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Friends & Fiction

Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, Ron Block, Bleavbleav.com
We're four bestselling novelists and friends whose common love of reading, writing, and independent bookstores bound us together. Now we want to share and celebrate stories—of the books we’ve written, the ones we’re reading now, and the art of writing—with each other and the guest authors we invite to join us. If you love books and are curious about the writing world, you’re in the right place.
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Episodes

Friends & Fiction with Tara Dorabji

On this episode, the Fab Four — Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry — gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, debut novelist Tara Dorabji, to discuss our January 2025 Pick of the Month, Call Her Freedom, a sweeping family saga following one woman’s struggle to protect her culture and her family amidst the backdrop of a military occupation. Tara Dorabji is the daughter of Parsi-Indian and German-Italian migrants. Her documentary film serie...

Jan 17, 202548 minEp. 398

Friends & Fiction with Kate Fagan

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry & Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome Emmy-winning journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Fagan to discuss her electric, voice-driven debut novel, The Three Lives Of Cate Kay, about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past. Kate Fagan has published four previous books including What Made Maddy Run, a semi-finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sportswriting; All T...

Jan 10, 202549 minEp. 397

Friends & Fiction with Fiona Davis

On this episode, Kristin Harmel & Patti Callahan Henry welcome NYT-bestselling author Fiona Davis to discuss her latest utterly addictive historical novel, The Stolen Queen, which transports us from New York City’s glamorous Met Gala in the 1970s to the labyrinth streets of 1930s Cairo and back. Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of seven historical fiction novels, each set in a different iconic New York City building, including The Spectacular, The Magnolia Palace, The Add...

Jan 03, 202549 minEp. 392

Friends & Fiction Holiday Office Party

On this episode, the full F&F family all gather together — Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, Meg Walker & Ron Block — for out F&F Holiday Office Party. The gang brings the holiday cheer with a rousing round of Name That Holiday Tune, a fun game of Bookish Holiday Trivia, and a laugh-filled Lightning Round where we share favorites and least favorites when it comes to all things Christmas. You’ll want to tune in for the ugly sweaters alone. ...

Dec 27, 20241 hr 1 minEp. 391

Friends & Fiction with Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

On this episode, the Fab Four (Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, Kristin Harmel & Mary Kay Andrews) gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, the writing duo of Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb, to discuss our December 2024 Pick of the Month, their co-written heartwarming historical novel, Christmas with the Queen. Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and freelance writer in Ireland and the UK who is known for her deeply mo...

Dec 20, 202452 minEp. 390

Friends & Fiction with Jillian Cantor

On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry welcome the USA Today and internationally bestselling author Jillian Cantor to discuss her new novel, THE GREATEST LIE OF ALL, in which a glamorous romance novelist and an aspiring starlet share an unexpected secret.Jillian Cantor is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of twelve novels for teens and adults, including, most recently THE FICTION WRITER. Her books have been chosen for LibraryReads, Indie Next and Amazo...

Dec 13, 202439 minEp. 389

Friends & Fiction with Craig Johnson

On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Mary Kay Andrews welcome New York Times bestselling author Craig Johnson to discuss TOOTH AND CLAW, the new short novel in his wildly popular Longmire series, in which a young Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear face off in the Alaskan tundra with powerful enemies who will do anything to get what they want. Craig Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mysteries, the basis for the hit Netflix original series Longmire. He is ...

Nov 29, 202442 minEp. 388

Friends & Fiction with Michael Connelly

On this episode the Fab Four (Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Patti Callahan Henry) gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, the #1 NYT-bestselling, Edgar, Grand Master and Diamond Dagger award-winning Michael Connelly, to discuss our November 2024 Pick of the Month, THE WAITING, in which LAPD Detective Renée Ballard tracks a terrifying serial rapist whose trail has gone cold, with the help of the newest volunteer to the Open-Unsolved Unit: Patrol Off...

Nov 22, 20241 hrEp. 387

Friends & Ficton with David Baldacci

On this episode, Kristin Harmel & Mary Kay Andrews welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author, David Baldacci to discuss To Die For, the third installment in his 6:20 Man series which finds Travis Devine in the Pacific Northwest to aid in a complicated FBI case where he’s about to come face-to-face with his nemesis, the girl on the train. David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers with books published in 45+ languages in 80+ countries, wi...

Nov 15, 202441 minEp. 386

Friends & Fiction with J.T. Ellison

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry & Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome New York Times bestselling author, J.T. Ellison, to discuss her new novel, A Very Bad Thing, about one author at the pinnacle of her career, whose past threatens to destroy everything she has and everyone she knows. J.T. Ellison is the NYT & USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels and the Emmy Award-winning co-host of the literary TV show A Word on Words. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Jos...

