The Secret Power of Fiction

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Gail

Hi everyone,

I subscribe to this newsletter, and this week’s theme, too intriguing not to share with readers, is now here for you. (with permission, and the BOLDFACE sections are my doing). You may want to subscribe, too–info toward the end. Enjoy!

Greetings , Here’s a fun little nugget of trivia I thought you’d enjoy. Did you know your brain can’t always distinguish between reading about and living an experience? Thanks to some fascinating MRI studies, scientists discovered that reading fiction lights up the same parts of the brain that activate when we experience real-life events. So, when you dive into Pride and Prejudice or race through The Hunger Games, your brain isn’t just absorbing the story—it’s living it along with the characters. Pretty incredible, right?

Want to Dive Deeper? We love sharing these fascinating tidbits with you, but there’s always more to the story! If this piqued your interest, you won’t want to miss the Expanded Information and Informative Video. It’s where the fun facts come to life—with extra details, surprising twists, and a visual journey that brings everything together. Click here to explore more—you’ll be glad you did!

But here’s the best part: Reading fiction doesn’t just entertain us. It makes us more empathetic. Those same brain circuits we use to understand stories also help us understand people better. Studies show that the more we read fiction, our empathy becomes stronger over time.
It’s like a gym workout for your heart—with To Kill a Mockingbird or Little Women as your personal trainers. And it’s not just the classics that work this magic. Cozy mysteries, fantasy adventures, romances—they all help our brains build stronger emotional connections. Whether you’re solving crimes on the Murder on the Orient Expressor chasing dreams in The Great Gatsby, your brain is quietly growing into a kinder, more compassionate version of itself. So, the next time someone teases you for reading “just for fun,” smile and know the truth: you’re not just reading. You’re strengthening your heart, your mind, and your spirit. Fun trivia like this reminds us why books are a little bit magical—and why every page we turn is building a better world, one story at a time. That’s what we do at Readers and Writers Book Club—gather the forgotten, the curious, and the inspiring from the world of books and stories. If you enjoy uncovering literary oddities like this, we’d love for you to join us. Explore with us: https://bit.ly/41vgvKh There’s always room for another curious mind.

Keep in touch, Evan Swensen8370 Eleusis DriveAnchorage, Alaska 99502(907) 349-2424evan@publicationconsultants.com

The Last Secret Kept

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Gail

Interview with Elaine Stock, who writes historical fiction. Here, she emphasizes her latest novel, due out on April 24. Glad to host you, Elaine!

1. Tell me about your writing history, Elaine. When I first began writing, “Christian fiction” seemed the way to go, but I believe these choices can sometimes limit our readership and outreach. For me, the way we “label” our work sometimes alters as we grow in our skills and also in our faith, and can be freeing rather than limiting.

First, Gail, thanks for hosting me. I truly appreciate it.

In short, I was baptized twice as an adult into the Christian faith. Christian fiction was my second choice of genre, having initially begun with romance for the general market. Like you, I believed I was now writing where God intended me to be. What could possibly go wrong? Although my breakthrough into publishing novel-length fiction was through a small Christian-based publisher, followed by a few independently published Christian fiction novels, I honestly felt lost with my writing. I took a deep and hard look into myself, my writing, and the readership of Christian fiction. After this reflection, I concluded that although my stories contained elements of faith, I was not an author who could write solely for the Christian market. I shifted my focus to writing historical fiction for the general market, and I have been quite pleased with this decision. My main theme as an author, which relates to my attempts at Christian fiction, embodies hope for a better tomorrow.

