True Fiction Project: Inspiring Stories of Hope and Love Mashup

Host: Reenita Hora
Guests: Mark Stephen Poirot, Brian G.
Date: October 7, 2025
Episode: Season 6 - Inspirational Mashup

Episode Overview

In this special “Inspiring Stories of Hope and Love Mashup,” host Reenita Hora curates moving moments from Season 6, celebrating the resilience, loyalty, and love that shine through life’s challenges. Through heartfelt interviews and evocative fiction segments, this episode honors both the power of personal storytelling and the creative spark it lights for new tales. The two highlighted guests—memoirist Mark Stephen Poirot and novelist Brian G.—share personal journeys that inspired their writing, followed by touching readings from their works.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Human Spirit: Introduction by Reenita Hora

[01:34]

• Reenita sets the tone: The stories remind her of “the best parts of being human—the strength we find in difficult times... the courage it takes to keep believing in something better.”
• Emphasis on how real-life adversity, love, and kindness are fertile grounds for storytelling.

2. Mark Stephen Poirot: A Memoir of Caregiving and Rediscovered Joy

[03:02] – [06:04]

• Background: Mark led a film industry life in Hollywood, then returned home to care for his aging mother, Genevieve, after a family crisis.
• Turning Point: His mother’s withdrawal was “a kind of a self determined” moment sparked by unhappiness and loneliness.
• Family Response: Siblings gathered. Mark and his sister learned hospice care to “provide love in the house,” after which their mother revived.
  • Notable Quote:
    “I think it was a cry for help. She wanted her kids back, if not her kids, at least some love in the house. And so we provided that.”
    – Mark Stephen Poirot [03:40]
• Return Home: At age 55, Mark moved back into his childhood home.
• Memoir Excerpt: Mark reads a poignant scene where neighborhood children’s parade brings fleeting joy to his frail mother and stirs echoes of her youth.
• Themes: Capturing love in caretaking, memory, and moments of fleeting happiness during difficulty.
  • Notable Description:
    “The entire procession appears to be from an innocent time long past… It’s uncertain whether she knows any of them, but that doesn’t matter. What does is the long, absent and much needed joy these children bring her.”
    – Mark Stephen Poirot [04:38]

3. Brian G.: Writing for Connection, Healing, and Loyalty

[06:04] – [09:38]

• Background: Brian is a San Diego author shifting from youth sports novels to adult fiction.
• Creative Process: Shared how simply writing “novel” on a whiteboard kept his goal alive subconsciously.
  • Notable Quote:
    “Without me even realizing it, every day I was looking at that... And I would just keep reinforcing subconsciously. Novel, novel.”
    – Brian G. [07:06]
• Inspiration for ‘Him’: A friend’s email about “adopting my new best friend”—a dog—sparked Brian’s novel about loyalty and finding home.
  • Notable Revelation:
    “If he had just said 'I’m going to adopt a dog,' it probably wouldn’t even have registered. But the fact that he said, ‘I’m going to go adopt my new best friend’... And I had the idea from beginning to end at that moment.”
    – Brian G. [08:10]
• Navigating Self-Publishing: Touches briefly on the challenges and learning curve.

4. Fiction Segment: A Dog’s Perspective on Loyalty and Trust

[09:38] – [13:52]

• Excerpt from ‘Him’: A touching inner monologue from a dog (“Scout”) who longs for his lost owner but is faced with the option of escape and freedom.
  • The dog chooses to stay when trusted, exploring loyalty from a deeply emotional, instinctive place.
  • Memorable Passage:
    “When someone trusts you, if you run away, no one can ever trust you again. And when someone trusts you, you should trust them back. It wasn’t because I was afraid of the moon.”
    – From ‘Him’ by Brian G. [13:24]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “These stories… inspire me to hold on to faith in people and in resilience and in the power of kindness.”
  – Reenita Hora [01:51]
• “She wanted her kids back, if not her kids, at least some love in the house.”
  – Mark Stephen Poirot [03:39]
• “Every day I was looking at [the word ‘novel’]... It was kind of like having kindling that just needed a spark to light it.”
  – Brian G. [07:17]
• “Imagine being out there alone, not knowing which way to go, and the moon watching you. That's exactly what the moon wants. I stayed by her side, and the next thing I knew, I was lying next to her on the grass… When someone trusts you, you should trust them back.”
  – Narration from ‘Him’ [13:22]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:34] – Reenita’s introduction and episode theme
• [03:02] – Mark Stephen Poirot discusses caregiving and memoir origins
• [04:07] – Mark reads emotional childhood memory inspired scene
• [06:04] – Introduction to Brian G., his writing journey, and inspiration
• [06:50] – Brian on subconscious goal-setting and novel inspiration
• [09:38] – Fiction excerpt: Scout the dog, loyalty, and the meaning of trust
• [13:52] – Episode wrap-up and invitation to listeners

Episode Tone & Style

Warm, reflective, and encouraging, combining personal narrative with a reverence for the everyday moments that inspire lasting stories. Both nonfiction interviews and fiction excerpts convey authenticity, vulnerability, and the profound impact of small gestures.

For Listeners

This mashup episode is ideal for anyone seeking stories that celebrate human kindness, the messy realities of caregiving, the loyalty of pets, and the everyday sparks that ignite novels and memoirs. The stories linger as reminders of the hope and love present in ordinary life.