Friends & Fiction

Who will wear the ugliest sweater? Who will have a few too many rum balls? You’ll have to tune in for the F&F Holiday Office Party to find out! This last web show of the year is chock-full of fun and games. We welcome a few special author guests — Rachel McMillan to chat about favorite holiday movies, Wade Rouse to discuss favorite Christmas books, and Mary Alice Monroe for a segment on holiday gift giving. We highlight favorite moments, guests, and books from the past year with fun reindeer games and fabulous prizes up for grabs for the viewing audience. And we give a sneak preview of some exciting changes afoot and a big guest coming in 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WRITERS' BLOCK What a wonder this week's guest is. An author, a musician, a singer, as well as a blogger & podcaster. All these add up to one heck of a story teller! Sean Dietrich joins Patti Callahan Henry and Ron Block to discuss his latest highly regarded and intensely personal novel, Kinfolk. Sean shares deeply personal aspects of his life and how they helped shape this story of Fathers and Daughters. His ability to share stories is captivating throughout this conversation, and is certain to draw listeners in as close as it did the hosts. Recounting his experience being called to perform at the Grand Old Opry is riveting, emotional and goosebump enducing. This epsisode is unforgettable and true Southern Hospitality in creative form! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this live episode of our Wed night web show, we were thrilled to meet #1 New York Times bestselling publishing phenom and the queen of “heat, laughter, and happily-ever-after,” Tessa Bailey! Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon, and a guaranteed happy ending. Tessa has taken TikTok by storm and legions of fans everywhere have fallen for her fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines in her dozens of hit books including SAME TIME NEXT YEAR, IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER, and UNFORTUNATELY YOURS. She joins us from her home on Long Island to discuss her latest steamy Christmas rom-com, WRECK THE HALLS (Avon Books, Oct 3). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WRITERS' BLOCK In this powerful and important episdoe, Meg Walker and Ron Block are joined by Stephanie Land to talk about her recent memoir, Class, which was chosen as the November GAM Book Club Pick. Her previous book, Maid, took the book world by storm with it's stark portrayal of her struggles to escape from an abusive situation and care for her young daughter. Maid was turned into a hugely successful and attention grabbing Netflix series. We were honored to speak with Stephanie and learn about her struggles to gain a college education while living below the poverty line. She does not hold back talking about the realities and horrors faced, offering ways we can all help make a difference in the areas of food and housing insecurity, as well as supporting those who have experienced trauma. A vital conversation and a must-listen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On tonight’s LIVE episode of the web show, we are so excited to welcome back our dear friend, Ariel Lawhon. Ariel is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction whose novels include THE WIFE THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS, I WAS ANASTASIA, and CODE NAME HÉLÈNE. Last year, she also co-authored the Amazon Editors’ Pick, WHEN WE HAD WINGS with Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Library Reads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight, and Book of the Month Club selections. She joins us from her home in the rolling hills outside Nashville to discuss her latest gripping historical mystery, THE FROZEN RIVER (Doubleday, Dec 5), an NPR Best Book of 2023 with starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and BookPage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who’s ready for some surprises?! We’ve got plenty in store for you on tonight’s Thanksgiving Eve show! Trust us, you do not want to miss this one as it’s going to be loads of fun!Each of the Fab Four has invited a mystery guest of their choosing. They’ve all kept the identities of their guests a secret from each other. No one will know what fabulous author each host has invited until it comes time to introduce and reveal them one-by-one. Do you have any guesses as to whom each Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Patti Callahan Henry might have invited to join us for this holiday special? We’ll never tell! You’ll have to tune in and find out right along with the rest of us when the show airs!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WRITERS' BLOCK Isaac Fitzgerald joins Ron Block and Meg Walker to celebrate the paperback release of his memoir/confessional, Dirtbag Massachusets, which received huge acclaim across the board. He is highly engaging and brutally honest about his scattered youth, his unusual path finding his way to become a highly regarded writer, frequent Today Show guest, and sought after speaker. His personality and enthusiasm is infective, and you'll end up wanting more! His stories truly captivate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest on this LIVE episode of our wed night web show is none other than the internationally bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series, TessGerritsen!Dubbed her the “medical suspense queen” by Publishers Weekly, Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess earned her MD at UC San Francisco and began to write fiction while on maternity leave as a physician. Since publishing her first novel in 1987, she has been a top-three US bestseller and hit #1 abroad, she has won the Nero Wolfe Award and the RITA Award, and she has sold more than 40-million copies of her books in 40 countries. Her beloved series featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the TNT television series “Rizzoli and Isles,” starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander. Tess joins us from her home in Maine to discuss her latest pulse-pounding thriller, the first in a new series, THE SPY COAST (Thomas and Mercer, Nov 1), which has been met with rave reviews.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WRITERS' BLOCK Popular Rom-Com author, Ali Hazelwood joins Kristy Woodson Harvey & Ron Block to talk about her first foray into writing for young adults, Check & Mate. A great conversation about the popularity of chess among young people and how this solid romance truly charms readers. Ali shares her research, building her characters and how their stories refelect the realities facing the young population. Ali is charming sharing her background in neuroscience and how it influences how she constructs story. A truly delightful episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WRITERS' BLOCK Karen Kingsbury is perhaps the most popular and prolific writer of inspirational fiction. She joins Patti Callahan Henry and Ron Block to showcase her first historical fiction novel, Just Once. Karen tells the riveting backstory to creating this WWII novel, and shares a great deal about her writing process, her deep faith and her growing endeavors in branching out to film and television projects. You can get a sneak peek at the upcoming theatrical release of Someone Like You here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wie1GDo7jbg This episode is truly heartwarming and encouraging. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.