Aleese grew up straddling the Houston suburbs and a Texas hill country ranch, where she fell in love with writing and magic while scribbling about the mermaids who splashed in the Guadalupe.

After winning several national writing awards in her teens, Aleese was invited to a creative writing camp. There, a mentoring professor from Sarah Lawrence told her that rather than pursuing an MFA, she’d benefit most from “gaining experiences worth writing about.” So, at age eighteen, Aleese moved from Texas to Tokyo for her undergraduate degree. After a short stint modeling, interning at the Embassy of Afghanistan, and traveling to over twenty-five countries, she taught at the oldest girl’s school in Japan. From there she completed a Master’s degree in Education in Bristol, U.K., and at last returned stateside to teach middle and high school.

It was during this time that Aleese buckled down and returned to her writing craft with fervor. She became a member of two writing groups and was awarded spots at multiple literary conferences, workshops, and fellowships. Aleese enjoys opportunities to engage with the writing community, both through teaching and by hosting low-cost retreats for writers.

She lives with her partner, two cats, and son in Brookline, MA.