Tune in to watch TONIGHT’s episode!Join us Wednesday, March 6th at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as Kristy welcomes this week’s guest, the New York Times bestselling author, producer and screenwriter, Rebecca Serle, to discuss her forthcoming novel, EXPIRATION DATES, a love story that will define a generation and the one her fans have been waiting for. Rebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels including One Italian Summer, In Five Years, and The Dinner List, and she co-developed the hit TV adaptation of her YA series Famous in Love. A graduate of USC and The New School who lives in Los Angeles, Rebecca loves Nancy Meyers films, bathrobes, and giving unsolicited relationship advice. With EXPIRATION DATES (March 19, Atria), Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love, and the result is a gripping, passionate story about how to be single, how to recognize true love, and how we define ourselves. Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, this book has been called “a romantic gem” by Laura Dave, “sometimes heart-wrenching, often heartwarming” in a starred review by Publishers Weekly, and “compulsively readable” by Booklist. Watch the video broadcast of this interview Wed 3/6 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast Fri 3/8. Pre-order Rebecca’s book on Bookshop.org! Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus Q&A’s with our weekly author guests which always include a writing tip, book recommendation, and info on their work-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show! Latest News from the Fab Four!MARY KAY ANDREWS had a great week of fun in the Florida sun. She and Mr. MKA spent the first part of the week on Anna Maria Island, where they went fishing, took in a spring training baseball game (Go, Braves!) enjoyed some glorious Gulf sunsets and caught up with old friends before traveling down to Fort Myers for the Southwest Florida Book Festival. You can watch the video of her presentation here. She loved chatting with author pals like Lisa Unger—who she interviewed this week for a F&F Behind the Book segment. Now she’s back in Atlanta gearing up for her family’s Shamrock Shenanigans Fun(d)raiser to benefit the Katie Trocheck Abel Scholarship Fund. The fun starts this Saturday, March 9th in Atlanta. Go here if you’d like to join in the fun. Or here to bid on having a character in MKA’s next book named for your choice, or to bid on having MKA do a zoom meeting with your book club PLUS get twelve copies of her upcoming Summers at the Saint. KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had so much fun at bookmania in Stuart, Florida and the best trip to Palm Beach with some dear friends. She is working on edits this week and is so excited to announce pre-order freebies for A HAPPIER LIFE. Go to her website later this week for all the details! PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY spent the weekend in Stuart, FL at Bookmania!, a bookish weekend with Kristy, some Friends and Fiction members (looking at you @emreadsem) and fan favorites like Annabel Monaghan (who is as delightful as her novels!). Patti is now back in her editing cave but so looking forward to Mary Kay’s fundraiser this coming weekend—SHAMROCK SHENANIGANS! KRISTIN HARMEL participated in Orlando’s Komen More Than Pink Walk to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research and early detection, and she also cheered from the sidelines earlier the same morning as her husband did a 10K in Orlando. On Monday evening, she had a wonderful time at the Sunshine Book Company in Clermont, Florida, where owner Beth Merrick hosted a sold-out outdoor event complete with a champagne bar! Tonight, she’s looking forward to speaking briefly with a book club headed up by the wife of her former childhood pediatrician (from many many years ago!). 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 EventsSaturday, March 9, 6:30pm ET: The 2nd Annual Shamrock Shenanigans fundraiser hosted by MKA at the St. Thomas More School in Decatur, GA to benefit the Katie Trocheck Abel Scholarship fund. Click HERE for in-person event details & tickets, HERE to donate directly, and HERE for information on MKA’s online auction where you can bid on prizes with all proceeds going to the scholarship in her daughter Katie’s name and memory. Wednesday, March 13, 11:30am ET: In the New York area? Kristin is honored to be the emcee and moderator at the Komen Impact Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street. Tickets are still available. See Patti’s full tour for the upcoming release of the paperback edition of The Secret Book of Flora Lea HERE. In Case You Missed ItLast week on The Friends & Fiction Show, Patti & Kristin interviewed the Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of the breakout bestseller There There, Tommy Orange, to discuss WANDERING STARS, his masterful and highly-anticipated follow-up to his already classic first novel. Tune in to hear about this “outstanding . . . dazzling work of literary fiction” (the Boston Globe), which has been named to most-anticipated lists by TIME, Real Simple, Oprah Daily, and NPR. Order Tommy’s book (out now!) 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 ShowAll 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: 2024 Sneak Preview with the Fab Four Already aired: Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House Already aired: F&F January Pick of the Month: Kristin Hannah, The Women Already aired: Abbott Kahler, Where You End Already aired: Jennifer Moorman, The Magic All Around Already aired: Amy Jo Burns, Mercury Already aired: Kate Quinn & Janie Chang, The Phoenix Crown Already aired: F&F February Pick of the Month: Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde Already aired: Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates F&F March Pick of the Month: Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas Anna Quindlen, After Annie Allison Pataki, Finding Margaret Fuller Stay tuned for our Spring 2024 season guest line-up which will be announced soon! Bonus Episodes!The Fab Four are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short 10-minute video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that our host authors have run on the F&F YouTube channel! WATCH MKA & Meg’s interview with NYT and internationally bestselling master of suspense Lisa Unger all about her new novel just released this week, The New Couple in 5B. WATCH MKA & Meg’s interview with the #1 NYT bestselling queen of contemporary romance, Susan Elizabeth Phillips about her new novel, Simply the Best, the latest book in her fan-favorite Chicago Stars series which was just released on February 13th. WATCH Patti’s interview with Karen Spears Zacharias about No Perfect Mothers. WATCH MKA’s interview with author Ashley Elston and her editor Pam Dorman about First Lie Wins. WATCH Patti & Ron’s interview with Roxana Robinson about Leaving. F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription BoxWe 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 through our friends at Oxford Exchange. All details HERE! F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading ChallengeJoin Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison on Monday, March 18th at 7pm ET on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa as they welcome author Tia Williams to discuss their March pick, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. 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 Virginia Kantra about her book, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Galey. 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 March prompt is to read a book with some variation of “book club” or “bookstore” in the title. Stay in Touch!Subscribe to our PODCAST. Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa. Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests. You're currently a free subscriber to Friends & Fiction's Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
