MEDIA

Right click to download photos and book covers.

Social Media

• http://facebook.com/varina.denman
• http://twitter.com/varinadenman
• http://instagram.com/varina.denman.author
• http://pinterest.com/varinadenman
• website: https://varinadenman.com

Author Bio

Varina Denman enjoys writing fiction about women and the unique struggles they face. Her novels include the Mended Hearts trilogy: Jaded, Justified, and Jilted, as well as her latest release, Looking Glass Lies. She seems to have a knack for describing small town life, and her debut novel, Jaded, won the ACFW Genesis Contest, the BRMCWC Selah Award, and the INSPYs Bloggers’ Award for Excellence in Faith-Driven Literature.

Varina attended three universities over a span of five years, majoring in four subjects and earning zero degrees. However, she can now boast sixteen years as a home educator, volunteering in her local cooperative where she has taught numerous subjects including creative writing and literature. Varina lives in North Texas where she volunteers in local marriage and family ministry.

Looking Glass Lies Back Cover Copy

A poignant and relatable novel, Looking Glass Lies captures the war women wage against themselves, and the struggle to see beauty reflected in a mirror not distorted by society’s unrelenting expectations.

For most of her adult life, Cecily Ross has compared herself to other women—and come up short. After a painful divorce from her emotionally abusive husband, Cecily returns to her hometown of Canyon, Texas, looking to heal.

But coming home isn’t what she expects. In a town as small as Canyon, her pain is difficult to escape—especially with her model-perfect ex–sister-in-law working at the town’s popular coffee-shop hangout. With help from her father, a support group, and an old friend who guides her to see her own strengths, Cecily may have a shot at overcoming her insecurities and learning to love again.

The true test comes when tragedy strikes, opening Cecily’s eyes to the harmfulness of her distorted views on beauty—and giving her the perfect opportunity to find peace at last.

Book Reviews

Only three times in my life has a book left me speechless. Looking Glass Lies was the third. Varina puts into words the emotional roller coaster women go through because of shame, insecurities, and the words and actions of others. I did not realize the deeply hidden lies I had believed. I shattered my looking glass lies finally. Vanessa M, GoodReads Reviewer

Varina Denman’s Jaded, book one in her Mended Hearts series, showcases the talent of an author who is unafraid to inflict truth upon her characters as they journey from prejudice and naiveté toward acceptance and the rawness of knowledge gained through pain. Relevant and real, this emotive debut subtly strikes at the heart of what keeps so many people at arm’s length from God and provides a satisfying romance that keeps the pages turning toward its hoped-for happy ever after. Serena Chase, USA Today’s Happy Ever After Blog

Jaded isn’t just a great novel—a beautiful debut from Varina Denman—it’s a character study that’s sure to incite important and provoking conversation. It stands out for its willingness to talk about the untalked about and for its achingly real and raw story of brokenness where there should have been wholeness, hurt where there should have been healing, and judgment where there should have been grace. Josh Olds, Life is Story

In my years of reading, I seem to have acquired an innate sense about the quality of a book in the first chapter or two and it rarely steers me in the wrong direction. One chapter in, I sensed Justified was going to be a special read and by the turn of the final page my initial response to the prose and tenor of that first chapter proved true in every sense. Varina writes with authenticity, courage, and heart, making Justified a compelling read for its plot,  intriguing and flawed characters, the steady pacing which reflects the small town’s heartbeat, and the confronting look at the consequences of ill-timed and regretful choices. Readers of Julie Cantrell and Amy Sorrells will find much to love in Varina’s voice. Rel Mollet, RelzReviewz

Sample Chapters

• Looking Glass Lies
• Jaded
• Justified
• Jilted

Interview Questions

In Looking Glass Lies as well as the Mended Hearts series, you touch on subjects that are not often talked-about. How do you choose your topics, and what is your motivation? In all my books, my goal is to help women deal with issues in their lives, and generally the issues we women need the most help with are the ones we keep hidden, the secret ones that nobody likes to talk about. Those are the subjects I want to crack open, so that my readers and I can poke them with a stick, see what’s really happening in our lives … and heal a little.

All your books deal with female leads who are struggling with unique issues, but they seem to portrayed from the heart. How much of the plots come from your own life experience? Each book is different, but generally my books begin with a nugget of my own life story, or maybe just a feeling or an impression, and then I completely blow it up into an elaborate, exaggerated story. So I guess you could say, each plot line comes from my own life … but just barely.

Could your writing best be described as women’s fiction or romance? Why? It’s taken me a while to learn about myself as an author. At first, I thought I was a romance writer, but now I’m confident my books fit neatly into women’s fiction. All those issues I pile into the plots just don’t lend themselves to the romance genre, but I always add a touch of romance just for fun.

So far, all of your books are set in Texas. Do you have plans to pursue other settings in the future? Not yet, but I’m not limiting  myself either. As for now, my next book will be set in Texas, but after that, I’m not sure where my stories will take me.

What is your background, and how did you end up writing novels? When I was young, I never dreamed I’d be a writer when I grew up. In school, writing assignments were drudgery, but then again, most of my papers were research not creative writing. My lifelong goal was to marry an awesome guy, settle down, and have a bunch of kiddos. Once I did all that, I surprised myself by developing an increased interest in books which led to an interest in writing. Now I’m having the time of my life.