I’m Denise Pimentel, born and raised in that unforgettable New York State of Mind, specifically Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. I now live in the suburbs of New Jersey, but as the saying goes, you can take the girl out of New York, but you can’t take the New York out of the girl.

I’m a writer, educator, speaker, advocate, podcast host, and visual artist. I’m also a wife, mother, stroke survivor, and someone who’s learned that life can change in a blink of an eye, but God can still bring purpose from the pieces.

I’ve been writing since elementary school, probably before I even fully understood why words mattered so much to me. Writing has always been the place where I could think, process, feel, laugh, cry, heal, and somehow make sense of the world around me. My work is often described as witty, raw, honest, and full of heart. I like to tell the truth, but I also believe truth can be shared with hope.

My most personal work came through the eight-year journey of completing my memoir, Unshaken: A True Story of a Bleeding Mind, Broken Body, and Buried Grief. The book shares my lived experience with bipolar disorder, psychiatric hospitalizations, trauma, abuse, grief, motherhood, stroke recovery, and the faith that carried me through some of the hardest seasons of my life.

For a long time, I wrestled with whether I should share my story publicly. Mental illness still carries so much stigma, and I knew being honest would mean letting people see parts of my life that were painful, vulnerable, and not easy to explain. But eventually, I chose honesty over silence. I realized that if my story could help even one person feel less alone, then it was worth telling.

After years of fighting for stability, I’d finally reached a healthier place in my mental health when everything changed again. In December 2024, I suffered a life-altering stroke that forced me to step away from the classroom and spend almost a year in therapy recovering from physical and cognitive challenges. During that season, my cognitive therapist encouraged me to write daily as part of my healing. That practice led me back to Unshaken, a manuscript I’d started years earlier during a manic episode but later set aside while focusing on teaching, motherhood, and rebuilding my life.

Writing started as part of my recovery, but it became something much bigger. It became the place where I could process what happened, make meaning from the pain, and begin turning what nearly broke me into something that could help others.

Today, I use my voice to encourage people walking through mental illness, stroke recovery, grief, trauma, caregiving, faith struggles, or any season where life suddenly feels unfamiliar. I don’t share my story because I have all the answers. I share it because I know what it feels like to be in the valley, and I also know there’s still hope there.

My work has been recognized by the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma, which invited me to serve as a New Jersey author representative at its Mental Health Awareness Month event in May 2026. That moment meant so much to me because it affirmed the heart behind Unshaken, to help break stigma, open honest conversations, and remind people that mental illness can affect anyone.

My advocacy has also reached local law enforcement. After Dunellen Police Sergeant Brian Robbins contacted me to purchase a copy of Unshaken, I felt led to donate several copies to the department’s officers. My hope was to offer a personal glimpse into mental illness and help build compassion, awareness, and understanding for people experiencing mental health crises.

My story has also opened doors in the stroke survivor community. I’m scheduled to speak at RWJUH Somerset on October 1, 2026, where I’ll share my experience of surviving a life-altering stroke, rebuilding through recovery, and finding hope after life changed in an instant. I’ve also been welcomed back in May 2027 for Stroke Awareness Month, giving me another opportunity to encourage survivors, caregivers, and families walking their own recovery journeys.

One of the most meaningful parts of this work has been meeting people face-to-face. At the Somerville International Street Fair, I spent the day speaking with attendees, signing and selling books, sharing my story, answering questions, and connecting with individuals and families affected by mental health struggles. Many people purchased books for loved ones who were struggling, while others opened up about their own experiences and asked what helped me find stability and hope. That day reminded me that people are hungry for hope, honesty, and safe conversations without shame.

My story and work have been featured in Bridgewater Patch, The Breeze, and The Connection Magazine. I also have an upcoming MSN feature expected in July 2026 as part of an article titled “Top 5 Influential Women Shaping 2026.” I’ve also received letters of support and encouragement from local, state, and national officials, including the White House, as well as encouragement from Angel, formerly known as Angel Studios. Each new door reminds me that pain is never wasted when it’s placed in God’s hands.

Before stepping away from the classroom because of my stroke, teaching and motherhood filled much of my life. I hold a B.A. in Elementary Education and History, and an M.A. in Liberal Studies with a concentration in American Studies, both from Kean University. My graduate thesis focused on women who served in the Vietnam War, which still feels fitting to me because I’ve always cared about voices that were overlooked, misunderstood, or pushed to the side.

In addition to writing, I create visual art through painting, sketching, and pyrography. I’m deeply inspired by the Renaissance, a time when art, faith, philosophy, and creativity helped reshape the world. I love that. I love the idea that creativity can wake something up in people. Even when life shifts, purpose and creativity can still endure.

I also host Unshaken Voices, a podcast available on Podbean, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. It’s a space for people who’ve been through the storm and are still standing. The podcast is geared toward caregivers and fighters living through the realities of mental illness, recovery, grief, trauma, caregiving, and spiritual resilience. Through honest and hope-filled conversations, I explore what helped people keep going when life became hard.

At the heart of my message is the belief that professional support and one’s faith can both play a meaningful role in healing. I speak honestly about therapy, medication, medical care, and community support, while also sharing the role faith has played in my journey. I’m especially passionate about challenging the misconception that faith and treatment have to be separate. For me, both mattered.

Writing is how I process, reflect, teach, heal, and connect. Through my memoir, art, podcast, speaking, and advocacy, my hope is to remind others that even when life breaks, purpose can still rise from the pieces.

From broken to Unshaken.

Unshaken is available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats, with the audiobook narrated by me for readers who prefer or benefit from listening.

A cinematic book trailer has also been released on Youtube but also can be found on my website.

I sell themed merchandise designed to amplify the book’s broader message of hope, to my in person events.

Proceeds from Unshaken are shared with NAMI, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, and Overlook Medical Center, the hospital that carried me through almost two decades of treatment, because this work isn’t just personal. It’s mission-driven.

Community Involvement

Glorified Writing LLC is a proud member of the Somerset County Business Partnership, supporting connection, growth, and service within the local community.

 A teaser for my Cinematic Book trailer for Unshaken, which played in theaters. It will return to theaters at some point.