I am many things: a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister. A beauty marketer. A pasta lover. A dahlia grower. But ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being one thing: a writer.

A young girl with curly brown hair, wearing a pink bow and a pink shirt, is sitting at a wooden table, reading and writing in a notebook.

About the Author

Dana Moneymaker (née Turek) grew up loving to read children’s books and writing “stories” at the desk in her childhood bedroom. She dreamed of being a writer, and by the time she went off to college, her goal was to become a magazine editor. She earned a bachelor of science in communications from New York University, landed internships with Brides and Vogue magazines, and ultimately spent the majority of her career as a marketing professional in the beauty industry. After becoming a mom, she returned to her slower-paced roots and now lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jay, and her son, Aiden, who loves to read (much to his mother’s delight).
A woman with brown hair wearing a peach-colored blouse and light blue jeans standing in a room, holding a book titled 'As You Grow' with an illustrated tree on the cover. There is a wooden table behind her with books and framed photos, and a large mirror on the wall reflecting part of her back.
Pink and white dahlias with green leaves laid on a weathered white wooden surface.

In my spare time, I…

Who am I kidding. What spare time? I’m literally writing the content of this website at 11:10pm on a Monday night. I haven’t had spare time since May of 2022. Le sigh. 
Whether I have time for it or not, here is what brings me joy: making fires in our woodstove as soon as the temperature dips below 40 degrees. Growing dahlias in my garden and picking blooms in late-August. Perfecting my hot cocoa recipe. Reading a book in bed long enough to advance the plot before I drift off to sleep. Sleeping. Having “family dance parties” and playing hide and seek with my son. Sleeping. Eating a bowl of pasta and unabashedly going for seconds. Did I mention sleeping?

As seen in…

Cover of Yardley Living magazine, August 2025 issue, featuring a woman and child reading a book together on a cozy armchair in a bright living room, with the headline 'Dana Moneymaker, A Celebration of Motherhood in Our Small Town' and various article titles.
A woman is lying on the floor, holding a book titled 'As You Grew', covering her face. She is wearing a white shirt and light blue jeans.

“Future home of a spectacularly glowing review.”

- an adoring fan that is not related to me by blood, marriage, or lifelong friendship