Friends & Fiction Episodes

Ann Garvin

On this episode we’ve got two fabulous and super fun authors in store for you!

Ann Garvin is the USA Today bestselling author of five funny and sad novels about people who do too much in a world that asks too much from them. A nurse with her Ph.D., Anne taught for thirty years in the University of Wisconsin system and currently teaches creative writing at Drexel University. The founder of Tall Poppy Writers and a sought-after speaker on writing, leadership and health, Ann is committed to helping women writers succeed. We welcome her back to the show to discuss her latest novel, THERE’S NO COMING BACK FROM THIS (Lake Union, Aug 8), which our own Kristy Woodson Harvey calls “impossible to put down” and gave “five huge stars!”

We are thrilled to welcome Ally Carter to the show for the first time. Ally is the bestselling author of the Gallagher Girls series, and, for more than a decade, her name has been synonymous with hilarious action-adventure and heart-pounding romance for young adults. Her first original screenplay, A Castle for Christmas, was recently No.1 on Netflix. Now she is bringing her trademark style and voice to the adult rom-com market with her new novel THE BLONDE IDENTITY (Avon, Aug 8). She joins us from her home in Oklahoma to discuss the book that Ali Hazlewood calls “unique, delightful, hilarious, unputdownable,” and which Susan Elizabeth Phillips says is “a delightful, delicious joy ride of a romp!”

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Adrienne Brodeur

Tonight’s episode is our Fall season premiere! We’ve got two amazing authors in store for you!

Adrienne Brodeur is the author of the memoir WILD GAME, which was selected as a Best Book of the Year by NPR and The Washington Post and is in development as a Netflix film. She founded the literary magazine Zoetrope: All-Story with Francis Ford Coppola, and currently serves as executive director of Aspen Words, a literary nonprofit and program of The Aspen Institute. She joins us from her home on Cape Cod to discuss her debut novel LITTLE MONSTERS (Simon & Schuster, June 27) which was an Amazon Best Book of July 2023, the July Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick, and called “an absolutely captivating read” by Elin Hilderbrand.

Melanie Benjamin is a prize-winning author of nine books, including the New York Times and USA Today bestselling historical novels THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE, about Truman Capote and his society swans, THE AVIATOR’S WIFE, about Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and MISTRESS OF THE RITZ, based on the true story of the American woman who ran the Ritz during WWII. Her novels have been translated in over fifteen languages and optioned for film. She joins us from her home in Chicago amidst her ongoing book tour to discuss her latest novel CALIFORNIA GOLDEN (Delacorte Press, Aug 8) which has been named a Best Book of the Summer by Entertainment Weekly, called “a breath of bracing salt air” by Beatriz Williams, and about which Shelby Van Pelt said it “left me breathless….will stay with you long after the last page.”

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Elin Hilderbrand

Welcome to our Summer Season Finale! Who better to spend it with than beach-reads royalty, Queen of Nantucket Island, total rockstar author, and dear friend of the show, Elin Hilderbrand?!

After publishing her first work in Seventeen Magazine in 1991 while a senior at Johns Hopkins University, Elin worked in publishing for a bit, attended the Iowa Writers Workshop, earned her MFA, and never looked back, publishing her first novel, THE BEACH CLUB, in 2000. Her 2019 novel, SUMMER OF ’69 was her first novel to debut at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. She has said that her Summer 2024 book will be her swan song. We are eager to hear what comes next, and to talk to her all about her new podcast Books Beach and Beyond with Tim Ehrenberg, as well as her latest instant #1 NYT bestselling phenomenon, her 29th novel, THE FIVE-STAR WEEKEND which Little, Brown published on June 13th.

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Steven Rowley

What a summer treat we have in store on this episode! First, we welcome author Steven Rowley, the author of one of the F&F community’s most buzzed about books of all time. For a double-dip of summer fun, we will also meet up with the best-friend writing pair, Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke!

