and in this story we see another side that we don’t often think about. The kids were so determined to get back at this boy that anger took over. I liked how the story focuses on working through problems instead of continuing the fight back and forth. I won’t tell what happens in the story but it was something we all need to be aware of. Sometimes when a child acts out, it could be a cry for help. 

Simply West of Heaven 

Warning!! If you haven’t read the first two books in this series it is a must. The books introduce you to the characters and allow you to get to know them. This book is by far my favorite. I have already fallen in love with Ginnie, Tillie and Toran. They have shared many ups and downs but each time their bond grows stronger. Tillie so wants to be part of Ginnie’s family and maybe someday her prayers will be answered. 

Ginnie is starting to ask more questions about her mother and it won’t be long before secrets are revealed. The author does a great job of building this storyline up as each chapter draws us closer to what Ginnie’s mother wrote in her journals. I’m a big fan of journals and like to write scriptures down, thoughts that I have and personal things that only my journal knows. Maybe someday I will share them with my children but for now I continue to journal my life to leave to my future family members.

There is more conflict in this story and we see a jealous side of Ginnie as she starts to realize she may be sharing her dad’s attention with a new mom and sister. I liked being able to read how she struggles at times with anger at her dad. She is so determined to find out what is in the journals that it causes a conflict in the family. Parents sometimes keep things from their children to protect them. I think a few times Ginnie needed to be grounded more. She develops an ugly attitude that continues through most of the book. It is a good example of how a young person copes with loss, feeling left out and confused. 

Get ready for a few big surprises that will shake the family. One of the things I really liked about the story was the emphasis on forgiveness. We all do things we regret, and at some point we need to go to those we have hurt and make things right. This is a bit more emotional story but one that allows the main characters to express their feelings so others can help them. 

This is the kind of series I would have loved to read as a child. As an adult I can appreciate it more because I was able to think back on my childhood. It wasn’t a good childhood, but I was always able to escape into stories like these. Thank you for writing a series that shows the reality of death, divorce and unconditional love in a way that young people can relate to. I am eagerly awaiting the next in this series because the author has left a little cliffhanger at the end. 

I have enjoyed reading this series. It would be a great addition to any library . The stories were fun to read and very easy to relate to. I hope the author writes more about this wonderful family I have come to love.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.



Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 17

Sara Jane Jacobs, December 18

deb’s Book Review, December 19

Blogging With Carol, December 19

Inklings and notions, December 20

For Him and My Family, December 21

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 22

Mary Hake, December 22

Texas Book-aholic, December 23

Sodbusterliving, December 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 26

She Lives To Read, December 27

Artistic Nobody, December 28 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, December 29

Splashes of Joy, December 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Monique is giving away the grand prize of a $75 Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Apple, or Google Play!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/104ff/the-ginnie-west-collection-celebration-tour-giveaway


Tuesday, December 22, 2020

 

About the Book

Book: Bride by Blackmail

Author: Debbie Lynne Costello

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: September 15, 2020

A broken heart, a controlling father, and an intrusive Scot leave Charlotte Jackson reeling. Accused of stealing an heirloom pin, she must choose between an unwanted marriage and the ruin of her family name. With the futures of her three younger sisters at stake, as well as her own reputation, Charlotte must navigate through injustice to find forgiveness and true happiness.

Eager to find the traitor that caused the death of his brother, Duncan Mackenzie comes to America and attempts to fit in with Charleston society. But when the headstrong Charlotte catches his eye, Duncan takes on a second mission—acquiring the lass’s hand. After being spurned several times, he uses unconventional ways of winning her heart.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Debbie Lynne Costello has been writing since the young age of eight. She went to college for journalism. She enjoys medieval settings and settings set in nineteenth century Charleston, South Carolina. She loves the Lord and hopes to touch people’s lives through her stories. Debbie Lynne lives in the beautiful state of South Carolina with her husband of 40 years, their 4 children, 2 Tennessee Walking horses, 2 Arabians, miniature donkey, 6 ducks, and 3 dogs.

