About Me

 

EARLY LIFE

 

I was born Elma Mary Martens, and grew up near the village of Elbow, Saskatchewan. Prairie life and the traditions of my extended Mennonite family fired my imagination. I decided early that I wanted to be an author. One of the first stories I ever wrote was about Grandma fending off an aggressive rooster with her shoe.

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WRITING AND PUBLISHING

 

After teaching for several years, I moved into a publishing career in Toronto. There my dream of becoming a published author came true. I've written 77 books published in Canada and the United States. I've also edited hundreds of books for Canadian and American publishers. For titles, please see the links at the top of this page.

 

Among publishers I've written and/or edited for are Pearson, Prentice Hall, Grolier, Borealis, McClelland & Stewart, HarperCollins, Nimbus, Nelson, Gospel Folio, Hutterian Brethren Book Centre, and The Canadian Bible Society.

Besides authoring and editing books, I've written stories, articles, and reviews for periodicals including Canadian West, Alive Magazine (health and nutrition), Scarlet & Gold (RCMP annual), Faith Today, Mennonite Brethren Herald, Canadian Mennonite, Kamloops Momma, and Kamloops This Week.

PERSONAL
My roots are in Saskatchewan, but I've also lived in Montana and Nova Scotia. After many enjoyable years in Toronto, my husband and I relocated to Kamloops, British Columbia, in 2006. There I write, blog, and take walks on grassy hillsides that remind me of my prairie roots.

 

My interests include literature, history, family, community life, values, religion, cooking, and the outdoors. I've travelled widely, speak survival-mode German, and also read some German and  French. My e-mail address is elmams (at symbol) shaw.ca.

EDUCATION
Teacher's certificate, University of Saskatchewan. Diploma in religious education, Briercrest Bible College, Caronport, Saskatchewan. BA in English and psychology, Universities of Saskatchewan and Toronto.