Rooted & Rising Stories is a dedicated space for children's literary storytelling that celebrates the joy, wonder, identity, and imagination of childhood. Created for all children, with a special emphasis on stories that center and affirm Black children, it brings together books that explore family, culture, history, self-esteem, and the everyday experiences that help children understand themselves and the world around them.
Leave A Mark Press, LLC was built on a simple belief: STORIES MATTER.
Every story carries the power to affirm identity, preserve history, spark conversation, and leave something meaningful behind.
Founded by Dr. Michelle D. Dartis, Leave A Mark Press LLC is an independent publishing and creative storytelling company rooted in books, history, education, and community. From children's literature and adult fiction to public history and educational programming, our work centers stories that deserve to be told, remembered, and shared.
A Note About My Author Name
Readers may notice that my books have appeared under different versions of my name over the years. My earlier work, including Trinity’s Earthly Arrival From Heaven, was published under Michelle D. Dartis before I earned my Ph.D. As my children’s book catalog grew, I began writing as Dr. M. Denise Dartis, using my middle name to help distinguish my children’s literature from my adult work. Following guidance from an experienced publishing professional, I later adopted M. Denise Dartis, Ph.D. as my children’s-book byline.
Although the name on the cover has evolved, the storyteller behind the books has remained the same. Today, I use M. Denise Dartis, Ph.D. for my children’s literature, while Dr. Michelle D. Dartis represents my broader professional work as an author, publisher, speaker, researcher, and public historian.
Leave A Mark. Change A Life.
About
Rooted & Rising Stories is the home of children’s literary storytelling at Leave A Mark Press LLC
SPEAKING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Stories are meant to be shared.
Dr. Michelle D. Dartis brings history, storytelling, literature, and lived experience into conversation through engaging presentations, workshops, author talks, and community programs. Her work invites audiences to explore the stories we inherit, the histories we recover, and the connections that shape who we are.
PUBLIC HISTORY & CULTURAL MEMORY
Presentations and programs exploring recovered history, historical erasure, Black history, cultural memory, community, place, and the stories that deserve to remain part of the public record.
AUTHOR TALKS & LITERARY PROGRAMS
Engaging conversations centered on books, storytelling, the creative process, family stories, identity, intergenerational connections, and the power of seeing ourselves reflected in literature.
SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES & COMMUNITY EVENTS
Interactive programs designed for schools, libraries, universities, community organizations, and public events, with experiences tailored to the audience, setting, and purpose of each gathering.
A Press Takes Root
2025–2026
As Dr. Dartis’s storytelling continued to evolve, it moved beyond the pages of her books. Her work expanded into public history, educational programming, speaking, and community-centered storytelling—creating new ways to recover history, share knowledge, and connect people through stories. In July 2026, that growing body of work formally became Leave A Mark Press, LLC: an independent press built to bring publishing, history, education, and creative storytelling together under one vision. What began with a single story more than 25 years earlier had become a press with a purpose: Leave A Mark. Change A Life.
The Stories Expanded
The birth of Dr. Dartis’s granddaughter, Trinity, opened a new chapter in her storytelling. Inspired by the experience of becoming a grandmother and by the stories, questions, and moments that grew out of Trinity’s early life, Dr. Dartis began writing for children. In 2023, Trinity’s Earthly Arrival From Heaven became the first published expression of that shift. From there, her children’s books expanded into stories about family, identity, culture, imagination, self-worth, and the everyday experiences that shape how children see themselves and the world around them. What began with one adult novel was becoming a much broader body of work with purpose.
2023–2025
The Story That Started It
This Ain’t That: An Erotic Novel was published in September 2021, but its story had been more than 25 years in the making. What began decades earlier as an idea, characters, and a story waiting to be fully realized finally became a published novel—and the beginning of a creative journey that would grow far beyond a single book. That long-awaited publication planted the seed for a larger vision: creating space for stories that entertain, affirm, preserve, provoke thought, and leave a mark.
September 2021
From a Story to a Press
My Story
Beyond the Books
Stories in the Community
Public History
Herbert G. Hawkins / Encyclopedia of Indianapolis / Indianapolis Recorder and the recovery of Black Indianapolis history.
Libraries & Literacy
Books Beyond Borders — highlighting LAMP books reaching readers and organizations through donations to libraries, literacy programs, community organizations, and other entities both within Indianapolis and beyond Indiana.
Speaking & Education
Butler University, Spirit & Place, school programming, workshops, presentations.
Community & Creative Partnerships
collaborations and relationships that extend LAMP's storytelling mission into the community.
My Motto
Leave A Mark. Change A Life.
