Tysha Michelle Hill-McDougald was raised on the gritty streets of Youngstown, Ohio. She was fortunate to be born into a loving family that believes it takes a village to raise a child. Tysha was raised by her grandparents but many family members had a hand in raising the spoiled little poor girl.

   Her love of reading began in the fourth grade when her first poem was published in the hometown newspaper. In high school, Tysha’s English teacher discovered her talent for writing and encouraged her to utilize her gift. Not willing to leave her grandparents, instead of going off to college after graduating high school, Tysha devoted her time to caring for her ailing grandfather and began working in the banking industry.

   After the death of her grandfather in 1991, Tysha was forced to find her independence without the help of the person she had always leaned on. Unbeknownst to her family, Tysha became intimate with the streets and the club scenes. By the time she was twenty-one; Tysha became a single mother and found herself unable to provide for her two boy with the monthly welfare check and food stamp allotment. In order to take care of them, Tysha began two hustles; braiding hair out of her apartment and playing a small role in the drug hustle. At age twenty-three, Tysha became gravely ill and almost lose her life. During her recovery, Tysha decided it was time she made better life choices.

In 1995, Tysha sold off many of her worldly possessions and moved to Columbus, Ohio where her mother, sister and brother resided. Within the first year of relocating to the capital city, Tysha got a job working in the banking industry, bought her first reliable car and secured a home for her small boys. In 1998, Tysha met the man who one year later became her husband. For the first time since the death of her grandfather, Tysha could finally say she was content with her life.

   Early in 2002 a mysterious illness began attacking Tysha’s body, forcing her to resign from her job with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. While the illness required numerous hospital stays and trips to various doctors, her faith in God and support from loved ones allowed Tysha to stay strong and positive. Later that same year, Tysha’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer survivor. That diagnosis would allow Tysha to discover her true purpose in life – writing.

   Tysha and her sister composed a letter to family and friends informing them of their mother’s battle with cancer and educating them on the importance of self-breast exams. A cousin read the letter and said to Tysha, “You should write a book.” Although her cousin, Malcolm, is a creative writing professor at Lorain Community College, Tysha didn’t take the comment seriously. A few weeks after their initial conversation, Tysha received a package containing samples of work by different African-American writers. Inside the envelope was a note from Malcolm. It simply read, “Remember that you are your grandfather’s child and you can do anything you put your mind to.” It was then that Tysha picked up a pen and notebook and began writing her first novel titled Poetic Life Lessons – A Novel.

   It took another two years before doctors were able to diagnose the ailment attacking Tysha’s body. Living with the daily pain and limitations of Fibromyalgia (a muscular-skeletal disease, which causes severe widespread pain) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a challenge that Tysha is faced with everyday. She refused to allow the pain to block her blessings or stop her dream of becoming a published author.

   Through a series of introductions and chance meetings, Tysha was able to find a place for herself in the literary world. Tysha recently landed a two book deal with Urban Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing.

   Her first published work, “BOSSY” is featured in the anthology Nikki Turner presents, Street Chronicles - Girls In Da Game, was released in June 2007. Her first novel, The Boss. . .a story of a female hustler, is slated for release in February 2008. A second short story titled, “Keepin’ It In The Family” will be featured in the Around The Way Girls 5 anthology in the Summer of 2008.

   In addition to Urban Literature, Tysha’s first Christian Fiction short story, Ghetto Luv, can be found in the anthology “Even Sinners Have Souls 2", coming December 2008 from End Of The Rainbow Projects.