Meet Ace Atkins TONIGHT!
Weekly News from Friends & Fiction—December 10, 2025
Tune LIVE in at 7pm ET for TONIGHT’s episode!
Join us Wednesday, December 10th at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as Mary Kay Andrews & Patti Callahan Henry welcome New York Times bestselling author, Ace Atkins, to discuss his rollicking comedic thriller, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, set in 1985 in which a suburban teen suspects his mom’s new boyfriend is the ultimate bad guy—a KGB agent.
Ace Atkins is an award-winning, NYT-bestselling author of more than thirty novels and numerous short stories and, in 2011, was tapped by the estate of Robert B. Parker to continue his beloved Spenser series. A former college football player at Auburn University (where he was part of the undefeated 1993 team, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated) and a former crime reporter at The Tampa Tribune, Ace is a recipient of the Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award and the Harper Lee Award, and is a member of the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. He joins us from his home in Oxford, Mississippi to discuss Everybody Wants to Rule the World which his publisher calls “Elmore Leonard meets Robert Ludlum,” and which bestselling author Robert Crais describes as “unlike anything the great Ace Atkins has written before, and an absolute blast!”
Watch the video broadcast of this interview as it airs on Wed 12/10 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast Fri 12/12.
Order Ace’s book on Bookshop.org!
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Latest News from the Fab Four!
MARY KAY ANDREWS has been in holiday baking mode turning out the lemon cream cheese pound cakes she gifts her publishing peeps–at 13 cakes and counting. Tuesday, she had a lovely book signing and event–her last one of the year, at the beautiful Columbus, Ga. Public Library. Now she’s knee-deep in copy edits for ROAD TRIP, which will be out June 2. #preordermybookdammit.
KRISTIN HARMEL loved spending time last week with authors Madeline Martin, Eliza Knight, Sarah Penner, Heather Webb and more, as she joined them for dinner during their annual writing retreat. It was so great to catch up with everyone! On Friday, she and her husband and son got into the holiday spirit with a visit to see the holiday parade at Universal Studios Florida (which features floats from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade), followed by a ride on the Hogwarts Express over to Islands of Adventure to see Hogwarts lit up for the holidays. Now it’s on to some holiday shopping—and editing first pass pages of MEET ME IN PARIS!
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had the best, best weekend in NYC and got to see Patti and Meg at Brisa Carleton’s book party! After three days of holiday fun, it’s safe to say she’s in the Christmas spirit! Have you seen the adorable collaboration she is doing with Nantucket Book Partners? Preorder SUMMER STATE OF MIND and get a “My Summer is Booked” journal and “Live Your Story Magnet.” Also, while supplies last, get a signed bookplate and Christmas card in case you want to gift it! Full details HERE.
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY just returned from an incredible trip to New York City where she was able to celebrate the season with Meg and Kristy at Brisa Carleton’s launch party. She traveled with her daughter-in-law Lizzie and did all the NYC Christmas things from a Broadway play to the Rockefeller tree and Christmas markets. She is waiting on the final verdict of her last edit and trying to focus on the holidays. There’s a big photo shoot at her house this week—more about that soooon. Finally Patti is in the Christmas spirit! Thank you NYC and Christmas music.
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Upcoming Events
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In Case You Missed It
On last week’s episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, Kristin, Patti & MKA welcomed the internationally renowned, award-winning, NYT-bestselling author John Irving, to discuss our December 2025 Pick of the Month, Queen Esther, which returns us after forty years to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award-winning film, The Cider House Rules.
You can WATCH that episode on Facebook or YouTube, or LISTEN to it on our podcast.
Coming Up on The Friends & Fiction Show
All shows can be watched on Facebook & YouTube each Wednesday evening at 7pm ET, and listened to on our podcast each Friday, all year long.
Already aired: LIVE! September Pick of the Month: Elin Hilderbrand & Shelby Cunningham, The Academy
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: Hank Phillippi Ryan, All This Could Be Yours
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: Jane Hamilton, The Phoebe Variations
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: Meagan Church, The Mad Wife
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: Mitch Albom, Twice — October Pick of the Month!
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: Joe Hill, King Sorrow
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: Catherine Newman, Wreck
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: David Baldacci, Nash Falls — November Pick of the Month!
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: Brisa Carleton, Last Call at the Savoy
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: Lee & Andrew Child, Exit Strategy
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Already aired: John Irving, Queen Esther — December Pick of the Month!
WATCH now | LISTEN now
Ace Atkins, Everybody Wants To Rule the World
WATCH Dec 10 | LISTEN Dec 12
Jacquelyn Mitchard, The Birdwatcher
WATCH Dec 17 | LISTEN Dec 19
F&F 2026 Subscription Box with Oxford Exchange
The 2026 FRIENDS AND FICTION Subscription Box is available for purchase now, exclusively from our friends at Oxford Exchange.
This subscription includes three separate shipments:
1. MAY 2026: A hardcover, signed, first edition of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s forthcoming book SUMMER STATE OF MIND!
2. JUNE 2026: A hardcover, signed, first edition of ROAD TRIP by Mary Kay Andrews!
3. AUGUST 2026: A hardcover, signed, first edition of MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristin Harmel!
Get your subscription NOW from Oxford Exchange!
F&F Merch Store
We have a Friends & Fiction merch store with t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs and a book bag on Bonfire. We also have other items like wine tumblers, reading journals, and our original white v-neck logo tees available through Oxford Exchange.
Tees in New Colors!
We’ve added two fun, new colors (hot pink & turquoise!) to our Bonfire merch store in our signature Name List apparel line!
F&F Official Book Club & 2025 Reading Challenge
Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison for monthly book club picks and live online author chats on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa, where they’ve amassed nearly 40,000 of their own members. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions, including their most recent chat with Alisha Fernandez Miranda about her novel, Someone’s Gotta Give. Mark your calendars for December 15th for their next author guest, Jenny Colgan, when they’ll discuss her new novel, The Secret Christmas Library. The Book Club is also hosting the 2025 F&F Reading Challenge. Join them for a different category prompt each month to read outside your comfort zone. December prompt is to read a holiday book with an animal on the cover. Stay tuned for their reveal of the 2026 reading challenge prompts!
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