Joya Fields has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and it’s all her parents’ fault! They allowed only one T.V. in her childhood home and even that was rarely turned on. So, to entertain her sisters (and herself), Joya developed Story Hour. Her siblings’ wide-eyed, rapt attention fascinated Joya almost as much as the chorus of “Oh, no…don’t stop!” that followed when she whispered, “The End.” Their enthusiasm, she believes, is what encouraged her to continue making stuff up.

As she grew older, Joya put pencil to paper and wrote stories to give as gifts. Everyone thought she was so clever. She thought she was pretty smart, too, because her gifts didn’t dent her allowance.

It came as no surprise to anyone when Joya obtained a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland. Over the years, she has taught arts and crafts, worked in public relations, owned a daycare center, helped her children raise prize-winning 4-H animals, and even spent a year as a Baltimore Colts cheerleader.

Joya still enjoys turning stories into gifts. Most recently, she gathered memories from her husband’s 10 siblings and turned them into a memoir, presented to her in-laws at Christmas.

Yes, Joya continues to make up stories…but now, her work wins writing contests and inspires acceptance letters from editors. Over 80 of her stories and articles have been published in magazines and newspapers, and she’s putting the finishing touches on her third novel…a romantic suspense.

When she’s not busy writing articles, short stories, and novels, Joya loves spending time with her romantic hero/high school sweetheart/husband of twenty years and two very supportive teenaged children.