Martha Landes

Martha Kemm Landes graduated from the University of Oklahoma (Go Sooners!) with a degree in both Vocal and Instrumental Music Education. While teaching public school music in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, she put her creative juices to work by writing numerous musicals and hundreds of songs for her students. She is most known for writing the state children’s song of Oklahoma, "Oklahoma, My Native Land." She raised two wonderful daughters who are now following their own dreams. Upon remarrying, Martha relocated to South Dakota where she worked in community development through SDSU Extension.

Retiring early, Martha and her screenwriter husband moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico where they now live with their three adopted dogs. Besides her love of writing mystery novels, Martha travels, quilts, and volunteers by delivering Meals On Wheels. She also handles the short-term rentals of their log cabin in the nearby Jemez Mountains, but she manages to spend plenty of time herself at the cabin when needing time in the pines.

Martha loves to be outdoors and finds the weather perfect in New Mexico for hiking, gardening, and hosting weekly movies at their large backyard movie theater. She and her husband love movies so much they hold an annual Oscar Party, complete with their own “Not Quite the Oscars” spoofs of the nominated films.