Katie Ganshert

Dear Readers,

Sometimes you read a book and it touches a cord in your heart and you are not sure what the connection is.  I had that recently with The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert.  I still wonder if part of the reason I liked the book so much is because my Grandparents used to help take care of a family owned hotel here in Grand Rapids.  Ironically it was on the corner across the street from where I work now.  No hotel anymore, just a strip mall.

To my young heart there was something romantic about living and working at a hotel.  The family my grandparents worked for had their home as part of the hotel.  That is where their children grew up and of course there was a wonderful pool in the summer for us to use and horses out back.  Hard to believe when you drive by here now.

But anyways, that has nothing to do with Katie’s book which was so much fun to read.   I love her characters and how honest they are.  They have real emotions that deal with the big issues they are facing.  Even though it was a sad moment of the book, I completely enjoyed when Carmen had a bit of a break down in the parking lot of a store.  She ran over the sign for parking for expectant mothers.  Then she backed up and did it again.   Now that is a real person’s reaction to the stress of having to buy yet another baby gift when you are unable to have children.

Carmen on the outside looks like she has it all together.  Her TV audience loves her and she has the reputation for getting the weather right all the time.  People invite her into their homes every morning and feel like they know her.  Carmen would be the first to tell them, they don’t.  They have no idea that she longs with her heart to have a baby.  They have no idea that she and her husband are barely speaking and she has no idea how to fix that and heaven forbid they find out she has an alcoholic mother. 

Gracie on the other hand seems to be easy to read.  She is a gothic, lost child who fights against authority.  But is she really?  When she runs away from home in search of the one place she always felt loved and ends up at her older sister Carmen’s home, we start to see another side of her also.  The one she doesn’t really want anyone else to see.

I think that is why I so enjoy Katie’s books.  She writes characters that reflect who we all are behind the scenes.  Her characters are people we all know and Katie gives us a chance to really learn who they are and maybe even get a chance to learn how we can help them.  Alcoholic parents? Nope.  Struggle with infertility? Nope.  But with this book I got a chance to see what that was like and how to walk alongside them, helping in ways I may have never thought of. 

I love when fiction books do that. 

Happy Reading,

Katie Ganshert

Dear Readers,

Every once and a while an author surprises me with a book I really didn't expect from them.  Katie Ganshert did that with her newest, A Broken Kind of Beautiful.  Now I expected it to be good, don't get me wrong about that, but it was such a beautiful story about a little girl's search for love in all the wrong places. 

Ivy is only 24 but her modeling career seems to be at its end. She has burned some bridges and now the only job that seems to be opened to her is one back in Greenbrier South Carolina, the last place on the planet she wants to go to. 

Davis gave up what was his calling.  At least he thought it was his calling until a terrible tragedy struck and he figured if his sister couldn't do what she wanted then he could no longer be a photographer, but why does it seem like God is calling him back to it?

We have all heard it, "God meets us where we are at."  We don't all truly believe it, we think we need to 'fix' ourselves first before God will except us back.  We need a reminder that God really does love us even when we are not really loveable and that he never checks to see if we are picture perfect first, he just loves us as we are. 

Katie does that in this book for us.  She reminds us gently that we just need to return to him and he will take us as we are.  In a book you will end up wanting to share with others, you will find yourself in the pages and your heart will find a gentle nudge that He is there all the time.

Happy Reading,

Katie Ganshert

Dear Readers,

 

I have read Katie Ganshert's books since she hit the market just a couple short years ago.  I have enjoyed them and you can find my reviews of them on this blog if you wish. 

 

When I was planning my vacation I asked a couple of different reps if they had anything that they would like me to read. Stuart at Waterbrook always has something for me.  He sent me a couple different books and one of them was Katie's next book, A Broken Kind of Beautiful. 

 

Ivy Clark is a model, it is the life she knows and is very comfortable in.  It is a place where no one cares about her as long as she looks beautiful to the camera.  Because of age and the audacity to make a suggestion to one of the most sought after photographers, her career and everything she built is falling down around her.

 

This is one of those books that I will be glad to share with just about any reader, but most importantly those that are looking for love in all the wrong places.  Ivy struggles with her self esteem even though she was approaching super model status.   No matter what others says, she feels unlovable because of the actions of her drug addicted mother and a father who finds her an embarrassment.   My heart ached for Ivy. 

 

It is the perfect read for anyone looking for a great story, but it is one that you will want to share over and over again.

 

Happy Reading,

Katie Ganshert

Dear Readers,

Sometimes I am just looking for a gentle story.  It doesn’t really have any excitement or mystery to it.  It is just a good story that is fun to read and enjoy.  Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert was the perfect book for that mood.

It is Katie’s second book and you pick up the story line of Robin who you met for the first time in Wildflowers in Winter.  She is a secondary character in that book, this time you find out how she is doing after losing her husband and opening her own café all while trying to raise a 4 year old boy. 

Ian needs to prove to his father that he is not a complete failure.   His father’s development company is in trouble and the chance to build the condos in Peaks would save the company. 

I am not sure Katie set out to write a book that showed so clearly what it is like to lose a husband, but that is a picture you get from this book.  How much work it is, emotionally and physically.  How everything you would do requires an extra effort when you have a child.  

I love that there is more than one plot line going on. You know that Katie is setting up her next book and I am pretty sure of who it will be about, but that is what life is like.  There are things going on in everyone’s life even if we forget that sometimes.

This is a wonderful read for those quiet times, a chance to get away from it all and just enjoy.

Happy Reading

Katie Ganshert

Dear Readers,

With the job I have I try very hard to read books by any and all new authors.  It can give me a good feel of their writing style, but also an idea of what type of readers to recommend them to.   

So when Stuart, the rep for Waterbrook, mentioned new author Katie Ganshert's book Wildflowers from Winter, he told me right away that he was getting me a copy as soon as it became available (I have trained him well :-).

Bethany is achieving her dream   She lives and works in Chicago.  She has a job at a prestigious architect firm.  She has no attachments that tie her back to Peaks, Iowa.  Well, her mother does call and interrupt her life once in a while, but Bethany is willing to put up with that as long as she never ever has to go back again.

That is until the phone call that tells her that her best friend from when she was growing up has had a great tragedy in her life.  Bethany's mother tells her she should come home and at least visit with Robin and lend moral support.   

Bethany's Chicago life spirals out of control and she finds herself back in Peaks to live.  She is now forced to face her past in ways she is just not ready to. With the love and support of new friends and family will she be able to come to terms with her life's defining moments?

I had a bit of a hard time getting started in the book.  Bethany herself is a character that is a bit harder to like.  Her personality is rough and she doesn't open up to new people.  If she was a real person, I may not have gotten to know her as I probably would have not wanted to take the time required.  Once I got to know her better and the storyline developed it was a good read.   

Katie is a new author who I will watch and see what she comes up with next.

Happy Reading

P.S. This book is available at Baker Book House or by request at bakerbookstore.com