About Me
Born in London and formerly educated in Wales, Jacalyn S Burke moved to the U.S. in 2002 to document the emerging Street Art scene in New York City. For the next fifteen years she worked as a tutor, a governess/nanny, an artist, a tech start up founder and a literary agent.
In 2007 she founded a parent hub, Baby Does NYC. It became a leading grassroots brand in the City and was sold in 2019.
In 2015, Praeger (now Bloomsbury) published Jacalyn’s non-fiction work, The Nanny Time Bomb – Navigating the Crisis in Child Care. The book was based upon Jacalyn’s experiences working for Manhattan’s 1% and was reviewed by the New York Times, in the ‘Wealth Matters’ weekly column (June 2016).
In 2016 Jacalyn worked as a literary rep for The Rudy Agency representing clients in the juvenile markets: picture books, middle-grade and young adult.
During this time Jacalyn met with top editors at Penguin, Random House, Simon and Schuster, Candlewick Press, Holt, St Martins and Scholastic Books, and established cordial relationships with these editors.
Through her work as an artist she self-sponsored an immigration path, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2017.
In 2018 Jacalyn relocated to SW France to realize a long-held dream of writing fulltime and renovating an 18th Century farmhouse.
During this time she began two novels: The Custodians (Thriller/Mystery) and Wall Street Diva (Commercial Women’s Fiction) as well as a non-fiction project about Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim.
During the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, Jacalyn continued to write and all book projects were completed in the Fall of 2022.
Jacalyn S Burke is represented by Maryann Karinch at The Rudy Agency and published by Bloomsbury and Armin Lear Press.
Publication Credits
Society Magazine, The Journal of Silly, Anchor Books, Random House, Time Out Kids, Hifructose Magazine, The Daily News, CBS News, Gotham Magazine, NEXT Magazine, Metro Mix, Art For Progress, Urban Art Magazine, The New York Times.
Education
Jacalyn S Burke is a graduate of: Middlesex University, U.K. with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature; TTI School of English, U.K. with a teaching ESOL diploma; School of Visual Arts, New York City, certificate for writing and illustrating children’s books.
Professional References
“I have worked with and known many coaches over the years. Starting with high school and then all the way up to professional sports, fitness and career coaches over the last 40 years, I have been instructed and guided by some of the best in their respective fields. It takes tremendous discipline, vision, organizational skills, experience and patience to be a good coach, let alone a great one. Ms. Burke has all of those attributes and more. I have been working with her for the last 4 months and she has completely re-engineered my process and perspective on not only writing and finishing my book, but also how I approach my life and career work. She saw the entire framework and structure of my book almost instantly, the first time I spoke to her and explained what my topic was.
From the very first conversation, it seemed like we had been speaking for months. She knew exactly what I wanted to do. She brings a 6th sense to the entire coaching experience. She sees the current project (book, business, website, etc.) as a powerful extension of every facet of the individual she works with. Therefore, she knows that coaching the project is really leveraging every skill within the individual, literally finding qualities and experiences within her clients that they often did not know existed. Great coaches understand much more than just their specific sport. One of the greatest coaches of all time once said, “Coaches who can outline plays on a chalk board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their players and motivate.” (Vince Lombardi). This is what Ms. Burke does, this is the difference between good and great. She understands who you are and finds those traits inside of you that are the foundation of your desire and she builds on these strengths. She knows what drives her clients and this is where all the success comes from.” Bill O’ Herron “Waking Up Marriage” (Amazon)
Please see more up to date client references on my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/UnleashYourMagicNow/reviews
Jacalyn Burke was very responsive to queries and met deadlines when I edited her book, The Nanny Time Bomb, for Praeger, which was based on original research. She is a pleasure to work with.
Hilary Claggett Senior Editor, Business, Economics & Finance ABC-CLIO | Greenwood | Praeger
Jacalyn Burke is a gripping, dynamic and thought provoking writer. Her knowledge of her field is unparalleled, and she brings an unyielding compassion to the way she sees the world. She also writes from the heart, from a sense of connection and humanity, so that her words are never simply for herself, but always aiming to pull us closer together. In an ever more divisive time, her skills are a curative.”
– Todd Komarnicki, Writer, Founder of Guy Walks into a Bar Productions. Credits: Sully, Writer; Elf, Producer
Scholastic References
In light of my teaching Jacalyn … She certainly has a very deserving case because the work she did for me showed an admirable tenacity in pursuing her research and an excellent ability to express her ideas clearly.
Dr. John Harvey Hope-Mason, Princeton NJ
Jacalyn was a model student – highly motivated and committed to her studies, punctilious in her attention to submission deadlines and attendance as well as a lively contributor to seminar discussions. Her intellectual interests are wide-ranging and this was reflected in the substance of her essays which showed evidence of a capacity for original thought as well as the ability to benefit from applied research techniques.
Dr. J. N Worrall – Principal Director of English and Drama, Middlesex University, UK (retired)
Ms. Burke is known to me through several interviews I had with her when she was engaged in research for a children’s book based on Victorian London. I found her to be a scholar especially in her research capabilities of the first rank and I strongly recommend her for any future publications.
Dr. William J Fishman, Professor and author at St Mary’s University, London, UK (retired)
Memberships, Affiliations & Ethos
The Authors Guild, Gotham Ghostwriters, The Lucis Trust, and Boston Global Forum.
Personal, Professional Mentors, Teachers
My parents. My wife.
The late (great) Marie Morreale, former Media Editor at Scholastic Books.
James Meader editor at Vintage Anchor Books.
Todd Komarnicki, Oscar-nominated writer Guy Walks in a Bar.
My beloved Life Teacher Kaya Usher who has taught me the Power of Frequencies.
