“Influential Women to Watch in 2026”-Maureen Anne Meehan’s Shares Powerful Memoir “60 Dates in Six Months with a Broken Neck” Film to Be Released
Maureen Anne Meehan, a multi-talented individual with a fascinating journey to share. From earning degrees in education to pursuing a career in law and eventually becoming a judge, Maureen’s life took a dramatic turn when a tragic event inspired her to create a world of legal thrillers in the Mary MacIntosh series. Hailing from the charming town of Sheridan, Wyoming, Maureen’s 19 legal thrillers are set against the backdrop of this picturesque state.
Living in Southern California with her rescue kittens and occasionally visited by her four adult children and one grandchild, Maureen’s literary works have garnered recognition and laurels, with one of her books featured in the prestigious New York Times Magazine and honored with the Eric Hoffer Award in Literature. 60 Dates in Six Months (with a Broken Neck) was adapted to script and is now in postproduction with awards including Cannes, Santa Barbara International Screenplay Award winner, and many others. This nonfiction memoir has two sequels. Her latest project is Single Mom, No Manual Included and is a satire about the trials and tribulations of raising children.
Maureen was at The DPA Golden Gift Suite during the week of the Golden Globes. It was also on the one-year anniversary of the tragedy of the LA fires: Maureen shared her novel, 60 dates in six months and also signed her new book, “Inferno on the coast”. She wrote the book in honor of the fires’ victims, (and 100% of the profits of this book are donated to charitable organizations).
Share your fascinating journey.
I was born and raised in Sheridan, Wyoming, and have the beautiful Bighorn Mountains as a character in my life and my novels. I was educated at Santa Clara University, the University of Wyoming, San Diego State University, and McGeorge School of Law. My legal secretary was murdered in Orange County in 1996, and it was at this moment that I started writing the Mary MacIntosh legal thriller series to keep my strong, female protagonist alive.
Your life took a dramatic turn with a tragic event. How was this a catalyst for your popular legal thrillers?
My protagonist, Mary MacIntosh, is my legal assistant, Lisa, and I have kept her alive in my heart and through my stories.
What do you love the most about Wyoming?
Wyoming is a character in my novels in the Mary MacIntosh series. It is a beautiful state with wonderful people, and the backdrop is gorgeous and wholesome.
Tell us about your recent novel, “60 Dates in Six Months with a Broken Neck.”
My husband and soulmate passed away 11 years ago from a rare cancer, leaving me with four teenagers to raise. I started dating in 2024 and it was awful. I wrote about it therapeutically, and it is a nonfiction satire about modern dating.
60 Dates in Six Months (with a Broken Neck) is a nonfiction book surrounding a personal experience attempting to date at age 58. It didn’t start out as a goal to write a book in a new genre, but it’s a numbers game requiring note-taking to keep it straight. Upon review over dinner with a girlfriend, it dawned on me that this was funny. In the middle of this journey, I fell and broke my neck, and it was serious. Decisions had to be made. I decided to keep dating by writing about it. And so, it goes. “60 Dates in Six Months (with a Broken Neck)” is a nonfiction satire and hysterically funny but honest.
How is your novel about resilience, risk-taking, and personal transformation?
My novel is about resilience to the extent that I put myself back out there after losing my soulmate, which required risk-taking and personal transformation regarding the belief of hope and the value of trying to find love.
Why is “60 Dates in Six Months with a Broken Neck” perfect for film?
It is about hope, love, resilience, respect, and humor in a romcom romantic dramedy setting.solace: “It will be organic and random and amazing. I’ve stopped looking. It will happen when it happens.”