Nov 08, 202439 minEp. 385

Friends & Fiction with Louise Penny

On this episode, Kristin Harmel & Patti Callahan Henry welcome #1 bestselling author Louise Penny to discuss her new novel The Grey Wolf, the 19th installment in her wildly successful Armand Gamache mystery series. Louise Penny is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She was also the co-author with Hillary Rodham Clinton of the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller State of Terror. A former journalist with the ...

Nov 01, 202446 minEp. 384

Friends & Fiction with Paula Hawkins

On this episode, the Fab Four (Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Patti Callahan Henry) gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, Paula Hawkins, to discuss her propulsive and powerful new book, our October 2024 Pick of the Month, THE BLUE HOUR, an addictive thriller which takes place on a remote Scottish island with only one house, one inhabitant, and one way out. Paula Hawkins is the #1 NYT-bestselling author of three suspense novels including INTO THE W...

Oct 25, 202453 minEp. 383

Friends & Fiction with Marybeth Whalen

On this episode Ron Block & Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome Marybeth Whalen to discuss her new novel EVERY MOMENT SINCE. Marybeth Whalen is the author of This Secret Thing, Only Ever Her, When We Were Worthy, The Things We Wish Were True, and five previous novels, which have sold more than a half-million copies. Together with author pal Ariel Lawhon, Marybeth co-founded The Book Tide, a book community dedicated to helping readers find books they’ll love and authors find a loyal, supportive aud...

Oct 16, 202438 minEp. 382

Friends & Fiction with Sophie Kinsella

On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Mary Kay Andrews welcome #1 mega internationally bestselling author Sophie Kinsella to discuss her new novella — her most autobiographical work to date — WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? Sophie Kinsella has sold more than 45-million copies of her books which have been translated into 40+ languages in 60+ countries. She first became a bestseller in September 2000 with the first novel in her beloved Shopaholic series, Confessions of a Shopaholic. Heroine Becky B...

Oct 11, 202438 minEp. 381

Friends & Fiction with Jean Hanff Korelitz

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry & Mary Kay Andrews welcome bestselling author Jean Hanff Korelitz to discuss her new novel THE SEQUEL—the eagerly anticipated follow-up to her "insanely readable" (Stephen King) and "perfectly told" (Malcolm Gladwell) NYT-bestseller, The Plot. Jean Hanff Korelitz is the NYT bestselling author of the novels The Plot and The Latecomer (both of which are being adapted as limited series), You Should Have Known (which aired on HBO as The Undoing, starring Nic...

Oct 04, 202446 minEp. 380

Friends & Fiction with Liane Moriarty

On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Kristin Harmel welcome #1 New York Times bestselling global sensation Liane Moriarty to discuss her new novel HERE ONE MOMENT, a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. Liane Moriarty has written ten novels which have sold more than 20-million copies worldwide. Her novels Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, The Husband’s Secret, ...

Sep 27, 202442 minEp. 379

Friends & Fiction with Jodi Picoult

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry, Mary Kay Andrews & Kristin Harmel gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, Jodi Picoult, to discuss her captivating new instant #1 New York Times bestseller, our September 2024 Pick of the Month, BY ANY OTHER NAME, in which two women, centuries apart — one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare's plays — are forced to hide behind another name to make their voices heard. Jodi Picoult is the #1 bestselling author of 29 novels, including ...

Sep 20, 20241 hr 1 minEp. 378

Friends & Fiction with Laura Dave

On tis episode, Mary Kay Andrews and Patti Callahan Henry welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Laura Dave to discuss her new thriller, The Night We Lost Him, in which estranged siblings discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years — one that may have been fatal. Laura Dave’s novels have been published in thirty-eight languages and have been chosen by Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club, Indie Next, Book of the Month Club, Best of Amazon, and Best of Apple Books. The Las...

Sep 13, 202443 minEp. 377

Friends & Fiction with TJ Klune

On this episode, Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry welcome mega-bestselling author TJ Klune to discuss his new novel, Somewhere Beyond The Sea, the hugely anticipated sequel to his smash hit, The House in the Cerulean Sea, which is one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. TJ Klune is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, The Extraord...

Sep 06, 202458 minEp. 376

Friends & Fiction with Madeline Martin and Linda Hurtado Bond

On this episode, Kristin Harmel & Ron Block welcome bestselling author Madeline Martin to discuss The Booklover’s Library, her heartwarming new story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books to bring them together. We’re also treated to a pop-in by Emmy-award winning journalist turned novelist Linda Hurtado Bond to chat about her gripping new thriller All the Missing Girls. Madeline Martin is the NYT, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and internationally bestselling ...

