Friends & Fiction

On this episode, Kristin Harmel, Patti Callahan Henry & Mary Kay Andrews welcome this month’s F&F Featured Authors, #1 NYT-bestselling novelist V.E. Schwab and screenwriter and YA author Cat Clarke to discuss their new locked-room thriller (co-written as Evelyn Clarke), The Ending Writes Itself, our April 2026 Pick of the Month, which Stephen King has proclaimed as “in the running for best mystery of 2026!” V.E. Schwab is a #1 New York Times bestselling author known for her genre-defying works like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and the Shades of Magic series. Cat Clarke is a screenwriter and author known for her gripping, coming-of-age thrillers that appeal to readers of all ages. Friends for more than fifteen years, they’ve joined forces as Evelyn Clarke to deliver The Ending Writes Itself, a propulsive psychological thriller that doubles as a razor-sharp satire of the publishing industry. In this book, six struggling writers are invited to the estate of one of the world’s bestselling novelists on a remote Scottish island for what they think is a writers’ retreat. When the reclusive genius author turns out to be dead with his final book left unfinished, these writers are thrust into a high-stakes 72-hour competition to craft an ending in return for a life-changing sum of money and the promise of a career-defining relaunch. We had so much fun talking to this duo about their buzzy new book that Karin Slaughter declares “an absolute must-read!”

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For Easter week, we are re-airing one of our favorite episodes from the vault! Join us as Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry & Mary Kay Andrews talk to our own Kristin Harmel about her 2025 instant NYT-bestseller, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau—about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder—which is out in paperback this week. One of the founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction, Kristin is the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The Book of Lost Names, whose books are published in more than thirty languages and are sold all over the world. On June 11th of last year, the Fab Four gathered to celebrate the launch of Kristin’s The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, a book that Hazel Gaynor called a “dazzling diamond of a novel,” and which instantly debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. Now is the perfect time to re-air this episode as the book releases in paperback on March 31st. We hope you will tune in for this chat, now with a brand-new intro recorded by Kristin herself.

 

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On this episode, the full F&F family — Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Patti Callahan Henry — gathers to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Authors, the #1 NYT-bestselling Virginia Evans to discuss her epistolary novel of connection and daring, The Correspondent, and the #1 NYT-bestselling Allen Levi to discuss his endearing story of anonymous generosity, Theo of Golden. These are our TWO March 2026 Picks of the Month in one fabulous double whammy episode! BOTH of these debut novels are #1 NYT-bestselling phenomena, BOTH are Katie Couric Book Club picks, and BOTH can attribute their overwhelming success to pure old-fashioned word-of-mouth buzz. In The Correspondent, Sybil Van Antwerp writes daily letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. In Theo of Golden, Theo gifts portraits to strangers in exchange for hearing their stories. Both novels shine a light on the importance of human connection, the power in acts of kindness, and the ability of art and literature to open our hearts and minds. What has attracted millions of readers to these two stories—and to their quirky elderly main characters—at this particular moment in time? We can't wait to dive in with these incredible first-time novelists who’ve taken the reading world by storm and hear all about their amazing breakout books that no one saw coming but everyone adores.

 

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On this episode, the full F&F family — Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Patti Callahan Henry — gathers with Managing Director Meg Walker and Producer Shaun Hettinger for a special “just us” episode. We’ve got another F&F family episode of our show, but this time we are joined by our tech guru and #1 cabana boy Shaun for a super fun musical discussion. Shaun is a talented musician who has been in several bands and written lots of film scores and soundtracks. When he told us he has a new single dropping on March 20th (and a full album coming this fall!), we knew we wanted to talk to him about it. This leads to a fun group chat about the music that has shaped and inspired us the role music plays in our creative lives. We hope you’ll tune in and enjoy the old-school camaraderie that’s the heart and soul of Friends & Fiction!

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On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Mary Kay Andrews welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Lucy Score to discuss her new swoonworthy small town rom-com, Mistakes Were Made, which invites us back to Story Lake for a steamy escape full of emotional twists, slow-burn tension, and Lucy's trademark charm. Lucy Score is a #1 NYT-bestselling author who stumbled into her dream job after being fired one too many times. Known for her laugh-out-loud romances and fiercely loyal readers, she’s sold millions of books across the globe which have been translated into 31 languages and counting. When she’s not writing, Lucy can be found impulse shopping, fighting a losing battle with her couch’s butt-dent, or plotting her next great story while pretending to work out. She joins us from her home in Pennsylvania to discuss Mistakes Were Made, her new steamy opposites-attract love story that revisits Zoey and Gage from last year’s Story of My Life.

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