I always wanted to use my newspaper background in a novel. Mary Kay Andrews More Quotes by Mary Kay Andrews More Quotes From Mary Kay Andrews Southern women, especially upper-middle-class women, care deeply about appearances and what other people think. Mary Kay Andrews think women care people I had never thought about writing a novel. But I had two young kids, and I realized that if I could write a novel, I could work at home. Mary Kay Andrews never thought work home I guess because I'm a washed-up journalist, I always do a lot of research. Mary Kay Andrews guess because always research My ideal beach house has bookshelves full of paperbacks that can tolerate a little sand, a DVD library that includes some Disney classics for the little ones, board games, and jigsaw puzzles. At least one big flatscreen television is a must. Mary Kay Andrews library house beach television Between planning family vacations and running away for novel-writing retreats, I've spent much of my adult life questing for the perfect beach escape, renting cottages all along the Florida Gulf and up and down the Atlantic Coast - as far north as Nags Head, as far south as Key West. Mary Kay Andrews down family life beach Slipcovers are great because they can be laundered after those all-too-frequent sippy cup and red wine incidents. Mary Kay Andrews because great red wine I wasn't always overweight. I was a skinny little punk of a kid with severe asthma. When I got married at the age of 22, I wore a cut-down size eight wedding gown. Mary Kay Andrews always skinny wedding age Although I married a sports-loving jock, I myself am not only not athletic, I am acutely, completely uncoordinated. Mary Kay Andrews i-am only myself married For years, I swore I couldn't work out because my own sweat gave me a rash. Mary Kay Andrews me sweat my-own work For a writer, capturing that elusive Christmas morning magic can be deeply problematic. Mary Kay Andrews capturing magic christmas morning