No One Ever Asked

GIVEAWAY

GANSHERT, KATIE
NO ONE EVER ASKED

Three families. Two school districts. A dozen miles between them, but worlds apart.

When an impoverished Missouri school district loses its accreditation, the nearby affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open its doors to bussed students. Soon the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fund-raiser, faced with a rattling discovery that threatens to tear apart her picture-perfect world; Jen Covington, a career nurse whose painful journey to motherhood finally results in a happily-ever-after, though not the one she anticipated; and Anaya Jones, the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge's top elementary school, who is unprepared for the minefield she is stepping into. As tensions rise, Camille, Jen and Anaya will fiercely protect their loved ones -- but at what cost?

Inspired by real world events, No One Ever Asked is a riveting tale about the way we see one another, the lies we tell ourselves, the questions and stories that go unexplored, and the tragedies that result from our blindness.

My Review:

Sometimes a book comes along that pretty much discombobulates my reviewing capabilities and No One Ever Asked is just such a book. Powerful. Compelling. Uncomfortable. Frustrating....and hopeful. But it's a hard read. My heart still hurts. My head is still spinning. And my emotions are all over the place. In short, I'm still rattled so this review will be too. Fair warning!

Ganshert tells the story from three points of view. Women who come from diverse backgrounds, each engaged in their own personal battles with some pretty heavy issues when a political decision unexpectedly throws them together.There's picture-perfect PTA mom Camille Gray who appears to have it all; Jen Covington, who has yearned to be a mother in the face of the impossible and now that she is, nothing is going as planned; and Anaya Jones, the first African-American teacher to be employed at Crystal Ridge's top elementary school. Their stories are real and raw and not always pretty.

Most everyone will agree that blatant racism is ugly but what Ganshert tackles in this impactful novel is the subtle nuances of racial tension that often go unnoticed -- even within ourselves. There are two big takeaways for me at this point, though I'm still mulling it over -- this is the kind of book that doesn't leave you even though you've reached 'the end' -- so I'm sure there'll be more.

The first thing that struck me was how each woman had a preconceived idea of who the others were and what their life was like -- both good and bad. And that coloured their impressions and reactions. I mean, seriously, how often have I done that in my own life? So sure that 'her' life was better than mine or 'she' didn't have any real challenges or I am so in awe of 'her' because she has it all together I could never measure up.

The second takeaway that I am digging deep into is so simple and yet it's not -- listen. Seriously -- do I actually hear with my whole being -- heart, mind and soul -- when someone is speaking about something important to them? Or am I so busy formulating a rebuttal that I haven't let their words seep into my being so I can truly empathize? Especially if what they are saying contradicts what I feel. Challenging stuff, right?

Oh -- and a third takeaway that just struck me now -- see I told you there would be more! Just because I don't understand somebody's story doesn't mean it isn't valid. If I limited my world view solely to  my experiences, well, that would make for a pretty short-sighted view, wouldn't it? I need to  trust other people's stories so that I can expand my understanding and open my heart to the kind of all-encompassing love talked about in the bible -- "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear." (1 John 1:18)

Phew -- lots to ponder over at the conclusion of this read. Especially thankful for the no-holds-barred discussion questions the author has provided at the end of the book. No One Ever Asked would be my top pick for a book club selection this year!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of No One Ever Asked, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday July 15 2018. Offer open to International Readers.

Life After

GIVEAWAY

GANSHERT, KATIE
LIFE AFTER

It could have been me.

Snow whirls around an elevated train platform in Chicago. A distracted woman boards the train, takes her seat, and moments later a fiery explosion rips through the frigid air, tearing the car apart in a horrific attack on the city's transit system. One life is spared. Twenty-two are lost.

A year later, surviving Autumn Manning can't remember the day of the bombing and she is tormented by grief -- by guilt. Twelve months of the question constantly echoing: Why? Why? Why? Searching for answers, she haunts the lives of the victims, unable to rest.

Paul Elliott lost his wife in the train bombing and wants to let the dead remain buried, undisturbed, and unable to cause more pain for his loved ones. He wants normalcy for his twelve-year-old daughter and young son, to see them move beyond the heartbreak. But when the Elliotts and Autumn are unexpectedly forced together, he fears she'll bring more wreckage in her wake.

In Life After, Katie Ganshert's most complex and unforgettable novel yet, the stirring prose and authentic characters pose questions of truth, goodness, and ultimate purpose in an unpredictable world.

My Review:

I've been wrestling with how to review this book all week. It defies description. Stunning. Moving. Enthralling. Insert every glowing adjective you can think of and Life After is all of them -- and so much more.

This novel had a profound impact on me. The author led me to view a certain scripture in a new light. Simple but powerful words convicted me to a new depth of understanding. And shortly after finishing this book I was able to share that new conviction with a friend who was really struggling. It affected -- and blessed -- her the same way it had me!

So now you want to know what that scripture is, right? Well, I'm not going to tell you, because it is so wrapped up in the story that I don't want to spoil it for you. This is a novel that you really need to discover for yourself -- one delectable page at a time. It's the kind of book you should dive into without knowing what to expect just so you can experience the wonder of it.

It's heartbreaking and hopeful and ultimately triumphant. If you only take one book recommendation from me this year, make it this one!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Life After leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca.  If you include your email address in your comment remember to use AT and DOT instead of  " and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to add the title to the subject line so it`s easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 13 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Art of Losing Yourself

GIVEAWAY

GANSHERT, KATIE
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 Review:

There's a heaviness to this story that I wasn't completely prepared for. A gut-wrenching sorrow that shadows every page. A hard read in so many ways but a real one. And a challenging one because of that glaring reality.

