Friends & Fiction Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, Ron Block

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 becoming a debut novelist.

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.

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, The Mitten String, which is a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable. Jennifer's writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Massachusetts Review, The Forward, and Good Housekeeping. She joins us to discuss ONCE WE WERE HOME, a novel based on the true stories of children stolen in the wake of World War II, out March 14th from Flatiron Books. Julia Kelly is the award-winning and internationally bestselling author of books about ordinary women and their extraordinary stories. She pens historical fiction and historical mysteries under her real name as well as steamy, contemporary romance novels under the pen name Julia Blake. Her books have been translated into 13 languages. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and a tea waitress. Julia called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home before settling in London. She joins us from across the pond to discuss her latest work of historical fiction, THE LOST ENGLISH GIRL, an epic saga of love, motherhood, and betrayal during World War II, out March 7th from Gallery Books.

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 school. Truly an honor to speak with Rebecca about this unforgettable triumph of a book.

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 honors to her credit. A truly good literary citizen, Hank is a founder of Mystery Writers of America University, host of CRIME TIME on A Mighty Blaze, and co-host of First Chapter Fun and The Back Room. She joins us to discuss her newest page-turning, standalone thriller, THE HOUSE GUEST, just out from Forge Books. Described as “Gaslight” meets “Thelma & Louise,” The House Guest is a binge-worthy story of psychological manipulation that explores the dark heart of marriage and friendship.

WRITERS' BLOCK Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry are joined by Pamela Terry (When the Moon Turns Blue) and Anne Burt (The Dig) to talk about their new releases, the power of story, of character and explore how in fiction, things aren't quite as they seem. A truly fascinating conversation that exceeded expectations!