Tune in LIVE at 7pm ET for TONIGHT’s episode! 

Join us Wednesday, June 19th LIVE at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as the Fab Four gather to celebrate this month’s F&F Featured Author, the NYT-bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds and the Peachtree Bluff series, our very own Kristy Woodson Harvey, to discuss her brand-new book, our June 2024 Pick of the Month A HAPPIER LIFE, a tender and touching novel about a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina. 

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the NYT-bestselling author of ten novels, including The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, and the Peachtree Bluff series, which is in development for television with NBC. Her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Her latest novel, A HAPPIER LIFE, is imbued with “her signature warmth and Southern charm” (E! Online), and has been called “a family mystery wrapped in a love story and a gracious nod to tradition and the people who came before us” by bestselling novelist Annabel Monaghan, and labeled “women’s fiction at its best” in a rave review from Publishers Weekly. The full Fab Four plus Meg & Ron will be on-hand to launch this beautiful book in grand F&F fashion on a LIVE show with all the laughs and shenanigans you’ve come to expect.

AND! Also during tonight’s live show, Patti will unveil the title and the cover for her forthcoming March 2025 historical novel! You do not want to miss this exclusive first sneak peek!

Watch the LIVE video broadcast of this show Wed 6/19 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast Fri 6/21.

Pre-order Kristy’s book on Bookshop.org!
Shop all of our guests’ & hosts’ books in our F&F Shop on Bookshop.org!

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a bonus Q&A with Kristy which includes a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about her work-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show!  

Latest News from the Fab Four!

KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY is SO EXCITED for her Friends & Fiction launch of A HAPPIER LIFE. It makes everything feel real. I can’t wait to see so many Friends & Fiction members on my tour! Don’t forget: If you’re near St.Louis, you can see the entire crew on Friday, June 28th at the St. Louis Library! Get your tickets HERE. And, make sure you check out my fun interview with Gilmore Girls star Devon Sorvari, who just so happens to also be the voice of Keaton in my audiobook version of A HAPPIER LIFE! I had so much fun chatting with her!
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh. Courtney is one of my favorite authors of fun, easy rom-coms, and I love the idea of just saying YES. For a whole summer!

MARY KAY ANDREWS is loving the slower pace of summer, even doing water aerobics at the neighborhood pool! She’s “diving into” all things A HAPPIER LIFE with this week’s live show and next week’s event in St. Louis. Father’s Day meant a family cookout and celebrating Mr. MKA and our amazing son-in-law Mark. You can catch her signing copies of SUMMERS AT THE SAINT at a new Atlanta-area bookstore, Scholars and Scribes in Fayetteville, this Friday night for a fun Prosecco and Prose event. Go here for tickets.
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center, who is my publishing house sister, since we share the same editor. Katherine’s books are always pure sunshine, and this one about a writer hired to “punch up” a very famous (and very grumpy) screenwriter’s disastrous script, is laugh-out-loud funny. Come for the meet-cute, stay for the banter!

KRISTIN HARMEL is so very excited to be celebrating the launch of Kristy’s A HAPPIER LIFE this week (on the live show!) and next week (in person in St.Louis!). She hopes that if you’re within driving distance of St. Louis, you’ll consider coming to see all four Friends & Fiction authors in conversation about this incredible book. Kristin enjoyed celebrating Father’s Day with her husband and son on Sunday, and she’s working on a screenwriting project she can’t wait to share with you!
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: I’ve just started to dive in to Signe Pike’s The Shadowed Land (coming 12/3/24), the third in her LOST QUEEN series and the first historical novel to feature the real King Arthur—the warrior Artur mac Aedan, who lived in early medieval Scotland. Signe is a great friend of the show (and a good friend of Patti), so I’m very excited to be reading her work…. I’m loving the book so far and will report back next week when I’m a bit further along! 

PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY has had the most incredible time in Scotland and Sweden – it’s been the trip of a lifetime. A total blur of beauty and family and wedding and trains, planes, ferries and hikes. She will post pictures soon but for now she is so excited to come home (one of the best parts of travel is returning home!), dive into her copy edits and prepare to share her cover and title with you on the LIVE show tonight! Are you signed up for her newsletter so you can see the cover and hear all the news?! Patti is also thrilled for Kristy’s launch tonight—there is so much fun in store!—and for next week’s live event in St. Louis.
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: Clear by Carys Davies. I read it because it is set on a Scottish island and received such beautiful praise and reviews. I absolutely loved this book: a story of a minister dispatched to a remote island to clear its last remaining inhabitant. An immersive gorgeous read.

