Friends & Fiction

WRITERS' BLOCK Kristin Harmel and Ron Block welcome literary power couple Ann Hood and MIchael Ruhlman to talk about their latest books, Fly Girl, Ann's memoir about her early days working for TWA as a stewardess, and The Book of Cocktail Ratios, Michael's newest must have Cocktail reference guide. We also talked about how the two met, how they have grown to be hugely supportive and complementary to each other and to readers. Listeners will get a full sense of the zest for life these two enjoy! 

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WRITERS' BLOCK Kristin Harmel and Ron Block take a deep dive with author T.J. Newman about her new page-turning thriller- Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421. It's a fascinating conversation about lifelong dreams, changing careers from a Flight Attendant to being a huge bestselling author, and some surprising research methods. 

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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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WRITERS' BLOCK Mary Kay Andrews and Ron Block are joined by NYT Bestselling Author and form Head of the FBI, James Comey, to discuss is taut and authentic first book of fiction, Central Park West. Pulling from his own life experiences to develop this story of conflict between the Mafia and Federal Prosecutors. James shares how he switched to writing fiction, where his ideas come from and what may be coming next. A truly fun and fascinating conversation!

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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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WRITERS' BLOCK Ron welcomes back Friends and Fiction co-founder Mary Alice Monroe to speak with debut author, Kristen Ness about her delightful book, At Loggerheads which combines murder, mystery and a deep look at the relationship between humans and the incredible creatures we share the world with.

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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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WRITERS' BLOCK Kristy Woodson Harvey and Ron Block speak with Laura Hankin about her new book, The Daydreams, which tells the story of a former 90s teen TV show, whose ensemble suffered a huge flameout that became legendary. In adulthood, fans want a followup. We explore her writing, her humor and lots of 90s pop culture!

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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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WRITERS' BLOCK In this special episode, Patti Callahan Henry talks about her new release, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, including some exclusive content; then Patti joins Ron to talk with Mary Beth Keane about her follow-up to Ask Again Yes. The Half Moon, an exploration of the multiple facets of marriage, family and longing.

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