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    • Book Pages Wreath
    • Heart Pages Wreath
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    • From Humbug to Humble: The Transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge – Personalized & Signed
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    • Beneath the Mimosa Tree: A Novel – Personalized & Signed
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  • Do You Have Gumption?

    June 20, 2017 /

    *** Either you have it, or you don’t. Either you find it, or you won’t. Gumption comes from way deep down, and sometimes it’s tough to identify. Sometimes, you have to do a little soul searching to find it. Take, for example, Iris in “The Holiday.” Iris had been in love with the same man, Jasper, for years, and he didn’t return the sentiment. It was unrequited love in the keenest sense. Jasper used Iris, her kindness, and her love to his benefit, and she allowed that to happen. It’s not an unrealistic story. These types of love stories take place every day. However, Iris finally snaps, realizes what gumption is, and…

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  • Go Ahead—Call Me Corny

    December 18, 2015 /

    * * * Last night I snuggled in and turned on the television, which is something I don’t normally do. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but during the months of November and December, I tell my husband to clear some room on the DVR because I record every Hallmark movie so I can watch them from the time the semester ends until Christmas. This is when I get to be “ruler of the television,” as I watch Christmas movie after Christmas movie and feel the holiday spirit. It’s a lovely part of the down time I get with my family, and I love it. I won’t apologize for…

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  • Farewell, Eli Wallach

    June 25, 2014 /

    This hopeless romantic was very sad to learn of the death of actor Eli Wallach this morning. At 98, Mr. Wallach left this world, leaving behind a host of films for us all to enjoy. One of my favorite romantic comedies of all-time is “The Holiday,” and this scene is one of my favorites. He played the part of Arthur Abbott, a retired screen writer, in the film. Kate Winslet, visiting Los Angeles on her holiday, befriends him, and the friendship that ensues is the best relationship of the film. Eli was married to the same woman, actress Anne Jackson, for 66 years. In this clip, she toasts him for…

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    September 1, 2015
  • Looking For A New Year’s Eve Movie With New Year’s Eve In It? Top 5 List From Steph’s Scribe…

    December 28, 2012 /

    If you’re like me and will be staying home on New Year’s Eve, I’ve compiled a list of movies that might suit you for that night. You can pop it in and be done with it just before the ball drops and the celebrations begin in Times Square. I picked lighter movies that in some way depict New Year’s Eve. This would be my list… 5. About A Boy. Hugh Grant and Rachel Weisz star in this film. Grant meets Weisz at a New Year’s Eve party, but the story of the friendship with “the boy” is heartwarming and sweet. Hugh Grant is superb in this role. 4. Trading Places.…

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  • The Top 7 Best Lines from Holiday Movies

    December 17, 2012 /

    Steph’s Scribe has chosen these seven as the best lines from Christmas Movies. Care to agree or disagree? 7. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.” — Santa from A Christmas Story 6. “The only people who grow old were born old to begin with.” — The Bishop’s Wife 5. “…And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the Heavenly Host Praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill toward men. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” — Linus from A Charlie Brown Christmas 4. {To the doorknob of Marley} — “Hello! I don’t know whether you can hear…

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  • Dreaming of A Writing Cottage

    November 15, 2012 /

    Ever since I saw the piece on “60 Minutes” about writer David McCullough, his process and his writing shed, I’ve been dreaming of a writing cottage of my own. I know it’s asking a lot. My office at home is fine; it’s got a chandelier, beautiful blue walls, pink curtains, and it does the job for now. However, someday, I envision having a little space of my own, separate and detached from the house. Someday…someday…someday… A girl can dream, can’t she? If it ever did come to pass, I know exactly what it would look like. I did some research and included some photos of my ideal writing cottage. This…

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  • Lessons from “The Holiday” and James Cameron: Find Some Gumption

    September 8, 2011 /

    I could watch “The Holiday” over and over, and it’s not just to see charming Jude Law in action. Nancy Meyers’s adorable flick became a rom-com favorite of mine because I especially love the relationship between Arthur Abbott (Eli Wallach), a retired Hollywood screenwriter, and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet), a British journalist on holiday in L.A. How sweet and special is this relationship? And what lessons can we learn from it? I’m allowing this movie relationship to influence a short story I’m currently writing (the first part of it I posted a few weeks ago) that involves a nurturing relationship between a younger woman and an older woman. My two…

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Welcome to my website! I'm Stephanie Verni, author of 8 works of fiction, adjunct professor of communication, and part-time travel writer. I love sharing my work, travels, and experiences with you. Thanks for stopping by!
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If I’ve learned anything over these past 10 days it’s this: life is fleeting—truly fleeting—so grab hold of it, love the heck out of people in your life, and make memories you’ll cherish for as long as you live while trusting in God and His timing. Oh, how I love this. We’ve all been rescued at some point in our lives, whether it was a big or small rescue. For certain, I have been, several times and from different things/people. I think that’s one of the main reasons why I wanted to write a story like The Letters in the Books. All five characters have been through something. All five are trying to figure out how to navigate their futures. And all five have been negatively affected by the hurt they’ve endured. Then, when a letter filled with hope shows up in each of their books, good things begin to happen, and they end up finding each other. Weaving a story together with 5 main characters was a real challenge for me, but I’m so glad that this story is resonating with people, and I think I know why. We have all been there. I’ve always been a curious person who likes to learn new things. Currently, I’m learning a lot of new things, things I’ve never tried before. I love to travel near and far, and I enjoy writing for Maryland Road Trips. Places I’ve been feature prominently in my novels, almost as if they are a character. I read Elizabeth Gilbert’s book called BIG MAGIC when it debuted years ago. I remember feeling like we were soul sisters when it came out because of how I value creativity—both in myself and in my students. I never wanted to be that teacher who put the brakes on creativity. In fact, it was (and continues to be) a driving force in the way I teach my students. I am always amazed by students who believe they are not creative. Yet when you switch on the light and tell them they are, you see the proof of it in the work they produce. They ARE creative. We all have big magic in us; sometimes it just takes a little push to open the door to it. Don’t you agree that half the battle of writing a good story is believing in it? It takes a certain amount of faith and belief in your story— that it is worth telling—to keep you going. You need this faith in order to pursue all the things that go into the arduous task of writing and publishing a novel. I don’t know about you, but the satisfaction of hearing that people enjoyed it makes having that faith so worthwhile. This is my ode to being near the water. My soul always feels refreshed when I’m on the water. Most of my novels take place in a setting that involves water and boating. I love setting stories in places that reflect the love I have for small towns with water access. To me, it always feels like a place where you can escape to when you need that time to rejuvenate. Most of my characters feel the same way. I guess it’s true – write what you know. Which do you think I love more? The book is called Inn Significant for a reason. 💕 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 convince her to run their successful Inn during their absence as they help a friend establish a new bed and breakfast in Ireland. Milly reluctantly agrees; when she arrives at the picturesque, waterfront Inn Significant, her colleague, John, discovers a journal written by her late grandmother that contains a secret her grandmother kept from the family. Reading her grandmother’s words, and being able to identify with her Nana’s own feelings of loss, sparks the beginning of Milly’s climb out of the darkness and back to the land of the living. The porch is open for the season. Thank you to @leeverni and @hector_herbert for all the help today. Couldn’t have done it without you! XxOo

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