Biography of
Author, Allysha L. Hamber
Allysha L. Hamber was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. Allysha is an established Author, whose inaugural book, has sold out on the East coast. Allysha’s self-published, seven novels are soaring to the top of the Urban Street charts. “Keep It on the Down Low, No One Has to Know,” “What’s Done in the Dark,” “The NorthSide Clique,” “Mimika Avenue,” “Unlovable & Unlovable 2,” the semi-biographical novels which tells the graphic details of abuse, molestation and teenage prostitution and the latest, “Vashon High, Playing Hardball.”
At the age of sixteen, Allysha found herself living on the streets of St. Louis and eventually forced into teenage prostitution. Yet, Allysha managed to still get an education in the St. Louis Public School System and obtain her GED from St. Louis Job Corps in 1995. Graduating on the Dean’s Honor Roll from Brown Mackie College in Salina, KS with an Associate’s Degree in Information Technology, Allysha thought she was finally past the negative era in her life. At the age of twenty-six, Allysha found herself in custody in the Federal Prison System. It was inside the solitude of the institution, that Allysha began sharing her past of emotional, physical and sexual abuse with the women of the institution. It was her fellow inmates that both encouraged and inspired Allysha to share her testimony with the world through writing.
Allysha began writing programs and plays of both raw and uncut abuse stories for her fellow inmates to perform. The reviews were so intense and demanding, in 2002, the Camp Administrator authorized Allysha and an inmate production crew to perform a play for the Warden, staff and their families and outside guests, the first in the facility’s history. In 2002, she began writing her first, now published novel, “Keep It On The Down Low.”
Vocalizing both raw and potent talent, Allysha has continued to use her real life struggles as the motivation to fuel her fire for success. Released from prison in 2004, Allysha released, “Keep It On the Down Low” and now has six self published novels. She is currently working in the administrative field and the CEO of BAMM Management (Books and Music Merging Together To Make A Difference, One Beat, One Novel At A Time), her own urban relations firm. Allysha has now stretch her God given talents to the genre of stage plays, with “Unlovable,” a play based off of the novel, “Unlovable,” which hit the stage in September 2010 and is cited for a four city tour. Allysha is in the process of also writing, producing her second stage play, “Only the Strong Survive,” a stage play based on her experiences behind prison walls..
Ms. Hamber is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri, St. Louis. Allysha has become a voice to abused women across the Metropolitan Area. She has appeared on St. Louis TV 10, featured in the St. Louis American, Foxy 95.5 FM spotlight along with several magazines and radio interviews. Allysha has begun a tour of several public speaking engagements at The St. Louis Public Library, St. Louis Job Corps, St. Louis Work House Detention Facility, St. Louis Public Schools and Drug Rehabilitation Centers.
With a continuous ear to the street and the vision to use the past as a roadway to the future, Allysha brings a voice to a multi-generational group of women that no longer can be ignored, turning helpless to hope, molestation to mercy, violation to vision, suffering to success and pain to promise.
Let’s begin with the basics in case someone doesn’t know who you are:
HHHMAG: What’s your name?
Allysha Hamber
HHHMAG: Where are you from & where do you currently live?
I am from St. Louis, Mo and I currently reside there
Now let’s get into why you chose to become an writer:
HHHMAG: What/who are your influences?
To be honest, my friends from prison was my influences. I used to write programs and plays for inmates to perform while I was incarcerated and they both inspired and pushed me to become a writer.
HHHMAG: What is your motivation?
My motivation is everyone who says “I can’t do it.” Everyone who has caused me any harm, any pain, took from me, physically abused me, sexually abused me, verbally abused or even emotionally abused me. Those who used by Satan to try to destroy what God had put inside me, they are my motivation because without them, I wouldn’t have had the life I had and I wouldn’t be who I am today. SO I keep going in order to let them, “You don’t win! I made it!”
HHHMAG: When did you know for a certainty that this is the career for you?
When I began to see the reaction from my fellow inmates. When they would read my story and it touched them, they related to it and embraced it. When they hugged me and said, you helped me, I knew this was what I was put here to do.
HHHMAG: A lot of authors today are clearly in this industry for the love of money, what makes you different from them?