Tune in LIVE to watch TONIGHT’s episode!Join us Wednesday, February 21st LIVE at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as all four of F&F’s hosts and founders welcome this week’s guest, our Featured Author of the Month, Tia Williams, to hear all about her new book, our F&F Pick for February, A LOVE SONG FOR RICKI WILDE, an enchanting love story featuring a free-spirited florist and an enigmatic musician who are irreversibly linked through the history, art, and magic of Harlem. Tia Williams has been called “a writer’s writer with a fashionista twist” by NBC News. She began her career as a beauty editor (Elle, Glamour, Essence) and, in 2003, pioneered beauty blogging with her site, Shake Your Beauty. She’s the author of The Accidental Diva, the It Chicks series, and The Perfect Find, which was adapted as a Netflix film starring Gabrielle Union. Her most recent novel, Seven Days in June, was an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller, and a Reese’s Book Club pick, with a TV series adaptation in development. We can’t wait to chat with Tia about her latest novel, A LOVE SONG FOR RICKI WILDE, praised for its “dazzling prose” by The New York Times, and predicted as “one of your most memorable reads of 2024” by People. Watch the LIVE video broadcast of this interview Wed 2/21 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast this Fri 2/23. Buy Tia’s book on Bookshop.org! Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a detailed Q&A with Tia which includes her favorite indies, the writer who most inspired her work, a writing tip, book recommendation, and other fun stuff not covered on the show! Latest News from the Fab Four!MARY KAY ANDREWS spent the week on Tybee Island, giving The Breeze Inn a much-needed freshening up. She finally snuck away to Savannah to dip in and out of the Savannah Book Festival, hearing Ruth Ware’s opening night keynote and grabbing dinner with F&F Book Club’s Lisa Harrison afterwards, drinks on Friday with Steven Rowley (can’t wait for his upcoming The Guncle Abroad), and snagging a front row seat at Grady Hendrix’s side-splitting comedy act, along with Patti and at least a dozen F&F book club members. KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY has some new exciting news, she recently signed a new book deal with Gallery Books for her 2025 release titled, FORCED FAMILY FUN. This story is about a mommune in North Carolina and she is so excited to share more about this with you as we get closer to 2025. PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY spent her anniversary week in South Carolina with her husband and youngest son, and then she spent Saturday at the Savannah Book Festival where she was able to hug and hobnob with our favorite people – the Friends & Fiction community and MKA! She is gearing up for The Secret Book of Flora Lea paperback tour in SIX weeks, and is thrilled at this huge news: The Secret Book of Flora Lea is the All Arkansas State Read! Patti will be traveling all over the state in July! KRISTIN HARMEL is on the road this week for literary festivals in the Dallas and Birmingham areas; she hopes to see you there! She’ll be coming at you live tonight on Friends & Fiction from her hotel room in Dallas! She’s excited that the Dallas festival includes a morning assembly and a workshop with high school students; she loves talking to teens! And she’s especially thrilled to be meeting up with Patti—and fellow historical fiction writer (and F&F fave!) Kate Quinn—at the festival in Alabama. 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 EventsThursday, Feb. 22, 6:30pm ET: Patti in a virtual event with Ontario Canada’s Barrie Public Library for their Simcoe Author Talk Series about The Secret Book of Flora Lea. Register to attend online HERE. Thursday, Feb. 22, 7pm CT: Kristin will be the keynote speaker at the Highland Park (Texas) Literary Festival. More information here. Admission is free; if you’re in the Dallas area, Kristin hopes to see you there! Saturday, Feb. 24, 11:30 am CT and 2pm CT: Kristin will be speaking twice (and hanging out with Patti!) at the Southern Voices festival in Hoover, Alabama. All ticketed events are sold out; more information here. In Case You Missed ItLast week on The Friends & Fiction Show, hosts Mary Kay Andrews & Kristin Harmel interviewed authors Kate Quinn & Janie Chang about their new co-written novel, THE PHOENIX CROWN, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles. Tune in to hear about the book New York Times bestselling author Jamie Ford calls “impeccably researched, magnificently rendered, and breathlessly paced.” Order Kate & Janie’s book (out now!) 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 ShowAll 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: 2024 Sneak Preview with the Fab Four Already aired: Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House Already aired: F&F January Pick of the Month: Kristin Hannah, The Women Already aired: Abbott Kahler, Where You End Already aired: Jennifer Moorman, The Magic All Around Already aired: Amy Jo Burns, Mercury Already aired: Kate Quinn & Janie Chang, The Phoenix Crown F&F February Pick of the Month: Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates F&F March Pick of the Month: Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas Anna Quindlen, After Annie Allison Pataki, Finding Margaret Fuller Bonus Episodes!The Fab Four are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short 10-minute video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that our host authors have run on the F&F YouTube channel! NEW! Patti & Ron talk to award-winning writer, Roxana Robinson about her newest novel, Leaving. Praised by Kirkus as “a searing interrogation of honor and passion” this novel is a profound look at the risks we might take to fall in love again. Tune in for their discussion about the truth that we must always take chances, about morality and love, and about writing characters of such depth. WATCH HERE. WATCH Patti’s interview with Frye Gaillard about A Hard Rain. F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription BoxWe 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 through our friends at Oxford Exchange. All details HERE! F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading ChallengeDid you catch Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison’s live book club discussion this past Monday, February 19th with author guest Virginia Kantra to discuss their February pick, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale? If so, watch it (and all their past discussions!) now on the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa Facebook page or YouTube channel. Mark your calendars for Brenda & Lisa’s Happy Hour with special guest Ron Block on Thursday, February 29th at 7:30pm ET and for their next book club discussion happening on Monday, March 18th with Tia Williams about A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram. 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 February prompt is to read a debut novel by an author of color. And for March it is to read a book with “book club” or “bookstore” in the title. Stay in Touch!Subscribe to our PODCAST. Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa. Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests. You're currently a free subscriber to Friends & Fiction's Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
