Mary Lou — The Writer

Mary Lou’s writing career started with listening to women as founder of her women’s marketing company Just Ask a Woman.

After interviewing thousands of women with her partners Jen Drexler and Tracy Chapman, she shared their truths in her first book Just Ask a Woman (Wiley). She followed that with a breakthrough book about women’s burnout and recovery, Time Off for Good Behavior (Broadway Books) based on her own decision to pause, reflect and change her life’s course at 45. Her next marketing book revealed women’s closely held Half Truths, What She’s Not Telling You (Greenleaf Book Group). Then she hit the New York Times bestseller list with her memoir of her mother, The God Box, Sharing my mother’s gift of faith, love and letting go(Greenleaf Book Group). In 2015, she edited a book of her father-in-law Tom Quinlan’s favorite poems, A Crowd of Stars (Chapel Hill Press), a tribute to his 67 year legacy as a teacher.

Additionally, Mary Lou has written features for leading women’s magazines, a monthly career column for MORE magazine and opinion pieces for various national publications.