Latest News From "The Fab Four"
Mary Kay Andrews was thrilled to see The Homewreckers featured as best romance novel of the summer on The Today Show! And even more thrilled at the news that The Homewreckers stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for a fourth week! After a whirlwind weekend in New York City, which included a visit to the Greenwich Village setting of her next Christmas novel, she’s looking forward to three book signings later this week.
Kristin Harmel is rooting hard for the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup playoffs (Her husband’s cousin is a Rangers defenseman and alternate captain!). She’s also soaking in the long summer days with 6-year-old Noah now that he’s out of school. When she’s not watching hockey or hanging out at Disney World with Noah, she’s finishing up the author’s note for her 2023 book THE PARIS DAUGHTER, which she can’t wait to share with all of you!
Kristy Woodson Harvey is super busy working on with copy edits on her next book, THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS releasing Spring 2023! Kristy can’t wait for you to see the cover which will be making its debut on Friends and Fiction on June 15th! Kristy was featured in Wine, Women and Words this past week, check out the podcast here!
Patti Callahan Henry is working on her copy edits for next year’s (May 9th, 2023) book and remembering the great thrill of having spent a couple years with the two sisters (Hazel and Flora) in the novel; she can’t wait to introduce you to all the people (werp, she means characters). Meanwhile she is spending some time in SC, preparing for the big Ships of the Sea Museum exhibit of the REAL treasure in her novel Surviving Savannah. Road trip to Savannah, anyone? CLICK here for tickets!
What Patti is Reading: When We Had Wings by Ariel Lahwon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner. (Out in October)
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Get to Know Our Friend, Greer Hendricks!
What would you be if you weren't a writer?
I studied psychology in school and I would probably be a therapist. All of the books Sarah and I have collaborated on are psychological in nature. I listen to psychology podcasts, read books about therapy and subscribe to Psychology Today. I am very interested in the intricacies of the human mind. And I like the idea of helping others.
What's the biggest misconception people have about you and your work?
When my husband first read The Wife Between Us he looked me in the eye and said: “You are a very dark woman.” It was as if he had never seen me before. So, I think if you hadn’t met me and just read my writing you might think I was kind of twisted or complicated. But I’m actually a cheerful mom who is happily married, has loads of friends, and likes to run and play tennis in my spare time! I guess I channel my twisty side in my writing.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl. I worked on novels, stories, poetry, plays and songs. In fact, I recently found a drawing I made when I was younger. Okay the drawing is awful, but the image is clear. It’s me as a grown woman with a husband and two children. In the picture, I am holding a book that I had written. But for many years I denied myself this dream. After I graduated from college I moved to Manhattan, worked at Conde Nast in magazines. I then went on to earn my Master’s in journalism from Columbia and launched a two-decade long career at Simon & Schuster. I had a roster of wonderful authors—novelists like Jennifer Weiner and Taylor Jenkins Reid. And nonfiction writers like Marlo Thomas and Jessica Seinfeld. I had a great boss and was comfortable in this position—nothing was wrong. Yet I always knew I wasn’t fulfilling my life-long dream. Two people helped me realize this goal - my husband who encouraged me to quit my job and Sarah, who suggested we write together!
Tell us about the first piece of fiction you ever wrote.
At parents’ night my fifth-grade teacher read one of my early works of fiction out loud. I was in a real Judy Blume phase and I wrote a very dramatic, but I guess very realistic story about a young girl whose mother and father are splitting up. Apparently all of the other childrens’ parents looked at my parents, who clutched each other's hands and smiled as if to say “we are fine.” 55 years later they are still married. And perhaps it’s no surprise that three of the four books Sarah and I wrote feature complicated marriages!
Do you have any writing rituals?
I always have a beverage by my side - coffee in the morning and tea and seltzer in the afternoons. I wear super comfy exercise clothes (typing is a workout, right?) and always have my hair tied back in a ponytail or messy bun. Otherwise not really. I’ve trained myself to write in a lot of different places - my desk, my daughter’s bedroom, the library or even while getting a pedicure!
Is there a particular independent bookstore or library you'd like to shout-out?
Mitchell’s Book Corner on Nantucket and The Corner Bookstore in Manhattan. Also, I’ve been doing a lot of writing at The New York Society Library on the Upper East Side.
