Classrooms & families
My experience includes work as a school social worker, teacher, social worker, and counselor. These roles have strengthened my commitment to listening, encouraging, and helping people recognize their potential.
Meet the author
A life of service.
A heart for stories.
I’m Ezra T. Maize, author, publisher, pastor, and an advocate for children and families.
My journey has taken me through classrooms, counseling, ministry, and civic leadership. The thread connecting it all is a belief that people’s lives and stories deserve to be heard.
Explore my books ↗
AUTHOR & PUBLISHEREDUCATOR & COUNSELORPASTOR & COMMUNITY ADVOCATE
The story behind the stories
It began with the
people I love.
When I created Niko and Nalaya: Big Ideas Start Here, my grandchildren became the central characters in a children’s story about imagination, teamwork, and perseverance.
They build a “Joy Machine” to brighten someone’s day, learning to work together and keep trying when things go wrong. I wanted them, and every child who reads it, to know their ideas matter.
That experience shaped what I now offer other families: personalized children’s books that celebrate a child, grandchild, or baby on the way.
My grandchildren. Their adventure. A story to treasure.
Experience with purpose
Many roles.
One commitment to people.
Community & leadership
I served as an NAACP president and made history as the first African American to win a mayoral primary election in Knoxville, Tennessee. Civic involvement has given me opportunities to advocate for people and bring community concerns into the conversation.
Ministry & service
As pastor of Broadway Temple AME Zion Church in Louisville, I serve children, families, and the wider community. Encouragement and connection remain central to my work.
Why I do this
Memories worth keeping.
Stories worth sharing.
“My goal is to create memories families can hold onto.”
I want children to experience the excitement of seeing themselves in a book, meeting an author, and taking home a signed story. I want parents and grandparents to have something meaningful to share with the next generation.
From personalized family books to classroom readings and signings, the purpose is the same: celebrate the people in the story and make the experience matter.
The books that brought me here
Three books. One purpose.
A Woman’s Game
Love, Choices, and Checkmates
Bright Futures
A coloring book celebrating Black children.
Niko and Nalaya
Big Ideas Start Here
Let’s create the next chapter
Make a memory
with me.
A family keepsake. A classroom reading. A partnership that puts books into children’s hands.