Blog

Pressure

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Last Friday, I wrote a guest post for Cathy West about publication. How it’s turning out to be everything I thought it would be and nothing like I thought it would be. 

One of the things that I probably expected to some degree, but didn’t truly realize was the pressure.

Maybe this isn’t how it is with every debut author. 

Maybe I’m just a head case.

Maybe I put more pressure on myself than the average bear. 

I don’t know.

But on this side of publication, the pressure is intense. 

I didn’t prepare for it – this self-induced pressure.

But it’s there.

For a million and one reasons, I want my book to do well.

Some of the reasons are good. Some of the reasons are probably less than noble.

Regardless, the pressure is there. 

And for awhile, I was letting that pressure zap the fun right out of this journey. I was inviting the Joy Thief into my life.

Something had to change.

So at some point last week, I decided enough was enough. No more. It was time to take back the fun.

I could choose to worry and fret and obsess over things I have little control over – like sales and rankings and reviews. 

Or I could choose to enjoy my life and this dream that is supposed to be fantastic.

How?

By taking my focus off of me and my book. 

By staying away from Author Central (AKA: the devil’s brainchild).

By focusing on the things that make this journey fun!

Like writing stories that stir my soul. 

Like meeting and connecting with people. 

Like praising God every time I hear from a reader who has been blessed by Wildflowers from Winter.

Like hugging my husband and laughing with my son and stepping away from the computer.

I read this quote the other day on Twitter. A quote I’ve heard before. A quote I absolutely love:

Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less. 

It’s so easy, on this side of publication, to become the opposite of humble. It’s so easy to become consumed with thoughts of my book and my sales. 

But man, talk about draining.

Thinking of others? Focusing outside of ourselves? 

That’s taking back the fun. That’s the road I want to travel.

Let’s Talk: Do you feel the pressure? Are you letting anything steal the fun out of whatever journey you’re traveling? 

Jessica Patch’s entire book club is reviewing my book on her blog today. Hop on over to see what they thought!

Friday 3 C’s!

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

B-man loves his new sprinkler. It’s been a fun start to the summer! 

Cares:

Wildflowers from Winter was one of three novels nominated for the fiction book of the month over at The Book Club Network. This month’s vote was the largest ever and the race is really close, so they are extending the vote until Saturday. If you enjoyed my debut, I’d love your vote!

We got a phone for our land line last night. The dial tone made us laugh. Maybe we need to get out more.

Concerns:

I may or may not have single-handedly polished off an entire pan of brownies over the past four days. 

I left my cell in Madison, which means my poor little flip phone is far away from home.

Celebrations:

Girls’ night out with friends in Mad-town on Wednesday night was way too much fun. I discovered a wine I actually like. The Greek pizza and lemon gelato were off the hook. And the laughter was in abundance. 

Fellow debut author and friend, Dani Pettrey, not only celebrated her birthday yesterday (she claims she’s forty, but I’m not entirely sure I believe her), she also celebrated making LifeWay Fiction’s best seller list for the month of May! She writes romantic suspense. Word on the street is she’s the next Dee Henderson.

Let’s Talk: What were your 3 C’s this week? I’d love to read them!

I’m talking about what’s surprised me and what hasn’t surprised me on this side of publication over at Cathy West’s blog today.

Summer Schedule & Cover Art!

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Summer might not officially be here until June 20th (or is it the 21st?), but it sure feels summery around here.

School’s out. Shoes have become a thing of the past. Bubba’s panting. The air conditioner has rattled to life. The air smells like charcoal and sunscreen. The kiddie pool’s decorating the backyard and B-man has mosquito bites.

If that’s not summer, I don’t know what is.

The Ganshert’s have some pretty big things in store this summer.

We’ll be hosting a silent auction/trivia night to raise money for our adoption. 

And my husband is having major surgery.

Last September, his little brother was rushed to the hospital and spent several days in ICU. Both of his kidney had failed.

Turns out, Ryan is an ideal match. 

So on July 5th, my husband will be one kidney lighter and one of our favorite people in the world will hopefully be freed from dialysis.

I plan on being a great nurse to the hubs.

I also plan on slowing down. Scaling back. And enjoying the bare feet and the hot sun and the sprinkler with my red-headed little boy. Who sadly, becomes less and less little each and every day.

In order to do so, a little blog tweaking is in order….

Mondays will remain the same. Posts will be writing or reading related.

Wednesdays will be super short. Perhaps as simple as a Bible verse or a song or a prayer that’s on my heart.

Fridays will be 3 C’s. It’s something I used to do on my blog awhile back. Every Friday, I’ll share cares, concerns, and celebrations from the week. At the end of each post, I’ll ask you to share your 3 C’s. The posts are super easy to write and I love getting to learn more about YOUR life. 

So there you have it.

The new summer schedule.

We’ll resume our regularly scheduled program after Labor Day.

Now that we have that out of the way…. I have something to share!

Last week, I got an email from my editor with a very exciting attachment.

It’s the cover of Wishing on Willows!

I always wondered if seeing the cover art for my second novel would be as magical as it was for my debut. Let me tell ya. It is.

I might have stared at this for an hour straight. I also might have contemplated flying to Colorado Springs so I could give the cover artist a giant hug.

My second baby has a face. And I’m smitten.

Let’s Talk: What were some of your favorite things to do in the summer when you were a little kid? What makes you fall in love with a book cover?

I’m honored to be a guest on Rachel McRae’s LifeWay blog today. She’s giving away copies of my book. So hop on over and say hi!

If you’d like a chance to win a signed copy of Wildflowers from Winter, head on over to Tori Chase’s blog where you’ll learn a little bit more about Wishing on Willows!