Ruby Jean Jensen
Ruby Jean Jensen (March 1, 1927 – November 16, 2010) was an American author of pulp horror fiction. A "constant presence in Zebra's catalogue", she specialized in the "creepy child" or "child in supernatural peril" trope. Life and work. Jensen was born Ruby Jean Hendrickson in McDonald County, Missouri, where she spent her early years before moving with her family to Northern California. There she met her husband, Vaughn Jensen. They moved to the Rogers, Arkansas area in the late 1950s. They were married for over fifty years, until his death in 1999. Jensen took up writing  at an early age, and published over 200 short stories. Her first book sale was to Warner Paperback Library in 1974—"The House That Samael Built", a Gothic romance. After another three novels with them, all with strong paranormal elements, she published three more with Manor Books in 1978, with a heavier emphasis on the occult. She would switch to unmitigated horror for the rest of her career, which included short stints with Leisure Books and Tor before finally settling with Zebra, starting with "MaMa" (1983). Many of her horror books dealt with the "creepy children" trope (in the lines of  Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" or Stephen King's "Children of the Corn") or that of the "evil doll" (as in the "Child's Play" film series or in "Annabelle"—which coincidentally is the title of a novel by Jensen, though unrelated to the film). Ruby cultivated an enthusiastic following and her paperbacks have become sought-after collectibles. Bibliography. Novels. Published by Warner Paperback Library Published by Manor Books Published by Leisure Books Published by TOR Books Published by Zebra Books