Friends & Fiction Episodes

Meg Mitchell Moore

This episode is a delicious confection of sweet summertime treats as we welcome four authors to the LIVE web show!

Meg Mitchell Moore is a former journalist and the USA Today bestselling author of eight novels including The Islanders, Two Truths and a Lie, and Vacationland. She joins us from the beautiful coastal town of Newburyport, MA, to discuss her shimmering new page-turner, SUMMER STAGE (William Morrow, May 23), about a family of actors grappling with fame, scandal and ambition, which Publishers Weekly called “sparkling” and “equally charming and satisfying” in a starred review.

If the name sounds familiar it’s because Victora Benton Frank is the daughter of beloved, dearly departed author Dorothea Benton Frank. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, Victoria worked in restaurants in New York before returning home to Charleston, SC. She joins us to discuss her debut novel, MY MAGNOLIA SUMMER (William Morrow, June 6), a gripping tale of self-discovery set on the shores of Sullivan’s Island. According to Ann Patchett, with this book, Victoria “shows that she is the rightful heir to the crown of summertime storytellers. Her mother would be so proud.”

Be sure to stick around for the After Show when we welcome the writing pair of Audrey Belleza & Emily Harding to discuss their witty and romantic debut novel, EMMA OF 83rd STREET (Gallery Books, May 23), in which Jane Austen’s Emma meets the misadventures of Manhattan’s modern dating scene.

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Kate Morton + Lee Smith

On tonight’s episode, we are graced with the presence of two rockstar authors — Kate Morton and Lee Smith. As if that weren’t enough, F&F pal Susan Meissner joins us for the after show.

Kate Morton is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of seven novels including THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON, THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN, THE DISTANT HOURS, THE SECRET KEEPER, THE LAKE HOUSE, and THE CLOCKMAKER’S DAUGHTER. Her books are published in 38 languages in 45 countries and have been #1 bestsellers around the world. She joins us from Australia to discuss her latest instant bestseller, the highly anticipated HOMECOMING (April 4, Mariner), which Publishers Weekly called “Morton’s best yet” in a starred review.

Lee Smith began writing stories at the age of nine and selling them for a nickel apiece. Since then, she has written seventeen works of fiction, including FAIR AND TENDER LADIES, ORAL HISTORY, GUESTS ON EARTH, THE LAST GIRLS, and DIMESTORE. She has received many awards, including the North Carolina Award for Literature, the Southern Book Critics Circle Award, and an Academy Award in Fiction. She joins us to discuss her latest novel SILVER ALERT (April 18, Algonquin) which People magazine called “as delicious as a slice of key lime pie—and gone just as fast.”

Be sure to stick around for the after show when we will sit down with USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction Susan Meissner to hear all about her latest novel, ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL (April18, Berkley) which Library Journal called “a nuanced and heartbreaking tale” in a starred review.

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Abby Jimenez + R.F. Kuang

On this episode, we are excited to welcome the authors of two wildly different but equally entertaining novels — Abby Jimenez and R.F. Kuang.

Abby Jimenez is a winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, a TikTok sensation with a half-million followers, and a New York Times bestselling romance author of five novels including The Happy Ever After Playlist and The Friend Zone. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007 and the bakery has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and has amassed an international cult following. Abby joins us to discuss her sparkling new rom-com, Yours Truly (out now from Forever Books), a novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

Rebecca F. Kuang is a Marshall Scholar and Chinese-English translator with degrees from Cambridge and Oxford and another in the works from Yale. She is best known as the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy and Babel: An Arcane History. For her work as a fantasy writer, Rebecca has won the Astounding Award, the Crawford Award, and the Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel, and been a nominee for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Awards. She joins us to discuss her new contemporary literary thriller Yellowface (May 16, William Morrow), a send-up of the publishing industry which tackles issues of privilege, appropriation, tokenization, and exploitation.

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Jennifer Robson + Martha Hall Kelly

On this episode we welcome two masters of historical fiction, Jennifer Robson and Martha Hall Kelly.

Jennifer Robson is the Globe & Mail and Toronto Star number-one bestselling author of six novels, among them THE GOWN and SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE. She joins us to discuss her latest enthralling historical novel, CORONATION YEAR, in which the lives of three very different residents of London’s historic Blue Lion hotel converge in a potentially explosive climax on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.

Martha Hall Kelly is the New York Times bestselling author of LILAC GIRLS, LOST ROSES, and SUNFLOWER SISTERS with more than two-million copies of her books sold, translated in fifty countries. She joins us to discuss her latest pulse-pounding novel, THE GOLDEN DOVES, inspired by true events about two former female spies, bound together by their past, who risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II.

The crew also has a boisterous celebration of the good news that F&F co-host and co-founder Patti Callahan Henry hit the NYT bestseller list with her latest book, THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA.

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Patti Callahan Henry’s New Book Launch Party

This very special episode marks the triumphant return of “F&F Theater” as the Fab Four, podcast host Ron Block, and F&F’s Managing Director Meg Walker gather to celebrate the launch of Patti Callahan Henry’s THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA in grand style!

You won’t want to miss this show, complete with props and bad accents — but also with loads of great insights about Patti’s new novel and, as always, lots of laughs.

