Carey was born in 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois. After receiving B.A. degrees in psychology and English literature from Lake Forest College, she spent six months living in London and working in a bookstore, and traveling once her work permit expired. Upon returning to the U.S., she began her writing career while working at a local college. Her debut novel was Kushiel's Dart. In the fall of 1998, Jacqueline's story, "Jazznight", was included in I-94: A Collection of Southwest Michigan Writers. Previous publications include various short stories, essays and a nonfiction book