Local Cleveland Author Finds New Passion

by Alysha LaRae Ellis

My journey to becoming an author hasn’t been easy. It came out of a place of desperation and necessity, but that has been pretty much my whole life. Fighting for everything to survive. Generationally it was no different for my mother and her mother. Although writing has always come natural to me, I struggled academically as a child. I had a learning disability. A speech impediment that attempted to handicap me. It not only impacted my speaking ability, but also my reading and mostly my confidence in the classroom. It discouraged me from applying myself. Writing was my way to communicate! I remember as a young girl, I would journal and write short stories and poems. In the third grade, I won my first book competition at school. At times writing seemed like a way to escape while other times it was a way to express myself. To put words on paper that I struggled to share aloud, it was like releasing a bird from its cage. Things I saw and experienced ran marathons through the lines on the paper. Tears blended the ink as pain and hurt tried to hide out. Writing has always been freeing for me.

As I got older my speech improved, but my education didn’t as the struggle continued through high school. The chaos and inconsistency at home contributed to my poor performance at school. By the ninth grade, I had already gone to nearly ten different schools; different cities, new teachers, and fewer friends was the cycle on repeat. I couldn’t even tell you when the little bit of hope I had left about catching up with the other students faded away, but I knew it faded. So, when I had the opportunity to go to college to play softball I wasn’t as shocked as my teachers were when I didn’t meet the academic requirements. I didn’t know how to structure an essay, write a check, or even expand my vocabulary. I was lost in the classroom and I knew it. I managed to barely get by to attain my associates degree. It wasn’t until a year later when I realized I needed more education if I had any chance at a better quality of life. I soon enrolled to complete my BA at Cleveland State University. Through my campus job I met a woman that helped change my life. She showed me the value of knowledge. She created an environment for newness and self discovery. This is where I fell in love with education. I learned the power it has! I began gaining my hope back. With knowledge and my creative writing ability some would say I was destined for authorship.

I believe my journey to becoming an author started way before I was born. God knew that I would be the one to help tell our stories. Over time my confidence has been restored. My ability to speak, learn, and apply the information has advanced. And if I didn’t tell you most likely you wouldn’t know about my struggles. But I share my story because it’s important to know that if God did it for me God would do it for anyone. My first book COMPLETE is a small example of God’s love for all of us. See, I’ve always known I was a writer and that I would one day become a published author. There has been something down in the inside of me that never let that little girl’s dream die. Although my light has been dim at times it has never gone out. I never gave up! In 2020, I created a platform to share stories and uplift voices. I started with blogging, now I’ve helped share over one hundred stories. My journey to becoming an author has been one full of restoration, hope, and reassurance that no matter what, don’t give up! We all have dreams to live out. We all have a story to tell. We all have a purpose!

Alysha Ellis is the Founder & Creator of Mas LaRae. www.maslarae.com

Sharing the magic of reading by distributing free books to kids in Greater Cleveland

The Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank gives away 30,000 free books every month to kids in Greater Cleveland through a network of 1,500 community partner organizations. It is focused on increasing the number of diverse books it distributes so all kids can see themselves in the stories they read. You can support our Books Like Me Campaign to get diverse books to kids:

• Make a gift • Donate books • Volunteer “I believe that this organization is so important. Reading is fundamental, and I’m so excited that we can make a serious impact.”

Alexandria Johnson Boone

Chairwoman and Founder Women of Color Foundation