Lina Simoni was born in Genoa, Italy and has been a resident of the US since 1988. She is the author of two novels, award-winning "The Scent of Rosa's Oil" (Kensington 2008,translated into German and Greek) and "The House of Serenades" (Moonleaf Publishing 2012). She is also the author of "Sofia's Rainbow" (Laura Furlan illustrator), a children's book that donates to children's literacy programs. At the moment she is working on her third novel, "The Cabinet Spell," and on a collection of short stories. Simoni lives in California with her two cocker spaniels, Biscuit and Simon.