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for an ongoing series of roundtable discussions and personal essays by the Fab Four about their careers, writing processes, and all things book and publishing related!

Upcoming Events

Click HERE to see Kristy Woodson Harvey’s full book tour for the June 25th release of her new hardcover, A Happier Life.

Friday, June 28, 7pm ET — Join all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Meg Walker & Ron Block—together in-person in St. Louis for a launch celebration and garden party for Kristy’s A Happier Life hosted by The Novel Neighbor at the St. Louis County Library Post Event Space, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO. Get tickets HERE. 

Friday, September 27 — An F&F Live event to benefit Earlier.org at High Point Country Club in High Point, NC. Details & ticketing info to come.

Sunday, September 29 — An F&F Live brunch event at the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors in Winston-Salem, NC. Details & ticketing info to come.

Wednesday, November 6, 6pm ET — Join all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Meg Walker & Ron Block—together in-person at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Orlando, FL for a unique fundraising event benefiting the Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS) Foundation which will include a reception over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, an intimate presentation, book sales, and an autograph session. Take advantage of "The Happier Life Special" by purchasing tickets before June 25th for $60 apiece (marked down from $75). Get tickets HERE.

Thursday, November 7 — An F&F Live afternoon tea event hosted by the Amelia Island Book Festival at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, FL. Details & ticketing info to come.

Want to know what these F&F Live events are all about? Watch this video compilation! And then grab your tickets to meet up with us in St. Louis next week!

In Case You Missed It

On last week’s episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, Patti & Kristin welcome the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Wingate to discuss SHELTERWOOD, her sweeping new novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth. Order Lisa’s book from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org, where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount—and where all your purchases support our show and our beloved indie bookstores nationwide! 

You can WATCH that episode on Facebook or YouTube, or LISTEN to it on our podcast.

Coming Up on The Friends & Fiction Show

All shows can be watched on Facebook & YouTube each Wednesday evening at 7pm ET, and listened to on our podcast each Friday, all year long.

Already aired: Lisa Scottoline, The Truth About the Devlins
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Jo Piazza, The Sicilian Inheritance
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: F&F April Pick of the Month: Emily Henry, Funny Story
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Janet Skeslien Charles, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Ruth Ware, One Perfect Couple
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: F&F May Pick of the Month: Mary Kay Andrews, Summers at the Saint
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Steven Rowley, The Guncle Abroad
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Sunny Hostin, Summer on Highland Beach
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Annabel Monaghan, Summer Romance
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Lisa Wingate, Shelterwood
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

F&F June Pick of the Month: Kristy Woodson Harvey, A Happier Life
Watch LIVE: June 19 | Listen: June 21

Chris Whitaker, All the Colors of the Dark
Watch: June 26 | Listen: June 28

Stay tuned for the announcement (coming soon!) of our Summer 2024 Season (July-September) guest line-up! We’ve got great things in store!

Bonus Episodes!

The Fab Four (along with Meg & Ron) are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that we’ve run on the F&F YouTube channel!

WATCH Kristy’s interview with Gilmore Girls star Devon Sorvari, who is also the voice of Keaton in the audiobook version of A HAPPIER LIFE.

WATCH Kristin’s interview with Erika Robuck about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Last Twelve Miles.

WATCH Kristin & Kristy’s interview with Lisa Barr about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Goddess of Warsaw.

WATCH Kristin’s conversation with Christina Lauren about their brand-new instant NYT-bestselling hit The Paradise Problem.

WATCH MKA’s conversation with the award-winning voice artist Kathleen McInerney who narrates the Summers at the Saint audiobook.

WATCH Patti & MKA’s interview with Sheila Roberts about her newest The Best Life Book Club.

F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription Box

We have a Friends & Fiction merch store with t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs and a book bag on Bonfire. We also have other items like wine tumblers, reading journals, and our original white v-neck logo tees available through Oxford Exchange. You can also order the F&F 2024 SUBSCRIPTION BOX exclusively through our friends at Oxford Exchange. You get the two first-edition autographed hardcover books (and the adorable pouch!) shown below, plus the option to add Patti’s & Kristin’s 2024 paperback editions of last year’s books. All details HERE!

