Scarpaci, Sherry

PERSONAL:

Divorced; children: two sons. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, baking, and walking.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Chicago, IL. E-mail—sherryscarpaci@yahoo.com.

CAREER:

Writer. Worked as a freelance writer for Women's World magazine for approximately six years and at Linear Electric for approximately thirteen years.

WRITINGS:

Lullaby, Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2007.

Contributor to Woman's World and Star.

SIDELIGHTS:

Fiction writer Sherry Scarpaci lives in the Chicago, Illinois area and has two children who are now adults. She contributed articles to Women's World as a freelance writer for approximately six years before joining Linear Electric, where she has remained for over thirteen years as a full-time employee. Scarpaci published Lullaby in 2007 through Five Star press. In an interview with Sandra Parshall for Poe's Deadly Daughters, Scarpaci discussed the difficulties she encountered when attempting to release her novel to the public and then again with the many adjustments she made prepublication at the request of several publishing houses. Scarpaci commented on her process of revision and stated that the editing of her own work was the most difficult "by far" and that she "had to learn to be brutal and get rid of things" even when she found them valuable. She also found the length of time that was required "to actually get the book into print" surprising, and she acknowledged that she had "been fortunate enough to have some very nice press."

Lullaby's plot centers on the strong female character Vickie Langford, a former police officer, and her commitment to prove the innocence of a man who was believed to be responsible for several crimes at the time of his death. In the course of her investigation into the actual events surrounding both the man's death and the offenses he allegedly committed, Langford's son is kidnapped and another murder is discovered. Consequently, Langford receives assistance from detective Jim McCann, and together they identify the real criminal behind the crimes perpetrated throughout the novel. Crystal Johnson, in an essay for Round Table Reviews, called the novel "a good mystery peppered with just a touch of sweet romance." Johnson also expressed that she "would highly recommend" the book. Likewise, Harriet Klausner reported that Lullaby "is an exciting suspense thriller starring an interesting heroine" and that "fans of tense mysteries will appreciate Sherry Scarpaci's strong debut," in her article for Genre Go Round Reviews. In addition, Front Street Reviews contributor Diane Kasperski found Langford's character to be "a strong heroine with a resolve to prove her theory is correct, almost to the point of obsession." Kasperski concluded that, in considering Scarpaci's experience working for a magazine publication as a writer, "it is to her credit that she took the jump into writing a novel" and that Scarpaci's "writing skills are evident" in Lullaby.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2007, review of Lullaby.

ONLINE

Front Street Reviews Web site,http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/ (June 30, 2008), Diane Kasperski, review of Lullaby.

Genre Go Round Reviews Web site,http://genregoroundreviews.blogspot.com/ (June 30, 2008), Harriet Klausner, review of Lullaby.

Official Sherry Scarpaci Web site,http://www.sherryscarpaci.com (June 30, 2008), author profile.

Poe's Deadly Daughters Blog,http://poesdeadlydaughters.blogspot.com/ (June 30, 2008), Sandra Parshall, interview with Sherry Scarpaci.

Roundtable Reviews Web site, http://www.roundtablereviews.com/ (June 30, 2008), Crystal Johnson, review of Lullaby.