Denene Millner (born October 21, 1968) is an American author, editor, television and podcast host, and journalist. She has authored more than 30 books, including six New York Times best sellers. She is the creator and director of Denene Millner Books, an imprint of

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...

, and MyBrownBaby.com, a critically acclaimed blog that examines the intersection of parenting and race.

Early life

Millner grew up in

Bay Shore, New York Bay Shore is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Islip, New York, United States. It is situated on the South Shore of Long Island, adjoining the Great South Bay. The population of the CDP was 29,244 at the time of the 2020 ...

and graduated with a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in communications from

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of Ne ...

Career

Millner was a reporter for the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

and a political and entertainment reporter for the ''

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...

''. She served as Executive Editor at ''Honey'' and Articles Editor at ''

Parenting Parenting or child rearing promotes and supports the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the intricacies of raising a child and not exclusively for a ...

'', where she later worked as a columnist. In March 2011, Millner was chosen by Black Voices website as one of 40 Influential Black Female Writers. and in 2017

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

named her a top influencer in the parenting sector. Millner has written and collaborated on over 30 books of fiction, non-fiction, and youth literature including co-authoring six ''New York Times'' best sellers: ''Act Like a Lady,'' ''Think Like A Man'' (in paperback and hardcover), ''Straight Talk, No Chaser'' (both with comedian

Steve Harvey Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. Also aired August 16, 2015. (born January 17, 1957) is an American television host, producer, actor, and comedian. He hosts ''The Steve Harvey Morning Show'', ''Family Feud'', '' Celebrity Family Feud,'' the Miss U ...

), ''I Am Charlie Wilson'' with R&B performer Charlie Wilson, ''Around the Way Girl'' with actress

Taraji P. Henson Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...

, and ''Believing in Magic'' with Cookie Johnson. Millner's other books include the young adult novel ''Miss You, Mina'', written for Scholastic; the humor book, ''The Angry Black Woman's Guide To Life'', and the novel ''The Vow,'' both written with Angela Burt-Murray and

Mitzi Miller Mitzi Miller is an American writer and magazine editor. She was editor-in-chief of ''Jet Magazine, Jet'' from 2011 to 2014, then of ''Ebony (magazine), Ebony'' from 2014 to 2015. She also co-authored the 2006 novel ''The Vow'', adapted by Nzingha ...

; and the three-book teen series ''Hotlanta'' written with Mitzi Miller. In 2015, ''The Vow'' was turned into a movie on the Lifetime network, called ''With This Ring,'' starring Jill Scott,

Regina Hall Regina Lee Hall (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Brenda Meeks in the comedy horror ''Scary Movie'' film series (2000–2006). She has since appeared in the television series '' Ally McBeal' ...

, and

Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...

. Millner co-wrote three novels and three books of non-fiction with her former husband

Nick Chiles Nick Chiles (born August 7, 1965) is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of 20 books. He writes primarily about African-American life and culture. Early life Chiles grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father is the la ...

, including ''Love Don't Live Here Anymore'' and ''What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know'', both ''Essence'' best sellers. In 2007, Millner wrote the novelization of the screenplay for ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others,Gro ...

'' and in 2012, the novelization for ''

Sparkle Sparkle may refer to: * Sparkle (catamaran), a catamaran designed by Angus Primrose * Sparkle (drink), a lemon-flavored soft drink * Sparkle, a brand of paper towels owned by Georgia-Pacific * Dick Tracy#Plenty family, Sparkle Plenty, a character ...

''. In 2019, Millner began hosting ''Speakeasy with Denene'', a

Georgia Public Broadcasting Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) is a state network of PBS member television stations and NPR member radio stations serving the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, an agency of the Geo ...

podcast that uses "art, culture, and entertainment to explore the beauty and humanity of blackness," and served as executive producer on the made-for-TV movie ''Angrily Ever After.'' Millner co-hosts the GPB television show ''A Seat at the Table,'' that focuses on issues affecting black women and has a forthcoming multigenerational epic novel, ''One Blood'', to be published by

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

Denene Millner Books

In 2016, Millner became an editor at

Bolden Books Agate Publishing is an independent small press book publisher based in Evanston, Illinois. The company, incorporated in 2002 with its first book published in 2003, was founded by current president Doug Seibold. At its inception, Agate was synonym ...

with her own imprint, Denene Millner Books. Three years later, Millner moved the imprint to

. The imprint publishes titles by African-American authors and illustrators, for readers of all ages. Millner describes her imprint as "a love letter to children of color who deserve to see their beauty and humanity in the most remarkable form of entertainment on the planet: books." In 2017, while still under Agate/Bolden, the imprint published the children's book '' Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut'', which received a

Newbery Honor Newbery is a surname. People *Chantelle Newbery (born 1977), Australian Olympic diver *David Newbery (born 1943), British economist *Eduardo Newbery (1878–1908), Argentine odontologist and aerostat pilot *Francis Newbery (disambiguation), seve ...

, an

Ezra Jack Keats Book Award The Ezra Jack Keats Book Award is an annual U.S. literary award. At the Ezra Jack Keats Book Awards Ceremony every April, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation presents the New Writer Award (since 1985) and New Illustrator Award (since 2001) to an au ...

