Katie Ganshert, Author at Katie Ganshert

Wobbly Ground

Posted on January 16, 2013January 16, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

2013 is proving to be the opposite of dull.

My emotions, scattered.

My patience, taut.

My nerves, a bit frazzled.

We’re just in the beginning, and already Ryan and I have made a significant decision. One that is no less nerve-wracking, despite being so very Spirit-led.

We’re just in the beginning, and already He has been stripping away those stubborn bits of darkness and dirt (a.k.a., pride and false security) from the hidden places of my heart.

We’re just in the beginning, and it seems Jesus wants me on unsteady ground.

Perhaps 2013 will be a shaky, crazy, wobbly year.

And perhaps that’s a good thing, because the wobblier the walk and the more uncertain the steps ahead, the tighter I hold onto Him and His Word and His promises.

My stepmom got me one of those daily calendar doo-dads for Christmas. I’m awful at keeping up with them, so yesterday I flipped through ten straight pages to get to today’s date. And there was one I found particularly resonant. Especially since it mentioned Surprises, which was my prediction for 2013. I thought I’d share it with you today, in case you need the reminder as well.

“The God of surprises strikes again….God does that for the faithful.

Just when the womb gets too old for babies, Sarai gets pregnant…

Just when the failure is too great for grace, David is pardoned….

The lesson? Three words. Don’t give up….God is watching.

For all you know right at this moment, the check may be in the mail. The job contract may be on the desk.

Don’t quit. For if you do, you may miss the answer to your prayers.”

Let’s Talk: What’s God been teaching you so far in 2013?

Second Book Jitters

Posted on January 14, 2013January 14, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

Today I’ll be busy stuffing advanced reader copies of Wishing on Willows into envelopes, writing down addresses, and sending them out to my launch team.

Last week, my publisher made Wishing on Willows available upon request through their Blogging for Books program.

The time has come.

My second novel is making it’s way out into the world.

And I’m going to be 100% honest.

It’s quite terrifying.

I’m feeling a strong dose of intimidation.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a very real pressure that comes with releasing a debut novel.

The difference with the second book though, is that expectations are added to the mix.

Praise the Lord, I have had a very encouraging response to Wildflowers from Winter. Sure, there have been a few who didn’t resonate with the novel. But overall, the majority of readers seemed to enjoy it. Many even sent emails or Facebook messages saying how eager they are for book numero dos.

Which makes me so very excited.

But also nervous.

Because what if book two doesn’t live up to book one?

What if it’s too different?

What if it’s too similar?

What if it has too much romance?

What if it doesn’t have enough?

What if readers don’t like Robin as much as they liked Bethany?

What if they don’t like Ian as much as they liked Evan?

I mean, Wishing on Willows doesn’t have that intensely emotional scene early on in the novel like Wildflowers from Winter has in chapter six. What if it’s just not as gripping?

What if, what if, what if…..

Thank the Lord, I am not the only author who’s gone through this–these second book jitters.

After talking with others, they seem to be a common phenomenon.

There’s comfort in knowing this. That what I’m experiencing is normal. That I’m not alone.

There’s comfort in knowing I have an amazing editor and an encouraging first review.

And there’s comfort in knowing that God has a purpose for this novel.

Whether it’s to speak encouragement and hope into ten thousand hearts, or just one, He has a purpose.

So I hold on to that and I make myself let go of the rest.

Let’s Talk: What pressure are you feeling these days?

I would absolutely love to send you a welcome packet if I haven’t already. To sign up, just click on the button at the top of this page!

If you have a few minutes to fill, you can read the first three chapters of Wishing on Willows for free!

Friday Favorites: Band Aid Power

Posted on January 11, 2013January 11, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

So I’ve decided to make my Friday Favorites a little less specific.

From now on, I won’t always have a list of links to beloved blog posts from the week.

My Friday Favorite could be any number of things.

A favorite pin on Pinterest.

A favorite video on Youtube.

A favorite quote from a book.

A favorite movie or show recently watched.

A favorite Tweet from Twitter friends.

A favorite Bible verse.

A favorite song.

A favorite recipe.

A favorite blog post or article.

Or, like today, a favorite Broganism.

In case you don’t know, a Broganism can be defined as follows:

A word, phrase, prayer, story, or action that comes from my four-year old son, who is named Brogan.

And that’s exactly what today’s Friday Favorite is. A Broganism.

Allow me to set the stage…

Both of my boys have had the flu this week. Brogan’s on the mend. Ryan’s getting there.

Yesterday, Ryan was suffering from the headache of all headaches.

Enter the Broganism….

Brogan: What’s wrong, Dad? Are you sick?

Ryan: My head hurts.

Brogan goes into the bathroom, comes out with a Band Aid, unwraps it, and sticks it on Ryan’s eyebrow.

All better!

The kid is quite literal. And he’s at that age where Band Aids contain magical healing powers.

In the midst of my frantic Lysol spraying, it definitely brought a smile to my face.

Let’s Talk: What’s a Friday Favorite from your week? Feel free to include a link!

Want to visit Robin’s cafe–the point of contention in Wishing on Willows? Click on over to Willow Tree Cafe! It’s not complete yet, but it’s viewable. Hey, you don’t happen to be an artist with some free time do you? I’d absolutely love a drawing of the outside of Robin’s cafe, complete with the wooden signpost, that I could put at the top of the page. The artist would get a free book! Maybe even two! If you or anyone you know might be interested, please shoot me an email!