Your Happy Hour - The Stack Series ~ "Beyond The Well" ft. Lauree Brown

Episode Date: August 9, 2026

Welcome to The Stack Series! ✨The Stack Series features new books and emerging authors sharing their stories, inspirations, and journeys with us. In this special episode, we celebrate the launch of a new book into the world written by author Lauree Brown who shares her journey of writing historical fiction inspired by the biblical Samaritan Woman in order to explore themes of resilience, faith, and self-acceptance and inspired by her personal experiences. She has beautifully crafted a book that brings deep research to life offering context, healing and empowerment.Check out more about Lauree and her book here.🎧 Stay tuned for stories that inspire, uplift, and spark your abundant life!The Stack Series is produced by swartkat.co - captured via riverside.fm & shared via rss.com.

And we're back with another episode. It's a Fields session episode. It's called The Stack Series. And this is a series that's specifically for new authors and celebration of beautiful books out in the world. And it's part of the Fields podcast. And I have the privilege of chatting to an author today whose book I couldn't put down and is so wonderful to put into the world and celebrate today with you, Laurie Brown, a really, really big welcome to the Fields Podcast, to the Fields Space, and to the Stack series

specifically, and we're just so happy to have you here. Thank you, Nicole. I'm really excited to be here, and I'm really honored. I do listen to your podcast, and I'm excited to share the book. I work hard on it, but it really developed itself. I love that, and I know we spoke a little bit about the book, earlier offline. So I'm really happy to be able to share more of what's behind the book with the audience today. And so I thought let's start there. I mean, I know that you've also been a writer for a while, but how did you get to this point of writing this specific book and maybe wanting to be an author? Yeah, just take us a little bit of a journey. I have always turned to writing in journals and so forth my entire life. So the writing was

nothing new the subject matter was so I came about this I read historical fiction but I've never even thought of writing about it I've written web content and articles and academia but not fiction but it came to me from a very personal place where I had a conversation with with what is now, my fiance. We had just started dating. We had been dating maybe a month before I realized, wow, I was really falling for this guy. He was and is amazing. But in my mind, he had lived the way you were supposed to live.

You grow up, you go to college, you meet someone, you get married, you have a family, you live happily ever after. And that is how I assumed right living was. I didn't have the luxury. There was a lot of factors going into my life. So I didn't quite grow up, graduate from high school, go to college, meet the man of my dreams, and so forth. So I wanted to make that very clear to him that we were not,

on the same field. And I really wanted to protect myself. And I wanted to protect him because I thought he did it right and deserved more. And so we had this conversation. We went to a pub that was close to us that we frequent every now and then anyways. And I was very serious. And I told him, I need to tell you who I really am. And I imagine that really sparked his interest. It's like, okay, what are she going to say? So, you know, I explained what I saw from him in his right living and that I had been married and divorced a few times.

And I was just then as an adult going to college. and I had just done everything kind of upside down and backwards. I had children and I really assumed he would be like, yeah, we'll be friends. And I was just looking down because I didn't want to look up and face him, but he was quiet, so I kind of had to. And when I looked up, he was just looking at me. And he said, so what I'm hearing is you're like the Samaritan woman. And I just kind of shocked for a moment.

I'm like, um, okay. And he said, you've loved and you've lost. And that all made you who you are today. And I was just in shock and just awed by this. It was incredible because I suddenly didn't feel like we didn't belong. And I felt truly seen for who I am as a whole person instead of being judged by my mistakes. And that's what drew me to the Samaritan woman. Because you've got to believe the minute I went home, I'm looking up the Samaritan woman.

And I wanted to see this, you know, and so I'm looking at this conversation in John in the Bible for those who are not familiar. And it's actually a pretty long conversation that this woman who did not have a name in the Bible had with Jesus at the well. And the point that's often taught is when Jesus says, you've had five husbands. and are living with a man who is not your own. That's usually the focus of this entire deep and rich conversation that they had. And that was my life. It was, oh, she's been married a few times and divorced, you know, and at one time was living with a man that I was not married to.

So I felt very personally connected with her. and I didn't like immediately start writing the story. It's like, oh, this is a book, you know. But I walked with this. And then suddenly this woman was walking along with me. And at one point, it was just like our story needs to be told. There was so much more. I researched so much.

