Meet Annabel Monaghan TONIGHT!
Weekly News from Friends & Fiction—June 5, 2024
Tune in at 7pm ET for TONIGHT’s episode!
Join us Wednesday, June 5th, at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as Mary Kay Andrews & Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome national bestselling author Annabel Monaghan to discuss her brand-new, highly-anticipated rom-com, SUMMER ROMANCE, the humorous and heartwarming story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past.
Annabel Monaghan is the author of LibraryReads pick and national bestseller SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER and IndieNext and LibraryReads pick NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT, as well as two young adult novels and DOES THIS VOLVO MAKE MY BUTT LOOK BIG?, a selection of laugh-out-loud columns that appeared in the Huffington Post, The Week, and the Rye Record. She joins us from her home in Rye, New York before departing on book tour to talk to us about SUMMER ROMANCE, the book Publishers Weekly has called “the ideal beach read” in a starred review, and which Abby Jimenez has called “a bingeable five-star read.”
Watch the video broadcast of this interview as it airs on Wed 6/5 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel, or catch the audio version on our podcast on Fri 6/7.
Pre-order Annabel’s book on Bookshop.org!
Shop all of our guests’ & hosts’ books in our F&F Shop on Bookshop.org!
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a bonus Q&A with Annabel which includes a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about her work-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show!
Latest News from the Fab Four!
MARY KAY ANDREWS had loads of fun in New York with the rest of the F&F gang. She and Meg enjoyed seeing the deeply inventive, immersive revival of Cabaret on Broadway, and joined Patti and her agent to see the Beatrix Potter exhibit at the Morgan Library. Caught up with lots of old and new writer friends at the Author’s Guild Gala, and even managed to squeeze in some time at Thrillerfest, which was also happening in the city. She and Mr. MKA loved showing off the garden at Squirrel Hollow during their neighborhood garden tour on Saturday. She still has a few signing events on the calendar for Summers at The Saint. Catch her tonight, Wednesday, at 7 pm at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur, GA. in conversation with the wildly entertaining Karin Slaughter. Or check out her Instagram Live conversation on Thursday at 2pm on the Bookbub Instagram page.
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: Next of Kin by Samantha Jayne Allen–who it turns out lives only a few blocks away in MKA’s very small Atlanta neighborhood. “An atmospheric mystery featuring a female private investigator trying to solve a homicide in a small Texas town. Can’t wait to figure out whodunnit!”
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had the best time in New York having some final meetings before the release of A HAPPIER LIFE in just three weeks and attending the authors guild gala! It was the most fun few days, but she is glad to be back in Beaufort for the very last week of school! Let the summer fun begin! She is so grateful to Brit & Co and Readers Digest for featuring A Happier Life this week! It has been such an amazing book launch so far!
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: Anna Bright is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall. “I have been obsessed with the Elizabeth Holmes conspiracy and love some of the parallels between that and this riveting novel. Kristin and I had the best time talking to Susie about this book. It is so topical and readers are going to love it!”
KRISTIN HARMEL had an absolutely fabulous time in New York last week attending the Authors Guild Foundation Gala along with Patti, MKA, Kristy, and Meg. They got to hang out in person with so many Friends & Fiction favorites–and they even met longtime Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton. (Speaking of which, don’t miss the wonderful Reading Rainbow documentary, “Butterfly in the Sky”, now on Netflix!) She also got to visit with two cousins and her editor on her less-than-24-hours-in-NYC whirlwind trip! Now it’s back to work on her book revision this week!
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: “I just finished Fiona Davis’s fabulous The Stolen Queen, coming in January, and I loved it. You may know that her hallmark is choosing famous New York buildings to spin stories around, and this time, she focused on the Met, which means that not only do we have a front row seat to the museum’s inner workings, but we’re also with her character Annie Jenkins in 1978 as she gets hired on as Diana Vreeland’s assistant just before the famed Met Gala. The Stolen Queen also takes us to Egypt with Charlotte Cross, who in 1978 is the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art. But we also get to see her in 1936 as she falls in love during an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings – and endures an almost unimaginable tragedy. It’s a fascinating, spirited, engaging book, and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world!”
