Lake City native Lindsey Wohlsdorf to discuss debut novel at library

Life doesn’t always turn out exactly as planned – a lesson at the heart of Lindsey Wohlsdorf’s debut novel, “Before Dreams Come True.” Set against the backdrop of Nashville’s music scene, this heartfelt blend of romance, drama, and mystery explores universal themes of friendship, ambition, and the courage to chase your dreams.

Lindsey will be the featured guest for a book talk and discussion at the Lake City Public Library (LCPL) on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The event is open to the public, free to attend, and registration is not required.

Before Her Dreams Came True

Lindsey grew up in the Lake City area and came up through the Lake City public school system. That upbringing left a lasting impression. She says that growing up in an environment where everyone rallied around each other’s success instilled a belief in her that she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to.

“You really feel like your community cares for one another – if something bad happens, people stand up for you and want to help,” she added.

Lindsey has fond memories of the Lake City Public Library and still keeps her original SELCO card in her wallet. (It’s the thin tan LCPL card – I asked.) She’s in two book clubs, and a year before it was released, one of the groups got to read “Before Dreams Come True.” They were able to discuss it with the author present and ask her questions – an offer she’s willing to extend to local book clubs who choose to read it!

Wohlsdorf says her years in the classroom prepared her for creative writing. She studied secondary education at UW-River Falls and earned a master’s in education from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. She also spent 14 years teaching Spanish at Lincoln High School. Working with students with diverse family lives and backgrounds broadened her perspective, while daily instruction sharpened her communication skills.

“As a teacher, you’re always trying to explain things as clearly as possible,” she said. That skill directly informed how she built the characters, world, and narrative arc for her first novel.

Becoming an Author

Wohlsdorf has dreamt of writing a novel for a long time, but balancing teaching with raising young children kept the idea on the back burner.

“The belief is if you work hard, life will turn out how you want it to,” she said. “I always wanted to be a teacher. That was what I had seen.” Although this established path had been set for her, the ambition to write a novel began to pull her in a different direction.

“I had to think—how do I pivot and how do I make this work?” For Lindsey, that meant stepping away from the classroom. “For me, this felt like a way of reclaiming a piece of my own creativity.”

Wohlsdorf now lives with her husband and two children in Rochester. Ultimately, she says her book came about because of the way motherhood changed her. Themes of family and parenting run deep throughout her novel. “So many people I know have faced fertility struggles, and with this book, I was inspired to explore the many paths to motherhood.”

As a lifelong reader, Wohlsdorf defines her writing as contemporary women’s fiction focused on strong female protagonists – a trait she matches as an author. For her debut novel, she took an ambitious approach to storytelling, balancing alternating points of view across two interweaving timelines. Her main character is an aspiring country music artist in Nashville, a setting she brought to life through extensive research.

The title was one of the last things to fall into place. “It’s about all the life that needs to be lived before you reach your goals,” said the author. “A lot of people say, ‘I’ll be happy when…’ they hit a certain milestone.” Her novel challenges that mindset, focusing on the relationships, struggles, growth, and happy moments that can happen while chasing a dream.

While Wohlsdorf hasn’t ruled out a sequel, she knew it wouldn’t be her next move. Instead, she’s applying what she’s learned from her first publishing experience to give herself a “fresh start” with her next book. The story will be closer to home, featuring a female police officer in Minnesota.

Read and Connect

“Before Dreams Come True” can be purchased from online retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. It can also be found at A Love Affair Book Boutique in Red Wing and will soon be available at DogHouse Books in Lake City. The Lake City, Rochester, and Van Horn public libraries have copies of the book available for checkout.

Find Lindsey on Instagram @Lindseywohls or on Substack @Lindseywohlsdorf for her author newsletters.

Come to the Lake City Public Library on Thursday, Sept. 10 to hear Lake City’s own Lindsey Wohlsdorf discuss her debut novel and the process of bringing it to life.