Tune in TONIGHT to watch this week’s episode!Join us Wednesday, February 14th at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel with hosts Mary Kay Andrews & Kristin Harmel as they welcome this week’s guests, bestselling authors Kate Quinn & Janie Chang to hear all about their new co-written novel, THE PHOENIX CROWN, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles. Kate Quinn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction whose work has been translated into multiple languages. She wrote four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with THE ALICE NETWORK, THE HUNTRESS, THE ROSE CODE, and THE DIAMOND EYE. Janie Chang writes historical fiction, often with a personal connection, drawing from a family history with an astounding 36 generations of recorded genealogy. Her three novels include the award-winning THREE SOULS, and the Globe and Mail national bestsellers DRAGON SPRINGS ROAD and THE LIBRARY OF LEGENDS. We are eager to hear from Kate & Janie about THE PHOENIX CROWN which New York Times bestselling author Jamie Ford calls “impeccably researched, magnificently rendered, and breathlessly paced.” Watch the video broadcast of this interview Wed 2/14 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast this Fri 2/16. Buy Kate & Janie’s book on Bookshop.org! Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a detailed Q&A with Kate & Janie which includes truly dreamy pictures of Janie’s magical new writing space, plus a writing tip, book recommendation and lots of other stuff not covered on the show! Latest News from the Fab Four!MARY KAY ANDREWS ran away to Tybee Island for the week. Had a great time meeting fans at the Seaside Sisters Galentine’s Day party on Saturday, then was probably the only person on the planet NOT watching the SuperBowl and Taylor’s boyfriend. Instead she climbed into her jammies and read. Earlier this week she got to meet up with her now-retired former editor AND sneak in a little thrifting at her secret honey-hole in Bluffton, SC. She’s looking forward to catching up with PCH at the Savannah Book Festival this weekend. Will they see some of you there? KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had a wonderful, jam-packed weekend full of a dental scholarship dinner in Chapel Hill, basketball, and, of course, that awesome Taylor Swift win at the Super Bowl! (Kidding. Kidding.) She is working away on her edits for her 2025 book and getting so excited to announce her tour dates for A HAPPIER LIFE! PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY spent some time this week with some writer pals who came into town for a writer’s retreat – some of your favorites from Ariel Lawhon, to JT Ellison, and even Abbott Kahler. It’s always thrilling to remember what kind of beautiful community we’ve built. Patti was in Rosemary Beach, FL for the weekend with an Auburn University alumnae group and had the most inspiring time! This week she heads to SC to celebrate her 33rd anniversary and bop around the Savannah Book Festival with MKA (they hope to see some of you!) KRISTIN HARMEL celebrated both her husband’s and her son’s birthdays over the weekend, and she loved watching the Super Bowl on Sunday night–what a game! She wants to wish everyone in the F&F community a happy Valentine’s Day! See you tonight on the show! 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! A Sweet Valentine’s Day Giveaway!Happy Valentine's Day to all of our sweet book loving friends! Who needs a dozen roses (we can buy ourselves flowers, right?!) when we've got a dozen romantic reads up for grabs! ENTER HERE to win TWELVE recent and upcoming books from some of your most beloved authors—and perhaps some who are new to you! ONE lucky winner will receive all 12 books. One entry per person. Entry deadline: Thurs 2/15/24 at midnight ET. Winner will be announced Fri 2/16/24. Good luck! In Case You Missed ItLast week on The Friends & Fiction Show, hosts Patti Callahan Henry & Ron Block interviewed author Amy Jo Burns about her new novel, MERCURY, in which a roofing family's bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town. Tune in to hear about Amy Jo’s writing process for crafting her blue-collar setting and characters and for plotting the mystery at the heart of the story. Order Amy Jo’s book (out now!) 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 ShowAll 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: 2024 Sneak Preview with the Fab Four Already aired: Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House Already aired: F&F January Pick of the Month: Kristin Hannah, The Women Already aired: Abbott Kahler, Where You End Already aired: Jennifer Moorman, The Magic All Around Already aired: Amy Jo Burns, Mercury Kate Quinn & Janie Chang, The Phoenix Crown F&F February Pick of the Month: Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates F&F March Pick of the Month: Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas Anna Quindlen, After Annie Allison Pataki, Finding Margaret Fuller Bonus Episodes!The Fab Four are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short 10-minute video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that our host authors have run on the F&F YouTube channel! NEW! Patti & Ron talk to award-winning writer, Roxana Robinson about her newest novel, Leaving. Praised by Kirkus as “a searing interrogation of honor and passion” this novel is a profound look at the risks we might take to fall in love again. Tune in for their discussion about the truth that we must always take chances, about morality and love, and about writing characters of such depth. WATCH HERE. WATCH Patti’s interview with Frye Gaillard about A Hard Rain. F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription BoxWe 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 through our friends at Oxford Exchange. All details HERE! F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading ChallengeJoin Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison on Monday, February 19th at 7pm ET on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa as they welcome author Virginia Kantra to discuss their February pick, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale. Also join them for a Happy Hour with special guest Ron Block on Thursday, February 29th at 7:30pm ET. 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 writing duo Christine Platt & Catherine Wiggington Greene about their book, Rebecca, Not Becky. 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 February prompt is to read a debut novel by an author of color. Stay in Touch!Subscribe to our PODCAST. Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests! You're currently a free subscriber to Friends & Fiction's Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
