An eighth-generation Louisianian, Jennifer Blake says "few things have stopped the women in my family from doing what we think is important. 'Steel Magnolia' grit and determination are in our blood." Married at fifteen, Jennifer and her husband recently celebrated more than four decades of happily-ever-after.

"My mom and dad are Irish and Scottish respectively, so I'm a first-generation Floridian," says Heather Graham. "South Florida, has always been my home, and I love it --the sun, the water and the beach. My husband and I were high school sweethearts and we've raised (and are still raising!) five children here in the sunshine state."

"The women in our family are traditionally strong and independent, thanks to our Scottish-Irish heritage," Diana Palmer says. "And the characters in this story share this same heritage." A die-hard romantic, Diana Palmer married her husband five days after they met, and they have lived in northern Georgia ever since, raising a son and a menagerie of animals.