Denise LaJuan Peters

Denise LaJuan Peters landscapes tales where history and fantasy collide. This creates a world where the overlooked find their voice and the outcast discover belonging. Dragonshifters steal their way into her writing. But Denise’s favorite novels are Ivanhoe and Jane Eyre. Her deep appreciation for these classics keeps her work grounded in the human experience rather than genre conventions. 

She approaches her writing with both romance—the term’s original definition—and concern for others. But her faith and realism give her a knack for catching people off guard. Unexpected comments—a quality that translates to prose sown with surprising turns and refreshing perspectives—give an added touch.

Her stories resonate with those who have felt the sting of exclusion. Or even the weight of societal labels, particularly those based on things that cannot change. As a result, her writing serves dual purposes. For one, it cultivates her God-given urge to serve those the world ignorantly calls unlovely. For another, it supplements her income (the dream!).

Although born and raised in northern Virginia, Denise spent her childhood in the suburbs. It boasted a rural clime then. Biking to Mr. Russell’s farm. Exploring the adventure-filled woods nearby. Traipsing through Michael’s Creek to catch minnows. All were experiences that would later color the rich landscapes in her historical fantasy novellas.

Her subsequent academic journey is as diversified as her characters. Denise holds an international business degree with an emphasis in economics as well as a master’s in theology. Both provide a precision she can bring to her storytelling.

Her professional path has taken unexpected turns as well. She assisted analysts with research. But she pivoted to teach various classes: Bible, mathematics, and Spanish grammar. And even directing handbells. It’s a dizzying crop rotation that, through God’s guidance, equips her for writing richly textured stories.

Denise’s journey as an author began in her classrooms. She started with creative additions to make tests more engaging for her students. But that evolved into a calling she couldn’t ignore. When she questioned the purpose behind her disconnected background and ever-changing subjects to teach, she received a divine answer. Stories that needed telling by someone with her unique perspective and experiences.

But her path to publication saw heartbreak in 2019. She shared her first novel-length manuscript with a close friend. And she received, not encouragement but condemnation. The friendship dissolved. And despite her attempts to reconnect, only silence met her entreaties. Yet this rejection strengthened her resolve to be herself. She embraces both her faith and her commitment to crafting stories that challenge assumptions.

Just before her mother’s death, Denise settled in the quiet Virginia piedmont where she now lives. From this tranquil setting, despite the house-invading ants and blood-sucking arachnids, she crafts narratives that are at once historically fertile and fantastically heartfelt.

Through her dragonshifter fantasies, Denise LaJuan Peters invites you to journey alongside her characters. Peolple who, like you, search for belonging in a world that too quickly defines us. Or it chokes us out with its own twisted narratives.