Mary Kay Andrews

Reading Old Friends

These are tough times. You turn on the news, and the news makes your stomach turn. Your daily newspaper gets thinner every day. I’m a recovering journalist, so I NEED my daily newspaper. Friends are being down-sized. The stores you love are going under. Your 401-K is shrinking like a pair of K-Mart panties. What’s a girl to do? Curl up with an old friend. In the past two weeks, I’ve turned to new books by some favorite authors. I wrote mysteries for ten years, and let me tell you, mystery writing is an art as well as a craft. One of the premiere craftsmen of the genre is Michael Connelly. Mr. Mary Kay and I seldom read the same books, but we always read the newest Michael Connelly, and we always buy it in hardback. That’s a pretty high compliment. Connelly’s newest, THE BRASS VERDICT is another stunner. For the first time he brings together two of his most popular fictional sleuths, Harry Bosch (from books like BLOOD WORK and TRUNK MUSIC) and Mickey Haller–THE LINCOLN LAWYER. The results are satisfying on every level. Go. Buy. I’ve also got the advance reader’s copy (ARC as we call ’em in the book biz) of Elmore Leonard’s new book, ROAD DOGS. It won’t be available to the general public until May, but I can tell you, this is vintage Elmore Leonard. If you don’t know Dutch (that’s his nickname) you should run, not walk, to a bookstore to stock up on his backlist. Tons of his books have been made into movies, the most recent including GET SHORTY and BE COOL. If that’s not enough of a pedigree, he also wrote HOMBRE, you know, the book before the Paul Newman western? Leonard writes crime capers full of dark humor and knowing bravado. My favorites are the books set in Florida. He’s also the originator of the best writing advice I’ve ever heard. When asked the secret to his best-selling success, Dutch said simply, “I leave out the stuff readers skip over.” Duh. You want more recommendations? Margaret Maron, who has won every award in the mystery-writing world. Some of ’em, she’s won more than once. Full disclosure, Margaret is a dear, wonderful friend. If you haven’t read her, start with THE BOOTLEGGER’S DAUGHTER, the first in her multi-award winning Judge Deborah Knott mystery series. Set in Margaret’s native North Carolina, these mysteries combine small-town Southern sleuthing with keen plotting and an endearing cast of characters. And should you not like mysteries–but, why wouldn’t you?–try another of my favorite recent novels, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY. It’s set in the immediate post-WWII years in London and the Channel Islands. Who knew Guernsey was occupied by the Nazis during the war? It’s a novel, it’s history, it’s got a charming love story…I loved it so much I’ve bought three copies for friends and family members, including my 80-year-old Aunt Alice. Take it to bed with you and forget, for a few evenings, about the scary stuff going on around us, and remember, at least the Nazis aren’t dropping bombs on us.

