Mary Lou Cheatham (Mary Cooke) began her life on a Mississippi farm north of Hot Coffee and south of Taylorsville.

Her family spent their winter evenings playing games, reading, and conversing by the fireplace. Mary’s parents, two of the world’s greatest storytellers, bequeathed a legacy of yarn spinning to their children and grandchildren.

When she was ten years old, she decided she wanted to be an author. Life took her down other paths. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, she taught English in Greenville, Mississippi, and Ruston, Louisiana. Later she attended Louisiana Tech University and became a registered nurse.

When her only child, Christie, was young, Mary worked part-time. Now Christie and her husband live in west Texas, where she advises dairy farmers and he advises crop farmers.
Mary spent forty years with her first husband Robert Cheatham, a phenomenal trumpeter who taught at Louisiana Tech, where he inspired generations of great musicians before he died of a variant of a rare neuromuscular disease, Guillain Barré Syndrome.

She later married John Cooke, who is a retired petroleum landman, history scholar with a degree from Emory, bird watcher, excellent cook, newshound and faithful follower of Christ. John has four grandchildren and four children with mates.

Mary writes. She goes to bed with a notebook and pen by her bed. The highlight of her day is the scheduled time she spends writing. Whenever she can spare thirty more minutes, she turns on her computer and spends three hours.

Her personal space is cluttered with books about writing. Her thirst for knowledge of ways to improve her craft sends hers to workshops and meetings with fellow writers. She reads.

Please click here to visit Mary’s personal website.

Books by Mary Lou Cheatham:

Letter from Belleau Wood, available on Kindle and in Paperback, coming soon on Audible.

The Dream Bucket, available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

House of Seven, available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

Manuela Blayne, available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

Abi Cyrene, The Girl Who Loved Simon, available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

Courage is a Redhead, available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

I’m Choking . . . But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief (Insights about Grieving Book 1), available on Kindle and Audiobook

Liza Yates Too, available on Kindle and Audiobook

Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit, available on Kindle and in Paperback

Brother Star, Sister Moon, available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

A Prayer of Nehemiah, The Birth of Leadership, available on Kindle

Bubba, the Firedog, by Mary Lou Cheatham  (Author), Christie Marie Underwood (Author, Illustrator), available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

The Collard Patch, available in Paperback

Do You Know How God Loves You?: Successful Daily Living, available on Kindle and in Paperback

Mr. Bobby’s Cats, available on Kindle and Audiobook

Seth, the Shepherd Boy available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook

New Release!
Beach Story

Available on Kindle and in Paperback

Letter from Belleau Wood, Book 7 in the Covington Chronicles Series, on Kindle and in Paperback, coming soon on Audible:

We invite you to enjoy “Christmas in Mississippi,” Chapter 25 of Deep From the Heart: Order the complete book now on Audible.

Manuela Blayne is available on Kindle, in Paperback and on Audible.

The Trials of Three Women is available on Kindle and in Paperback.

I Just Want to Be Your Friend is available on Kindle and in Large Print Paperback.

Lena’s Hope is available on Audible, on Kindle and in Paperback.

Deep From the Heart is available on Audible, on Kindle, and in Paperback.

Deep From the Heart is available on Kindle and in Paperback.

Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek, available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook.

Secret Promise is available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook.

As Doves Fly in the Wind is available on Kindle, in Paperback and Audiobook.