Author: Katie Ganshert

I write Christian romance and my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, releases in May, 2012 through Waterbrook Press (a division of Random House).

Wildflowers from Winter Blog Tour

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Life is full of seasons.

Some are warm and exciting and filled with joy. A time when everything feels like a carefree, bare-footed summer.

Some, though, are cold and barren and lifeless. A time everything feels like a gray-skied winter. 

You ready for something cool about nature?

The snowiest winters produce the most wildflowers in the springtime. 

God reveals truth through nature all the time.

And this is truth.

He can use those winter seasons in our lives to bring about beauty.

This is one of the themes in my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, which hits shelves on Tuesday, May 8th.

This is the common theme in the real-life stories people are sharing today. Every single one involves a winter season. Every single one ends with hope. And hope is an incredibly beautiful thing. 

What if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

-Laura Story from “Blessings” 

The Wildflowers from Winter Blog Tour 

Amber Mauldin: according to her friends, she is passionate, courageous and committed

Becky Doughty: a warrior princess, her weapon of choice is a pen and she loves the battle, even on days when she’s left flat on her back with missing limbs…. 

Camille Eide: inspirational writer, church secretary, bass guitarist, passably devoted fan of classic rock, muscle cars and Jane Austen

Cara Putman: author, homeschool mom, university lecturer and attorney:

Cheryl McKay: screen-writer of The Ultimate Gift, award-winning author, newlywed, Facebook-junkie, and avid scrapbooker

Erica Vetsch: wife, home-school mom, history nut, multi-published author
Gabrielle Meyer: writer, mom of four, history lover & small town girl
  • Wildflowers from Winter: A painful experience after the birth of her daughter led to panic, fear and doubt, but Christ entered her heart and brought forth a bountiful harvest from the darkest of winters. (plus a giveaway of my debut)
Heather Day Gilbert: homeschooling, Black-Ops playing mom, writing novels about love after marriage–living beyond the vows
Holly Hassenzahl: Holly was my maid of honor, is one of my best friends, and also happens to be the face of Robin Price! 
  • Wildflowers from Winter: Hope after Infertility (she didn’t have time to write a post, but her entire blog is one giant Wildflowers from Winter story)
Jeannie Campbell: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and The Character Therapist
Jennifer Hale: a hopeless romantic living in a Thomas the Train world

Jessica R. Patch: loves laughing, coffee, and naps

Julia Reffner: homeschooling mom, passionate Jesus-lover, writer of redemption stories

Julie Sunne: blessed wife and mother of four, Special needs advocate, Outdoors nut
Keli Gwyn: romance junkie, walk taker, and sweet-tea drinker
Krista Phillips: momma of 4 girly-girls, Euchre addict, Sandwich writer

Lindsay Harrel: writer, editor, and joy-filled Jesus follower

  • Wildflowers from Winter: When she was 19 years old, her mom died after a long battle with cancer. Thankfully, that’s not where the story ends. 

Lindsey Bell: stay-at-home mother of two, nonfiction author, and follower of Jesus

Meadow Merrill: wife, mother of five fabulous kids, journalist in Maine, and aspiring author

Melissa Tagg: nonprofit PR girl by day, writer/blogger/caffeine enthusiast by night

Michelle Delp: avid reader, gardener, and nurse

Sherri Wilson Johnson: writer, speaker, former homeschooling mother, and wife
  • Wildflowers from Winter: With Mother’s Day coming up, here is a special story about a mother and how God turned a sad time into rejoicing.
Sherrinda: God lover, Jesus follower, Spirit chaser, and a writer of fun, faith, and forever love

Wendy Paine Miller: deep thinker, conversation starter, laughs from gut

…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  Isaiah 61:2b-3a
 
He truly does make beautiful things out of the dust…

Let’s Talk: Have you experienced this theme in your life? Feel free to join the blog tour! All you have to do is blog about your story and post a link in the comment section!

You can read all the blog posts on Twitter by following the #WildflowersfromWinter hashtag.

If these real-life stories have piqued your interest, my debut novel is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, and other retailers. It’s getting really encouraging reviews so far! 
 

Not All, But Some

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Who’s heard of Google Alert?

It’s this handy-dandy little thing on Google where you can enter in certain words or phrases. Anytime those words or phrases make their way into the world wide web, you receive a notification via email.

I have two Google Alerts.

One for my name. Another for the title of my debut novel.

I’m not sure if this makes me smart or idiotic. Because the reviews that people write show up in my inbox. Every single time I open one, I find myself flexing my stomach, holding my breath…

Thankfully, they have been super encouraging so far. Some have flat out blown me away.

Last week, though, I read a review from a reader who wasn’t happy with me for making a religious leader in my book a “bad guy”. 

It’s a valid concern.

One I wrestled with while writing the story.

I don’t want to perpetuate the “fire and brimstone” stereotype. Not when there are so many God-honoring, grace-filled, Spirit-led, Bible-teaching, humble-hearted pastors and preachers out there. My church is overflowing with them. 

But here’s the thing.

We live in a broken world. As much as this truth pains me, there are people out there who have been burned by churches and their leaders. There are people out there who were judged instead of welcomed. People who needed to hear the truth spoken in love, but instead heard words of condemnation. Words that hurt instead of healed. 

Despite my hesitancy, despite knowing that some people might be offended by Pastor Fenton, I felt it was a topic worth exploring. Spiritual abuse exists in the church. As much as I wish it didn’t.

After reading the review, I spun into a tornado of worry.

My stomach got all knotted and heavy. 

I found myself dwelling in the land of What If…

What if my story offends more people? What if a whole slew of readers aren’t happy with me? What if I put things in my book that others disapprove of? 

In the midst of this mini tornado, I went outside and plunked myself onto our porch swing and let myself soak in God’s presence. 

