In this week’s Jen’s Jewels, I’m chatting with bestselling author Liza Palmer about her captivating new novel, YOUNG FOOLS—a heartfelt love letter to the messy, beautiful, and defining nature of female friendships. Set against the backdrop of an immersive writing conference brimming with creative energy, the story follows Helen and Cherry through ambition, vulnerability, and the deep bonds that shape who we are. From the electric tension between literary and genre fiction to moments that tug at the heartstrings, Liza takes us inside her creative process with warmth, wit, and honesty. Read on for our full conversation and a behind-the-scenes look at the inspiration, themes, and favorite scenes that bring Young Fools to life.
Jen: What sparked the idea for this story? Was there a real-life friendship or writing experience that inspired Helen and Cherry’s journey?
Liza: The spark of this book started with thinking about things that felt singular to women. My last book, FAMILY RESERVATIONS, focused on the dynamics unique to mothers, daughters and sisters, so for the follow up I wanted to write a love letter to the abiding nature of female friendships. Messy, beautiful and heartbreakingly real, our friendships define the eras of our life, and I couldn’t wait to dive into those connections.
Jen: Helen is such a layered character—ambitious, driven, but also really vulnerable. What was it like getting inside her head?
Liza: I will say that Helen was always Helen. She’s one of the clearest characters who’s ever called out to me in all my twenty years of writing. And I loved that about her. She’s wonderfully flawed, but she’s also surprising in her curiosity and depth. I loved her from the beginning - was made uncomfortable by her from the beginning - and was rooting for her just like I hope the readers will.
Jen: Female friendships can be so complicated, especially when ambition gets involved. What drew you to explore that kind of dynamic?
Liza: I was most excited to really dig into how these friendships come to define whole swaths of our lives and shape the women we become. It’s hard to think about your twenties or thirties without thinking about the women you shared them with – the good, the bad and the ugly – and the lesson you learned. These relationships are in the ground water of who we are.
Jen: The Hayward Writing Intensive feels so real! Did you draw from any personal experience in workshops or the publishing world?
Liza: I love a good writing conference, and I think because of that I built the one I’d love to attend – right down to the little cottages and the tree lined pathways. There’s something intoxicating – and incredibly terrifying – about feeling utterly immersed in being a REAL writer. It’s… there’s nothing else like it. And I knew that a writing conference – and that dangerous rush of feelings - had to be the Big Bang of this particular friendship.
Jen: There's definitely some tension in the book between literary and genre fiction. What made you want to dive into that debate?
Liza: I love talking about art and I feel like it’s such a wonderful sandbox to put characters into because their views on it tell you so much about them, yet they have NO idea. I think it’s also a subject where one’s opinions are tangled, shadowy and in YOUNG FOOLS the reader gets to watch as these characters have to really interrogate WHY they think what they do about art. And that discovery process was so fun to be a part of with this cast.
Jen: When readers turn the last page, what’s the biggest thing you hope they take away from Helen and Cherry’s story?
Liza: That there’s hope. That we can learn. That we can be flawed, but with brave actions and heartfelt work… there is a way home.
Jen: Were there any scenes that were particularly fun or maybe even a little emotional for you to write?
Liza: The scene that felt the most real to me was the concert that Cherry goes to in 2015. I based it at a real BTS concert that took place down in LA and it just … it’s one of my favorite scenes for so many reasons, but I don’t want to spoil anything. I will say that the Merch Line in particular is a section that I can’t read without crying.
Jen: Fall is such a cozy, reflective season. Do you have any favorite autumn traditions, or is it a time that sparks creativity for you?
Liza: I love everything about autumn but especially writing in autumn. Tea tastes better, the rain, the coziness. UGH JUST THINKING ABOUT IIIIIIT. I can’t wait.
Jen: What’s next for you? Are you working on something new, and can you give us a sneak peek?
Liza: I am currently – oof, probably deep into Act One of Book 11 and I LOVE it. It took me a while to crack it, but now that I’m in… oh man, every day I get to sit down and talk to these characters is better for it.
Jen: Where can readers connect with you online and keep up with your latest releases or events?
Liza: My website, and there are links on there to my Instagram as well as my newsletter on Substack where I throw out some cool stuff to watch, read and listen to, cool crafts to do, music I’m liking, good food and places to eat and drink and just cool, calming things.
A Novel
Two women do the best they can to make something of their lives—even at the expense of their friendship—in a witty, emotional, and startling novel by the author of Family Reservations.Helen Hicks may not have any friends, but she does have a plan: prove her doubting, elitist parents wrong and become a literary sensation before she turns thirty. When she's finally accepted into the esteemed Hayward Writing Intensive at twenty-four, Helen believes she's right on schedule.At Hayward, Helen meets Cherry Stewart, a free-spirited, ambitious kid whose eclectic tastes skew far more pedestrian than Helen's, but as Cherry's champion and mentor, Helen decides they'll set the publishing world on fire and go down as one of the literary world's most iconic duos.But as Helen turns thirty with no debut novel in sight and a breathtaking case of writer's block, she is forced to put her dreams on hold. Thinking Cherry shares her sad fate, Helen is shocked to learn that her best friend has not only finished and sold a novel in secret, but even more devastating it's...genre fiction.As Helen and Cherry's yearslong friendship comes crashing down, Helen finally has the clarity and inspiration to take her own art to the next level. It's going to get personal.
Women's Fiction Friendship | Coming of Age [Lake Union Publishing, On Sale: September 9, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781662527159 / eISBN: 9781662527142]
Liza Palmer is the internationally bestselling author of CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL, SEEING ME NAKED, and several other titles. Palmer currently lives in Los Angeles and is hard at work on her next novel as well as several film and television projects.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, "Serendipity by the Sea," secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido's talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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