F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading Challenge

Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison for monthly book club picks and live online author chats on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa, where they’ve amassed more than 30k of their own members. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions, including their most recent chat with Mary Kay Andrews about her novel, Summers at the Saint. Mark your calendars for July 15th for their next author guest, Katherine Center, when they’ll discuss her novel, The Rom-Commers. With the help of Annissa Armstrong, the Book Club is also hosting the 2024 F&F Reading Challenge. Join them for a different category prompt each month to read outside your comfort zone. The June prompt is to read a book with the word “summer” in the title. For July it’s to read a book you got from a Little Free Library.

Stay in Touch!

Subscribe to our PODCAST.
Join our FACEBOOK group.
Follow us on INSTAGRAM.
Subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel.
Find details about everything F&F on our WEBSITE.
Shop our guests’ & hosts’ books in our shop on BOOKSHOP.
Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa.

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests.

Tune in at 7pm ET for TONIGHT’s episode! 

Join us Wednesday, June 12th, at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as Patti Callahan Henry & Kristin Harmel welcome the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Wingate to discuss SHELTERWOOD, her sweeping new novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth.

Lisa Wingate is the author of the #1 NYT-bestseller BEFORE WE WERE YOURS, which remained on bestseller lists for more than two years, has sold more than 3-million copies, and been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. The author of more than 30 novels and the co-author (with Judy Christie) of the non-fiction book BEFORE AND AFTER, Wingate is an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, a Southern Book Prize winner, and a Goodreads Choice Award winner. According to a recent starred review in Publishers Weekly, “Wingate is at the top of her game.” We are so eager to hear from her about SHELTERWOOD, which Adriana Trigiani calls “an instant American classic,” and Marie Benedict calls “Wingate’s best book yet!”

Watch the video broadcast of this interview as it airs on Wed 6/12 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel, or catch the audio version on our podcast on Fri 6/14.

Order Lisa’s book on Bookshop.org!
Shop all of our guests’ & hosts’ books in our F&F Shop on Bookshop.org!

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a bonus Q&A with Lisa which includes a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about her work-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show! 

Latest News from the Fab Four!

KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had the most fun recording the podcast for Our State magazine with Wiley Cash this week. She is so excited to be the July Book Club selection for Our State magazine, and also so grateful to be on best reads lists from Southern Living, Brit & Co, and more this week. She is starting to pack for her upcoming tour for A HAPPIER LIFE and hopes to see you in a location near you!
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin. I have read every single one of Laura Hankins’s books and I am so excited to start her latest summer read. She has such a fun and authentic voice. I am so excited to have an early copy! 

MARY KAY ANDREWS is settling into a summer routine, working on her next book and planning a research trip to Ireland for this fall. She’s excited to join the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa on Monday, June 17 to talk all about Summers at the Saint. She’ll be in conversation with her good pal Wanda Morris next Tuesday, June 18 at 7 pm hosted by Georgia Center for the Book at the Decatur Library for the launch of Wanda’s new thriller What You Leave Behind. Go here to register for this free event.
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: What You Leave Behind by Wanda Morris. A moving thriller set on the same patch of Georgia Coast as Summers at The Saint, that explores racial disparity, a mysterious land grab, loneliness, and murder. 

KRISTIN HARMEL spent both weekend mornings at the soft opening of the brand-new DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Orlando, after stumbling upon it by accident while in the parks with 8-year-old Noah. It features characters, rides, playgrounds, and shows from the Trolls, Shrek, and Kung Fu Panda franchises (and more), and both she and Noah really loved it! She also turned in her revision of her 2025 novel on Friday, so that’s moving along; she can’t wait to share more with you! (She celebrated with a wine tasting with Christina Sivrich, who played Yona in the Friends & Fiction production of The Forest of Vanishing Stars: The Musical in the summer of 2021!)
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff, coming next February. This historical fiction novel, set between 1940s Paris and 1953 London, is classic Pam Jenoff, with a little-known wartime story (in this case, the tale of Jewish prisoners at the Levitan Department Store, right in the heart of Paris), and compelling characters chasing an elusive mystery wrapped in historical clues.

PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY is off for an adventure in Scotland and Sweden with her family! Who knows what stories will bubble up. She is so excited for you to hear from Lisa Wingate this week as she loved interviewing her about this amazing book, Shelterwood. Patti has also finalized the cover and title of her next book for March 5th, 2025 and can’t wait to show you next week during Kristy’s live show to celebrate A HAPPIER LIFE! Look out for a newsletter coming next week. 
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. I was enamored with his last novel, We Begin at the End and was just as thrilled with this newest one. It is a genre-defying novel of love, and it is also a thriller, a coming of age, and a grand story of friendship. A page-turning, immersive read. (Ron and I will interview him for our show airing June 26th.)

