Leila Meacham (1938–2021) was born in Minden, Louisiana, and grew up in Wink, a West Texas oil town of about 1,200 people.

 

Leila earned her degree in education from North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) in 1963. She married a U.S. Air Force pilot during the Vietnam years and served as a military wife, then returned to teaching high school English in San Antonio, the city she called home for the rest of her life.

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In the 1980's Meacham published three romance novels, Ryan's Hand, Aly's House and Crowning Design that were received, but she soon realized writing under deadlines stifled her creativity. She'd continue to write as a hobby and returned to teaching English professionally. That is, until entering retirement changed her mind.

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Restless and with time on her hands, she returned to a manuscript she had set aside years earlier. That book was Roses, a sweeping saga of East Texas, and in 2010 it became a New York Times bestseller almost instantly. Leila was 70 years old.

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She followed it with Tumbleweeds, which reached the Times list four days after its release. She continued writing and published Somerset, Titans and Dragonfly. Her posthumous novel, April Storm, was published in 2024.

 

Leila Meacham passed away in San Antonio on Sept. 19 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer at 83. Her story continues to inspire anyone who believes it is never too late to revisit your passion and begin again.