Nov 21, 2023 | November Newsletter | PCH
Dear Friends,
What matters most? This has been a season of asking that question over and over in every aspect of my life. I can’t do everything, or so I’ve been told. But sometimes I try. I am here with some of the things that inspire me to answer that life-changing question. After nearly three weeks in Hawaii seeing family, playing with my grandbabies, and teaching at the Kauai Writer’s Conference, I came home to a house renovation that was derailed by a busted water heater, book clubs, our incredibly fascinating Friends and Fiction schedule, a writer’s conference in Nashville, a holiday season I am hosting, and more. I tried to do it all and I am paying with a head cold as I head into my favorite season of the year with family. Sometimes it’s all too much, and yet it all matters. So, how do we choose? Well, we can’t do everything, and I forget that sometimes.
INSPIRATION FOR WHAT MATTERS MOST: BOOK: Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks PODCAST: On Being By Krista Tippet POEM: Everything is Waiting for You by David Whyte What matters most and how do I let go of everything else?
It’s a tough one to answer but worth getting to the bottom of for our health, our life, our creative work, and our loved ones.
Vote Now!
I also came home to the thrilling news that The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a Barnes and Noble Best Book of the Year, Book Riot Best of 2023, listed as a GOODREADS Historical Fiction Book of the Year, and She Reads Book of the Year! You, my readers, are the ones who have made The Secret Book of Flora Lea such a great story! Without you, it is just a book on a shelf. Now you can vote (please?)
With Love and Gratitude this Thanksgiving season,
—Patti
2023 Goodreads Choice Awards Category: "Best Historical Fiction" Opening Round Nominees Vote Closes Nov 26th
She Reads Best of 2023 Categories: "Best Historical Fiction" "Best Book Club Pick" Closes Sun Dec 3rd at 4pm PT
Flora Lea Links
In The News
The Secret Book of Flora Lea, Once Upon a Wardrobe, and Surviving Savannah.
CONGRATS TO PATTI! THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA. FAVORITE HISTORICAL FICTION. FROM PATTI: I'm over the moon that #TheSecretBookOfFloraLea was named one of the @barnesandnoble "Best Books of 2023!" I'm in great company in the Historical Fiction category with @authormariebenedict & @_jeannettewalls_.
THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA BY PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY NOV 2023 BOOK RIOT SPONSORED BY THRIFTBOOKS We only want the best for you, and that's why we're sharing the best books of 2023! If these haven't already made your list, be sure to add them to your TBR.
Enchanting mystery: Bestselling author's beguiling historical novel told through dual timelines Enchanting mystery OCTOBER 22, 2023 BY JONATHAN HAUPT Special to The Post and Courier THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA. By Patti Callahan Henry. Atria.368 pages. $28.99 hardcover Bestselling author's beguiling historical novel told through dual timelines It seems an impossible task to describe the 17th novel from Patti Callahan Henry without using the word "enchanting."
BY KATE TOWNSHEND 6TH NOV 2023 BOOKS READER'S DIGEST UK There's nothing like cosying up with a book in the colder months! Kate Townshend explores the perfect books to warm you up at this time of year. As the weather turns and the sky darkens, autumn and winter can often feel like the perfect time for curling up with a good book.
OCTOBER 16, 2023 Welcome to Unsinkable: The Titanic Podcast, a comprehensive look at the ship, its crew + passengers, the art it has inspired, and the cultural history of its legacy (which is, of course, absolutely unsinkable). Hosted by historian L.A. Beadles, an absolute Titanic nerd.
A menu from a Titanic dinner sold at auction for more than 95,000 euros November 12, 2023 SPARK CHRONICLES It was a small ship - 95,000 euros is an expensive meal, even if the Titanic's standards require, there were oysters, lamb and duck...
Friends & Fiction
Who’s ready for some surprises?!
We’ve got plenty in store for you on next week’s Friends & Fiction Thanksgiving Eve show! Trust us, you do not want to miss this one as it’s going to be loads of fun!
Each of the Fab Four has invited a mystery guest of their choosing. They’ve all kept the identities of their guests a secret from each other. No one will know what fabulous author each host has invited until it comes time to introduce and reveal them one by one. Do you have any guesses?
Check out all the recent Friends & Fiction Writer's Block Podcasts with Patti, Ron, and guests:
Karen Kingsbury | JUST ONCE Margaret Renkl | COMFORT OF CROWS Ashley Winstead | MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR
About Patti Callahan Henry
New York Times Bestselling Author and Podcast Host
Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author of seventeen novels and podcast host. She is the recipient of The Christy Award—A 2019 Winner "Book of the Year”; The Harper Lee Distinguished Writer of the Year for 2020 and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year for 2019.
Patti is the co-host and co-creator of the popular weekly online Friends and Fiction live web show and podcast A full-time author, mother of three, and grandmother of two, she lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama, with her husband, Pat Henry. Her newest novel, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, is set outside Oxford in the hamlet of Binsey and was released on May 2nd, 2023, with Simon & Schuster Atria.
Be sure to follow me on social media and visit my website for the latest updates and announcements! Read More
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