Friends & Fiction

On this episode, Ron Block & Patti Callahan Henry welcome New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman to discuss her wonderful new novel WRECK, full of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn’t go as planned. Catherine is the NYT-bestselling author of the memoirs Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy, the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night, the kids’ craft book Stitch Camp, the bestselling how-to books for kids How to Be a Person and What Can I Say?, and the novel We All Want Impossible Things. Her 2024 smash success novel, Sandwich, was an instant NYT-bestseller and called “joy in book form” by Ann Patchett. Catherine writes Crone Sandwich on Substack and has been a regular contributor to the New York Times, Real Simple, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Cup of Jo among other publications. She joins us to discuss WRECK, her “utterly joyful standalone novel” (Oprah Daily) that brings back Rocky and her family from Sandwich, this time in at home Western Massachusetts, for an exploration of the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that the people you love aren’t always who you want them to be. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry & Kristin Harmel welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Joe Hill to discuss his new novel, King Sorrow, a chilling tale of modern-world dangers, dark academia, and the unexpected consequences of revenge as six friends dabble in the occult and are tragically, horrifyingly successful… calling forth an evil entity that demands regular human sacrifice. Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King and the #1 bestselling, award-winning author of novels (The Fireman, NOS4A2, Horns, Heart-Shaped Box), fiction collections (Strange Weather, Full Throttle, 20th Century Ghosts), graphic novels (Basketful of Heads, Plunge, Sea Dogs, Dying is Easy, Wraith), and a comic-book series (Locke & Key) which he co-created with artistic maestro Gabriel Rodriguez. Much of his work has been adapted for film and television. He joins us to discuss his epic new horror novel, King Sorrow, which Ruth Ware has called, “a brilliantly Faustian fable with a heart as huge as a dragon’s, and a stinging twist in its tail,” and which has earned a trifecta of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus & Booklist. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, the full F&F family — Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Mary Kay Andrews & Patti Callahan Henry — gathers to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, internationally renowned, #1 NYT-bestselling author Mitch Albom, to discuss our October 2025 Pick of the Month, his new novel, Twice, a stunning love story that dares to explore how our unchecked desires might mean losing what we’ve had all along. Mitch’s numerous books of fiction and nonfiction have collectively sold 42-million copies in 48 languages worldwide. He has written eight #1 New York Times bestsellers (including the beloved Tuesdays with Morrie), award-winning television films, stage plays, screenplays, a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and a musical. Through his work at the Detroit Free Press, he was inducted into both the National Sports Media Association and Michigan Sports halls of fame and is the recipient of the 2010 Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement. He founded the nonprofit SAY Detroit providing health, housing and education for Detroiters in need, and he operates Have Faith Haiti, a home and school for impoverished children and orphans in Port-au-Prince. He joins us from his home in Michigan to discuss Twice, a warm and heartfelt new novel that asks the question: What if you got to do everything in your life —twice? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Mary Kay Andrews welcome bestselling author Meagan Church to discuss The Mad Wife, an exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations which will leave you questioning the lives we build—and the lies we live. Meagan built a career as a storyteller and freelance writer for brands, blogs, and organizations. Her fiction (The Girls We Sent Away, The Last Carolina Girl) consists of emotionally-charged, thought-provoking, empathy-inducing stories that focus on overlooked and oppressed women's voices from the past. A Midwesterner by birth, she joins us from her current home in North Carolina that she shares with her high school sweetheart, three children and a plethora of pets. We’re eager to discuss her new novel, The Mad Wife (Sourcebooks, Sept 30), which has been praised by Sarah Penner as "a gripping portrait of 1950s suburbia with a sinister undercurrent…a haunting, hopeful tale of resilience, reckoning, and the redemptive power of truth," and by Ashley Winstead as a “one-sitting read [that] offers unforgettable characters, a beautiful window into life in the Fifties, and a stirring tribute to the strength of women." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Kristin Harmel & Ron Block welcome acclaimed NYT-bestselling novelist Jane Hamilton to discuss her stunning new coming-of-age novel, The Phoebe Variations, about girls, mothers, and finding one's way in the world. Jane's novels have won literary prizes, have been made into films, and have been international bestsellers. Two of them — The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World — were selections of Oprah's Book Club. Her nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times; The Washington Post; Allure; O, The Oprah Magazine; Elle; and various anthologies. She joins us from her home on an apple farm in Wisconsin to discuss her latest novel, The Phoebe Variations (Sept 23, Zibby Publishing), which is already an Oprah Daily Best Book of Fall, an Indie Next Pick for October, and a LibraryReads Pick for September and which has been described by Meg Wolitzer as “glorious,” and by Allegra Goodman as “poignant and funny with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Mary Kay Andrews & Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome bestselling, award-winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan to discuss her new cross-country cat-and-mouse chase, All This Could Be Yours. Hank is the USA Today bestselling author of 16 psychological thrillers, winning the most prestigious awards in the genre: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She’s also the on-air investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, and has won an unprecedented 37 EMMY awards for her groundbreaking journalism and true crime stories which have changed laws, changed lives, and resulted in millions of dollars in refunds and restitution for consumers. A past president of National Sisters in Crime, she is now on the board of International Thriller Writers. She joins us to discuss her new “nail-biting thriller” (People), All This Could Be Yours, which Library Journal says “should be on everyone’s reading list!” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Mary Kay Andrews & Kristin Harmel gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, #1 NYT-bestselling novelist Elin Hilderbrand along with her daughter Shelby Cunningham, to discuss our September 2025 Pick of the Month, their irresistible new co-written novel, The Academy, the deliciously scandalous story of one drama-filled year at a New England boarding school. Elin is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the Iowa Writers Workshop. The Academy is her 31st novel, and the first co-written with her daughter. Elin is the co-host of the podcast Books, Beach and Beyond with @TimTalksBooks creator, Tim Ehrenberg. Last year’s TV adaptation of her novel The Perfect Couple, premiered in Netflix's #1 slot with more than 20-million views in its first four days becoming the most-watched original streaming series in the US for several weeks running. Shelby Cunningham was born and raised on Nantucket Island. A 2024 graduate of Rhode Island’s St. George's School, she is presently a student at the University of Miami. This dynamic mother-daughter duo joins us to discuss their fresh, buzzy take on boarding school life which represents a thrilling new direction from one of America's most satisfying and popular storytellers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Kristin Harmel & Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome NYT-bestselling author Sarah McCoy to discuss her spellbinding new novel, Whatever Happened To Lori Lovely?, which is based on the true story of a beautiful young movie star of Hollywood’s Golden Age who gives up her bright career to become a nun. Sarah is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of six novels including Mustique Island, Marilla of Green Gables, and The Baker’s Daughter, which was a nominee for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. Her work has been featured in the short story collection Grand Central as well as in Newsweek, Lit Hub, and Real Simple. Previously a writing teacher at Old Dominion University and the University of Texas at El Paso, Sarah hosted the monthly radio program “Bookmarked with Sarah McCoy” and is the founder of The McCoy Grant for southern booksellers who dream of being published authors. She joins us from her home in Winston-Salem, NC to discuss Whatever Happened To Lori Lovely? (William Morrow, Sept. 2), which Chris Bohjalian calls, “part mystery, part history, [and] always a joy.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry & Kristin Harmel welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline and award-winning author Anne Burt to discuss their stylish, twisty thriller, Please Don’t Lie in which a young woman heads to the Adirondacks with her new husband for a fresh start—but the past won't let her go. Christina is the bestselling author of eight novels, including The Exiles, Orphan Train, and A Piece of the World. She is the recipient of the New England Society prize for fiction, the Maine Literary Award, and a Barnes & Noble Discover Prize. She has also written and edited five nonfiction books. Anne is a nonfiction writer and editor whose debut novel, The Dig, was an Indie Next pick and their lead "Thrills & Chills" reading group title for Summer 2024. Together they have co-written Please Don’t Lie (coming September 1st) which has been praised as “twisty-turny” and “riveting” by Lisa Scottoline, "psychologically rich and bone chilling” by Megan Abbott, and “unsettling, atmospheric, and propulsive” by Mary Kubica. We are excited to talk to both of them about their first thriller! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, the full F&F family — Patti Callahan Henry, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Kristin Harmel & Mary Kay Andrews — gathers to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, bestselling novelist Francesca Serritella to discuss our August 2025 Pick of the Month, FULL BLOOM, her stunning new novel about ambition and untapped desire in which a woman’s life is forever changed by a mysterious perfume. Francesca is the New York Times bestselling author of GHOSTS OF HARVARD, nominated for Best First Novel by International Thriller Writers, and a nine-book series of essay collections co-written with her mother, bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, which was based on their Sunday column in The Philadelphia Inquirer. She graduated cum laude from Harvard University, where she won multiple awards for her fiction, including the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize. She joins us to discuss her second novel, the USA Today bestseller FULL BLOOM (August 5th, Ballantine), which Sarah MacLean calls “an absolutely gorgeous read—the perfect combination of romance, mystery, and magical realism, with a vibrant cast of characters.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.