2. With this particular novel, what would you like your readers’ takeaway to be?

The Last Secret Kept tells the story of three women who dismantle the hidden walls that family and friends erect between one another, as well as the barriers that exist between countries. This dual-timeline story unfolds in 1961 in a town near Lake Ontario, NY, and in Berlin, Germany, during WWII. The tale begins on the day America awakens to discover that the Berlin Wall is under construction, dividing Germany in two and separating families and friends while preventing businesses and customers from connecting. Fanny is a defense attorney, despite the naysayers who urge her to marry and remain at home to raise a family. She meets Gina, a newly married young woman whose husband, Kenny, has faced a lifetime of prejudice for being labeled by society as low-functioning due to his “lesser” intelligence, and is now also accused of murdering a co-worker. Fanny takes on Kenny’s case, and in preparation, uncovers that Gina’s grandmother, Helene, harbors secrets of betrayal that could jeopardize the possibility of winning Kenny’s case.

3. I find that everything I write/research has an effect on me. Please describe how writing this story has affected you as an individual. Please include specific examples, if possible.

What a fascinating, unique question I’ve never been asked before. In researching this specific novel, I encountered various viewpoints on post-WWII life around the world, which opened my eyes to how, despite a global war coming to an end, many concerns were either never resolved or only just beginning to be addressed. For instance, a staggering number of people were now homeless and stateless, let alone left without any family. This truth deepened the bitter taste in my mouth and heart regarding the tragic sadness of how readily people can walk away from their fellow human beings.

Another eye-opener was discovering all the scientific breakthroughs (for example, the world was on the brink of genetic research with many positive impacts, both health-wise and socially). Additionally, the US was also on the verge of judicial changes at both national and state levels. These changes have prompted cultural shifts in redefining, or expanding, if you will, who in society possesses rights. My character Kenny, for instance, constantly had to “behave” if he did not want others to suspect him of acting below society’s standards and, consequently, creating trouble.

Lastly, but not of lesser importance, is the character of Fanny. Without giving too much away, she sees the world in black-and-white terms. She even wears black and white clothing. Right or wrong, this black-and-white outlook on life had shaded her perception of loved ones and friends… until befriending Gina, Helene, and Kenny taught her that life has many different colors. Because of this, new doors can open to new beginnings, and old, rusted doors that seemed tightly bolted might not have to remain that way.

4. I appreciate your honesty and experience, Elaine, and the time you’ve taken to share with my readers. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I very much appreciate you hosting me. I wish your readers to always have a wonderful book to read!

If anyone would like to know more about me, my writing, and to see book trailers of my historical fiction novels, please visit my website: https://elainestock.com/index.html

Each month I host guest authors in my newsletters, which are always free: https://elainestock.substack.com

Other places to find me:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElaineStock

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elainestocklovestowrite/

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/elainestock.bsky.social

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/ElaineStock

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elaine-stock

LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/author/stockelaine

Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/elainestock

Author Bio:

Elaine Stock pens historical fiction of courageous people taking chances because life is full of challenges, and we must bravely step forward. Her next novel, The Last Secret Kept, releases on April 24, 2025. Her award-winning Resilient Women of WWII trilogy novels have made several Amazon Bestseller Lists. What pleases her the most is that readers from various countries have reached out to say that these novels encouraged them to face their tomorrows.

An Independent Woman

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Gail

Welcome to Peggy Lovelace Ellis. Congrats to the happy reader who wins a free copy!

February 23, 2025

I’m pleased Gail invited me to her Author Visit page again. I will give a signed copy of An Independent Woman to one reader in the United States who leaves a comment. https://www.amazon.com/Independent-Woman-Peggy-Lovelace-Ellis/dp/B0DW42V4TQ/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=

I conceived the idea for An Independent Woman, my new Regency Romance standalone set in 1815, when a distant relative gave his beautiful, petite 13-year-old daughter in marriage to a man in his fifties. She was home-schooled and had no friends. A complete innocent. I was appalled but couldn’t do anything about it. I dealt with it in fiction.

Lady Judith Ainsley was young, but smart, when she learned of her father’s devious schemes. Despite the pain of deception and the illusion of a loving father destroyed, Lady Judith devised safeguards for her protection and independence. She had help: a companion, a guardian angel, and a duke whom she could not decide whether to love or to hate.

