Ella Hall, a multifaceted entrepreneur in the realms of fashion design, acting, and modeling, is now adding the title of author to her impressive resume with the release of her memoir, "Text Me: Loving Your Enemy." Within its pages, Ella candidly shares her personal journey, offering a beacon of hope to countless Americans—women, men, and young adults alike—who grapple with the pervasive trends of passive-aggressiveness and toxicity in relationships.
Ella Hall has been published in an anthology book, The Sparkle in the Grit, and also When You Were Fifteen. She has worked with Write Around Portland (wrap) a non-profit organization.Writing has always been a passion for Ella and she is excited to continue to pursue this part of her life.
Continue reading for our exclusive interview.
Tell us a bit about your background.
I was born and raised in Portland Oregon. I lived five years of my childhood in Corpus Christi Texas. I am a sibling of five. The middle child. I have three sisters and one brother. My ethnic background consists of Creole, (French and African American) Caucasian, and African American. My mother was half French and half African American. I do not speak French, nor could my mother. My mother raised us all as a single parent in Portland Oregon. She passed away in September of this year. God rest her soul. I am happily married to Mr. Monasmith, who's an amazing artist, and soon to be starting his business in the tattoo industry. I have two children from previous endeavors, my daughter who is 25 years of age, a great singer/ songwriter, and my son who is 18 years of age, and a fabulous artist in the pottery field. I have three beautiful granddaughters who are 6, 4, and 5 months old, who have already made their name in the modeling industry. Before I began my career as a writer, I was a foster parent for 8 years back in the year 2000. Then I got into the nursing field, which I am still enjoying. In July of 2023 My husband, son and I moved to Las Vegas Nevada so I could pursue my career as a writer and finally have the opportunity to bring my thoughts to life.
What was your impetus for writing your memoir Text Me: Loving Your Enemy?
I had a lousy childhood and struggled with self-esteem as a teenager. I was quiet, shy, and timid. As I got older it didn't get better. I didn't have a voice and found myself stuck in a pattern of disbelief in who I was as a person. I birthed my daughter at 18 years of age, which is when I found myself in a very abusive situation. The cycle continued into my early 30s one day I just had had enough. I was finally able to see my worth and knew I deserved better and that the path I was on was not the one god intended for me. I was tired of wrong relationships, choosing the wrong man, tired of blaming myself for the situations I was in, and tired of wondering where I went wrong. My mind was stuck on what I was doing when in reality it was what others were doing to me. I needed to find the problem so I could come up with a resolution. I was now in fight or flight mode but from myself. That is when I took a break from dating and I decided to go back through old conversations on my phone from past individuals that encountered my life. I wanted to re-read what was written,I needed to find out how it turned from so-called love to physical violence or verbalized violence. How a relationship leads to deceitful behavior, infidelity, lies, controlling acts, and a narcissistic personality. Once I was able to do that, it only felt right to share my input with others who have experienced, or who are experiencing such a deep connection in similar situations.
How would you describe your book?
My book is very unique with many different perspectives on life, and relationships. No one has written a memoir in the style that I have written. My memoir is based on actual events that have been modified to an extent as well as dates, names, and times. The content of my memoir contains violence, sexual violence, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, suicide, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, crime, and physical, mental, and emotional abuse. It touches on real-life traumatic experiences.
Why was it important for you to write this book?
Writing this book changed my life. It's important to let go of your past and forgive those involved so you can start living for your future, and for yourself. To let go I needed to see, feel, and know exactly what it is I was letting go, which is what I did when I wrote this memoir. The importance of this book is to understand the lifestyle I have written, no one has to live. Everyone has a choice and a voice to be heard.
What do you hope readers take away from after reading it?
I want my readers to understand mental awareness, signs of abuse, and what a narcissistic person's behavior consists of. I want my readers to know they are not alone, and others have faced or are facing concerning lifestyle and relationships. If you are in a situation, or position that is life-threatening, controlling, or abusive, there will always be someone who will hear your cry for help. But please be safe while trying to reach out for help. don't ever put yourself in danger or harm's way, and if there are children involved be sure to keep them safe as well. Be brave, and courageous, but be smart about it. let your abuser face the repercussions, not you. you have received enough. This message is for everyone. To readers in all forms, and ages. You are not alone.
Who do you think this book will most appeal to?
This book will appeal to domestic violence survivors. It will appeal to society. To the dynamics of life. Change is powerful.
Do you have any other books or projects you would like to tell us about?
I am currently working on two projects as we speak. One is a sequence of books. I'm 12 chapters in and I think the young adult fiction, fantasy fiction, romantic thriller, and suspense genre would appreciate this novel once it's completed. The second project is another one of my unique style writing forms that to my knowledge no one has yet done. I don't want to reveal too much about it, but I feel this too will be Netflix-worthy.
For more information about Ella Hall please visit here website https://ella-hall.com/
