Friends & Fiction

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.