Stephanie Verni

Author of Contemporary Fiction

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  • Podcasts from Steph’s Scribe 2020
  • Books I’ve Enjoyed
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  • About Me
  • PRESS KIT
  • Podcasts from Steph’s Scribe 2020
  • Books I’ve Enjoyed
  • Books I’ve Written

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  • My 5th Novel Has a Name (at least for now)

    November 15, 2020 /

    Today, it’s official. I have a book title. I have a copyrighted ISBN number. I have a “mood” for the cover. And while I am going to seek traditional publishing this time around and solicit an agent to represent me, I still need to go through this process to help move in the right direction and keep me motivated should I venture down the self-publishing road again. The characters in this novel are not only in my head, but in my soul. Each one is a part of me, and a part of you, and a part of everyone we have met along the way. With five main characters, a…

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    What I’m Writing Now (or my current WIP)

    May 14, 2020

    Unlost – Sharing a Short Story from The Postcard

    December 18, 2019

    Writing About Women + Friendship in Little Milestones

    June 9, 2019
  • Not Quite There With 5 Days Remaining

    November 25, 2018 /

    It’s the 25th of November, and I’m still making progress, although it’s not moving as quickly as I would like. The goal for November was to complete 50,000 words (which is, in essence, a small novel). The problem is, this novel (Life with Nan) will more like 80,000+ words, I’m guessing. So, my friends, I have a way to go, but if that’s the case, then I’ll try to find some solace in the fact that I hit the halfway point by going over 40,000 words. Nan and my main character, Calista, still have more to uncover as their relationship of living together as granddaughter and grandmother continue, and as…

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    Dealing with Disappointment

    March 1, 2020

    The Thing That Connects Us

    December 14, 2019

    Times Flies & Simple Goals for 2020

    December 29, 2019
  • Friday Fiction : I Hate You (a flash fiction story)

    October 19, 2018 /

    On Fridays we write. Answering a prompt is a good way to stay in touch with your writing, storytelling, and creativity. In this flash fiction piece, the goal was to “write a story with the word ‘hate’ in it.” Simple parameter. I write a lot about relationships, mostly happy ones, and sometimes ones that are on their way back from devastation. This is one of those. Here’s what I came up with for this week’s FICTION FRIDAY. *** I HATE YOU | Flash Fiction There was nothing left to say. The words hung in the night air as the sound of the sea pounced against the rocks. The breeze caught…

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    Capturing Moments

    November 12, 2020

    Fashion Friday

    January 24, 2020

    Thankfulness, Doug Flutie, and The Power of Love

    November 19, 2015
  • The Downside of Being A Writer

    July 22, 2018 /

    While there are so many pluses to being a writer—namely that we have the privilege of passionately telling stories through our own lenses—there is a downside, at least from my perspective. The downside has become increasingly more clear to me the older I get. It makes me pause more than I used to. It leaves me with notebooks full of scribblings. The downside that I am talking about this morning, as this blog post came to me all at once (you know, with the lightbulb going off and all that jazz), is that when we are writers and intent on telling stories, we are also part psychologist, as we try…

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    Inspired by Joanna Gaines and Fixer Upper on HGTV

    April 4, 2016

    The Annual Birthday Post Turned Poem

    August 16, 2020

    Life Philosophies, Not Resolutions This Year

    December 31, 2018
  • Flash Fiction from a Writing Prompt

    April 20, 2018 /

    * In the classes I teach at Stevenson University, students know that I have the propensity to use writing prompts in class to get them writing creatively and telling little stories. Their purpose? Simply to practice writing. Often, when I have the inclination to write something but am in-between novels, I use writing prompts a lot. There are three main reasons to use a writing prompt: It gets you writing (as stated above) and thinking creatively. It gets you thinking in way you may not have been thinking when you started staring at the blinking cursor and allows you to take a writing journey. It can turn into something wonderful.…

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    For the Love of Postcards (and other written correspondence)

    January 14, 2019

    A Little Teaser for My Upcoming Novel: Little Milestones

    June 7, 2019

    When You Quit Something Cold Turkey

    September 28, 2017
  • A Short Story From A Writing Prompt

    November 27, 2017 /

    I’m feeling a little creative today and am in the mood to tackle something new and different. I searched for a prompt on Pinterest, and this is the one that struck my fancy. So, the way I see it, I will start my story with these words and see where it takes me. 500 words is my goal. Let’s see what happens…(I love this part of creativity…wherever will the story go?) * “This is my life now. I have climbed this hill, and now I will die upon it.” “Shut up,” I said. “We’ve only been hiking for twenty minutes.” I can talk to my grandmother like this because we…

