Awards

No brag too big, no award too small…

  • Dena's story, "Playing Dead" will appear in the 2012 release of Chicken Soup for the Soul: I Can't Believe My Cat Did That!
  • Featured speaker at Burlington Writers Club, the most active writers club in NC, Nov 2011 "BWC loved you. We were so inspired by what you said and the energy and passion with which you said it. Please let us know when you hold workshops; several members mentioned that they would be interested in attending." - Mardell Baker, BWC coordinator.
  • Foreign Rights for Who Moved My Mouse? A Self-Help Book for Cats, has been purchased by Exmo Publishing House, a Russian publisher, May 2011
  • Featured Speaker, BarkWorld 2nd Annual Social Media Conference, Atlanta, Nov, 2011.
  • Who Moved My Mouse? will go to second printing with Ten Speed Press, 2011.
  • An installment of Who Moved My Mouse? will appear in the national UK newspaper The Daily Express in October 2010.
  • Dena interviewed for Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author by Patricia Fry. Publication date is set for July 2011.
  • Two of Dena's humor stories, Morning Revelry and Feline Concerns, in final round to appear in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Cat's Life book, due out April 2011. 
  • Judge for CWA writing contest, August, 2010. 
  • Foreign rights for Who Moved My Mouse? have sold to UK, Brazil, German, Dutch, Taiwan, and mainland China, July 2010.
  • Presented "Get Published! Learn to Write For Magazines" at The Sanctuary in Greensboro, May 2010.
  • Foreign rights for Who Moved My Mouse? A Self-Help Book for Cats (Who Don't Need Any Help) sold to UK and Brazil, April, 2010.
  • Who Moved My Mouse? A Self-Help Book for Cats (Who Don't Need Any Help) will be released October 19, 2010 by Ten Speed Press.
  • Dena will be a featured speaker at the 2010 Cat Writer's of America conference.
  • Guest speaker at Write Motivation class, Greensboro, March, 2010.
  • Two of Dena's essays will appear in the July 2010 release of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners
  • Presented "Get Published! How to Write for Magazines" workshop, sponsored by Winston-Salem Writers Group, February 27, 2010.
  • Invited to be Slushfest judge for Winston-Salem Writers Group, December 2009.
  • Yoga Cat and Dibbs! selected for Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned From the Cat, September 2009. Dibbs! is the first story in the book. (Kinda cool...)
  • Honorable mention for fiction in Burlington Writer's Club 2009 contest.
  • Featured Speaker at CWA's 15th Annual Writers Conference Atlanta, Nov. 2008.
  • Interviewed on Talking Toastmasters podcast about Goal-Setting article that appeared in the Sept. 2008 issue of The Toastmaster.
  • September 2008: Interviewed on Pet Life Radio's PARANORMAL PETS on Ghost Cat In My House.
  • Sept 23, 2008 - Launch of new Monthly Radio Program on WLOE - "How'd You End Up Here?"
  • Sept 22, 2008 - Meet Your Local Authors night, Mayodan Public Library, 6:30 - 8 PM
  • HumorPower.com Quirky Writing Styles contest - Honorable Mention for two pieces, Dec. 2007.
  • Guest on Fox 8 Morning News to talk about Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul, Monday, 9 am, November 19, 2007.
  • Profile piece on "Under Dawg," News & Record, November 11, 2007.
  • Dena's story "Under Dawg" published in newly released (2007) Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul
  • Faculty Speaker at The North Carolina Writers' Network, Nov. 16th - 18th, 2007.
  • Keynote Speaker For "Women Connecting With Women" Symposium, Greensboro Public Library, Nov. 15th, 2007.
  • "Dibbs" and "The Great Cat Butt Wiping Adventure" accepted as finalists for publication in A Cup of Comfort For Cat Lovers, (Adams Media, Spring 2008).
  • New member of Blue Moon Advanced Toastmasters Club, level AC-B (Advanced Communicator, Bronze) and higher. August, 2007.
