Debbie Belmessieri was born in 1953 in San Francisco, California, a third generation Bay Area native on her mother's side. Her paternal grandparents immigrated from a small village near Florence in the 1920s and established their new home in San Francisco. With many "sweet" childhood memories of visiting her grandmother's candy plant and her grandfather's chocolate factory, she would be the first to tell you that anyone's path to healing should include lots of chocolate! Working for a major airline for over twenty-five years has afforded her the opportunity to travel extensively and to live in Florence for a brief period where she studied Renaissance Art. In 1978 she was the first U.S.-born family member to journey to Italy and become acquainted with her Italian relatives and the country of her ancestry. She holds a Master's degree in health science and now lives in San Jose, California with her daughter Michelle. She is currently writing a children's book and plans to begin a second novel in the near future.