L.A. Meyer, whose real name is Louis A. Meyer, is a well-known American author of young adult historical fiction. He is best known for his Bloody Jack Adventure series, which features the character Jacky Faber. Meyer was born in Johnston, Pennsylvania in 1942, but spent most of his life in Corea, Maine.
In addition to his writing, Meyer is also a painter and owned an art gallery called Clair de Loon with his wife in Bar Harbor. They sold framed and matted prints of his artwork at the gallery. Meyer married his college love interest, Annetje Lawrence, in 1966 and had two sons, Matthew and Nathaniel, who both became teachers and painters like their parents.
Meyer's love for writing young adult historical novels was supported by his wife who helped him with researching historical points for his novels. He attended high school in Pennsylvania and Florida, and completed his college studies in Florida. After joining the military, he served in the U.S Navy during the Vietnam War to avoid being in a foxhole. He became an officer in the navy and was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet in his first outing. His tour of duty mostly included ports of call in countries like Spain, Italy, France and Malta, and he did not see any combat during his tenure as an officer.
Meyer passed away on July 29, 2014 from refractory Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. His final Jacky Faber book, Wild Rover No More, was published posthumously in September that year. Apart from the Bloody Jack series, Meyer also wrote two children's picture books and worked as a designer and art teacher. He was also the curator and exhibitor at the Clair de Loon Gallery near his home in Corea, Maine.