Friends & Fiction

WRITERS' BLOCK Mary Kay Andrews and Ron Block are joined by NYT Bestselling Author and form Head of the FBI, James Comey, to discuss is taut and authentic first book of fiction, Central Park West. Pulling from his own life experiences to develop this story of conflict between the Mafia and Federal Prosecutors. James shares how he switched to writing fiction, where his ideas come from and what may...

On tonight’s episode, we are graced with the presence of two rockstar authors —  Kate Morton  and  Lee Smith . As if that weren’t enough, F&F pal  Susan Meissner  joins us for the after show. Kate Morton is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of seven novels including THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON, THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN, THE DISTANT HOURS, THE SECRET KEEPER, THE LAKE HOUSE, and THE CLOCKMA...

WRITERS' BLOCK Ron welcomes back Friends and Fiction co-founder Mary Alice Monroe to speak with debut author, Kristen Ness about her delightful book, At Loggerheads which combines murder, mystery and a deep look at the relationship between humans and the incredible creatures we share the world with. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...

On this episode, we are excited to welcome the authors of two wildly different but equally entertaining novels —  Abby Jimenez  and  R.F. Kuang . Abby Jimenez is a winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, a TikTok sensation with a half-million followers, and a New York Times bestselling romance author of five novels including  The Happy Ever After Playlist  and  The Friend Zone . Abby founded  Nadia...

WRITERS' BLOCK Kristy Woodson Harvey and Ron Block speak with Laura Hankin about her new book, The Daydreams, which tells the story of a former 90s teen TV show, whose ensemble suffered a huge flameout that became legendary. In adulthood, fans want a followup. We explore her writing, her humor and lots of 90s pop culture! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, a...

On this episode we welcome two masters of historical fiction, Jennifer Robson and Martha Hall Kelly . Jennifer Robson is the Globe & Mail and Toronto Star number-one bestselling author of six novels, among them THE GOWN and SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE . She joins us to discuss her latest enthralling historical novel, CORONATION YEAR , in which the lives of three very different residents of London’s histor...

WRITERS' BLOCK In this special episode, Patti Callahan Henry talks about her new release, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, including some exclusive content; then Patti joins Ron to talk with Mary Beth Keane about her follow-up to Ask Again Yes. The Half Moon, an exploration of the multiple facets of marriage, family and longing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecas...

This very special episode marks the triumphant return of “F&F Theater” as the Fab Four, podcast host Ron Block, and F&F’s Managing Director Meg Walker gather to celebrate the launch of Patti Callahan Henry’s THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA in grand style! You won’t want to miss this show, complete with props and bad accents — but also with loads of great insights about Patti’s new novel and, as alway...

WRITERS' BLOCK Meg Walker and Ron Block host a fascinating conversation with Julie Gerstenblatt, author of the recent release Daughters of Nantucket and Andrea Dunlop, author of Women are the Fiercest Creatures. Both works are set in different times, but are connected through how their 3 main protagonists are affected and relate to events and circumstances that test their relationships and lives....

On tonight’s show, we are excited to welcome back our good friend Joshilyn Jackson ! Joshilyn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several novels, including NEVER HAVE I EVER and MOTHER MAY I . Her books have been translated into a dozen languages, won SIBA’s Novel of the Year award, twice been the #1 Indie Next Pick, and twice won Georgia Author of the Year among many other a...

WRITERS' BLOCK Patti Callahan Henry and Ron Block are joined by Zoe Fishman, author of the deeply personal novel The Fun Widow's Book Tour. Her novel was inspired by the tragic loss of her own husband and it's impact on her life and the lives of her children. Zoe's book is injected with honesty, authenticity and humor, all of which is reflected in this warm and meaningful conversation about love,...

On this season premiere episode we welcome two incredible author guests — Brenda Novak and Alka Joshi . New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak has written 75 novels and is an eight-time Rita nominee, among many other awards. She runs Brenda Novak for the Cure , a charity that has raised more than $2.5 million for diabetes research — as well as the warm and enthusiastic Brenda Novak’s Book...

