Order of Mary Kay Andrews Books

Born: July 27, 1954
Real Name: Kathy Hogan Trocheck
Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Florida
Status: Alive and very much kicking with a beach bag full of bestsellers
Education: B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia

You ever meet someone whose pen bleeds sunshine, sass, secrets, and Southern soul all in one? That’s Mary Kay Andrews for you. But here’s the twist—not many know that before she was the reigning queen of beach reads and southern charm, she was Kathy Hogan Trocheck, a crime reporter with a nose for gritty headlines and the scent of scandal.

Yes, you read that right. Before writing about charming women re-inventing their lives amidst old mansions, beach houses, and antiques, she was digging up the truth for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a serious investigative journalist. Not exactly what you'd expect from the woman who now spins tales wrapped in pastel covers and porch-side drama, right?

Graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree, Mary Kay dove headfirst into newsrooms, crime scenes, and deadlines. For 14 years, she chased down murder stories, political messes, and everything in between. But deep inside her typewriter-toughened fingers lived a storyteller who yearned for something warmer. Something more... Southern. More delicious. More her.

That’s when she did something bold. She picked up the pen (or more likely, the keyboard) and reintroduced herself to the world—not as Kathy, but as Mary Kay Andrews, a name stitched together with Southern sweetness and a wink of irony (yes, it’s a cheeky blend of her children’s names: Mary Kathleen and Andrew).

And what a transformation it was.

From that moment on, Mary Kay Andrews traded crime scenes for front porches, forensics for fried chicken, and bullets for beach umbrellas—and readers couldn’t get enough. Her books are love letters to the South, but not the syrupy, sugar-coated version. Her South is sharp, witty, layered with secrets and second chances. She writes women you root for—flawed, funny, fierce. And don’t be fooled by the playful tone—beneath every beach read is a current of real emotional depth, the kind that sneaks up on you just as you’re getting comfortable.

Her background in journalism gave her a knack for detail. You can feel the weight of the antique furniture, the scent of magnolias, the tension of a long-lost letter found in the attic. Every sentence is a little slice of her own love for storytelling, place, and reinvention. Because if there’s one thing Mary Kay Andrews proves over and over—it’s that it’s never too late to start over. Just ask her heroines. Or herself.

She’s not just a novelist; she’s a lifestyle. Her fans don’t just read her books—they live them, craving the recipes, the home makeovers, the beach house dreams. She’s even got a loyal following who eagerly await her book tour updates just to see what she’s wearing and what Southern city she’s charming next.

And yet, for all her success, there’s always a twist—just like in her novels. The woman who writes with such sunshine has lived through career pivots, personal challenges, and the ever-changing tides of publishing. And still, every year, she returns with a brand-new story, a new heroine ready to reclaim her life, and a beach bag-sized dose of escape.

Mary Kay Andrews isn't just an author. She's an experience. One page in, and you're hooked. One book down, and you’re rummaging for more. And just like that, you're no longer just a reader—you’re a loyal visitor to her world of Southern charm, coastal chaos, and reinvention that always comes with a signature wink.

So here’s a cliffhanger for you: What happens when a Southern belle with a crime reporter past decides to rule the world of fiction?
Simple. She becomes Mary Kay Andrews.