The Secret Sisters Club by Monique Bucheger

THE SECRET SISTERS CLUB: A Ginnie West Adventure (BOOK 1)



Book Description:  Twelve-year-old BFF’s Ginnie and Tillie, 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 form a secret club and come up with the perfect mission to change his mind: ‘Operation Secret Sisters’.


Before long, Tillie seems happier about gaining a dad than a sister. Ginnie suspects that Tillie has turned ‘Operation Secret Sisters’ into a scam called ‘Operation Steal My Dad.’  Things get more complicated when Ginnie stumbles across her real mom’s hidden journals. Ginnie can finally get to know the mother she doesn’t remember and Dad doesn’t talk about.


When Dad discovers she has the journals, he takes them away. Ginnie needs to figure out what the big mystery is before her relationship with her father and her best friend are ruined forever.



My thoughts:  Ginnie and her twin brother live on a farm with extended family.  Her mother died in an accident on her horse when they were young.  She has a great relationship with her father and her brother.  She also is fortunate to have a great best friend, Tillie.

Tillie's mother is also single.  Her father was abusive and left her with some unresolved emotional issues.  She sees the wonderful father that Ginnie has and wants that for herself.  She comes up with a wonderful idea, her mother and Ginnie's father should marry.  That way they will be sisters for real.  It sounds great and both girls enthusiastically agree.

It doesn't take long for Ginnie to have second thoughts.  She begins to notice how desperate Tillie is for HER father.  She begins to feel uneasy about their plan and yearn for the mother she barely remembers.

This story deals with a myriad of emotions.  It is perfect for the middle grade reader.  I think this book is geared more toward a girl than a boy, but there are many things that will appeal to both.  I like Ginnie.  She seems real to me.  Her feelings and thoughts are realistic.

Check out the next two books in the series:



TROUBLE BLOWS WEST: A Ginnie West Adventure (BOOK 2)



Book Description: 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 figures out that Toran doesn’t appreciate being rescued by a girl any better than Charlie likes being knocked down by one. When Charlie seeks revenge on Ginnie, Toran sets aside his anger and helps her plot a playback prank at Charlie’s house.

Sadly, Ginnie learns that Charlie has a reason for being a bully when she sees his dad drop him to the floor like a ragdoll with one awful blow to the chest. Realizing he's a boy in big trouble, Ginnie switches gears and decides to be his ally, even if he won’t let her be his friend.









SIMPLY WEST OF HEAVEN: A Ginnie West Adventure: (BOOK 3)



Book Description:  Twelve year-old Ginnie and her BFF, Tillie, schemed to get Ginnie’s widowed dad to fall in love with Tillie’s divorced mom. It worked. But before they could become ‘for real’ sisters, Ginnie stumbled across her dead mom’s journals. Which was totally awesome sauce… until her dad took them away and won’t tell her why. Now all their plans are starting to unravel.

If that’s not bad enough, Ginnie’s favorite uncle drops the mother of all bombshells and leaves her in a maze of uncertainty. While her head is still spinning from that news,  a blast from her late mother’s past shows up and makes Tillie goes nutburgers. Ginnie realizes her best friend has her own agenda and Tillie’s plans to merge their families may not be so innocent.
SIMPLY WEST OF HEAVEN is a contemporary MG novel that follows Ginnie West as she tries to make sense of one too many curve balls tossed her way in the most pivotal summer of her life. 

About Monique:

Monique Bucheger was born in Landstuhl, Germany to active duty Air Force parents. After watching her creative writing teacher's astronaut son lift off in the Space Shuttle Endeavor, she recalled a promise to her teacher to write the books only she could write. In January of 2011, her first book made it through the first 3 tiers of Amazon's National BreakThrough Novel Award Contest to the top 5%. In November of 2012 Mrs. Bucheger was offered a 3 book contract for her Ginnie West series. Book one: THE SECRET SISTERS CLUB: A Ginnie West Adventure was published March 8, 2012. Her second book: TROUBLE BLOWS WEST: A Ginnie West Adventure was published April 14, 2012. 

Mrs. Bucheger has championed the cause of children as a foster parent to over 120 children and her books embrace and empower people on all sides of the child abuse issue.

 

Find her at:  Blog / Facebook / Twitter

99 Authors with 99 Books ~ All for 99 cents!

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 This event is hosted by Buymereadme.com  You can check their website and get all the details on the books and genres.  I understand that there will be a variety of genres and age groups in books.  It sounds great and interesting.  The prize is being handled by the host of this event.  I am not affiliated with it, but passing on an opportunity to those who read this blog.

