Denise C. Herndon Harvey’s goal is to help the innocent children within the broken family’s structure. Through her writing, she hopes to restore and implant the understanding and love of God in their young lives, so that they can experience what can happen when we allow God to work in our lives and live in our hearts.
The Pittsburgh native graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology – Christian Counseling, and Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology – Crisis Counseling, as well as a minor in Biblical Studies. She is now pursuing a Masters of Arts Degree in Human Service Counseling – Family Advocacy.
Denise and her husband, Junius, relocated to Hampton, Georgia after her husband retired from the Air Force. Though a graduate student at present, Denise is also currently employed by the federal government.
As an Air Force wife, grandmother, and new author, Denise says she enjoys “learning and reading, and more than anything, I love to write when I have time and the opportunity. I specifically like writing about the grace of God, and how having faith and hope in God can restore and reunite families.†Meet the author spotlight below.
Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Denise, Denise?
Denise: What makes Denise I would say, is my heart and my faith. I share my faith everyday with others. I like to encourage friends and family by texting out the Word of God and anything I find online that speaks to my heart. I hope that it will touch them as well, because you never know what someone else is going through, and all they may need is for someone to show that they care about them. I hope that they too then share what I send to them with others in their life, to pass that blessing along.
Fancy: I know you work for the federal government but do you counsel in some way?
Denise: I have worked for the government for over 30 years, first for the Department of Defense since my husband was in the Air Force and is now retired. I currently work for the Federal Aviation Administration. The position I have is far removed from my schooling and my heart’s desire for writing, speaking, and counseling.
At this time, I do not counsel in a professional arena. But I would like to do so one day, and even coach. I do pray for those that personally come to me for prayer, encouragement, and wisdom, but nothing professional.
Fancy: Can you tell us a little about your new book, “Growing Up Sassafras, Where Is My Daddy�
Denise: Sassafras, aka Sassay as her family calls her, is a bright and spunky little girl with a heart at big as the moon. She loves her family and is equally loved by them, yet someone is missing from her life that use to be there. Sassay has been missing her daddy more and more each day. What I desired to do was to use the grandmother to inspire faith, hope, and love into her family. She is one who loves her family and desires nothing but the best. She sees how her daughter, who is a wonderful mother to her granddaughter, is struggling emotionally, and her daughter’s anger and emotions are affecting Sassay. I wanted to show how the wisdom and love from the grandmother are helping her family heal through her faith and belief in God.
I often say this book is a different kind of family story, yet one that most families may never discuss in public, but so many experience in private. Often we read and hear the wonderful testimonies about the determination and the sacrifice of strong women, that alone has guided her family, kept them together, loved them, taught them, and helped them flourish into all they can be. Here, we have all of that and more! We have a grandmother speaking faith and the love of God, into the heart of her grandchild. So faith is now planted in her granddaughter’s heart and is growing into an even stronger belief as she begins to understand and discover who God is in her own young life.
“Growing up Sassafras†is about desiring the best for your child, for every child. It is about wanting our children to experience the love, care, and support of parents and their families. It is also about desiring hope and healing for every child! Sassay’s faith matters; it counts too! She can now see how to use the faith she has, and the hope in God, and can continue trusting and believing for what she desires to see happen for her family.
Fancy: What inspired it?
Denise: My family like so many, experienced a similar situation. As I watched the situation unfold, it became unbearable. I know my family members felt the hurt every day, and I prayed they would one day find peace, and the situation would change for the better. I could only imagine what it was like for the absent parent, but when I began to think about the children, what they are experiencing, and feeling; those thoughts broke my heart. Therefore, writing became a relief for me, and I wanted others to see and experience the same thing. I started dreaming of the story and how I would want to see it playout. I started practicing in my head what Sassay would say and the type of conversations that would take place with the adults in her life. No matter the situation, I wanted to see a resolution at the end. I desired to express love, hope, and healing, and even though it may not always happen for most families, it was going to happen in this book, and in every book that I will write from this point.
Fancy: Do you have a writing process? If so, we would love to know it.
Denise: I don’t really have a writing process, and because I’m still in graduate school, I fit in my writing when I can. I pray and ask God for wisdom and to say what He would want me to say and to share. I jot down things that come to mind, especially the names of children that I like, as well as situations that I can incorporate into my stories, as well as scripture.
Fancy: Did you grow up in a two-parent household?
Denise: I did grow up in a two-parent household, both my mother and father were present in our family. My mother just passed away last year but she knew of the book, I often shared with her what I was writing, and my father passed away back in 1999. Now, their family situation was not ideal, and in the future, I want to try to incorporate the life and family dynamics that they grew up with into a story. Specifically, my mother’s life, because she and her siblings were taken away from their father after their mother ran away and left her kids and husband on their own. She never saw her mother again, and my siblings and I never knew her either.
Fancy: The media often portrays black fathers as being absent but it’s been said some studies prove otherwise. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?
Denise: You are so very right! Unfortunately, it appears that is what we see all the time played out. Yet, there are so many good men that are responsible and taking care of their children. Some are not living with their families, but are still responsible, and doing what they can. This is not always depicted in the media.
I have been married for 35 years this month to not only a wonderful husband but a great father as well. One thing I discovered while writing, was that I was on the right track, because as I was writing, and as I would share, because I don’t share what I’m working on with everyone, but when I would speak up, what I would get hear back would be my husband, or brother, or whoever went through the same thing. I kept hearing it over and over again, it was amazing because unless you are close to the family, you would never know just how many families (children) are affected in this manner.
Fancy: What book(s) are you currently reading?
Denise: I’m always reading something, and right now as a graduate student, my head is in my school books every day. Most of my reading is within the counseling arena. Nonetheless, when I have time, I try to fit in other books outside of my required reading. I’m currently reading a book by Napoleon Hill, called “Think and Grow Richâ€. I’m also re-reading a book called, “Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needsâ€, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs; it’s one of my favorite books, and it was actually one of my Christian marriage counseling course books.
Fancy: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that you care to share?
Denise: At this time no events, but I have started writing my second book based on the first one. I want to have a complete series of books dealing with family dynamics and emotional struggles that children face. So I’m going to take the characters that I introduce and then use them as the main characters for the next book. My next book is little Jeremiah’s story and I have titled it, “Hurting Little Hearts – I miss you mommyâ€. Jeremiah is one of Sassay’s friends, and he too has a serious family situation taking place in his young life.
Thank you for allowing me to share with you about my book, I’m honored and feel so blessed to be asked.
Connect with Denise below.
Instagram: @ourfamilymatters_denise
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Sassafras-Where-Daddy/dp/1640881654
