Born in Dallas, Joyce’s dream of becoming a teacher changed forever during college when she met a pair of attorneys that offered her an opportunity to become a private investigator. For the next 37 years, Joyce investigated cases involving millionaires, movie stars, and mobsters. Along the way she met some serial killers. She’d work in 11 states before retiring to the Palm Springs area and began her writing career.

Armed with her PhD in marketing and an interest in writing, she met such notables as Ray Bradbury, Rod Thorp, James Frey, and Charles Schultz. Eventually, she completed the Harbor Pointe Mystery Series, a trilogy fictionalizing several of her own real-life cases. Joyce has written 10 books and ghost written many more. She also wrote her first play, "Valley Confidential" that was nominated in 12 categories for the 2005 Desert Stars awards. "Power Marketing Your Novel" won the IRWIN 2000 award. "Only Make Believe" (the life story of MGM sensation, Howard Keel) won the Hollywood Book Festival award in 2007.
In 2000, Congresswoman Mary Bono gave her a Woman of Distinction award. In 2003, the Desert Post Weekly named her one of the Top 25 Women in the Coachella Valley to Watch. Along with Emmy-award winner, David Holman, Joyce created Hollywood East Productions. They’ve written several screenplays that are in development.

A life-long Dallas Cowboy fan, she helped get former Cowboy #70 Rayfield Wright’s authorized biography "Wright Up Front" in print. Former Cowboy #80 Tony Hill’s family’s story was published in fall 2009—"From Selma to the Super Bowl." An updated edition of her Award-winning marketing book is now available in CD-ROM and entitled "Blitz Your Book into a Best Seller." In addition to touring and teaching creative writing around the U.S., Joyce has several feature films and TV shows in development.

Joyce belongs to Women in Film and the Dallas Producer’s Association.