Eden Gordon Media spotlights military spouses with May book club feature

By AI, Created 11:37 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Eden Gordon Media and WMAL’s The All-American Book Club are marking National Military Spouse Appreciation Day on May 8 with stories from military spouses, authors and advocates. The feature highlights military spouse unemployment, entrepreneurship and books that center service, resilience and family life.

Why it matters: - Military spouses continue to face unemployment estimates of 21% to 25%, about 5 to 6 times higher than the national average. - The feature frames military spouses as an overlooked workforce with skills shaped by service, frequent moves and family sacrifice. - The timing aligns with National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which falls on Friday, May 8 this year.

What happened: - Eden Gordon Media and NewsTalk 105.9 FM, WMAL’s The All-American Book Club, issued a May feature honoring military spouses. - The release centers on stories from Eden Gordon Hill, Monica Fullerton, Becky Aikman, Cortney Cino, Kristen Christy and Kathy Branzell. - Hill described the project as a way to recognize military spouses and veterans and their “intentional, voluntary service.” - The release also thanked Cortney Cino and illustrator Tim Deberd for contributing illustrations for Finally Home.

The details: - Hill said military spouses’ “deployments” are less visible, but still involve supporting service members and veterans. - Hill said the goal was to elevate military spouses who created their own “handbooks on life” and opened doors for career and employment opportunities. - The Department of Labor estimates military spouse unemployment at 21% to 25%. - Hill said 64% of military spouses are either underemployed or seeking work. - Hill called the unemployment numbers “disgraceful” and said boardrooms should pay attention to the issue. - Monica Fullerton founded Spouse-ly, an online marketplace for military and first responder families to sell products and services. - Fullerton also created BLT: Build, Launch, and Thrive, an online course for early-stage entrepreneurs. - Fullerton offers 1:1 Business Bestie Consulting for more personalized business support. - Fullerton’s work is presented as focused on learning, connection and income opportunities for military and first responder families. - Becky Aikman wrote Spitfires, a book about the women WWII Spitfire pilots. - Aikman traveled to England to research records, crash sites, witnesses and airfields for the book. - In the United States, Aikman met pilots’ families and interviewed Nancy Miller, the last living flyer at age 104. - Aikman said the pilots’ diaries and letters added intimate details not previously seen by the public. - Aikman studied journalism at Columbia University, won the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship and worked for BusinessWeek and New York Newsday. - Aikman later wrote Saturday Night Widows and Off the Cliff. - Cortney Cino founded Whimspire Books in fall 2023 and wrote the children’s book Finally Home. - Cino said Whimspire Books aims to create picture books that build imagination and confidence. - Before publishing, Cino spent more than 15 years in healthcare marketing. - Cino said healthcare marketing and picture books both require distilling complex ideas into clear, memorable messages. - Kristen Christy is a Master Resilience Trainer and resilience expert. - Christy was named 2018 AFI Air Force Spouse of the Year, a 2019 Top 30 Women Military Influencer and a 2020 Remarkable Woman finalist. - Christy co-founded the National Veterans Vocational Village Foundation and helped create and advise the national 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline. - Christy also created National Resilience Day. - Christy speaks publicly about the suicide of her first husband after a deployment and the disappearance of her oldest son due to mental illness. - Kathy Branzell is president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and author of An Invitation to Prayer. - Branzell said she has spent 19 years serving National Day of Prayer leaders, staff and supporters. - Branzell founded Fellowship and Christian Encouragement for Educators and wrote weekly scripture readings, prayer prompts and devotionals for 17 years. - Branzell has authored or co-authored five books and earned degrees from the University of Georgia and Liberty Theological Seminary. - Eden Gordon Hill is the founder and owner of Eden Gordon Media and hosts the morning radio show on WMAL. - Hill said her work sits at the intersection of media and patriotism and aims to amplify stories that resonate with faith, country and family.

Between the lines: - The release mixes advocacy, personal testimony and book promotion to cast military spouses as both a community in need and a source of leadership. - The repeated focus on entrepreneurship suggests a broader message: flexible business ownership may help offset the career disruption many military families face. - By featuring authors, advocates and resilience experts together, the project ties military spouse recognition to public service, mental health and women’s history.

What’s next: - The May 8 observance gives the campaign a built-in moment for additional attention around military spouse issues. - The book-club format suggests more profile-driven coverage and continued promotion of authors connected to service, family and resilience. - Hill said the prayer ministry will continue as a remote team, with National Day of Prayer staff based around the country.

The bottom line: - The feature uses Military Spouse Appreciation Day to argue that military spouses deserve more visibility, more economic opportunity and more respect.