Emotional Storytelling

While writers might disagree over showing versus telling or plotting versus pantsing, none would argue this: If you want to write strong fiction, you must make your readers feel. The reader's experience must be an emotional journey of its own, one as involving as your characters' struggles, discoveries, and triumphs are for you. That's where The Emotional Craft of Fiction comes in. Veteran literary agent and expert fiction instructor Donald Maass shows you how to use story to provoke a visceral and emotional experience in readers.

Stories sell because they let people rehearse a purchase in their imagination before committing in real life. When a narrative shows a character like us struggling with a problem like ours, and a guide like your brand offering a believable path forward, buying becomes the natural next scene rather than a pressured decision.

After forty years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, The Cider House Rules, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes in Esther—a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by anti-Semitism...

Immediately following the death of her father, fifteen-year-old Julie is shipped down to Somerset to stay with an aunt and uncle she hardly knows. The visit with Margaret, Paul and the baby, Sonia, gets off to a rocky start. Julie doesn't like being in the country, and she makes sure everybody knows it. Yet, now that her father is dead, she knows she will be unhappy when she returns to London. In a very bad mood, Julie runs away, and Paul has to go looking for her. In the meantime, she meets Rena, Margaret's eccentric, artist friend who is working in her garden. She bonds instantly with ...

Hotel Guest Part 3 plunges even deeper into the hotel’s nightmarish world, where the line between reality and madness is completely blurred. In this spine-tingling third installment, survivors from the previous books are determined to escape the hotel’s dark grasp once and for all, but the malevolent forces within the walls have other plans. As new characters arrive, they quickly find themselves trapped in a deadly game orchestrated by the hotel's ancient and sinister power. With the hotel's secrets unraveling at an alarming pace, the group discovers that the building itself is alive, ...

The Art and Science of Executive Storytelling How Strategic Storytelling Inspires Trust, Elevates Leadership, and Drives Business Growth In a world driven by data and saturated with information, stories are what truly move people. In The Art and Science of Executive Storytelling, author and executive book strategist Candace Sinclair reveals how high-level leaders and entrepreneurs can use strategic storytelling to inspire trust, elevate communication, and drive measurable business growth. Through her signature EXEC Framework—Empathy, Emotion, Context, and Clarity—Sinclair shows how to ...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK READ BY MERYL STREEP “Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature.”—The Guardian In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself...

A case of the strange as Max and his newfound friends with a dark past go to the carnival of terror. A casino of death where one wrong roll decides it all. A loss or a win, we do not know. Sit and read with your mind as you hear this story of a crime. Think of what will come next, as it will not be a surprise.

Some children scream. Maya Sanders didn’t. At just seven years old, Maya is returned to a home filled with shadows—and when the system checks the boxes, she says nothing. Not because she’s okay. Because she knows silence is safer. When Maya is placed with Janine Thompkins, a foster mother who sees beyond behavior, a quiet war begins—not just for custody, but for truth. As Janine uncovers what Maya cannot say, she faces a system designed to measure compliance, not pain. A devastating, lyrical novel about the cost of being unheard—and the quiet revolution it takes to be free. Some ...

This book is the most heartfelt thing I have read in a long time. I love books that make you feel something, and this book definitely does that! - Faithe Walsh (NetGalley) One decision could rewrite Matthew’s life—or forever alter a child’s future. Matthew, an indecisive bachelor, never imagined parenthood. But when his brother’s sudden death leaves a newborn daughter stranded, he faces an impossible choice: walk away or become a father overnight. Meeting baby Allie changes everything. In a heartbeat, he trades his carefree life for sleepless nights and diapers—and discovers a ...

“This gentle, gorgeously written book may be one of my favorites ever.” —Jenna Bush Hager (A Today show “Read with Jenna” Book Club Selection!) This “moving portrait of love and friendship set against a backdrop of social change” (The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice)...

Skyrocket Your Sales Through the Power of Compelling StorytellingIn "The Story Selling Secret," author Jim Edwards presents a straightforward, 5-step blueprint for using personal stories to powerfully connect with your audience, differentiate yourself from competitors, and ultimately increase sales. In today's crowded marketplace, it's no longer enough to simply promote your products or services. You need to engage and resonate with your target audience on a deeper level, and there's no better way to do this than with compelling personal stories. Tell Personal Stories That Connect and Sell ...

“An astounding achievement.” —Megha Majumdar * “Her best book yet.” —Paul Yoon Set in midcentury America, At Last explores a rich family saga centered on two fierce and competitive matriarchs whose intertwined lives reflect the complexities of family, tradition, and personal ambition...

Discover the Secret to Selling High-Ticket Services with Ease If traditional sales tactics aren’t working with your affluent clients, you’re not alone. High-net-worth individuals don’t respond to pressure, logic, or hard pitches—they buy into status, trust, and emotion. That’s where Velvet Rope StorySelling comes in. In Velvet Rope StorySelling: How to Captivate, Influence, and Sell the Dream to Affluent Clients, you’ll discover how to transform your sales process into an irresistible narrative that affluent clients can’t ignore. This isn’t just about telling stories—...

Juliette has always longed for everything she experiences in her beloved books—grand adventures, heroic deeds, passionate love, and making a meaningful difference. She wants it all. Yet, despite her found family, her dream bookshop, and a burgeoning connection with a sweet man, chronic anxiety keeps her tethered to a safe and predictable routine. Until her life is upended when an unexpected magical ability surfaces. Now gifted with the power to locate lost things, Juliette's world becomes a blend of wonder and anxiety.

What if your life were a building—and the people you love lived on the ground floor? YOUR EMOTIONAL BUILDING is a powerful illustrated fable for adults navigating the silent cracks of modern life. Inspired by a viral LinkedIn post seen by over a million readers, this book guides you through the hidden floors of your emotional world—from work and friends to dreams, health, and family. In a voice that doesn’t judge but invites reflection, author Nacho Caballero blends storytelling, vulnerability, and striking metaphors to ask one essential question: Are you ready to renovate your ...

Heartbreak, healing, and a dash of revenge come together in this soul-searching, spice-filled journey through India from beloved author Arielle Ford. When chef Holly’s carefully built life unravels—first through a painful betrayal, then a near-fatal accident—she’s left reeling, uncertain...

From Betsy Lerner, celebrated author of The Bridge Ladies, comes a wry and riveting debut novel about family, mental illness, and a hard-won path between two sisters. It is said that when one person in a family is unstable, the whole family is destabilized. Meet the Shreds. Olivia is the sister...

Creative writing is not a talent you’re either born with or not—it is a craft that can be built, sharpened, and mastered through deliberate practice. The stories we remember—the ones that live inside us for years—were not accidental. They were engineered with emotional resonance, intentional structure, and a storyteller who understood how to guide the reader’s imagination without ever letting them see the strings.

Magnetic Conversation -- Mastering the Art of Conversation Unlock the secrets to captivating and meaningful interactions with Magnetic Conversation -- Mastering the Art of Conversation. This book is your essential guide to developing powerful communication skills, from active listening and reading nonverbal cues to building emotional intelligence and empathy. Discover how to engage others with confidence, ask insightful questions, and use positive body language to create instant rapport. Whether you want to excel in the workplace, deepen personal relationships, or simply become a more ...