MaryAnn Diorio Books
"Heart-Mending Fiction for Women"
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The Official Newsletter of Author MaryAnn Diorio
https://www.maryanndiorio.com
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FULL DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from the sale of my books and other qualifying purchases.
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MaryAnn Diorio writes women’s fiction from a small, quaint, Victorian town in southern New Jersey where neighbors still stop to chat while walking their dogs, houses still sport wide, wrap-around front porches, and the charming downtown still finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A true Jersey girl, MaryAnn is a big fan of Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore.
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IN THIS ISSUE . . .
__A Word in Due Season
__On the Homefront
__Clearance Sale: 25% OFF
__New Newsletter Features
___The Inside Story
___My Happy Places
___Your Turn
__July Giveaway
__The Inside Story
__Website Update
__Award Announcement
__My Happy Places
__My New Product Line
__Join the Diorio Champions
__Your Turn
__Recipe Rack
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A WORD IN DUE SEASON
by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD
Dear ,
This month is one of the most exciting months of my life because my younger daughter Gina will be getting married to a wonderful, Godly man who loves the Lord with all his heart. Tito is a graduate of West Point Military Academy and a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. My husband and I are so happy for Gina and Tito, and we pray God's blessings on their union.
Please join me in congratulating Gina and Tito on this marriage ordained by God.
Speaking of marriage, all of us who have born again through Jesus Christ will one day soon celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. At this great Supper, we will rejoice in knowing that our Beloved Lord Jesus will be ours and we will be His for all eternity. We have a foretaste of that joy now, but after we are raptured, we will experience it in all its fullness.
Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? If not, receive Him now so that you, too, can share in the Bride's joy at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. To learn how to be born again, CLICK HERE.
Love and Blessings,
MaryAnn
THE HAPPY COUPLE
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Last month we celebrated my granddaughter's Sweet 16th Birthday with a lovely Tea Party. It was a surprise party, and she was surprised!
Here are a couple of pictures from the happy event:
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I am closing out my print book inventory. All books are on sale at 25% off.
This is a great opportuntiy to stock up on your summer reading list, Christmas gifts, and gifts for special occasions. Books make great gifts!
The sale begins today, July 1, 2022, and ends at 11:59 PM Eastern time, July 15.
Don't delay! Once these books are sold, I will have none left in my inventory to autograph for you as I do not plan to restock.
1. Go to the link below for the complete list of books on sale.
https://maryanndiorio.com/clearance-sale
2. Once you've selected the books you want, send the titles to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com with the word SALE in the subject line.3. You will then receive an invoice for the total cost plus shipping and, if you live in New Jersey, sales tax amount.
This is a great time for you to build your summer reading list and to order books for Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, and those other special occasions for gift-giving.
To order, click below.
https://maryanndiorio.com/clearance-sale
PLEASE NOTE: This sale is only for you, my valued Reader Team Members, in appreciation for your support of my writing ministry. Please do not share this link with others. Thank you!
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NEW NEWSLETTER FEATURES
This month, I'm excited to add a couple of new features to my newsletter.
1) THE INSIDE STORY: In this section, I will give you a glimpse each month of my personal life as a writer. I will share the ups and downs of the writing life--and, yes, there are downs, as there are in everyone's life.
2) MY HAPPY PLACES: This is a new fun feature where I will share with you places in my environment that make me especially happy.
3. YOUR TURN: This section is for YOU! This is your place to share ideas and suggestions for improving my newsletter and our Diorio Champion Facebook Group. It is also the place to share your ideas for story ideas and themes you'd like me to write about, character names, settings, etc.
I hope you enjoy these new features as much as I've enjoyed planning them. :)
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JULY GIVEAWAY . . .
It's Christmas in July here at Reader Team Headquarters! Merry Christmas! :)
I want to celebrate by giving away a free copy of my popular short story, "Fire-Engine Love."
To get your free copy, CLICK HERE:
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THE INSIDE STORY . . .
We've all heard the saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side." Well, that saying seems to apply a lot to what people think the writer's life is like.
Let me give you an inside glimpse of what my writing life is like. I think you'll discover that my life is not the glamorous life you may think it is. But it is a good life with the usual ups and downs that all of us face.
So, here's one day in the life of Novelist MaryAnn Diorio.
__I get up around 4:00 AM to spend time with the Lord. I love the early hours of the morning when no one else is awake but the birds singing outside my window and me.
During this quiet time, I start by reading Oswald Chambers' devotional for the day from his classic book, My Utmost for His Highest. Then I spend time reading and studying my Bible, praying, writing in my journal as I listen to the Holy Spirit for His instructions for me that day, memorizing Scripture (some days), and reading a book on spiritual growth. Currently, I'm finishing up Knowing God by J.I. Packer. An excellent book, by the way!
It usually takes me two to three hours to accomplish all of the above. At 7:00 AM, my daughter Gina calls me and we chat for a few moments. Then I go down to my basement where my treadmill and elliptical machine are located. There I spend about 30 minutes stretching and exercising on one of the machines--depending on which one I feel inclined to use that day. While exercising, I listen to a podcast, either about writing or about the Bible.
After exercise, I take a shower, get dressed, put on makeup (Yes! I put on makeup!), and have breakfast with my husband. After breakfast, I brush my teeth and go up to my writing studio. It's nine o'clock by this time. I stay in my writing studio until noon. Sometimes, I take a mid-morning break for a second cup of coffee.
