Book Tour ~ Simply West of Heaven - A Ginnie West Adventure by Monique Bucheger

 

When 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.

  

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When her dad confiscates her deceased mom’s journals, 12-year-old Ginnie West counts on her BFF, Tillie, to help her get them back. But Tillie's not so sure the ghost of Ginnie's mom will make a good addition to their new family tree.

Then the girls' world gets flipped upside-down when a blast from the past shows up and makes Tillie go nutburgers. Life gets complicated when Ginnie is forced to choose between helping her best friend and getting the answers she’s always dreamed of.

What reviewers are saying about this book:

*Like Anne of "Anne of Green Gables," Ginnie is a character you can't help but love.

*I couldn't put these books down. I was not only entertained, but inspired.

*Bucheger does an amazing job of writing this story but without giving a cookie cutter answer to the problems Ginnie faces. 

 

~ Amazon ~ 

Excerpt:

Mama?” Ginnie repeated, shaking her head like an

Etch-A-Sketch, trying to make sense of what she was

seeing.

The woman’s hand flflew to her mouth. “Oh, honey, no! I’m so

sorry.”

She reached a hand to Ginnie’s shoulder.

Ginnie stiffffened, certain the hand would go straight through her

like sunlight. You can’t feel ghosts, right?

Instead, the hand pulled her closer. The woman’s other arm

slipped around her shoulders and squeezed Ginnie into a bear hug.

She started to resist, then recognized the flfloral scent of her mother’s

perfume.

The arms released her.

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry! I didn't think about that … I mean … I’m

sorry. I'm not your mama.”

Feeling like she’d just stepped offff the Tilt-A-Whirl at the fair,

Ginnie lurched to the side.

The woman wiped her eyes.

Ginnie tried to make sense of her words.

“I'm your aunt … Aunt Roni.”

 

Top Ten List

1) Heart of the Wests (Ginnie's home)  is a real place in Ohio.

2) The blonde girl on the cover (Gracie--who is modeling for Ginnie) lives in the real West Farmhouse.

3) The brunette girl on the cover (Jessie--who is modeling for Tillie)--is Gracie's cousin in real life.

4) Gracie and Jessie's cousins grew up on a different farm I mention in the books: Chandler's Crossing--Toran and Ginnie's friend, Austin's home. 

5) There are real goats, chickens, cattle, dogs, cats, turkeys, ducks on the real West farm--but NO horses.

6) Queenie West's (Ginnie's mom) personality is based on Gracie and Jessie's grandmother. Gracie looks very much like her--just as Ginnie looks like her mom.

7) I spent a lot of time at the "real Wests" farm--as a teenager--babysitting the kids that lived there--especially Gracie and Jessie's dads--and their aunt. 

8) Gracie and Jessie's cousins grew up on a different farm I mention in the books: Chandler's Crossing--Toran and Ginnie's friend, Austin's home. :) 

9) Gracie and Jessie's grandpa and grandma were my 4H leaders as well as my friends.

10) I raised a lamb named Appomattox (because I was fascinated with the Civil War)  on the real West farm and showed it at fair as a teen.

 

 

Character Casting

1) Ginnie--if I could cast a girl as Ginnie in a movie today--it would be Gracie on the cover. Gracie has a fun personality and an impish grin.

2) Tillie--if I could cast a girl as Tillie--it would be Jessie on the cover. The 2 of them just did a beautiful picture shoot that embraced the essence of Ginnie and Tillie.

3) Uncle Ben--i always picture Bruce Boxleitner I enjoyed him as a kid on a show called "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" and "Babylon 5"--recently he has been featured on Supergirl and he was the actor who played the main character on the original movie, Tron.

4) I would love to see Bruce's ex-wife, Melissa Gilbert as Aunt Sadie --I loved her as a kid as Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie

5) Ginnie's dad Todd--my first inspiration for Todd was John Schneider--Bo Duke from Dukes of Hazzard. John would be too old to play Ginnie's dad if it was filmed today--but he was the original dad image, when I dreamed Ginnie up years ago. 

6) Uncle Jake--I could see Michael Weatherly (Tony DiNozzo) from NCIS playing a contemporary Uncle Jake--minus the 3 piece suits.

7) Miss Amanda-- I could see her portrayed by Emma Watson (real life Belle and Little Women)

 

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