Mary Donnarumma Sharnick has been writing ever since she printed her name on her first library card. Her first two novels, Thirst (2012) and Plagued (2014), both published by Fireship Press, are set in the Venetian lagoon during the seventeenth and fifteenth centuries respectively. Thirst is presently being adapted for the operatic stage by composer Gerard Chiusano and librettists Mary Noonan-Chiusano and Robert Cutrofello. Orla’s Canvas (2015), Mary’s third novel, was published by Penmore Press and took first place in the Connecticut Press Club’s 2016 Communications Contest as Best Novel for Adults. The piece is a coming-of-age story set in 1962 New Orleans and environs. Mary is presently drafting its sequel, Painting Mercy. A frequent presenter, Mary has led workshops and classes at Mark Twain House and Museum, Auburn (AL) University Writers’ Conference, American Italian Historical Association (New Haven and Toronto), University of Connecticut’sOsher Program (Waterbury), I AM BOOKS (Boston), and numerous schools and libraries. Mary’s non-fiction work has appeared in New York Journal of Books, America, Southern Humanities Review, Italian Americana, and on various blogs. To schedule an author visit, please contact Mary at www.marydonnarummasharnick.com