WRITERS' BLOCK This week, Ron Block and Kristy Woodson Harvey talk with J. Ryan Stradal about his new book, Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, which Roxanne Gay called "a Perfect Book" and has received a starred review from Kirkus. This intergeneration saga centering on the rivalry between two families is an ode to the midwest, supper clubs and finding your way in the world. Be sure to br...

WRITERS' BLOCK Ron Block and Mary Kay Andrews are joined by Chef Kenny Gilbert to celebrate his new cookbook, Southren Cooking/Global Flavors which reflects his approach to joining flavors from his world wide experience with his southern focus in food. His story includes his popular run on Top Chef and his path to becoming a preferred personal chef for Oprah Winfrey. A fascinating story and cookbo...

WRITERS' BLOCK Kristy Woodson Harvey and Ron Block are joined by author and entrepreneur Cleere Cherry Reaves to talk about her new book, The Miracle of You, along with Cleere's approach to embracing her faith to get through difficult times and celebrate sharing her gifts through her creativity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm....

WRITERS' BLOCK Ron Block and Kristin Harmel delve into the December 2022 #1 Libary Reads pick, The Circus Train, written by the wonderful Amita Parikh. This stunning debut took the book world by storm, but as we learn during our discussion, it was not a quick and easy road to publication. The path is fascinating and Amita shares her journey that is inspiring and demonstrated how perserverance pays...

Tune in for the Winter 2023 Season Finale epiosde with two blockbuster bestselling authors both joinung us during their publication week to showcase their brand-new novels— Lisa Scottoline & Robert Dugoni ! Lisa Scottoline is the #1 bestselling and Edgar award-winning author of 35 novels with 30-million copies of her books in print, published in more than 35 countries. Her weekly Philadelphia Inqu...

WRITERS' BLOCK One of our favorites, Elizabeth Berg, join Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry to celebrate the release of her newest book, Earth's the Right Place for Love, which tells the early story of one of her most beloved characters, Arthur Truluv. The conversation expands to exploring the depths of writing character, of writing with heart and demonstrates why Elizabeth truly captures the bes...

On tonight’s episode, we are so thrilled to have THREE authors joining us LIVE! First we talk to the USA Today bestselling author of five novels, Colleen Oakley . Colleen’s books (including The Invisible Husband of Frick Island and Before I Go) have been translated into more than 21 languages, optioned for film, long-listed for the Southern Book Prize, and named best books by People, Us Weekly, Li...

WRITERS' BLOCK Mary Kay Andrews joins Ron Block and our guest, Jenny Jackson to discuss Pineapple Street, Jenny's highly anticipated novel set in Brooklyn Heights exploring the nuances being a member of a wealthy family while navigating life in modern society. Beautifully told from three viewpoints, Jenny shares how her book came to life and how she manages to balance her work as an editor with be...

On tonight’s episode, we have two amazing author guests — Sarah Penner and Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai . Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist and the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING , was an international bestseller, a finalist for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and...

WRITERS' BLOCK Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry host debut author Jessa Maxwell about her book, The Golden Spoon, which has been receiving universal praise for it's twist on Clue meets The Great British Baking Show with murder! Jessa talks about her original idea and her road to publication. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ad...

On International Women's Day and during Women's History Month, we welcome two masters of historical fiction— Jennifer Rosner & Julia Kelly ! Jennifer Rosner is the author of the novels Once We Were Home and The Yellow Bird Sings, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award; the memoir If A Tree Falls: A Family's Quest to Hear and Be Heard, about raising her deaf daughters; and a children's book,...

WRITERS' BLOCK Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers which was a finaist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award speaks with Ron Block and Meg Walker about her newest book, I Have Some Questions For You. Our conversation was a fascinating exploration of themes within the book- memory, feminism, our obsession with true crime and a murder mystersy, all set in a boarding schoo...

On this episode, we are so excited to welcome back our good friend, the USA Today bestselling author of 14 psychological thrillers, Hank Phillippi Ryan. Hank has won the most prestigious awards in the genre: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She’s also an on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, with an astounding 37 EMMYs and dozens more journalism...