About the Book

Book: VINNY

Author: MaryAnn Diorio

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Release Date: April 15, 2026

VINNY by MaryAnn Diorio
Book 1 in The South Philly Italians Romantic Suspense Series

Vinny Morello is on track for a promising career in the fine arts. But when tragedy suddenly hurls him headlong into a life-altering crisis, he faces a frightening fork in the road. Which one will he take? The road that leads to life or the road that leads to death?

VINNY is an edge-of-your-seat, romantic suspense story where tragedy and triumph merge into transformation. Don’t miss it!

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

MaryAnn Diorio writes award-winning fiction from a quaint small town in New Jersey where neighbors still chat while walking their dogs, families and friends gather on wide, wrap-around porches, and the charming downtown finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A Jersey girl at heart, MaryAnn is a huge fan of Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore.

More from MaryAnn

All Things Italian

by MaryAnn Dorio

I grew up in a home where Italian was my mother tongue. My late mother, one of the first war brides of World War II, was an immigrant from the romantic city of Naples, Italy. When I was born, she knew no English. So, we communicated in Italian. Although my mother eventually learned English, she and I always spoke in Italian until she passed away.

When I went off to college, I majored in French and minored in Italian. After I graduated, I spent a year of study at the University of Florence in Italy, earning my Master’s degree in Italian Language and Literature. Afterward, I taught Italian at the university level here in the States.

From my earliest days, Italy was a big part of my culture and of my heart. And it still is. It is no wonder then that I gravitate to writing fiction with an Italian flair. This is the milieu I know and understand best. It is the milieu I love. And I want to share it with you through my stories.

But, my fiction is far more than Italian. It is universal. In other words, it deals with issues that pertain to all of us humans. Issues of pride, rebellion, lust, and greed. Issues of deception, betrayal, hatred, and fear. Issues that result from our failure to love.

When you read my stories, you will travel to the deepest places of the human heart. Places you might not want to go to because they are places of pain, of confrontation, of facing our past and our sin. But they are also places of truth where you will find the freedom from the past and from sin that only truth brings. For my stories not only explore the deepest issues of the human heart; they show you how to overcome them through Jesus Christ.

Won’t you join me on this entertaining journey of exploration and transformation? If you do, I have a feeling that at the end of my stories, you will discover that you have become a far better person than you were at the beginning.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your books?

Drama, intrigue, suspense, romance, humor, truth, and transformation.

What is the greatest advice you have ever been given about writing?

My first writing mentor told me that as I learned how to write a novel, I would learn more about God than about writing a novel. She was absolutely right.

What book made you fall in love with reading?

The Oxford Book of English Verse. My father loved words and would often read to me from this wonderful book. As a child, I loved listening to his lilting voice and watching the expression of sheer delight on his face as he read. That experience instilled in me a love not only for reading but also for writing.

Can you share 5 random facts about this book?

1) VINNY is set in the colorful and vibrant Italian neighborhood of Little Italy in South Philly, close to where I now live and about 30 minutes from where I was born and raised in my early years.

2) The names of my main characters are typical names among Italian-Americans in the USA.

3) Italian delis abound in the Northeastern United States, especially in cities like Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. They are also prevalent in the small towns surrounding these larger cities.

4) Several American cities boast a “Little Italy,” including New York City, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Boston, Massachusetts; Baltimore, Maryland; Providence, Rhode Island; Cleveland, Ohio: San Diego, California; and San Francisco, California.

5) Italian-American families are closely knit, loyal to the traditions of their ancestors, great lovers of food, music, conversation, and laughter. They are perseverant, stubborn, determined, and have huge hearts.

What was the inspiration behind it?

I am a first-generation daughter of an Italian immigrant and grew up immersed in the Italian-American culture. I was born and raised in an Italian community near Philadelphia. Currently, I live within 15 minutes of Little Italy in Philadelphia. Since I understand Italian-Americans inside and out, I wanted to portray their tenacity, their courage, their stubbornness, their selflessness, and their big hearts toward their families in a story of one character struggling with the powerful influence of tradition.

Can you share something interesting or surprising you learned while researching for the book?

I was surprised to learn that most people who are called to identify the body of a deceased loved one killed as the result of a crime do not see the actual body but a photo of the body.

What was the most challenging part of bringing this book to life? 

The most challenging part was resisting the unrelenting attacks from Satan against the writing of this book—attacks against my family, my health, my eyes, my fingers, my computer, to name a few. But God was always faithful to deliver. Glory to His Holy Name!

What was the most rewarding?

The most rewarding part, as always when I write a novel, was sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit hovering over me and within me as I wrote.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

I pray that readers will be inspired to remain steadfast and uncompromising in their adherence to the Word of God. For those readers who do not yet know Jesus, I pray that they will develop a desire to know Him by reading this story.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Before you go, where can readers keep up with what’s next?

You are most welcome, Randi! Thank YOU for inviting me.

Readers can keep up with what’s next in two ways:

1) By visiting my website at maryanndiorio.com.

2) By subscribing to my monthly newsletter, Bits & Bytes, at the link below:

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/x5i2r2