Meet John Searles TONIGHT!
Weekly News from Friends & Fiction—July 8, 2026
Tune in at 7pm ET tonight for this week’s episode!
Join us Wednesday, July 8th at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as Mary Kay Andrews & Patti Callahan Henry welcome NYT-bestselling author John Searles to discuss his infectious and utterly charming new novel, Single Girls, which is a fictionalization of the iconic Helen Gurley Brown’s early years at the helm of Cosmopolitan, and the intrepid group of women she took under her wing to create one of the most talked about magazines of all time.
John is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of four atmospheric thrillers including Strange But True which was adapted as a major motion picture starring Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Brian Cox, Blythe Danner, and Margaret Qualley. He appears regularly on the Today show to discuss his favorite book selections and has written for The New York Times, Oprah Daily, and The Washington Post. He spent more than two decades as a top editor at Cosmopolitan. He joins us to chat about Single Girls which has been named a Best Book of Summer by Oprah Daily, Harper’s Bazaar, and The Boston Globe, and been praised as “an irresistibly fun, sparkling novel that you’ll want to binge in one night” by Kevin Kwan, and “a poignant and rollicking good time” by Wally Lamb.
Watch the video broadcast of this interview as it airs on Wed 7/8 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast Fri 7/10.
Meanwhile, order John’s new book—along with all of our guests’ and hosts’ books—at a discount in our F&F Shop on Bookshop.org!
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus Q&A’s with our guest authors which include a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about their works-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show!
Latest News from the Fab Four!
KRISTIN HARMEL had a fabulous Fourth of July weekend with her mom, husband and son at Disney World, which is her family’s annual tradition! Disney World put on their special, patriotic fireworks show three nights in a row–July 3, 4, and 5–and Kristin got to watch the first two nights from the Polynesian and the final night from the Contemporary. If you know Kristin, you know how much she loves Disney World, so this is always a summer highlight! She’s currently gearing up for her book tour for MEET ME IN PARIS, which kicks off in less than three weeks…. She hopes to see you on the road!
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had the best week celebrating the 4th with family, friends, parades, and lots of time on the water! Summer is going too quickly, but she’s soaking up every second! She’s working away on her next novel and… a film project she can’t wait to tell you more about! ICYMI: the next Friends & Fiction Subscription Box is available now! Get Falling for Peachtree Bluff, Patti’s Heart of the Wild and exclusive F&F swag! Plus, an exclusive book club with Kristy and Patti when you order before July 22! Order HERE.
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY had an incredible week full of family, friends, and celebrating the 250th (photos on her instagram) in South Carolina. Even that record breaking heat could not deter them from cooking out, laughing at each other’s foibles, boating, swimming in the river, watching fireworks, and celebrating at a band party. Also, earlier this week she revisited the place that inspired her newest novel HEART OF THE WILD (out in April of 2027) — Sewanee, TN. Those mountains are just as beautiful as they were the day she first visited 13 years ago. And, coming up tonight, she is so excited for everyone to see the interview with John Searles. Patti had the best time talking to him about his new novel, Single Girls.
MARY KAY ANDREWS celebrated the Fourth in a big small town way, watching the town’s parade, and sharing a potluck BBQ with family and friends. Wednesday night she’s doing a fun wine and book-signing at the historic King and Prince Resort on St. Simon’s Island with GJFord Booksellers. Tickets are available here. She’ll be at The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA on Friday, and on Sunday she starts a fun mini-tour with pal John Searles to celebrate publication of his new book, SINGLE GIRLS, at FoxTale Bookshoppe in Woodstock, Ga. Then it’s on to Florida for two more events. Get all the details here.
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for an ongoing series of roundtable discussions and personal essays by the Fab Four about their careers, writing processes, and all things book and publishing related!
Upcoming Events
Kristin is touring in July/August for her forthcoming book, Meet Me in Paris. Stay tuned to her events page HERE.
See MKA’s remaining Road Trip tour dates HERE.
See Patti’s upcoming events HERE.
See Kristy’s upcoming events HERE.
Want to know what our F&F Live events are all about? Watch this video compilation!
In Case You Missed It
On our most recent new episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, Ron Block & Mary Kay Andrews welcomed #1 NYT-bestselling author Lisa Jewell to discuss her “deliciously dark, devilishly addictive” (Alice Feeney) new novel It Could Have Been Her, in which two women’s lives converge in a house containing devastating secrets that refuse to stay buried.
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: Kathryn Stockett, The Calamity Club
WATCH | LISTEN
Already aired: Mary Kay Andrews, Road Trip
WATCH | LISTEN
Already aired: Annabel Monaghan, Dolly All the Time
WATCH | LISTEN
Already aired: Ann Patchett, Whistler
WATCH | LISTEN
Already aired: Lisa See, Daughters of the Sun and Moon
WATCH | LISTEN
Already aired: Lisa Jewell, It Could Have Been Her
WATCH | LISTEN
SUMMER 2026 SEASON
John Searles, Single Girls
Watch: July 8 | Listen: July 10
Ben Reeves, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt
Watch: July 15 | Listen: July 17
Kristin Harmel, Meet Me in Paris
Watch LIVE: July 22 | Listen: July 24
Jo Piazza, The Parisian Heist
Watch: August 5 | Listen: August 7
Christina Lauren, The Romance Revival
Watch: August 12 | Listen: August 14
Karin Slaughter, The Secrets We Hide
Watch LIVE: August 19 | Listen: August 21
Kristy Woodson Harvey, Falling for Peachtree Bluff
Watch LIVE: September 9 | Listen: September 11
Chloe Benjamin, Under Story
Watch: September 16 | Listen: September 18
Ariel Lawhon, The Pirate Queen
Watch: September 23 | Listen: September 25
F&F 2026 Subscription Box with Oxford Exchange
The 2026 FRIENDS AND FICTION Subscription Box is available for purchase now, exclusively from our friends at Oxford Exchange.
This subscription includes three separate shipments:
1. MAY 2026: A hardcover, signed, first edition of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s forthcoming book SUMMER STATE OF MIND!
2. JUNE 2026: A hardcover, signed, first edition of ROAD TRIP by Mary Kay Andrews!
3. AUGUST 2026: A hardcover, signed, first edition of MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristin Harmel!
Get your subscription NOW from Oxford Exchange!
F&F Merch Store
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.
We’ve added TWO NEW COLORS for our fan favorite name list tee-shirts. We now have them in a heathery hunter green and a kelly green—both of which match perfectly with the three new Fab Four books out in May, June & July! Get yours now and dress to match the books when you come out to Kristy, MKA & Kristin’s tour events!
F&F Official Book Club & 2025 Reading Challenge
Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison for monthly book club picks and live online author chats on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa, where they’ve amassed nearly 40,000 of their own members. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions, including their most recent chat with Kristy Woodson Harvey about her new novel, Summer State of Mind. Mark your calendars for July 20th for their next author guest, Mary Kay Andrews, when they’ll discuss her new novel, Road Trip. The Book Club is also hosting the 2026 F&F Reading Challenge. Join them for a different category prompt each month to read outside your comfort zone. The April prompt is to read a book recommended by a favorite librarian and for May it’s to read a book about a female detective.
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.
