My Story​

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Ever since writing my first song at age five, I have been compelled

to create something.

 

I had a wonderful yet fairly normal childhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma

with a loving family. Skip forward 16 years when I earned a combined degree in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education at the

University of Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner!)

 

Soon after graduation, I got married and had two precious daughters.

I was fortunate to teach public school music in Tulsa for ten years

and then in Broken Arrow for 13 years. During that time, I wrote

100+ children's songs, including Oklahoma's official State Children's Song. Figuring no big company would want to publish an Oklahoma song, I created Elemar Music Publishing.  Why Elemar? It's a mashup

of my daughters' names and mine (ELizabeth, EMily and MARtha.)

 

In addition to songs, I wrote and produced ten full musicals for my students, featuring original songs, scripts, and scores, all catered to

that current fifth-grade class. Each of the musicals has been

performed at schools, churches, and/or community theaters. 

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After a divorce, I added a second job to make ends meet. Once the girls graduated HS, I married Daniel Landes and moved to Brookings, South Dakota where I worked in Community Development through South Dakota Extension. While there, I enjoyed the laid-back midwestern lifestyle and met many new friends. Since I had no students to write songs for, I got into photography and started Landescapes Photography.

 

In 2011, Dan and I retired early and moved south. We bought a

house in the high desert of Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

In our new home with no full-time job, I continued photography

and began writing mystery novels.

 

"They say to Write What You Know" so that's what I've done.

My sweet, busy life as a single mom in Oklahoma gave me the idea to create the Pity Mystery series.

Our five-year stint in South Dakota inspired Framed Fur Murder.  

And my current life in New Mexico became the perfect setting for Upcycled to Death. 

 

Now, we continue to enjoy the fascinating culture, weather, and

natural beauty of the Land of Enchantment and the world around us. When we aren't traveling, I spend much of my time gardening,

playing pickleball, quilting, knitting, renting out our cabin in the

nearby Jemez Mountains, and playing with our two adopted dogs. 

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Happy Reading!

Martha

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