With incredible blurbs from an amazing array of bestselling authors, fantastic pre-pub reviews including a starred Kirkus (“magical…an enchanting tribute to the power of storytelling”), Patti’s new novel is shaping up to be one of the hottest books of Spring 2023. It has already been named a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick, an Indie Next Pick, a Library Reads Pick, an Amazon Editors’ Pick, a Books-a-Million Summer Says Pick, and a Book of the Month Add-On Choice among many other accolades. In short, THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA is one book you do not want to miss out on! So be sure to tune in and hear all about it!

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Joshilyn Jackson

On tonight’s show, we are excited to welcome back our good friend Joshilyn Jackson!

Joshilyn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several novels, including NEVER HAVE I EVER and MOTHER MAY I. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages, won SIBA’s Novel of the Year award, twice been the #1 Indie Next Pick, and twice won Georgia Author of the Year among many other accolades. A former actor, Joshilyn is an award-winning audiobook narrator. As a volunteer with Reforming Arts and a member of their board of directors, Jackson has taught creative writing in Georgia’s maximum security facility for women. She joins us to discuss her new novel, WITH MY LITTLE EYE (April25, William Morrow), which F&F fave Karin Slaughter has called, “a dark, twisting confection.”

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Brenda Novak + Alka Joshi

On this season premiere episode we welcome two incredible author guests — Brenda Novak and Alka Joshi.

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak has written 75 novels and is an eight-time Rita nominee, among many other awards. She runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity that has raised more than $2.5 million for diabetes research — as well as the warm and enthusiastic Brenda Novak’s Book Group on Facebook which boasts more than 26,000 members. Brenda joins us live on-location from Oklahoma City on her 2-month “Bookstream” book tour on which she’s covering 8,000 miles over 33 stops in an Airstream trailer converted into a combo bookstore and coffee shop. You wont want to miss this fun dispatch from the road and the chance to hear about her latest novel THE SEASIDE LIBRARY.

Born in India and raised in the US since she was nine, Alka Joshi has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of Arts. Joshi’s debut novel, THE HENNA ARTIST, immediately became a New York Times bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, was Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, & is in development as a Netflix series. She joins us to discuss the third and final installment in her internationally bestselling Jaipur Trilogy, THE PERFUMIST OF PARIS, which Kate Quinn calls, “Alka Joshi’s best book yet!” We loved hearing all about this novel which takes readers to 1970s Paris where Radha’s budding career as a perfumer competes with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past.

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Lisa Scottoline + Robert Dugoni

Tune in for the Winter 2023 Season Finale epiosde with two blockbuster bestselling authors both joinung us during their publication week to showcase their brand-new novels—Lisa Scottoline & Robert Dugoni!

Lisa Scottoline is the #1 bestselling and Edgar award-winning author of 35 novels with 30-million copies of her books in print, published in more than 35 countries. Her weekly Philadelphia Inquirer “Chick Wit” column—written with her daughter Francesca Serritella—have been collected in a New York Times bestselling series of nine humorous memoirs. She has penned dozens of bestselling stand-alone thrillers including last yer’s WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BENNETTS, plus the wildly successful Rosato & DiNunzio series. She joins us to discuss her latest historical novel LOYALTY (just out from Putnam)—an emotional, action-packed epic of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily.

Robert Dugoni is the award-winning, critically acclaimed, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series, which has sold more than 8 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL, Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. With books sold in more than 25 countries and translated into more than 30 languages, several of Robert’s novels have been optioned for movies and television. He joins us to discuss HER DEADLY GAME (just out from Thomas & Mercer), a twisty new suspense novel introducing the start of a new series featuring Seattle prosecutor Keera Duggan.

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Colleen Oakley

On tonight’s episode, we are so thrilled to have THREE authors joining us LIVE!

First we talk to the USA Today bestselling author of five novels, Colleen Oakley. Colleen’s books (including The Invisible Husband of Frick Island and Before I Go) have been translated into more than 21 languages, optioned for film, long-listed for the Southern Book Prize, and named best books by People, Us Weekly, Library Journal, and Real Simple. A former magazine editor, Colleen’s articles and essays have been featured in The New York Times and Ladies’ Home Journal among many other outlets. She joins us to discuss her brand-new book, THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER & LOUISE (coming from Berkley on March 28th), which Jodi Picoult called a “wildly surprising, entertaining ride,” and Taylor Jenkins Reid hails as “an absolute blast.”

Next up we meet novelist Julie Carrick Dalton. As a journalist, Julie has published more than a thousand articles in The Boston Globe, BusinessWeek and The Hollywood Reporter among other publications. A frequent speaker on the topic of writing fiction in the age of climate crisis, Julie is an avid skier, hiker, and kayaker, and a former beekeeper who farms a tract of land in rural New Hampshire. She joins us to discuss her new novel THE LAST BEEKEEPER, a post-apocalyptic meditation on the fragility of nature, that was released on March 7th by Forge Books.

On the After Show we are joined by Stephanie Marie Thornton to discuss her new work of historical fiction, HER LOST WORDS: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, an homage to the legendary mother-daughter pair of writers, coming from Berkley on March 28th.

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