 

More from Debbie

It is fun to build characters in books and one of the best ways is to show some sort of a hobby or skill that the particular character enjoys. In Bride by Blackmail, Charlotte and her sister, Nellie, are doing needlework on a tablecloth that they hope to have done by the holiday season. My grandmother who would be over a hundred today loved to do needlework. I have pieces from when she was young up until her later years when she did needlework on pillowcases to decorate them up as a Christmas present. But I also have pieces done by my great-great grandmother and her sisters. They are cherished pieces I hope to hand down for generations. As part of my giveaway I’ve purchased antique needlework and embroidered pieces to giveaway with the prizes.

Another fun way to build characters is show something they love to eat. Nellie, who is a minor character, is visiting the hero’s home with her family. Duncan being from Scotland has scones on the breakfast menu. Nellie can’t get enough of the yummy biscuits and finds the servant enjoys helping her continue her indulgence even after she leaves.

 

SCONES

 

Preheat oven to 400

 

2 cups of flour

1/3 cup sugar

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ cup sour cream

½ cup butter (hard)

½ cup cranberries

1 large egg

2 tsp. sugar (do not put this in with the dry ingredients. This is for topping.)

 

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl. Once mixed well, cut hard butter into pats and drop into the bowl. Now cut the butter into the floured mixture until it is more like a crumble. Set aside.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together your egg and your sour cream until well mixed.

 

With a fork (no mixer!) blend the liquid mixture into the flour mixture, keep stirring until the mixture becomes one large ball. If you need to you can use your hands toward the end to make sure all the flour is in the ball.

 

On a lightly floured surface pat the dough out to about 3/4” thick. I try to make mine a rectangle for the next step. Once you have the thickness right, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tsps. sugar. Cut the dough into triangles and place on cookie sheet (you can use parchment paper on the cookie sheet). Be sure to place adequately apart on the sheet to prevent them touching when rising.

Bake approximately 15 minutes or until they are a beautiful golden color.

Allow to cool slightly. These are wonderful warm or cold!

MY REVIEW 

With a dash of mystery, blackmail, deceit, and a lesson in forgiveness the author pens a tale that spans from Scotland to America. I think by the time I finished the book I felt like I could talk Scottish. I could hear the dashing Duncan with his enchanting accent as he commanded a room. Oh my he is a catch , some women think. Charlotte isn’t one of them. Well maybe she is but doesn’t want to admit it. 

Through an unfortunate event Charlotte finds herself married to Duncan. She was not pleased and I knew we were in for a bumpy ride. I liked the way her and Duncan spared with each and it made for some  funny moments. It isn’t all fun and games though because Duncan is on a secret mission. He hides that little secret from his new wife. Now we all know that secrets have a way of coming out and they usually cause harm to others. 

Although I enjoyed reading about Duncan and Charlotte’s relationship I was really intrigued with the mission Duncan set out to do. He finds himself in dangerous situations and I couldn’t wait to see where the author would take the story. The story takes on a spiritual journey for both characters as they start to doubt God. I heard their hopelessness in their voices as they questioned God. We do the same thing when we feel as if God has abandoned us. 

The story is both exciting and emotional. The author delivers characters that you want to be friends with. They captured my heart and I so wanted Duncan and Charlotte to find happiness. Will they have a happily ever after? Does Duncan succeed with his mission? Grab a copy and find the answers within the pages of this sweet story. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

I Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 14

Hallie Reads, December 14

Sara Jane Jacobs, December 15

Novels Corner, December 15

Ashley’s Bookshelf, December 16

Connect in Fiction, December 16

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, December 17

Artistic Nobody, December 18 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Britt Reads Fiction, December 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 19

Simple Harvest Reads, December 19 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Rebecca Tews, December 20

deb’s Book Review, December 20

Inklings and notions, December 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 21

Texas Book-aholic, December 22

Splashes of Joy, December 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 23

Vicky Sluiter, December 23

Labor Not in Vain, December 24

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, December 25

Connie’s History Classroom, December 26

Bizwings Blog, December 26

For Him and My Family, December 27

Maureen’s Musings, December 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Debbie is giving away the grand prize of a smart watch!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/104ae/bride-by-blackmail-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

Plan B (1)

About the Book

Book: Plan B

Author: Erin Stevenson

Genre: Inspirational romance

Release Date: August 1, 2018

Picture1Landon St. Clair, an up and coming partner in one of St. Louis’ most prestigious law firms, was left at the altar on New Year’s Day at the city’s social event of the season. He wants nothing more than to lick his wounds in solitude and figure out a Plan B, and intends to keep his reservation at the St. Jardin Honeymoon Resort, even without a bride. With the owners’ reluctant approval, Landon takes on an assumed identity and cuts all ties to home for the week.

