Meet Leah Salyer, Author
Teacher. Writer. Dog lover. Small-town storyteller.
Leah Salyer is the founder of Higher Path Academy, an educator, and the author of Meat Cute, the first book in the Cedar Creek Romance series.
After years of encouraging students to read, write, create, and tell their own stories, Leah decided it was finally time to take some of her own advice—and Cedar Creek was born.
Welcome to Cedar Creek
Come for the romance. Stay for the town. And probably the dogs.
Cedar Creek is the kind of small Southern town where everybody knows everybody, neighbors become family, and two-legged and four-legged residents alike have a way of finding themselves right in the middle of everyone else’s business.
The Cedar Creek Romance series features sweet, clean romance; quirky small-town characters; plenty of humor; lovable animals; community and found family; and happily-ever-afters worth cheering for.
Each book tells a new love story while giving readers another glimpse into the people, pets, businesses, and everyday life of Cedar Creek.
Meat Cute
A Cedar Creek Romance
Sometimes finding your place means coming home to where you started.
Meat Cute welcomes readers to Cedar Creek through the story of Charlotte Green and Bauer Barnes, two people whose paths cross again amid family, community, unexpected change, and a certain tiny Chihuahua with a very big personality.
Set against the backdrop of A Cut Above, Cedar Creek’s hometown butcher shop, Meat Cute blends sweet romance, humor, family, friendship, and small-town charm into a feel-good story about love, legacy, and finding home.
And yes—there are dogs. Lots of dogs.
Perfect for readers who love:
- Clean, sweet romance
- Small-town settings
- Friends-to-more romance
- Quirky side characters
- Close-knit communities
- Christian fiction
- Family stories and traditions
- Adorable pets who occasionally steal the show
- Feel-good happily-ever-afters
More Than a Book—Welcome to the Community
One of the biggest themes in Meat Cute is community, so it only seemed right for Cedar Creek to grow into a community of its own.
Readers can join the Facebook group: Cedar Creek Cuties, a place to talk books, meet other readers, get behind-the-scenes peeks into Cedar Creek, participate in special activities and giveaways, and follow along as the series grows.
You can also join the Cedar Creek Cuties reading group on Fable to read and discuss Meat Cute together.
[ JOIN THE CEDAR CREEK CUTIES FACEBOOK GROUP ]
[ JOIN THE FABLE READING GROUP ]
From the Classroom to Cedar Creek
Writing Meat Cute is also an extension of something Leah has spent years telling students at Higher Path Academy: your ideas are worth pursuing.
Creativity doesn’t have an expiration date. You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing before you begin. And sometimes the project you’ve been thinking about for years starts with simply deciding to write the first page.
Higher Path Academy has always been a place where learning and creativity meet. Now Cedar Creek gets to be another little corner of that world.
Stay in Touch
Want to keep up with Leah’s writing, Cedar Creek news, future books, creative projects, and the occasional appearance from a four-legged editorial assistant?
FOLLOW LEAH & HPA — @higherpathacademy on Facebook and Instagram
Events
Come see me at Art in the Park at J. Travis Price Park in Springfield, TN on September 26th, 2026! 🙂
About the Author
Leah Salyer is an educator, writer, and founder of Higher Path Academy. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she’s usually reading, dreaming up another Cedar Creek resident, or being supervised by her Yorkie, Fred.
Meat Cute: A Cedar Creek Romance is the first book in the Cedar Creek Romance series.
Higher Path Academy 