Looking Out the Window: Dr. MaryAnn Diorio Talks about Her New Book, Miracle in Milan. Gives Away an E-Book
A Warm Welcome to Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
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Hi MaryAnn, first, tell us a little about yourself.
I was born again 50 years ago and have had an adventurous life walking with Jesus. My wonderful husband and I have been married for 51 years and are parents to two amazing adult daughters, parents-in-law to a very smart son-in-law, and grandparents to six rambunctious grandchildren. Although I formally trained to be a college professor of foreign languages—a career I pursued for a while—when I was thirty years old, God called me to write for Him. I now write fiction for both adults and children and am loving it. Thus far, I’ve published five novels and two novellas for adults, and seven books for children.
Why do you write?
To point people to Jesus Christ.
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest novel is titled Miracle in Milan. It is set in Milan, Italy, and is the story of a young, female auditor who discovers convincing evidence that the man she loves is an embezzler.
Oh dear. In three words describe your style of writing.
Entertaining. Truthful. Transformational
How do you get to know your characters?
I use Susan May Warren’s “Story Equation” where I explore my characters from the inside out. I discover their deepest wounds, their greatest fears, and their biggest dreams. I also explore the lie they believe, the flaws resulting from believing that lie, what they really want in life, and why they want it. I craft my stories based on all of the above.
What themes do you write about?
I don’t set out to write about a particular theme, but thus far, the theme of forgiveness has emerged from all of my stories. I believe that the reason for this is that I have had to do much forgiving in my own life. I have also had to ask much for forgiveness.
What is your writing schedule and where do you write?
I follow a pretty strict regimen of writing five days a week--sometimes six—from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. I am very serious about my writing schedule and treat my writing as a job. I dress for work and report to my writing studio at 9 a.m. sharp. My writing studio is a spare bedroom on the second floor of my home.
Do you have to juggle writing with a job, family responsibilities or other obligations? How do you balance it?
In my early years of writing, when my children were small, I had to juggle writing with a teaching job, family responsibilities, and a church ministry. In order to balance my life, I maximized short periods of time. I knew I would rarely have an extended block of time in which to write, so I wrote in five and ten-minute snippets of time. For example, I would write a sentence or two, or a paragraph, while I waited with my children in the pediatrician’s office. I also wrote while stopped at a red traffic light. The person behind me always let me know when the light turned green. By utilizing these snippets of time, I ended up with a great deal of writing.
Does your faith affect your writing? If so, how?
My faith informs my writing as it does my life. I seek to present the truth of God’s Word through story. I also seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as I write each story. I feel as though I am His pen, writing the story of His heart.
What are you working on right now?
I’m currently working on a novella titled The Captain and Mrs. Vye that I hope to receive for Christmas. It is a historical romance set in the late 19th century in Cape May, New Jersey.
What is the coolest, wackiest, most risk-taking thing you’ve ever done?
I walked on the crater of Mt. Vesuvius, a volcano in Naples, Italy.
Oh, that sounds exciting.
More About Miracle in Milan
When a young, female auditor discovers evidence that the man she loves is an embezzler, she must choose between ruining him or ruining herself.
Amy Torelli, Chief Auditor for New York City-based Enson Pharmaceuticals, is assigned to audit the books of Enson's Italian branch in the enchanting city of Milan, Italy. Having made an inner vow never to trust a man again because of her father's betrayal, Amy finds herself falling in love with Enson Italia's American-born Vice-President, Ted McMasters. Will Ted be the one to cause her to break her inner vow?
Ted McMasters is on the run. A run from rejection. From himself. From God. Having been wounded by a father who made him feel worthless, and having been dumped by the woman he wanted to marry, Ted is determined to keep all women at bay. But will Amy be the reason he changes his mind?