Aug 30, 202444 minEp. 375

Friends & Fiction with Jessa Maxwell

On this episode, 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 publishe...

Aug 23, 202450 minEp. 374

Friends & Fiction with Greer Macallister

On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Mary Kay Andrews welcome 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. Greer Macallister’s historical novels, including THE MAGICIAN'S LIE, GIRL IN DISGUISE, WOMAN 99, and THE ARCTIC FURY, have been named Book of the Month, Indie Next, LibraryReads, Target Book Club, and Amazon Best Book o...

Aug 16, 202431 minEp. 373

Friends & Fiction with Rhys Bowen

On this episode, Mary Kay Andrews and Patti Callahan Henry welcome New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen to discuss THE ROSE ARBOR, her haunting new novel of suspense which follows an investigation into a girl’s disappearance that uncovers a mystery dating back to World War II. Rhys Bowen has authored two historical mystery series, the #1 Kindle bestseller In Farleigh Field, and numerous other international bestsellers. Her work has sold 10-million copies in more than 30 languages. She’s ...

Aug 09, 202441 minEp. 372

Friends & Fiction with Marjan Kamali

On this episode, Kristin Harmel and Patti Callahan Henry welcome award-winning, internationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali to discuss her new book, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, a heartfelt, epic novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran. Marjan Kamali is the author of several novels, including The Stationery Shop, a national and international bestseller, and Together Tea, a Massachusetts Book Award finalist. Born in Turkey to Irania...

Aug 02, 202439 minEp. 371

Friends & Fiction with Emily Giffin

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry and Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin to discuss her new novel THE SUMMER PACT in which a group of friends, in the wake of tragedy, make a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark on a life-changing adventure together. Emily is the author of twelve internationally bestselling novels, including All We Ever Wanted, The Lies That Bind, and Meant to Be. A Chicago native, Emily is a graduate of W...

Jul 26, 202452 minEp. 370

Friends & Fiction with Jamie Brenner

On this episode, the Fab Four gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, Jamie Brenner, to discuss her brand-new book, our July 2024 Pick of the Month, A NOVEL SUMMER, in which a bestselling author finds love and second chances in the stacks of a quaint beach town bookshop. Jamie Brenner is the bestselling author of eight novels including The Forever Summer and Blush. She grew up in suburban Philadelphia on a steady diet of fiction and soap operas, then moved to New York City where ...

Jul 19, 202443 minEp. 369

Friends & Fiction with Christina Dodd

On this episode, Mary Kay Andrews & Ron Block welcome NYT-bestselling author Christina Dodd to discuss her brand-new book A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, a humorous historical update on the Romeo and Juliet story which Susan Mallery has called “a tour de force,” and Kirsitin Hannah has praised as “fun, funny, charming, and absolutely delightful.” Christina Dodd is a perennially bestselling author whose suspense, paranormal, mystery, regency and contemporary romance novels have been translated int...

Jul 12, 202437 minEp. 368

Friends & Fiction with The Killer Author Club

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry, Kristin Harmel & Mary Kay Andrews welcome the three bestselling authors—Heather Gudenkauf, Kimberly Belle & Kaira Rouda—who make up the Killer Author Club, a unique platform for suspense and mystery fans to hear from their favorite authors as they chat about killing—of the fictional kind, of course. Kimberly Belle is a USA Today and internationally bestselling author with over one-million copies sold worldwide whose The Paris Widow came out on June ...

Jul 05, 202443 minEp. 367

Friends & Fiction with Chris Whitaker

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry & Ron Block welcome the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Chris Whitaker to discuss his newly announced Read with Jenna pick, All the Colors of the Dark, an epic novel about a man fixated on finding a missing woman―and the FBI agent on his tail, who might be even more obsessed than he is. Chris Whitaker is the author of five novels including Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls, and The Forevers, as well as the instant New York Times bestsel...

Jun 28, 202443 minEp. 366

Friends & Fiction Celebrates the Launch of Kristy Woodson Harvey's A HAPPIER LIFE

On this episode, the Fab Four gather to celebrate this month’s F&F Featured Author, the NYT-bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds and the Peachtree Bluff series, our very own Kristy Woodson Harvey, to discuss her brand-new book, our June 2024 Pick of the Month A HAPPIER LIFE, a tender and touching novel about a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina. Kristy is the NYT-bestselling author of ten novels, in...

Jun 21, 20241 hr 12 minEp. 365
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