Major Richard Chadwick inherits a near destitute duchy. As he searches for ways to increase revenue, he uncovers a means to benefit himself but hurting the infuriating, adventurous, reckless woman he is coming to care for. However, before Lord Richard breaks the news, the lady disappears, and everything comes to a standstill while he rushes to her rescue. Will he make it in time? And if he does, will she want him after he reveals the truth?

Here’s an excerpt

Hampshire, England, October 1801

The seven-year-old ragamuffin kicked off her half boots, laughing with delight while she wiggled her toes among dead leaves. The earthy smell rising from beneath the top layer made her nose crinkle. She sneezed and wiped her nose on her sleeve, then tucked her skirts into the top of cotton drawers and climbed the tree until she stood on a broad limb. There were many trees around, but this one had limbs near the ground. Mattie didn’t let her climb trees.

The little miss sank small teeth into a juicy red apple, delighting in the noise. Mattie would frown about that too. Eating whole apples is beneath your social position, she would say. What would she say about all the smudges on her charge’s face? The child didn’t want to know. She didn’t want a governess, but Father insisted she needed lessons Nanny couldn’t teach her, so Miss Matthews had moved into Ainsley Park.

Susanna’s scolds are different. After all, she’s an angel and whispers into her small charge’s mind.

Horse’s hooves interrupted the child’s thoughts about the ridiculous whims of her elders. Probably a groom from Ainsley Park looking for her. She didn’t want to give up these few minutes of stolen freedom. The child peeked through the leaves.

Reining his gray horse to a standstill beneath the tree, the rider reached for an apple. Not an Ainsley groom, but a young gentleman she’d never seen before. Relief bubbled into a mischievous impulse. She tossed her half-eaten apple toward him. It hit the horse, which reared, white-stockinged feet clawing the air.

The unexpected movement sent the rider backward off his mount. His brimmed hat flew in one direction, his apple in another. He scrambled to his feet and soothed the mare. “Sorry, old girl. That apple chose a bad time to separate itself from the tree.”

The girl couldn’t control her giggles, which brought the man’s frowning gaze upward. Afraid now, she lost her footing, tumbling unceremoniously toward the ground. He jumped forward and caught her. They landed in the leaves barely missing the horse’s hooves.

She rolled off him and scooted backward, staring into the prettiest face she’d seen outside her storybook about Greek gods. Glittering green eyes beneath fair curls that tumbled over his forehead stared back at her.

“Did you throw the apple?” He smoothed his face into a superior smirk. “Oh well. You’re only a little girl, not old enough to know better, but don’t throw apples at horses again, understand?”

The voice of the Greek god in her storybook must sound like his, light, not a deep rumble like her father’s voice.

“Little hoyden, your face is filthy.” He stood, hauling her up beside him. Without warning, he kissed the tip of her nose. “There, I’ll wager that’s your first kiss—also your last if you don’t wash your face.”

“My name’s Judith,” she blurted. “What’s yours?”

“Richard.” He rescued his hat from a low limb, then swung himself onto the saddle and spurred his mount.

She shouted after him, “I’ll marry you someday, even if you are prettier than I am!”

His laughter floated back until his mount’s long strides carried him from her sight.

“I will marry him,” she muttered, “or my name is not Judith Elizabeth Ainsley.”

Don’t make rash promises. They might come back and haunt you someday. Now, you must return home.

Judith trudged toward Ainsley Park. Susanna telling her what to do again.

In An Independent Woman, Lady Judith Ainsley learns that the very thing she strived for—independence—might not be what she truly wants. We live in a different era and have vastly different lives, but I believe we experience the same circumstances today.

Thank you for reading!

NEED A PEARL FOR VALENTINE’S?

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Gail

Erma Ullrey’s blog (below) has so much to say about the connections between pain,

pearls and patience, I asked permission to share with you all. Happy Valentine’s!

MERRY HEART INK – ERMA ULLREY

FEB 14, 2025

“Did you know … an oyster that has not been wounded in any way does not produce pearls?

A pearl is a healed wound.

