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Wildflowers from Winter

Like the winter, grief has a season. Life returns with the spring.

A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built a life far removed from her trailer park teen years. Until an interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa. Determined to pay her respects while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. So when Bethany is left the land, he must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace she’s not even sure exists?

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Click on the Link to Download the First Two Chapters

Bonus Features

The Cast

 

Praise for Wildflowers from Winter

“Katie Ganshert knows how to wring the heart of a scene in order to place her reader within a character’s pain and wonder. Wildflowers from Winter is a romantic beauty-from-ashes story – and a promising series starter from this debut author.”

– USA Today

“In this novel rich in details and well-thought-out characters, Ganshert offers something for everyone: romance, secrets, a few laughs. The reader will come away with the knowledge that even in the arms of grief, hope emerges after loss.”

– Romantic Times

“Themes of loss and redemption, believable characters, and a realistic view of life’s challenges make this debut a worthwhile, gut-wrenching read. Recommended for fans of Francine Rivers.”

– Library Journal

“From winter’s chill to the warm breath of spring, Wildflowers from Winter is a poignant and powerful tale of love, faith and hope through seasons of grief. A stunning debut, Katie Ganshert has penned a breathless journey that will steal both your heart and your sleep.”

—Julie Lessman, award-winning author of The Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change series

“Katie Ganshert writes with a compelling mix of honesty and soul. With compassion and a keen eye for the dynamics of relationship, she wrestles with complex issues of love, freedom, and faith.”

—Nicole Baart, bestselling author of Far From Here

“In her debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, Katie Ganshert brings readers deep into the human complexities that occur when we resist our roots. Readers will find themselves rooting for Bethany as she learns some of life’s most crucial lessons about friendship, family, and faith. Readers will also want to stay tuned. With a second novel in the works, Ganshert is sure to be a new CBA favorite.”

– Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Into the Free

“An impressive debut novel. Ganshert weaves a genuine story of love and forgiveness, family and friendship with simple but beautiful prose. She didn’t just capture my interest with this story, she captured my heart. Well done!”

—Rachel Hauck, award winning author of The Wedding Dress

“Katie Ganshert’s debut novel is wonderfully and lyrically written. Don’t miss this refreshing new voice in book-club fiction for Christian readers.”

—Susan Meissner, author A Sound Among the Trees and The Shape of Mercy

“Wildflowers from Winter offers characters displaying true-to-life emotions, a plot that engages the reader, and beautifully turned phrases. One of the best debut novels I’ve read.”

—Richard L. Mabry, MD, author of The Tender Scar and the Prescription for Trouble series

“With a fresh voice, Ganshert grips you from page one and takes you on a soul-searching journey. Her characters, in all their imperfections, leap off the pages and into your heart. The richness of the story will move your faith and emotions, leaving the warmth of hope long after you finish the last page.”

—Jody Hedlund, bestselling author of The Preacher’s Bride

“Wildflowers from Winter will touch your heart and leave you longing for a more simple life—and more stories by this new author. Katie Ganshert has penned an impressive debut novel about family strife and going home again, even when it’s against your will. This tender story blends human drama and fragile relationships with true-to-life characters that will jump off the page and into your heart.”

—Deborah Vogts, author of Snow Melts in Spring and Seeds of Summer

“What a powerful story! In Wildflowers from Winter, Katie Ganshert gives readers a very touching tale about the power of love and faith to heal a hurting heart. The cast of characters will grab hold of your heart from the first chapter and stay with you long after you turn the last page. The issues raised and their resolutions are realistic and thought provoking. Katie knows how to write a romance with deep emotion and meaning.”

—Carrie Turansky, author of A Man To Trust and Surrendered Hearts

“As soft as new snow and as beautiful as a field of flowers, Wildflowers from Winter is a refreshing and illuminating journey from anger and doubt to understanding and peace. Once you meet the characters of Peaks, IA, you won’t want to say goodbye.”

—Erica Vetsch, author of A Bride’s Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas

“Wildflowers from Winter is a beautifully-written, poignant story of coming home and learning to accept love and grace. Its pages teem with insight and raw honesty about the pain inflicted by misdirected religion and the healing needed to return to faith. Katie Ganshert’s lyrical style makes her debut novel a compelling read that introduces a fresh and unusual voice in contemporary romance.”

—Rosslyn Elliott, award-winning author of Fairer than Morning and Sweeter than Birdsong

“Beautifully drawn characters will win your heart from page one of this poignant story, lingering in your mind when you’ve finished. It’s a tale of loss and sorrow and of dreams redeemed. Novel Rocket and I give it a very high recommendation.”

—Ane Mulligan, Sr. Editor Novel Rocket

Wishing on Willows

Does a second chance at life and love always involve surrender?