Tune in TONIGHT to watch this week’s episode!Join us Wednesday, February 7th at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel with hosts Patti Callahan Henry and Ron Block as they welcome this week’s guest, critically-acclaimed author Amy Jo Burns, to hear all about her new novel, MERCURY, in which a roofing family's bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town. Amy Jo Burns is the author of the memoir Cinderland and the novel Shiner, which was a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, an NPR Best Book of the Year, a Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club selection, and “told in language as incandescent as smoldering coal,” according to the New York Times. Her writing has appeared in Elle, Good Housekeeping, The Paris Review Daily, and the anthology Not That Bad. We are eager to hear from Amy Jo about MERCURY which People Magazine called “an exquisitely observed tale about blood bonds and the toll of secrets” when they named it their Book of the Week. Watch the video broadcast of this interview Wed 2/7 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast this Fri 2/9. Buy Amy Jo’s book on Bookshop.org! Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a in-depth Q&A with Amy Jo which includes a writing tip, book recommendation, and lots of other stuff not covered on the show! Latest News from the Fab Four!PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY just arrived home from an incredible week offline and with family. She was thrilled to come home and see that The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a Barnes and Noble must read for 2024. She is now diving back into her next novel (nearly done) and batting around titles with her Friends and Fiction co-horts! What would she do without them? Also, this week Patti is launching her new Substack and would love to have you over to visit! It’s called Stories Are My Thing and she’ll be sharing essays, newsletters, creative ideas, and as always the things that inspire her. MARY KAY ANDREWS had a fabulous whirlwind visit with her publishing team in New York City, to discuss marketing and publicity plans for SUMMERS AT THE SAINT, which will be out in three short months! Meg Walker joined MKA in the city for the meeting and lunch with the folks at St. Martin’s Press–and their traditional night of theater–this time around the delightful revival of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, starring Sutton Foster. After she got back home to Atlanta, Mary Kay even managed to sneak in a couple estate sales before getting ready to host a surprise birthday dinner party for a dear friend. KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had a great weekend celebrating her hubby’s birthday and celebrating Valentine’s Day early with the Beaufort Historic Site—which plays a huge role in her forthcoming A HAPPIER LIFE! She is putting the finishing touches on her tour and can’t wait to share it with you! KRISTIN HARMEL got to go see middle grade author James Ponti (CITY SPIES) speak at her son Noah’s school last week, and she absolutely loved seeing how inspired and excited the kids were to hear from a real, live author. It was such a great reminder of the impact of our words–and James is absolutely amazing at telling relatable stories to kids. They were hanging on his every word, and it was such a joy to witness that! This coming Tuesday, Feb. 13, she’ll be in Winter Park, Florida with longtime Friends & Fiction friend Sadeqa Johnson, in conversation about Sadeqa’s The House of Eve, new in paperback. More information here; Kristin and Sadeqa hope to see you there! 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 EventsTues, Feb 13, 6pm: Join Kristin in conversation with author Sadeqa Johnson at the Winter Park Public Library in Winter Park, Florida. RSVP here. In Case You Missed ItLast week on The Friends & Fiction Show, hosts Patti Callahan Henry & Kristy Woodson Harvey interviewed author Jennifer Moorman about her new novel, THE MAGIC ALL AROUND, which is a treasure hunt through the past that reveals one woman’s extraordinary gift for arranging the future. Tune in to hear about Jennifer’s take on magical realism, her inspiration for this setting and her characters, her use of symbolism, and her love of baking. Order Jennifer’s book (out now!) from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org, where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount, all while supporting 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 ShowAll 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: 2024 Sneak Preview with the Fab Four Already aired: Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House Already aired: F&F January Pick of the Month: Kristin Hannah, The Women Already aired: Abbott Kahler, Where You End Already aired: Jennifer Moorman, The Magic All Around Amy Jo Burns, Mercury Kate Quinn & Janie Chang, The Phoenix Crown F&F February Pick of the Month: Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates F&F March Pick of the Month: Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas Anna Quindlen, After Annie Allison Pataki, Finding Margaret Fuller Bonus Episodes!The Fab Four are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short 10-minute video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that our host authors have run on the F&F YouTube channel! NEW! Patti Callahan Henry had the privilege of talking to Frye Gaillard about A Hard Rain. As a child of the Sixties and one of the leading civil rights reporters of his generation, Frye Gaillard has given us a riveting tour along what he calls the fine line between history and journalism. This is a fascinating discussion where Frye tells us about the day he came face-to-face with Martin Luther King as he was arrested in Birmingham, about the fine line between fiction and non-fiction, and stories about this most fascinating decade. WATCH HERE. WATCH Patti & Kristy’s interview with Rachel Linden about Recipe for a Charmed Life. WATCH Kristy & Kristin’s interview with Jeffrey Blount about Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way. WATCH Kristin & Kristy’s interview with author Kristina McMorris & illustrator Amanda Yoshida about their new children’s book, Ellie Mae Dreams Big! F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription BoxWe 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 through our friends at Oxford Exchange. All details HERE! F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading ChallengeJoin Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison on Monday, February 19th at 7pm ET on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa as they welcome author Virginia Kantra to discuss their February pick, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale. Also join them for a Happy Hour with special guest Ron Block on Thursday, February 29th at 7:30pm ET. 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 writing duo Christine Platt & Catherine Wiggington Greene about their book, Rebecca, Not Becky. 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 February prompt is to read a debut novel by an author of color. Stay in Touch!Subscribe to our PODCAST. Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests! You're currently a free subscriber to Friends & Fiction's Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
