Discover more about

Katie Ganshert

and her contemporary novel

The Art of Losing Yourself

Waterbrook Multnomah

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A book character that sticks in my mind is… Why?

Hadassah from Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion trilogy because no other fictional character has inspired, encouraged, and challenged me in my faith like she has!

The last book that made me cry was…

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron!

The last book that made me laugh out loud was…

I haven’t had much time to read lately, so the one that pops to mind is Melissa Tagg’s e-short, One December Night, even though I read it back in December! Her books always make me laugh out loud.

I’m completely immersed in their storytelling, whenever I read a book by…

Becky Wade! She’s definitely a personal favourite of mine. I call her the Queen of Romance, because no book can make me swoon like a Becky Wade book.

The first person who encouraged me to pursue my writing was…

My parents! I used to write stories all the time as a little girl and they would listen to every single one as I read them out loud.

If I wasn’t a writer, I would be…

Hmmm…that’s hard! Maybe an editor? I really enjoy helping others make their work shine, but it’s hard to find the time for that with my own editing and writing to do.

I write stories because…

I have stories inside of me that keep wanting to come out! I also write stories because as hard and frustrating as it can be at times, it’s incredibly satisfying to finish them!

The Art of Losing Yourself

Just like in my dream, I was drowning and nobody even noticed.

Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together.  But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore.
 
Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?  

My latest novel can be described by these 5 adjectives…

I’m never any good at this, so I like to cheat and pull words from the endorsements. Romantic Times calls it exquisite. Authors who have been generous enough to endorse have called it poignant, honest, emotionally-charged, and sensitive.

My main character is… 

Carmen is drowning. Despite her perfect-looking life, she feels like she’s drowning, but nobody notices. Gracie is lost. A 17-year old runaway who acts tough-as-nails, but is really just lost and desperate for somebody to find her.

My main characters resemble….

Carmen Hart resembles Keri Russell, her husband Ben resembles Chris Hemsworth, and her troubled teenage sister, Gracie, resembles Kristen Stewart.

My story’s spiritual theme is…

God’s ability to breathe anything—no matter how dead it may seem—back to life.

The most recent movie or tv show I loved was… Why?

So You Think You Can Dance. I get excited every time a new season begins. I love watching the dancers and choreographers tell stories in the span of a single song. I find it highly entertaining!

The story I’m currently working on is…

The Gathering, the third book in a young adult trilogy I’m going to put out this summer! I cannot tell you how excited I am about this project! If readers want to learn more, they can subscribe to my K.E. Ganshert mailing list.

You may not know this about me, but I…

Am terrified of black birds. They aren’t nice. One tried attacking me once and my brave husband was going to defend me with a tennis racket, but the bird was already dead on the sidewalk. I guess I wasn’t the only one it was attacking. It’s left emotional scars, I tell you.

I might go all fan girl if I met…

Well, considering I DID go all fan girl when I met Karen Kingsbury, I’m assuming I would do the same thing with Francine Rivers. These two women inspired me to write Christian fiction. I devoured their books in college.

If I could travel back in time, I’d go to…

The beginning months of my daughter’s life so I could see and know her story with as much detail as I’ve seen and known my son’s. Then I could come back and tell her all about it.

I get lost in the music when I listen to…

This new worship mix CD that a friend sent me for my birthday! Every single son speaks so intimately to my heart. It was the best gift.

A long held dream of mine is…

To write books. I thank every day that God allows me to live my dream.

Thanks Katie!

Bio: Christy Award finalist and Carol Award winner, Katie Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her family. When she’s not busy penning novels or spending time with her people, she enjoys drinking coffee with friends, reading great literature, and eating copious amounts of dark chocolate. You can learn more about Katie and her books by visiting her website or author Facebook page.

Relz Reviewz Extras
Character spotlight on Davis & Ivy
Reviews of An October Bride, A Broken Kind of Beautiful, Wishing on Willows and Wildflowers from Winter
Character spotlight on Ian & Robin
Character spotlight on Evan & Bethany
Interview with Katie
Katie’s Author Alert
Visit Katie’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: The Art of Losing Yourself or Koorong

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