Harford County Mystery and Romance Author Jennifer Vido was voted Best Local Author for the third consecutive year in the 2026 Best of Baltimore Readers' Poll, published in the August issue of Baltimore Magazine. She was also voted Best Author in The Baltimore Sun's Best 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, announced June 28.
"I'm incredibly honored and humbled by the recognition," Vido said. "To be voted Best Local Author for three years in a row and named Best Author by readers is something I don't take for granted. Every book I write is a labor of love, and knowing my stories have found a place in readers' hearts means more than I can express. I'm deeply grateful to everyone who has supported my journey."
Vido is the author of the award-winning Gull Island series, a collection of sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. The trilogy includes Serendipity by the Sea (2023), Serenity by the Sea (2024) and Simplicity by the Sea (2026). Her debut romance novel, Serendipity by the Sea, received the Best First Book Award in the New Jersey Romance Writers' Golden Leaf Contest, and Simplicity by the Sea was recognized by The Baltimore Sun as a recommended read.
A member of the Romance Writers of America, Vido has long championed the romance genre beyond her own writing. In her weekly Jen's Jewels column on FreshFiction.com, she spotlights bestselling new releases and conducts in-depth interviews with fellow authors, giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at today's most compelling voices in romance.
In addition to her success with the Gull Island series, Vido is the creative mind behind the Piper O'Donnell Social Lite Mystery series, where she seamlessly explores the cozy mystery genre in these engaging stories.
Currently, Vido is at work on her next book, a sweet romance that takes place during a bachelorette weekend in Nashville.
On August 15 Vido will be participating in Park Books' 4th Annual "Spark in the Park," a celebration of the romance genre held in conjunction with Bookstore Romance Day. The event features more than 40 romance writers signing books, along with vendors, bookish merchandise, raffles and more. "Spark in the Park" takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Park Books' Community Event Space, 579 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard in Severna Park. For more information and tickets, visit https://withfriends.co/event/28803501/spark_in_the_park.
Residing in Harford County, Vido and her husband, Durbin, are the parents of two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp. When she's not immersed in the world of fiction, she serves as executive director of the Harford County Bar Foundation. For more information, visit www.JenniferVido.com.
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