February 15, 2023 | Issue #130
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Latest News From "The Fab Four"
Patti Callahan Henry is packing for her trip to Seattle to finally be in real life (instead of virtual) with over a thousand booksellers and thirty authors to talk about The Secret Book of Flora Lea. She is overpacking, but nothing new there. She had a fun weekend as she spent time in her Alma Mater with her sister (War Eagle), and wiled away a full Saturday with a group of women writers in a Distillery (you read that right, in a distillery called Dread River in Birmingham, AL.). Don’t forget about her Flora Lea Pre-Order package from Simon & Schuster Atria that will download an exclusive short story and photo journal immediately when you fill out the form! She is also busy planning book tour and events are slowly being revealed on her website!
What Patti is reading: Earth’s the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg
Kristy Woodson Harvey is so excited to officially announce her Friends & Fiction launch for THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS at Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida with her F&F sisters on July 20 from 6:30-8pm! We’d love to see you there!
What Kristy is reading: Reading Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore
Kristin Harmel spent the weekend celebrating the birthdays of her husband, Jason, and son, Noah (who just turned 7). Noah’s celebration was smaller than usual this year (Kristin is still in the midst of chemotherapy treatments, which means her immunity is still reduced–hence no big party!), but he had a great time (Jason planned a scavenger hunt!) and got more Pokemon cards than he knew what to do with. Meanwhile, Kristin is gearing up for another chemotherapy treatment this Thursday–and she can’t wait to share news with you soon about her June limited tour for The Paris Daughter!
What Kristin is reading: The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly (one of our March 8 show guests)
Mary Kay Andrews spent the weekend with family at her Tybee Island beach house. She signed books at a fun Galentine's Day party at Seaside Sisters, and toggled between copy edits for her fall book Bright Lights, Big Christmas, and working on her book for summer 2024.
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Announcing the SIBA Katie Trocheck Abel Award
SOUTHERN INDIE BOOKSELLERS CAN BE NOMINATED!
As you may know, last year this time, our beloved Mary Kay Andrews lost her 39-year-old daughter, Katie Trocheck Abel. Katie had a huge heart for community outreach, lending countless hours of support to organizations such as No Kid Hungry, Atlanta's Free99Fridge, and Atlanta's Helping Mamas, which has named a car seat donation program in her honor. Katie was also a fierce supporter of her mom, and of the many booksellers who support MKA.
In Katie's honor, and to celebrate the often unheralded acts of kindness that take place all the time in our bookselling world, SIBA will award $500 to a SIBA bookseller who has gone above and beyond in their local community.
Do you know an indie bookseller in the southern US whose kindness, generosity, and dedication is a huge asset to their local community? If so, they can be nominated! The nomination form is open now through May 1, 2023 with the winner announced on July 3, 2023.
Find more details and the nomination form HERE.
The winner will be chosen by Mary Kay Andrews and her Friends & Fiction co-hosts Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry.
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Virtual Event to Support Susan G. Komen
BREAST CANCER FUNDRAISING ADVENTURE IN HONOR OF KRISTIN HARMEL
On Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 7pm ET join Kristin Harmel along with more than FIFTY other authors—including the rest of the Fab Four: Kristy, Patti & MKA—at a virtual event sponsored by Adventures By the Book with the goals of raising money for Susan G. Komen, underscoring the importance of mammograms and other screenings, and reminding us all that we're stronger than we know. Click HERE to RSVP and to see the incredible list of authors, all of whom will be sharing something about a character of theirs who has discovered inner strength in a difficult time. The only cost of admission: a commitment that you've scheduled a mammogram or encouraged a loved one to do so. Don’t miss this great online event, all for a great cause!
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Get to Know Our Friend, J.T. Ellison!
What would you be if you weren't a writer?
Oh, I love this question because I love to dream about my other paths not taken. In one life I’m a professional golfer. Another, an architect. Yet another, playing clarinet in a world-class symphony.
What's the biggest misconception people have about you and your work?
