-
Baseball as a Backdrop…again…in my upcoming novel
The second novel I published, Baseball Girl, takes place in the big leagues, with Francesca Milli working in the front office of a baseball team (The Blackbirds). The novel explores the professional side of baseball, while Francesca (Frankie) copes with the death of her father and explores relationships with two men: Joe, a baseball player, and Jack, a baseball writer. If you can smell there’s a love triangle, you are correct. Now, as the the finish line is in sight, and I look to publish my 8th novel currently entitled Dodging Lies, baseball is in the backdrop once again. Except this time it’s 1956 in New York City, and the…
-
Sharing News About a Book Award :-)
Second, because of that, I entered the book into the annual Readers' Favorite Contest, and am happy to report that the novel came in third, earning a Bronze Medal in the category of Inspirational Fiction.
-
The Annual Birthday Post: Sharing Something Different
As I continue to uphold the tradition of writing an annual birthday post—most of them snarky—this one won’t be. I’ve thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted to share this personal story, not because I’m afraid or embarrassed to do so, but because it requires a certain amount of vulnerability, something that’s always been a challenge for me. Vulnerability is not my strength. Just ask the people who know me well. The story I’m about to tell starts with God. And it’s inevitable that it will end there, too. When I cut back to part-time teaching last year with the intent to semi-retire (though I’ve hardly done…
-
Ageism is Real
I've learned to embrace my age. I also don't feel my age at all, and some have told me I don't look my age. With an assortment of face creams, regular hair appointments, walking and riding a recumbent bike, along with being around younger people as a professor for most of my life, I like to consider myself a young fifty-something. That was until I went shopping for a dress for my son's girlfriend's birthday.
-
Lollygagging
Greetings, friends. It’s been a while. I’ve been lollygagging as it relates to my blog, that’s for sure. I’m kind of embarrassed about it, and I’m kind of not. I’ve needed time to recalibrate. Besides, I just wanted to title a blog post “Lollygagging.” Ever since the film Bull Durham, “lollygag” has been one of my favorite words. If you don’t know the clip I’m talking about, I’ve got it for you below. The truth is, I’m balancing a lot of stuff and hardly lollygagging at all. I’ve really become a juggler. When I went part time to teach, I didn’t realize I’d be developing so many courses from scratch,…
-
“What the heck do you do with all your time?”
Last year, I asked two of my friends who do not work this question: “What the heck do you do with all your time?” One friend said, “Before you know it, it’s 4 o’clock, and it’s time for dinner.” The other friend said, “I fill my days with all sorts of things. I am never bored.” At the time, I couldn’t imagine not working full time. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop me from asking the question as I contemplated taking an early retirement from my full-time teaching job at a university. That early retirement morphed into not fully retiring, but in teaching part-time at the college level. I’m cool with that.…
-
Do Not Look Where You Fell
hen we slip, we can go one of two ways. We can catch ourselves and right ourselves or we can fall. Sometimes we fall hard.
-
A Vlog About Writing (Because I didn’t feel like writing it)…Is that weird?
I don’t post these types of videos very often here on my blog as I do on social media. Earlier, I thought about going LIVE on Instagram, but then decided to just post a video about the writing and editing process. If you enjoy talking about writing and interacting as a writer, follow me on Instagram at stephanieverniwrites or on TikTok at stephanieverniwrites, and I’ll be sure to follow you back. 🙂 I’ve always been fascinated by how other writers works. Do they plot? Do they write as they go along? What’s their editing process? Believe me…over the years, I’ve listened to and heeded the advice of many talented writers.…
-
The Magic of Miracles
Forewarning: this one’s about God and miracles and the divine. It’s kind of personal. If it’s not for you, no worries. But since it’s about my interpretation of these quotes, I’ll continue… This week’s quote comes from G.K. Chesterton and is as follows: The most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen. G.K. Chesterton Perhaps it’s because I have committed to Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz on the Hallow app and am moving along with it in awe, but whoa, there’s a lot to take in. It’s completely enlightening. I’m glad I’ve made this commitment. My children went to Catholic school in their elementary years, and…
-
Stop Glorifying “Perfect”
In our attempts to be perfect we are missing a lot of the little joys that come along with the exercise of "going for it." Some of the best stuff happens along the way.
-
Beauty + Joy
Today’s quote as pulled from my box is this: Beauty is whatever gives joy.Hugh Nibley One of the best things we did over the Christmas season was to attend our church’s Festival of Lessons and Carols. It was held the Friday before New Year’s Eve and consisted of 9 scripture readings and 9 carols. The service lasted one hour and took place in a beautifully decorated church filled with Christmas spirit and love. It was incredibly moving. The choir lifted the church with its voices, and the use of the handheld bells added to the Christmas spirit. There were a few songs that the choir performed and many others in…
-
Delight in the Little Things
Today’s card is a very simple, yet poignant quote from Rudyard Kipling, British short-story writer, novelist, poet, journalist, probably best known for his collection of stories in The Jungle Book and his poem Gunga Din. The quote reads: Delight in the little things. – Rudyard Kipling I can’t help but harken back to my younger days, when I was a child growing up in Bowie, Maryland. We lived in our ranch on Pointer Ridge Drive until I was 13 years old. What we learn as children can often inform our lives as we grow and age and work and then retire. The truth is, compared to now, life was simpler…