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

, two

Coretta Scott King Award The Coretta Scott King Award is an annual award presented by the Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, part of the American Library Association (ALA). Named for Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., this award rec ...

s, and the

Kirkus Prize The Kirkus Prize is an American literary award conferred by the book review magazine ''Kirkus Reviews''. Established in 2014, the Kirkus Prize bestows annually. Three authors are awarded each, divided into three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, ...

for Best Children's Literature. Following the move to Simon and Schuster, the imprint published a number of acclaimed books including ''Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera,'' recipient of a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor Book award and ''Just Like A Mama'', nominated for an

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

Selected Titles

* '' Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut'' by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James (2017) * Early Sunday Morning by Denene Millner, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (2020) * ''If Dominican Were a Color'' by Sili Recio, illustrated by Brianna McCarthy (2020) * ''Just Like a Mama'' by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (2020) * ''

Me & Mama ''Me & Mama'' is a 2020 picture book written and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera and published by Simon & Schuster under the Denene Millner Books imprint. The book won a 2021 Caldecott Honor The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortene ...

'' by Cozbi A. Cabrera, illustrated by the author (2020) * ''My Brown Baby: On the Joys and Challenges of Raising African American Children'' by Denene Millner (2020) * ''My Rainy Day Rocket Ship'' by Markette Sheppard, illustrated by Charly Palmer (2020) * ''There's a Dragon in My Closet'' by Dorothea Taylor, illustrated by Charly Palmer (2020) * ''What Is Light?'' by Markette Sheppard, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson (2020)

Personal life

Millner was formerly married to journalist

, with whom she has two children.

Selected works

Fiction

* ''Love Don’t Live Here Anymore (with Nick Chiles)'' (2002) * ''In Love and War (with Nick Chiles)'' (2003) * ''A Love Story (with Nick Chiles)'' (2004) * ''The Vow (with Angela Burt-Murray and

)'' (2005) * ''Dreamgirls: a Novelization based on the screenplay by

Bill Condon William Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an American director and screenwriter. Condon is known for writing and/or directing numerous successful and acclaimed films including '' Gods and Monsters'', ''Chicago'', '' Kinsey'', ''Dreamgirls'', ' ...

'' (2006) * ''Sparkle: A Novel based on the screenplay by

Mara Brock Akil Mara Brock Akil (born Mara Dionne Brock; May 27, 1970) is an American screenwriter and television producer. She created the UPN comedy series '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and its spin-off '' The Game'' (2006–2015). She later created the firs ...

'' (2012)

Non-Fiction

* ''The Sistahs' Rules: Secrets for Meeting, Getting, and Keeping a Good Black Man'' (1997) * ''What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know: The Real Deal on Love and Relationships (with Nick Chiles)'' (1999) * ''What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know About Sex: The Real Deal on Passion, Loving, and Intimacy (with Nick Chiles)'' (2000) * ''Money, Power, Respect: What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know (with Nick Chiles)'' (2001) * ''The Angry Black Woman’s Guide to Life (with Angela Burt-Murray and

)'' (2004) * ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment (

with Denene Millner)'' (2009) * ''Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way (

Nene Leakes Linnethia Monique "NeNe" Leakes (; née Johnson; born December 13, 1967) is an American television personality, actress, presenter, businesswoman, author, and fashion designer. Born in Queens, New York and raised in Athens, Georgia, she is best ...

with Denene Millner)'' (2009) * ''Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find, Keep, and Understand a Man (

with Denene Millner)'' (2010) * ''Little Satchmo (Sharon Preston-Folta with Denene Millner)'' (2012) * ''I Am Charlie Wilson ( Charlie Wilson with Denene Millner)'' (2015) * ''Around the Way Girl: A Memoir (

with Denene Millner)'' (2016) * ''Believing in Magic (Cookie Johnson with Denene Millner)'' (2016) * ''My Brown Baby: On the Joys and Challenges of Raising African American Children'' (2017) * ''Warrior Code: 11 Principles to Unleash the Badass Inside of You (Tee Marie Hanible with Denene Millner)'' (2019)

Young Adult & Children's Books

* ''Hotlanta (with

)'' (2008) * ''If Only You Knew: A Hotlanta Novel (with Mitzi Miller)'' (2008) * ''What Goes Around: A Hotlanta Novel (with Mitzi Miller)'' (2009) * ''Miss You, Mina'' (2010) * ''My Brother Charlie (Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete with Denene Millner)'' (2010) * ''Early Sunday Morning'' (2017) * ''Madam C.J. Walker Builds a Business (Rebel Girls Series)'' (2019) * ''Fresh Princess'' (2019) * ''Fresh Princess: Style Rules'' (2020)

References

External links

Millner's blog on black parenting
{{DEFAULTSORT:Millner, Denene 21st-century American novelists African-American novelists American women novelists American young adult novelists Living people American women journalists Associated Press reporters New York Daily News people Hofstra University alumni People from Islip (town), New York 21st-century American women writers Women writers of young adult literature 1968 births Novelists from New York (state) 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American writers 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women