Pearls are a product of pain, the result of a foreign or unwanted substance entering the oyster, such as a parasite or a grain of sand.

Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash

The inside of an oyster shell is a shiny substance called “nacre.”

When a grain of sand enters, the nacre cells go to work and cover the grain of sand with layers and more layers to protect the defenseless body from the oyster. As a result, a beautiful pearl is formed!

The more pearls, the more valuable …

God never allows pain without a purpose.

What if your greatest ministry to others comes out of your greatest hurt or deepest wounds?

The hard things we may be going through now are really nothing in comparison to the glory that will be revealed in us later. (Romans 8:17-18)”

-author unknown

… to all the Valentine pearls in the making: hold tight to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Thanks for reading Merry Heart Ink – by Author Erma Ullrey! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

You can connect with Erma: On Facebook – On Instagram – On X (Twitter)

A Good Read

Posted on January 11, 2025 by Gail

A friend (thank you Dennis!) sent us this book for Christmas and I want to share it

because it’s chock full of encouraging stories. Just what we need these days, right?

If you speak with groups or teach a class or simply appreciate heartwarming stories

that remind us of the GOOD around us, this read is for you.

I could suggest you put it where it’s handy…perhaps the bathroom, since these snippets

from real life are mostly short–or in your car for sitting-at-stoplight times.

Remembered Joys

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Gail

Recently I received some copies of my latest novel, PROVIDENCE.

I have to admit, I don’t get as excited about these boxes as I used to, because

my health has forced me to slow down about promoting books. Some authors

despise all aspects of promoting their work, but I especially enjoyed sharing about

the writing process face-to-face, and recalling those times still makes me smile.o

However, it’s still a joy to hold a fresh-off-the-press story that I labored over for

so long–especially this one, since it took longer than any other I’ve ever tackled.

Why? I’m not sure. Maybe I needed to arrive at this age…note wrinkles in photo below…

to have developed a deeper understanding of how essential PROVIDENCE is in

any of our undertakings.

Or perhaps it’s because to accept what life hands us requires trust, and mine has

taken quite a while to grow. Bottom-line, part of trusting is NOT demanding to understand.

So if you or a friend loves Westerns (not WWII this time), this set-in-the-Civil-War-era

tale might make a good Christmas gift. The heroine learns an incredible amount about

herself, her presumptions, her tough-as-nails surroundings, and the astoundingly faithful grace

of what her generation refers to as “Providence.” There’ll be lots of joys in looking back for her

as she ages!

Providence

Posted on November 2, 2024 by Gail

For your winter reading pleasure, a story of old-fashioned pioneer grit on the Westward trail melds with a Texas cowboy’s tale.

In the midst of a catastrophic Civil War, what role does Providence play in everyday folks’ daily challenges, and what might we learn from them?

Historical Fiction Novelist Gail Kittleson Unveils “Providence,” a Pioneer Adventure-Romance
NASHVILLE, TN (October 24, 2024)—Amazon.com bestselling author Gail Kittleson is celebrating the release of Providence: a novel of the West, which impacted retail on October 9, 2024, in hardback, trade paperback, and all major ebook formats from WordCrafts Press. Kittleson’s latest novel, set during the waning years of the American Civil War, is a bit of a departure from the World War Two era the celebrated novelist is known for. But fans can expect the same level of meticulously researched detail that breathes life and authenticity into all of her novels.

This man—strong as the oxen who would pull their wagon on the trail and as determined as the Union Army—this man she had wed.
From the Novel
Autumn, 1863
I cannot say the date for certain, but surely November must be close. The cold seeps in through every hidden entrance, in spite of our careful mudding.
Like sorrow. Like guilt—the reasons I have neglected to write. But now, with the sure knowledge of Franklin’s return and the pullets laying, and Della giving milk like always, hope has taken up steadier residence in my heart.
Who can know their weaknesses? If anything good comes of loss, I expect this sort of understanding might qualify. Frail of faith, fragile of mind, and scrawny of will—ah, how clearly I see myself now.
And yet, I continue to live. Providence knoweth all and so must see some good in me.

