This Fairmont native grew up with her parents, three sisters, and two brothers. Her father worked at a glass plant. Her family was poor during the Great Depression, so Doris spent a lot of time playing in the woods. This inspired many of the strange creatures in her stories. She discovered science fiction at age 11 and became a fan of authors like A. E. Van Vogt and Clifford Simak.

After serving in the Navy during the Korean War, she moved a lot with her Army husband, Joseph Piserchia. Her first story, "Rocket to Gehenna," was published in 1966. Her first novel, Mister Justice, came out in 1973, followed by Star Rider and A Billion Days of Earth. In 1982, she wrote Blood County, a vampire novel set in a fictional West Virginia place, using the pen name Curt Selby.

Her stories often featured strong female characters and are now part of feminist science fiction. Between 1966 and 1983, she wrote 13 novels and 17 short stories. After her daughter passed away in 1984, she stopped writing to raise her young granddaughter. She also felt frustrated with the publishing world and how her work had been received.