Taryn Delanie Smith

Taryn Delanie Smith is a writer, performer, and creator who started her career as a receptionist in New York City, a job she worked while earning her master's degree in communication and intercultural studies that later inspired her creation of Denise, Heaven's Receptionist. Smith's charcater has since amassed over tens of millions of views across social media, becoming an unlikely home where those experiencing grief can find humor and human connection. A Seattle native, she lives in Hudson Valley, New York, with her husband and their Great Dane, Bruce. Welcome to the Afterlife is her debut book.