It didn’t take long to realize…

I was focusing on the wrong things. I was focused on affirmation and approval. A common trap for a people-pleaser like myself.

Instead, I needed to step back. Refocus on what is true. 

And here it is.

God isn’t going to use my story to touch every heart, but He will use it to touch some. My words will not bless every reader, but they will bless a portion.

This should be my focus.

That God, in all His greatness and glory, would use little old me and this little old story to draw hearts closer to Him. To bring hope, maybe even healing. Not to everyone. But to some.

Let’s Talk: Are you being faithful and thankful for the “some” God has given you during this stage in your life? Who is He wanting you to bless? 

Since my book is coming out very soon, I’ll be making a lot of guest appearances on various blogs. Yesterday, I answered some fun question over at Dawn Alexander’s blog. Today, I’m chatting with Christy Janes and Lindsey Harrel and guest posting at Keli Gwyn’s blog. Would love to see you over there!

Don’t forget about the Wildflowers from Winter blog hop this Friday. If you’re participating, please send me the link as soon as you have it.  

My debut buddies all debuted yesterday! Beth Vogt’s book, Wish You Were Here. Dani Pettrey’s, Submerged. And Olivia Newport’s, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning. All great reads! We’re having a joint launch party of epic proportions on May 15th. Hope you’ll join us!

Contradictions: What’s Going On?

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Raise your hand if this has happened to you….

You submit your manuscript to a contest or send it to a critique group or get feedback from agents.

One judge says your characters are well-developed. The other says they are one-dimensional.

One critique partner says your plot is too slow. The other says you’ve written a page-turner.

One agent says your work isn’t ready. The other says you’re so very close.

I think most of us can raise our hands. I think most of us understand that feedback can be confusing and contradictory.

As my debut novel makes its way into readers’ hands, I’m learning that the confusion and the contradictions don’t end with contests and critique groups and agent searches. It continues after publication. In a little land called Review World.

I’ve taken some snippets from various reviews of Wildflowers from Winter to highlight my point. It was a highly entertaining endeavor…

Overall Impression:

  • This is a decidedly light, romantic novel.
  • At times I felt as if the emotion was so overwhelming I couldn’t breathe.
  • It’s a great book to take on vacation. One that’ll help you unwind after work.
  • It’s not what I’d call a “bathtub” read. It’s full of meat and potatoes.

The Genre:

  • Although at times I wanted to roll my eyes at the corny romance plot that is present in so many Christian novels, Wildflowers from Winter can be recommended for those who desire a wholesome read with a fast-paced plotline.
  • I am proud to say that I FINALLY found a Christian romance that I liked, and even scarier, related to! This book restored my faith in Christian romance. (emphasis not mine)

The Plot:

  • Somewhat predictable
  • Twists that keep you guessing
Character Likability and Relatability:
  • I had a hard time connecting with the main characters.
  • You can’t help but fall in love with these characters.
  • Bethany is a hard character to identify with in the beginning.
  • I identified with Bethany’s struggles and rooted for her from the very beginning.
  • I’ve never met a protagonist I disliked as much as this one.
  • I LOVED the character of Bethany! (emphasis not mine)
Character Growth:
  • Bethany never changes!
  • The reader could see a drastic change.
The Hook:
  • While this book was a slow start for me, once I was fully engaged in the storyline, I couldn’t put it down.
  • Ganshert’s fresh beautiful voice gripped me from page one and hung on until the last page.

The Prologue:

  • The prologue set me off on the wrong foot. Actually, after the prologue, I didn’t even like the book. But take my word for it and stick with it!
  • I barely made it through the prologue before asking myself, “WHO is this new writer and WHEN is she writing the next one?” (emphasis not mine)

Alternating Third and First Person POVs:

  • I found it distracting, though not hard to follow.
  • Especially compelling are the first person passages interspersed in the main narrative.
  • Only real drawback for me was the author’s choice to switch back and forth from first to third narrative.
  • The book shifts at times to the past, which creatively adds substance and depth to the story line.
And my favorite….
 
Recommendation:
  • I would not recommend this book to anyone. (Thankfully, this person’s flying solo so far.)
  • I could not put this book down and would recommend it to everyone!

Alright, So what gives?

How is it possible for one person to love Bethany and another to hate her? How can one person say the book is a lighthearted easy read, yet another call it “gut-wrenching” and filled with depth?

Who’s right?

Are you ready for the beautiful, amazing, glorious truth?

Neither. Both. Nobody. All. 

Because taste is subjective. 

Thank the Lord, taste is subjective!

If you have the basics mastered, like Jody Hedlund talks about in a post titled, 2 Tests that Can Help Writers Sort Through Feedback, then be prepared for…

  • Some people to love your work and some to wrinkle their nose at it.
  • A nearly perfect score from one judge and an in-the-pits score from another.
  • One agent to toss your story aside, another to snatch it up.
  • One editor to reject your book after two pages, another to be your biggest advocate. 
  • One reader to swear off anymore of your novels, another to become your newest, biggest fan.

It’s impossible to please everyone. 

Absolutely impossible.

Especially if we’re going to write from a place of honesty. Especially if we refuse to play it safe and write from the soul.

Some people will love what we have to offer, because of their background or personal preference or set of beliefs or (insert whatever you want here). And some people won’t, because of all those same reasons.

That truth shouldn’t give us ulcers. It should set us free.

And it should make for really great book club discussions. 🙂 Speaking of, Wildflowers is the May pick for the online Christian Fiction Book Club. 

Let’s Talk: Have you ever received contradictory feedback? Feel free to share it here. I promise, it’s therapeutic. 

If you’d like to read my debut and decide for yourself which reviews you agree with, it’s available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Christianbook.com.