Contents of this page: Press Releases, Author Biography, Media Photos, Work in Progress (research into 17th century peasants), Works of Fiction with Cover Photos: Freaks, Inc.(a YA novel), The Neighbor’s Wife (Women’s fiction), Gator Bait and Killer Serve (both cozy mysteries in the Tennis Team Mystery series) ; RIM TO RIM and Wolf Pack (both adventure mysteries, and Eternally Yours, Robert ( a romantic short story with a twist.)
CONTACT:
Jeannie200@aol.com
Press Release
The Twig Hosts Visiting Author
“A woman is like a tea bag . . .” Jeanne Meeks, visiting author and backpacker, explains the Eleanor Roosevelt quote and how it relates to the strong, female characters in her mystery adventure series. The author will read from “Rim To Rim-Death in the Grand Canyon” and “Wolf Pack-Mystery on Isle Royale” and will discuss the novels, her writing career, and how you can publish your own stories. The Twig Book Shop, 306 Pearl Pkwy, Ste.#106, (on Museum Reach, Riverwalk) San Antonio on Wed, Sept. 10th; 5:00-7:00.
Older Press Releases
Local Author Featured at Printers’ Row Lit Fest
Jeanne Meeks introduced her new novel, published in May, 2014, at the Printers’ Row Lit Fest in downtown Chicago June 7-8 at the Mystery Writers of America tent. She read passages from “Wolf Pack-Mystery on Isle Royale”, discussed novel writing, and signed copies of “Wolf Pack” and her first novel, “Rim To Rim” for fans.
Jeanne and her novels will be featured on News & Views, a cable TV show hosted by Lydia Ponzcak. She also co-hosted the production which airs on Comcast channel 19 on Tuesdays, 9:00 PM, during the month of July. News & Views will also stream on the internet after July 1st at www.ACVariety.com
Read more about RIM TO RIM, Wolf Pack, Jeanne’s outdoor adventures, and the craft of writing at http://www.jeannemeeks.com.
New Lenox, IL | 12/23/2013
Grand Canyon Tragedy Inspires Local Author to Write Mystery Novel
Jeanne Meeks, long-time New Lenox resident, penned RIM TO RIM-Death in the Grand Canyon after a five-day backpacking trek across the canyon in 2007. While on the trail, the canyon grapevine buzzed with rumors about a child falling from the South Rim. Heart sick about the tragedy, Ms Meeks felt the need to write, but couldn’t steal from that family’s grief. Instead, she wrote a fictional mystery/adventure about the stunning beauty and the dangers of the Grand Canyon, and killed off a only few bad guys along the way.
Grady Harp, an LA reviewer, wrote: “ A Dandy Chick Lit Work: Empowering Women, Dispensing Adventure. Ladies take note: Jeanne Meeks has created a first novel that puts her up in the company of fine adventure/mystery writers . . .”
“The reader is drawn into her every emotion and will celebrate her triumph at the end. A truly glorious read…pick it up and you will not stop until its done.” – Jacksonville, FL reader
Second in the Backcountry Mystery series, is Wolf Pack-Mystery on Isle Royale, published in May, 2014. Amy Warren once again laces up her hiking boots and joins volunteer park ranger, Sarah Rochon, on a remote island in Lake Superior. She hopes that backpacking with her daughter will mend their estranged relationship. Will they become closer or will murder and betrayal bury them on Isle Royale?
A reader posted this review of Wolf Pack: “Very well written. Descriptions so real I felt I was there. Characters believable and intriguing. It held my interest from page one to the very end. A lot of twist and turns which made it very difficult to put the book down!”
Jeanne Meeks wrote mostly poetry in the 80s and 90s, but put “write a book” on her bucket list. She had little time to write while running Video Master, Inc., a video surveillance business which she owned with her husband, Bob. Located for twenty-eight years in New Lenox, the company was sold in 2005 to a British corporation. Jeanne then began writing full-time and has won several short-story awards and had one short story published in an anthology. RIM TO RIM has been nominated for a Lovey Award-Best First Novel which will be presented at the Love is Murder convention in Chicago in February, 2014.
“A woman is like a tea bag,” said Jeanne, quoting Eleanor Roosevelt. “You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.” This is a theme that runs through both her novels and the several short stories she has written, all of which are available on Amazon and in Kindle format. RIM TO RIM and Wolf Pack are also available at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park.
Read more about RIM TO RIM, Wolf Pack, Jeanne’s outdoor adventures, and the craft of writing at www.jeannemeeks.com.
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Author Biography
Jeanne Meeks began backpacking at the age of fifty-four and hiked across the Grand Canyon just to prove she could do it. The experience inspired her to cross “write a book” off her bucket list.
She restarted her writing career after retiring from Video Master, Inc. After twenty-eight years in business, Ms. Meeks and her husband sold their New Lenox-based video security surveillance company to a British corporation.
During her career, Jeanne was recognized by the Illinois governor as the Small-Business Person of the Year. She was also the Tax Collector for New Lenox Township and has been the President of the Chamber of Commerce, on the board of a local bank, and on Silver Cross Hospital’s Community Trustee Board.
