We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Denise A. Agnew. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Denise A. below.

Denise A., looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

This is a really tough question for me! Primarily because I create novels and screenplays in a variety of genres. Within that love of writing different genres, I’m drawn to writing stories where the heroine and/or hero goes through significant physical and mental challenges to survive a natural or manmade disaster. Love From The Ashes (historical set during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire) was one of the biggest experiments because I’d never been in an earthquake. The research I did took months. I soaked my head in all the information I could find, including reading first-hand accounts of what it felt like to experience that quake and survive it. After the novel came out, people who’d been in quakes told me I’d described it perfectly. I was surprised I’d gotten it right. I take a lot of pride in researching to get the facts straight.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

From the time I was a little girl, I loved reading. My mother fostered this love in me. Plus, she never restricted what I wanted to read, so I outpaced many other kids because I could read way above my grade. I had extreme difficulty with math and number concepts and didn’t discover until several years ago that I have a learning disability called dyscalculia that makes math a huge challenge. When I was fourteen I discovered that I loved writing and have never stopped. Early on I realized I couldn’t just stick in one lane. I began writing romance (with the idea of getting published) in the early 90’s and spent too much time trying to stay within that genre and follow all the rules. I discovered I hated the rules part, and as a result I write in historical, romance, horror, sci-fi and non-fiction.
I’m the author of over 70 novels and several optioned and produced screenplays and TV pilots. A huge thrill came when my film Secrets Beneath The Floorboards (written with Marie D. Jones) premiered on Lifetime Movie Network October 2023. I’m also a Certified Creativity Coach and love to help anyone in the creative arts break their creativity blocks and find their way back to doing what they love in that world. As a medium I also work with those who wish to reach out to loved ones who have passed and also get some clarity in their own lives. I have worked as a forensic medium on a few cases that involved suicide and murder.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I’m so fortunate to not only be creative as an author/screenwriter but to do it full time and to write in all the genres I like. It’s a dream come true. After all, I was thinking about writing novels, screenplays and TV series when I was in grade school. Did I take a lot of detours to get there? Absolutely. I was a secretary and admissions advisor at two different universities for a total of 14 years before I could do this creative endeavor full time. I’m glad I finally realized I didn’t have to be forced into one box and could go for the dreams I had as a little kid.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

This isn’t a popular opinion, but I’ll give it. Most writers who make a career stick in one genre and never go out of it. Because in order to make money at this career you usually have to stick in that one genre. With that idea in mind I beat myself black and blue trying to do that. What I discovered is that I was desperately unhappy writing that way. Finally I just threw up my hands and said I want to write historical romance one time and if I want to write paranormal romance the next and it makes me happy and keeps my creative, I’ve just got to do it. If I tried to stick with one genre just to make a ton of bucks my creativity would tank. I’d just have to stop writing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deniseagnew.com
• Instagram: @CreativeMedium888
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denise.a.agnew
• Other: Representatives: Gandolfo Helin and Fountain Literary Management https://ghliterary.com/

  IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8818932/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Image Credits

Headshots by Hannah Whaley