Myra Hargrave McIlvain is a sixth generation Texan and a storyteller who began her career writing a family humor column while she raised her two children. After the nest emptied, her background in Texas history led to Austin where she wrote Texas historical markers that line the highways, designate historic homes, and chronicle the lives of cemetery residents.

 

McIlvain’s love of a good story prompted her to write six nonfiction books about famous and infamous Texas sites and characters. Her most recent, Texas Tales, Stories that Shaped a Landscape and a People, is a collection of 113 of her favorite Texas history blog posts.

 

After several years offering Texas seminars, Myra and her husband began taking her classes on one-day historic trips that led to a worldwide tour business. When she retired, McIlvain lectured for the continuing education program at the University of Texas and other venues across the state. She published her first historical fiction in 2012 and is currently working on her fifth, The Reluctant Bride.