The Story Behind The Author
I am a young, married stay at home mom of three young children. I grew up in the city of Memphis, TN where I attended Cordova High School. Throughout my years in high school, Maya ran track and field and cross country. After graduating high school, I moved to Knoxville, TN where I obtained an Associate’s Degree in Chemistry from Pellissippi State Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
I have experienced depression for most of my life. I first experienced depression when I was ten years old. Growing up in a household where we did not regularly mention depression and did not always speak about mental health, I never felt inclined to speak about how I was feeling and what I was thinking.
I honestly did not know how to communicate and understand those complex thoughts and feelings I was experiencing. I lost my joy in doing the activities that I loved to do. I lacked confidence in myself whenever I would try to dig myself out of my depression. On a regular basis, I often felt trapped when trying to get back to my happier self. It was a very challenging time in my life where I did not trust anyone or feel comfortable around anyone. Things worsened leading to me contemplating ending my own life. It took me a decade to finally trust someone with my thoughts and feelings.
Over the years, I have enjoyed working with children, including working in daycares, being a camp counselor, and being a nanny. I want to be able to reach out to children about mental health and depression in a way that helps them feel comfortable about seeking help when they are not feeling their best. I hope to encourage all children to feel comfortable about communicating their feelings and thoughts. Writing and drawing have been two of my passions throughout my life. I have been drawing for years and have always dreamed of writing and illustrating children’s books.
After I graduated high school, I struggled to gain balance in my life, which in turn gave me a lack of confidence to continue drawing and writing. It wasn’t until after the birth of my twins that I started to gain back the confidence that I once lost. My husband and children inspired me to fulfill this longtime dream of becoming an author and illustrator.
Writing from inspiration of real experiences and being a mother, Maya writes works that are sure to be welcomed in any loving household.
Maya has the ability to draw and has drawn and digitized her entire book!
Maya is a mom of two kids, she has a lot of tips, tricks and ideas to share that can make your parenting life more fun and easier!