Steven Rowley is the New York Times bestselling author of LILY AND THE OCTOPUS, a Washington Post Notable Book of 2016, THE EDITOR, an NPR Best Book of 2019, and THE GUNCLE, winner of 2021’s Thurber Prize for American Humor. His fiction has been published in twenty languages and all of his books are in development for feature film or television adaptation. He joins us from his home in Palm Springs to discuss his latest instant NYT bestseller, June’s TODAY Show Read With Jenna Book Club pick, THE CELEBRANTS (Putnam, May 30).

Liz & Lisa have been best friends for more than three decades. They’ve co-authored eight novels, including the Amazon Charts bestseller, THE GOOD WIDOW. In addition to writing books, they created the podcast, We Fight So You Don’t Have to: Lessons from a Thirty-Year Friendship, and appear monthly on a San Diego news station to share their favorite book club picks. They join us from their homes in San Diego to discuss their latest book, FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE (Alcove Press, July 11).

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Kristy Woodson Harvey’s “The Summer of Songbirds” Launch

Are you ready to play the Feud? Survey says…YES! We are all in for big summer-camp-style family fun on this episode as the Fab Four gather to celebrate the launch of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS.

F&F’s Managing Director Meg Walker steps in to play game show host, leading Kristy, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel & Patti Callahan Henry in a rousing game of Family Feud featuring all questions about summer camp in an homage to Kristy’s fictional Camp Holly Springs, the setting of her brand-new novel which just hit stores from Gallery Books.

The crew also talks to Kristy in depth about THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS and we learn all about her inspirations and research for her tenth novel. Tune in for all the fun and games—and to learn why perennial #1 bestseller Emily Henry says “put this book in your beach bag immediately!” Who are we to argue with an author who dominates the bestseller list week after week and clearly knows a perfect beach read when she sees one?!

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Marie Bostwick + Terah Shelton Harris

Fresh on the heels of a hot holiday weekend we welcome Marie Bostwick and Terah Shelton Harris to the show to hear about two new books you just must stuff into your beach bags this summer. And we will have a special guest host — bestselling novelist John Searles — filling in for Kristin!

Marie Bostwick is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen uplifting works of historical and contemporary women’s fiction. Drawing on her lifelong love of quilting and her unshakable belief in the power of sisterhood, Marie’s popular COBBLED COURT QUILT series has been embraced across the globe by quilters and non-sewers alike. Marie’s novel, THE SECOND SISTER was adapted into the 2018 Hallmark Hall of Fame feature film Christmas Everlasting starring Patti LaBelle. Marie lives in Washington state and joins us from the road on book tour to discuss her latest novel ESME CAHILL FAILS SPECTACULARLY (William Morrow, May 30).

Terah Shelton Harris is the Deputy Director of Alabama’s Dothan Houston County Library system, and a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Women’s Health, Every Day with Rachael Ray, and more. As a librarian, Terah has written and received over a half-million dollars in grants and she is most proud of her Wifi-in-the-Park project which provides free Wifi to over 200 acres of Westgate Park. Originally from Illinois, Terah is a world traveler who has visited over 40 countries across six continents, and she joins us from her home in Alabama to discuss her debut novel, ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH (Sourcebooks, July 4).

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Annabel Monaghan + Megan Miranda

This episode will have your beach bags overflowing with sparkling summer reads as we welcome FOUR authors to the show. Meet Annabel Monaghan and Megan Miranda on the main show and the writing duo of Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul on the After Show.

Annabel Monaghan is the author of IndieNext and LibraryReads pick NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT as well as two young adult novels and a collection of humorous columns. She joins us from her home in Rye, NY, to discuss her highly anticipated follow-up novel, SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER (Putnam, June 6), which Elin Hilderbrand called “utterly charming” and Fiona Davis dubbed “the love story of the summer.”

Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of seven works of psychological suspense, including THE LAST HOUSE GUEST, which was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, as well as several books for young adults. She joins us from her home in North Carolina to discuss her latest instant bestseller, THE ONLY SURVIVORS (S&S / Marysue Rucci Books, April 11), which was a Book of the Month, IndieNext, and LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection.

Mary Hollis Huddleston is a high-end event planner in Nashville and runs the lifestyle platform Mrs. Southern Social. Asher Fogle Paul is a New York-based entertainment journalist who has written for Good Housekeeping, Us Weekly, and People. Together they co-wrote the 2021 rom-com about the glamorous, ruthless world of high-end Southern weddings, WITHOUT A HITCH. They’ll join us on the Aftershow to discuss their follow-up, PIECE OF CAKE (Harper Muse, June 20).

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Hazel Gaynor + Katherine Reay

On this episode, we welcome Hazel Gaynor and Katherine Reay—and T.I. Lowe joins us for the After Show.

Hazel Gaynor is the award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times, and internationally bestselling author of seven historical novels including The Girl Who Came Home, When We Were Young and Brave, and The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter. Hazel has also co-written three novels with Heather Webb (Last Christmas in Paris, Meet Me In Monaco, and Three Words For Goodbye) with another (Christmas with the Queen) forthcoming in 2024. Hazel’s work has been translated into 18 languages and published in 25 territories. She joins us from her home in Ireland to discuss her new novel, THE LAST LIFEBOAT (Berkley, June 13), which was named a most anticipated book by Real Simple, SheReads, and BookBub.

Katherine Reay is the bestselling and award-winning author of ten novels including The London House, The Printed Letter Bookshop, and The Austen Escape, as well as one work of nonfiction, Awful Beautiful Life. Katherine’s lifelong affair with books and history shines through in her stories which she has referred to as “love letters to books.” She joins us from her home outside Chicago to discuss her latest novel, A SHADOW IN MOSCOW (Harper Muse, June 13), which features two courageous female spies, MI6’s best Soviet agent, and the CIA’s newest Moscow recruit in the thick of the Cold War.

T. I. Lowe is the author of nearly twenty published novels, including her recent bestselling and critically acclaimed, Under the Magnolias, and her debut breakout, Lulu’s Café. She joins us from her home in coastal South Carolina to discuss INDIGO ISLE (Tyndale House, June 6).

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Fiona Davis + Heather Webb

Tonight’s episode features the star power of THREE amazing author guests whose novels deliver a night of mid-20th century glitz and glamor.

Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of six historical novels set in iconic New York City buildings, including The Magnolia Palace, The Dollhouse, The Address, and The Lions of Fifth Avenue, which was a Good Morning America book club pick. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty languages and chosen as “One Book, One Community” reads, and her articles have appeared in publications like The Wall Street Journal and O Magazine. She first came to New York as an actress, but fell in love with writing after getting a master’s degree at Columbia Journalism School. She joins us from her home in New York City to discuss her latest novel, THE SPECTACULAR (Dutton, June 13), a June LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection which transports us back to 1950s Manhattan and glamorous Radio City Music Hall.

Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of nine historical novels, including The Next Ship Home, Rodin’s Lover, Last Christmas in Paris, and Meet Me in Monaco. She has won the Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award, been a finalist for the Goldsboro RNA award and the Digital Book World’s Fiction prize, and been named as GoodReads Top Picks. Her books have been translated to seventeen languages. She joins us from New England to discuss her latest historical novel STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (William Morrow, March 21), based on the tumultuous romance between Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner that scandalized the world.

Brenda Janowitz is the author of eight novels, including The Liz Taylor Ring and The Grace Kelly Dress, which has been optioned for film by Hallmark. A former lawyer who did a federal clerkship with the Eastern District of New York, Brenda is the former Books Correspondent for PopSugar whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and USA Today among many other outlets. She joins us to discuss her latest novel, THE AUDREY HEPBURN ESTATE (Graydon House, April 18), which was chosen as the Reader’s Choice by the CBS New York Book Club with Mary Calvi.

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