Contemporary Authors

STACEY LENDER grew up in the suburbs of New York City with a god-awful perm and later graduated from Cornell University. She started her career as a roadie and rose through the ranks from luggage schlepper to marketing executive for entertainment brands including Radio City Music Hall, USA Network, Madison Square Garden, Sesame Street Live, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and One World Observatory at the top of One World Trade Center. Today she lives in Manhattan and Connecticut with her husband and two daughters, and has traveled to all fifty states. City Mouse is Stacey's first novel.

STACEY LENDER started her career as a roadie and rose through the ranks from luggage schlepper to marketing executive for entertainment brands including Radio City Music Hall, USA Network, Madison Square Garden, Sesame Street Live, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and One World Observatory at the top of One World Trade Center. She grew up in the suburbs of New York City with a god-awful perm and later graduated from Cornell University. Today she lives in Manhattan and Connecticut with her husband and two daughters, and has traveled to all fifty states. City Mouse is Stacey’s first novel. For more information, visit staceylender.com.

Stacey Lender is the author of the new novel City Mouse. She is a marketing consultant for entertainment brands and attractions, and she lives in Manhattan and Connecticut.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for City Mouse, and for your character Jessica?

A: I was struck by a story I heard at a college reunion about a moms-only weekend where everyone cheats on their husbands… I let my imagination take me on a fictional journey, which was right around the time my husband and I almost bought a house in the suburbs.

My character Jessica is someone who is struggling with her identity as a young wife and mom (and her zip code), as she and her husband Aaron decide to move out of the city. Although my husband and I didn’t end up moving, the question of finding your place is one I can relate to personally.

Q: What do you think the novel says about living in the city vs. the suburbs?

A: There is plenty in the book to stir the debate! For many people, a house in the suburbs with a big backyard represents the American dream, and I wanted to explore the world beneath those shiny granite countertops in a way that was entertaining and fun, not trying to be too serious or preachy.

One of the big takeaways is how hard it can be to move to a new area and fit in with new mom friends, which is a challenging situation no matter where you live.

Q: Did you know how the book would end before you started writing it, or did you make changes along the way?

A: I started with an outline, but ended up scrapping it soon after I started writing. City Mouse is my first novel, and when the people in my writing workshops told me that my characters would end up telling me where they wanted to go and what was going to happen, I thought they were crazy! But it ended up being true.

Q: Do you think this could have taken place in a setting other than New York City and its suburbs? How important is setting to you in your writing?

A: Having kids, running out of space, and looking to the suburbs to find a better life for your family is a familiar rite of passage in many cities, and I asked friends living in different areas of the country to be readers for me to make sure the book was relatable outside of New York City. (Although NYC presents some particularly daunting financial and space challenges, especially for middle class parents.)

Fun fact: Jessica and Aaron move to Suffern, which is the town where I grew up. I learned through my research for the book (not while I was in high school…) that Suffern was an important crossroads of the American Revolution; Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr both visited Suffern, and I incorporated facts about Hamilton’s real-life affair and sex scandal into the City Mouse story.

In this case, the setting ended up influencing the story in an unexpected way.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I am working on my second novel (It’s like giving birth – you forget how much it hurts the first time and before you know it, you find yourself doing it again!).

It digs into the relationships (extracurricular and otherwise) between parents at an elementary school with classrooms designated for “gifted” students alongside general education classes – a situation rife with conflict on many levels.

In my non-writing work life, I’m a marketing consultant for entertainment brands and attractions, and have a few projects on tap this summer.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: It might sound corny, but it’s never too late to pursue your dreams. I’d always loved writing, but hadn’t written anything since college (besides in my journal).

Eight years ago, I had an idea for a novel, and instead of keeping the notes tucked inside my drawer, I decided to sign up for a writing class in my neighborhood.

I discovered that I really enjoyed the writing process; I fit the assignments in the edges between work and family, three pages a week at first, and then seven…and I am beyond thrilled that my first novel City Mouse is now being published. What started as a passion project turned into something bigger than I ever dreamed it would!