Midwinters Eve Hop (Int)

 Thanks to I am a Reader, Not a Writer & Oasis for YA for sponsoring this hop.

I have been mostly about letting my followers pick what they want to read lately.  For this hop you can choose an AMAZON Gift Code or a book from the Book Depository up to $15.00 (US).

Use the rafflecopter form to follow.  You can choose one of the options to enter or all for extra entries. You must be 13 or older to enter.  If under 18 you must have parental permission. This contest is void where prohibited by law.  Please read my giveaway policy to the right. a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Cypher: Guardians Inc by Julian Rosado-Machain ~ Guest post and giveaway!

The Cypher by Julian Rosado-Machain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Tweens to YA Fantasy

Book description: GUARDIANS INC.: THE CYPHER is two stories in one. A glimpse into a multinational company that is in reality the oldest of secret societies, one that spans close to seven thousand years of existence, weaving in and out of history, guiding and protecting humanity from creatures and forces that most of us believe are only mythology and fairy tales.

The other is the story of Thomas Byrne, a young man thrust into secrets he shouldn’t be aware of and dangers he shouldn’t face but, that he ultimately will, for he is a Cypher. The only one who can steer humanity’s future.

The ultimate conspiracy theory is that Magic is real. Kept in check by technology but, every five hundred years the balance can shift and, if it does, technology will fail and those creatures we’ve driven into myth will come back with a vengeance.

To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future.

My thoughts:  Thomas is 15, almost 16. He is having trouble in school. There are bullies who love to pick on him. Standing up for himself one day, he comes under the radar of the vice principal, Ms. "Killjoy". He is suspended and from there his life changes rapidly.

While under suspension, he sees and ad in the paper for a job as an assistant librarian for Guardians Inc. Its not your average ad, there is something different about it. What Thomas didn't realize is that it was written in a language that only a cypher could transcribe.

He learns of another world within our world. There is magical beings and Guardians who try to keep everything under control. He finds that he is an integral part of the team as the cypher. He is given a task that few get to do throughout the centuries.

I loved Thomas as a main character. He is very likable and an average teenage boy, put in a tough spot. This book was full of adventure and I think one that will really appeal to boys and girls.

Guest Post from Julian Rosado-Machain!

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How to Avoid the Rejection Blues

            Ah, the rejection blues! When all the hope built up during those long, interminable weeks that pass between sending a query letter or a manuscript and receiving a response is annihilated by the simple "Thank you, but...."

            I blame the "but.." God, how I learned to hate the "but...".

            "Thank you, " at least, shows a modicum of sympathy, but "but..."? I am sure that everything after the "but..." is optional. The "but..." seals the deal, what you wrote isn't good enough, at least to the "Thank you," people. They are grateful that you thought about them, they might or might not have read what you sent, discussed it, placed it on the table as a probable project, fought for it to be accepted by the uber-bossess of the company, it may have moved their hearts, changed their lives and they keep a copy close to the pillows...

            "but..."    

            Its unavoidable... rejection always feels like a stab in the heart, or at least the spleen, depending on who rejects the manuscript and your hopes about that literary agent or publishing house taking up on your manuscript.

            It's going to happen, so don't avoid it... Embrace it, I once went to the home of a friend who had been left at the altar, an envoy of his parents to see if he was okay because he didn't answer his phone, my heart sank when I found the door to his apartment unlocked, and I went in and thankfully found him with a bottle of rum on one hand and watching Star Wars on a VHS, his words of wisdom that stuck with me I will now convey to you:

            "Let me enjoy my depression in peace." He said. "I'll be over it tomorrow."

            He was so blue he looked like a Smurf.

            So yeah, embrace it, turn it around, go back and edit, fix, twitch and fiddle with your manuscript, then do it again. Or, if you get tired of the "but.." like I did, self publish, BUT (and this one applies) please, do it only after editing, fixing, twitching and fiddling...thoroughly and preferably with the help of a professional... at least the editing bit.

            Hopefully, and with a lot of work,(and let's be honest, wishful thinking) you might hit it and then maybe the "Thank you," people will come looking for you and you will be the one saying "Oh wow!...This is great!..but..."

            Wouldn't that be something?

            So turn blue, embrace it, might as well try to enjoy it and use it in your writing, learn from it and then dream a little dream... and get over it.

