About Jolene

Here's my official biography:

Jolene grew up on a farm, surrounded by animals, plants, and history. She is an award-winning teacher-librarian and has been working with diverse learners at Denver Academy for the past 27 years. She holds a Master’s degree in Library Science. She’s a wife of 24 years and mama to two young adults, three dogs, a cat who plays fetch, and an ever-rotating variety of other animals including crested geckos, frogs, a ferret, and a rescue squirrel. She’s an active member of SCBWI and The Author’s Guild, a We Need Diverse Books mentorship finalist, a Writing with the Stars mentee, a Highlights Foundation scholarship winner, and the winner of the Cynthia Levinson nonfiction picture book biography scholarship to the Writing Barn. She’s an active member of the Perfect 2020 PBs group, a member of the critique group 6 Ladies and a MANuscript, and a co-creator of #KidlitZombieWeek.

Jolene is represented by agent Kaitlyn Sanchez.

And here's another biography that gives you a little more information about me in first person. ;)

Age 4 with my favorite book and rock.

I was born in Sterling, Colorado in 1974. I grew up on a farm in northeastern Colorado and have many fond memories of farm life, including riding horses and collecting rocks. I also have many nasty memories of farm life, including falling in a puddle of pig poop while wearing white pants and eating Rocky Mountain Oysters before I learned that they aren't really oysters.

Growing up on a farm with no other kids my age within walking distance, I grew to love reading and writing. I've been writing since I was 5 or so, and my second-grade teacher helped me publish my first book.


I've been a school librarian for the past 27 years, and I love helping students find their perfect book. After I had my own kids, though, for a little while I was so busy being a mom that I forgot some of the other things that nurture my soul. When a brilliant woman I knew, Rae, lost her fight with breast cancer, I realized that I needed to stop waiting for my dreams to come true and take steps to make them come true. So I started writing again.

I dream that the books I write will become someone's perfect book. I can't imagine anything more magical than that! One of my other dreams is to change the world, one reader at a time. I have lots of dreams. None of them include Rocky Mountain Oysters. :)

Jolene and her family