Reading J. A. Marz’s books is like taking a trip to Italy, to Tuscany to be exact.

Tuscany is a region in Italy that includes the cities of Florence and Pisa, with rural areas that are emblematic of how you might imagine the Italian countryside: hilly landscapes, grape orchards for wine, and olive trees.

John Marzano, whose pen name is J. A. Marz, will sign his books at 1 p.m. May 16, Moravian Book Shop, Bethlehem:

“Ciao, Amore Mio … The Tale of Gabby and Gio, An Italian Discovery,” (160 pages; Bright Communications; paperback, $17.95; Kindle, 99 cents; 2024)

“It’s Sauce, Not Gravy! The Ingredient That Changes Everything for Gio,” (174 pages; Jam 3 Strategic Marketing & PR; paperback, $15.95; Kindle, $5.99; 2026)

“I wanted to give people the experience of being there, to recreate the food, the way of life, and conversations over the dinner table,” says Marzano.

“That place outside the city is so much different. It is going back in time, slowing down and connecting with people. I wanted to take them there while they are sitting in the comfort of their own chair,” Marzano says in a phone interview from his Easton home.

His two books are novellas. A third book, yet to be written, will take place in Rome.

“The third one will close the series. The same characters will carry through all three,” says Marzano.

He calls “The Tale of Gabby and Gio,” his first book, “a contemporary journey to self-discovery with a mix of romance and intrigue along the way.”

Gio is a “wanderlust travel writer and golf hustler.” He meets Gabriella, who is working to turn her family’s agriturismo into a successful business. An agriturismo is a working farm in Italy that can be visited by tourists.

Marzano wanted to include family memories of his parents, grandparents and other relatives:

“I was trying to place culture and tradition, what I grew up with. My grandfather was a stonemason who migrated to this country and lived in Easton. His work can be seen on churches in the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey.”

Easton has a large population of those with Italian heritage.

Marzano was born in Easton and attended St. Anthony of Padua School and Notre Dame High School. He left the area in the mid-1980s, traveling with jobs in the healthcare marketing field. He returned to the area to work for Lehigh Valley Health Network, and is now retired.

Marzano prefers to write novellas instead of novels. Where a novel may have more than 40,000 words, Marzano’s works have 27,000 words:

“I like to be able to tell the story and not add a lot of filler. A lot of people have a busy lifestyle, and they would rather read 200 than 500 pages.

“I always wanted to write something meaningful, and fiction is the most freeing form of writing.”

Marzano had the idea for the first and last chapters in his head for 10 years before he began the first book. “The idea for the story came to me one day. I included things I like doing in everyday life,” he says.

Marzano did not specifically identify with Gio, even though he does play golf and likes to travel and write.

He spent 10 months writing the first book and seven months on the second book. He began the third book in February and hopes to finish it this year.

Marzano has visited Italy four times. The last time, he included Rome on his itinerary.

“There are 900 churches there. You could spend a lifetime and still not see everything,” he says.

John Marzano book-signing, 1 p.m. May 16, Moravian Book Shop, 428 Main St., Bethlehem. 610-866-5481, https://www.moravian.edu/bookshop

“Literary Scene” is a column about authors, books and publishing. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com