While writing, I encounter many challenges. For example, I may stare at a blank screen, wondering what to write and praying for Holy Spirit to inspire me. Or I may get distracted by a spam call when I forget to turn off my phone. Sometimes, my computer suddenly freezes when I'm on a roll writing a story. At times, my printer won't print, and I have to wrestle with it to get it working again. On a few panic-inducing occasions, I have lost my entire manuscript in cyberspace.
Still at other times, our alarm system goes off accidentally, sending screeching sounds throughout the house and shaking my composure. Talk about the suspension of disbelief! It's one thing to be jerked out of a story while reading it, but it's quite another to be jerked out of a story while writing it.
At noon, I go downstairs to have lunch with my husband. In the afternoon, I return to my writing studio and work for another hour or two. Then my husband and I go out somewhere--shopping, for ice cream, or to a local park just to sit and talk.
When we come back, I prepare dinner. We have dinner around 5:00 PM. On Sunday and Wednesday evenings, my husband and I attend Zoom church meetings. Friday night is our Date Night. We sometimes go out to dinner at Brio's, a favorite Italian restaurant in our area, or my husband makes homemade pizza which we enjoy while watching a good movie at home.
So, there you have my typical week day. Weekends are different as we spend them sometimes going to our grandchildren's soccer games and having Sunday dinner at our house with our children and grandchildren. My hubby is a master chef! My own Italian-born mother wanted his recipe for gravy (aka spaghetti sauce, depending on where you live.). Now you can't get a better compliment than that!
So, bottomline, here's the truth about life. The grass is always greener where we water it. :)
If you liked my new Inside Story feature, be sure to let me know. I don't want to bore you with news in which you are not interested, but if you are, it would help to give me a heads-up. You can reach me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. Thanks! :)
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WEBSITE UPDATE
I am excited to share that I have updated my website! Please stop by to catch up on new fun, faith, and fellowship--and books! :)
Just CLICK HERE to check out the updated site. Here is my new website banner:
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Announcing Reader's Choice Award for Miracle in Milan!
I want to praise God for allowing Miracle in Milan to place as a Finalist in the Romantic Suspense Catetory of the 2022 Reader's Choice Award, a contest sponsored by Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers.
You can purchase a copy of Miracle in Milan at one of the affiliate links below:
PRINT
EBOOK
AUDIOBOOK
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MY HAPPY PLACES . . .
As I was looking around my house recently, I realized that I have several delightful spots that make me especially happy. I decided to call these spots "My Happy Places" and to share them with you.
Do you have "Happy Places" in your home, or maybe outside your home? If so, please send me your photos, and I will publish them in an upcoming newsletter.
If you don't have "Happy Places," start creating a few and then share them with us.
Here are a few of my Happy Places:
Top Left: I love seashells and anything related to the beach. These are shells I've collected over the years. The white stones in the wooden bowl are from the shores of the Delaware Bay.
Top Right: This is my Happy Place where I practice my cello. To the left (and not visible) is my husband's matching chair where he has his violin. We have fun practicing together. We will never be invited to Carnegie Hall, but we enjoy ourselves making music together.
Bottom: This is our backyard where my hubby and I love to sit in the afternoon or evening. The pinwheels give me great delight when they spin in the breeze. They are a gift from our daughter Lia. To our left (and not seen) is a lovely-sounding wind chime, a gift from my dear friend Mary Atkinson, a precious member of my Reader Team as well.
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MY NEW PRODUCT LINE . . .
Check out my new line of notebooks with covers featuring my art and photography.
You will find lined notebooks and blank sketchbooks. Just go to the link below:
MaryAnn's Original Notebook Designs
You will find a wide variety of notebooks from which to choose.
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JOIN THE DIORIO CHAMPIONS!
If you subscribe to this newsletter, then you are eligible to join my private Facebook Group called THE DIORIO CHAMPIONS! It is a place of fun, fellowship, and faith where you are loved and accepted for who you are and encouraged to grow in love for Him and for one another.
If you would like to join the Diorio Champions, please click on the link below. Your email address will then be verified by our system. Once it is verified, you will be admitted to the group.
Join the Diorio Champions!
I look forward to welcoming you as a new Champion! :)
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YOUR TURN . . .
A writer is nothing without a reader. As a writer, I need your input. Please share with me any ideas you have to improve this newsletter. What new sections would you like to see? What sections are of no interest to you? What are your favorite sections?
Please don't be shy! I am teachable, and I welcome your comments. As Scripture says, "Iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27: 17).
Please send your comments and suggestions to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. I will review every single one in a timely manner and get back to you.
Thanks and Blessings!
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MaryAnn's Homemade Chicken-Lentil Soup
(from the Kitchen of MaryAnn Diorio)
INGREDIENTS
__4-6 cups Water
__1 package Dried Lentils
__4 boneless Chicken Thighs
__1 stalk Celery, chopped
__2 Carrots, chopped
__1/2 cup Chopped White Onion, diced
__1/4 teaspoon Rosemary Leaves
__Salt and Pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
__Thoroughly wash lentils and place in large pot of water.
__Add Chicken Thighs.
__Add chopped Celery, Carrots, and Onion.
__Add Rosemary leaves.
__Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
__Bring to rapid boil and then reduce temperature to Medium-Low, keeping watch that it does not boil over.
__When Chicken thighs are partially cooked, remove and cut into bite-size pieces and then return to pot.
__Cook for about 3-4- hours.
OPTIONAL: Add other veggies, such as peas or spinach.
Serve with homemade bread and enjoy!
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Let's stay in touch . . .
I love to stay in touch with my readers. You can follow me on one or more of the venues listed below. Just click on the icon.
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Copyright 2000-2022 by MaryAnn Diorio.
All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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"You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You."
__Isaiah 26: 3 NKJV
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