Eden Gordon Media and “The All-American Book Club” Honor our Military Spouses this May.
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Eden Gordon Media and NewsTalk 105.9 FM, WMAL’s “The All-American Book Club,” come together to recognize, honor, and say thank you to our nation’s military spouses. National Military Spouse Appreciation Day takes place each year on the Friday before Mother’s Day. This year, our nation will recognize this important day on Friday, May 8. A special thank you to Cortney Cino and her illustrator Tim Deberd for contributing to this month’s press release highlighting his powerful illustrations for Finally Home.
Hill stated, “I am a proud veteran spouse, the wife of an Iraq Army Veteran, the daughter-in-law of a United States Marine, and the granddaughter of two United States Army veterans. My community is the military spouse and veteran communities, and we live intentional, voluntary service, too. Our “deployments” look a little different and are less visible to those around us. We support those who are serving and have served this nation we love.”
Hill continued, “It was my vision to present the powerful stories of these military spouses who have written their own handbooks on life, trailblazed before their time with their visions of a greater world for their children, and pried open doors for military spouse career and employment opportunities that are, nine times out of ten, the overlooked column.”
The Department of Labor reports that military spouses continue to face a high rate of unemployment, estimated at 21-25 percent—roughly 5 to 6 times higher than the national average. While these rates have not officially moved since 2015, I have seen and experienced this challenge up close and personal since at least early 2012. This number represents 64% of military spouses who are either under-employed or seeking work. It’s just one more uphill fight for the military spouse. Their capes might not seem perfect or shiny to many in the corporate world, but when you hire a military spouse, you hire an individual marked by exceptional dedication and unwavering commitment to their work.
Hill concluded, “These unemployment numbers are disgraceful. This is something for America’s boardrooms to consider, especially as we have a White House led by a billionaire businessman and a Congress led by small business leaders and CEOs canvassing the nation.”
After nearly a decade in the corporate world, Monica Fullerton transitioned into entrepreneurship with a purpose. She founded Spouse-ly, an online marketplace that empowers military and first responder families to market their products and services—no matter where life takes them. The team at Spouse-ly is dedicated to fostering a community that prioritizes learning, connection, and income-generating opportunities for our nation’s heroes.
Fullerton’s passion for entrepreneurship didn’t stop with the founding of Spouse-ly. Believing that with the right support, anyone can shine in business, she created BLT: Build, Launch, and Thrive—an online course designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs turn their ideas into real, revenue-generating businesses with clarity and confidence. And for those craving more personalized support, Fullerton’s 1:1 Business Bestie Consulting was built to be the kind of resource she wishes she’d had when she was starting out: real-life advice, actionable strategy, and someone truly in your corner.
Fullerton is deeply passionate about helping others build meaningful businesses from the ground up—and showing that with heart, hustle, and a little guidance, anything is possible. You can read more about Monica Fullerton and Spouse-ly here.
Becky Aikman, author of the riveting new book, Spitfires, has always been drawn to adventure — at least to writing about it. The subjects in her books are real women who have broken with convention to create new lives for themselves even as they change the world.
The Spitfire pilots of WWII lived an adventure more exciting than fiction. They were celebrated at the time but then largely forgotten. To bring them back to life, Aikman traveled to England to go through records, investigate crashes, find witnesses, and take in the history of the airfields, country estates, and London hotels and clubs where the story she would ultimately write took place.
In the United States, Aikman met the pilots’ families and interviewed Nancy Miller, the one flyer still living at the age of 104. They all shared diaries and letters filled with intimate details, never before seen by the public.
Aikman grew up in rural Pennsylvania and moved to New York to earn a master’s degree at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she was awarded the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship. “I had a blast covering the worlds of entertainment, media, and other creative industries for BusinessWeek and New York Newsday,” she shares.
When she was widowed at a young age, she decided to leave daily journalism and write the book Saturday Night Widows. It’s the true story of how she put together a mismatched group of five other young widows to share the adventure of remaking their lives. “We remain great friends today,” says Aikman.
Her next book was Off the Cliff, about the maverick filmmakers who created the classic women’s film Thelma & Louise.
Aikman and her books have appeared on CBS This Morning, the Katie Couric Show, NPR, and in articles in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and O, the Oprah magazine. She speaks to groups across the country about both her personal and professional journey. You can read more about her story here.
Cortney Cino—founder of Whimspire Books and author of the children’s book Finally Home— is an author, healthcare marketer, and mom to three girls who inspire nearly everything she writes.
