Stacy S. Jensen is a children’s book author with a passion for history, research, and exploring new topics like she did as a newspaper journalist. Her debut picture book BEFORE I LIVED HERE was written while she lived in Colorado—inspired by her neighborhood. The book is illustrated by Victo Ngai and published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House. She lives in Georgia with her family.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys time with family, reading, and paper quilling. She volunteers to support literacy, youth, and children’s programs. Outside Stacy loves experimenting with various s’mores combinations and inside she makes cookies, cupcakes, and chocolate treats.
She has two Vizslas, who walk a human daily.
Stacy is represented by Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency.
My six-word memoir
I write. I read. I quill.
Random Facts
- My writing career began with a classroom book project A Book About Me in the second grade.
- I am a twin.
- My first job was as a cake decorator.
- I knew I wanted to be a journalist early, so I contributed a weekly column to my local newspaper in high school.
- I am a dog person, but write about cats.
- I LOVE s’mores. Our family is always on the search for the perfect marshmallow. Pro tip: Try using a Peep! Yes, a Peep.
- We named our son after the main character —a dog— in Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain.
- I’m a paper quiller. Quilling uses strips of paper and glue to create art. In 2019, I challenged myself to quill every day and I did.
Books
BEFORE I LIVED HERE by Stacy S. Jensen, illustrated by Victo Ngai, Neal Porter Books, 2025.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Dog’s Life, an essay about my dog Eddie was among 101 stories, 2011.
Awards
I earned the second place award in the Memoir Book category for In a Blink in the SouthWest Writers 2009 contest. I earned the third place award in Children’s Picture Book Category for Never Feed the Humans in the SouthWest Writers 2014 contest. During my journalism days, I earned awards for news, editorial, and personal column writing.