Road To the Christy's 2013 ~ WILDFLOWERS FROM WINTER by KATIE GANSHERT

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

A 2013 Christy Award Nominee 

for

 Contemporary Romance SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS

Visit the Christy Awards Website

About Book

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

A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park. An unexpected 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 to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres 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. When Bethany is left the land, Evan 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 that she’s not even sure exists?

Release date: May, 8 2012
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
ISBN-10: 0307730387
ISBN-13: 978-0307730381

Where to buy: 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble 
ChristianBook.com

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert (Chapter 1 Excerpt)


About Katie

Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love. When she’s not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo.

You can find her online at her blog and on Facebook.

Wildflowers from Winter: A Devotional

He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.

-Deuteronomy 8:15

I met a woman once who lived in Kibera, the biggest slum in subSahara Africa. She slept in a tiny shack with six kids, three of whom weren't her own. Her husband had left. She was sick with AIDS. Yet she was lit from within, beaming with the hope of Christ.

If I close my eyes right now, I can see her. And most likely, five years later, she’s no longer sick. She’s no longer living in a shack. She’s rejoicing with the One who gave her that hope.

I have a friend who struggled for three years with infertility. She and her husband were faithful and obedient to the Lord. So why wouldn’t He give them the child they yearned for? They had no idea God was using that time to lead them down a different path. A path toward adoption. A path toward their daughter.

When I think of that African woman, when I think about my friend, I picture wildflowers.

Do you know the harshest, snowiest winters produce some of the most beautiful wildflowers in the spring?

I love when truth reveals itself in nature.

Because this is truth.

God uses what the human eye sees as cold and harsh and lifeless, to bring about beautiful things. Breathtaking things.

Like a once-snowy field bursting with wildflowers.

Like an infertile woman who realizes she doesn’t have to get pregnant to be a mother.

Like a woman riddled with sickness, steeped in poverty, yet beaming with hope.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being a God who can redeem the most barren times in our lives. Thank you for being a God who brings beauty from pain. Help us to trust You, no matter our circumstance or season. Help us to trust that You are faithful and You are good.

Are you trusting God to bring water from the hard rocks in your life?

*   *   *

My Thoughts

Bethany Quinn is a fortress until disaster strikes.  That is when the memories of her tortured soul comes creeping out.  All she wants to do is push past memories back so she can continue with her successful career in Chicago as an architect.

She is no longer the penniless, pitiful little girl of her youth.  The memories she refuses to think about are as if they were yesterday. The only pleasant memory she has is of her loving grandfather, Dan and her best friend, Robin.  She has not seen them in ten years.

While Bethany is busy at work her cell phone rings and it is her mother whom she has no desire to speak with.  But the calls become persistent and so she calls her mother back.  Her mother tells her that Robin's husband was in an accident and is in a coma.  The doctor gives little if any hope.  After fighting the old memories and debating whether or not to go be with her friend she receives another call.  A man by the name of Evan Price calls with the bad news that her grandfather has had a heat attack.  Her decision has been made, she has to be with her grandfather.  While she is there she will consider visiting her old friend.

Arriving at her grandfather's farm there is a man she assumes as Evan Price standing in the doorway.  Come to find out he has been hired to help work the farm.  He looks worn out and as if he hasn't slept in days.

As the story continues it gets more stressful for Bethany and Evan. They have been thrown together and  are not too happy about the situation.  It seems they both have their own demons to deal with.  One of them has a strong relationship with God but the other does not acknowledge God at all.

If we keep sliding away from God, He sends his disciples to help nurture the seeds that had been planted in order that we can grow toward Him and away from our the demons we created in ourselves.

I want to share this from the book.
"The rational part of Robin's brain knew better. But grief had obliterated her ability to think rationally. Grief was the royal flush in a hand of poker.  It beat everything."   
Have you been there before?  I know I have.

This is a soul searching story of reconciliation, repentance, faith, hope and love.

The first part of this book is one traumatic event after another.  It even began to traumatize me.
But you have to know it was very well written. Had to be the way it had me all worked up.   When you are reading this book just be sure to have some tissues close by, you will definitely need them.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book for review from Waterbrook Press.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

COTT's Winning May Release Christian Fiction Novel

Today' s host: Jennifer Slattery


This has been an exciting clash! Two debut authors--Katie Ganshert with Wildflowers from Winter and Dineen Miller with Soul Saver--entered the ring, sparring with three of Christian fiction's greats,  the very talented, multi-published Deborah Raney, Martha Rogers, and Lynette Eason. Talk about an exciting clash! 


