Friends & Fiction

WRITERS' BLOCK Ron Block speaks with Jennifer Coburn about her thoroughly researched and fascinating first historical fiction novel, Cradles of the Reich and about her path to change genres in her writing.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 introduce you to one of the world’s foremost historical novelists, Philippa Gregory! Philippa is the acclaimed author of many New York Times bestselling novels, including THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (which was a 2008 major motion picture starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson) and THE WHITE QUEEN (which became a StarzOriginals 10-part series in 2013). Philippa has won numerous awards including Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction by the Historical Writers’ Association, an Honorary Platinum Award by Nielsen for achieving significant lifetime sales of her books, and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature and charity. She joins us from the UK to discuss her brand-new novel, DAWNLANDS, the spellbinding new entry in her Fairmile series featuring palace intrigue, political upheaval, and life-changing secrets in seventeenth-century England. Join the fun as we discuss the origins of this series, her journailsm background, her research and writing process, and her charitable efforts.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 Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry dive into How to Write A Novel in 20 Pies with author and teacher, Amy Wallen. Sure to be a delicious treat for writers and aspiring writers alike!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 spend some quality time with our friend Wanda Morris! The acclaimed author of 2021’s #1 Library Reads Pick ALL HER LITTLE SECRETS (which is being adapted by Uzo Aduba as a limited series for Showtime!), joins us to talk about her brand-new gripping, suspenseful novel, ANYWHERE YOU RUN (just released on 10/25/22 by William Morrow Books). Wanda tells us about her gut-wrenching research into Jim Crow-era Mississippi, the difficult decision to keep the language of the time authentic in her writing, the food and music at play in her novel, and all about her writing process and path to publication.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 Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry speak with literary superstar Bethanne Patrick about her hit Podcast, Missing Pages, her upcoming memoir and about keeping her finger on the pulse of the publshing industry!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 have FOUR amazing author guests! On the first half of the show, meet the author trio of Ariel Lawhon, Susan Meissner & Kristina McMorris who join us to discuss the historical novel they team-wrote together, WHEN WE HAD WINGS, about three WWII nurses who wage their own battle for freedom and survival in the South Pacific. We find out their inspiration for this book, their research and process for writing together, and which of them wrote which character. On the second half of the show we introduce #1 bestselling author, Santa Montefiore, who is a huge bestseller in England with more than 3-million copies sold across Europe and novels translated into 20 languages. We talk to Santa about her children’s Royal Rabbits series she writes with her husband Simon Sebag Montefiore and discuss her spellbinding new novel set in war-torn Italy and the streets of New York, AN ITALIAN GIRL IN BROOKLYN, in which dark secrets and hidden sorrows abound.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 Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry celebrate the release of Marple: Twelve New Stories with contributers Alyssa Cole and Jean Kwok, discussing their short stories, the enduring popularity of Agatha Christie and how the project came together.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 speak with Lisa Jewell, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels such as The Family Upstairs, Then She Was Gone, The Girls, and The Night She Disappeared whose work has been translated into 29 languages and has sold more than 10 million copies internationally. She joins us to discuss her standalone sequel, THE FAMILY REMAINS, published earlier this year. Listen in as the ladies discuss her career shift from rom-com to psychological thriller, her inspiration for her deeply troubled characters, how she veered into police procedural for the first time with this latest book, her inspiration and writing process. Stick around for a great “Ask Us Anything” segment on the after show.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 Ron Block and Kristin Harmel speak with international and NYT Bestselling author Fredrik Backman about his latest, THE WINNERS which concludes his hugely popular BEARTOWN series.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.

Meet two incredible, mega-bestselling author guests on this show—Veronica Roth and Gabrielle Zevin. Veronica is the New York Times bestselling author of the phenomenally popular series of books and movies, Divergent, who has also penned The End and Other Beginnings, Chosen Ones, and the Carve the Mark duology. She joins us to discuss her brand-new dystopian mystery novel POSTER GIRL, pushing her boundaries as a writer, and exploring big themes through science fiction. Gabrielle Zevin is the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed author of several novels, including Margarettown, Young Jane Young, and book-cub favorite The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry which spent several months on the New York Times Best Seller List and was just released as a major motion picture. She joins us to discuss her super buzzworthy tenth novel, TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW, which was published earlier this year and was a NYT bestseller and named a Book of the Month finalist for Book of the Year. We hear from Gabrielle about the role of gaming in her life and in this novel, seeing her work come alive on the big screen, and the friendship/love story at the heart of her new book.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.