The last book you raved about:
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka is a work of literary suspense that deconstructs the story of a serial killer on death row. The story is told both from his perspective and also the women in his life - his mother, a sister of one of the women he murdered, and a homicide detective. I couldn’t put this one down. But beware this is not for everyone!
Tell us about your work-in-progress.
Sarah and I have one more book under contract together, and we are both working on solo projects. I can’t really talk about mine because it’s another high concept book with twists and turns that I am not ready to have out in the universe…yet!!
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Get to Know Our Friend, Sarah Pekkanen!
What would you be if you weren't a writer?
The truth is, it’s hard for me to imagine being anything else. I don’t feel fully myself unless I’m immersed in a manuscript, crafting an alternate world. Writing has been there for me since childhood, and I’ve leaned into it during the roughest times in my life. I’m not sure who I would be without it. Luckily, I don’t have to find out because I don’t ever plan to stop writing books!
What's the biggest misconception people have about you and your work?
That once you’re published, things are easy. Writing a novel is a complex undertaking, and some manuscripts put up more of a struggle than others. I wish there was some trick to it; a secret sauce we could pass around and sprinkle on our pages to make them shine. But every single writer I know experiences self-doubt and self-criticism, which is one reason why we all need to support each other and find joy in the process whenever we can. Greer and I did this by laughing – sometimes even when we worked on dark, creepy scenes!
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always known, and I sometimes wonder if writing is hard-wired into my DNA. My father’s side of the family loves words. His mother – my grandma – had to drop out of high school to help support her family and she worked as a waitress her whole life. But in her spare time, she was absolutely ruthless in games of Scrabble, and she enjoyed reading. I sometimes wonder if she secretly wanted to be a writer. My father also knew very early on that he was a writer, and he became a journalist and a non-fiction medical writer. Even though we focus on very different styles and subjects, our shared love of the craft has always linked us together.
Tell us about the first piece of fiction you ever wrote.
I was always writing as a kid, and sometimes I’d mail off manuscripts to top publishers in New York and breathlessly await a reply. A few years back I opened one of my old Nancy Drew books and discovered a letter I wrote on Raggedy Ann stationary to a publisher, asking when the masterpiece entitled Miscellaneous Tales and Poems would be hitting bookstores. Another time I wrote a book called The Lost Gold on three-ring binder paper and bound it by weaving red knitting yarn through the holes. It was a Nancy Drew-style mystery, complete with my illustrations. It was also rejected by publishers, but I vividly recall one kind editor taking time out of her busy day to send me a personal note, telling me to keep writing because she was sure I’d be published one day. I wish I could remember her name, because I’d sure like to thank her.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I’m a superstitious and quirky writer in some ways, yet flexible and easygoing in others. Years of writing under tight deadlines for slightly cranky city editors at newspapers taught me to craft stories under any conditions – even in a moving car or on the sidelines of my kid’s baseball practices – and I don’t believe in writer’s block. Yet if I have a good writing session in a particular environment, such as a corner table in a coffee shop, I try to go back to the exact spot to coax the magic to emerge again. If someone is sitting in the chair, I mope around and look dejected until they leave. Oh, and I also talk to myself when I write, which can be disconcerting for those around me when I’m writing a murder scene.
Is there a particular independent bookstore or library you'd like to shout-out?
There are so many I adore, but I’ll choose the legendary Politics & Prose in D.C. in part because I’m teaching an online class there this fall. Right now I’m working with the P&P staff to develop the class, and I can’t wait to connect with other writers and aspiring writers when we launch it.
The last book you raved about:
I thought The Maid was absolutely terrific. It was told from the first-person point of view of a woman on the spectrum who works in an invisible role in a fancy hotel. The premise was compelling, and the singular voice of the narrator elevated it for me.
Tell us about your work-in-progress.
I just put the finishing touches on my next twisty psychological thriller for St. Martin’s Press and it will be published next summer! Right now my book is going through the copy-editing stage and then it will be time to choose a cover. My editor, who also edits the novels I do with Greer, has come up with a great title. I can’t wait to reveal more news about it as I get closer to publication!
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Get to Know Our Friends, Ali Brady!
What would you be if you weren't a writer?
We both have busy day jobs—Bradeigh is a doctor, and Alison is a creative director at an advertising agency—so we would still be doing those. We would just have a lot more time on our hands! And even if we weren’t writing books together, we’d still be BFFs!
