Stephanie JacksAuthor Stephanie Jacks was born and raised in a small city with a big heart in the western suburbs of Philadelphia at a time when life was rich with character and large families and generational family friends. She grew up in a household very similarto the movie Crooklyn-which happens to be a family favorite-with a mom, dad, four brothers, dogs, and various other pets. So she had to take everything as it came down the pike, and boy did life come. To say the least, life had substance. Stephanie was also raised by an aunt, uncle, and cousins living right next door, along with all the rest of the Coates Street parents. Those other parents and her own grandparents were very influential in Stephanie's life, all shaping and molding the person she is today, flaws and all. She spent many childhood days playing double Dutch, telling spooky stories in the grapevine huts in her backyard, and playing kickball in friends' backyards and football in the churchyard. She also spent a lot of time eating at restaurants and going to plays in Center City, and attending concerts by everyone from Prince to The Jackson Five, to Heavy D and Jay Z to Gerald Levert and Frankie Beverly. And who could forget how James Brown wore out concertgoers under the bridge at an all-day concert and never seemed to tire.Stephanie has spent the last two decades in real estate and the culinary arts. She raised three children as a single parent and has 14 beautiful grandchildren. She enjoys going to the movies with her grandchildren as well as loving movies and TV shows at home, while cooking and eating everything. She enjoys spending time and hanging out with family and lifelong girlfriends. Read More Read Less