LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. - s4story -- 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.

More on S For Story

• IOTAP Named to 2025 Inc. 5000 List of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies
• Lineus Medical and Venture Medical Sign New Zealand Distribution Agreement
• Black Plumbing Expands to Cleburne, TX, Bringing Over 30 Years of Trusted Plumbing Service
• $5 - $20 Million in Sales for 2026; $25 - $40 Million for 2027 Projected with NASA Agreements; New MOU Signed to Improve Solar Tech in Space
• Feed Your Hungry Soul: Awaken Your Loving Heart - A Transformative Guide Bridging Medicine and Myst

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.

More on S For Story

• New Book: Cold War Sci-Fi Thriller Arrives Today
• BeeCool Bikes Unveils Next-Generation "Super Frame" with Bee Defender Series
• University of South Pacific and Battery Pollution Technologies Forge Strategic Partnership to tackle Battery End-of-Life Challenges in the Pacific
• Shincheonji Tanzania Church Holds Revelation Bible Exam with Local Pastors and Believers
• Portland Med Spa Expands Service Offerings with Latest Aesthetic Technologies

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.