What's the biggest misconception people have about you and your work?
A lot of people think that with two people writing one book together, it's half the work. But it actually takes just as much, if not more, work. In addition to writing our own chapters, we both read and heavily edit the others’ chapters. Plus we communicate frequently about business-related topics like marketing and long-term career planning.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
We both were avid readers as kids, and were always spinning stories. Alison chose advertising as her major in college when she realized there was a job where she could be creative and have health insurance! Bradeigh started writing after her fourth child was born, when she needed a way to escape the (happy) chaos of her life.
Tell us about the first piece of fiction you ever wrote.
The first piece Alison remembers writing was actually a poem. It was called ‘Read it like a river’ and it was about how it felt to step into a story. Bradeigh wrote and illustrated an entire novel when she was in third grade, about a magical alien named Miffle who lived on the moon. Her mom gave it five stars.
Do you have any writing rituals?
When you’re squeezing writing in between day jobs and other responsibilities, a lot of rituals go out the window, and you write where and when you can. But when it comes to writing steamy scenes, we have a fun tradition. We let each other know when we’re writing the chapter where our characters do “the deed” so the other can send moral support in the form of funny and suggestive GIFs.
Is there a particular independent bookstore or library you'd like to shout-out?
We love independent bookstores! Alison is a regular at Volumes Bookstore and Madison Street Books in Chicago, and Bradeigh loves King’s English in Salt Lake City.
The last book you raved about:
We rave about other books all the time! Some recent favorites are Four Ways to Wear a Dress by Gillian Libby, Meant to Be by Emily Giffin, Something Wilder by Christina Lauren, and How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder.
Tell us about your work-in-progress.
We’re actually turning in the draft to our second book, The Comeback Summer, on Wednesday! It’s about two sisters who are trying to save their family business (a PR agency) by wooing an eccentric client who requires that they participate in her self-help challenge to crush their comfort zones. Along the way, they learn about themselves, their relationship as sisters—and of course, they each fall in love with a swoony guy!
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Get to Know Our Friend, Mary Alice Monroe!
What would you be if you weren't a writer?
There are the fanciful answers such as dreams of being an opera singer. Other than in my shower… But in real life, if I was not a writer I would be either a book editor because I love editing other people’s books (and would do more if I had time). Or a professor of Asian Culture and Japanese language, as those are the areas of my undergraduate and graduate degrees. It might be amusing to know that even now at my age, I am once again studying Japanese language. I want to get my skills back up to bilingual status. I’m watching Asian TV too! (Love those K Dramas… but the Korean is not helping my Japanese!) If years ago there were as many shows streaming in Japanese as there are now, I would never have gotten so rusty!
What's the biggest misconception people have about you and your work?
People sometimes think writing is something that comes easily. Something I can get done if I just put in the four hours a day. It doesn’t work that way, at least not for me. I do not begin a novel with a story idea. I begin with a species. I have to do a great deal of not only academic research, but physical work. I volunteer to work with the species I am writing about—turtles, dolphins, whales, birds of prey, butterflies... This takes a great deal of time. From all this come the story ideas. I like to say the animals give me the story. This process cannot be clocked by hours, days, or even weeks. I do the work and wait for the AHA moment when I know what the story is about, and more, how I need to tell it.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I always told stories, for as long as I can remember. I’m the third eldest of ten kids. We put on musicals and circuses, we wrote plays and performed for the neighborhood. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Crawford, asked if I ever thought of being a writer when I grew up. I stared back, amazed. I didn’t know that was a job! She gave my inner dream a name. From that point on, when asked, I knew I wanted to be a writer of books.
Tell us about the first piece of fiction you ever wrote.
I can easily tell you that. It’s Willy the Wishful Whale. I was eight years old and wrote the book, drew illustrations and stapled it together. I was so proud!
Do you have any writing rituals?
I begin by reading what I wrote the day before. Even if it’s just a few pages, that gets me back into the story. A jumping off point. I am disciplined about showing up at my desk no later than 9 am when I’m not under deadline. When I am in a writing push, I write round the clock, twelve hour plus days. I’ve written all night a few times (not recommended) and it’s not unusual for me to go to bed at 3 am for a few hours sleep and then wake up and start writing again. That’s when I’m in the zone. It never lasts more than three months. I don’t think I could survive longer! By the end of the push, I’ve written the soul of the story. That raggedy, messed-up first draft that has moments that shine. In his memoir, Stephen King wrote how once the research was done it shouldn’t take more than 3 months to write the book. I smiled when I read that thinking he meant that first draft. Or he really IS fast! Bottom line: A writer must have the tools in her toolbelt to take that messy draft, however long it took to write it, and rework it over and over until it is the best novel it can be.