Author of debut novel CITY MOUSE (June 6, 2017). Marketing Strategist. Producer.
CITY MOUSE: A Novel Cornell University

Stacey Lender grew up in the suburbs of New York City with a god-awful perm and later graduated from Cornell University. She started her career as a roadie and rose through the ranks from luggage schlepper to marketing executive for entertainment brands including Radio City Music Hall, USA Network, Madison Square Garden, Sesame Street Live, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and One World Observatory at the top of One World Trade Center. Today she lives in Manhattan and Connecticut with her husband and two daughters, and has traveled to all fifty states. CITY MOUSE is Stacey's first novel.

CITY MOUSE by Stacey Lender is a story so many people who live and work in NYC will relate to. New York is EXPENSIVE. You get very little, yet pay so much. Eventually, everyone whose livlihood is in NYC must decide: stay or commute? The decision becomes even harder once you have a family; those one-bedroom apartments can feel overflowing fast.

Jessica and Aaron are happily married and living their lives in NYC, but now they have two children and are running out of space. They haven't been able to find a bigger apartment in their price-range, and a lot of their friends have moved to places like Long Island and Westchester, even to New Jersey and Connecticut. Places within an hour or two of the city. Jessica wants nothing more than to stay in the city and find her dream residence. Lately, Aaron has begun coveting a home with a yard--sharing Central Park's lawn with everyone else is no longer good enough. But when the family finally makes the choice to move, they encounter a whole new set of problems. Long commutes mean less family time. The local Moms turn everything into a popularity contest: Who has the best, most expensive grill? The best nanny? The best spouse? Can Jessica and Aaron adapt and fall into the rhythm of their new life?< A really fun aspect of the book is the fact that Jessica has a really awesome job: She's an advertising executive for Broadway musicals. There's even a really cool cameo revolving around Hamilton and uncovered documents that feels very timely and fresh, making the novel feel like it's happening today. I love that Jessica wasn't pushed out of her job once she became a mother. She was still able to move up at work. Even when she moves out of the city, she never considers quitting or being a stay-at-home mom like her neighbor. I really like this aspect of the book, not just because it's Broadway-related, but because women too often see their careers deflate once they become mothers. They're too often asked to step down or given fewer tasks. Jessica maintains her powerful position and continues to be a valuable member of her team at work. The book focuses a lot on the struggle of learning to fit in all over again. Moving as an adult can be just as terrifying as when you're a child. As adults, we still occasionally have childhood dreams of standing out oddly in school and being laughed at because the embarrassment and horror is so deeply ingrained in us. That terror comes back when we're now the new mom/dad at school. Playdates, becoming friends with other moms, joining the mommy "inner circle" and staying on everyone's good side. Growing up doesn't mean outgrowing the desire to fit in. Jessica feels pressure in the suburbs that she never did in the city. Some days she loves it; others, she despises it. Everyone has a different experience when they move. For some, it's perfect and exhilarating. For others, its mundane and same old/same old. For a few, it's harmful and reduces their quality of life. CITY MOUSE is fast-paced and will have readers anxious to find out whether or not Jessica and Aaron made the right decision for their family as they fall into their new lifestyle.

Sharing a bedroom with two young daughters is bound to damage a marriage. So a move from a cramped apartment to the suburbs sounds like a dream come true for Manhattanites Jess and Aaron.

Their new, spacious home in Suffern offers lots of amenities, from a heated driveway to a deck begging for an upscale grill. But Jess and Aaron had not bargained on the neighborhood clique. Before she can even shower, let alone finish unpacking their boxes, Jess is swept up by Alyson, the alpha she-wolf, and her girlfriends. Alcohol-drenched parties rife with gossip fill most nights, while the days pass through a bewildering array of toddler dance classes, mommy breakfasts, and an extensive cast of nannies-on-duty. At first flattered to be part of the popular crowd, Jess is savvy enough—after all, she does work in a New York City advertising firm catering to Broadway—to notice troubling fractures. While making catty remarks and mercilessly judging the excluded neighbors seems par for the course, Jess is disturbed by incidents of parental neglect and insensitive remarks about the less-privileged nannies. When she accidentally oversteps the line Alyson has drawn for her, Jess faces a whiplash-quick scolding and the punishment of a temporary freeze-out. The women’s annual getaway weekend, however, finally shatters Jess’ dreams. Fun and games descend into debauchery and potentially incriminating evidence captured on Alyson’s cellphone. Debut novelist Lender sharply portrays the corrupt privilege of upper-middle-class suburbanites, and with a twist of her pen, the Stepford Wives take the upper hand over their husbands. Yet as she establishes the women’s social power, she leaves the men’s foibles mostly offstage. Consequently, the tension building up over possible blackmail fizzles out, but the climactic explosion takes everyone by surprise.