First off, I self-publish, I don’t deal with publishing companies and the madness that goes on in the industry. I love what I do, so I do my own covers, my own designs..what I see for my books, I do. I don’t allow someone else to take my vision and make it mainstream. Now that may cost me sales because my covers aren’t as fancy and inviting as some but they are mine and I love the process from my work being just a thought in my mind, to the writing, to the graphics to the self and then into the hands of those who truly need it.
HHHMAG: What advice were you given when you chose to become an writer? From whom?
My friends encouraged me to share my story and my past with the world and I thank them for it every day.
HHHMAG: If there were 3 legends in the industry that you could have on speed dial whom would they be & why?
Well, I would have to say Patti Labelle, Ice Cube and Tyler Perry simply because Patti has withstood every changes of time in the music industry. She adapts to anything and remains on top. Ice Cube and Tyler Perry started from humble beginnings but both have soared beyond their own wildest dreams. They have never allowed anyone to stop their flow. That’s what its all about.
HHHMAG: Now I know that you have many other talents, please share with our readers the many gifts you are blessed with.
Hmm, funny you should ask that. I have been told since I was young by my grandma that I have been “Stuffed” with something special. I guess she was right. I love to knit, crochet, sew, dance, sing, build things with my hands, tinkle with technology. I face a challenge to see if I can do it and I must admit, God has blessed me with load of talents and I’m am so very, very thankful.
Projects past, present & future:
HHHMAG: What are you working you now?
Continuing to tour with “Unlovable , the stage play.” The message is so important that I must continue to strive to reach as many as possible.
HHHMAG: Where can your books be purchased?
www.amazon.com, www.barnes&noble.com, and bookstores everywhere.
We at HHH Magazine™ love to show the world that Hip-Hop is and can make a positive difference in our communities. Please share with us any community/charity projects that you have been involved with or are currently involved with.
I have a non-profit organization, “Visions of Cultural Change,” that I stay involved with my community through workshops, motivational speaking engagements and toiletry drives for the local schools. I teach theatre to the local high school students after school and try to incorporate them into all I do. It is them I am so desperately trying to reach.
Again we would like to thank you for your time, have a wonderful day!
My contact info is: www.facebook.com/allyshahamber
314-610-8653
List Of Credentials
2005-12 Released first novel, “Keep It On the Down Low.”
2006-01 Guest, “Let’s Talk Honestly” Radio Show
2006-04 Guest, “City Corner,” Television Show
City TV 10, St. Louis, MO
2006-05 Motivational Speaking Engagement/Book Signing,
Saint Louis Public Library
2006-09 Guest, Foxy 95.5 FM Radio Show
2007-02 Released second novel, “NorthSide.”
2007-09 Feature Article in “The Saint Louis American,”
Newspaper, 09/15/07 Edition
2007-10 Motivational Speaking Engagement/Book Signing
Saint Louis Public Library
2008-03 Released third novel, “What’s Done in the Dark,”
2008-04 Guest on Hot 104.1 FM Radio Show
2009-02 Released fourth novel, “Unlovable.”
2009-04 Guest Speaker, Beaumont High School
Saint Louis, MO
2009-05 Guest Speaker, Sumner High School
Saint Louis, MO
2009-09 Feature Article, “Big and Bold Magazine.”
09-2009 Edition
2009-10 Guest, “Craig Black Radio Talk Show.”
2010-02 Released fifth novel, “Mimika Avenue.”
2010-04 Guest Speaker, “Job Corps, Leadership Banquet.”
Saint Louis, MO
2010-04 Guest, Blog Talk Internet Radio Show
“Teenage Prostitution”
2010-05 Began Non-Profit Organization,
“Visions of Cultural Change”
2010-06 Guest Speaker, “Women’s Entrepreneurs of America”
Saint Louis, MO
2010-09 Produced/Directed/and Playwright of
“Unlovable,” The Stage Play @ Vashon High School
2010-11 Performed, “Unlovable” @ St. Louis Job Corps
2010-11 Feature Article, “The Scene,” Newspaper
St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, MO
2010-11 Performed, “Unlovable,” @ Sumner High School
2010-11 Began Toiletry for Teens Christmas Programs
2010-11 Released Sixth Novel, “Unlovable Part 2”
2010-12 Nominated for Author of the Year, Traffic Music Awards.
2010-12 Delivered 400+ Toiletry Gifts bags to the students of Vashon High School