Tune in TONIGHT to watch this week’s episode!Join us Wednesday, January 31st at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel with hosts Patti Callahan Henry and Kristy Woodson Harvey as they welcome this week’s guest, award-winning, bestselling author Jennifer Moorman, to hear all about her new novel, THE MAGIC ALL AROUND, which is a treasure hunt through the past that reveals one woman’s extraordinary gift for arranging the future. Jennifer is the author of the Mystic Water Series, which includes the reader favorite, The Baker’s Man. A southern Georgia native, Jennifer once toured the US for 5 years as a singer-songwriter with a full band. A Harry Potter fanatic, she considers herself a traveler, an amateur baker, and a dreamer who can always be won over with chocolate, unicorns, or rainbows. Tune in to hear about the inspiration behind her new novel, her writing life, her baking, and of course, magic! Watch the video broadcast of this interview Wed 1/31 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast this Fri 2/2. Buy Jennifer’s book on Bookshop.org! Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a detailed Q&A with Jennifer which includes lots of stuff not covered on the show such as Latest News from the Fab Four!PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY has spent the week on a getaway with her family and catching up on reading! These are precious days when the grown kids spend the week of downtime! She also can’t wait for you to meet Jennifer Moorman tonight and Amy Jo Burns next week! They are incredible, wise, and so fun! MARY KAY ANDREWS is knee-deep in planning the March 9th fun(d)raiser for the scholarship her family endowed in her late daughter Katie’s name at the parochial school she and her children attended. Watch her social media for an opportunity to bid on a Zoom meeting with MKA for your book club (plus twelve free copies of her upcoming book) with proceeds going to the scholarship. Or if you’re in the Atlanta area, come out and join the team trivia fun. KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY is so excited about this year's Friends and Fiction subscription box that A HAPPIER LIFE will be included in! Have you seen the details yet? Find out more info here! She had a great weekend with her family in the beautiful weather and is gearing up for the paperback launch for THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS. KRISTIN HARMEL loved volunteering at the Scholastic Book Fair at her son Noah’s school last week; it’s such a joy to see kids getting excited about reading. She’s on the home stretch with the edited first draft of her 2025 novel, and she’s excited to be able to share more news about it soon. 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! In Case You Missed ItLast week on The Friends & Fiction Show, hosts Patti Callahan Henry & Kristy Woodson Harvey interviewed author Abbott Kahler about her newly released fiction debut, WHERE YOU END, which was inspired by a true story of identical twins and amnesia. Tune in to hear about Abbott’s leap to writing fiction, her real-life inspiration for this novel, her research, her writing process, and more. Order Abbott’s book (out now!) from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org, where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount, all while supporting 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 ShowAll 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: 2024 Sneak Preview with the Fab Four Already aired: Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House Already aired: F&F January Pick of the Month: Kristin Hannah, The Women Already aired: Abbott Kahler, Where You End Jennifer Moorman, The Magic All Around Amy Jo Burns, Mercury Kate Quinn & Janie Chang, The Phoenix Crown F&F February Pick of the Month: Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates F&F March Pick of the Month: Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas Anna Quindlen, After Annie Allison Pataki, Finding Margaret Fuller Bonus Episodes!The Fab Four are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short 10-minute video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that our host authors have run on the F&F YouTube channel! Rachel Linden, author of Recipe for a Charmed Life, interviewed by Patti & Kristy. Jeffrey Blount, author of Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way, interviewed by Kristy & Kristin. Author Kristina McMorris & illustrator Amanda Yoshida discuss their new children’s book, Ellie Mae Dreams Big!, with Kristin & Kristy. F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription BoxWe 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 through our friends at Oxford Exchange. All details HERE! F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading ChallengeJoin Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison on Monday, February 19th at 7pm ET on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa as they welcome author Virginia Kantra to discuss their February pick, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale. Also tune in for their Happy Hour with Ron Block Thursday, February 29th at 7:30pm ET. 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 writing duo Christine Platt & Catherine Wiggington Greene about their book, Rebecca, Not Becky. 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 February challenge is to read a debut novel by an author of color. Stay in Touch!Subscribe to our PODCAST. Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests! You're currently a free subscriber to Friends & Fiction's Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
Tune in TONIGHT to watch this week’s episode!
Join us Wednesday, January 24th at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel with hosts Patti Callahan Henry and Kristin Harmel as they welcome this week’s guest, New York Times bestselling author Abbott Kahler, to hear all about her newly released fiction debut, WHERE YOU END, which was inspired by a true story of identical twins and amnesia.
Once named “a pioneer of sizzle history” by USA Today, Abbott Kahler is the author of four New York Times bestselling works of narrative nonfiction under the name Karen Abbott, including The Ghosts of Eden Park and Liar Temptress Soldier Spy. A prolific writer and media guest, her books have been optioned for television and film, and been featured as Indie Next picks, as Amazon’s and Library Journal’s best books of the year, and as Smithsonian Magazine’s best history books of the year. Tune in to hear about Abbott’s leap to writing fiction, her real-life inspiration for this novel, her research, her writing process, and more.
Watch the video broadcast of this interview Wed 1/24 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast this Fri 1/26.
Buy Abbott’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 detailed Q&A with Abbott which includes lots of stuff not covered on the show such as a writing tip, book recommendations, details on her work-in-progress, misconceptions about her work, favorite indie bookstores, and more!