This competition was very close. Soon after we opened the poles, our two debut authors rose to the top. The victor won by one vote. 


You, our ever-faithful readers, have spoken.


The winner of our May Release Clash is .... 

Katie Ganshert with Wilflowers from Winter! Congrats, Katie! You' ve been automatically entered in our prestigious Laurel Award contest and sent directly to Round 2.  

Wildflowers from Winter:

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?

Read the first chapter here.& nbsp;

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 

Buy the book at: 
Amazon: Paperback/Kindle
BarnesandNoble. com


Get to know Katie:
Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love. When she’s not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo. You can find her online at her blog  and on Facebook.


Q & A with Katie 

If you could have one super power, what would it be?
Hands down, I wish I could apparate like the witches and wizards in Harry Potter. In case you don’t read those books, apparition is the ability to think of a place you want to go and *poof* you’re there. Do you know how amazing that would be? Seriously. No more spending time in traffic. No more paying for gas. No more ears popping in planes. And if I wanted to write a story set in Novosibirsk , Russia, do you know how easy it would be to research? Okay, so maybe my editor is happy I can’t apparate. 

If you could witness any event in history, which event would you choose?
Something to do with Jesus. Either His birth or His resurrection. I don’t think I could handle His death.  

If you could be an animal, what animal would you be?
I’d be an octopus. They don’t have many predators, do they? Or maybe a jelly fish. Something where I could explore the depths of the ocean and meet Nemo. I also want to know if mermaids are real.
What was your favorite book growing up?
Hands down, The Phantom Tollbooth  by Norton Juster. It was the first book that swept me up and transported me into a different world. I absolutely could not put it down. I have so much nostalgia for this book that when I taught 5th grade, I read it to my students each year. The story has so much word play and symbolism that went over my head as a kid, but I can appreciate now as an adult. Plus, the message is beautiful. Don’t let the old-fashioned cover scare you off. It’s such a fun book. 
When did you start writing?
In third grade I wrote this epic, life-changing story about Mr. and Mrs. Leaf. In fact, it was so epic and life-changing, my 3rd grade teacher read it out loud to the class and everybody clapped and cheered. Okay, so maybe not. But it was at least good enough to read out loud. And so a love-affair was born. I found something I could do well. From there on out, I wrote all kinds of stories and bless my parents for being so patient, they listened as I read every single one of them out loud (sometimes with an accent).

Where do you get your ideas?
Usually in church. While most of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are listening and self-reflecting and confessing and pondering the vastness and greatness of God, I’m the weirdo who’s thinking, “This would be a great spiritual arc for my character.” 

What are three of the hardest things about being a writer?

• Sitting in the chair and putting my hands on the keyboard on days when inspiration refuses to cooperate. Talk about torture.
• Waiting. There’s always something to wait for on this journey. And since I’m an impatient person, this doesn’t come easily.
• Sharing my stories. Enter fear and trembling. Because what if people don’t like them?

What are three of the best things about being a writer?

• Sitting in the chair and putting my hands on the keyboard on days when inspiration flows so fast I can’t catch it all. What a rush.
• Waiting. Because through the long moments of nothing, I’m reminded again and again to surrender my hopes and dreams to Him.
• Sharing my stories. Enter excitement and anticipation. Because what if people like them? 

Thank you to all of our talented competing authors who helped make this a phenomenal (nail-biting) clash! 


Voters, what hooked you most, the blurbs or the covers? For me, it was a combination, but the intriguing covers really grabbed me. ALL of these novels instantly moved to my "must-read" list.  

Great Christian Fiction--May Releases

This clash's host: Jennifer Slattery

My summer reading list is quickly growing. When you read the following two-sentence hooks, I'm sure you'll agree, these five May releases are must-reads indeed! Which one is drawing you the most? Please vote below, and check out www.clashofthetitles.com on July 5th to see who won.


Happy Independence Day!

Spring Hope by Martha Rogers:

Libby Cantrell’s life has gone from bad to worse since her mother’s death. With an abusive father, and life in a brothel, she sees no hope for her future until she gains the courage to make her escape one cold winter night. 

When she arrives exhausted, hungry, and ill in Portersfield, Texas, Sheriff Cory Muldoon finds her in an alley and takes her to a doctor.

Wildflowers From Winter by Katie Ganshert:

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.

After All (A Hanover Falls Novel) by Deborah Raney:

Eighteen months after the tragic Grove Street Fire took the life of her husband and four other heroic firefighters, Susan Marlowe thinks she’s finally beginning to heal. But then she discovers that David carried a secret to his grave—a secret that changes everything she thought about their marriage.