Ms. Meeks also volunteered as an Outdoor Trainer for the Girl Scouts and was a day camp and troop leader for twelve years. She is currently very active as an officer of Gulf Coast Writers Association, designing the new website, publishing an anthology of true stories from survivors of Hurrican Ian, and helping new authors get published.
Ms. Meeks now writes full-time and belongs to writers’ groups in Illinois and Florida. She reads extensively, edits for other authors in her critique groups, and writes a blog at www.jeannemeeks.com about Researching for Historical novels, Outdoor Adventures, and other things she loves.
When not writing, Jeanne plays tennis, golf, and pickleball, entertains the grandchildren, hikes, volunteers, and bicycles. Married in 1969, she lives with her husband in Frankfort, IL and on Florida’s gulf coast.
Media photos
Please feel free to use these photos, but give appropriate credit to the photographer, Donna Hinshaw.
Other images with lower resolution for which I own the rights.
Dipping our tires into the Mississippi River after a 217 mile ride across Illinois.(left to right): Jeanne Meeks, Dot Kluzek, Nancy TerHaar, Nancy Sorci. Sept. 2016
Work in Progress (August, 2025)
Jeanne is up to her neck in the peasant lifestyle of 17th century France. After researching her genealogy on Ancestry.com, she discovered her 7 times great-grandmother was listed as a Fille en Marier or Marriageable Girl — a young peasant girl to whom support and a marriage contract was given if she agreed to emigrate to New France to help populate the Quebec settlement. This news (factual or not) inspired her to outline a novel and begin the long process of researching and writing.
Writing a good historical fiction novel requires many hours of research. Jeanne now knows how peasants did their laundry, lived off the land, made their own shoes, grew their own food, and served their country and their church….and suffered from drought, disease, mobs, onerous rules, and backbreaking work. No wonder young people could be enticed to settle in New France with the promise of a new start, land, and more freedoms.
The working title of the historical fiction novel is The Peasant’s Daughter” and it MIGHT be ready for publication in January, 2026. In the meantime, she is searching for other lovers of historical novels, re-enactors of the 17th century, and even Renaissance Faire fans who know their history.
Visit Jeanne at http://www.JeanneMeeks.com or on her New France Facebook Group
Works of Fiction by Jeanne Meeks
Freaks, Inc.
“Freaks, Inc. is amazing and reminds me of me and my friend Alex.” — Hezi Christensen, age 11, SW Florida
“Underdogs will like this story. He stands up to bullies for his friends. ” – Eowyn Bontz, age 11, Milwaukee, WI
“Promotes being a good kid.” Christie Zarria, Lehigh Acres, FL
Freaks, Inc. is a middle-grade YA thriller for smart kids.
Wyatt Best’s sixth-grade class calls him a freak. School bullies are sick of him. Literally. When bad kids get too close to him, they puke on their shoes. Teachers worry and doctors can’t fix him, but Wyatt ignores them all and runs his daily routes to keep his people safe. As he runs, he is surprised to encounter other freaks just like him. Wyatt’s secret powers are growing stronger…but so is the evil purple mist.
The Neighbor’s Wife
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (18) on Amazon
“A gripping and heart-warming story of abuse, revenge, and family redemption.” An elderly WWII veteran finds a reason to live when an abused young woman rents the house next door. Henry Peale fell in love with Maggie sixty years ago and loved her until the day she died. On a bright summer day, he sees her gardening in the yard next door—her golden hair, her long braid, her straw hat. Excited to join his wife, he calls out to her but is disappointed when the vision turns out to be the new next door neighbor. From afar, Anna Croft brightens Henry’s days. He gardens when she gardens and is rejuvenated and content to be alive. Long after Henry puts his garden to bed for the winter. Anna shows up at his door barefoot on a snowy night. Her nightgown is torn, her face is battered, and she holds a bloody knife in her hand.Henry decides to take the blame for the stabbing. Though he knows he was a coward all his life, he makes it his mission to protect the young woman. With the support of Maggie and despite his children’s objections, failing health, and violent nightmares, Henry becomes the hero he was meant to be
Killer Serve – A Tennis Team Mystery
Retirement isn’t all pickleball, tennis, golf, and Mahjong. After Packi Walsh finds a stranger stretched out on the tennis court with a hole in his chest, the ladies’ tennis team uncovers a seamy side to their tropical paradise.
Hidden in the woods near Paradise Palms and with nowhere else to go, a group of homeless men live in a secret tent village. Packie’s friend, Mark, once homeless himself, befriends the men and asks the tennis team to collect camping gear.
Packi and Curtis, a neighborhood teen, arrive with donations, but are ignored until the camp is trashed by a gang of thugs. In spite of Deputy Teig’s warnings, Packi and the team track down muggers and murderers. They discover the woods isn’t the only hiding place for sex offenders.
