Author's Bio

Wordsmithing—a wonderful and challenging pursuit.

Denise Doyen studied creative writing and design at Stanford University (BA) and directing at the American Film Institute (Masters). For many years she worked in the world of children's television where she directed the beloved Disney Channel series Welcome to Pooh Corner and Dumbos Circus as well as other productions for children including the video collection "The Mother Goose Treasury."

Leaving show biz to raise her two boys, she embraced Mom-dom while working part-time as a graphic designer. However, her first love was writing. So, when her oldest son set off for college, Denise set off on a new creative career; she studied writing for children at UCLA. She joined SCBWI (Society for Children's Writers & Illustrators), claimed a chair in Barbara Bottner's Master Class and was a founding member of GOYA critique group. (GOYA: an Urdu word meaning "the suspension of disbelief that occurs in good storytelling"; it's also a cheeky acronym for "Get Off Your Ass—and get writing!") She loves amusing words, especially clever or elegant portmanteaus, and working late, late at night.

Her first book, Once Upon a Twice, a rousing mousey nonsense adventure, debuted in 2009 to starred reviews. It was a Junior Library Guild selection and included in several 'best of' lists including Kirkus Reviews "Best Children's Books of 2009". The book was awarded the 2010 "EB White Read Aloud Honor," and Denise won the "2010 Ridgway Honor" for outstanding debut in the world of children's picture books.

Her second book, The Pomegranate Witch, is loosely based on a childhood experience that she shared around a critique table one evening after Halloween, while the rest of the group was making its way through Los Angeles traffic. When she finished telling the story, her writer friends said, "That's a book." And now, it is.

Ms. Doyen lives with her husband, Michael, an attorney, (their young adult sons have flown the nest) and a Bengal cat, Zeek, in Pacific Palisades, CA.