Watch our LIVE show with Jessa Maxwell TONIGHT!
Weekly News from Friends & Fiction—August 21, 2024
Tune in LIVE at 7pm ET for TONIGHT’s episode!
Join us Wednesday, August 21st LIVE at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as the Fab Four gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, Jessa Maxwell, to discuss her new book, our August 2024 Pick of the Month, I NEED YOU TO READ THIS, a sly and addictive new mystery about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder.
Jessa Maxwell is the author and illustrator of five picture books for children whose comics and cartoons have been published in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and whose writing has been published in Slate, Marie Claire, and many other publications. She previously joined us on our podcast in March 2023 to discuss her debut adult novel, the darkly beguiling locked-room mystery The Golden Spoon, which is now in production as a limited series for Hulu. We are excited to welcome Jessa back to discuss her clever new cat-and-mouse murder mystery, I NEED YOU TO READ THIS (Atria Books, Aug 13), which Booklist called a “palm-sweat-inducing psychological thriller,” and which Publishers Weekly praised for its “scintillating tension.”
Watch the LIVE video broadcast of this show as it airs Wed 8/21 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast Fri 8/23.
Order Jessa’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 bonus Q&A’s with our guest authors which include a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about their works-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show!
Latest News from the Fab Four!
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY is having a great time visiting her parents on this last week before school starts! It has been a great summer and she can’t believe it is over! She is also having the giveaway with Simon and Schuster audio for a copy of A HAPPIER LIFE and a really fun summer prize pack, so check that out on Instagram if you would like to enter!
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: Southern by Design by Helena Walz. She is only a chapter in but loves the distinctly summer feel of this novel and the author's voice!
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY traveled to Charleston to see some old friends and meet new ones when she interviewed Frances Mayes – she loved being reminded of the way stories bring us together. She then drove up to the NC mountains for some writing time and is trying to wrestle a new story into something that makes sense while also working on the book club kit for THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND. She is so excited about interviewing Jessa Maxwell tonight!
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune. I have just started it and already I am curious where this is going! What a masterful voice and page-turning plot. Ron and I are interviewing him in a couple weeks and I can’t wait to talk to him about it.
KRISTIN HARMEL turned in line edits for her 2025 novel and is excited to see some cover options soon…. She can’t wait to share it with you once the publisher has settled on a title and cover. Her son, Noah, started third grade last week, so her family is getting back into a routine (including basketball practice!)
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi (coming February 2025): I’m just diving in to this sweeping story that takes us to Bombay, Prague, Florence, Paris and London, all on the trail of a mystery surrounding a famous painter’s death.
MARY KAY ANDREWS had a blast doing an “in conversation” before a packed house for FoxTale Bookshoppe with the always wildly unpredictable and entertaining Karin Slaughter last Sunday for the launch of her newest Will Trent novel This Is Why We Lied. Over the weekend her son Andrew and his fiancè Meghan began plotting the details of their spring wedding–which will be held at Squirrel Hollow!
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: Southern by Design by Grace Helena Walz. Designer porn with a Charleston setting? What’s not to love? This one will be out Feb. 11.
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for an ongoing series of roundtable discussions and personal essays by the Fab Four about their careers, writing processes, and all things book and publishing related!
Upcoming Events
Friday, September 27, 4pm ET — Join us for an F&F Live “Toast to the Ta-Tas” event at the beautiful High Point Country Club in High Point, NC to benefit Earlier.org. The Fab Four will be sharing fascinating insider talk about publishing and writing and discussing their newest releases, all to raise funding for critical research to identify an earlier biological detection test for breast cancer. Books will be available for purchase care of The Country Bookshop with each author signing select books and proceeds benefiting Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test®! Get details & tickets HERE.
Sunday, September 29, 10am ET — An F&F Live brunch event at the 19th Annual Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors in Winston-Salem, NC. Close out the book festival with us at this super fun event to be held at the Benton Convention Center. There are two ticket options. The 10am Meet & Greet + Brunch Event is $80 (plus taxes & fees) will include a mimosa and the chance to mingle, meet the authors, and take photos, plus a wristband to get to the front of the signing line following the brunch. The 11am Brunch Event only is $50 (plus taxes & fees) and includes a seated program and book signing. Note that there will not be an opportunity for posed photos during this portion of the event. Get tickets HERE.
Wednesday, November 6, 6pm ET — Join all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Meg Walker & Ron Block—together in-person at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Orlando, FL for a unique fundraising event benefiting the Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS) Foundation which will include a reception over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, an intimate presentation, book sales, and an autograph session. Get tickets HERE.
Thursday, November 7, 12:30pm ET — An F&F Live luncheon event hosted by the Amelia Island Book Festival at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, FL. Ticket price will include tea fare: light lunch, snacks, and refreshments. For members of book clubs who are interested in reserving an entire table, the Book Club Pre-Sale will open on August 15th. If interested, email bookclubs@ameliaislandbookfestival.org identifying yourself and providing a main point of contact. Ticket sales will open up to the public on September 1st. Details HERE. Ticketing link to come!
Want to know what these F&F Live events are all about? Watch this video compilation!
In Case You Missed It
On last week’s episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Mary Kay Andrews welcomed bestselling author Greer Macallister to discuss THE THIRTEENTH HUSBAND, the story of scandalous heiress Aimee Crocker, who lit up the Gilded Age tabloids with her devil-may-care attitude and worldwide adventures. Order Greer’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: Killer Author Club (Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf & Kaira Rouda)
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Christina Dodd, A Daughter of Fair Verona
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: F&F Pick of the Month: Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Emily Giffin, The Summer Pact
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Marjan Kamali, The Lion Women of Tehran
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Rhys Bowen, The Rose Arbor
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Greer Macallister, The Thirteenth Husband
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
F&F Pick of the Month: Jessa Maxwell, I Need You to Read This
Watch: August 21 | Listen: August 23
Madeline Martin, The Booklover's Library
Watch: August 28 | Listen: August 30
TJ Klune, Somewhere Beyond the Sea
Watch: September 4 | Listen: September 6
Laura Dave, The Night We Lost Him
Watch: September 11 | Listen: September 13
F&F Pick of the Month: Jodi Picoult, By Any Other Name
Watch LIVE: September 18 | Listen: September 20
Liane Moriarty, Here One Moment
Watch: September 25 | Listen: September 27
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 Kristy’s interview with Gilmore Girls star Devon Sorvari, who is also the voice of Keaton in the audiobook version of A HAPPIER LIFE.
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
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.
NEW ITEM! We’ve just added long-sleeve t-shirts in our fun “Name List Wear” line to our Bonfire shop. These are perfect for the cooler weather F&F Live events coming up this fall. So, if you're coming to hang out with the Fab Four in NC this September or in Florida in November—or even if you’re just tuning in weekly from home—we've got your wardrobe on lock! These are available in 5 colors (black, grey, navy, army green & red) in sizes S-2XL. This current campaign is open NOW until 8/28 with orders shipping to arrive by mid-September. Let's go! Let's show our F&F pride!
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 Kristy Woodson Harvey about her novel, A Happier Life. Mark your calendars for September 16th for their next author guest, Wanda Morris, when they’ll discuss her novel, What You Leave Behind. 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 August prompt is to read a book that inspired a TV show or movie and the September prompt is to read a true crime book.
Stay in Touch!
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Find details about everything F&F on our WEBSITE.
Shop our guests’ & hosts’ books in our shop on BOOKSHOP.
Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa.
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests.