Hi All,

Today’s note is a bittersweet one — about how it feels to close the chapter of a story that’s brought me so much joy. The off-Broadway run of Between the Lines is closing on 9/11.  

Bringing this musical to life has been an eight year journey and a labor of love. After being delayed by the pandemic for two years and finally getting into an off-Broadway theater again, I got to spend months in the company of talented actors and creatives bringing this story to the stage and it was one of the most joyful moments of my career. I have seen my characters in 3D, & I have watched people laugh and cry and come back to the theater over and over because the message spoke to them so clearly. One woman wrote to say she’d been 23 times — and dozens more came back with friends and family in tow to see the show another time. Many took to social media to say this was the best show they’d seen all year, or that it had become their new favorite musical.  

We wanted to bring a little joy to a post-pandemic world…and by all accounts we DID.

However, it has also been the most difficult moment of my career — because of the state of the world, and the state of theater IN that world. We can pretend, but we're not REALLY post-pandemic, especially in the theater community. As you know if you read my newsletters regularly, our cast was ravaged by Covid and we lost nearly two weeks of previews. As a result of that, we writers had approximately thirty hours to input all the changes we wanted to make to the show — when normally, you have a good ten days. We had to delay our opening night. And yet, we persevered, and we managed to create something magical. Yet though audiences uniformly jump to a standing ovation night after night -- almost 1/2 our audience is buying a ticket on the day of the show. This is not something we are experiencing alone — with the exception of a couple of megahits on Broadway, most theaters are playing to reduced capacity, with ticket buyers making snap decisions to attend hours before the curtain. Producers can't sustain shows that don't have advance ticket sales — and new musicals are especially fragile. As a friend said, when Broadway gets a sniffle, Off-Broadway gets a cold.

Here's the great news: this isn't the end of our story. We have an astounding cast album coming out very soon. We hope to stream the show at a later date, so one day audiences all over the world (not just NYC) can buy a ticket. We have a licensing deal, and hope to see versions of the show in regional theaters in the future. We believe we will see other productions one day, overseas. But, there is nothing like seeing a show, live. Or being the person who gets to say, “Oh, I saw Between the Lines when it debuted!” Our die-hard fans are die-hards because the show is joyous, smart, funny, and beautiful. If you are anywhere near NYC in the next few weeks, please come visit us.  

You can get tickets for up to 45% off at http://betweenthelinesmusical.com by using the code: BTLDRT.

Come see what all the buzz is about.

XO,

Jodi

I Hope To See You On The MAD HONEY Tour!

To celebrate the publication of Mad Honey, my co-writer Jennifer Finney Boylan and I will be touring the US from October 4-19. We hope to see as many fans as possible on the road.

If you cannot attend any of the events, we’re kicking off the tour with a virtual event on October 3.

VIRTUAL - Monday, October 3, 8:00pm EST

Random House Studio Sessions – in conversation with Anna Quindlen – A Virtual Event

Tickets

MADISON, CT - Tuesday, October 4, 7:00pm EST

RJ Julia Booksellers at the First Congregational Church

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - Wednesday, October 5, 7:30pm EST

Parkway Central Library in conversation with Jo Piazza

Tickets

LEWES, DE - Thursday, October 6, 6:00pm EST

Browseabout Books and Lewes Public Library at Cape Henlopen High School in conversation with State Senator Sarah McBride

Tickets

NAPERVILLE, IL - Friday, October 7, 7:00pm CST

Anderson’s Bookshop Hosted at Wentz Concert Hall on the campus of North Central College in conversation with Rebecca Makkai

Tickets

ST. LOUIS, MO - Saturday, October 8, 7:00pm CST

Left Bank Books at the Ethical Society of St. Louis

Tickets

SEATTLE, WA - Sunday, October 9, 7:00pm PST

University Bookstore in conversation with Nancy Pearl

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PORTLAND, OR - Monday, October 10, 7:30pm PST

Powell’s Books at Revolution Hall

Tickets

TAMPA, FL- Tuesday, October 11, 7:00pm EST

Oxford Exchange at the Tampa Theatre in conversation with Colette Bancroft

Tickets

ATLANTA, GA - Wednesday, October 12, 7:30pm EST

The Marcus JCC of Atlanta w/ A Cappella Books in conversation with Holly Firfer

Tickets

HOUSTON, TX - Thursday, October 13, 7:00pm CST

Brazos Bookstore at Christ Church Cathedral in conversation with Katherine Center 

Tickets

RALEIGH, NC - Friday, October 14, 7:00pm EST

Quail Ridge at Jones Auditorium at Meredith College

Tickets

WASHINGTON, DC - Saturday, October 15, 6:00pm EST

Smithsonian Associates at the Smithsonian Zoo in conversation with Charlotte Clymer

Tickets

PORTLAND, ME - Sunday, October 16, 7:00pm EST

Print: A Bookstore at State Theatre

Tickets

BOSTON, MA - Monday, October 17, 7:00pm EST

Harvard Book Store at Memorial Church in conversation with Tim Ehrenberg 

Tickets

NEW YORK, NY - Wednesday, October 19, 7:00pm EST

Barnes & Noble Union Square in conversation with Miwa Messer

Tickets

Have you added Mad Honey to your Goodreads shelf?



MAD HONEY: Preorder Your Signed Editions!

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father's beekeeping business.

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.

And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can she trust him completely . . .

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.

On sale:

US/CA - October 4

AU/NZ - October 5

UK - November 15

Preorder your signed editions!

Q: I can’t wait to read Mad Honey! What is it like to co-author a book?

JP: It is exciting and wonderful and also intense! With Jenny, I knew she was such a great author that I felt a lot of pressure to make sure my chapters measured up to hers. But I was also aware that the book had to feel like it came from a single brain. The way we ensured that was to edit each other’s chapters, to the point where now I can hardly remember what I wrote and what she wrote. I’m very proud of the resulting novel! 

Q: What are you listening to?

JP: Rehearsals of The Book Thief. Lots of gorgeous voices singing in harmony three feet away from me at the moment.

Q: What are you reading?

JP: Angelika Frankenstein Meets Her Match by Sally Thorne.

Q: What are you watching?

JP: Rehearsals of The Book Thief…see above!

Facebook Post Of The Month #1: Adrianna

Everybody… RUN and get your tickets for Between the Lines… it is magnificent…the story, the music, the cast, the direction, choreography and design … you will love it!️

Have You Seen…

The direct messages that led to the creation of Mad Honey?

View them now!

Facebook Post Of The Month #2: Alisa

We saw it (Between the Lines) last week and loved it! I’m so sad that it’s closing so soon. My daughter (a self-defined theater geek) and I both saw this as a great fit for local productions so we really hope that is able to happen.

Facebook Post Of The Month #3: Stacy

I read an ARC (of Mad Honey) and loved loved loved this book!

Win A Signed Edition Of WISH YOU WERE HERE

Congratulations to Casey, this month's free signed book winner.

Each month, one person will be chosen from my newsletter subscribers or Facebook fans as a winner of a free signed edition of my latest book.

Jodi In The News

90+ Fantastic New Fall 2022 Book Releases

Beyond the Bookends

“Mad Money by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan 

A soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past and what we choose to leave behind, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here and the bestselling author of She’s Not There.”

What Makes Trans Joy Such A Powerful Antidote To Transphobia

Daily Beast

“Boylan, 64, came out at age 40. ‘As the millennium turned, I felt I’d done everything I could EXCEPT come out.’ But like many trans people, she says knew who she was at a young age; In her case, at 6. As a co-author with Jodi Picoult of the forthcoming Mad Honey, a professor at Barnard College in New York City and a 2022-23 Fellow at Harvard's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Boylan calls herself ‘happy and successful, although not without sorrows and setbacks’.”

Best Books Coming In 2022

She Reads

“Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (October 4, 2022)

Olivia McAfee’s perfect life was upended when she and her son Asher moved back to her quiet New Hampshire hometown after witnessing her husband’s darker side. Lily Campanello is starting her final year of high school in Adams, New Hampshire, hopeful for a fresh start. Olivia and Lily’s paths cross as Asher and Lily begin to fall for each other. But when Lily is found dead, Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is sure of his innocence, but she can’t help recognizing the same flashes of temper in Ash that she saw in his father. As things progress, she realizes her son’s been keeping more secrets than she thought.”

Jodi Picoult And Samantha Van Leer Discuss Off-Broadway Musical Between The Lines

WAMC

If You've Never Read Anything By Jodi Picoult, Here's The Book You Should Start With

The List

Jodi Picoult And The Team Behind Between The Lines Reflect On The Power Of Female Voices In Theater

Theatre Mania

Warm Up This Fall With A Cozy Broccoli-Cheddar Soup Recipe From Jodi Picoult

Parade

Julia Roberts' Upcoming Projects Feature Major Stars - All We Know

Hello!

“as well as a movie adaptation of the Jodi Picoult's 2016 novel Small Great Things, which sees an African American nurse [as she] becomes the target of a white supremacist couple. Viola Davis is also set to star in the film.”

Off-Broadway's Between The Lines Will Record Cast Album

Playbill