A good day for writing, and junking

Pinch of the Past Antique Hardware, Savannah

The Tybeeites are shivering–it might have gotten down to forty degrees here this morning, and beach-dwellers don’t love cold weather. I woke up shortly after 5 am, with pieces of the new book jumping around in my brain. I get like that when it’s been a while since I’ve written. Ideas start to bubble up to the surface from my subconscious (or is it unconscious? I can never keep them straight). I get cranky when I haven’t written in a while–I compare it to imagination constipation. Anyway, I was hearing pieces of dialogue in my head. Finally, I got up and made it over to my laptop. After a couple false starts, I started seeing Weezie. And her mother, the long-suffering Marian. I wrote three pages, then took a break to do house things.
Our contractor is starting to make real progress on the beach house. The plank walls are complete in the living/dining room, and in the utility room and stairwell. The lumber company was delivering bead-board as I was leaving. I drove into Savannah to hunt for old glass door-knobs for the gorgeous old doors that will be installed in Breeze Inn. Maybe you remember how I snagged them at a circa 1920s-era house that was being torn down in the Virginia-Highlands neighborhood in Atlanta. I’d answered an ad for a vintage gas stove, but sadly, the stove wouldn’t work for the beach house. When the owner of the house mentioned he was going to start tearing the house down the following day, I started looking for something to buy. He ended up selling me nine or so solid wood interior doors. They were a bargain at $20 apiece, but he had stripped them all of the doorknobs and mortise sets. I can’t bear the idea of putting cheap, contemporary hardware on these vintage beauties. So I hit some of my favorite antique spots in Savannah. I found two sets of glass knobs at Habersham Antique Market, and the owner, who knows me, let me take them on approval. I found eight more sets at a great architectural salvage shop in the Victorian district, Pinch of the Past, which is located at Whitaker and 43rd Streets. This shop was originally located downtown on Broughton Street, but moved to its new spot in the past year. I took the doorknobs on approval, and headed over to President Street Extension, and Youman’s Antiques. Youman’s is a junky-looking old building, but there are treasures within, if you look hard enough. I found two more sets of knobs there, and will go back to get them, now that I know what I’m looking for. While I was looking at the display case full of assorted odds and ends, I spotted a piece of Jadeite something. It was a slender Jadeite glass towel rod. Missing it’s end brackets, but for $8.50, I scooped it up, and I’m sure when I go back to Pinch of the Past, I’ll find a pair of replacement brackets. Or, if that fails, when I get back to Atlanta, I’ll make a trip to Eugenia’s Antique Hardware in Chamblee. If Eugenia’s doesn’t have it, nobody does. What? You’ve never been to Eugenia’s? It’s totally worth a trip to Atlanta, if you’re jonesing for the good old stuff. That towel bar will be the perfect complement to the vintage green sink from Scott’s Antique Market that’s going in the upstairs guest bath.

When I got back to the house, I showed the knobs to Keith, my contractor. The knobs will work, all right, but he pointed out I’ll still have to buy lock and mortise sets for each of the dozen or so doors we’re outfitting. Gawd knows what that’ll cost. Restoration ain’t no cheap thang, I’ll tell you that right now. At least I won’t have to buy antique hinges for all the doors–I made sure to save them when they were being removed from the house in Virginia Highlands.
And then it was back to work. I ate my customary spaghetti dinner, had a glass of Two-Buck Chuck chardonnay from Trader Joe’s, and sat down to my laptop. Wonder of wonders, I finished the first chapter. Yay me!

Tybee Island Eye Candy

Photos of Fish Camp Cottoge, above by Richard Leo Johnson
So…I’m back at Tybee Island. Today I gave a luncheon talk at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, and I think I can say a good time was had by all. Then I cruised down U.S. 80 to Tybee. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day. I passed fields full of just-picked cotton, farmhouses, changing leaves. It was a good day to be alive. It was even better when I got to my final destination, Fish Camp Cottage, another one of the adorable Mermaid Cottages. Fish Camp is a Jane Coslick creation, which means every corner of its restoration and decoration was lovingly thought out and executed. I’m going to do a little sidewalk supervising on The Breeze Inn while I’m down here, so stay tuned for new pics of the progress. But mostly, what I hope to be doing is starting my next book. Yes, it’s that time again. The island is quiet, I’ve got my chardonnay and pot of spaghetti, all I need now is some inspiration. Which I should get plenty of from Fish Camp.
If you’ve never been to Tybee for a little R&R, now is the ideal time. Lots of wonderful cottages available for rent, at reasonable prices. Beautiful sunny weather, cool temps, perfect for beach-combing, bike-riding and just hanging out. No traffic to speak of, no waits for a table at Sundae Cafe–our favorite dinner destination, or The Breakfast Club–which has just started serving an expanded lunch menu. Or you could go to The Tybee Market and pick up a steak or some seafood, and stay home and cook. Or drop by the blue seafood market as you come onto the island–do what the natives do and throw yourself an oyster roast. Don’t forget something to read. You could stop by Seaside Sisters and pick up a book–need I suggest a title?

