Writing
The creative bug bit Dena in second grade, while reading an original story (“The Boxing Taco”) aloud. The ham in her loved the applause and laughs she received, and the bookish side loved creating something from words that affected people in a positive way. When Dena was eleven, an uncle--who was the editor of a newspaper--showed her how to use a Writers’ Market, and she was hooked. As a teen, she submitted poems, stories, and articles to religious and secular publications, garnering hundreds of credits.
Dena’s writing has appeared in such magazines as Women’s World, NickJr. Family, and Writer’s Digest. She’s also done work-for-hire for Home Life magazine, the Family Foundations Bible (Tyndale House, 2006), Exclaim Entertainment (two preschool curriculum lessons featuring “Boz the Bear”) and others.
In addition, her essays have been published in over a dozen anthologies like Heavenly Humor for the Woman’s Heart, (Barbour), When God Steps In (Standard), Simple Pleasures of Friendship (Conari), The Heart of a Mother (Bethany House), Humor for the Teacher’s Heart (Howard) and Divine Stories of the Yahweh Sisterhood (Legacy).
Dena’s solo book credits include Mothers of the Bible (Barbour, 2009) and Grace for the Race: Meditations for Busy Moms (Barbour. 2004), and she co-authored The Groovy Chicks’ Road Trip to Peace (Cook/Life Journey, 2005) and The Groovy Chicks’ Road Trip to Love (Cook/Life Journey, 2006) with Laurie Barker Copeland.
Dena’s a member of AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association), The Writers’ View, CAN (Christian Authors Network), and Christian Humor Writers. She has a double BA in English/Professional Writing and Vocal Music from Baylor University and has studied theology and communications at Southwestern Seminary.
Click here to find out more about Dena's books.