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for an ongoing series of roundtable discussions and personal essays by the Fab Four about their careers, writing processes, and all things book and publishing related!

Upcoming Events

Click HERE to see Kristy Woodson Harvey’s full book tour for the June 25th release of her new hardcover, A Happier Life.

Click HERE to see Mary Kay Andrews’s remaining tour dates for the May 7th release of her new hardcover, Summers at the Saint.

Monday, June 17, 7pm ET—Join MKA for a live virtual discussion of Summers at the Saint with The Friends & Fiction Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa on the book club’s Facebook page.

Friday, June 28, 7pm ET —Join all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Meg Walker & Ron Block—together in-person in St. Louis for a launch celebration and garden party for Kristy’s A Happier Life hosted by The Novel Neighbor at the St. Louis County Library Post Event Space, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO. Get tickets HERE.

Want to know what these F&F Live events are all about? Watch this video compilation! And then grab your tickets to meet up with us in St. Louis in June!

In Case You Missed It

On last week’s episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, MKA & Kristy welcomed national bestselling author Annabel Monaghan to discuss her brand-new, highly-anticipated rom-com, SUMMER ROMANCE, the humorous and heartwarming story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past. Order Anabel’s book from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org, where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount—and where all your purchases support our show and our beloved indie bookstores nationwide! 

You can WATCH that episode on Facebook or YouTube, or LISTEN to it on our podcast.

Coming Up on The Friends & Fiction Show

All shows can be watched on Facebook & YouTube each Wednesday evening at 7pm ET, and listened to on our podcast each Friday, all year long.

Already aired: Lisa Scottoline, The Truth About the Devlins
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Jo Piazza, The Sicilian Inheritance
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: F&F April Pick of the Month: Emily Henry, Funny Story
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Janet Skeslien Charles, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Ruth Ware, One Perfect Couple
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: F&F May Pick of the Month: Mary Kay Andrews, Summers at the Saint
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Steven Rowley, The Guncle Abroad
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Sunny Hostin, Summer on Highland Beach
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Annabel Monaghan, Summer Romance
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Lisa Wingate, Shelterwood
Watch: June 12 | Listen: June 14

F&F June Pick of the Month: Kristy Woodson Harvey, A Happier Life
Watch LIVE: June 19 | Listen: June 21

Chris Whitaker, All the Colors of the Dark
Watch: June 26 | Listen: June 28

Bonus Episodes!

The Fab Four (along with Meg & Ron) are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that we’ve run on the F&F YouTube channel!

WATCH Kristin’s interview with ERIKA ROBUCK about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Last Twelve Miles.
WATCH Kristin & Kristy’s interview with LISA BARR about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Goddess of Warsaw.
WATCH Kristin’s conversation with CHRISTINA LAUREN about their brand-new instant NYT-bestselling hit The Paradise Problem.
WATCH MKA’s conversation with the award-winning voice artist KATHLEEN McINERNEY who narrates the Summers at the Saint audiobook.
WATCH Patti & MKA’s interview with SHEILA ROBERTS about her newest The Best Life Book Club.

F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription Box

We have a Friends & Fiction merch store with t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs and a book bag on Bonfire. We also have other items like wine tumblers, reading journals, and our original white v-neck logo tees available through Oxford Exchange. You can also order the F&F 2024 SUBSCRIPTION BOX exclusively through our friends at Oxford Exchange. You get the two first-edition autographed hardcover books (and the adorable pouch!) shown below, plus the option to add Patti’s & Kristin’s 2024 paperback editions of last year’s books. All details HERE!

F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading Challenge

Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison for monthly book club picks and live online author chats on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa, where they’ve amassed more than 30k of their own members. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions, including their most recent chat with Brenda Novak about her novel, Tourist Season. Mark your calendars for June 17th for their next author guest, Mary Kay Andrews, when they’ll discuss her novel, Summers at the Saint. With the help of Annissa Armstrong, the Book Club is also hosting the 2024 F&F Reading Challenge. Join them for a different category prompt each month to read outside your comfort zone. The May prompt is to read a book set in a place you’d like to visit, and for June it’s to read a book with the word “summer” in the title.

Stay in Touch!

Subscribe to our PODCAST.
Join our FACEBOOK group.
Follow us on INSTAGRAM.
Subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel.
Find details about everything F&F on our WEBSITE.
Shop our guests’ & hosts’ books in our shop on BOOKSHOP.
Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa.