Cottage thoughts

The stack of shelter magazines beside my bed is so high and teetering (not to mention dusty) that I can barely climb into bed at night. But last night I treated myself to the November issue of HOUSE BEAUTIFUL mostly to get a glimpse of Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten’s new barn. But lo and behold, I found a new crush: the Moroccan influenced Miami home of Gene Meyer and Frank De Biasi. It’s hard to tell from these photos, but I think maybe their house is a CBS (concrete block structure) like our little Tybee cottage. Our CBS is currently a radioactive yellow with loud blue trim. Check the Miami house exterior–white stucco? with bold turquoise trim.

But it’s those concrete seahorse reliefs on either side of the front entry that snagged me. I WANT those seahorses. They remind me of all the Florida flourishes on houses of my childhood growing up in St. Petersburg. According to BH, the color on the door is Benjamin Moore Cayman Lagoon. We’re painting the outside of the Breeze Inn a soft turquoise with a little gray in it–I think it’s a Sherwin-Williams color called Aquaduct. How groovy would a pair of those seahorses be on either side of my front door–which will be a hot hibiscus pink screen door with aluminum heron relief that I bought at Brimfield this past summer? Anybody got a couple seahorses hanging out that they don’t want? I also love how they painted their library pink–and crafted those intricate seashell relief doodles. I can tell you right now that Mr. Mary Kay would put the kibosh on that in a New York minute if I tried glueing seashells on the wall of our new house. However, I am going to show him the photo of this sitting room, with its line-up of forties rattan furniture. I’ve been hoarding rattan for years now, just waiting to put it in my virtual beach house. Yes, this magazine is definitely going to the top of the bedside stack.

Beach House Update

Here are a couple before pix of our beach house as it looked when we bought it in June. In the living/dining area we found: beat-up, possibly asbestos-laced linoleum tile. Cheesey ’60s panelling below equally cheesey chair-rail. Concrete block walls covered with what looked like contact paper. Fast forward to this past weekend, five months later. Linoleum is outta there. Contact paper and panelling outta there. Drafty windows so outta there. Now showing: gorgeous reclaimed heart pine floors. New energy efficient hurricane-rated windows. Blown-in insulation. Currently nearly installed: horizontal spruce planking. The stuff you don’t see is the unsexy but very necessary expensive stuff: all new plumbing, electrical, heat and air.
Here’s how the kitchen looked when we bought it: dropped ceiling tiles, cruddy cheap-o cabinets, Nixon-era yellow vinyl wallpaper, skanky formica countertops, and more linoleum. The fridge pictured here is but one of the three that were left in the house when we bought it. The other two were out on the screened porch.

Picture the same space–in the soon-to-be Obama era. Dropped ceiling dropped in dumpster, revealing high, board and batten ceiling, which are found throughout the house. Scads of new white cabinets with deep pull-out drawers and roll-out canned good cabinets and under-cabinet lighting. Built-in space for stainless steel fridge. New slot for gas stainless steel stove between windows on the right. More gorgeous reclaimed heart pine floors.

Coming soon to a kitchen right here: black granite countertops, vintage porcelain double sink, white subway tile backsplash, pair of adorable schoolhouse ceiling fixtures, a splash of jadeite green paint, window treatments made from vintage linen dishtowelling.

Stay tuned for more updates as they happen!

SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES!

I’m doing four signings of the newly re-released BLUE CHRISTMAS in the next week–so I really hope to have the chance to see new and old friends. The fun starts tomorrow night, Thursday Nov. 6, from 5-8 p.m. at the Holiday Open House at the fabulous Decatur, Ga. home of Marie Mealor.

Sat. Nov. 8 I’ll be at Seaside Sisters from 1-4 p.m. on Tybee Island, Ga. for our first anniversary celebration. I’m bringing lots of vintage treasures to re-stock my booth, so you don’t want to miss a chance to snag the goodies, as well as do some early Christmas shopping.

