Rose Marie Boyd

Rose Marie Boyd grew up in an Italian section of Trenton, New Jersey, called "The Burg." To the background music of her mother's native tongue, she danced around old world customs and traditions practiced by the local immigrants who lived there. Her favorite annual tradition, the "Feast of the Lights," a weeklong festival in honor of the Madonna di Cassandrino, was celebrated in the streets just outside her doorstep.

With the Americanization of her first name and then marriage, Rosa Maria Maisto became Rose Marie Boyd. However, a few old friends and many relatives still prefer to use her Italian name.

A graduate of Trenton State College, she relocated to Prescott, Arizona, ten years ago. As she basked under the Southwest sun, the writing bug decided to bite her. Since then, she's been expressing her creativity through poetry and novels.

An avid reader, she enjoys critiquing a bestseller or an old classic with the women in her monthly book group. The author also loves a competitive game of tennis and volunteers for an adult literacy program, The American Red Cross and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.