About the Author

Joyce Crawford

Author, Joyce Crawford grew up in the little southern town of Hawthorne, Florida, in the 1950’s. Mrs. Crawford considered it a blessing to have three generations of loving family living nearby. One of her happiest memories was living next door to her Great Uncle Delbert in a sweet little white house with green trim located just across the overpass. She shared, There I spent many happy hours singing, watching the sky, and talking to God’s creations. Mrs. Crawford’s personality is a combination of her faith and memories of watching cows, within arm’s length, grazing in orange groves just across the back fence; Uncle Delbert’s bird dog, Major, who took every opportunity to jump in the back of the pick-up-truck for a road trip; and mocking birds singing in ancient magnolia trees. The sweetest memory of all, was visits to grandma and grandpa’s house in the middle of a pecan grove. Ever since the first grade, Mrs. Crawford’s dream was to be a teacher. However, because of a reading disability and the fear of failure, Mrs. Crawford realized her dream by teaching children in Sunday School. Years later, when she agreed to author articles for her garden club newspaper, her writing blossomed. Her love of teaching children, and the new-found craft of writing, has helped her realize her dream in a way she never dreamed possible. After her retirement, Ms. Crawford, starting writing stories for children, and Thelma Thistle was born.

Books

The Warehouse

In 1872, three young Christian men leave their homes in each of new lives. Each one, John, Leo, and Jake are running from something. Together they cut out a rustic community from the uncharted territory of Florida. With only their strong faith in God, each other’s support, and a second-hand sawmill, these men built a community. How did they accomplish this monumental task? What hardships did they face? What did God have in store for these men? How would God’s plan affect a great-great-granddaughter more than a century later?

The Train: God Cares for His Children

A train’s whistle sounds in the distance. What do you remember? How does it make you feel? For Rachel Crews, a victim of domestic violence, the sound of the train’s whistle meant fear and pain. For Sam Burkett, a disfigured and disabled Army paratrooper, the sound of the whistle meant nothing at first, he was too numb from the effects of World War II. However, he soon learned to listen to the train’s whistle, the manifestation of God’s Voice. Even though Sam and Rachel never met, God knew them and how much they needed each other. Together, and with God’s help, these two people learned to heal, forget, and forgive.

The First Adventures of Thelma Thistle and Her Friends

In human terms, Thelma would be seven years old. In thistle terms, she is about four inches tall; an average size for a little thistle her age. She lives with her family and many, many friends and neighbors on the ditch bank of a quiet country road. In her journey of life, Thelma has many adventures and much to learn–just like you and me. In this first book, Thelma experiences love, joy, disappointment, anger, jealousy, envy, fear and sorrow. She learns that one does not need to be beautiful or dainty to be special. Thelma discovers she is special because she is strong and brave.

The Second Adventures of Thelma Thistle and Her Friends: Introducing Cory Crow and Adam Mouse

Thelma Thistle and her two best friends, Beetle and Bunny, meet two new friends, Cory Crow and Adam Mouse. Cory is smart. Thelma does not like him. She calls him a “know-it-all.” She does not like Cory because he really likes Bunny. Thelma is afraid of lightning and thunder. Cory tries to make her feel better. Later all of the friends play in the mud and rain. When it is time to go home, Bunny goes to her warm burrow and Beetle goes to his fallen log. They are safe and loved in their homes. Cory likes his new home on the ditch and his new friends. Adam Mouse joins the friends. He takes them on an adventure to a corn field for breakfast. Thelma promises herself that she will go on the next adventure.

The Third Adventures of Thelma Thistle and Her Friends: Introducing Rudy Raccoon, and Chippy Bat

Thelma has a very hard job to do. She must admit to Cory Crow that she was unkind to him and apologize. She is happy when Cory accepts her apology and says, “So now we are five. Five best friends.” Thelma and her friends, Beetle, Bunny, Cory Crow and Adam Mouse meet Rudy Raccoon. The meeting is not happy. Bunny is very upset. During the night, someone threw litter in front of her burrow. Adam said he saw who did it. He does not want to tattle on a friend. Finally, he tells Cory that it was Rudy. The friends go to talk to Rudy about the littering. Upon seeing Rudy Raccoon, Bunny assumes he is a thief because he wears a mask. After learning the truth, the friends admit they made a mistake. They learn, “We must not be quick to accuse someone just because of the way they look.” In a new adventure, the friends play together all night and see many treasures of nature. Thelma learned that her best treasures are her friends.

