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Books

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Oh how I love a good book. To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s an actual book or an audio book or an ebook on my Kindle. I just want a good story. One that will sweep me up and make me forget that I’m sitting on my couch or walking my dog (yes, I read while I walk).

It’s always interesting to me how certain books end up in my hands. How some can languish in my to-be-read pile indefinitely and others come out of nowhere. Makes me wonder what will happen to my book when it hits the shelves.

So far this summer, I’ve enjoyed:

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
My friend Wendy raved about this one so I had to check it out. I’m glad I did. The narrator’s voice is unbelievable and it’s got so much amazing symbolism. It’s a great book club book.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
I remember asking for book recommendations a long time ago on the ACFW loop and Jenny B. Jones highly recommended this one. A while later, Chip MacGregor recommended it too. It took me several months to finally pick it up and when I did, I couldn’t put it down. The entire narrative is beautifully told via letters.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Several of my girlfriends and I started a book club a few months ago. Talk about fun. Girl talk, treats, and books. Life doesn’t get much better. This was our July pick. It’s not something I would have read on my own (which is why I love book club), but the writing is amazing and the ending made me emotional. It’s a nontraditional story where the protagonist is actually an entire group of women.

Fairer than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott
Rosslyn is a writing friend of mine and ever since I heard she signed a three-book deal with Thomas Nelson, I was super excited to read her debut. This one was so good I finished in two days, reading well past midnight to see what would happen.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
This was our June pick for book club. It’s very mysterious. The vibe reminded me of Jane Eyre.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
This one took me a long time. I kept starting and stopping. But every time I stopped, I’d see a tweet or a hear somebody rave about it, so I’d give it another try. I’m glad I stuck with it, but some parts were really hard to read.

Oddly enough, I think all of these (except Rebecca) are debut novels. Right now I’m reading Heaven is for Real (our August book club pick) and Little Bee by Chris Cleave (which is also a debut novel). And a book on my to-be-read list that I can’t wait to read is The Language of Flowers.

Let’s Talk: What books have you read this summer? If you could recommend only one book to me, which book would it be?

Due to my obsession with my latest novel, I will be taking a blogging break next week. I want to give these revisions the attention they deserve and meet my self-imposed deadline! removetweetmeme

The Title of my Debut Novel

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Did you know the snowier the winter, the more abundant the wildflowers are in the spring and summer?

I love when truth reveals itself in nature.

Because this is truth.

God uses the dormant seasons in our life, the harsh seasons in our life, to bring about beautiful things. Breathtaking things.

Like a once-snowy field bursting with wildflowers.

Which is why I’m so pleased with the title of my debut novel.

Wildflowers from Winter releases May, 2012 through Waterbrook Multnomah.

My baby has a name. A real-live name. I hope you like it.

Let’s Talk: What truths do you see in nature?removetweetmeme

Three Criteria for a Killer Title

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

My brain refuses to rest with a good title. It scrambles about until it finds the best one. That perfect fit. And searching for the best is not easy. Often times, for me, it either comes or it doesn’t.

When it comes, what a glorious feeling. But when it doesn’t? No fun at all. My brain turns into a stubborn donkey. The harder I push, the more it refuses to budge.

Which is exactly what happened these past couple weeks as my editor and I discussed potential titles for my debut novel. My brain refused to cooperate. Sure, I came up with a few suggestions. And some of those suggestions were okay. But none were great. None really resonated. None fit my idea of a strong title.

Which for me, involves three criteria:

It has to represent the story.
It can be the most poetic phrase I’ve ever read. But if it feels like the author forced the line into the book just to make the title fit, I don’t like it. I want a title that is unique and meaningful to not just a line in the book, but to the entire story. Some great examples would be Thin Places by Mary DeMuth, Walking on Broken Glass by Christa Allan, and of course, The Help by Kathryn Stockett or Room by Emma Donoghue. These titles not only sound cool, but are chock-full of meaning.

It has to be intriguing.
I don’t want it to sound like a million other titles already published on Amazon. I look for something different. Original. Not cliche. Something that elicits a sense of intrigue. A great example of this is Summer Snow by Nicole Baart. The juxtaposition of snow in summer catches my attention. Makes me curious. It’s what I aimed for when I came up with the working title for A Broken Kind of Beautiful (which isn’t my debut). We don’t often describe beauty as broken. If this book ever gets contracted, I hope the title stays the same.

It has to sound good.
Titles shouldn’t make tongues twist or noses wrinkle. They should be pleasing to read and say. I’m a big fan of alliteration. I love When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin. Not only is it intriguing, it’s poetic. The repeating C sound works really well. I bought this book because I fell in love with the title and I haven’t even read it yet. Talk about an effective marketing tool.

So I had these three criteria in my head, but my donkey of a brain could think of nothing. Yet despite my inability, my debut has an official name. One I’m very pleased with. All thanks to the talented editorial team that’s been brainstorming on my behalf.

The title is very meaningful to the story. It has a contradiction that will hopefully intrigue potential readers. And I like the way it sounds.

An added bonus?

It goes really well with Wishing on Willows, which is the official title of my second novel, scheduled for release in April, 2013. I like when titles go together. A great example of this is Jody Hedlund’s The Preacher’s Bride and The Doctor’s Lady. Or Rosslyn Elliott’s Fairer than Morning and Sweeter than Birdsong.

So….what is the official title of my debut novel?

You’ll have to come back on Wednesday to find out. In the meantime, here’s a hint.

Let’s Talk: How important are titles to you? What are some of your favorites? Have you ever bought a book just because you loved the title?

In case you missed it, I’m starting a new adventure with vlogging. Here’s my debut vlog. I’m hoping this will be a fresh, fun way to connect with readers. 

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