            BTW... my Smurfy friend found his Smurfette a couple of years later... and now they have little Smurflings of their own.

            He got over it and so can we.

*********************

Enter the Tour Giveway!
It's for a signed copy of the book.

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About Julian  Rosado-Machain:  Julian has enjoyed pizza in three continents, holds a degree in graphic design, built armored vehicles and computers, handcrafted alebrijes and swears has seen at least one ghost.

He is the Co-owner of Hacienda de Vega Restaurant in San Diego, California and enjoys the sun with his wife, three children and cat.

Guardians Inc.: The Cypher is the first book in a series. 

Find him at these links:  www.guardiansinc.com /  FACEBOOK / Blog

Check out all of the tour stops:

December 1 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet

December 2 - My Devotional Thoughts - Guest Post/PROMO

December 3 - Bound By Words - Review/Interview

December 5 - Oh, Chrys! - Interview/PROMO

December 6 - Brooke Blogs - Review/Guest Post

December 7 - Mom With a Kindle - Interview/PROMO

December 10 - My Reading Addiction - Review

December 11 - Bibliophilia, Please - Guest Post/PROMO

December 12 - Geo Librarian - Review/Guest Post

December 13 - Kimmie's Bookshelf - Guest Post/PROMO

December 14 - Pure Tetuality - PROMO

December 15 - My Cozie Corner - Review

December 16 - Novel Nexus - Guest Post/PROMO

December 17 - Book Reviews By Dee - Guest Post/PROMO

December 18 - Inside BJ's Head - Review/Guest Post

December 19 - I'm a Reader, Not a Writer - Interview/PROMO

December 20 - Bookworm Lisa - Review/Guest Post

December 22 - Andi's YA Books - Guest Post/PROMO

December 23 - Books, Books, the Magical Fruit - Interview/PROMO

December 24 - The Story Factory Zone - Review/Guest Post

December 25 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews-  Interview/PROMO

December 26 - Simple Books - Review/Interview

December 27 -Bookworm Avenue - Review/Guest Post

Where can you Purchase a copy?

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"An Unexpected Angel" by Janet Halling ~ Christmas retelling!

An Unexpected Angel by Janet K Halling

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source: Received to Review

Genre: Christmas Story

Book Description: Ella Davies, is focused, independent, and driven. Her hard work is finally paying off and she is on the brink of great success. But what no one knows is that her frantic drive is born not from a desire to succeed, but from a need to forget – forget her past, forget her guilt, and mostly, forget the tragedy that changed her life forever.

                Ella’s strategy seems to be working but on Christmas Eve she meets Cohen, a strange man with an even stranger purpose. Cohen catapults Ella back through time and forces her to confront not only her own pain, but the pain of those long since passed. In the process, Ella learns about courage and compassion and that in the darkest hour, no one is ever alone.

My Thoughts: This story is a cross between :It's a Wonderful Life" and a "Christmas Carol."  I kept trying to figure out which it was a twist of, but there are elements of both.

Ella is a workaholic.  She hates Christmas.  She would rather be working and impressing the partners in the law firm she is employed at.  She is ornery and wants everyone to leaver her alone.

As the story unfolds it is discovered that she was part of a tragedy at Christmas time.  This tragedy caused her to lock her emotions away.  She is afraid of attachment.  If you are attached, then you feel. She doesn't want to feel.

Cohen is an angel or emissary who is sent to help Ella learn how to heal and live.  He takes her to some events in the past where she witnesses life and death situations.  The situations are to help her learn about how God works by sending angels when we need comfort or help.

I have to admit that I shed a few tears.  This is a very touching story that I think is a perfect reminder the perfect love of God and the reason why we have Christmas.

  About Janet:   Janet Halling discovered her love of writing at the age of six when her story of a lonely duck won a first grade writing contest. She has a degree in Marketing Communications and lives with her family in northern Utah. She is currently working on her next novel.

Janet's Links:

Website / Facebook / TV interview / twitter

Read an Excerpt: 

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                Somewhere there was a rhythmic humming—a kind of a swooshing sound that increased and decreased in volume at regular intervals. She couldn’t remember where she was. Her whole body ached, and her head felt as if it would explode.

                Ella groaned and opened her eyes. She was still in the gym, lying crumpled against the weight machine. The treadmill had stopped, and the rhythmic sound was coming from the man riding the spinning bike, which sat nearby.