The Fourth Adventures of Thelma Thistle and Her Friends: The Birthday Book

The Fifth Adventures of Thelma Thistle and Her Friends - The Fall Book: The Fall Book

When Cory returns from his morning walk-about, he overhears an argument between Adam Mouse and Thelma. These two friends vehemently discuss that the days are getting shorter. Trying to defuse the situation and restore tranquility to the ditch, Cory sets out to demonstrate the rotation and tilt of the earth, using Thelma as the sun and Bunny as the earth. Bunny holds a stick close to her chest, the a stick representing the earth’s axis, and her nose representing where the friends live. With Rudy Raccoon holding Bunny, Cory asks Rudy to stop at winter, spring, summer, and fall. Then he asks Adam and Beetle where is Bunny’s nose? After the demonstration, Thelma had to admit that the days were getting shorter and apologized to Adam. In the next chapter, the friends scamper off to collect fall leaves, and learn why the leaves change colors.

Christmas With Thelma Thistle And Her Friends

Thelma and her friends, Bunny, Beetle, Cory Crow, Adam Mouse, and Rudy Raccoon meet a new friend. This adventure starts as a mystery and ends in a mystery. What a thrill to write the Christmas story for children from a unique perspective – an actual eyewitness to the nativity. How can that be possible, you say? Read Thelma’s book to see!

The Adventures of Thelma Thistle and Her Friends - Discovering Dying

While scanning Facebook, a request from a grandmother touched my heart. This grandmother asked if anyone knew of books for children about dying.
While there are many wonderful books on the subject, I grasped the opportunity for Thelma and her friends to help children learn about dying from a young person’s perspective. It is my great privilege to offer to you and your children Thelma and her friends learning about dying. May it touch your heart as it did mine. When little girls across the fence had her birthday party, she received a black puppy as a birthday present. Now, Thelma and her friends learn that Puppy died. Distraught and confused, Thelma asked Grandfather, “What is dying?” Grandfather’s wise answer comforts the friends and remove any fear they might have had about dying.

The Royal Order of the Last Coin (The Coin)

The Royal Order of the Last Coin is a work of fiction based on historical facts and the Burton family genealogy.
In 14th century England, on the day that William Wallace of Scotland was executed, King Edward I knighted one of his faithful warriors, Walter de Burton. At the same time, Sir de Burton’s son, Milton, was a squire to the king and later realized his dream of riding with his Father in formation. Christian faith and scripture passages intersperse this story, along with a warning from Sir de Burton to his son that the Church frowned upon anyone other than clergy reading the Holy Scriptures. The Royal Order of the Last Coin is a work of fiction based on historical facts and the Burton family genealogy. In 14th century England, on the day that William Wallace of Scotland was executed, King Edward I knighted one of his faithful warriors, Walter de Burton.
At the same time, Sir de Burton’s son, Milton, was a squire to the king and later realized his dream of riding with his Father in formation.
Christian faith and scripture passages intersperse this story, along with a warning from Sir de Burton to his son that the Church frowned upon anyone other than clergy reading the Holy Scriptures.

Jamestown: A New Life (The Coin)

A prisoner of his own mind, Richard de Burton’s family’s past haunts him. Having been unable to complete knights’ training and living up to his ancestor’s expectations and earning the title bestowed upon his ancestors since 1306, and losing the love of his life, Richard leaves his ancestral manor in Stafforshire, England in November of 1605 and sails to The New World in hopes for a new life, a life where he doesn’t feel the weight of his failures on his shoulder. After a harrowing journey across the sea, Jamestown isn’t quite what Richard expects, but it’s a new place to prove himself, find a new home, and hopefully someone to share his home with. But there’s only one woman who he wants to spend his life with, and she has been promised to someone else. Can anyone take his dear Elizabeth’s place? Finding friendship with the most unlikely people, Richard learns what it means to start fresh and show God’s love to everyone, even those deemed savages by everyone else. What awaits Richard in Jamestown? Will he find a new home with love and hope and prove that he’s more than a title?