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY had the most amazing time in New York City visiting with her Atria editor, her agent, and visiting the Beatrix Potter exhibit at the Morgan Library (amazing!!!) with our own Meg Walker and MKA. Then attending the Author’s Guild Gala with her FF pals, Meg, MKA, Kristy and Kristin, and so many more! So many FF favorite authors as well as inspiring speeches by people like Jesmyn Ward and Ken Burns – Patti left inspired and grateful to be part of such a kind community who understands the importance of the freedom of the written word! BIG plans were made to reveal the title and cover of Patti’s new book coming out in March of 2025 – keep your eyes and ears out!
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate. “As I said in my Book of the Month Club essay – There is nothing quite as wonderful as historical fiction that transports me to another land, another time, and introduces me to lost-to-time stories with fascinating characters – which means there is nothing quite as wonderful as a new novel by Lisa Wingate.”
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Upcoming Events
Click HERE to see Kristy Woodson Harvey’s full book tour for the June 25th release of her new hardcover, A Happier Life.
Click HERE to see Mary Kay Andrews’s remaining tour dates for the May 7th release of her new hardcover, Summers at the Saint.
Friday, June 28, 7pm ET —Join all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Meg Walker & Ron Block—together in-person in St. Louis for a launch celebration and garden party for Kristy’s A Happier Life hosted by The Novel Neighbor at the St. Louis County Library Post Event Space, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO. Get tickets HERE.
Want to know what these F&F Live events are all about? Watch this video compilation! And then grab your tickets to meet up with us in St. Louis in June!
In Case You Missed It
On last week’s episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, Patti & Kristy welcomed four-time Emmy Award winning co-host of ABC’s The View, Sunny Hostin, to discuss the captivating third novel in her NYT-bestselling Summer Beach series, SUMMER ON HIGHLAND BEACH, in which she transports readers to the gleaming shores of Maryland’s Highland Beach in a story that celebrates community and legacy. Order Sunny’s book from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org, where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount—and where all your purchases support our show and our beloved indie bookstores nationwide!
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: Lisa Scottoline, The Truth About the Devlins
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Jo Piazza, The Sicilian Inheritance
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: F&F April Pick of the Month: Emily Henry, Funny Story
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Janet Skeslien Charles, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Ruth Ware, One Perfect Couple
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: F&F May Pick of the Month: Mary Kay Andrews, Summers at the Saint
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Steven Rowley, The Guncle Abroad
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Sunny Hostin, Summer on Highland Beach
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Annabel Monaghan, Summer Romance
Watch: June 5 | Listen: June 7
Lisa Wingate, Shelterwood
Watch: June 12 | Listen: June 14
F&F June Pick of the Month: Kristy Woodson Harvey, A Happier Life
Watch LIVE: June 19 | Listen: June 21
Chris Whitaker, All the Colors of the Dark
Watch: June 26 | Listen: June 28
Bonus Episodes!
The Fab Four (along with Meg & Ron) are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that we’ve run on the F&F YouTube channel!
WATCH Kristin’s interview with Erika Robuck about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Last Twelve Miles.
WATCH Kristin & Kristy’s interview with Lisa Barr about her new highly-anticipated WWII historical novel, The Goddess of Warsaw.
WATCH Kristin’s conversation with Christina Lauren about their brand-new instant NYT-bestselling hit The Paradise Problem.
WATCH MKA’s conversation with the award-winning voice artist Kathleen McInerney who narrates the Summers at the Saint audiobook.
WATCH Patti & MKA’s interview with Sheila Roberts about her newest The Best Life Book Club.
F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription Box
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. You can also order the F&F 2024 SUBSCRIPTION BOX exclusively through our friends at Oxford Exchange. You get the two first-edition autographed hardcover books (and the adorable pouch!) shown below, plus the option to add Patti’s & Kristin’s 2024 paperback editions of last year’s books. All details HERE!
F&F Official Book Club & 2024 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 more than 30k 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 Brenda Novak about her novel, Tourist Season. Mark your calendars for June 17th for their next author guest, Mary Kay Andrews, when they’ll discuss her novel, Summers at the Saint. With the help of Annissa Armstrong, the Book Club is also hosting the 2024 F&F Reading Challenge. Join them for a different category prompt each month to read outside your comfort zone. The May prompt is to read a book set in a place you’d like to visit, and for June it’s to read a book with the word “summer” in the title.
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