Stephanie Verni

Author of Contemporary Fiction

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

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  • Reading, Writing, and an Empath for November

    November 1, 2020 /

    Dear Readers, I hope you are well! It’s hard to believe it’s November 1st, especially after all we’ve collectively been through this year, but alas, here it is, and that means the next couple of months will be filled with family, friends, and love as the holidays approach. While taking care of one another is paramount, it’s also important to care for yourself, as well. That can mean exercising, eating right, meditating, reading, relaxing, and giving way to things that make your heart happy. For me, besides the wonderful gift of a boat that my husband gave me for my birthday in August—one of the greatest surprises of my lifetime—I’ve…

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    Thankfulness, Doug Flutie, and The Power of Love

    November 19, 2015

    The Way the Rain Smells

    February 23, 2016

    A Suggestion for Your Kids: Write About The Pandemic

    July 23, 2020
  • Little Milestones Receives 5-Star Review from Readers’ Favorite

    July 17, 2020 /

    *** One of the things I won’t ever do on my blog is to pretend that being an independent author is at all glamorous. It’s not. It takes tireless work, both on the creating/writing/editing side, as well as on the marketing/public relations/promotions side. It can be an exhausting adventure—and it is most definitely an adventure every single time—but you have to know this going into the endeavor. And never expect too much. That said, you can imagine my surprise this morning, when I was already feeling down about where my next piece of writing is headed, to see the 5-star review for Little Milestones, a novel a published in October…

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    Hat Obsessed

    October 26, 2015

    Podcast 9 – Building Your Story

    March 10, 2020

    That First Sentence

    September 9, 2015
  • Sundays Are for Stories

    July 12, 2020 /

    ✨FROM MY PORCH OFFICE✨ This is what Sunday morning writing looks like here at the Verni house. As I’m now officially over 33,000 words of building this story—probably my most complicated story to create to date—I am feeling the hum of the characters, the movement of the story, the connection of my 5 characters, and the way this story will end up. It’s a great feeling to know you’re on track with the story you want to tell—that the characters are yearning for you to tell. . I write relationship-driven fiction. It comes from a place of understanding the nuances of people and what potentially drives them (or does not…

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    Random (And I Do Mean Random) Thoughts

    September 21, 2015

    Podcast 4 – Addressing Some Questions From Last Week’s Book Talk

    January 27, 2020

    Happy Halloween!

    October 31, 2015
  • Podcast 9 – Building Your Story

    March 10, 2020 /

    Good afternoon! Storytelling and putting it all together—that’s the topic of today’s quick podcast. How do you begin to construct your story? Do you write in a linear fashion? Do you write the ending before you begin? Do you write out-of-order and then piece it all together? That’s the chat we’re having today on the podcast. And I’m sure I’ve left things out as I try to keep these recordings short and sweet. If I’ve neglected a way in which you write, please post in the comments and share with others. As we continue to build this community of writers, it’s important to share and boost others up. As a…

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    Book Review: A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline

    January 31, 2019

    Podcast 13 – Ideas to Help Foster Creativity During This Crisis

    April 6, 2020

    Getting My Books in Order

    May 12, 2020
  • The Beginning of a New Novel…or Not. What I’m Working On????

    January 30, 2020 /

    * The truth is, after reading my post headline, I’m not actually sure what I’m working on. I’m not sure at all. Ever since completing and now trying to promote Little Milestones, there’s been little happening in my writing world. January was spent getting ready for the spring semester as I’m teaching a course I haven’t taught in a while, so I’ve needed to spend a lot of time preparing for my classes. One night, however, the idea of these four characters popped into my head, and the idea of a book starting and ending in a bar took hold. I’m not sure AT ALL what is going to happen…

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    Thank You, Readers! I’m Flattered.

    November 6, 2019

    Podcast 6 – Joining a Writers Group

    February 18, 2020

    New: Monday Podcasts on Steph’s Scribe to Kick Off Our Writing for 2020

    January 6, 2020
  • The Thing That Connects Us

    December 14, 2019 /

    *** I was sitting here staring at a blank cursor knowing what I wanted to write but not knowing exactly how to say it. Then I remembered studying writer James Baldwin during my first master’s degree, and thought of his quote: “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who are alive, who had ever been alive.” – James Baldwin I’ve been “officially” publishing fiction now since 2012. Fiction is the best outlet to tell…

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    7 Tips for Working From Home During This Unusual Time

