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Melissa Jensen

Goodreads author profile

url

http://www.goodreads.com/meljens

gender

female

website

http://www.melissajensen.com/

twitter username

meljens

genre

Young Adult, Romance, Literature & Fiction

member since

July 2011

About this author

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I grew up in San Francisco, which gave me a love of fog and funny-colored houses. My mother is an amazing watercolorist, my father an architect. I can’t draw. Never could. But I always loved telling stories (occasionally of the sort involving passing Vegetable Fairies and disappearing sweet potatoes at dinnertime). I read lots of pretty wonderful books as a kid, but haven’t been quite the same since I was fourteen and my English teacher handed me a copy of Pride and Prejudice. I still want to be Elizabeth Bennet when I grow up. Elizabeth Bennet with a career and jeans, anyway. My husband got a second date by telling me he had once played Mr. Darcy on stage. There would have been a second date, in any case, but still…

I’ve written lots of stu...more I grew up in San Francisco, which gave me a love of fog and funny-colored houses. My mother is an amazing watercolorist, my father an architect. I can’t draw. Never could. But I always loved telling stories (occasionally of the sort involving passing Vegetable Fairies and disappearing sweet potatoes at dinnertime). I read lots of pretty wonderful books as a kid, but haven’t been quite the same since I was fourteen and my English teacher handed me a copy of Pride and Prejudice. I still want to be Elizabeth Bennet when I grow up. Elizabeth Bennet with a career and jeans, anyway. My husband got a second date by telling me he had once played Mr. Darcy on stage. There would have been a second date, in any case, but still…

I’ve written lots of stuff over the years, including a few novels, magazine articles, and even a syndicated newspaper etiquette column. I like dinner parties. I don’t give nearly enough of them. I love to make lists of whom I would invite if I possibly could. My fab friends aside, there’s always a spot for Jane Austen (who probably would always politely refuse), Robert Burns, and Charles Darwin. Then there’s Oscar Wilde, Eleanor Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, and William Steig. Abigail Adams and Oprah. Orlando Bloom (anyone have his phone number?) and Julia Child. Bonnie Robinson: that long-ago English literature teacher, later my creative writing teacher, who told me that I’d better spend a lot more time in England if I was going to insist on writing about it.

My fave places in the world are London and Dublin, neither of which are as foggy as literature would have us believe. I spend as much time as possible in Ireland, often on the edge of one cliff or another. It makes my family crazy. It makes me feel like a Bronte.

Now I live most of the time in Pennsylvania, in a house old enough to have hosted Elizabeth Bennet, if she had cared to visit the Colonies. Of course, as Mrs. Darcy, she would have been very grand and my house isn’t, but then, she was all about having a curious and open mind. Not a bad philosophy. I do my best, but it doesn’t always work. Nothing will ever make me like sweet potatoes.

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30 posts
Melissa Jensen's Blog

Q&A/YA Chat

Interested in writing for a young audience? Have questions about the biz? I'll be doing a Q&A/chat about YA lit next Wednesday, the 21st, at the Penn Bookstore (36th and Walnut) at 6pm. Free admission. No purchase required. I'd love to see you there.

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Published on March 13, 2012 10:15 • 12 views

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combine editions
Books by Melissa Jensen

Average rating: 3.42 · 2,578 ratings · 431 reviews · 2 distinct works

	The Fine Art of Truth or Dare 3.41 avg rating — 2,130 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Falling in Love with English Boys 3.46 avg rating — 444 ratings — published 2010 — 4 editions	My rating:

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Melissa's Recent Updates

Melissa Jensen is now friends with Vero
Mar 26, 2012 05:23pm
Melissa Jensen liked Brook's review of The Fine Art of Truth or Dare: " It was cute, well written, and funny! "
Mar 22, 2012 06:22pm · see review
Melissa Jensen liked Ayesha's review of The Fine Art of Truth or Dare: " Superlatively cute.... Loved Cat's lil' cameo! So glad I stumbled across this author.. "
Mar 03, 2012 01:29pm · see review
Melissa Jensen liked Jaime Arkin's status update Jaime Arkin is finished with The Fine Art of Truth or Dare
Feb 18, 2012 07:52pm
Melissa Jensen added: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Jan 11, 2012 02:47am
Melissa Jensen joined the Nerdfighteria group.
Dec 30, 2011 12:41pm · see group
Melissa Jensen made a comment on The Fine Art of Truth or Dare — Have you read the teaser? "http://www.melissajensen.com/truth-or... "
Sep 23, 2011 11:03am
Melissa Jensen made a comment on The Fine Art of Truth or Dare — Sneak peek at the Fine Art of Truth or Dare! "You can read an excerpt of The Fine Art of Truth or Dare here: http://www.melissajensen.com/truth-or... "
Sep 20, 2011 07:00pm
Melissa Jensen made a comment on The Fine Art of Truth or Dare — Sneak peek at the Fine Art of Truth or Dare! "You can read the opening of Fine Art of Truth or Dare here: http://www.melissajensen.com/truth-or... "
Sep 20, 2011 06:35pm
Melissa Jensen added a quote "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." — Albert Einstein
Aug 20, 2011 08:00pm · add quote added! · more quotes by Albert Einstein

More of Melissa's books…

Quotes by Melissa Jensen

“sometimes no matter how many eyelashes or dandelion seeds you blow, no matter how much of your heart you tear out and slap on your sleeve, it just ain't gonna happen.”
― Melissa Jensen, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare

tags: love , unrequited-love

27 people liked it

“Love is one of two things worth dying for. I have yet to decide on the second.”
― Melissa Jensen, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare

tags: love

13 people liked it

“We only tell the secrets we secretly want not to be secret, right? And learn as much from what isn't told.”
― Melissa Jensen, Falling in Love with English Boys

13 people liked it

See all Melissa Jensen's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

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For The L♥ve of R...: * 12x12 in 2012 Challenge	7	18	Dec 23, 2011 04:04am
One Million Pages...: In where the Mad Scientist keeps track	18	15	Jan 14, 2012 12:31pm
One Million Pages...: February '12 Readathon Summaries	22	38	Feb 25, 2012 08:01pm
One Million Pages...: February '12 Readathon	99	65	Feb 26, 2012 09:22am
The Book Addicts!: Shay's 2012 Individual Reading Goals	48	93	Mar 02, 2012 03:32am
Book Nook Cafe: What I read February 2012	73	53	Mar 09, 2012 01:14pm

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Quotes Melissa Likes

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
― Albert Einstein

tags: children , fairy-tales

10,975 people liked it