SHARP, Anne Wallace 1947-

PERSONAL: Born April 2, 1947, in Durham, NC; daughter of Charles Brook, Jr. and Grace (Woodward) Wallace; married John Edward Sharp, June, 1968 (divorced, May, 1985); children: Christine Sharp Inesta. Education: Charlotte Memorial School of Nursing, R.N., 1967; Wright State University, B.A. (history). Politics: Independent. Religion: Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, travel.

ADDRESSES: Home—1867 North Longview St., Beavercreek, OH 45432. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Registered nurse at various hospitals in Dayton, OH, 1979-96; freelance journalist and author, 1994—. Military service: U.S. Air Force, 1967-69, became first lieutenant.

WRITINGS:

FOR CHILDREN

Daring Pirate Women, Lerner (Minneapolis, MN), 2002.

The Inuit, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2002.

The Blackfeet, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2002.

Australia, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2002.

Pacific Islands, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2003.

The Gypsies, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2003.

Caribbean, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2003.

The Amazon, Lucent Books (San Diego, CA), 2004.

OTHER

(With Susan Handle Terbay) Gifts: Two Hospice Professionals Reveal Messages from Those Passing On (inspirational), New Horizon Press (Far Hills, NJ), 1997.

SIDELIGHTS: Anne Wallace Sharp is a nonfiction writer whose first book grew out of her experiences as a nurse working in a hospice setting. Gifts: Two Hospice Professionals Reveal Messages from Those Passing On, written with Susan Handle Terbay, is a collection of stories and reminiscences from hospice workers about what they have learned from their patients about the meaning of life. Karen McNally Bensing called Gifts "an excellent addition to spirituality and thanatology collections" in her Library Journal review.

After her first work, Sharp turned to writing young-adult histories, including Daring Pirate Women, which offers an overview of the history of pirating with special attention paid to female pirates such as Mary Read, Anne Bonny, and others. Sharp selects pirates from non-English countries as well, provides documentation for her theses, and suggests that piracy may have been an outlet for independent young women with few or no other options. "The book is well suited to report writing and may interest independent readers," observed Kathleen Simonetta in School Library Journal.

"Even as a child, I dreamed of one day becoming a writer," Sharp told CA. "That dream came to fruition in late 1996 with the publication of Gifts, a book I coauthored with a friend and fellow hospice professional. Gifts is a compilation of hospice stories. Its focus is on the experiences of hospice workers while caring for the terminally ill and their families.

"Shortly after the publication of that book, I was forced to retire from nursing because of a disabling illness called fibromyalgia. While unable to work, I decided to pursue my childhood dream of writing. I was successful in having numerous articles published by a variety of magazines. In early 2001, I was approached by two publishing companies—Lerner Books and Lucent Books—about submitting manuscripts. The result was Daring Pirate Women for Lerner and The Inuit for Lucent. Since that time I have continued my association with Lucent Books and have written … other books for that company.

"With a history degree in my background, I have always been interested in the indigenous cultures of the world, and my work with Lucent Books has enabled me to put that interest to full use. Daring Women Pirates came about after visiting the Outer Banks of North Carolina and reading about the pirates who haunted those shores.

"While unable to write for long periods of time due to my illness, I nonetheless take advantage of the time I can. Writing has enabled me to move forward in my life despite the pain and discomfort of my disability."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 15, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of The Gypsies, p. 1461.

Library Journal, November 1, 1996, review of Gifts, pp. 95-96.

School Library Journal, August, 2002, Kathleen Simonetta, review of Daring Pirate Women, p. 216; January, 2003, Marion F. Gallivan, review of Australia, p. 170; July, 2003, Elizabeth Stumpf, review of The Gypsies, p. 149.