For Love of Gracie: A Novel
Mary never knew why her eighteen-year-old daughter ran away over a decade ago, but she thought it had to be something she did wrong as a mother. She never stopped hoping and praying that her daughter would come home to her and give her another chance. But these hopes and prayers would only be partly answered.
At only eight years old, Gracie only wants to please the people around her, but it is her mother she wants to please more than anyone. To become the thing her mother loves and not an afterthought. Only after a kind neighbor steps in to save Gracie from her mom's boyfriend does her mother realize she is no longer capable of keeping her daughter safe.
Gracie finds herself with a grandmother she has never known, and Mary finds her prayers having been partly answered in the form of a granddaughter to care for. The two find themselves in a family that neither expected, but both needed.
As Gracie navigates through her teenage life, she never stops looking for her mom in the faces of strangers and never stops wondering how her mother could have let her life go so wrong. Until it becomes clear how easy mistakes can happen when one tiny choice derails all of Gracie's life plans.
This doesn't stop her from doing the best she can; it just means new plans as Gracie finds friendships in new places and a start for an entirely new life. Follow along as this little girl grows up to take on whatever comes at her, armed only with the knowledge of her grandmother, the old man next door... and his Army MP tactics.
For Love of Ian: A Novel
As the manager of a large pet store, Gracie's life is overflowing with long days filled with the chaos of pet owners and their overly hyper pets. Then, after a long day at work, she goes home to her six-year-old son Ian, who makes the hyper dogs seem lazy. But Gracie would have it no other way.
At twenty-four, Gracie is told she should be dating, looking for that mythical, perfect husband and father for her son. But who has time for that? Or, at least, that's what she tells herself. Deep down, she knows the real reason is that one date seven years ago, that she only partly remembers, filling her with fear that all men are like Ian's father.
A mishap at the pet store leads Gracie to meet Ashton, the last thing she needs. Not taking no for an answer, Ashton continues to pursue her until one day, Gracie considers that maybe all men are not like the one she wants to forget.
When Gracie meets Peter, the single father of Ian's best friend, at a school science fair, she gives him little thought. But when the friendship between their sons keeps forcing her and Peter together, the two end up cultivating a new friendship.
As Gracie navigates the never-ending challenges of being a single mom to a little boy with poodle levels of energy, life never lets her breathe or rest-God, what she wouldn't give for a nap-confirming her belief that she has no room in her life for a relationship.
For Love of Ian is the sequel to For Love of Gracie, a continuation of a young woman's life as she navigates adulthood with her young son in a sometimes terrifying and never-ending adventure of life, romance, and parenting.
This novel can also be read as a stand-alone.
About the author
Candace Grosse is a mom, a gardener, and now a writer. She has loved all of these jobs, but being a mom was her favorite. Candace has lived in Kansas all of her life. After traveling across the US in her twenties, she returned to Kansas to stay. It was in rural Kansas where she married and later raised her family.
Now that her children are grown and the garden is smaller, Candace decided to try what her teenage self longed to do— write novels. Fifty years may have passed, but the desire to write was still strong. Candace decided to give it a try. What could it hurt? Only her pride if she wrote the worst book ever— but then again, lifelong dreams are worth the gamble.
As for hobbies, Candace loves gardening, country walks, and dogs. She loves dogs a lot and is never quite complete without one by her side. Candace loves being outside, and Kansas has the most amazing wide-open spaces and beautiful skies. Candace still lives in a rural setting, with cows and deer as companions; she would have it no other way.