Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Lee
Hi Denise, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began writing as a school assignment in high school. As we had a very small high school, we had the same English teacher each year, and she required journaling from all her students. She would take the journals every so often and read what we had written. My journal entries became a letter to her, detailing my days, my dreams, and my disappointments. She, in turn, wrote encouraging feedback in the margins. I began to make up stories to entertain her. A lot of this was set aside as I journeyed through college and my young adult life, but I occasionally returned to journaling as a way to help me through sticky periods in my life. My divorce, losing my father, and other stressful moments. In 2012, my Mother, who had lost her vision, moved in with us. At first, everything was fine, but over time, my brother and sister removed themselves from my life. I was met with a solid wall of silence. It took years to discover that my mother was a narcisist and only wanted attention focused on her, therefore she destroyed our family through spreading lies about the others, and without my father to glue us back together. It worked. I am the scapegoat. So, I turned once more to writing. I took a poorly written first attempt at a romance novel, stripped it for its characters and settings, and turned it into a murder mystery with paranormal superpowers. I felt at the time and still feel that it takes superhuman power to overcome the damage a narcissist can do in our lives. Through writing that first book, I have fallen in love. I love words, ideas, jokes, sarcasm, history, and culture. It is fantastic the places and people we can create with words.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It would not be worth doing if there were no struggles. In writing my second book, I have had the horrifying realization of how terribly written my first book is. One of the biggest challenges is in expectations. People with expectations that are out of control will not last long as an author. My first expectation was that everyone would love my book. It was a bitter pill to realize that not everyone likes everything. I experimented with well-known authors. There are many people who love the Fifty Shades of Gray series, widely acknowledged by critics to be not excellent prose, but I find it has beyond-expectation themes. I also found many people who did not like the Hunger Games, Harry Potter, or even the Lord of the Rings books. This told me that there are all kinds of people in the world and to stop trying to please everyone. It became a lot easier once I began to write just for me. My expectations are that I will stay true to my own voice and provide compelling characters with interesting plots and epic character arcs.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Professionally, I have followed a winding path. I studied Architecture at the University of Missouri before pivoting into hotel marketing and management. I later oversaw marketing for Super 8 motels and the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce. Since 2002, I have embraced the entrepreneurial life as a small business owner in various ventures. Each endeavor has expanded my cultural horizons. My husband and I have also hosted over 25 foreign exchange students. Learning about diverse cultures and faiths has become an obsession that infuses my writing. My circuitous career has led me back to my original love of creative expression through fiction.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Find your joy. Writing begins with passion, rooted in identifying the core essence that sets your soul alight—the stories, themes, or emotions that consume your imagination. This journey transcends mere writing; it’s about discovering your unique storytelling voice. When you connect deeply with your creative purpose, peripheral distractions naturally blur, and your writing becomes a deliberate act of intention, with each word carefully crafted to reflect your innermost vision.
For some writers, this passion might manifest as exploring family dynamics, uncovering supernatural elements within everyday experiences, creating characters who challenge conventional limitations, or using writing as a vehicle to support and inspire loved ones. The transformative power lies in radical focus—treating your writing as a sacred commitment that serves a deeper purpose.
By allowing personal experiences to infuse authenticity into your work and creating writing rituals that reconnect you to your core motivation, you transform writing from a mere task to a profound calling. Your unique perspective becomes your greatest literary asset—something to be embraced, nurtured, and celebrated. When you write from a place of genuine passion, each sentence becomes more than words on a page; it becomes a testament to your creative spirit, reflecting the depth of your commitment and the brilliance of your imagination.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dleeauthor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deeleeauthor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554972726937
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DLeeAuthor