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    In Honor of Teacher Appreciation Week & A Thank You to My Students

    May 6, 2016

    In Snape and Col. Brandon There Was Committed Love

    January 14, 2016

    The Merriest Season and a Week of Joy

    December 24, 2019
  • Perhaps It Was An Omen

    September 5, 2017 /

    Spiral notebook. ✓ New pencils. ✓ Planner. ✓ Pink rubber eraser. ✓ A folder with pockets. ✓ Highlighters. ✓ New outfit. ✓ Some things don’t change. I still have this checklist today. I was always excited at the prospect of starting a new school year. Ever since I read a book about a girl who walked to school on the sidewalk past the white picket fences in her neighborhood as the leaves were falling, I’ve always loved the thought of going back to school, seeing friends, and learning something new. Perhaps it was an omen of what life had in store for me. Strangely enough, I was one of those…

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    What Are You Missing Most Right Now?

    July 29, 2020

    Campus Book Talk Tonight and Some Monday Inspiration

    April 18, 2016

    Launching LITTLE MILESTONES Today, my newest novel…

    October 22, 2019
  • Walking Spawns Creativity

    June 4, 2017 /

    *** The ritual for me of a Sunday late afternoon walk is the perfect way to generate creativity. All you writers out there know what I’m talking about, right? The ability to unplug, listen to the birds, and regenerate from stress while burning a few calories helps us become more creative. I do some of my best creative thinking and strategizing during this time. Late afternoon is my favorite time of day…and I love walking in my neighborhood. Who else is a walker and does his or her best thinking on your feet? 👟👟 Getting in touch with nature and decompressing helps you recenter and look at things with a…

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    Random (And I Do Mean Random) Thoughts

    September 21, 2015

    For Valentine’s Day: Text Messages Are Not Substitutes For Cards

    February 11, 2014

    BOOKISH — Sunday Book Festival and Monday Book Talk on the Docket

    September 25, 2015
  • Writing Prompt Challenge

    March 14, 2017 /

    So, last night I posed a writing challenge to see who wanted to try and write a short piece of flash fiction (300-400 words) around a prompt. I posted three. I got no takers. But I did it. I chose the third. I love writing prompts because they force you to immerse yourself in a scene, setting, or situation right away. They force you to be creative, and to use your creative juices in the best possible way. The challenge was to write approximately 300-400 words. Here’s my result of Prompt #3. The Young King The young King’s hair was a rumpled mess, his clothes strewn across the floor, his…

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    Little Milestones Receives 5-Star Review from Readers’ Favorite

    July 17, 2020

    Podcast 12: Creating An Author Platform and Press Kit

    March 31, 2020

    Meet Some of My Author Friends on #WritersWednesday

    March 25, 2020
  • Coming in February: Inn Significant, A Novel

    December 27, 2016 /

    *** INN SIGNIFICANT by Stephanie Verni…Coming in January. What if three weeks after suffering a miscarriage, you faint and find yourself on the floor of your own home’s cold foyer, and as you regain consciousness, you have to acknowledge the horrible news that was relayed to you moments ago by two police officers: that your husband of ten years—the love of your life—was tragically killed by a tractor-trailer on the slick, rainy interstate? Two years after receiving the horrifying news of her husband Gil’s death, Milly Foster continues to struggle to find her way out of a state of depression. As a last-ditch effort and means of intervention, Milly’s parents…

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    The Move to Online Learning and Its Benefits

    March 22, 2020
    body of water with people rowring on boat beside tall building

    Remembering Venice Through Poetry

    May 14, 2018

    Podcast 17: The MFA Journey as a Writer (and a teacher of writing)

    May 27, 2020
  • What It Feels Like to Finish Writing a Novel

    July 22, 2016 /

    * Well, friends, I’m coming down the home stretch. By next week, my novel will be written, if it does not happen sooner than that. People have asked me this question: what does it feel like to finish a novel? As this will be the third one I have published, it feels a little like saying goodbye. What I mean by that is you live and breathe the characters and their situations for so long, that when you’re done writing their story, their story is over, and you have to say farewell. The creative process of actually building and telling the story is my absolute favorite part of novel writing.…