The Soul Saver by Dineen Miller:

When Trusting God Is the Only Way Out 

On an average day, God started her missions in her sculpting studio, revealing the face of the person she would meet at the grocery store, bank, or playground. The goal was always the same. Reach the lost, bring someone back to God, restore hope.

The Black Sheep's Redemption by Lynette Eason:

Everyone in Fitzgerald Bay—except his law-enforcement family—is convinced Charles Fitzgerald murdered his children's nanny. Condemned by public opinion, his only hope for a replacement nanny to take care of his two-year-old twins is newcomer Demi Taylor.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

WILDFLOWERS FROM WINTER by KATIE GANSHERT

About Katie

Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love. When she’s not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo.

You can find her online at her blog and on Facebook.

Wildflowers from Winter: A Devotional

He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.

-Deuteronomy 8:15

I met a woman once who lived in Kibera, the biggest slum in subSahara Africa. She slept in a tiny shack with six kids, three of whom weren't her own. Her husband had left. She was sick with AIDS. Yet she was lit from within, beaming with the hope of Christ.

If I close my eyes right now, I can see her. And most likely, five years later, she’s no longer sick. She’s no longer living in a shack. She’s rejoicing with the One who gave her that hope.

I have a friend who struggled for three years with infertility. She and her husband were faithful and obedient to the Lord. So why wouldn’t He give them the child they yearned for? They had no idea God was using that time to lead them down a different path. A path toward adoption. A path toward their daughter.

When I think of that African woman, when I think about my friend, I picture wildflowers.

Do you know the harshest, snowiest winters produce some of the most beautiful wildflowers in the spring?

I love when truth reveals itself in nature.

Because this is truth.

God uses what the human eye sees as cold and harsh and lifeless, to bring about beautiful things. Breathtaking things.

Like a once-snowy field bursting with wildflowers.

Like an infertile woman who realizes she doesn’t have to get pregnant to be a mother.

Like a woman riddled with sickness, steeped in poverty, yet beaming with hope.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being a God who can redeem the most barren times in our lives. Thank you for being a God who brings beauty from pain. Help us to trust You, no matter our circumstance or season. Help us to trust that You are faithful and You are good.

Are you trusting God to bring water from the hard rocks in your life?

*   *   *

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

About Book

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

A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park. An unexpected 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 to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres 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. When Bethany is left the land, Evan 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 that she’s not even sure exists?

Release date: May, 8 2012
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
ISBN-10: 0307730387
ISBN-13: 978-0307730381

Where to buy: 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble 
ChristianBook.com


My Thoughts

Bethany Quinn is a fortress until disaster strikes.  That is when the memories of her tortured soul comes creeping out.  All she wants to do is push past memories back so she can continue with her successful career in Chicago as an architect.

She is no longer the penniless, pitiful little girl of her youth.  The memories she refuses to think about are as if they were yesterday. The only pleasant memory she has is of her loving grandfather, Dan and her best friend, Robin.  She has not seen them in ten years.

While Bethany is busy at work her cell phone rings and it is her mother whom she has no desire to speak with.  But the calls become persistent and so she calls her mother back.  Her mother tells her that Robin's husband was in an accident and is in a coma.  The doctor gives little if any hope.  After fighting the old memories and debating whether or not to go be with her friend she receives another call.  A man by the name of Evan Price calls with the bad news that her grandfather has had a heat attack.  Her decision has been made, she has to be with her grandfather.  While she is there she will consider visiting her old friend.

Arriving at her grandfather's farm there is a man she assumes as Evan Price standing in the doorway.  Come to find out he has been hired to help work the farm.  He looks worn out and as if he hasn't slept in days.

As the story continues it gets more stressful for Bethany and Evan. They have been thrown together and  are not too happy about the situation.  It seems they both have their own demons to deal with.  One of them has a strong relationship with God but the other does not acknowledge God at all.

If we keep sliding away from God, He sends his disciples to help nurture the seeds that had been planted in order that we can grow toward Him and away from our the demons we created in ourselves.

I want to share this from the book.
"The rational part of Robin's brain knew better. But grief had obliterated her ability to think rationally. Grief was the royal flush in a hand of poker.  It beat everything."   
Have you been there before?  I know I have.

This is a soul searching story of reconciliation, repentance, faith, hope and love.

The first part of this book is one traumatic event after another.  It even began to traumatize me.
But you have to know it was very well written. Had to be the way it had me all worked up.   When you are reading this book just be sure to have some tissues close by, you will definitely need them.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book for review from Waterbrook Press.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.