From Horror to Heartfelt: How Author Cassondra Windwalker Shifts Gears with her Latest Novel
The Californer/10324525

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. - Californer -- As an award-winning author with eight horror novels, including one with a haunted pueblo and one in which the devil himself pulls all the strings, it would be easy to assume that the logical next step would be to write yet another. However, novelist and poet Cassondra Windwalker never takes the road most obvious. Instead, she decided to take a side-step and write something wholly different than anything she has written before—a heartfelt literary novel about the loss of one man's wife and the shocking secret he discovers she had been holding.

Cassondra's move away from horror and into heartfelt stems from her commitment to always write the truth. She explains, "Everything written has to be true. Readers always know and feel cheated when a writer yanks them around. My characters know they don't have to lie to me: I'll take them as they really are." And what those characters really are in her forthcoming literary novel, The Gardener's Wife's Mistress, is misleading.

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Her protagonist, Hayden Hill, has led the quiet life of a gardener, reveling in his greenery and his happy marriage—until the day his wife suddenly dies. It's then that Hayden discovers a directive from his late wife, one that leads him to the discovery of a shocking secret. What follows is a heartfelt and complex narrative about nature, grief, and the space we hold for loved ones long after death—no matter what they might have done. It also touches on current social concerns such as transgender prejudice and homelessness—two subjects close to author Cassondra's heart.

The novel already has Goodreads reviewers raving, with comments such as: "A beautiful, tragic, and complicated novel … Full of secrets and confusion," and "It's a shame this story isn't in print right now. It's truly that important of a story."

For readers who, like the Goodreads reviewer, can't wait to read this masterful story, they won't have to wait much longer. The novel is due for release on January 15, 2026; and it is available now for preorder.

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If you've ever loved someone and been lied to. If you've ever wondered how to handle betrayal. If you've ever had your heart torn to shreds… It's time to add The Gardener's Wife's Mistress to your TBR list. You won't be disappointed.

To preorder a copy, visit the publisher's website at: https://typeeighteenbooks.com/product/the-gardeners-wifes-mistress/

Or find it at your favorite online retailer.