We were lucky to catch up with Ellen Gable recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ellen, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My 12th book, Where Angels Pass, has been the most meaningful book I’ve worked on. The 2018 accusations against Cardinal McCarrick and the knowledge that the Catholic clergy abuse crisis was more widespread than earlier thought gave me the necessary motivation to finally write this book.
Although it is a novel, it is based on the true story of my father’s abuse by a Catholic priest at age 14 and the consequences of this abuse on his life and the lives of his spouse and children. Despite this abuse, my father remained a practicing Catholic until he passed away suddenly when I was a young teen.
It took 40 years to write this book, but it was important to share his story and my own story as a family member of an abuse survivor.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I enjoyed creative writing as a teen growing up in New Jersey. I also relished corresponding with over 100 pen pals from all over the world (back when there was only snail mail), exchanging letters in English and French with young adults in countries from South Africa to Japan, and learning about cultures outside of the United States. This hobby of writing to pen pals led to me visiting a pen pal in Canada and meeting my future husband.
One of millions of women, I have grieved the loss of seven babies through miscarriage. The journals I kept during these heart-wrenching losses were the foundation of my first published article in 1995, Five Little Souls in Heaven, which inspired my first book, Emily’s Hope, based on the true stories of myself and my great-grandmother.
My second novel won the Gold Medal in Religious Fiction in the 2010 IPPY Awards, and my most recent novel, Where Angels Pass, won First Place in Catholic Novels in the 2022 CMA Book Awards. Where Angels Pass is based on the true story of my father’s abuse by a Catholic priest.
Along with my husband, James, we founded Full Quiver Publishing, an award-winning publisher of Catholic fiction. Our company now has over 40 authors and nearly 75 books in its catalog.
I’m also an editor, ghostwriter, self-publishing book coach, speaker, NFP teacher, Marriage Preparation Instructor, and past president of the Catholic Writers Guild.
I’m four feet eight and a half inches tall, and I’ve just completed my most recent book, Life From the Bottom Shelf, a humorous collection of stories about what it’s like to live as a short person in a world of tall people.
My websites are: www.ellengable.com and www.fullquiverpublishing.com. I’m the past President of the Catholic Writers Guild (2012-2015). My family is my most joyful accomplishment. My husband of 42 years, James Hrkach, and I are the parents of five adult sons, three beautiful daughters-in-law, and the grandparents of three adorable and entertaining grandchildren. We live in Pakenham, Ontario, Canada.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of the ways I have been able to work through grief (with the loss of seven babies through miscarriage, the loss of my father when I was a teen, and any other losses I’ve experienced in life) is to journal. Journaling helped me persevere and has been tremendously cathartic for me. This was one of the reasons I started writing fiction.
When my father died suddenly when I was a teen, I found that corresponding with pen pals and journaling were particularly helpful as I journeyed through the various levels of grief. This, then, led to journaling later in life when I experienced pregnancy losses.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

From the time I was six years old, I’ve been a voracious reader. I will read just about every kind of book, although I enjoy historical romance, suspense, and true crime. My love of historical romance led me to write “clean” historical novels without the graphic violence or sexuality of most secular books. Clean novels don’t necessarily mean boring. I strive to write compelling fiction with likable characters without the graphic details.
While this is not my only goal, it is one that I hope will encourage my grandchildren to read these novels when they’re old enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ellengable.com www.fullquiverpublishing.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ellengable
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellengable
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellengablehrkach/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellengable

Image Credits

All images by James Hrkach