Kelsea Anderson is a jilted bride with nothing left but a battered heart and a plane ticket to the Caribbean. The only part of her doomed wedding that she had any say in was the honeymoon. She paid for it, and there’s no reason she can’t come to the romantic resort alone, so Kelsea jumps on a plane the day after New Year’s to escape the icy St. Louis winter and come up with a Plan B for the rest of her life.

Lottery winners Rose and Ike Goldman, married for 53 years, never looked back when they left Brooklyn, NY for the Caribbean where they bought a honeymoon resort three years ago. Rose was something of a matchmaker in Brooklyn, and once she meets Kelsea and “Brandon,” she knows she has her work cut out for her. She has only a week to convince them that sometimes, Plan B is the best plan of all.

Take a quick getaway to St. Jardin! Plan B is your ticket to a tropical paradise filled with beautiful gardens, merriment, and romance.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Picture1Erin Stevenson writes clean, uplifting inspirational fiction from America’s heartland. Writing is like breathing to Erin. Stories are running through her mind during most of her waking hours, and by the time she sits down at the computer, the words flow and time ceases to exist.

Erin was raised in Illinois and has lived in many places in the U.S., including on both coasts, but is a Midwest girl at heart. She spent many years as an educator from pre-school through college levels, and currently works in training and internal communications for a global corporation.

When she’s not writing, Erin loves spending time with her family and playing in the garden (which equates to mostly pulling weeds) at her central Iowa home. Her secret indulgence is plain M&Ms.

 

More from Erin

A Lucky License Plate

In November 2017, I was driving to the library to pick up a book I had ordered (when I’m not writing, I’m reading) and a car passed me on the highway. I looked over and its personalized license plate said NO PLAN B. All of a sudden a story popped into my mind about a jilted bride. She’s left at the altar and has to come up with a plan B for the rest of her life. When I got to the library, I had the story arc. It just came pouring out. My mother always told me to have a Plan B. That advice has served me well through the years, and I passed that important life lesson on to my daughter.

I wrote Plan B in about a month, the first in my three-book St. Clair Family series, which follows the main characters and their extended family in their quest to find the life and the love meant for them. All three books were published by Happy Jack Publishing and launched over a six-month period.

MY REVIEW 

This was a nice , light quick read. I laughed at some of the shenanigans going on. I know it’s not funny but what are the chances that two single people go on their honeymoon after getting dumped? Can you say awkward? Kelsea is a sweet character ready to say I do. A few days before  the wedding, she is dumped. Landon finds himself jilted at the altar. Here they both are in a sea of newlyweds at a resort where love is in full swing. I loved the description about the resort and how much fun it would be to go there. 

I don’t believe in coincidences and I’m thinking that the couple that own the resort were put there by God. They have a heart for couples and I loved how they  shared their story with Landon and Kelsea. Now it’s no surprise to me how the story went but I still enjoyed following the adventure. The faith is light in the story and there were a couple of questionable scenes that I thought may have been a bit much. Overall nice story and I will be looking for the next book in the series. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 16

Labor Not in Vain, December 16

Reflections From My bookshelves, December 17

deb’s Book Review, December 18

Inklings and notions, December 19

For Him and My Family, December 20

Artistic Nobody, December 21 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Texas Book-aholic, December 22

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 23

Spoken from the Heart, December 24

Cultivating Us, December 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 26

Pause for Tales, December 27

Sara Jane Jacobs, December 27

CarpeDiem, December 28

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 28

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Erin is giving away the grand prize package $50 Amazon gift card and copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/104b2/plan-b-celebration-tour-giveaway