And I have an undergraduate in anthropology. So I love diving deep into the culture and the customs and everything that went into the world that created this woman. And so it just had to be told. And so that's how that began. Years later, here we are. How many years did it take you from when you started the research or reading about the Samaritan woman to know? Nearly 12 years from the moment I was introduced to now because my fiance and I just celebrated 12 years together. So it's kind of that same length.

Now, I have always been drawn to culture. You know, it's why I studied that specifically when I was studying anthropology. I also studied psychology and focused on religion. all of it was very, very interesting to me. And I went on then to seek a degree in divinity and then a doctorate in metaphysical theology. So this has always been of interest to me in how scripture is interpreted

and how religions relate to one another in similarities, more than differences. So it's not suddenly a lot. out of the blue, it just all converged at once. I love that. And I feel like you probably, just like life does, gives you like a little nudge, you know, and it's like, go in this direction now. And I really just want to say, I love your story and I appreciate the journey you've walked,

you know, as a woman too, and that you get to celebrate her, whoever she was back in the history of the day. And I do believe that when we are kind of sometimes rewriting our present, you know, we change the things for the past. We kind of go back and like the past morphs with us as we morph into the future in a different way. And so you're getting to showcase not just to the woman now that it's okay and it's normal to just be who you are in your journey. And I love that. you know, I think what is normal? What does normal really mean? And also, why is there no context often given to stories out there in the world that we just take one-liners, especially the Bible's often like that, you know? And so I find that a really interesting book to, that we reference a lot

in our lives. And a lot of other books are like that. And we don't always give it the proper kind of life story. And so I love that you've done that in this book, Beyond the World, where you've kind of woven in her past and where she could have come from. And then you also talk about kind of beyond what happened after the conversation. And so how did it feel writing it? I mean, was it a long process? Did you enjoy the writing process? I did. At the very beginning, I said I generally write nonfiction. So that's kind of my wheelhouse. And so I went about it very similarly. I'm going to make this outline and this is the plan and this is how it's going to go and it felt very textbook kind of and it just lacked life so writing the fiction I needed to step back and not go so very analytical

and let the story write itself one of the things that was very important is that she has a whole life because it's not one moment that creates us. How did we get there? That's what I wanted to know and what I wanted others to consider. How did this woman come about getting five husbands and living with a man who's not her own in a way that tells a plausible story that's not scandalous? And so in the research, marriage wasn't the same as it is today.

You can't take the context of how we live today and assume that's how it has always been. So marriage was arranged. And in Jewish laws, if there was no child conceived in a marriage, and that man dies, then the woman is married to the brother. And that goes on. marriage was also the man's domain and so he could divorce her and she had no say so he could sell her it's women didn't have the same value and so i wanted to give her the opportunity to have her the opportunity

to have her life and have people understand i cannot prove that this all happened exactly the way it did. But I can guarantee it is plausible. The historical research, the way, the customs, the travel times, it is in that way a very true historical fiction book. And I do feel like she kind of walked along with me giving her story. Now, one of the things that happened when I stepped aside is something that I had when I was a child that I didn't know, not everybody has, is I guess you'd just call it imagination. When I was young and I was sent to bed before I was really tired, I would look at the wall and see a cartoon. Fully playing out, I'm giggling. It's, you know, I could just see it all happening.

and that's one of the things that I discovered I can still do. And so as I'm writing and I don't have the plan, it unfolds. It's happening. I'm watching it happen and I'm just typing out what I'm seeing happen. And so I get very ingrained in the story as well. And it's kind of hard sometimes. And I'm sure since you did read it, you understand some of the chapters that just about destroyed me writing it.

And it's like I'd had to step back and take a break and come back at it later. I can understand that because, you know, I couldn't put it down. And even as you're talking now and I'm imagining you seeing the images playing out in front of you and typing them, and I can sense, you know, how difficult that must have been. And I had a similar thing when I was growing up. and I kind of, you're reminding me of that now, which is wonderful. Thank you. I think I put that aside for a long time, so maybe it's time to reopen the animated coloring book, you know, but it's really amazing that you get to kind of channel like that in a way and be able to tell

that story. And I'm sure it was healing for you too in your own journey and the things that you went through. Yeah. It was very, very healing because seeing her as a whole person just, navigating her life and survival and holding on to dignity and having that resilience, brought that out again in myself. And my story is just my story. The emotions that she has throughout her story are usually reflective of my own through my varied experiences in life. And so, yeah, it was very healing. And I realized that another thing from my childhood, I didn't, when things happened to me that I had no control over, I didn't really get crushed by them.