Latest News from the Fab Four!
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY LOVED talking to Abbott Kahler for this week’s edition of The Friends & Fiction Show – she’s a true finder of lost historical mysteries. Patti also had an incredible weekend hosting an engagement party for her son, Thomas. To see him so loved and surrounded by absolute support had her mother’s heart on fire. She is working away on edits for 2025 (she can NOT wait to tell you about this book!) and playing with a new idea. This has been a lovely week even with a low of 11 degrees in Alabama.
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. Rebecca always knows how to hit that chord with – I wonder what would happen if – and this time it’s even better with a woman who gets “expiration dates” for each date she goes on. One month. Six days. Four weeks. But what happens when the paper is blank? What does it mean?
MARY KAY ANDREWS is doing a deep dive on her Irish ancestry in preparation for her next novel, and starting to plan the book tour for Summers At The Saint (out May 7!)
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: Simply The Best is the latest in Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Chicago Stars series and stars a take-no-prisoners sports agent and a down-on-her luck chocolatier. This is SEP at her kookiest!
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY is having a great start to 2024 and has had the best time sharing her writing tips over in her newsletter and on her blog, www.kristywoodsonharvey.com/blog. If you’re writing this year, check it out! She’s in full-on editing mode for her 2025 book and getting SO excited for A HAPPIER LIFE, coming June 25. She’ll be announcing tour dates soon, so stay tuned!
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: Blank by Zibby Owens. I’m loving reading about the writing and publishing world. Who knows more about that world than she does?
KRISTIN HARMEL spent most of the weekend either in front of her computer (working on her 2025 novel, due soon) or in front of the fireplace (Orlando got down to the 30s over the weekend, which is quite cold for Central Florida!), with brief breaks to go wine-tasting, and to take son Noah to Dave & Buster’s for a bit of video game fun. Kristin had the magic touch on the claw machine this weekend and won Noah four stuffed animals, which she’s inordinately proud of.
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: I’m just finishing up a book I started before the holidays on audio. I didn’t have any long solo drives over the winter break, so I put it aside until I had more time in the car to listen, and I’m so glad to be back in this world. The book is Kantika by Elizabeth Graver, and the story—a multigenerational fictionalization of Graver’s own grandmother’s early life, spanning from Istanbul to Barcelona to New York—is gorgeous. It means even more to me because my friend Jonathan is a relative of Graver’s, so this is the story of his family, too. I’m on the final chapter, and I don’t want it to end.
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!
In Case You Missed It
Last week on The Friends & Fiction Show, all four F&F hosts—Patti Callahan Henry, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel & Kristy Woodson Harvey—interviewed our Featured Guest for January, mega-bestselling rockstar author Kristin Hannah, to discuss our F&F Pick of the Month, THE WOMEN, her forthcoming epic saga of female nurses during the Vietnam War and its aftermath. This was the 200th episode of our Wed night web show and was complete with champagne toast and appearances by one of our original co-founders Mary Alice Monroe, plus podcast host Ron Block and managing director Meg Walker! Tune in and celebrate with us! Meanwhile, pre-order THE WOMEN (out Feb 6) from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount, all while supporting 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: 2024 Sneak Preview with the Fab Four
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: F&F January Pick of the Month: Kristin Hannah, The Women
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Abbott Kahler, Where You End
Watch: Jan 24 | Listen: Jan 26
Jennifer Moorman, The Magic All Around
Watch: Jan 31 | Listen: Feb 2
Amy Jo Burns, Mercury
Watch: Feb 7 | Listen: Feb 9
Kate Quinn & Janie Chang, The Phoenix Crown
Watch: Feb 14 | Listen: Feb 16
F&F February Pick of the Month: Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
Watch LIVE: Feb 21 | Listen: Feb 23
Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars
Watch: Feb 28 | Listen: Mar 1
Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates
Watch: Mar 6 | Listen: Mar 8
F&F March Pick of the Month: Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas
Watch LIVE: Mar 13 | Listen: Mar 15
Anna Quindlen, After Annie
Watch: Mar 20 | Listen: Mar 22
Allison Pataki, Finding Margaret Fuller
Watch: Mar 27 | Listen: Mar 29
Bonus Episodes!
The Fab Four are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short 10-minute video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that our host authors have run on the F&F YouTube channel!
Rachel Linden, author of Recipe for a Charmed Life, interviewed by Patti & Kristy.
Watch HERE.
Jeffrey Blount, author of Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way, interviewed by Kristy & Kristin.
Watch HERE.
Author Kristina McMorris & illustrator Amanda Yoshida discuss their new children’s book, Ellie Mae Dreams Big!, with Kristin & Kristy.
Watch HERE.
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 through our friends at Oxford Exchange. All details HERE!
F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading Challenge
Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison on Monday, February 19th at 7pm ET on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa as they welcome author Virginia Kantra to discuss their February pick, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale. 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 writing duo Christine Platt & Catherine Wiggington Greene about their book, Rebecca, Not Becky. 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 January challenge is to read a book published in your birth year, and February is to read a debut novel by an author of color.
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 LIVE to watch this week’s episode!
Join us TONIGHT—Wednesday, January 17th—LIVE at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel to meet this week’s guest, Kristin Hannah, to hear all about her new book, our F&F Pick for January, THE WOMEN, as we celebrate the 200th episode of our web show!
Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, the instant #1 New York Times bestsellers The Great Alone and The Four Winds, and Firefly Lane, which was the No.1 Netflix series around the world the week it came out.
Her novels have hit the New York Times , Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstores’ bestseller lists; won the People’s Choice award for best fiction; been named Book Of the Month Club’s Book of the Year; been voted the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads; been chosen as book club picks by Reese Witherspoon and the TODAY Show; and been highlighted as best books of the year by outlets such as Amazon, iTunes, and Buzzfeed.
