Michelle Damiani

An Italian cafe. A barista with an eye for trouble. And a village determined to create as much as possible. Chiara has presided over the espresso machine at Bar Birbo for as long as anyone can remember. In Santa Lucia, this is the only place to go for a cappuccino served with a side of gossip...

A ruined castle. A town picking up the pieces. And a mysterious stranger who could change everything. The fire may be out, but smoke and suspicion still linger in Santa Lucia. Though the townspeople still gather for espresso at the town cafe and swap recipes at the butcher shop, their iridescent...

Old secrets. New lies. An Italian village on the brink of catastrophe. Things are changing in Santa Lucia, and not necessarily for the better. As the town's residents move through their daily lives, finding love, friendship, and themselves, the past starts to catch up with them...and spill its...

Rumors. Romance. And more than a little espresso. Santa Lucia has seen a lot of changes, and they've made life for the villagers harder than they ever imagined. Creating a working vineyard. Parenting a teenage daughter. Romance with the mayor. Being gay in a quintessential Italian village. None...

When Michelle Damiani dreamed of living in Italy, she imagined her family as it was in Virginia - her husband filling every moment with work, her teenage son experimenting with sarcasm, her daughter smiling at the scent of lilacs, her baby-cheeked son methodically clicking Legos together, and...