Meet Joy Nord
After dyslexia turned Joy Nord into a non-reader, she did only required reading for forty-nine years. Then in 2001, after her father's death, Joy couldn't sleep. Her mother suggested she read as a sleep stimulant. So, from her mother's romance collection, Joy picked up Debbie Macomber's Promise Texas Series and it was "love at first read." Within eighteen months she completed more than one hundred novels.
In 2003, Joy decided that since she could read now, then maybe she could write. Therefore she joined the San Gabriel Writer's League, Austin Romance Writers, and Romance Writers of America. The following year she entered the Writer's League of Texas Novel Contest and won second place in the romance category.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she lived only two weeks, Joy spent her childhood moving regularly with her military family. Her most memorable stay was spent at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. There, at the age of ten and living on foreign soil, she discovered the honor in claiming her American birthright.
Upon entering the ninth grade, Joy's father was transferred to Laredo. And as the saying goes, "She wasn't born in Texas, but got here as soon as she could." Her country and western flare signifies her love for the Lone Star State. For thirty-four years Joy has lived on the eastern edge of the Texas Hill Country. Her favorite getaway destinations are
the Davis Mountains, Palo Duro Canyon, and Galveston.
The love of gardening prompted Joy's first career into the floral industry. In 1985, she became one of the first certified florists in Texas. Her certification in Floral Design and Floral Management led her to become a Texas Master Florist the following year.
Joy lives in Round Rock, Texas with her husband, Richard. They have three adult children and four grandchildren. A member of Georgetown Evangelical Free Church in Georgetown, Texas, she is co-chairwoman of the Circle of Friends Ministry. She belongs to the San Gabriel Writer's League, Romance Writers of America, Austin Romance Writers, Writer's league of Texas, American Christian Fiction Writers, Texas Mountain Trail Writers,
and North Texas State Representative for Byline Magazine.
Byline Magazine---Given $4,700 in prizes through their 50 contests each year, this magazine encourages writers with how-to and motivational art as well as publishing opportunities. As North Texas representative, Joy is available to bring free samples and explanations to your writers' workshops and conference. Email: Rnord@austin.rr.com; www.bylinemag.com
