Hi there,
Where do I start? I guess I start with hello. It’s been a while since one of these emails landed in your inbox. I wouldn’t blame you if you forgot about me, but I didn’t forget about you.
Many people have reached out to me on social media and in real life, asking about my writing. Many have been concerned because I’ve been relatively quiet for most of 2023.
Well, there’s a reason for that. Twenty-twenty-three was a shitshow, to put it bluntly. There were breakdowns in relationships, changing roles, and just a lot that zapped any creativity I could muster—and I’m good with that.
I had a lot of plans for 2023, but they were more of the same old, same old, and it’s time for a new era (cue your favorite Taylor Swift song here).
First, I want to reintroduce myself.
Most of you know me as Piper, but that’s not who I really am. It’s a pen name. My real name is Denise. Some people call me Dee. A select group calls me Dee Dee. And every once in a while, I’m called Nisey. Years ago, in 2013, when I started writing, I thought I needed a pen name to protect my privacy. But how private was I really being? My face is plastered everywhere my pen name goes.
It’s a memorable pen name, and the latter half has belonged to me since the day I was born. But over the last ten years, I’ve struggled with the double life the name has created for me. I felt like I wasn’t being my authentic self, and that blocked much of the success I knew I could have. So much so that I had plans to dump it this year and start over.
But then I thought: What if I just came clean? What if I just said what many people have suspected all along and told you it’s not real?
So that’s what I’m doing. I’m coming clean in 2024 and starting new. Piper is still a BIG part of me, and I will always answer to that name from now until forever, but to move forward I need to tell you who I really am.
As I move into this new era, with renewed focus, I have some exciting things planned.
First, I’m re-releasing my debut novel, The Waiting Room. It’s been re-edited, and parts have been rewritten. Everyone has always loved The Waiting Room’s story, but I haven’t always loved the title or the book cover. So, this first quarter of 2024, I will be re-releasing this novel with a new title, a new book cover, and a reader’s guide for book clubs. Follow me here, on my blog, or on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook to learn more about the process and to be a part of it. I will be asking for opinions!
Second, I will be revamping my website. It needs a refresh, so if you visit it, periodically, it might look a little messy. A year ago, I would’ve cared. Today, I don’t. Life is messy, and to get things the way you want them to be, sometimes you have to go through the messy middle. But my new website will reflect more of who I am as a writer.
Third, Lost Women, the book I’ve been teasing and promising to release for the last few years, will be available by the fourth quarter of 2024. Stay tuned for more info.
This new era is one of ease and fewer expectations. I put a lot of expectations on myself to meet my writing goals and please my readers. I hope you’ll come along for the ride and go with the flow with me cause I see good things in the future!
Thank you for sticking with me, and here’s to a new year with new possibilities.
Much love,
Piper (Denise)