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests.

Tune in at 7pm ET for TONIGHT’s episode! 

Join us Wednesday, June 5th, at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as Mary Kay Andrews & Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome national bestselling author Annabel Monaghan to discuss her brand-new, highly-anticipated rom-com, SUMMER ROMANCE, the humorous and heartwarming story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past.

Annabel Monaghan is the author of LibraryReads pick and national bestseller SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER and IndieNext and LibraryReads pick NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT, as well as two young adult novels and DOES THIS VOLVO MAKE MY BUTT LOOK BIG?, a selection of laugh-out-loud columns that appeared in the Huffington Post, The Week, and the Rye Record. She joins us from her home in Rye, New York before departing on book tour to talk to us about SUMMER ROMANCE, the book Publishers Weekly has called “the ideal beach read” in a starred review, and which Abby Jimenez has called “a bingeable five-star read.”

Watch the video broadcast of this interview as it airs on Wed 6/5 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel, or catch the audio version on our podcast on Fri 6/7.

Pre-order Annabel’s book on Bookshop.org!
Shop all of our guests’ & hosts’ books in our F&F Shop on Bookshop.org!

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a bonus Q&A with Annabel which includes a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about her work-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show! 

Latest News from the Fab Four!

MARY KAY ANDREWS had loads of fun in New York with the rest of the F&F gang. She and Meg enjoyed seeing the deeply inventive, immersive revival of Cabaret on Broadway, and joined Patti and her agent to see the Beatrix Potter exhibit at the Morgan Library. Caught up with lots of old and new writer friends at the Author’s Guild Gala, and even managed to squeeze in some time at Thrillerfest, which was also happening in the city. She and Mr. MKA loved showing off the garden at Squirrel Hollow during their neighborhood garden tour on Saturday. She still has a few signing events on the calendar for Summers at The Saint. Catch her tonight, Wednesday, at 7 pm at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur, GA. in conversation with the wildly entertaining Karin Slaughter. Or check out her Instagram Live conversation on Thursday at 2pm on the Bookbub Instagram page.
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: Next of Kin by Samantha Jayne Allen–who it turns out lives only a few blocks away in MKA’s very small Atlanta neighborhood. “An atmospheric mystery featuring a female private investigator trying to solve a homicide in a small Texas town. Can’t wait to figure out whodunnit!”

KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had the best time in New York having some final meetings before the release of A HAPPIER LIFE in just three weeks and attending the authors guild gala! It was the most fun few days, but she is glad to be back in Beaufort for the very last week of school! Let the summer fun begin! She is so grateful to Brit & Co and Readers Digest for featuring A Happier Life this week! It has been such an amazing book launch so far! 
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: Anna Bright is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall. “I have been obsessed with the Elizabeth Holmes conspiracy and love some of the parallels between that and this riveting novel. Kristin and I had the best time talking to Susie about this book. It is so topical and readers are going to love it!”

KRISTIN HARMEL had an absolutely fabulous time in New York last week attending the Authors Guild Foundation Gala along with Patti, MKA, Kristy, and Meg. They got to hang out in person with so many Friends & Fiction favorites–and they even met longtime Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton. (Speaking of which, don’t miss the wonderful Reading Rainbow documentary, “Butterfly in the Sky”, now on Netflix!) She also got to visit with two cousins and her editor on her less-than-24-hours-in-NYC whirlwind trip! Now it’s back to work on her book revision this week!
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: “I just finished Fiona Davis’s fabulous The Stolen Queen, coming in January, and I loved it. You may know that her hallmark is choosing famous New York buildings to spin stories around, and this time, she focused on the Met, which means that not only do we have a front row seat to the museum’s inner workings, but we’re also with her character Annie Jenkins in 1978 as she gets hired on as Diana Vreeland’s assistant just before the famed Met Gala. The Stolen Queen also takes us to Egypt with Charlotte Cross, who in 1978 is the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art. But we also get to see her in 1936 as she falls in love during an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings – and endures an almost unimaginable tragedy. It’s a fascinating, spirited, engaging book, and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world!”

PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY had the most amazing time in New York City visiting with her Atria editor, her agent, and visiting the Beatrix Potter exhibit at the Morgan Library (amazing!!!) with our own Meg Walker and MKA. Then attending the Author’s Guild Gala with her FF pals, Meg, MKA, Kristy and Kristin, and so many more! So many FF favorite authors as well as inspiring speeches by people like Jesmyn Ward and Ken Burns – Patti left inspired and grateful to be part of such a kind community who understands the importance of the freedom of the written word! BIG plans were made to reveal the title and cover of Patti’s new book coming out in March of 2025 – keep your eyes and ears out!
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate. “As I said in my Book of the Month Club essay – There is nothing quite as wonderful as historical fiction that transports me to another land, another time, and introduces me to lost-to-time stories with fascinating characters – which means there is nothing quite as wonderful as a new novel by Lisa Wingate.” 

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for an ongoing series of roundtable discussions and personal essays by the Fab Four about their careers, writing processes, and all things book and publishing related!

Upcoming Events

Click HERE to see Kristy Woodson Harvey’s full book tour for the June 25th release of her new hardcover, A Happier Life.

Click HERE to see Mary Kay Andrews’s remaining tour dates for the May 7th release of her new hardcover, Summers at the Saint.

Friday, June 28, 7pm ET —Join all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Meg Walker & Ron Block—together in-person in St. Louis for a launch celebration and garden party for Kristy’s A Happier Life hosted by The Novel Neighbor at the St. Louis County Library Post Event Space, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO. Get tickets HERE.

Want to know what these F&F Live events are all about? Watch this video compilation! And then grab your tickets to meet up with us in St. Louis in June!

In Case You Missed It

On last week’s episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, Patti & Kristy welcomed four-time Emmy Award winning co-host of ABC’s The View, Sunny Hostin, to discuss the captivating third novel in her NYT-bestselling Summer Beach series, SUMMER ON HIGHLAND BEACH, in which she transports readers to the gleaming shores of Maryland’s Highland Beach in a story that celebrates community and legacy. Order Sunny’s book from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org, where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount—and where all your purchases support our show and our beloved indie bookstores nationwide! 

You can WATCH that episode on Facebook or YouTube, or LISTEN to it on our podcast.

Coming Up on The Friends & Fiction Show

All shows can be watched on Facebook & YouTube each Wednesday evening at 7pm ET, and listened to on our podcast each Friday, all year long.

Already aired: Lisa Scottoline, The Truth About the Devlins
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Jo Piazza, The Sicilian Inheritance
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: F&F April Pick of the Month: Emily Henry, Funny Story
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Janet Skeslien Charles, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Ruth Ware, One Perfect Couple
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: F&F May Pick of the Month: Mary Kay Andrews, Summers at the Saint
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Steven Rowley, The Guncle Abroad
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Sunny Hostin, Summer on Highland Beach
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Annabel Monaghan, Summer Romance
Watch: June 5 | Listen: June 7

Lisa Wingate, Shelterwood
Watch: June 12 | Listen: June 14

F&F June Pick of the Month: Kristy Woodson Harvey, A Happier Life
Watch LIVE: June 19 | Listen: June 21

Chris Whitaker, All the Colors of the Dark
Watch: June 26 | Listen: June 28

Bonus Episodes!

The Fab Four (along with Meg & Ron) are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that we’ve run on the F&F YouTube channel!

WATCH Kristin’s interview with Erika Robuck about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Last Twelve Miles.

WATCH Kristin & Kristy’s interview with Lisa Barr about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Goddess of Warsaw.

WATCH Kristin’s conversation with Christina Lauren about their brand-new instant NYT-bestselling hit The Paradise Problem.

WATCH MKA’s conversation with the award-winning voice artist Kathleen McInerney who narrates the Summers at the Saint audiobook.

WATCH Patti & MKA’s interview with Sheila Roberts about her newest The Best Life Book Club.

F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription Box

We have a Friends & Fiction merch store with t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs and a book bag on Bonfire. We also have other items like wine tumblers, reading journals, and our original white v-neck logo tees available through Oxford Exchange. You can also order the F&F 2024 SUBSCRIPTION BOX exclusively through our friends at Oxford Exchange. You get the two first-edition autographed hardcover books (and the adorable pouch!) shown below, plus the option to add Patti’s & Kristin’s 2024 paperback editions of last year’s books. All details HERE!

F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading Challenge

Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison for monthly book club picks and live online author chats on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa, where they’ve amassed more than 30k of their own members. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions, including their most recent chat with Brenda Novak about her novel, Tourist Season. Mark your calendars for June 17th for their next author guest, Mary Kay Andrews, when they’ll discuss her novel, Summers at the Saint. With the help of Annissa Armstrong, the Book Club is also hosting the 2024 F&F Reading Challenge. Join them for a different category prompt each month to read outside your comfort zone. The May prompt is to read a book set in a place you’d like to visit, and for June it’s to read a book with the word “summer” in the title.