Cino launched Whimspire Books in the fall of 2023 with a simple but meaningful mission: to create picture books that foster imagination and fuel confidence. The name “Whimspire” is a blend of whimsical and inspiring—two elements that are foundational to everything they create.
Before entering publishing, Cino spent over 15 years in marketing for the healthcare industry, where she helped promote diagnostic tests and medications. Marketing might sound very different from writing for children, but Cino says the two worlds have a lot in common: “In healthcare, you’re often charged with making complex science clear and compelling—sometimes on just a single page. With picture books, you have about 600 words to tell a complete and emotionally resonant story. The book’s cover and blurb serve much the same function as a product’s headline and key messages: capture attention, deliver value, and be memorable.”
“Another thing these worlds have in common,” says Cino, “is that they make me feel like I’m working on something important. Whether I’m helping explain something that can improve a person’s health or writing a story that inspires a child, both feel meaningful.” You can read more about Cino and Whimspire Books here.
Kristen Christy is a Master Resilience Trainer and resilience expert. She was named the 2018 AFI Air Force Spouse of the Year, a 2019 Top 30 Women Military Influencer, and a 2020 Remarkable Woman finalist.
Kristen is co-founder of the National Veterans Vocational Village Foundation, co-creator and advisor for the national 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and creator of National Resilience Day. An international speaker, she shares the devastating aftermath of her first husband’s suicide after a deployment and the disappearance of her oldest son due to mental illness.
Kristen transforms audiences through her story and lessons learned. She inspires and arms audiences across the country with the weapons needed to combat daily battles. Read more about her story here.
Kathy Branzell, author of the devotional An Invitation to Prayer, serves as the President of the National Day of Prayer (NDP) Task Force. She has served as a longtime member of the Board of Directors, having led and served alongside Vonette Bright, Shirley Dobson, Anne Graham-Lotz, and Dr. Ronnie Floyd. Responding to a question about her history with NDP, Kathy remarked, “For 19 years, I have had the privilege of loving and serving these amazing NDP leaders, supporters, staff and coordinators – including taking part in the ministry’s D.C. events, Summits, National Bus Tours, and philanthropy and partnership efforts. It’s been an amazing journey, and I believe that the best is yet to come!”
Along with her work on behalf of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, she was the founder and president of Fellowship and Christian Encouragement (FACE) for Educators where she authored seventeen years of weekly scripture reading, prayer prompts and devotionals for educators to use to use in their weekly prayer meetings throughout the school year. She is the author/co-author of five books including, An Invitation to Prayer; Developing a Lifestyle of Intimacy with God; 40 Days of Love: A Prayer-Care-Share Devotional; Prayer Warrior: the Battle Plan to Victory;An Apple a Day: 365 Day devotional for Teachers; and A Prayer Warrior’s Guide to Spiritual Battle. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Education and Human Development from the University of Georgia, and her master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Liberty Theological Seminary. She has served as a Rapid Response Chaplin for the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, and the National Coordinator of LOVE2020 and National Facilitator for the Mission America Coalition (Now The Table Coalition).
Having raised two children with her husband Russ, Kathy lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She plans for the prayer ministry to continue as a remote team, as NDP staff are based around the country. Her fifth book, the aforementioned devotional entitled An Invitation to Prayer (BroadStreet), released in 2019. You can read more about Kathy here.
You will find our host, Eden Gordon Hill, at the intersection of media and patriotism. Hill is the founder and owner of Eden Gordon Media, LLC, and a morning Radio Show Host on WMAL, where her depth of knowledge and expertise, spanning more than 25 years in strategic communications and public relations, shapes every narrative. Creating compelling content, her shows resonate with audiences who value faith, country, and family. Hill’s roles involve engaging with an active listener base, featuring interviews with influential voices, and curating content that fosters meaningful discussions on national and family values.
Hill’s commitment to excellence is evident in the success of Eden Gordon Media, LLC, in its trusted earned media and strategic partnerships, and in her weekend morning show “The All-American Book Club,” which provides a platform for kitchen-table discussions across America. As a proud military spouse herself, Hill excels in connecting with military spouses, veterans, and families, highlighting powerful stories that celebrate our nation’s spirit. Her trusted communications in the national media landscape continue to ensure these stories reach and inspire a broad audience, reinforcing our nation’s powerful history.
Eden Hill
Eden Gordon Media, LLC
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