Effie-Alean Gross, formerly of Fountain Hills, has released a new book. According to Gross, “Stories That (Really) Matter: Biblical Reflections” is geared toward literature lovers from high school on up through retirement.

Gross hails from Iowa, where she received her B.A. cum laude in education and M.A. in English from Drake University in Des Moines. For a decade she taught composition and creative writing at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix. Writing on travel, family and faith, her 200 published articles have appeared nationally.

When it comes to her new book, Gross said it can be read for sheer enjoyment or it can be used for English/language arts by at-home learners. Fifteen classic short stories are compared to stories found in the world’s all-time best-seller, the Bible.

Gross’ said her book was endorsed by the nation’s utmost authority on the Bible as literature, Dr. Leland Ryken, professor emeritus of English at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Rosemarie Malroy, author of “Forever Loving”said “Stories That (Really Matter” is “a fascinating book to learn about literature, theme, Bible and thought-provoking moral issues…any reader will enjoy benefiting from it.”

Gross’ new book is available in eBook and print through her website (effiegross.com) or Amazon.