Stay in Touch!

Subscribe to our PODCAST.
Join our FACEBOOK group.
Follow us on INSTAGRAM.
Subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel.
Find details about everything F&F on our WEBSITE.
Shop our guests’ & hosts’ books in our shop on BOOKSHOP.
Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa.

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests.

Tune in at 7pm ET for TONIGHT’s episode! 

Join us Wednesday, May 29th, at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as Patti Callahan Henry & Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome four-time Emmy Award winning co-host of ABC’s The View, Sunny Hostin, to discuss the captivating third novel in her New York Times bestselling Summer Beach series, Summer on Highland Beach.

Sunny Hostin is an attorney, a multi-platform journalist, an ABC News Legal Analyst, a co-host of ABC Daytime’s The View, and the author of Summer on the Bluffs and Summer on Sag Harbor as well as I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds. In the third installment in her NYT-bestselling series, Sunny transports readers to the gleaming shores of Maryland’s Highland Beach in a story that celebrates family, friendship, and community and reminds us of the importance of the legacies of our collective past and of finding one’s way in the world. According to Booklist, “Hostin has penned another deliciously soapy beach read about elite Black beach communities” and we are so excited to talk to her about it.

Watch the video broadcast of this interview as it airs on Wed 5/29 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel, or catch the audio version on our podcast on Fri 5/31.

Pre-order Sunny’s book on Bookshop.org!
Shop all of our guests’ & hosts’ books in our F&F Shop on Bookshop.org!

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a bonus Q&A with Sunny which includes a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about her work-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show! 

Latest News from the Fab Four!

MARY KAY ANDREWS finished a third (and mostly final) week of book tour for Summers at the Saint before finally landing at home on Sunday, where she enjoyed a Memorial Day cook-out with family and soaked up the beauty of Mr. MKA’s glorious garden. If you missed her at any of her stops, she left plenty of signed books. Now she’s re-packing for the trip to NYC with the rest of the F&F gang. She and Meg have tix to see Cabaret on Broadway, then Thursday and Friday she’ll check out Thrillerfest, which is also happening in the city this week. She still has a smattering of upcoming events, including a potentially cray-cray signing next Wednesday, June 5 at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur, Ga at 7 pm with Karin Slaughter.
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: Think Twice by Harlan Coben. Series favorite Myron Bolitar is back with another twisty thriller, this one with a plot featuring a presumed-dead former client and romantic rival and a serial killer on the loose. 

KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had a wonderful Memorial Day and is so grateful for all of the book love A Happier Life is receiving! She is so thankful for Katie Couric, Parade and Zibby books, First for Women and more for choosing it as a best book of the summer! Her tour for A Happier Life is coming up and she can’t wait to see you! 
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr. Happy pub day to the spellbinding new novel by the incomparable Lisa Barr. Suspense, drama, and all the feels…This book has it all!

KRISTIN HARMEL is deep in editing mode, revising her 2025 novel. Her son, Noah, finished second grade on Friday, which was bittersweet, as he loved his second grade teacher and classmates! Lots of fun things planned for the summer–starting with a quick trip to New York this week to see her F&F besties MKA, PCH, KWH and Meg. And Kristin and her husband and son are thrilled to see the New York Rangers (their favorite NHL team) in the Eastern Conference Finals–there will even be a game on the night she’s in New York this week. Go Rangers!
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: Ruth Reichl’s The Paris Novel. This book came out last month, so I’m a bit late in getting around to it, but I’m listening to it now on audio, and it’s absolutely delicious. It’s about Paris, the discovery of exquisite food and wine, the magic of the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, and the enchantment of finding oneself in the City of Light. An absolute delight.

PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY has been in SC with family and loving the river time along with barbeques and swimming. AND at the same time approving the cover for her next novel, working on the cover copy for all of you, and getting ready to share it all! She can’t wait to tell you about this new novel! She’s also prepping to meet her F&F pals, agent, and editor in NYC for the Author’s Guild gala along with so many other amazing authors to support this guild. 
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey. All at once a page turning mystery AND a tender story of love, home, and all that is important in a life. With wisdom and kindness, this story (which includes Kristy’s real life dog Salt), this story is everything you want in a summer read. Or an anything read. I LOVED IT!

