December 7, 2022 | Issue #122 |
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Latest News From "The Fab Four"
Patti Callahan Henry is loving every minute of this sparkly season. She visited NYC for the weekend and saw a play, ate too much food, met with her publisher, and gazed in awe at the Rockefeller tree (photos on instagram!). She shot some fun videos for The Secret Book of Flora Lea and she can’t wait to share them with you. What she’s looking forward to this next week? Joining our very own Mary Kay Andrews for an event in Atlanta!
What Patti Callahan Henry is reading: The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell (out in March)
Kristy Woodson Harvey is savoring every second of her favorite time of the year! Last weekend was jam-packed with the tree lighting, parade, flotilla boat parade, and a fun Christmas party she loves hosting every year to celebrate our family and friends. She is loving seeing everyone reading CHRISTMAS IN PEACHTREE BLUFF and looking forward to the Christmas Candlelight tour this year. She just finished copy edits for THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS (hooray!!) and is so thrilled about sharing it with you in July 2023.
Kristin Harmel’s favorite time of year at her beloved Walt Disney World is the holiday season, so she was very happy to squeeze in two Disney visits this week. She actually missed the show last week because her family had long-standing reservations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House (home to her favorite Disney Christmas tree – see her Instagram for a picture!) And then on Sunday, she and her husband (Jason) and son (Noah) did their annual monorail tour, starting with dinner at the Polynesian, with a stop at the Grand Floridian (home to Kristin’s second favorite Disney Christmas tree, and the best life-sized gingerbread house she has ever seen), and finally on to a drink (and a cookie for Noah) at the Contemporary Resort. Kristin has had an annual pass to Walt Disney World since she was 10 (which means she’s had one for 33 years if anyone is doing the math!), lives less than thirty minutes away from the parks, and even got married at Walt Disney World in 2014, so she is a big believer in Disney magic, which is always at its peak during the holidays.
Mary Kay Andrews is looking forward to her last two book signing events of the year; this Saturday, Dec. 10 at 1:30 pm at Virginia Highlands Bookstore for the Virginia Highlands Winterfest, and next Tuesday, at 6pm with Patti Callahan Henry at the Alpaharetta Branch of the Fulton County Library.
What Mary Kay Andrews is reading: Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline.
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Get to Know Our Friend, Louise Penny!
What would you be if you weren't a writer?
An unemployed journalist, fired because they finally realized I’m not very good!
What's the biggest misconception people have about you and your work?
That I write traditional murder mysteries. My books are proudly crime novels, but far from traditional. The crime is the open door, the way to explore the real mystery, which is why people do what they do. Our choices, or perceptions, our reactions. That’s what makes the books kinda interesting for people wherever they live - because the human condition is, of course, without borders.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
When I was 8 and reading Charlotte’s Web — that moment when I realized I loved Charlotte and did not want anything bad to happen to her. My phobia of spiders disappeared, and I knew then the power of words…the power of storytelling. I wanted to be part of that.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I have fewer rituals now. When it came time to write my second book I was riddled with rituals, because the first one seemed like magic. And I needed to recapture that. So I needed to be sitting in a particular place (on the sofa by the fireplace at home), using my magic laptop. And only allowing myself the treat of the eclair after I’d finished the 1,000 words for that day. Now I realize that while there will always be a ‘magical’ element to writing…the grace notes that just appear…it is not dependent on time, place, tools, but on an open mind, open heart, and bravery. And eclairs.
Is there a particular independent bookstore or library you'd like to shout-out?
Absolutely! Brome Lake Books. My village of Knowlton, in Quebec, is so lucky to have such a great independent bookstore, run by Danny and Lucy McAuley, who are personal friends. When I created Three Pines, the first shop I created was the bookstore - because every community should have one. That, or a library - or both!
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Spotlight on Rae Meadows
We are so excited to introduce you tonight to Rae Meadows, our guest on the After Show. Rae Meadows is the author of five novels, including I Will Send Rain (which was shortlisted for the Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction and longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award) and Winterland which was just released and has met with incredible reviews. She grew up admiring the Soviet gymnasts of the 1970s, and in her forties decided to go back to the thing she loved as a child. In addition to focusing her new novel Winterland on the famed 70s-era USSR gymnastics program, she now practices gymnastics regularly and can be found doing back handsprings. She lives with her family in Brooklyn. Connect with her via her website, Instagram, Twitter, and GoodReads.
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FREE Ornament & Holiday Card When You Order the Friends & Fiction 2023 First Edition Subscription Box by December 15th!