  • Awarded 3rd place in the I Love Cats! magazine essay contest, "How I'd Like To Work Like A Cat." Winning entries published in the July-August 2007 issue of I Love Cats.
  • Awarded Advanced Toastmaster (ATM) Bronze Designation, Toastmasters International, May 2007.
  • 1st Place win in Divison B Toastmaster's Table Topics Contest, April 14, 2007.
  • 1st Place win in Area #23 Toastmaster's Table Topics Contest, March 26, 2007.
  • 1st Place win in Toastmaster's Table Topics Contest, club level, March 7, 2007.
  • Awarded Competent Leader (CL) Designation, Toastmasters International, March 2007.
  • "Jingle Bell Horrors" selected as MUSE MEDALLION humor winner in the 2006 Cat Writers' Association Communications Contest - (highest award).
  • Community Accents Radio Show, "People of Passion," hosted by Dena the 4th Tuesday of every month, 8:30 - 9 AM; 1490 WLOE & 1420 WMYN.
  • "Feline Follies" humor column selected as Certificate of Excellence Winner in the 2006 Cat Writers' Association Communications Contest - Column Writing Division.
  • "Lessons In Stalking: Life With Cats" selected as Certificate of Excellence Winner in the 2006 Cat Writers' Association Communications Contest - Gift Book Division.
  • "Jingle Ball Horros" selected as Certificate of Excellence Winner in the 2006 Cat Writers' Association Communications Contest - Humor Division.
  • Awarded "Best Evaluator" for 2005-2006 year in Triad Toastmasters.
  • 3rd Place Win in Toastmasters District 37 Division B International Speech Contest - April 10, 2006.
  • 1st Place Win in Toastmasters Area 23 International Speech Contest - March 28, 2006.
  • Selected as 1 of 25 artists awarded a Wildacres Retreat Residency in 2006.
  • March 2006: Author Profile in Cats & Kittens magazine.
  • Quoted as Networking Expert, News & Record, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006.
  • January 2006: Dena featured in author profile in Fanc-E-Mews, newsletter of the Cat Fancier's Association.
  • Faculty Speaker at NSA (National Speakers Association) University, Tucson, AZ, Jan. 5th - 8th, 2006.
  • "Can You See Me" was selected by the publishers of Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul for national release as a "promo" piece for the book.
  • "Yoga Cat" and "Morning Revelry" both selected as Certificate of Excellence Winners in the 2005 Cat Writers 'Association Communications Contest - Humor Division.
  • Featured Speaker at the SCBWI North Carolina Fall Conference, Sept. 23-25, 2005
  • Runner-up in Sea Yu Enterprises "Stinkiest Pet in America" essay contest. (This is a proud, proud moment for me...)
    • Recently approached by overachievers anonymous. (They want me for their Queen.)
  • Judge for several categories for the Cat Writers' Association 2005 annual writing competition.
  • Featured speaker at the August ABWA Greensboro Sunshiners luncheon.
  • Participated in 6-Member Writing Panel on "How To Be Published" - GSO Public Library, July, 2005
  • Presented "How To Establish Yourself As A Public Speaker" at the NC Toastmasters Leadership Institute, Summer 2005.
  • 5th place win out of over 700 entrants in Twenty Twenty Publishing and WritingStuff.com's Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest.
  • Two of Dena's humor stories: "The Creature Under The Fridge" and "Can You See Me?" will appear in the October 2005, Chicken Soup For the Cat Lover's Soul book.
  • Dena's e-book, "The Beginner's Guide to Preserving" is reviewed in Canada's "There's No Place Like Home" magazine.
  • 3rd place win for "Terror In the Designer Racks", April 2005, Burlington North Carolina Writers Group Contest (Non-fiction)
  • Workshop Presenter at the 2004 Cat Writers' Association Annual Conference
  • The International Cat Writers' Association, Inc. 2003 Communications Contest Humor Division Award for "Lessons In Stalking"
  • The Writer Gazette "Fear of Writing" contest, May 2002. Short, short story, Don't Poach The Roach
  • Toastmasters International Evaluation Speech Contest District 37, 2nd place October 2001