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for an ongoing series of roundtable discussions and personal essays by the Fab Four about their careers, writing processes, and all things book and publishing related!

Upcoming Events

Click HERE to see Kristy Woodson Harvey’s full book tour for the June 25th release of her new hardcover, A Happier Life.

Click HERE to see Mary Kay Andrews’s remaining tour dates for the May 7th release of her new hardcover, Summers at the Saint.

Friday, June 28, 7pm ET —Join all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Meg Walker & Ron Block—together in-person in St. Louis for a launch celebration and garden party for Kristy’s A Happier Life hosted by The Novel Neighbor at the St. Louis County Library Post Event Space, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO. Get tickets HERE.

Want to know what these F&F Live events are all about? Watch this video compilation! And then grab your tickets to meet up with us in St. Louis in June!

In Case You Missed It

On last week’s episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, MKA & Kristy welcomed the bestselling, award-winning novelist Steven Rowley to discuss THE GUNCLE ABROAD, the long-awaited sequel to a beloved story, all about the complicated bonds of family, love, and what it takes to rediscover yourself, even at the ripe age of fifty. Order Steven’s book from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org, where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount—and where all your purchases support our show and our beloved indie bookstores nationwide! 

You can WATCH that episode on Facebook or YouTube, or LISTEN to it on our podcast.

Coming Up on The Friends & Fiction Show

All shows can be watched on Facebook & YouTube each Wednesday evening at 7pm ET, and listened to on our podcast each Friday, all year long.

Already aired: Lisa Scottoline, The Truth About the Devlins
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Jo Piazza, The Sicilian Inheritance
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: F&F April Pick of the Month: Emily Henry, Funny Story
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Janet Skeslien Charles, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Ruth Ware, One Perfect Couple
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: F&F May Pick of the Month: Mary Kay Andrews, Summers at the Saint
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Already aired: Steven Rowley, The Guncle Abroad
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!

Sunny Hostin, Summer on Highland Beach
Watch: May 29 | Listen: May 31

Annabel Monaghan, Summer Romance
Watch: June 5 | Listen: June 7

Lisa Wingate, Shelterwood
Watch: June 12 | Listen: June 14

F&F June Pick of the Month: Kristy Woodson Harvey, A Happier Life
Watch LIVE: June 19 | Listen: June 21

Chris Whitaker, All the Colors of the Dark
Watch: June 26 | Listen: June 28

Bonus Episodes!

The Fab Four (along with Meg & Ron) are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that we’ve run on the F&F YouTube channel!

WATCH Kristin & Kristy’s interview with NYT-bestselling author Lisa Barr about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Goddess of Warsaw, an enthralling tale of a legendary Hollywood screen goddess with a dark secret about her life in the Warsaw Ghetto.

WATCH Kristin’s conversation with Christina Lauren about their brand-new instant NYT-bestselling hit The Paradise Problem, a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.

WATCH MKA’s conversation with the award-winning voice artist Kathleen McInerney who narrates the Summers at the Saint audiobook.

WATCH Patti & MKA’s interview with Sheila Roberts about her newest The Best Life Book Club.

F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription Box

We have a Friends & Fiction merch store with t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs and a book bag on Bonfire. We also have other items like wine tumblers, reading journals, and our original white v-neck logo tees available through Oxford Exchange. You can also order the F&F 2024 SUBSCRIPTION BOX exclusively through our friends at Oxford Exchange. You get the two first-edition autographed hardcover books (and the adorable pouch!) shown below, plus the option to add Patti’s & Kristin’s 2024 paperback editions of last year’s books. All details HERE!

F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading Challenge

Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison for monthly book club picks and live online author chats on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa, where they’ve amassed more than 30k of their own members. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions, including their most recent chat with Brenda Novak about her novel, Tourist Season. Mark your calendars for June 17th for their next author guest, Mary Kay Andrews, when they’ll discuss her novel, Summers at the Saint. With the help of Annissa Armstrong, the Book Club is also hosting the 2024 F&F Reading Challenge. Join them for a different category prompt each month to read outside your comfort zone. The May prompt is to read a book set in a place you’d like to visit, and for June it’s to read a book with the word “summer” in the title.

Stay in Touch!

Subscribe to our PODCAST.
Join our FACEBOOK group.
Follow us on INSTAGRAM.
Subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel.
Find details about everything F&F on our WEBSITE.
Shop our guests’ & hosts’ books in our shop on BOOKSHOP.
Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa.

Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests.