Friends & Fiction

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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WRITERS' BLOCK Meg Walker and Ron Block host a fascinating conversation with Julie Gerstenblatt, author of the recent release Daughters of Nantucket and Andrea Dunlop, author of Women are the Fiercest Creatures. Both works are set in different times, but are connected through how their 3 main protagonists are affected and relate to events and circumstances that test their relationships and lives.

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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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WRITERS' BLOCK Patti Callahan Henry and Ron Block are joined by Zoe Fishman, author of the deeply personal novel The Fun Widow's Book Tour. Her novel was inspired by the tragic loss of her own husband and it's impact on her life and the lives of her children. Zoe's book is injected with honesty, authenticity and humor, all of which is reflected in this warm and meaningful conversation about love, friendship, and ultimately hope.

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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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WRITERS' BLOCK This week, Ron Block and Kristy Woodson Harvey talk with J. Ryan Stradal about his new book, Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, which Roxanne Gay called "a Perfect Book" and has received a starred review from Kirkus. This intergeneration saga centering on the rivalry between two families is an ode to the midwest, supper clubs and finding your way in the world. Be sure to bring a relish tray and a Brandy Old-Fashioned for this episode!

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WRITERS' BLOCK Ron Block and Mary Kay Andrews are joined by Chef Kenny Gilbert to celebrate his new cookbook, Southren Cooking/Global Flavors which reflects his approach to joining flavors from his world wide experience with his southern focus in food. His story includes his popular run on Top Chef and his path to becoming a preferred personal chef for Oprah Winfrey. A fascinating story and cookbok!

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WRITERS' BLOCK Kristy Woodson Harvey and Ron Block are joined by author and entrepreneur Cleere Cherry Reaves to talk about her new book, The Miracle of You, along with Cleere's approach to embracing her faith to get through difficult times and celebrate sharing her gifts through her creativity.

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WRITERS' BLOCK Ron Block and Kristin Harmel delve into the December 2022 #1 Libary Reads pick, The Circus Train, written by the wonderful Amita Parikh. This stunning debut took the book world by storm, but as we learn during our discussion, it was not a quick and easy road to publication. The path is fascinating and Amita shares her journey that is inspiring and demonstrated how perserverance pays off. Truly a magical book and guest!

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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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