“Providence required more time than any other book I’ve written,” muses author Gail Kittleson. “I’m not sure why, but the characters developed slowly, and along the way, my writing skills grew, too. Several times I thought this manuscript must be just practice, never to see the light of day. But when my health took a jolt, the characters called to me.

I had a lot of time to ponder their stories and found I liked them too much to toss them out. With considerable more historical research, they started to cooperate, and the result is this novel.”

AIthough the Civil War serves as the backdrop for the novel, the story follows those hearty pioneers who braved the Oregon Trail in hopes of carving a better life for themselves and their families.”I hope readers will learn more about the Civil War era, as I did during this process, and appreciate the parallels to the world we live in today,” Gail says.

“Each season of history has its share of challenges and everyday women and men who rise to meet them. We don’t often think of ourselves as heroes or heroines, but in the long perspective, we may well be, as we seek guidance from what our ancestors called Providence.”

Providence: a novel of the West is published in the US by WordCrafts Press and distributed globally by Ingram Content Group, the world’s largest distributor of physical content.Product Details
Hardback: 352 pages
Publisher: WordCrafts Press (October 9, 2024)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1962218665
MSRP: $33.99Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: WordCrafts Press (October 8, 2024)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1962218672
MSRP: $18.99Ebook:
Publisher: WordCrafts Press (October 8, 2024)
Language: English
ASIN: B0DJ58XM5R
MSRP: $5.99Free review copies are available in all major ebook formats. For additional information or to request a review copy, please contact:
wordcrafts@wordcrafts.net

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Debut Novel!

Posted on May 4, 2024 by Gail

Remember when your very first novel released, or looking forward to that day? Here’s a new story on my reading list: Tamelia Aday’s The Filbert Ridge Miracle. I welcome Tamelia to share a bit of background info. And she’s offering an e-book to one fortunate commenter, too.

I started writing The Filbert Ridge Miracle when my oldest son was in grade school. I wish I remembered the exact year, but it’s one of those things where you are piecing something together little by little. And in reality, maybe I don’t want to know how long it took me.

The Filbert Ridge Miracle is about a pastor’s family who live in a small town. They are scrutinized for their unruly children and the wife, Rose, is especially considered odd.

I had a germ of an idea of this mom, feeling the judgement of others, trying to escape into a world that no one knew about. To have a secret life of feeding the homeless and helping the needy. I then considered what if one of her children went missing. I pictured her on the streets looking for her son. The raw parts of this story had their moments on a word processor floppy disk, marked “Free Time.”

Years later, the whole direction of the story changed with a miracle in the church parking lot. At that moment I was in the voice of Patrick, who before had almost no part in the story. Everything shifted and Patrck’s feelings and aggravations flowed across the page becoming the first chapter which changed the rest of the book. I found my voice the same time Patrick let me use his.

Piecing together a parking lot miracle to a missing child was a challenge, but through a lot of throwing out of material—another whole book’s worth probably—it came together.

The Filbert Ridge Miracle is published by WordsCraft Press. Available on Amazon in e-book, paperback, and hardback https://a.co/d/3n2pHkU

From the back cover

It was October 7, 1967.

The festival in Filbert Ridge, Oregon, came early, and many wondered if they had followed the usual tradition of celebrating the hazelnut harvest on the second Saturday of October, perhaps things would have gone in a different direction.

Instead, town history and the lives of its citizens changed forever.

Get in touch with Tamelia

https://www.facebook.com/share/BhmEfBrsufNfRhmR/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

https://www.instagram.com/tameliaaday?igsh=MTFkbWZvMTc4amZoag%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

https://tameliaaday.blogspot.com/?m=1

New Word

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Gail

Our middle school teachers told us it’s good to increase our vocabulary, right? I mean, most often we prefer a variety of flowers in our gardens, not all tulips, all primroses or ALL daisies. Pretty soon we’ll be planting or cultivating our plot, so flowers have been on my mind lately.

