"I turn the rhythm of dance to the rhythm of writing." Since age 12, Nancy Mondi was infatuated with Italian art and culture. After watching "A Room With a View" in 1988, she ventured a solo trip to Florence and landed in her own room with a view of the Arno River. She has worked in creative advertising at 20th Century Fox, taught ballet at the San Francisco Ballet Education and Colorado Ballet Academy, and performed with Colorado Ballet. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado, and served as a Board Member of the Palm Springs Writers Guild. She began writing "The Italian Spirit" 15 years ago, but had to take a long pause to recover from a brain injury in 2010. She now lives in Loveland, Colorado near the foot of Rocky Mountain National Park with her husband and Westie dog. Nancy enjoys gardening; visiting beaches; singing in the church choir; and staying active with baseball, tennis, and ballroom dance alongside her husband Raymond.