Is there a particular independent bookstore or library you'd like to shout-out?
I’m blessed to have several bookstores in the Charleston area that I call home stores. So a heartfelt shout out to my pal Polly Buxton and the team at Buxton Books, to Jonathan Sanchez and all at Blue Bicycle Books, to Adam and the team at Barnes & Noble, and my neighbor in Mt. Pleasant, The Village Bookseller!
The last book you raved about:
I was blown away by Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I love her writing style and the poetry in the book was such a surprise. Yet what makes me rave is that she kept the science in the book that I’ve often deleted in my stories because I didn’t think readers wanted that much detail. She proved me wrong and I was delighted to see the readers’ obviously enthusiastic response. She made the marsh come alive. I love books that have strong, viable settings. For Middle Grade, I met a new author I fell in love with: Joe Hackl. Jo wrote Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe, part adventure, all heart. Beautiful storytelling. This book won the SIBA Best Fiction award for Middle Grade.
Tell us about your work-in-progress.
Angela May and I have begun the next book (3) in The Islanders series. This plot will be the most complex and emotional one yet. My readers are also asking me when my next adult novel will be coming out. I’m hard at work on a book that has been in my heart for years. I can’t say much other than it is set in South Carolina and readers of my novels will love returning to the Southern characters, setting, and storyline. I hope all think it was worth the wait.
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Get to Know Our Friend, Angela May!
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I was in my early 20’s, working in TV news when I first told my husband I dreamed of writing children’s books one day. Many years later, when the dream turned into an opportunity, I was stunned and humbled.
Tell us about the first piece of fiction you ever wrote.
When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, I wrote (and illustrated) a story about a girl who wanted to be a ballet dancer. One day, magical slippers arrived and with them, she was great! But, one day, the shoes vanished. But, the girl learned that she didn't need the slippers. All she needed was courage to try! I was so proud of my book, especially after a class mom binded up every child's story, into an actual book, with a colorful cardboard front and back cover. I thought that was so cool at that age! Bless that mom, whoever she was.
Do you have any writing rituals?
With two kids at home and other job responsibilities, I essentially write anywhere and anytime I can. I consider myself a roving writer. Does that count as a ritual? :)
Is there a particular independent bookstore or library you'd like to shout-out?
The Charleston County Public Library has been such a huge supporter since day one! They hosted our very first book event for The Islanders. Because of Covid though, it had to be outdoors. Together with indie store Blue Bicycle Books, they created a drive-thru book signing event that was a smashing success! My face hurt from all the smiling and talking and signing with Mary Alice. I’m forever grateful. CCPL, Blue Bicycle Books, and also Buxton Books have been stalwarts of our series!
The last book you raved about:
I’m not done reading it yet, but I’m really loving Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston. It’s his debut novel, and it’s imaginative, page-turning, and poignant. And the fact that the author is from South Carolina too makes me love it even more!
Tell us about your work-in-progress.
What was supposed to be a quick fishing adventure with friends turns into an emergency that tests the trio’s knowledge, wits, and friendship for survival.
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Featured Bookseller
Bookshop.org
Find all the books by every F&F guest, past and present, in the F&F Bookshop.org Shop! Portions of all sales placed in our shop help fund F&F and support our guests! Proceeds from every sale made anywhere across Bookshop go straight into the pockets of indie booksellers nationwide. Since its inception, Bookshop.org has raised nearly $21 million for indie bookstores! Find THE GOLDEN COUPLE by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, THE BEACH TRAP by Ali Brady, and SEARCH FOR TREASURE by Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May—as well as recent books by all of our guests and hosts—on our Friends & Fiction Spring/Summer 2022 Guests list!
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Listen to the F&F Podcast!
Coming this Friday, June 10th—Ron and Patti talk to Liz Michalski, author of Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan, about crafting a modern-day reimagining of a literary classic.