Kristin Hannah joins us to discuss her new novel, THE WOMEN, which is at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided. It will be in stores everywhere on Feb 6 and we are so thrilled and honored to have Kristin with us to discuss it.
Watch the LIVE video broadcast of this interview Wed 1/17 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast this Fri 1/19.
Buy Kristin’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 bonus green-room video footage with Kristin Hannah, plus personal insights from her not discussed on the show, including a writing tip, book recommendation, common misconceptions about her work, her influences, and which three of her characters she’d invite to dinner!
Latest News from the Fab Four!
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY spent a quiet week working on her next novel and also falling down the rabbit hole of ancestry, finding long lost relatives in Ireland (she figured out how to find the plot of land where her GGG grandfather once lived)! It’s so fascinating. Now, she is readying the house for family to come stay for her son’s engagement party this week, and watching for the snow they say is also coming!
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman. I love anything with magic, myth and families. And this book fills the bill for all of that and more. I’ll be interviewing her in two weeks on the podcast so tune in!
MARY KAY ANDREWS has settled in at home, cooking up proposals for her next two novels and starting plans for the book tour for SUMMERS AT THE SAINT, which will be out May 7, and looking forward to her first event of 2024 on Saturday, Jan. 20, the Southern Author Expo at the Greenville (SC) Public Library.
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. Wow! This book is rightfully making a splash in the book world—January Reese Witherspoon pick, etc. And who doesn’t love a cat-and-mouse suspense with a female con artist? I’ll be interviewing Ashley for an upcoming podcast, so stay tuned.
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had a great long weekend celebrating a friend’s birthday watching lots and lots of her son’s basketball games, which is, fortunately, one of her favorite things to do! She is hard at work on the finishing touches for the A HAPPIER LIFE tour and can’t wait to share it with all of you! And…She’s getting edits back for her next book, so yay for that!
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: Susan Mallery’s The Summer Book Club. This is such a charming, feel-good story of friendship that I am loving! Plus, it’s giving me summer vibes, which I need right now!
KRISTIN HARMEL is hard at work on a polished first draft of her 2025 novel, due very soon. She’s also enjoying a visit with some family members in town this week–and she’s thrilled to have gotten to see her nephew play in an invitational baseball tournament over the weekend.
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: City Spies by James Ponti. It’s a middle grade novel by an author friend of mine who is visiting my son Noah’s school next month. Noah wanted to read the book so that he could go see James speak, and we decided to read it at the same time so that we could discuss it. I’m loving having a literary conversation with my second-grader about my friend’s book, which is so well-plotted and fun (and award-winning… and bestselling!)!
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a roundtable discussion with the Fab Four about where their book ideas come from!
Upcoming Events
SAT JAN 20th, 10am - 2:30pm ET—Meet MKA in Greenville, SC at the Southern Author Expo at the Greenville County Public Library, Hughes Main Library branch, 25 Heritage Green Pl.
In Case You Missed It
Last week on F&F Ron & MKA hosted Grady Hendrix for a lively chat about his latest instant New York Times bestselling campy and darkly comic Gothic thriller, How to Sell a Haunted House, just released in paperback. Tune in to hear from this master of horror about what drew him to the genre, why puppets and dolls are so compelling, and his roots in Southern storytelling, along with lots of funny and self-deprecating insights into his road to publication and his writing process. 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: 2024 Sneak Preview with the Fab Four
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
F&F January Pick of the Month: Kristin Hannah, The Women
Watch LIVE: Jan 17 | Listen: Jan 19
Abbott Kahler, Where You End
Watch: Jan 24 | Listen: Jan 26
Jennifer Moorman, The Magic All Around
Watch: Jan 31 | Listen: Feb 2
Amy Jo Burns, Mercury
Watch: Feb 7 | Listen: Feb 9
Kate Quinn & Janie Chang, The Phoenix Crown
Watch: Feb 14 | Listen: Feb 16
F&F February Pick of the Month: Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
Watch LIVE: Feb 21 | Listen: Feb 23
Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars
Watch: Feb 28 | Listen: Mar 1
Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates
Watch: Mar 6 | Listen: Mar 8
F&F March Pick of the Month: Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas
Watch LIVE: Mar 13 | Listen: Mar 15
Anna Quindlen, After Annie
Watch: Mar 20 | Listen: Mar 22
Allison Pataki, Finding Margaret Fuller
Watch: Mar 27 | Listen: Mar 29
The Fab Four are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short 10-minute video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out two recent interviews that Kristy and Kristin have run on the F&F YouTube channel!
Jeffrey Blount, author of Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way.
Watch HERE.
Author Kristina McMorris & illustrator Amanda Yoshida discuss their new children’s book, Ellie Mae Dreams Big!.
Watch HERE.
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 through our friends at Oxford Exchange. All details HERE!
F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading Challenge
Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison on Monday, January 22nd at 7pm ET on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa as they welcome writing duo Christine Platt & Catherine Wiggington Greene to discuss their January pick, Rebecca, Not Becky. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions. 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 January challenge is to read a book published in your birth year, and February is to read a debut novel by an author of color.
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.
Jon the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa.
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests!
MEET GRADY HENDRIX
Tune in TONIGHT to watch this week’s episode!
Join us Wednesday, January 10th at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel to meet this week’s guest, Grady Hendrix!
Grady is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter living in New York City. He is the author of Horrorstör, My Best Friend’s Exorcism (which is being adapted into a feature film by Amazon Studios), We Sold Our Souls, and the New York Times bestseller The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (currently being adapted into a TV series). Grady also authored the Bram Stoker Award–winning nonfiction book Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the horror paperback boom of the seventies and eighties, and his latest non-fiction book is These Fists Break Bricks: How Kung Fu Movies Swept America and Changed the World.
