Christina grew up in an Italian family and enjoyed many Italian traditions, including large family meals and extravagant weddings.  These occassions exposed her to the rich and colorful tapestry of Italian food, life and traditions, as well as the all-important Italian culture of respect and loyalty.  In her college years, Christina continued to learn the psychology and sociology of individuals and cultures and their inner-workings in different environments.  Having a natural intuition for understanding the nature of individuals and their internal thought processes, she has fused different personalities to create her unique characters.  Christina has used her experiences, education and vibrant imagination to create her debut novel 'The Italian Rose'.  Christina lives with her husband, David, in the suburbs of Kansas City, MO.  She also has two sons, Jackson and Lucas, two step-children Ray and Liz and three Papillons, Sam, Pepper and Mizzou.