Donna Russo Morin is an American writer of historical fiction and fantasy. She is best known for her novels set in the Italian Renaissance and the Gilded Age of Newport, Rhode Island.
She was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Her interest in storytelling began at the age of six, when she wrote short stories such as The Pink Pussy Cat for President. Growing up during the social movements of the 1960s, she was influenced by feminism, civil rights and the Vietnam War. In her teens, she discovered horror fiction and was inspired by Stephen King.
After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, she worked in marketing and advertising for large corporations and non-profit arts groups. When she became a mother, she decided to pursue writing professionally. She said, "I knew with certainty that I had to show my children that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.
Her first historical novel, The Courtier of Versailles, was followed by The Secret of the Glass, To Serve a King and The King's Agent. The latter received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. In 2016, she published Portrait of a Conspiracy, the first book in the Da Vinci's Disciples series, a finalist for Foreword Reviews Best Book of the Year. The sequel, The Competition, was named Editor's Choice of the Historical Novel Society Review in 2023.
Her novel Gilded Summers (2018) was inspired by Newport, a city she has loved since her youth. She said, "My love of Newport — its glitz and glamour and history — began as soon as I could drive there myself."
The novel became part of the Novels of Newport: Gilded Age series, followed by Gilded Dreams, which explored the women's suffrage movement in the United States.
She has also written historical fantasy, including Birth: Once Upon a Time, the first book in a planned trilogy.
In addition to writing, she has worked as a professional editor, book coach and writing instructor for Writer's Digest for over a decade. She has experience as a screenwriter, ghostwriter and artist. She has also acted and modelled, appearing in Martin Scorsese's The Departed and Showtime's The Brotherhood. She practices aerial yoga and is one of the oldest in the United States.
Donna Russo Morin lives in Rhode Island, near the coast. She considers her two sons, Devon, an opera singer, and Dylan, a trained chef, her most significant accomplishments.
Photo credit: www.authordonnarusso.com