Out Now! WB_S3E8—Ron & Meg talk with Carter Bays about his debut novel, The Mutual Friend and jumping from co-creating the smash-hit TV sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” to writing novels. LISTEN NOW!
Out Now! WB_S3E7—Joy Callaway joins Ron and Kristy to talk about her fascinating new book, The Grand Design. LISTEN NOW!
Out Now! WB_S3E6—Ron and Kristin speak with prolific writers Jane Porter and Megan Crane about their amazing careers, their friendship, and the importance of community. LISTEN NOW!
Listen, download, subscribe, rate, review & share wherever you get your podcasts!
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News from the F&F Official Book Club
We have a lot of fun events coming up. Take a look at our book club schedule and be sure to save the dates! All events begin at 7pm Eastern unless otherwise noted.
August 19: Happy Hour with Ron Block
Grab these books and start reading now!
If you missed the May 16th book club meeting with Wiley Cash where we discussed his book When Ghosts Come Home, catch it HERE.
If you missed our May 6th Happy Hour with Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry, catch it HERE.
Did you hear? The Friends & Fiction Official Book Club is now on YouTube! You can view previous book club discussions and happy hours at your leisure. Check it out HERE!
Not a member of the Friends & Fiction Book Club? Join us! We would love to have you!
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Join the F&F 2022 Reading Challenge!
Join us in 2022 for a fun 12-month reading challenge. We will challenge each other all year long to read books in a different category every month. This will help all of us broaden our horizons and read books in different genres we may not have chosen for ourselves. This is a fun way to join with the rest of the F&F community and share a fun reading experience. And the F&F Reading Journal makes the perfect companion piece to this challenge, helping you keep track of all the books you read all year long. Grab your reading journal HERE.
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F&F is on YouTube!
Subscribe Today!
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Did you miss the May 25th episode with Sarah McCoy, Chanel Cleeton and Christina Lauren? If so, you can watch it on our YouTube channel HERE. We air our show on YouTube every Wednesday night at 7pm ET. And every episode since our show’s inception can be found there too. So if you ever miss one, or in case Facebook is being difficult, check us out on YouTube. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode and get alerted every time we post new content. We also have book trailers and highlight clips on our channel, too! Watch the May 25th show HERE.
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Join Us on Fable!
Introducing Friends & Fiction: Behind the Book
Have you joined F&F on Fable yet?! We are taking our immersive reading experience a step further by partnering with this unique social platform to form the “Friends & Fiction: Behind the Book” Premium Book Club! Let’s discover, read, and talk about great books together! Download the FREE Fable app for your phone or tablet. Join MKA, Kristin, Kristy & Patti as they talk about their own books, the books they love, and books they're just discovering together. They’ll feature a new book selection every month, plus special club events, exclusive content, and more! Join our Premium Club for just $5/month! JOIN TODAY!
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F&F is Now on LoCo+!
Come join Friends & Fiction on LoCo+, a brand-new streaming platform that launched just a few days ago. The platform specializes in locally produced content and will eventually include channels from all over the country, but this is your chance to get in on the ground floor with us; we're part of the platform's rollout, and we'd love for you to be there, too. Eventually, it will be a paid subscription (like Netflix or Hulu), but if you sign up now, you can get the first month free--and you can see past and current episodes of Friends & Fiction as well as lots of other great, independently produced content, including the "Good News Lady" show from our friend (and former F&F guest) Daryn Kagan. Sign up for your free trial here and check it out: https://golocoplus.com/.
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Friends & Fiction Merchandise
SHOP THE F&F MERCH STORE!
NEW! Stay on track with the exclusive Friends & Fiction Reading Journal, featuring 52 book entries (one for every week of the year), a lending library, reading list, and books you put down. With a cloth cover, gold foil embossing, a satin ribbon page marker, elastic band, heavyweight paper, and a back pocket to store notes, this is the perfect gift for the book lover in your life—or for yourself! ORDER READING JOURNALS HERE.
Cozy cotton with a flattering v-neck and our signature Friends & Fiction logo, these comfy t-shirts are the perfect way to show your Friends & Fiction pride! ORDER T-SHIRTS HERE.
Friends & Fiction wine sippies are available and shipping now from Oxford Exchange!
But that’s not all! We also have F&F 20oz travel tumblers for on-the-go coffee of drinks!
We can’t wait to see you model your merch!
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