“Tennis, homicide, and a bit of romance in this whodunit from Jeanne Meeks. The author paints pictures with her descriptive writing, and entertains via the antics of her colorful central character, the inquisitive and irrepressible Packi Walsh. The book’s recipe is a little bit “Murder She Wrote” plus a dash of Agatha Christie and a pinch of “Mrs. Colombo” for good measure. With all of those ingredients, how can it not be a tasty broth of mystery and murder? I applaud the storyteller for not relying on the crutches of profanity and graphic intimacy to tell her story. She has crafted an entertaining book and a good read.”
— Merle Temple, (Tupelo, MS) author and FBI agent
Killer Serve – A Tennis Team Mystery is a fictional cozy mystery published by Charthouse Press, 2017. ISBN: 9781545560808. Available on Amazon.com: http://bit.ly/KillerServe
GATOR BAIT – A Tennis Team Mystery
“Just when you think the suspense is over, it starts again. This story kept me turning pages well into the night.” – Evelyn Cullet, Author
“I couldn’t read it fast enough to see what happened.” – Valerie Witt, Reader
Synopsis of GATOR BAIT:
The Paradise Palms women’s tennis team jumps into action after they find the body of a flashy real estate developer floating in Gator Lake. Packi Walsh wheedles her way into the investigation by bribing a cranky deputy with homemade cookies. Her snooping uncovers real estate fraud, irate investors, an affair between a trophy wife and her tennis pro, and a connection between the friendly neighborhood pharmacist and the New Jersey mob. Now someone tries to silence Packi by making her gator bait.
Gator Bait-A Tennis Team Mystery is a fictional cozy mystery published by Chart House Press, 2015
ISBN-13 978-1511826198,
Wolf Pack-Mystery on Isle Royale
“Her fresh voice and captivating story will have you reading well into the night.” – Lydia Ponczak, author and TV personality.
“Descriptions so real I felt I was there. It held my interest from page one to the very end. A lot of twist and turns which made it very difficult to put the book down!” – A reader from Palos Hills, IL
Synopsis of Wolf Pack – Mystery on Isle Royale
Can a backpacking trip to an island famous for its wolves mend the relationship between Amy and her grown daughter? Will blackmail and betrayal bring them together––or bury them on Isle Royale?
Emboldened by her adventures in the Grand Canyon, Amy Warren again laces up her hiking boots. She ferries with her daughter, Meagan, to Isle Royal National Park. When volunteer ranger Sarah Rochon is accused by a co-worker of assault and theft, Amy is torn between spending precious time with Meagan and clearing her best friend’s name. When Amy rescues Remington, a pampered Havanese show dog, from the frigid waters of Lake Superior, he becomes her champion. Together they sniff out clues to the evil that threatens the natural tranquility of the magical island.
Wolf Pack-Mystery on Isle Royale is a fictional mystery adventure for women set in our least visited National Parks.
ISBN 978-1497443235, published by Chart House Press, 2014
RIM TO RIM – Death in the Grand Canyon
Empowering Women, Dispensing Adventure
Ladies take note: Jeanne Meeks has created a first novel that puts her up in the company of fine adventure/mystery writers, especially those for whom the novel seems intended – women standing on the brink of decision about taking control of their lives. – Grady Harp, LA reviewer
The reader is drawn in to her every emotion and will celebrate her triumph at the end. A truly glorious read…pick it up and you will not stop until its done. – a reader from Jacksonville, FL
Synopsis of RIM To RIM-Death in the Grand Canyon
When her husband serves her with divorce papers for her fiftieth birthday, Amy Warren plans to rebuild her self-esteem by backpacking across the Grand Canyon. She trains for a difficult hike: heat, rock slides, rattlesnakes; but when she finds a mangled body in a ravine and a series of suspicious events occur along the trail, the adventure takes a dangerous twist.
Amy’s new friendship with experienced backpacker, Sarah Rochon, encourages her to conquer the canyon’s natural dangers. Ranger Glen Hawk tries to safeguard the women from the unnatural dangers, but his protection and affection are rebuffed. Trapped on a narrow ledge, Amy discovers her inner strengths, faces her fears, and brings peace back to the Grand Canyon and into her life.
RIM TO RIM- Death in the Grand Canyon is women’s fiction with a twist of mystery. To find on Amazon, click here: http://amzn.to/1d66RR0 ISBN:9781492130246, Published by Chart House Press, 2013 Kindle version: http://amzn.com/B00EKOBR8Q
Eternally Yours, Robert
Rose Turner overhears her son-in-law threaten to put her in a nursing home and takes matters into her own hands.
Looking for the passion she had denied herself years ago, Rose runs away. She knows she’ll find Robert at the lovely old Empire Hotel in French Lick, Indiana. Under the scrutiny of the hotel staff, Rose awaits Robert’s arrival, lays out a red satin gown, and hopes she’ll recognize the man she left behind.
“An excellently written, fascinating story that you’ll want to read right to the end. -Lydia T. Ponczak, Author and TV Personality
“Eternally Yours, Robert was wonderful. Made me cry and that is a good thing to do sometimes.” – Patricia Walsh, Murietta, CA
Click here to find this story on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00DYLF4K8
Jeanne Meeks ~ Fiction Author 