                Her fingers trembled as she felt the goose egg on the side of her head. Her face was on fire, probably scraped on the belt, and her knees were bloody, also from the belt.

                Suddenly she stiffened. There was a man riding the bike! A man riding the bike. While she had been lying there unconscious. Had he just sauntered in and climbed on without seeing her at all or had he viewed her inert form without concern? That was cold, even for New York City. Gingerly, she turned her head to look at him.

                It was the clerk from the deli, and he didn’t stop pedaling as he glanced her way. “Oh good, you’re awake.”

                She stared up at him in mute astonishment.

                He reached for his water bottle and took a long drink. “I’m glad you woke up on your own,” he said pleasantly. “I was about ready to pour this in your face, so you can thank me for sparing you an unexpected shower.”

                Ella grasped the weight machine and pulled herself slowly to a sitting position. Her head was throbbing, and her stomach lurched. “I could sue you for failing to come to the aid of an injured person,” she snapped rather feebly.

                The man studied her contemplatively. “Hmmm, yes, you would think of that, wouldn’t you? But I’m not too worried, Ella. You’re not going to sue me and we both know it.”

                She opened her mouth to snarl a retort but stopped abruptly. “How do you know my name?” she demanded. “And what are you even doing here? You don’t live in this building.” She hesitated, realizing she wasn’t sure. “Do you?”

                He jumped off the bike and held out his hand. “You should get up. Want help?”

                She shrank away from him. “Don’t touch me! Who are you, and how do you know my name?”

                “Well, it’s simple really. My name is Cohen, and I’m your guardian angel.” He broke into a brief but rapid tap dance routine and finished with flair. And with jazz hands.        

                Ella stared at him in perplexed silence, unsure if he was a hallucination or just crazy. “Uh-huh. Right,” she finally said, groaning as she pulled herself to her feet. A wave of nausea hit her, and she stopped, doubling over and willing herself not to vomit. She for sure had a concussion.

She tried to think. Should she go to the hospital? Or maybe just go home and try to sleep? She didn’t know. She made a move toward the door, but Cohen tap-danced over to block her path.

                “Get out of my way,” she snapped at him with more bravado than she felt.

                He grinned. “Can’t do that. You and me, we have business tonight.”

                For the first time, she felt a small dart of fear. Cohen wasn’t exactly menacing, but he certainly was strange. If he attacked her, would she have the strength to fight him? If only her head would stop hurting!

                “What do you want?” she asked.

                “I already told you, I’m your guardian angel. Well, not technically an angel, but that word will serve as well as any other. Anyway, I’m here to help.”

                “Sure. Like you helped me when I was unconscious a minute ago? If that’s your kind of help, no thanks.”

                “No, not that kind of help, silly.”

                “Look, whatever you’re on, whatever you’re offering, I’m not interested. Just leave me alone, please? I’m sore and tired, and my head is killing me. I need to go lie down.”

                “Oh, right. That.” He made some sort of vague gesture and instantly her nausea subsided and the pain in her head vanished.

                Chills raced up and down her spine, and she stared at him, “Wait . . . what’s . . . what’s going on?”

                “Okay, no more joking around.” Cohen looked suddenly serious. “Here’s the deal. You need help and there’s a lot you need to learn. Only you’re far too stubborn to admit it. You might not even know how much help you need. But I know; so here I am.”

                The pieces were starting to fall into place. “Wait . . . Christmas Eve . . . guardian angel. This is some kind of a joke, right?” she said before adding sarcastically, “What’s the matter, Jacob Marley was busy? Clarence already got his wings? Or wasn’t he on duty tonight?”

                He grinned. “Both good men. But you got stuck with me. Although, all things considered, maybe it’s me who got stuck with you. You can be quite unpleasant, do you know that?”

                Ella snorted derisively. “So when does the Ghost of Christmas Past show up? Or is he waiting for me upstairs?”

                “Dickens took some liberties. It doesn’t exactly work like that. At least, this time it won’t.”

                 “You have exactly one second to get out of my way or I’m going to start screaming at the top of my lungs!”

                Cohen cocked his head to one side and gave her a brief shrug of resignation. “Okay then, you win. Can’t say I didn’t try.” He stepped smoothly to one side and swept his arm in a wide arc toward the door. “Be my guest.”

                Throwing him what she hoped was a withering glare, Ella marched past him, flung open the door—and stepped into a nightmare.

********************

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Purchase Links:

Amazon An Unexpected Angel / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository / Books & Things