I never, never really felt like I was a victim, almost more of a tool. And this is, this is strange, I will admit, because even for, from the time I was very, very young. I remember thinking, this might help somebody someday. And so I always thought I would become a therapist, and I didn't. But I use that, though, because a lot of these experiences that I've had

that probably would have destroyed another person, you know, didn't. I use that to hopefully help some, I want other women or men who feel like they're not seen. To read this and understand they're perfect in who they are and all of their experiences brought them to where they are today and find that dignity and healing and resilience and lift their head up and say, this is my story. this is not who I am. This is my story.

And maybe they can share as well. And I think this is why we tell stories. This is why we have books, why we have films, because we need to understand that we're not alone in this world. We need to understand that it's okay to go through the journeys that we go through. So I'm so happy that it was healing for you and that you had that experience of not feeling like a victim because that is rare. I think a lot of people will internalize a lot of what has happened in their life and feel pity towards themselves, you know.

And so in a way, perhaps you also were able to tap into that part of you that understands that we're just human, you know, and that we're here having an experience. And everyone's experience is different, but we all just here to experience joy and love and pain and the spectrum of things that make us human. And so being able to give you that space to express that, being able to give your character space to express that, and then being able to resonate with that as a reader is really amazing. And, you know, just reading your book, I've also had some interesting chapters of life in my journey.

And just reading your book kind of made me feel whole and wholesome again and in so many ways. So I really appreciate that. And I'm really curious what is next on what is happening with the book? And tell me about what author journey you're on so we can celebrate that. What is next for historical fiction line that I'm working on is when I researched the Samaritan woman and I had kind of been on a journey of looking at scripture and interpretation. and I noticed stories that are told or stories that are used as symbols,

but never given depth of a whole person. And I was like, hey, that's not right. And so I am working on the whole series as obscure. women of the Bible. And so people, women who have been used as an example or who had a blurb that's been used in sermons, but never given the fullness of who they are in the context of how this came about. And so the next one, and I am about halfway through this, is the woman who bled for 12 years. And this woman, yeah, she's hemorrhaging for 12 years. And in Jewish culture, that makes her unclean.

And she can't be with other people. And so there's a lot of isolation. And does that influence her faith? I don't know, we'll have to find out. But she does spend all of her time and all of her money trying to find a cure. And naturally it fails. But she's very, very courageous.

And she goes to seek healing from Jesus. And she believes it if she can just touch the hem of his robe, that would be enough. And so in the biblical account, of course, she reaches out. She touches the hem of her robe. Jesus stops and says, who touched me? He felt the power. He felt something come out of him.

And he turns, you know, and he sees her and he lets her know. Daughter, your faith has healed you. He did not say, I've healed you, her faith. And so I explore that. But I give her an entire life. How did this happen? So there was a lot of research there too, because I wanted to know, okay, how is this possible? You know, what could this be?

And there are a few things that this could be. And I focused, and I just, you know, I used my own decision on this one. and what I wanted to go with. Because I would like a physician or somebody to be able to read this and look at the pattern and diagnose, you know, what it was. Also researching what treatments would have been that she sought and what she would have gone through.

The isolation, what does she go through with that? And how does she go from this? to having so much faith, so much belief that it works. And when she touches the hem, she is healed. So she's a really cool person too. She sounds amazing. There's some really neat nuances that I put into that. That I'm just like giddy over, you know, when people read this

and then they get to the end and read this and things just connect and explode, and I'm really excited about that. I love that, and I love your passion, and that sounds really, she does sound like a really cool person. And, I mean, that sounds like a really intriguing story, and you're also kind of opening my mind to thinking about all these different things and how is it possible. You know, there's so much that we don't know and don't explore, and even in today's life, you know, there are a lot of people struggling with things that aren't easy to explain. But we reminded that we are divine humans, and I love that your books are doing that,

so that they are bringing us back to our faith in who we are, having belief, having passion for life and for love. So thank you for doing that. And I wanted to ask you if you had any kind of words of wisdom to anyone that wants to be an author or maybe an aspiring writer and like what that process has been like for you. Is there anything that you do that helps you that you can maybe share? Schedule time, make it, you know, so much and myself included, you know, it's like, oh, I don't have time because, you know, I have this, I have this, I have children, I have, you know, and when you schedule time to write,

often you're scheduling time for yourself. Because a writer doesn't, you know, usually, at least what I assume, randomly decide to write. They write because there is something within that they want to share and to build on and to pull out. And even when I'm doing the nonfiction, there's still so much. And you learn and grow from that, it changes. When you write things, it changes you and it can change the world. And you're important enough to schedule that time. That's another thing that changes within you. You understand your own importance.