Grady joins hosts Mary Kay Andrews and Ron Block to discuss his latest instant New York Times bestselling darkly comic horror novel, How to Sell a Haunted House, which was just released in paperback this week. We can’t wait to hear all about the book called “wildly entertaining” by The New York Times and “ingenious” by The Washington Post, and which bestselling thriller author Riley Sager said “zigzags from hilarious to horrifying to heartbreaking and back again in the blink of an eye.”
Watch the video of this interview Wed 1/10 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast this Fri 1/12.
Buy Grady’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 personal insights from Grady not discussed on the show, including a writing tip, book recommendation, favorite indie bookstores, his first work of fiction, and info about his work-in-progress!
Latest News from the Fab Four!
MARY KAY ANDREWS started the New Year at Ebbtide, her family’s beach house on Tybee Island. Once her houseguests (and Mr. MKA and the three dogs) headed home, she had an amazingly productive few days thinking about what writing projects are on the horizon. She managed to get in a beach walk before heading home to tackle pre-publication chores for the May 7 publication of SUMMERS AT THE SAINT. And yes, an office clean-out is on the horizon.
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: Bookworm, by Robin Yeatmans, which was recommended by the booksellers at BookLove in Senoia, Georgia. Billed as the kind of book you’d get if Patricia Highsmith wrote the Secret Life of Walter Mitty, this debut novel by an English author is already revealing its wickedly funny, subversive secrets.
KRISTIN HARMEL closed her son Noah’s winter break out with a bang this weekend with a Disney stay (at Coronado Springs) and two trips to Universal Studios as well as an Orlando Magic game. (Also, she was thrilled to curl up with a bowl of popcorn and watch the Golden Globes on Sunday!) Noah went back to school yesterday, and Kristin is busy playing catch-up this week as she dives back in on her 2025 book (due in just a few weeks!). She’s also scheduled for a few follow-up oncologist appointments this month and reminds you to schedule your mammogram if you’re overdue!
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: Where You End by Abbott Kahler. This fiction debut by Kahler (who writes narrative nonfiction under the name Karen Abbott) comes highly recommended by Patti, so I was excited even before I began reading–and it’s truly gripping. I’m thrilled that we’re having her on Friends & Fiction later this month; she’ll be our guest on the Wednesday show on Jan. 24, and the episode will air two days later as an audio podcast. Patti and I can’t wait to ask her a million things about this propulsive thriller!
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had the best time in Florida with her family the past few days and is looking forward to coming home and getting back in the swing of writing again. She is also really looking forward to Little Will‘s basketball season!
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: A Novel Summer by Jamie Brenner, coming in July. “I absolutely could not put this one down! Fast-paced and feel-good, it’s going to be one of the must-read books of summer!”
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY spent the week settling back in at home and working on her 2025 novel in earnest! She’s had a great time catching up with friends after a busy holiday and preparing the schedule for April paperback book tour! She’s been going through all your lovely Best of 2023 lists and thrilled to see Flora Lea on so many of them!
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: The Women by Kristin Hannah. She read it a few months ago but is re-reading it for our Friends and Fiction LIVE interview with Kristin in two weeks! Patti loves everything about this novel—from the main character being a nurse, to the immersive and heart-thumping setting, to the resolution, and finally to the beauty of Kristin’s writing.
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a roundtable discussion with the Fab Four about where their book ideas come from!
Upcoming Events
MON JAN 15, 5:30 pm ET/2:30pm PT — Catch Kristin Harmel in a virtual event with Santa Ana (California) and Town & Country Committees to benefit the Philharmonic Society’s Youth Music Education Programs. Info & tickets HERE.
In Case You Missed It
Last week on F&F we had a good old fashioned “Just Us” episode where the Fab Four gathered together without an author guest. They explained the show’s new format for 2024 and premiered the full guest line-up for our Winter season, then they had a chat about what F&F has meant to them over these past nearly four years, shared writing tips, and discussed the vulnerability they face as writers. 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: 2024 Sneak Preview with the Fab Four
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House
Watch: Jan 10 | Listen: Jan 12
F&F January Pick of the Month: Kristin Hannah, The Women
Watch LIVE: Jan 17 | Listen: Jan 19
Abbott Kahler, Where You End
Watch: Jan 24 | Listen: Jan 26
Jennifer Moorman, The Magic All Around
Watch: Jan 31 | Listen: Feb 2
Amy Jo Burns, Mercury
Watch: Feb 7 | Listen: Feb 9
Kate Quinn & Janie Chang, The Phoenix Crown
Watch: Feb 14 | Listen: Feb 16
F&F February Pick of the Month: Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
Watch LIVE: Feb 21 | Listen: Feb 23
Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars
Watch: Feb 28 | Listen: Mar 1
Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates
Watch: Mar 6 | Listen: Mar 8
F&F March Pick of the Month: Chris Bohjalian, The Princess of Las Vegas
Watch LIVE: Mar 13 | Listen: Mar 15
Anna Quindlen, After Annie
Watch: Mar 20 | Listen: Mar 22
Allison Pataki, Finding Margaret Fuller
Watch: Mar 27 | Listen: Mar 29
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 through our friends at Oxford Exchange. All details HERE!
F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading Challenge
Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison on Monday, January 22nd at 7pm ET on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa as they welcome writing duo Christine Platt & Catherine Wiggington Greene to discuss their January pick, Rebecca, Not Becky. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions. 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 January challenge is to read a book published in your birth year, and February is to read a debut novel by an author of color.
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