Don’t Miss Bestselling Author Mary Kay Andrews at Fort Thomas’s Signature Series!
The library interviewed beloved author Mary Kay Andrews about her work, process and more ahead of her April appearance at the Carrico/Fort Thomas Branch.
Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of over 30 novels. Having started her career as a reporter, she released her first book, Every Crooked Nanny, in 1992 under her real name: Kathy Hogan Torcheck. She has written under Mary Kay since 2002, a pen name coined from combining her children’s names—her daughter Mary Kathleen and son, Andrew.
You can hear from Mary Kay on Friday, April 11 at 7 pm. She will discuss her writing, including her latest novel: Summers at the Saint. Can’t make it to the evening presentation? You can also register to attend a more casual afternoon presentation at 3 pm.
Ahead of the talk, the library interviewed Torcheck via email. She cited two series under her real name: the Callahan Garrity and Truman Kicklighter series.
“They were marketed as cozy mysteries, so that was the majority of my audience,” said Torcheck. “I made the deliberate decision to switch to a pen name to escape being categorized as strictly mystery and to broaden my readership. The first MKA novel, Savannah Blues, was marketed as mainstream women’s fiction.”
When sitting down to write a novel, Torcheck said she first comes up with a premise, a protagonist and then what her dilemma and character arc will be. Often, her stories start with a title idea, like Hissy Fit, her first New York Times bestseller.
“I write a synopsis, and then I start plotting,” Torcheck said. “I’m mostly a seat-of-the-pants writer. I write in a linear way, sending chunks to my agent and editor as I go. When it’s done, it’s time for revisions and rewrites.”
If you’ve ever searched for a perfect beach read, there’s a good chance you’ve run across Mary Kay’s books; a Florida native, she divides her time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, Georgia. Many of her books have a beachy, summery backdrop ideal for taking in salty sea breeze and sunshine.
Summers at the Saint is set off the coast of Georgia, “where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper.” Torcheck bills it as a part-thriller, part-romcom backdropped by an iconic Southern resort hotel.
Florida, too, “with its sunbaked weirdness, snowbirds and retirees,” as Torcheck puts it, also often finds its way into the settings of her novels.
When asked about themes she wanted to explore, Torcheck said: “I wanted to talk about class division, haves vs. have nots, women’s friendships and a continuing theme in my books—women reinventing themselves.”
Roebling Point Books will be onsite selling copies of the author’s books. Stick around to get an autograph from Mary Kay! You can also check out Mary Kay’s books from our collection.
“My job, by definition is to sit alone in a room and make up stories. I’m an extreme extrovert, so that’s hard. It’s the lima beans,” Torcheck said. “Meeting readers, hearing how they relate to my stories, that’s the dessert—chocolate fudge cake with a scoop of rocky road ice cream.”
Event Details
Date: 7 pm Friday, April 11
Location: Carrico/Fort Thomas Branch (1000 Highland Ave.)
Signature Series Sneak Peek: 3 pm Friday, April 11
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