About US
About author
Dena M. Hodges is the first-born grandchild of Charles M. Schulz, creator of the highly acclaimed Peanuts comic strip and internationally recognized Snoopy character. Dena was the only grandchild of Charles M. Schulz for the first seven years of her life. She is also the only child born to the oldest of his five children.
Dena is a single mother of two biological biracial daughters by her first marriage, and her children are the two oldest great grandchildren of Charles M. Schulz. Dena and her daughters are animal lovers who reside on a small farm in north central Florida. Dena also oversees the Paws and Claws Florida division of a 501c3, Howey Horse Haven, through which she cares for neglected and abandoned cats and kittens.
Dena initially pursued an education in psychology to better understand the abuse she suffered as a child and the residual physical and emotional impacts it had on her. Despite struggling with debilitating health challenges for nearly two decades with no familial support, she continued to pursue higher education even while bedridden with what was later determined to be Sepsis and Chronic Lyme Disease. Dena now holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Currently, Dena is a Doctoral candidate in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Homeland Security. Her education, coupled with her personal experiences resulting from her mother’s abuse, makes her uniquely knowledgeable about topics of physical and mental abuse, substance abuse, and mental illness.
About BOOK
Throughout Dena’s life she has had numerous unanswered questions and was told things that just didn’t add up. In her early adult years, Dena was reconnected with key people from her past through a series of bizarre encounters. Two of these individuals were her Godfather she was unaware of who had been her biological father’s best friend, and her paternal grandfather whom she had been hidden from since she was two years old. They shared many revelations with Dena, clearing up some of the mysteries from her past and imparting shocking insights that she had been completely unaware of.
This memoir is Dena’s line in the sand. By sharing the truth of years of physical and psychological abuse, the neglect and abandonment by extended family, and unveiling decades of her mother’s calculated lies, Dena is reclaiming her life and sharing the truth of what she has endured. Dena’s incredibly traumatic upbringing not only culminated in extensive ongoing chronic illness, but also ultimately led to her discovery of God’s love and the power of faith. Dena hopes sharing her story will help others who are suffering with similar struggles, giving them permission and strength to cut contact with their abusers to allow them the opportunity to heal, and potentially lead them to discover God’s love and acceptance as it has for her.