It's okay to be important and to schedule time for yourself to do just this. and it doesn't take away from others. It adds to you, therefore you have more to add to others. That being said, it was helpful that the timing did align. I got a lot more done when my daughter, my last child, went off to college. So there is that. Yeah, sometimes these the right time, you know, where things kind of flow, and you have more capacity to be able to take that on.

But I agree with you. I'm also being very mindful of that recently of being, one, the self-love, the importance. I love that you said that. I think a lot of people struggle with that. We taught in society to love from the outside in, but it's really from the inside out. And it's hard sometimes for us to embrace that, you know,

because we feel like we're selfish, but it's not. It's really just giving from a different space within ourselves. And so I'm glad that you did because a beautiful book has come from that and that we get to celebrate today. And I just so appreciate you sharing your hearts openly about the book and the story and so excited to see what comes next for you. I know there's a lot happening in your space that please keep us updated on as things evolve, you know? I will do just that.

I'm hopeful. I can share some. I can't share details. But this book did come across, and it was probably actually the review. There was a USA Today review. And so it's probably that that came across to one of my favorite authors. And she actually emailed me. and she was like, wow, this is great.

And we just got to talking about writing. And I have some nonfiction in the works and things. And she connected me with one of her agents. And so there's a lot going on on that side of things as well. And I'm hoping that the historical fiction books, which is just kind of a very, to a whole branch of readers that may not flow over into the nonfiction world, will be able to see the book.

I believe in the book. I really do. I believe in this story. I've had great feedback. It just needs to be seen because if there are millions of books that are published every year and how do you find that one? you know and so I'm hoping with perhaps more exposure getting my foot in the door for something like Simon Schuster or Penguin Random House that would be great it can bring it to more readers and oddly I don't know if

it's oddly but I find it interesting some of my biggest fans from this book that have read it and given me feedback and things like that are men. I didn't write for men. I wrote about a woman for women. That's so interesting. But yet, the men just absolutely loved it, said they were still able to just be immersed and relate to the emotions and what was going on.

And they were so excited. and it changed their point of view on how they saw things. And it's like, wow, that was unexpected. And so I'm really excited to hear. I'm always looking to say, oh, is there another review? What does somebody think? I want to know what people think, even if it's like, oh, I'm only giving this two stars. Why?

I want to know. I'm not going to get offended. I want to know the interpretation that others have. of the book. I know that they are promoting it as Christian historical fiction. Sorry, it tripped up on my words there. And it is, but I don't feel like it is that alone. I feel that it has an up depth. It simply is set in the time and place of, you know, first century, biblical time and place, but it's the world that was there then, you know, and so it is available to anyone that enjoys historical fiction. And I do like that genre because it has enough nerd in it

that, you know, I get to do the research and because I really wanted it to be authentically plausible. I want somebody to go in and say, hey, that, that's actually Pretty accurate. Is it going to be perfect? No, probably not. But neither is any single life. You know, life is messy. And that might be reflected a little.

I mean, when I was reading it, I felt like, wow, yeah, it felt so like I was right there, you know. And even though I didn't know that world, it felt like I was in that world. And so you definitely managed to do that. And, you know, I agree, imperfectly perfect is what we aim for in life. So I love that. And I really appreciate that a lot of more men are reading it.

And I do think that today men are feeling more confused and lost than ever before, probably, because women are more independent and strong in the forefront. And perhaps they're going through similar things, you know, that women used to go through back in the day. We're just humans, you know. It doesn't matter really what the rest of the vessel is. And I appreciate that we can love each other like that and that your book opens us up to that. So I'm super excited for you for all of that that's happening.

And I'm sure this little seed is going to grow and plant and become a beautiful tree just like what you have behind you with the cover of the book. I'm looking at that now and it's just so inspiring. So thank you so much for stepping into being an author in this genre, for doing all the research you have, for caring so much about people out there and, yeah, also just sharing all of that here with me in this moment. I really appreciate that and it's very much up-all feels Ellie, all of this. So I know that the audience are going to really love reading your book and listening to

today's episode. Thank you. And I really appreciate being able to come on here and share my story and share my book and talk to you. You're a very soothing voice that I enjoy listening to. And so I'm grateful and honored to be a part of this. It's such a pleasure. And thank you for that. That means the world.