Mon. Nov. 10, 11: 30 a.m., I’ll give a talk and sign copies of all my books, including DEEP DISH, at the Cobb Library Foundation luncheon in Marietta, Ga. Tickets to the luncheon are $25 and can be purchased online at http://www.cobbcat.org/. Books will be available for purchase.

Thurs. Nov. 13, I’ll give a talk and do a signing at the Bowling Green/Warren County, Kentucky Public Library main branch at 6 p.m. Check here for details.

Yes We Did

I’ve deliberately stayed away from politics on this blog. I’m a novelist, not a pundit. I write for pure entertainment and cheap laughs are what I’m selling. But last night, when I was watching the election returns in bed, beside the sleeping Mr. Mary Kay, this is what I felt like. Tears running down my face. My late father–bless his heart–(as we say here in the South) was first generation Irish-American from the Southside of Chicago. With a name like John Patrick Hogan–this is no surprise. When I was a child he was a Kennedy Democrat, who late in life, morphed into a Reagan Republican, W-stalwart and dedicated Hilary Hater. At midnight, I was watching the celebration in Chicago’s Grant Park. I nudged MMK and asked him “you hear that sound?”
“What?”he asked groggily. “That sound. That’s the sound of my dad, spinning in his grave at the thought of a black man from the southside of Chicago being elected president. And I helped.”
OK, that’s it. I swear, no more politics. But peeps, I gotta be me.

Aussiedoodle Puppies

Can you feel the love tonight? My sister-in-law Laurie is thrilled that the first litter of puppies for her Abounding Grace Kennels has arrived. Four darling little females. Check her website here, and spread the word to anybody you know who is thinking puppy for Christmas. Or birthday. Or just because. Remember what Linus said: “Happiness is a warm puppy.”Or maybe that was Charlie Brown? Anyway, just this time last year I started hunting for a puppy for Mr. Mary Kay for Christmas, and our own Weezie turns one this week.

Blue Christmas Signing, Shopping Opportunities

If you live anywhere in Georgia I hope you’ll join me for the first of three fun signings I have coming up in the next week. The first event is this Thursday night, Nov. 6, from 5-8 pm. in Decatur. My old friend Marie Mealor–who many of you will know as the former owner of the fabulous FINAL TOUCH BOOKS AND GIFTS and later, MEALOR-BENZ Antiques, also in Decatur, is hosting a holiday open house and gift show at her beautiful art-filled home. In addition to having the newly re-issued BLUE CHRISTMAS which I’ll be signing and personalizing, Marie and friends are offering all kinds of gifty goodies, including antiques, framed original art, lamps, home accessories and much more. If you’ve ever seen Marie and Annie’s booth at the Scott Antique Mart you’ll know just how chic and elegant their offerings are. In addition, Marie’s talented daughter Stephanie Corder will be accepting commissions for her charming children and pet portraits. Please do join us Thursday night. Believe me–you’d pay admission just to see Marie’s home. I’ve been buying art and antiques from her for years, and she even much of the fluffing for me last year before our home was on the Avondale Holiday Tour of Homes. Did I mention there’ll be wine? and nibbles? Above are some photos of just a tiny portion of the offerings. Don’t miss it!

A big loss and a tiny win

Sigh. We went to the big football party down the street. Everybody was dressed in red and black. Katie actually brought UGA pasta salad. Apparently, you can buy collegiate-shaped pasta. Who knew? They had a movie theatre-sized viewing screen set up in the carport. It should have been fun. But our team lost. Wait, they didn’t just lose. They sucked out loud. Our team lost the biggest game of the year. I just hate it when that happens. The only good news was that my Gatorhater Chili won the chili cook-off and everybody scarfed up the crockpot-full of chili we brought. We won a festive red insulated totebag. Oh well. It’s only football. We’ve got much bigger fish to fry. Like the election. I early voted the first week the polls opened in our county, way back in early October. Come Wednesday morning, I’m hoping for a huge, huge, history-making win. Also a return to civility between people of opposing opinions. And that’s all I’ll say about that.