A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa, she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.

So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn’t about to let go without a fight.

As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won’t give up easily. His family’s business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin’s gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own.

With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances.

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Click Here to Download the First Two Chapters

Bonus Features

The Cast

Behind the Scenes with Robin Price
Behind the Scenes with Ian McKay
Behind the Scenes with Amanda Price

Praise for Wishing on Willows:

Ganshert (Wildflowers from Winter) tackles difficult topics head-on, dealing honestly with themes of loss and redemption while creating believable, sympathetic characters. Karen Kingsbury fans will delight in discovering a promising new author.

– Library Journal

This is a wonderful story of the possibility of starting over after tragedy and having a second chance at love. The characters are well rounded and very well thought out. Ganshert has hit a grand slam!

–Romantic Times

“Have you ever been through a painful season in life and wished for something new, something fresh, or even something healing to come along? Take this journey with Robin Price, a widow and single mother with a big heart and passion for those closest to her as she wades through trying to live, let go, and love again. Wishing on Willows is a story of hope that will find you stepping up to the willow tree and daring to make wishes”

—Cheryl McKay (Co-author, Never the Bride / Author, Finally the Bride: Finding Hope While Waiting)

“What I’ve come to admire about Katie Ganshert’s writing is how skillfully and compassionately she creates memorable characters and weaves into their lives authentic struggles. From the very first line “The first time I lost my husband…” to the last line “The whispered words came without fear or guilt or hesitation” we are given the gifts of grieving and letting go told with humor, realistic trials, characters I want to go on telling their story and the longings of the human heart. This is a fine, fine novel.”

—Jane Kirkpatrick, New York Times bestselling author of Where Lilacs Still Bloom.

“Just like a willow tree, Wishing on Willows evokes grace, humility, and beauty. A well-penned story of sacrifice, second chances, and love, Ganshert’s second novel is as poignant as her first. A must-read for any reader seeking to find comfort beneath their own proverbial willow.”

—Besty St. Amant, author of Addison Blakely, Confessions of a PK

“In Wishing on Willows, Katie Ganshert delicately weaves together a story of healing and renewed hope. Will young widow Robin Price choose to fight for what she had or to relinquish the past for the chance to love again? Ganshert deftly writes of grief and wounds that leave us shattered, pointing her characters—and her readers—to the One who provides the strength to embrace life again.”

— Beth K. Vogt, author of Wish You Were Here (Howard Books, May 2012) & Catch a Falling Star (May 2013)

“Katie Ganshert’s Wishing on Willows is rich in symbolism but as down-to-earth as its Midwestern heroine, a young widow juggling the roles of single mom, business owner, and ministry volunteer. I was thoroughly drawn into her changing seasons of love and loss, memory and hope. Like a May basket left at a neighbor’s door, this is a generous story filled with charm and surprises.”

— Meg Moseley, author of When Sparrows Fall

To Have and To Hold

They’ve helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples. Now twelve new couples will find themselves in the wedding spotlight in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

Love Takes the Cake: A September Wedding Story by Betsy St. Amant

Charlotte Cantrell is always the baker; never the bride. When Will, a regular at Charlotte’s bakery, catches her attention, she can only hope that he is the reliable man this single mother has always hoped to find. The problem is that he’s regularly stopping in to buy cookies for another girl. But when Charlotte is hired to bake a host of wedding goodies for a difficult bride and finds out Will is the best man, she has the perfect opportunity to get to know him better—and find out how serious Will is about this other girl in his life.

The Perfect Arrangement: An October Wedding Story by Katie Ganshert

Amelia Woods is a small-town wallflower and the proud owner of Forget-Me-Nots, a quaint flower shop. Her love life has always been a bit lackluster—until she ends up in an embarrassing fender-bender with handsome Nate Gallagher. Meanwhile, Amelia’s younger brother, William, has proposed to his girlfriend. Amelia would be excited except she has evidence that the fiancée is not who she says she is. It seems Nate is the only one available for any advice-giving, and he’s good at it—and pretty fun to talk to too. As Amelia works to craft the perfect flower arrangements for other people, she begins to wonder if real love is better than the dream. And if it is, will Nate still be interested when he learns who she is?

Love in the Details: A November Wedding Story by Becky Wade

When Josh returns to his hometown of Martinsburg, Texas, to help his best friend get married, he didn’t intend to run into church wedding coordinator—and ex-girlfriend—Holly. He can’t help but pine after the girl he never got over. Holly broke up with Josh years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. But she loved him then and still loves him now. As she helps him plan his best friend’s wedding, she longs to be with Josh but doesn’t feel worthy of his big-time lifestyle when she is more comfortable in her smalltown world. Will Josh and Holly be able to keep things as they are when their true feelings threaten to surface at every turn?

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