A Passion for Writing & Inspirational Content Creation
Maryann pens award-winning fiction and non-fiction books and writes and produces critically acclaimed projects for film & television that entertain, inspire, educate, and uplift with themes that revolve around faith, family, hope, healing, forgiveness, timeless friendships, enduring romances, and the wondrous mysteries of life.
She began her career as a producer/writer for CNN. Later, she was appointed Director of Publicity for Miss Universe, Inc. and served as Senior VP of Stephen J. Cannell Productions before founding Ridini Entertainment Corporation. As company president, she is committed to creating, writing, producing, and promoting content that entertains, inspires, educates, and uplifts.
A member of the Writers Guild of America West and Producers Guild of America, Maryann has produced numerous movies and television series. Her projects have appeared on Showtime, SyFy, TMC, USA Networks, CBS-TV, Time Warner Cable, and the foreign theatrical market. In addition, she is celebrated for co-producing/writing the teleplay for the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie The Lost Valentine. Based on the James Michael Pratt novel, the movie stars Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Over fifteen million viewers tuned in to watch the film, which won CBS-TV the night in ratings. The film, winner of the Faith and Freedom Movieguide® Award, has since become part of Hallmark’s Gold Crown (DVD) Collector’s Edition, and the film can also be live-streamed on Hallmark’s movie channels.
Maryann is also the creator, writer, producer, and host of the Telly award-winning healthy living cooking series, cookbooks, and blog, Simply Delicious Living with Maryann®. The series is broadcast on PBS-TV station KVCR in Southern California, DirecTV, DishTV, and a global audience on YouTube (youtube.com/MaryannRidiniSpencer) and Maryann’s blog at SimplyDeliciousLiving.com.
As a journalist, Maryann has served as a food and lifestyle writer and contributing editor for such publications as Palm Springs Life Magazine, Desert Magazine, Ventura County Star, and Los Angeles Magazine. Author of the Simply Delicious Living with Maryann®—Entrée cookbook (Santa Rosa Press, 2019),
Maryann is the author of the award-winning Kate Grace Novels (Lady in the Window, The Paradise Table, Secrets of Grace Manor, Under the Tropical Skies) and Lavender Hill Cove Novels Lavender Hill Cove (winner of the 2024 Book Excellence Award and the 2024 International Impact Book Award, both for Christian Fiction) and Once Upon a Cove Christmas). She also writes cookbooks and other nonfiction works.
View Hallmark Hall of Fame's The Lost Valentine, Winner of Movieguide®'s Faith & Freedom Award
