A Passion Becomes Real

When I was about nine or ten years old, a teacher in my little school in Dermott, Arkansas, suggested that I read a book written by Stephen W. Meader. I devoured it and went back to the school library for more. I found five or six and read them all.

Stephen Meader's books formed the basis of my early passion for literature that remains today. Through the years I have often thought of those books, but it was my grandson turning ten that prompted me to begin looking for Meader's books to share with him. I went to the Internet and discovered a huge cult following of Stephen Meader. I also discovered that a good copy would cost several hundred dollars and to acquire a copy in excellent condition could run as high as $l,000.

My search for Meader books brought me into contacts which eventually led to me meeting John Meader, the author's son. I spent the day with John and his wife, Joan, in their home in New Jersey learning some of Stephen's life and the influence his books had had on the lives of so many young people. I had seen through the Internet that, though his books had long been out-of-print, his books still had a strong following. An idea began to form that eventually led to discussions and negotiations with the Meader family to acquire the rights to the forty-four published Meader books and to the two unpublished manuscripts Meader left at his death in 1977.

Because of its rarity, I selected T-Model Tommy as the first book to publish. This was done by actually photographing each page to retain its authenticity. The reaction was immediate and overwhelming. E-mails and letters poured in requesting favorite books. Unfortunately, this method of reproduction was very expensive and required warehousing of thousands of copies. Technology came to the rescue in 2004 and we were able to add ten new titles to our collection before the end of the year. With pleasure I am happy to announce that we have added another thirty-three titles, and our library of Meader books now totals forty-four, all of the original titles that Meader published in his lifetime.

My entrepreneurial spirit was influenced by Meader's books and they influence me still.

I dedicated the first book, T-Model Tommy, to my grandson, who was the catalyst for it all. Now fans from years past can rekindle their warm memories of reading his books and share these inspiring and adventuresome tales with their grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Jerry Atchley
Southern Skies