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Meet the Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Mary Kay Andrews is the author of the New York Times bestselling Deep Dish, Savannah Breeze and Blue Christmas, as well as Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies and Savannah Blues. A former reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she wrote ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her "real" name, which is Kathy Hogan Trocheck.
A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she started her professional journalism career in Savannah, Georgia, where she covered the real-life murder trials which were the basis of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
As a lifelong "junker" the author claims to know the location of every promising thrift store, flea market and junkpile in the Southeastern United States, plus many parts of Ohio.
She has a B.A. in newspaper journalism from The University of Georgia, and is a frequent lecturer and writing teacher at workshops including Emory University, The University of Georgia's Harriet Austin Writer's Workshop, the Tennessee Mountain Writer's Workshop and the Antioch Writer's Workshop. Her mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Awards.
Married for more than 33 years to her high school sweetheart, Tom, she is the mother of 26-year-old Katie Abel and 22-year-old Andrew. After a three-year hiatus in Raleigh, NC, she and her husband moved back to their old neighborhood in Atlanta, where they live in a restored 1926 Craftsman bungalow.
Q&A with Mary Kay Andrews
Q: Your Callahan Garrity mysteries take place in Atlanta and your
Savannah Blues books take place in Savannah. Are there any other big
cities, in the US or across the globe, you would like to set your novels in?
A: I actually wrote two books set in my hometown of St. Petersburg, FL, too,
and would love to set another book there, as well as other fictional and
non-fictional spots around the South, which is the region I know best and
feel most comfortable writing about.
Q: Are any of the quirky characters in your novels based on people you
know in real life?
A: Nearly all my characters are totally made up. Except Miss Nancy, a funny character in Hissy Fit, who was the receptionist at the Loving Cup Bra plant. She was based on my friend and former colleague from my days at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The real Miss Nancy was funny and profane and lively. Sadly, we lost her to cancer in 2007, but I'm so glad now that I made her a little immortal in my book.
Q: If you were to give a fledging writer some advice, what would it be?
A: Read everything. Write, keep writing, don't give up. Go to a writer's workshop where you can learn from accomplished writers, and perhaps have a critique session with a New York editor or agent. Join a writer's group for support.
Q: Having started your career in journalism and being familiar with having to stick to the facts, have you ever considered writing a nonfiction book? If so, what subject area would interest you?
A: I always thought I'd write a true crime novel. In fact, my book To Live & Die In Dixie was based on my experiences covering the real-life murder trial that became the basis for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Now, I'd love to do a cookbook or lifestyle/design book based on my junking experience
Q: How has being a successful writer changed your life?
A: I get recognized at estate sales-always when I'm dressed in tattered sweats with
my hair sticking up all over the place.
Q: Will we be seeing Weezie and BeBe in any other books?
A: I hope so. I have an idea for a future book, but the book I'm currently working on has a whole new cast of characters.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
A: I'd love to meet and lunch with Harper Lee, to ask her if she'd please write another novel.
Interview Date: February 2008
Profile and questions compiled by Cassandra H., Mint Hill Library
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