"I am as careful of choosing books to read as I am of choosing my friends," says LaJoyce Martin. Writing is a calling, she contends, which one should take seriously since readers tend to read themselves into a book. She should know, for she started writing when but a child, the daughter of an old-time preacher man. She finished school in Cleburne, Texas, where she also married her childhood sweetheart, Rev. Elroy Martin. While in various pastorates--Pueblo, CO; Hobbs, NM; Temple, TX; and Morris, OK--and while evangelizing for nine years, LaJoyce began writing Sunday school literature for the United Pentecostal Church's take-home papers. She never dreamed there could possibly be enough words to fill a book. However, in 1985, LaJoyce attempted her first book, a compilation of other people's stories. Although now out of print, the book sold well and gave her the courage to try a book on her own. In 1986 she commenced the Bent-Winged Angel series, and since the first novel was well received, she continued writing about the Harris family. Set in her native area, Bosque County, the series sprang from locations she knew well. Those efforts launched a host of books, which now include non-fiction, western, historical, and humor titles. As well as being an international speaker specializing in seminars and women's retreats, LaJoyce is a pastor's wife, the mother of three children, and the grandmother of four. She has produced an average of two books per year since 1986, totaling more than thirty works. Her fiction works, set in pioneer genre, are wholesome and clean. Principles of honesty, integrity, moral purity, and a forgiving spirit are the foundation stones for her stories. Her non-fiction volumes include a humorous autobiography, spiritual growth books, and Bible character studies. Most of these works are laced with LaJoyce's own style of humor. "Good books--like good friends--refresh the spirit, improve the mind, and promote proper conduct," states LaJoyce. A visit with one of her books will convince you of this truth.