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    Meeting People Makes Travel Magical

    May 2, 2016

    Podcast 16: Taking a Gander of What’s Out There Before You Write

    May 21, 2020

    Some Sentiments About 20 Years at Stevenson

    October 4, 2020
  • Withdrawal and The Staircase

    October 9, 2015 /

    Today I decided that I would write a little something. I haven’t written anything creatively in a while, and it’s sort of getting to me. I’m going through withdrawal and I don’t want to go through withdrawal. I want to write something, and while I am far too busy to spend time writing what will be my next novel, I will tackle some short fiction, or what some deem Flash Fiction. Here’s the prompt that I got from the 3 a.m. Epiphany written by Brian Kiteley. It’s my “go to” book of prompts I use when I want to write a little something but need a push. The beauty of…

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    Some Updates on Some things

    September 8, 2020

    Meeting People at Baltimore Book Festival

    September 28, 2015

    Writing Can’t Be ‘Thin Love’

    January 21, 2016
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Stephanie Parrillo Verni, Author

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Ok...who out there still loves to hold the printed pages in your hands? Bookstores are the best—especially this one in Boonsboro, Maryland, owned by famed author Nora Roberts and her husband (swipe to see all the photos). 😍 We loved perusing the store, checking out Boonsboro, and spending some quality time together this past weekend.
Yesterday was #nationalhusbandday, so I have to thank my husband for coming with me to author Nora Roberts’ lovely inn called @innboonsboro !
Happy Friday, everyone! Make it a good one!
Bittersweet today...presented my last workshop as a Faculty Fellow as my two-year fellowship ends in May. It has been an honor to be a part of the cohort that kicked off this new initiative as part of the Center for Teaching and Learning on campus. From the second I saw the call to apply, I was invigorated and wanted to be a part of it.
Throwing it back to Naples, Florida, and a quick getaway when our kids were younger.
When you see the words “market house” and get a glimpse of how charming it is, you immediately identify with this place. On a beautiful, sunny day, it calls for you to sit, grab a coffee and a pastry, and watch the boats go by across the street.
If Mondays are the pits, then this hat is, to use a 1940s term, a peach. 🍑 I’m not sure about my other friends out there in your forties, fifties, and sixties +, but I’ve already done some damage to my skin over the years, and I’d like to preserve my skin as I age.
Teachers look forward to summer break, too, right teachers????
If you haven’t been to #Annapolis in a while, it’s worth the trip. Merchants and restaurants have gone to great lengths to make the experience a good one for you. From decorating their outside windows, to setting up outside seating in the streets for diners, the city awaits your arrival.
Fashion Friday: Yesterday’s weather was spectacular. Wore my new Orioles orange dress in honor of opening day at Camden Yards. Despite not going to the game, I still support!
This is Eva’s house. Her partner/boyfriend of 10 years has left her for his high school sweetheart—a woman he reconnected with after many years on FB. Eva feels her life has been a fraud, and after throwing a bottle across the room and packing up all his crap to give to the Salvation Army, she has to find a way to pick up the pieces.
Happy first day of the Baseball Season! #tbt to when I was young, skinny, and worked in baseball. So many great things came from my 13 years with the #Orioles, including meeting my husband, making great friends, and learning a helluva lot about public relations, marketing, and publishing. And now, after many years, my husband is back with the ballclub. Happy Opening game!

Recent Blog Posts

  • Well, it’s been a while… April 20, 2021
  • Show recommendations to binge-watch January 7, 2021
  • Here’s Hoping for a Brighter 2021 December 31, 2020
  • Ending 2020 with a Manuscript and Some Thoughts December 30, 2020
  • A Writer’s Muse: Annapolis December 18, 2020
  • Give the Gift of Books December 15, 2020
  • One of My Favorite Scenes November 22, 2020
  • My 5th Novel Has a Name (at least for now) November 15, 2020
  • Capturing Moments November 12, 2020
  • The 6 a.m Pledge for My Health November 4, 2020

Steph’s Scribe is the blog of Stephanie Parrillo Verni, professor, author and blogger. Copyright 2021.

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