Hello Everybody,
I’d like to welcome you to the second book in my Ginnie West Adventure Series: Trouble Blows West. The journey to writing this book started a long time ago as a promise to my high school creative writing teacher, Mrs. Marion Joyce Johnson.
It took me longer than I planned to start the series, but has been a fun adventure.
Because Mrs. Johnson was such an inspiration to me, I made her a character in this book, Trouble Blows West to help my main character, Ginnie, nicknamed, “Trouble”, who gets into quite a pickle and needs a little help turning things around.
On page 2, Ginnie gets on the wrong side of the biggest bully in 6th grade. Pierce Owens goes after Ginnie’s twin brother, Toran. Ginnie knocks Pierce on his rear in front of the entire cafeteria—causing a big problem for Ginnie, Toran, and Pierce.
The bigger problem though, is the reader finds out fairly quickly that Pierce is being abused at home. Ginnie and Toran don’t find out right away—but when they do, they decide to be Pierce’s ally—because Pierce won’t let them be his friend.
My real-life teacher, Mrs. Johnson, used to speak with a cockney accent on occasion. She is American born, but was stationed in the United Kingdom with her husband and two sons, one of which is Astronaut, Col. (Retired USAF) Gregory H. Johnson, who piloted the Space Shuttle Endeavor twice.
I reached out to Greg earlier this year and he graciously met me on a zoom and has called and texted with me as I have revamped Trouble Blows West, into an audiobook with my very talented narrator, Hillary Straga. We decided to have Mrs. Johnson, the character, voiced with a cockney accent to make her “pop.”
Greg, his brother, Gary, and I talked on a number of occasions as I edited this book to make the character, Mrs. Johnson, an even more authentic representation of their mother. Part of that story is told in my expanded dedication of the book to Mrs. Johnson as well as in Col. Greg Johnson’s Foreword at the beginning of the book.
Trouble Blows West explores the hard reality of child abuse in an age appropriate way. Several teachers have read this book with their classrooms and shared with me that they have had great conversations on all aspects of bullying and being bullied, as well as what to do if you suspect someone is being abused.
As a former foster mom of over 100 kids, part of the reason I write the Ginnie West series is to empower kids being abused as well as encourage kids and adults alike to know they have the power to change their own stars.
My hope is that the story presented in Trouble Blows West will spark the courage some need to let their voice be heard, to make a difference in their own life, or in the life of someone who needs some help.
And believe it or not, kindness and humor are powerful tools that make life worth living. If you have to choose between being kind or being right, choose kindness.
Laugh lots, love much, write on!
Monique Bucheger
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Trouble Blows West by Monique Bucheger, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Trouble Blows West Series: Ginnie West Adventure #2
Author: Monique Bucheger
Publisher: True West Publishing
Release Date: March 18, 2020
Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary Fiction
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 Pierce likes being knocked down by one. When Pierce seeks revenge on Ginnie, Toran sets aside his anger and helps her plot a playback 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 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.
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card OR winner’s choice of Google Play, Apple, or Kobo!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight September 21, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on September 28, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
Regina Walker 
Thank you for the opportunity to win!
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Hi Regina,
I wanted to take a second and thank you for hosting my book, Trouble Blows West. This truly is a labor of love to write and I hope anyone who might read it will find it worth their time and bring a chuckle or three to their life. Thanks again. 🙂
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This sounds like a great book.
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Thank you for sharing! – JustRead Tours
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looks interesting
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