A bracingly tart portrait of suburban hell.

Summer is here! That means it’s time for lots of lounging by the pool, on the beach, or in your backyard while your kids play in a plastic kiddie pool. Whatever way you go, you’ll need good reading material and I’ve got the perfect book for you!

Priced out of their Manhattan neighborhood, Jessica and Aaron move with their young daughters to the one place Jessica swore she’d never go: the suburbs. But to Jessica’s surprise, life in the commuter belt makes a great first impression. She quickly falls in with a clique of helpful mom friends who welcome her with pitchers of margaritas, neighborhood secrets, and a pair of hot jeans that actually fit.
Still, it’s hard to keep up in a crowd where everyone competes for the most perfectly manicured home and latest backyard gadgets. And what’s worse, as the only working mom in her circle, Jessica sometimes feels disconnected and alone. So she’s thrilled when she’s invited to a moms-only weekend at the beach, which she assumes will mean new opportunities for real talk and bonding. Instead, the trip turns into a series of eye-opening lessons, and Jessica must decide if she’s strong enough to be honest with herself about the sort of life she really wants.

This book is everything I don’t want my life to be, but sure don’t mind hearing about someone else living through it. Jessica has grand illusions of what suburbia will be like, at least after her husband convinces her it’s where they need to move. Her neighbor stops by and introduces herself, which leads to a party invite. Jess then meets many of the other local moms, all who have kids at the school her daughter will go to. At first, she thinks these women are great! They all seem to have it together and have great marriages and Jess feels the need to measure up. As time goes on, the cracks start to show and Jess sees how these women really are. The women then take a girl’s trip and let’s just say that shit truly hits the fan. I’m not even sure how I would handle what all happens on that trip. Jess comes back with a renewed look on life and her marriage.

This was a quick, easy read. It really makes you take a second look at your life and it’s a great reminder not to try to live up to other people’s standards. No one really knows what goes on in a marriage except the two people in it.

The book comes out in paperback June 6, but you can preorder it on Amazon now!

Lender’s debut novel tells the story of a young family on the brink of change. Unable to find the space they need for the right price in New York City, Aaron finally convinces his wife, Jessica, to move out to the suburbs with their two young daughters. A working mom in love with her job and the big city, Jessica takes some convincing. But when they move, the Victorian house and the new neighbors are just the change Jessica needed. Their shiny new home and vibrant friends, however, quickly begin to lose their luster. Commuting is the nightmare Jessica imagined, and she misses the walks around the city and easy dining options. She also struggles to keep up with her new friends, who are mostly stay-at-home moms, free to organize school and charity events. Although desperate to fit in and make this new life work, Jessica can’t get over her disgust for her new friends’ grade-school-level cattiness and excessive partying. When eventually invited to a beach trip with the neighborhood moms, Jessica jumps at the chance to get away, relax, and really get to know her new friends. But her weekend away uncovers a host of secrets and scandals that make her question her family’s move even more. Lender’s enlightening, beautifully plotted novel dives deep into the notion of having it all while playing with the shallow notions of the American dream.

The debate often exists.is city living or country living the best. In City Mouse by Stacey Lender we are given an opportunity to deal with that question from both angles as Aaron, Jessica and their young daughters move out of Manhattan and into suburbia.

Jessica is torn as she loves the city, but Aaron wants to find a place where they can raise their youngsters that is safe and will be better for the family. The hustle and bustle of city life will fade away and their family will grow as a result.

