Today we’d like to introduce you to LaToya Martin.
LaToya, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always enjoyed writing since I was a child. I vividly remember entering a writing contest in elementary school and the moment I found out during the morning announcements that I was the overall winner. It was an amazing feeling knowing that the judges saw something special in my work and it fueled the flame to continue to write. My love for writing increased as the years went by. I had notebooks and binders full of stories in middle and high school. I never really did anything with the stories once I finished writing them. It was just my outlet. However, one particular story that I started writing my sophomore or junior year kept drawing me back to it. After high school, I continued to develop the story but it wasn’t a priority because I was so consumed with college life and my studies. Life kept moving and I graduated, went to grad school, moved to Houston to start my teaching career and became a mother. Needless to say, the story was placed on the back burner even though I would pick it up every now and then. Eventually, I made the decision to give it the attention it deserved. Almost twenty years from its inception, Pain’s Purpose was finally published in 2017. This novel is one of my greatest accomplishments and a reminder for me to never give up on my dreams no matter how long it takes!
A couple of years later, I published a children’s book entitled, Tea Time With Jesus. It was inspired by my daughter pretending to have a Tea Party and Jesus was her guest. The memory of her sitting at the table with all of her tea cups set out imagining that Jesus was there conversing with her still brings a smile to my face. It was beautiful to witness a relationship with Jesus through the eyes of a child. I pray that children who read it will be encouraged to talk to God at any time, even while they play! I also published a coloring book version of Tea Time With Jesus as well.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve had several but the biggest struggle for me has been finding time. I’m a teacher and I’m raising my daughter alone so it can be challenging to squeeze in the time to write. When I actually force myself to sit down in front of the computer screen, writer’s block likes to rear its ugly head occasionally so I have to push through it and find the inspiration. Another struggle is dealing with rejection. Receiving rejection letters from publishers can wear down on your self-esteem and make you question your abilities. There are so many talented writers in the world vying to be published so rejection is inevitable but it still hurts. You have to make a conscious decision not to compare yourself to others and embrace your uniqueness while working to improve your techniques. It was also hard for me to find an illustrator for my children’s book. The first artist that I hired didn’t work out unfortunately but all things happen for a reason. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to collaborate with a childhood friend, Alex Alston. He is an amazing artist and he executed my vision beautifully.
Please tell us about your work.
I write inspirational fiction. I use my writing as a tool to spread the love of God in such a way that people, even those who aren’t believers, will enjoy it and not feel like I’m preaching at them. However, that doesn’t mean that I stray away from real life issues. The characters deal with domestic abuse, dysfunctional and strained familial relationships and tragedy but a message of hope is intertwined in each storyline.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To me, success is accomplishing whatever you set out to do. If you’ve met a personal goal, you’re successful. Most people look at status, profit, number of followers, etc. to determine how successful someone is but I believe the measurement of success comes from within. I’m not on the New York Best sellers list yet and I don’t know if that is God’s plan for me but I do know that I am a success. I pursued my dream, pushed through the obstacles and published my work. I will always be proud of that.
Pricing:
- Pain’s Purpose is available on Amazon for 16.95 (paperback) and 9.99 (kindle)
- Tea Time With Jesus is available on Amazon for 9.99 (paperback) and 5.99 (kindle)
- Tea Time With Jesus Coloring Book is available on Amazon for 7.99
Contact Info:
- Email: myhope42morrow@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlatoyamartin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaToyaMartinAuthor/
Image Credit:
Arlita Pouncy
Christina Rowland
Eleanor Weaver
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