Local author Carol Bartolomucci will host book signing at Whitesboro Public Library on May 12

Sadler resident and lifelong journalist Carol Bartolomucci has published her first book, a biography called, “One Day All Will Be Well.” She will have a book signing on May 12 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Whitesboro Public Library. All are welcome to attend.

As a young girl growing up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Bartolomucci was an awkward child. Tall and slender, she had to wear corrective shoes as well as a patch over one eye to correct amblyopia that caused her to appear cross-eyed.

Despite being teased about her appearance, Bartolomucci was incredibly bright. Though she didn’t speak until the age of five, she could write words on the blackboard and caused her teachers to urge her parents to allow her to skip several grades (which they wouldn’t allow).

At the age of 13, her parents divorced and she moved to London when her mother remarried a military man who was transferred there. Her senior year, she one day awoke and felt a true transformation. She overcame her shyness and had a sudden desire to see and do everything in the world (as long as it was legal and morally right).

Bartolomucci eventually earned a business management degree and ultimately wound up in the world of journalism. While her forte was feature stories, she became interested in investigative reporting. Assignments took her down several dangerous paths, working with police on drug surveillance, shootings and being followed by criminals. 

Every opportunity that came along, Bartolomucci’s instinct was to say, “Yes!” From sky diving and flying in a fighter jet to busting a beagling ring, there was nothing that scared her away. As such, she gained a lifetime of fascinating (and often hard to believe) stories.

In 2024, while living in Sadler, Bartolomucci began sharing some of these stories with her church’s interim pastor. Rickey Hargrave has a lengthy career of ministry. From chaplaincy and pastoral care to providing spiritual aid during events like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, Hargrave had been serving as the interim pastor at Southmayd Baptist Church for just 16 months when he met Bartolomucci.

The two hit it off right away, and he would fact check the wild stories Bartolomucci would share with him. Once he confirmed their validity, he urged her to write a biography. He encouraged her to jot down her stories as they came to her, and she would write things down.

“She was really good at writing feature stories, but not when they were about herself,” he said. “The more I pushed her, the better her stories got.” 

One day he showed up at her house with a recorder, then left. Bartolomucci began recording her stories and, once she got the bug, she started writing.

Hargrave offered helpful advice and tips, as he himself was a published author. He guided her through copyright and the publishing process. He also added some theology to the book.

In November 2025, Bartolomucci completed her book. The 82-year-old journalist-turned-author is happy to share her life’s stories.

“I really wrote the book for my son, grandkids and great-grandkids,” Bartolomucci said. “Everyone ought to leave a record of their heritage for their kids.”

Hargrave is excited for people to read about Bartolomucci’s life’s adventures and be inspired by all that she’s done in her lifetime.

“This book is filled with experiences that most people – especially women – will not ever experience,” Hargrave said. “It has a sense of excitement and danger. My hope is that if young girls read it, they’ll be inspired to do more than what’s expected of them. There are so many opportunities for young women, especially those in smaller towns. There’s something more.”

Bartolomucci describes herself as a barrier breaker, someone who was ahead of her time.

“I just want to try things,” she said. “I’ve always had a desire to do everything. I’ve never looked to the danger. I wouldn’t change anything. In fact, I think I’d do more.”