Shelia Lorraine Nelson Sewell was born and raised in the city of Natchez, Mississippi. She became a lover of books and reading at an early age largely due to her mom, who could almost always be found reading something; Whether it was the Bible or the daily newspaper.

 

She graduated with honors from Natchez High School in 1994 and went on to pursue a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1998. It was as a teacher that Shelia truly recognized her gift as a writer. She began to write plays, skits, songs, raps, and chants to use with her students. After participating in a writer’s workshop, Shelia learned that she had a natural ability to express her thoughts and feelings with her words.