Katie Ganshert's Blog, page 10

Mystery and Victory (Plus a Giveaway)

Since last week we talked musical inspiration, I thought it’d be fun to continue in that same vein this week!

I oftenwonder…

If music inspires mynovels, what inspires the musicians?

To answer this question, I invitedAustin Tullos with HBCD_Worship to join me on the blog today. Not only are theysuper talented (their second album just released on May 23rd), they have such contagious hearts for the Lord.

I absolutely love the title of this album–Mystery and Victory. Where did that title come from?

It...

Musical Inspiration for A Broken Kind of Beautiful

“Where do you get your inspiration for your novels?”

This is usually one of the first questions people ask when they find out I’m an author.

It also happens to be one of my most favorite to answer.

One of the biggest sources of inspiration for me comes in the form of music. So today I thought it would be fun to share what songs inspired me as I wrote my most recent novel, A Broken Kind of Beautiful.

Here they are, in no particular order. I’ve included snippets of the lyrics beneath each video, as...

Wishing on Willows Devotional: Loneliness

Excerpt from Book:

Most days she could handle the loneliness…But sometimes, like now, it grew too big to hold on her own.~Robin Price, Wishing on Willows

Devotional:

Perhaps you’ve lost a spouse, or a loved one has moved away, or all your friends are getting married and having babies while you do your best to smile from the sidelines. As hard as you try to fight it, the loneliness is there, in all its uncomfortable heaviness.

According to one of Webster’s definitions, loneliness means to be witho...

Wishing on Willows Devotional: Grace

A long, long time ago, when preparing for the release of Wishing on Willows, I wrote several devotionals that went along with the themes of the book. Over the next several weeks, I’m going to be posting these devotionals here on my blog in hopes that they will encourage you!

As you all probably know, yesterday was Mother’s Day, which is a lovely amazing holidayfor so many and a great way to celebratethe women who have played a mother-like role in our lives.

But forthose who have lost their moth...

Writing Wrongs: Uniting Our World with Words

Hey writer friends looking for an affordable conference to attend – this post is for you…

The Indiana Faith and Writing Conference will be held during the Fall 2014 semester at Anderson University, and I’m excited to be part of the faculty team!

You’ll be ableto pitch your work to agents and editors, attend workshops (I’ll be giving a few), and network with fellow writers. I don’t know about you, but there’s something pretty awesomeabout being surrounded by like-minded folk (and by like-minded,...

Let’s Party

Who likes parties?

Or even better, who likes to party from the comfort of your very own home, only you don’t have to host guests or clean bathrooms or prepare food or even wear makeup!

If that sounds like your kind of party, I hope you’ll come to the A Broken Kind of Beautiful Facebook Webcast Party tonight, from 6-7 pm, CST.

We will be giving away SIX prize packages.

There will be two special guests joining us–Becky Wade and Melissa Tagg, both of whom will be giving away their upcoming releases....

On the Eve of a Book Release…

It’s funny.

You work and work and work on a story. Brainstorming. Plotting. Drafting. Revising. Editing. Then you do the editing all over again with your publisher. You see the cover for the first time. It starts to creep its way into the world. Marketing and publicity happen.

Then release day comes.

And the story is no longer mine, if ever it was.

It’s YOURS.

You will get to sit with Ivy and Davis and Marilyn. You will get to visit Greenbrier, South Carolina. You will join them on their journeys....

Cue the Excitement (Plus a Giveaway)

I am FINISHED!

On Saturday evening, I finished my manuscript.

Writers everywhere will understand when I say, it is the best feeling in the world!

This is the first one I’ve written after it was contracted. My first three were all written before I signed on the dotted line. This fourth one was contracted when it was nothing more than a short blurb of an idea. And that, my friends, is an entirely different intimidating ballgame.

In December, I chatted with my editor and we decided on which book I w...

Everybody Hurts….Sometimes (Plus a Giveaway)

I apologize. I really do. If this song is stuck in your head all day, I give you permission to to cyber smack me.

But there is truth to the lyrics, isn’t there?

So many of us are walking around wounded.

And what makes things tricky is that the wounds are rarely visible.

So here we all are, living this thing called life with invisible wounds that cause very real pain and what happens is…..

We get stuck in it.

For me, so much of my pain is tied up in our adoption. Our sweet girl has our hearts, but s...

You are Intricately Made (Plus a Giveaway)

In the book of Genesis, we are given an account of creation.

In this account, God speaks creation into being.

In a matter of six days, the universe and all its complexities became.

According to Genesis, it wasn’t a slow process. Or even an intricate one.

He said, “Let there be light.”

And BAM! Just like that, there was light.

He said, “Let there be land and animals and birds and fish.”

And BAM! Just like there, there was land and animals and birds and fish.

It speaks of God’s power and His might and...