After much discussion, Jessica finally decides that she is being stubborn and selfish, wanting the excitement of the city, but the closeness of a great family life. However, it isn't just about the family but the finances as well, it is more expensive to live in the city.

Once they find the house of their dreams in the suburbs, Jessica sets about becoming a part of the group of mothers in the neighborhood. They seem so together, and their connections seem to keep them sane. Wanting to be a part of the community, and knowing that will help form friendships, both for her children and for herself and Aaron as well, she dedicates time to belonging, and fitting in. Initially all is wonderful, new friends, a settled and less busy schedule, and just an overall feeling of happiness. Sure, she misses the noise and excitement of the city but this too is bliss. Or is it?

She misses Aaron, he is always headed to the city to work, and with the drive time, they do not see him as much. She begins to suspect that her girls are being bullied, and she is beginning to feel a tension within the group that cannot be seen, but simmers just the same.

She tries to ignore the occasional catty remark, but as time moves forward she finds herself less trusting, and becoming alarmed at the things being said. When she gets caught up in some of the strange, unique situations, a form of blackmail that is used to keep the group in tow, she decides to fill Aaron in on her suspicions. Initially skeptical, he too is finding the living in the suburbs is not as expected. Can they rekindle their own love and trust, and pull the family back together again before it is too late?

If you enjoy human drama, and stores that pull you in, you will find this a great summer read. Lender does a great job of keeping you interested and wanting to know more.

Jessica, her husband and daughters move out of New York City to the Suburbs. This is not exactly what she had hoped for but Jessica is determined to fit in. She meets a group of neighborhood Moms, they welcome her to their group. As time goes by the women decide to go on a weekend "Mom's only" trip to the beach for some fun, friendship and friend bonding.

Jessica is put into a world that she is not really wanting to be (in). As she quickly falls into a new clique, she is adjusting to her new environment and friends. As she makes changes to her life, she also learns about friendship, self discovery and (her) meaning of life.

An original story with likable characters, engaging dialog, secrets revealed and laugh out loud moments. Stacey Lender pulls you deep into Jessica's life with flare, grabbing your attention and not letting go. I highly recommend City Mouse to those who love a great (women's fiction) story.

I was recently sent Stacey Lender’s debut women’s fiction novel, City Mouse, free for review and I found it an easy read that’s perfect for summer. It’s a love letter to the big city, but I did feel that maybe the author was a bit too judgmental about those who live outside its borders. Only at the end did anyone appear in the suburbs who had any value to the protagonist.

Jessica is a city girl, but her husband, Aaron, has become enamored with suburbia with its ‘his and hers’ bathroom sinks and backyards bigger than a postage stamp. She finally agrees to buy a house outside of Manhattan, dreaming of dinner parties and a place for her daughters to ride their bikes. Before she has a chance to be lonely, she’s swept up into a clique of moms who like to party and do weekly brunches. Being the only one who works, Jessica starts to feel a bit left out, so she’s excited when they invite her to a moms-only weekend, even though she feels their friendships don’t have much substance. Unfortunately, the weekend gets crazy and goes haywire, leaving Jessica to decide whether keeping up with the cool moms is worth the price of her family.

As I said above, this book was an easy, breezy read. It would make the ideal beach book, especially for busy moms. I finished the novel in two sittings. While I found it enjoyable, I was dismayed that most of the book made the suburbs sound like they’re packed full of party people who look out only for themselves. The few characters that didn’t fit that mold were thrown in at the end like an afterthought. Being someone who prefers living in a large city, I can appreciate Jessica’s love of New York, but selfish people live everywhere, as do their more courteous kin.

Other than that, the story moved at a steady pace and I liked Jessica and Aaron’s characters. They weren’t perfect, but they loved each other and their kids with abandon. Like all couples, they had their issues, but the strength of their relationship is what saved them during trying times.

This book was almost a 4-star read for me, but I feel like it fell a little short, so I’ll give it a 3.75. If you enjoy mom fiction with a sexy feel and a bit of a wild streak, this should be on your summer reading list. If you’re easily shocked, you may want to pass it up.