Purchase of this special 2023 Friends & Fiction First Edition Subscription Box includes each 2023 NEW & SIGNED hardcover release from ALL FOUR of the Friends and Fiction host authors plus a fun, small gift included with the first shipment. ORDER BY DEC 15TH and you will receive a special FREE BONUS GIFT of an exclusive 2022 F&F Christmas ornament and holiday card from the Fab Four while supplies last.
Subscribers will receive four shipments around each book release:
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Patti Callahan Henry's The Secret Book fo Flora Lea, May 2023
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Kristin Harmel's The Paris Daughter, June 2023
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Kristy Woodson Harvey's The Summer of Songbirds, July 2023
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Mary Kay Andrews's new Christmas novel (title coming soon!), Sept 2023
Subscription price of $125 includes shipping and tax. ORDER NOW!
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Friends & Fiction Merchandise
SHOP THE F&F MERCH STORE!
BOGO T-SHIRTS IN THE F&F MERCH STORE!
Our figure-flattering, cozy cotton v-neck T-shirts with our signature Friends & Fiction logo are now on sale Buy One Get One FREE! ORDER T-SHIRTS HERE. Use Code FFBOGO at check-out to claim your FREE T-shirt when you purchase one!
Also available:
We can’t wait to see you model your merch!
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Listen to the F&F Podcast!
Coming this Friday, December 9th—We are re-releasing our interview with Bonnie Garmus about her blockbuster New York Times bestselling novel (and GMA Book Club pick) LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, which has been named Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year.
Out Now! WB_S4E18—Ron welcomes one of the world’s most respected and sought-after story consultants and writing teachers, John Truby, whose legendary The Anatomy of Story is indispensable to novelists and screenwriters alike. John joins us to discuss his brand-new book, The Anatomy of Genres, a guide to understanding the major genres of the story world—and to do a deep dive into Patti’s and Mary Kay’s latest works in each of their respective genres. LISTEN NOW!
Out Now! WB_S4E17—Ron & Patti speak with Reyna Grande about her sweeping and powerful historical novel, A Ballad of Love and Glory, delving into Reyna's beginnings as a writer and her path to becoming a strong immigrant voice in literature. LISTEN NOW!
Out Now! WB_S4E16—Ron & Kristy talk to Tori Whitaker about her brand-new historical novel A Matter of Happiness. LISTEN NOW!
Listen, download, subscribe, rate, review & share wherever you get your podcasts!
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News from the Zibby Award-Winning Friends &Fiction Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa
We’ve got some great events coming up! Take a look at our book club schedule and be sure to save the dates. All events begin at 7pm Eastern unless otherwise noted.
Dec 8: Happy Hour with Ron Block and special guest Mary Kay Andrews, 7:30 pm ET
Grab these books and start reading now!
If you missed our Nov 21st book club discussion with Kristin Harmel
The Friends & Fiction Official Book Club is on YouTube! You can view previous book club discussions and happy hours at your leisure. Please subscribe to our channel HERE!
Not a member of the Friends & Fiction Book Club? Join us. We would love to have you!
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Join the F&F 2022 Reading Challenge!
Have you been enjoying our fun 12-month reading challenge in 2022? We’ve been challenging each other all year long to read books in a different category every month. Hopefully this has helped all of us broaden our horizons and read books in different genres we may not have chosen for ourselves. The theme for December is: Holiday. What holiday-themed novel will you read in December? We will run another challenge for 2023, so stay tuned for details. The timeless F&F Reading Journal makes the perfect companion piece to this or any reading challenge, helping you keep track of all the books you read all year long. Grab your reading journal HERE.
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F&F is on YouTube!
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Did you miss the November 30th episode with Kevin Wilson & Sheila Roberts? If so, you can watch it on our YouTube channel HERE. We air our show on YouTube every Wednesday night at 7pm ET. And every episode since our show’s inception can be found there too. So if you ever miss one, or in case Facebook is being difficult, check us out on YouTube. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode and get alerted every time we post new content. We also have book trailers and highlight clips on our channel, too! Watch the November 30th show HERE.
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Join Us on Fable!
Introducing Friends & Fiction: Behind the Book
Have you joined F&F on Fable yet?! We are taking our immersive reading experience a step further by partnering with this unique social platform to form the “Friends & Fiction: Behind the Book” Premium Book Club! Let’s discover, read, and talk about great books together! Download the FREE Fable app for your phone or tablet. Join MKA, Kristin, Kristy & Patti as they talk about their own books, the books they love, and books they're just discovering together. They’ll feature a new book selection every month, plus special club events, exclusive content, and more! Join our Premium Club for just $5/month! JOIN TODAY!
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CONNECT WITH THE FRIENDS & FICTION HOST AUTHORS! |
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