Denise Turney is an American novelist and journalist who has more than thirty years of writing experience to her credit. Denise Turney is an internationally celebrated author who is listed in various entertainment and business directories, including industry leaders such as Who’s Who, 100 Most Admired African American Women and Crosswalk.
Background
Denise Turney was born on September 4, 1962 in Dayton, Ohio, United States, into the family of Richard E. Turney and Doris Jean Turney. It was through her father that Denise first learned to dream. As a young girl, Denise loved going to NHRA drag races with her father and siblings and watching her father win races while driving his white Austin Healy. Her mother, Doris, transitioned when Denise was a young girl.
Denise Turney is the third cousin of Norris Turney, a jazz musician who played lead saxophone in Duke Ellington's Orchestra. She is the great-granddaughter of Rueben Skinner, one of Ohio and Kentucky's early and top African American show horse trainers. Denise is the sister of Eric Turney, an actor and professional singer who makes his home Orlando, Florida.
Education
Denise attended South-Young High School where she graduated with honors. She received her higher academic training at the University of Tennessee where she majored in Psychology.
Denise is the editor of the internationally online periodical, The Book Lover's Haven. She is also the host of the radio program Off The Shelf which airs on Blakeradio.com. Denise is a featured monthly columnist for The Black Market, Daughters of Eve, Black Living, Moms of Color and My Sister My Self. Denise also serves as a book reviewer for Lansing, Michigan's largest African American newspaper, The New Citizens Press and Indigo Magazine.
Active in her community, Denise is a founding member of Bucks County Pennsylvania's first African American owned and operated drug and alcohol prevention program - No Longer Bound. Denise is a two-time Navy Achievement Medal winner, earning the prestigious awards in less than four years. She is Executive Secretary for The Suburban Baptist Association and a board member of Black Herstory, an organization with an international outreach based in Atlanta, Georgia. Last year, Black Herstory received a rare Presidential Commendation.
Denise has appeared on radio and television shows around the country. Her works have appeared in various national and international periodicals among which include: Obsidian II, Essence, Parade, The Pittsburgh Quarterly, The Bucks County Courier Times, The Trenton Times, Sisters In Style, Today's Black Woman and The Trenton State College Literary Review.
Denise has spoken at the prestigious Spelman College, facilitated the Women of Color: Financial Independence Conference at the Philadelphia Community College, The Aspiring Writer's Conference in Philadelphia, and served as a panelist for Take Our Daughters To Work Day at Merrill Lynch in Princeton, New Jersey.
As a journalist and editor, Denise has interviewed a number of distinguished artists, including Roland Martin, Omar Tyree, Francis Ray, Grammy-award nominee and nationally renowned Native American poet, essayist and speaker, Awiakta, presidential speech writer, Michael Johns, journalist - Diane Writer, Dan Poynter, Troy Johnson, and bestselling author Tracy Thompson. She is currently working on her seventh novel.
Achievements
Denise is listed in Who's Who, 100 Most Admired African American Women, and various writing directories. She is greatly famous as the author of the new and emotionally gripping story - "Love Pour Over Me", author of the motivational book "Long Walk Up",author of the the historic mystery, "Spiral", the author of the multicultural celebrity mystery, "Love Has Many Faces" and the author of the story of a successful defense attorney dealing with breast cancer - "Portia."
Quotations:
“I am a single mother of a son. I work full-time as an administrative assistant. I am the niece of Norris Turney, for years the leading saxophonist in Duke Ellington’s band. My writing career started when I was ten years old. My first work was a five-act play. After the play I started on my first novel — "Spiral." With college, work, and a ton of daydreaming, I didn’t finish the novel until I was eighteen. By that time I had typed more than four-hundred pages while leaning over a sky-blue manual typewriter. My goal is to entertain, teach, and encourage through the written word.”
Membership
She is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Her former memberships include: The National Women's Executive Association, Black Women Entrepreneurs, The Philadelphia Writer's Organization, The International Black Writer's Organization, and The International Women's Writing Guild.
Personality
An outdoors, nature and sports lover, Denise was one of Tennessee's top high school and one of the city of Knoxville's leading cross-country runners.
Interests
Writers
Nicole Titus, Joyce Carol Oates, Gloria Naylor, James Baldwin, J. California Cooper, Walter Mosley, and Jamaica Kincaid.