    March 20, 2020

    A Few Updates On This Rainy Saturday

    September 12, 2015

    Celebrating World Book Day 2019

    April 23, 2019
  • When Things End

    May 21, 2019 /

    Another semester is in the books, as our university will host graduation ceremonies this Thursday. My grades are just about closed out, and the sun is shining outside, marking the beginning of summer for those of us professors in higher education. I love teaching and being in the classroom—for me, it’s all about that. Waking up in the morning knowing I will see the faces of my students is all I need to get me going in the morning. I’m passionate about my job and about working with students. However, I do look forward to summer, and I’m passionate about writing as well. When people ask me when I have…

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    Fifty Shades of…Shades

    January 20, 2016

    The Things We Take For Granted

    December 16, 2015

    Some Highlights & Appreciation

    February 5, 2016
  • I Was “One of Those” People

    May 1, 2019 /

    *** The past three Mondays when I’ve walked into class, I’ve been greeted with wide-eyes and inquisitive looks on the faces of my students that suggest…WELL???? WHAT DID YOU THINK???? I’d like to tell you that my darling students are eager to discuss public relations writing, but at 9 a.m. when I walk into the classroom, what they want to discuss for the first few minutes is Game of Thrones. And so we do. You see, up until January, I was one of those people who for years said she didn’t watch Game of Thrones, that it wasn’t my cup of tea. My husband and I tried the show a…

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    Writing About Baseball: The Slump from The Postcard & Other Short Stories

    December 11, 2018

    Prettiness & Priorities

    January 6, 2016

    Recipe of the Week: The 3-Ingredient Ice Cream Cake

    June 17, 2019
  • A Garden, a Book, and a Library

    April 16, 2019 /

    If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. – Cicero * No matter how big or how small a library is, I love the feeling of walking inside and sensing the books call to me. I’m also amazed at the 19% of Americans who say they have NEVER visited a library. Libraries are storehouses of information; books are new friends calling us to read the stories written by inspired people; and libraries are a place to go to unplug and embrace a few moments of peace as you decide exactly what book is right for you at that moment…that time in your life. This library…

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    Meeting People Makes Travel Magical

    May 2, 2016

    Pumpkin.ssssssssss

    October 14, 2015

    That First Sentence

    September 9, 2015
  • 7 Takeaways from Blogging on the 8th Anniversary of Steph’s Scribe

    April 10, 2019 /

    I was sitting in my office approving students for registration when I saw an alert from WordPress, my blogging platform. It said, “Happy Anniversary.” It hadn’t even occurred to me what today was because I’ve been so busy and in so much pain recently due to my herniated disc, but I can’t talk about that for one more minute. I’m tired of talking about that. So instead, today, I’ll share with you my biggest takeaways from blogging. Perhaps you know someone who is a blogger or someone who would love to start a blog. I’ve actually loved (almost) every minute of it, and can’t imagine not having it in my…

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

    May 27, 2020

    Midnight Madness in Annapolis

    December 11, 2015

    One of My Favorite Scenes

    November 22, 2020
  • Writing About Baseball: The Slump from The Postcard & Other Short Stories

    December 11, 2018 /

    I’ll always have a little bit of baseball in my soul, even all these years later after having worked for the Orioles. The truth is, I grew up in baseball. I did. From the age of 19 through my early 30s, I learned so much from working for the Baltimore Orioles organization. That experience molded me and helped me in the careers I have chosen now. It also gave me some pretty remarkable friendships (and I also got a husband and two great kids out of the deal). One of those careers I have today is that of a writer of novels and short stories. Today, I decided to share…

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    All the Best This Holiday Season

    December 24, 2015

    5 Sure-Fire Ways To Boost Creativity

    March 16, 2016

    Stuff Those Stockings with Books

    December 4, 2015
  • Reflections on Feeling a Loss of Hope

    November 20, 2018 /

    It’s probably pretty shocking to some of you who follow my blog, a “safe space” for positivity and a place where lifting up others is standard operation. It’s always been my goal for Steph’s Scribe to inject a dose of  inspiration into people’s lives. But today, just days before Thanksgiving, I’m feeling something tampering with my state of hopefulness. A bleakness has entered my atmosphere. A sense of time slipping away and dreams fading a bit. I hate this feeling. A culmination of many things swirling around my personal domaine, I felt it was appropriate to be real with you for a moment, to illustrate that life is not always…

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    Weekly Recipe: Chicken, Turkey Sausage & Kale

    May 22, 2019

    Give the Gift of Books

    December 15, 2020

    One of My Favorite Scenes

    November 22, 2020
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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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