Where is God when you do everything right only it all turns out wrong? That's the question Carmen struggles with as she tries to bury her grief beneath a plastic façade. She's drowning in a wave of hopelessness -- an internal battle of doubt and despair; afraid to let anyone know that she's teetering on the edge of desperate. I kept willing her to open her mouth and talk to someone -- especially her husband! But Carmen has spent her whole life doing 'perfect' to counter the reality of being raised by an alcoholic mother and admitting imperfection is terrifying for her.

Gracie isn't even sure God exists at all. He certainly hasn't shown up in her life so far. Still living with her alcoholic mom, she's chosen the exact opposite coping mechanism than her sister. Gracie is a rebel. A cynic with an impenetrable wall around her heart...until her latest escapade lands her living under Carmen's roof.

Ganshert alternates perspective between the sisters, using 1st person POV and it really works to take the reader deep into the psyche of both Carmen and Gracie. It makes the read more poignant and heart-wrenching.

And while The Art of Losing Yourself is a heavy read, there are moments of light and laughter worth savoring. A certain incident with a goat comes to mind. And Gracie's sarcastic wit.

But ultimately, this is a powerful story of hope. The kind of hope only faith can bring you. And with that faith comes the ability to trust. And when you have trust you can have relationships. Such a beautiful testimony of the richness of living.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Art of Losing Yourself please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 7 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

An October Bride

GIVEAWAY

 GANSHERT, KATIE
AN OCTOBER BRIDE

What if the only way you could make your father’s last wish come true . . . was to marry the man of your dreams?

Emma Tate has just moved on from one fiancé, so when she announces a sudden engagement to her lifelong buddy Jake Sawyer, every busybody in Mayfair goes into high alert. Of course, no one but Jake and Emma know the real reason they’re getting married—so Emma’s dying father will have a chance to walk her down the aisle.

 But while Jake and Emma move forward with their plan—and frantically plan an October wedding—it becomes clear that their agreement has a few complications . . . the biggest being their true feelings for each other.

With dubious friends, deliriously thrilled parents, and a town that won’t keep its nose out of their business, Emma and Jake will have a lot to contend with if they’re going to pull this off. The real question is: Who wants this wedding more, Emma’s dad . . . or Emma?

My Review:

Please note: available in ebook format only

Kudos to the author for engaging my emotions in such a short word count. This novella reads with all the satisfaction found in a novel length story. Told in first person point of view, it's all about Emma. We watch events unfold through her eyes only and that creates a lovely intimate reading experience.  An October Bride is a bittersweet love story packed with valuable life lessons and the hope that comes from truly believing. Delectable.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of An October Bride please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 30 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Broken Kind of Beautiful

GIVEAWAY

GANSHERT, KATIE
A BROKEN KIND OF BEAUTIFUL

Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong.

 

Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth—appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows—so when it starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line—an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.

If only her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her—a woman stained and broken by the world—yet wants her still?

My Review:

A Broken Kind of Beautiful is a rich testimony of God's everlasting, redeeming love. And it might just be a wake up call to many readers. Because Ivy is the kind of woman we like to judge. She's not particularly nice. In fact she's shallow, self-centered and uses her body as a weapon. Not an easy person to warm up too if you only look at the surface. Doesn't sound like a sympathetic heroine, right? Wrong!

Ganshert gives us glimpses into the reasons behind Ivy's brokenness from the very first time we meet her. And through the course of the book the author continues to peel away layer after layer of Ivy's protective façade, slowly revealing the lost child within.

Luckily Davis has a gift for looking beneath the glitz, glamour and games Ivy plays and what he sees is a desperate emptiness. An unsettled relationship develops between the two. Friends sometimes, wary adversaries most of the time. But though Davis is firm in his Christian convictions, he isn't perfect. He can't let go of past mistakes. There's a powerful scene about forgiveness that left me reeling. A huge 'aha' moment. I don't want to post spoilers so I won't say more but it's on page 240. Check it out when you're reading. (but don't skip ahead!)

A Broken Kind of Beautiful is so much more than just a love story between a man and a woman. It is also the redeeming love story of a Father and His beloved child. Honestly, I just wept through the last quarter of the book.

Ganshert has created a compelling story that would make an excellent read for a book club group. There is so much scope for discussion -- both literary and inspirational. A stunning novel that will challenge as much as entertain.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Broken Kind of Beautiful please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 5 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Wishing on Willows

GIVEAWAY

GANSHERT, KATIE
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.

My Reviews:

A story about finding joy in the wake of grief. Heart-wrenching, angst-stirring, soul-touching. Rich text and real characters catapult the reader into an emotional read you won't soon forget. Ganshert's words are magic even as they are laced with realism and grit along with the sheer beauty of being alive. A memorable love story that will warm you from the inside out.

Giveway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Wishing on Willows, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 19 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Wildflowers From Winter

GIVEAWAY!

GANSHERT, KAREN
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?

My Review:
 
Wow -- what a stunning debut novel! Not sure if I have the words to describe the power in Ganshert's! Raw comes to mind first in relation to Bethany. She is buried deep under so many protective layers that I didn't exactly like her at first but I knew there were good reasons for the barricades she'd built up around her heart and it took the whole book  to lay them bear in a gut-wrenching emotional Epiphany that left me weeping.

What a contrast to Evan! Though propelled by anger (and justifiably so in many cases), we get the sense of a troubled past that he has dealt with and become stronger for. Bethany is his total opposite -- at least it looks that way on the surface -- and they butt heads from the very first page. The way Ganshert weaves these two stories together is sheer poetry (as is her delightful way with words.) Compelling scenes draw them closer together and just as quickly tear them apart. Over and over and over again. Their love story is gritty and real and filled with God's grace. A journey that will wring a gamut of emotions out of every reader. This one is worth it's weight in gold!

Giveaway Opportunity:
 
If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Wildflowers From Winter, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday July 22 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!