Born and raised in Texas and now rooted in the hills of Northwest Arkansas, Denise Bembenek, known to readers as LD Bembenek, is a newly published author with a broad and comprehensive professional history. Having recently released her first book, The Backroad Christian, a memoir (of sorts), she currently provides a variety of remote editing, proofreading and administrative support services. 

 

With more than 30 years of professional experience across academic, professional, legal, educational, nonprofit, and marketing disciplines, Denise’s comprehensive background includes proofreading and editing book manuscripts, academic articles, grant applications, websites, blogs, curriculum, professional communications, and print and digital marketing. Known for her meticulous attention to detail, command of language, and thoughtful editorial judgment, she brings clarity, precision, and purpose to the written word while preserving the voice and intent of the writer. She is proficient in APA, MLA, Chicago, AP, and Harvard style guidelines and has particular experience supporting academic and ESL writers.

 

Additionally, Denise has an extensive history in project management, operations, executive support, event coordination and administrative management as well as having spent almost a decade in the public-school classroom teaching English, Speech, and Drama.

 

​Beyond the professional credentials, Denise is a working-class mother and grandmother, a widow, a survivor, and a woman whose journey to grace has included more than a few wrong turns along the way.

 

In her memoir (of sorts) The Backroad Christian, Denise opens her heart and life to readers with grit, common sense, and a slightly twisted sense of humor. A follower of Jesus Christ who is still learning what it means to live like Him, she writes candidly about the struggles, revelations, dead ends and unexpected blessings that have shaped her spiritual journey. She calls these discoveries "mile markers" — those moments that challenge old assumptions, change our direction, tell us how far we've come and remind us that even the detours can lead us somewhere worth going.

 

Through her writing, she hopes to connect with fellow life travelers who have stumbled along their own paths to faith, offering encouragement without pretense, honesty without judgment, and the reassurance that none of us has to have it all figured out to keep moving forward.

 

Mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, friend, mentor, educator, organizer, wordsmith, volunteer, gardener, lake-rat, music junkie, lifelong learner, dog rescuer, cat tolerator, and self-described tomboy, Denise wears many hats and has collected more than a few stories along the way. She is a straight-shooter, a boundary pusher, a recovering perfectionist, and a firm believer that grace has a way of finding us in the places we least expect.