​Maria was born in the Republic of San Marino, an enclave in the Apennine Mountains of northern Italy. It is one of the smallest independent states in Europe with a population of 34,000.  At the age of five, she immigrated to the United States with her family and settled in the Midwest.

 

From the time she first set foot in an American school, English became her favorite subject and reading became her favorite pastime.  After graduation, she went on to obtain a paralegal degree and worked in the legal field for almost 20 years where she enjoyed working alongside lawyers helping them get their cases ready for trial. 

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After raising three children and living on the east coast as well as the west coast, she and her husband retired to the state of Nevada. There she joined the High Sierra Writers so she could finally pursue her true passion: writing.

 

When she is not busy writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling the world, and hiking the beautiful Sierra Nevada landscape with her husband and  "soul mate" of over 37 years.