I’ve also been working on a story set in Texas the early 1920’s, not my usual timeframe. Like every era, this one has its share of unique sayings, and the state of Texas? It’s rampant with dialectical goodies!

Our language provides such a wide variety of words and phrases that it’s also fun to learn new ones. Some of my recent new words have come as a result of studying Spanish, but others just pop up in my reading.

Ever hear of agathokakological? This eight-syllable word teeming with awkward letters means “composed of both good and evil.” Difficult to repeat, but it fits in so many settings–offhand, how many can you think of?

It’s kind of like ambivalent–we’ve all experienced feeling this way. Mixed emotions often get our attention. Our ideal is for things to be perfect…just the way we’d like. But that rarely happens, so we find ourselves liking some parts of certain situations, others not so much.

I doubt I’ll be pronouncing agathokakological any time soon, but this ungainly word will most likely stick in my mind. And I’ll probably think it at times, even if I don’t say it.

A REAL WRITER

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Gail

I’m so pleased to introduce Monica McCann to you all. She’s one of the contributing authors in A Hill Country Christmas- Truths for Troubled Trails. A former teacher, she’s helped introduce writing to many students, and now gets to GO FOR IT herself! I appreciated her thoughts here, since I’ve also written notes for a novel on many an unworthy scrap of paper. We’ll be hearing more from Monica, I’m sure of it!

Monica says…

I always imagined when I “became a real writer” that my writing would be this organized, linear, easy telling of a story on paper. After all, I have been telling stories to myself, to my pets, to my best friend my whole life. Ha! Silly me.

I have two novels and two short stories that I am in the middle of and none of them just flow from my fingers to my laptop. I have sticky notes and legal pads and 30 tabs open on my computer screen for research (yes,30, I just counted them). I am not claiming this is the best way, this is just my way.

What I have found to be true is that “writing” happens at all hours, in inconvenient places and not always on paper. It can be messy. Stories appear as we go about our day. Inspiration will dawn suddenly and as my daddy always said, “Gotta make hay while the sun shines.”

Sometimes that happens while you are on a plane dutifully reading a book to help you with your fear of the editing process. The exercise in this book shed light on one of my unfinished novels that lays waiting in the dark. I knew my aging brain would remember only part of the idea if I wrote it later, so I wanted to get it down.

I hadn’t brought my laptop or a notebook, and the tiny napkin from my airline refreshment would handle very little of my swoopy cursive. What did I find? The airsick bag! My whole row’s air-sick bags. Yep, I am a real writer.

One of my short story ideas started with a person and a geographical location. That led me to his sister, who authored a book about the place, which led me to another historical website, and there was my story waiting for me.

Driving to town yesterday, a song on the radio made me think about what it would be like to look someone in the eye that you had thought was lost to you in time. Suddenly my idea became two living, breathing people. I get horribly carsick so writing while sitting in the car is not my favorite, but I grabbed my new notebook out of my bag (My husband, appalled at my behavior on the airplane, bought me two.) I wrote feverishly, and oh so messy, in my notebook for the entire hour drive.

Today I am back at the computer, translating my scribbles from yesterday, and the voice memo I made for myself while walking this morning. A few more tabs of research will be opened. The husband or the dogs will interrupt me a dozen or more times, so the “writing” continues in my head.

I will continue to gather sticky notes and other pieces of my story here and there. None of this disqualifies me as a “real writer.” I am so thankful for people that encourage me to just tell the stories.

I think the truth I have been learning is the same truth the Velveteen Rabbit learned.

“Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’

‘Does it hurt?’ asked the Rabbit.

‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’

‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit by bit?’

‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

― Margery Williams Bianco, The Velveteen Rabbit

Becoming a real writer is something that happens as you write. It is sometimes painful, often messy, and in the end, wonderfully real.

Tools of the trade

Monica McCann is one of the contributing authors in

A Hill Country Christmas- Truths for Troubled Trails.