That I write bloody, gory, scary books. I don’t like that sort of stuff at all, and even when I do write scary, it’s tempered. I prefer my thrillers to be psychologically and intellectually dark.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
When I was six or seven and read Tennyson’s THE EAGLE. He clasps the crag with crooked hands... yes, I was lost.
Tell us about the first piece of fiction you ever wrote.
The first I remember is a short story called The Samaritan (Part 2) – I’ve no idea what happened to part one – in which an astronaut is lost in space. I still have it, all bound and illustrated.
Do you have any writing rituals?
When I was writing my first book, I would turn on the green-shaded banker’s lamp when I started. It was a signal to get to work. Now, I listen to the book soundtrack or turn on an ASMR room to help me get into the groove quickly. I always read what I wrote the day before, give it a light edit, then jump in.
Is there a particular independent bookstore or library you'd like to shout-out?
Let’s show some love to The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale! I’ll be there on tour and I’m so excited!
The last book you raved about:
THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz. It took me several tries to get into it, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. Quite ingenious.
Tell us about your work-in-progress.
I’m about a third of the way into my next standalone, about a hugely famous author who passes away unexpectedly and the chaos that ensues when a reporter gets her hard drive, and discovers the author’s past might not be exactly what it seems.
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Spotlight on Jill Santopolo
Jill Santopolo is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Stars in an Italian Sky (coming out in late February 2023), The Light We Lost, More Than Words, and Everything After. Her work has been translated into more than thirty-five languages. She received a BA from Columbia University and an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is also the author of three successful children's and young-adult series and works as the associate publisher of Philomel Books. Santopolo travels the world to speak about writing and storytelling. A New Yorker at heart, Santopolo is currently living in Washington, D.C.
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Subscribe to the Friends & Fiction 2023 First Edition Subscription Box!
Purchase of this special 2023 Friends & Fiction First Edition Subscription Box includes each 2023 NEW & SIGNED hardcover release from ALL FOUR of the Friends & Fiction host authors plus a fun, small gift included with the first shipment—a kitchen towel that reads, “Dinner can wait. It’s time for Friends & Fiction!”
Subscribers will receive four shipments around each book release:
May 2023—Patti Callahan Henry's The Secret Book of Flora Lea
June 2023—Kristin Harmel's The Paris Daughter
July 2023—Kristy Woodson Harvey's The Summer of Songbirds
Sept 2023—Mary Kay Andrews's Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Subscription price of $125 includes tax and all shipping charges. Sign up now at Booktowne.com!
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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:
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Listen to the F&F Podcast!
Coming this Friday, February 17th—Ron & MKA talk to Kristen Mei Chase about her debut novel A THOUSAND MILES TO GRACELAND, a road trip rom-com that explores mother-daughter relationships and what it means to be mixed-race in America.
Out Now! WB_S5E6—Ron & Meg talk to Chinese-American debut novelist Lauren Kung Jessen about her brand-new rom-com LUNAR LOVE, an enemies-to-lovers tale set around an LA-based Chinese zodiac matchmaking business. LISTEN NOW!
Out Now! WB_S5E4—Ron and Patti welcome thriller writer, Kaira Rouda about her newest page-turner, The Widow. This taut and twisty book sheds light on the inner workings of life in the U.S. Congress, while examining families, ambition, and the lengths some will go to to achieve and keep power and wealth. 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.
Coming up:
Grab these books and start reading now!
If you missed it:
Follow us!
We are on YouTube! View previous book club discussions and happy hours at your leisure. Subscribe to our channel HERE!
Not a member of the Friends & Fiction Book Club? Join us on Facebook. We would love to have you!
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The F&F 2023 Reading Challenge!
We have announced the 2023 F&F Reading Challenge! This year the challenge is being run by the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa. Join in on all the fun on their Facebook group page. Each month there is a different category prompt designed to get all of us reading outside of our comfort zone. Let’s have fun together all year long reading books from lots of different genres. On the book club’s Facebook page, there will be ideas shared for each category and the chance to talk with fellow members about your reading selections. 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!
Subscribe Today!
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Did you miss the February 8th episode with Elinor Lipman? 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 February 8th 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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