FULL BIOGRAPHY (1300 words)
(Last updated: August 16, 2023)
Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is a multiple award-winning author of fiction for both adults and children. She writes novels, novellas, short stories, and poetry. MaryAnn is also a fine artist and works in oils, acrylics, pastels, colored pencil, and pen-and ink.
In 1979, MaryAnn accepted the call of God on her life to become a writer. Since then, she has written several hundred articles, short stories, and poems that have appeared in over 100 national magazines, newspapers, and journals, including The Saturday Evening Post, Billy Graham’s Decision Magazine, The Press of Atlantic City, and Human Events. She also served as head writer for a regional television series entitled Teen Machine.
MaryAnn’s popular syndicated column, Winning with the Word, was published for several years in newspapers throughout the state of New Jersey. It is now published via the Internet as a blog and in podcast form and reaches 71 countries throughout the world. To subscribe to this free weekly devotional, click here.
MaryAnn has also served as a syndicated columnist for the AMY Foundation Internet Syndicate. She has authored seven novels: The Madonna of Pisano, A Sicilian Farewell, Return to Bella Terra —all part of The Italian Chronicles Trilogy; In Black and White, Miracle in Milan, The Captain and Mrs. Vye, and The Rabbi and Mrs. Goldstein, all stand-alone novels; two novellas: A Christmas Homecoming and Surrender to Love; and several short stories, including The Antique Clock, Fire-Engine Love, Love by Divine Appointment, Mistletoe Christmas, The Trunk in the Attic, and Blind Date.
Her nonfiction publications include Breaking the Mind Barrier, The Iron Saint, You Were Made for Greatness (originally titled Selling Yourself on You), The Daystar Devotional, God Speaks to Me, From the Treadmill to the Balance Beam, Beyond the Grave, After You’re Born Again, A Student’s Guide to Nathanial Hawthorne, A Student’s Guide to Herman Melville, and A Student’s Guide to Mark Twain--all part of the Outstanding American Authors Series.
MaryAnn has also been a contributor to several books, including My Turn to Care (Thomas Nelson), Religious Writer’s Marketplace (Abingdon Press), The Young Generation Book of Short Stories, Rest Stops for Busy Moms (Broadman & Holman), Rest Stops for Teachers (Broadman & Holman), The Heart of a Teacher (Bethany House), God Answers Mom’s Prayers (God Allows U-Turns series, Harvest House), and Mastering the Art of Success (Insight Publishing).
MaryAnn has also authored five booklets: Dating Etiquette for Christian Teens, Balancing Your Budget God’s Way, Making Your Marriage Work, Writing Fiction for Children, and Writing Non-Fiction for Children.
In 1990, MaryAnn won the $4000 Third Place Award in the Annual AMY Writing Awards Program for her article entitled “From Feminism to Freedom.” Her short story entitled “The Birthmark” placed fifth in the 1990 National Writers’ Club Short Story Contest and ranked in the top 100 in the 1990 Writer’s Digest Short Story Contest. She has also received an Honorable Mention award from TAKE ONE Radio Theatre for a radio script. In 1992, she was awarded the Second Place Prize in the Novel Category at the St. Davids Christian Writers’ Conference. In 2006, she placed third in the ACFW Genesis Contest Women’s Fiction category for her novel Sicilian Sunrise. In 2009, Sicilian Sunrise placed second in the Inspirational Category of the East Texas RWA Southern Heat Contest. In 2011, her novel won First Place in the Inspirational Category of the Colorado RWA Heart of the Rockies contest and First Place in the Inspirational Category of the Space Coast Launching a Star contest. It also placed Second in the Historical Category of the 2011 Romance Writers’ Ink Where the Magic Begins contest. Eventually Sicilian Sunrise became The Madonna of Pisano, Book 1 in MaryAnn’s popular trilogy, The Italian Chronicles. In 2022, MaryAnn’s novel, Miracle in Milan, was a finalist in the Faith, Hope, & Love Reader’s Choice Awards contest.
MaryAnn has appeared on several radio and television talk shows, including the nation-wide LeSea Alive program hosted by the late Dr. Lester Sumrall, By the Book hosted by Debbie Williams, and Women of Grace hosted by Kelly McCausey. She has also been interviewed on WDAS (Philadelphia), WIBG (South Jersey), WNNN (South Jersey), and The Rich Zeoli Show on Philadelphia 1210 Talk Radio. She has been featured on The Christian Authors Show, Andrea Boeshaa’rs,The Story behind the Story, on Dr. Pam Morrison’s podcast “Rooted by the Stream,” and most recently on A Cup of Gratitude, a podcast hosted by Amanda Schaefer.
Articles about MaryAnn’s writing have appeared in The Press of Atlantic City, The Daily Journal, The Millville News, The Bridgeton Evening News, and The Times Herald of her hometown of Norristown, Pennsylvania.
MaryAnn has served as a distinguished judge for the annual AMY Writing Awards Program, the annual Capitol Writers Writing Contest (Washington, DC area), the annual American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis Contest, and the ACFW First Impressions Contest. She is listed in International Who’s Who, Who’s Who in the East, International Authors and Writers Who’s Who, Dictionary of International Biography, The World Who’s Who of Women, Who’s Who in the World, The International Who’s Who of Professional and Business Women, The National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in Finance and Business. Most important of all, MaryAnn rejoices that she is listed in The Lamb’s Book of Life!
A graduate of the University of Kansas where she earned the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in French and Comparative Literature, MaryAnn also holds the Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) degree in Christian Counseling from Christian Leadership University. She has taught Italian at the University of Kansas, French at the Pitman High School in Pitman, New Jersey, English, French, Spanish, and Creative Writing at the Fairton Christian Center Academy in Fairton, New Jersey, French and Italian at Cumberland County College in Vineland, New Jersey, and Writing and Public Speaking at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. She also served as Assistant Professor of Italian and Spanish at Camden County College in Blackwood, NJ, as Adjunct Professor of Biblical Business Principles at New Life Bible College in Millville, NJ, as Adjunct Professor of Writing at Nottingham-Trent University (United Kingdom), and as Adjunct Online Professor of French and Fiction Writing at Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA.
MaryAnn has served on the faculty of several writers’ conferences, including the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, the St. Davids Christian Writers Conference, the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers’ Conference, the Sandy Cove Christian Writers’ Conference, and The New Jersey Society of Christian Writers’ Seminar. She has also taught webinars for the San Gabriel Writers League and American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a graduate of the three-year program of Rhema Correspondence Bible School, a diplomate of The Institute of Children’s Literature, and a graduate of CLASS (Christian Leaders, Authors, and Speakers Services).
In 1984, MaryAnn founded Daystar Communications, later known as Daystar Ministries International. She ran this ministry until 2005, at which point it was incorporated into MaryAnn’s other ministries and is now known as MaryAnn Diorio Enterprises, LLC.
In addition to being a novelist, MaryAnn is a Certified Life Coach, a Certified Health Coach, a Certified Behavioral Consultant, and a Certified Biblical Counselor, as well as a gifted Bible teacher and speaker whose heart’s desire is to help people become all that God created them to be. She teaches the Word of God at her church.
In her Coaching practice, MaryAnn helps define their writing mission and fulfill it. You can learn more about MaryAnn’s coaching services at www.maryanndiorio.com/coaching.
Dr. MaryAnn is a member in good standing of the following organizations:
- American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW)
- Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers
- Christian Coaches Network International
For all that God has done and continues to do. MaryAnn gives Him all the praise and all the glory.
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Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.