Buy at My Book Table
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Yes, I’d like to encourage all who read this to make sure they’ve forgiven everyone who has ever hurt them and to make sure they have asked forgiveness of those whom they have hurt. There is a sobering verse in Matthew 6: 15 that says this: “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” If God does not forgive us of our sins, we are lost forever. We have a compassionate God Who is willing and ready to forgive us. All we have to do is to repent.
Mary Ann Shares an Article about Forgiveness
(AUTHOR’S NOTE: I originally wrote this article one Christmas, but I believe it applies throughout the year.)
CHRISTMAS! The word evokes many feelings, depending on our experiences. For some, Christmas is a happy time, filled with beautiful memories and joyful expectations. For others, Christmas is a depressing time, a season one wants “to get over with” as quickly as possible because of bad memories associated with this time of year.
Having ministered to people for many years, I have come to the conclusion that depressing memories at Christmas time are most often related to problems of unforgiveness. Hurts from the past become more pronounced during the Christmas season, but the reason those hurts still affect us is that we have not let go of the bitterness associated with them. In short, we have not forgiven the people who have hurt us.
Why do most people have such a difficult time forgiving? I believe the main reason is that they do not understand what forgiveness really means. If you are one of those people, what follows may help you:
LET’S LOOK AT WHAT FORGIVENESS IS NOT:
• Forgiveness is NOT letting someone off the hook.
• Forgiveness is NOT condoning evil.
• Forgiven is NOT being a doormat.
• Forgiveness is NOT having to trust again the person who hurt you.
• Forgiveness is NOT a feeling.
• Forgiveness is NOT an option.
NOW LET’S LOOK AT WHAT FORGIVENESS IS:
• Forgiveness IS taking the person who hurt you off of your hook and placing him on God’s hook, then praying that God will have mercy on him.
• Forgiveness IS acknowledging that evil was done but choosing to bear the consequences of that evil without retaliation.
• Forgiveness IS taking charge of your emotions.
• Forgiveness IS setting boundaries with the person who hurt you, even refusing temporary or permanent interaction with that person, if necessary. An example would be a wife who is being beaten by her husband.
• Forgiveness IS a decision.
• Forgiveness IS obedience to God’s commandment to forgive.
No matter how badly you have been hurt, choose to forgive. It’s the best thing you can do for your own well-being. Unforgiveness chains you emotionally to the person who hurt you. Forgiveness breaks that chain and sets you free.
What better time is there than the Christmas season to forgive those who have hurt us? The very essence of Christmas is the truth that God forgave humanity through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Who are we not to forgive when God has forgiven us?
So this Christmas, forgive! But don’t just forgive. Ask to be forgiven. As the Word of God tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All of us need not only to forgive but also to be forgiven. And as long as we are on this earth, it is never too late to forgive or to be forgiven.
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Copyright 2015-2021 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Bio: MaryAnn Diorio is a widely published, award-winning author of fiction for adults and children. Her latest release, Miracle in Milan, is about a young, female auditor who discovers evidence that the man she loves is an embezzler. MaryAnn has also published The Italian Chronicles Trilogy (The Madonna of Pisano, A Siciilian Farewell, and Return to Bella Terra); In Black and White (First Place Winner in Historical Fiction in the 2020 Christian Indie Awards Contest): Surrender to Love (A Novella); and A Christmas Homecoming (A Novella and winner of the Silver Medal in Ebook Fiction in the 2015 Illumination Book Awards Contest). MaryAnn has also written seven books for children. Her eighth, Penelope Pumpernickel: Dynamic Detective, Book 2 in the Penelope Pumpernickel Series of chapter books for six-to-ten-year-olds, will be released in June.
MaryAnn has been married for 51 years to her awesome husband Dom, a retired ER physician. They are parents to two amazing adult daughters, parents-in-love to a very smart son-in-law, and grandparents to six rambunctious children. When not writing, MaryAnn loves to paint, play the piano and mandolin, and make up silly songs with her grandchildren.
Comments
Many blessings to you! And thank you for commenting!
MaryAnn :)