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A Little Teaser for My Upcoming Novel: Little Milestones
*** Well, I’m officially getting excited! As I posted a few weeks ago, I finally decided upon the name of my fourth novel, LITTLE MILESTONES, and I have a first draft of the cover. When it gets to this point, it begins to feel as if things are coming together. I’m sharing the first cover design I’m considering. As I plan for a September release, LITTLE MILESTONES is a book that focuses on friendships among women with a little dash of romance thrown in, because as most of you loyal readers know, I’m a sucker for a good romance. I’ll also be taking you back with me to the Eastern…
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A Garden, a Book, and a Library
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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The Results of My Favorite Kind of Getaway Research
Hello Dear Readers, I’m back from a fabulous weekend in Oxford, Maryland, with my husband. The Eastern Shore of Maryland is uniquely qualified to sufficiently relax you, while at the same time, invigorate your creative spirit. And if you’ve been following along on my blog for the last week, I needed the getaway so much, having pulled my lower back in the most extraordinary of ways (bending over to reach for something in a drawer, go figure!) that left me in pain for a good 10 days. Having nursed myself back from that injury to being able to enjoy the weekend without agony was an accomplishment in itself. Hours spent…
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Kind of In Love With the Eastern Shore
Two weekends ago, my husband and I celebrated 20 years of marriage with a quick getaway to St. Michaels, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It’s near the other town I love, Oxford, Maryland, where my novel, Inn Significant, is set. Both those towns have a ton of charm and are surrounded by water. They are quite special. We stayed at the Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond, a place we had stayed many moons ago. As St. Michaels was celebrating Midnight Madness on the evening of December 2, we thought it would be fun to be a part of the…well…madness. With shops open until midnight, festive decorations lighting up the town,…
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Road Trip & Book Signing in Oxford, MD
*** As P.T. Barnum used to say, “Let’s get this show on the road.” This Sunday, July 16, I’ll be doing that thing I love to do–driving over the Bay Bridge to reach the “other side.” The Eastern Shore of Maryland is beckoning me to come for a visit, and I cannot wait. I’ll be joining in the fun and festivities of Plein Air Paint Day in Oxford, Maryland, and will be signing my books at Mystery Loves Company on S. Morris Street from 1-3 p.m. Owner Kathy Harig has invited me to be a part of the event, and I enthusiastically accepted. Being able to spend the day in…
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The Town of Oxford Awaits You
*** On Sunday, July 16, the Town of Oxford in Maryland will host Plein Air Day, whereby artists come to town to paint scenes of Oxford and its waterways. Artists set up in various locations in the town, and it’s a great way to watch artists in action and see their works. The day will be filled with other festivities as well, including tours of the town, rides on the historic ferry, free coffee with the purchase of muffin at Oxford Market, music, and lots of activities for everyone. If you’ve read my novel, Inn Significant, you may remember the bookstore in town, which is real. It’s called Mystery Loves…
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“Beautiful. Brilliant. A Work of Literary Art.” – Summer Book Giveaway on Amazon
*** A couple of good things have happened over the last two weeks. First, Inn Significant received a Finalist Award from the National Indie Excellence Awards. Second, Inn Significant received a 5-Star review from Readers’ Favorite. I think those two honors warrant another giveaway for the book, don’t you? To enter to win a book in my Amazon giveaway, just click this link and it will take you there. https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/7bf380fda4adadf1 And then, let me take you to Oxford, Maryland (click here to see an lovely overview of the town form Only in Your State), where one reader said, “Brilliant. Beautiful. A work of literary art. The vivid imagery of Oxford,…
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Two Upcoming Book Talks & Signings
*** I’ll be taking Inn Significant on the road for a couple of upcoming books talks and signings. The first, to kick off the Summer Reading Program at the Broadneck Library in Annapolis, Maryland, I’ll be doing a book talk and signing on Monday, June 19 at 7 p.m. The Broadneck Library has scheduled me for all three books I’ve published–they are so dear. A special thanks to Shirley Lord for always being so kind. And Annapolis was the setting of my first book, Beneath the Mimosa Tree. We had a good turnout for Baseball Girl; hopefully, some of you will come and join the fun in Annapolis. The second…
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Book Promotion Wrap Up Week One –Thanks for Entering To Win!
*** Week one of book promotion for Inn Significant has come to an end, and I wanted to thank all 594 people who entered to win on Amazon for doing so! We had three winners this week–Thelma, Kendra, and Jessica. I hope you all enjoy Inn Significant…I really do. I’ll be giving away some signed copies this week on my author Facebook page thanks to some good ideas from my savvy students in public relations class. So stay tuned… I also wanted to thank the Star-Democrat newspaper on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for featuring the story about the book this week. Hopefully, some folks who either live on the Eastern Shore…
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Book Giveaways for Inn Significant
There’s a first time for everything, ladies and gentleman. I’m still learning all the ropes for succeeding as an independent author, and it’s a constant learning curve. That said, I’ve set up my first BOOK GIVEAWAY ON AMAZON. If you follow the link below, you can enter to win by the 28th of February; I’m giving away 3 copies of my newest novel entitled Inn Significant. Good luck, you guys! Follow the link below to enter to win a copy of Inn Significant! https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/aa533a36d37b846b *** Stephanie Verni is Professor of Business Communication at Stevenson University and is the author of Inn Significant, Baseball Girl, and Beneath the Mimosa Tree. Along…
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Writing About Places in Fiction – Maryland’s Eastern Shore in Inn Significant
As a writer, it’s important to research the places you may feature in your writing. I spent a ton of time walking around Annapolis, Maryland, for my first novel, Beneath the Mimosa Tree, and I did the same with the novel I launched yesterday, Inn Significant. It’s part of the fun, really. As my students in travel writing class can attest from last semester, it’s envigorating to write about a place, but there’s a trick. You have to allow yourself to be completely immersed in the place. Your writing won’t be as vibrant if you’re just a spectator. You have to become one with the place…become a local while you…
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My Third Novel, Inn Significant, Is Now Available !!!
B I G N E W S T O D A Y ! ! ! INN SIGNIFICANT IS NOW AVAILABLE ! *** A few weeks ago I likened birthing a novel to birthing a baby, except without the physical pain and need for drugs. I still think it’s true. I’m happy to report that my third novel, Inn Significant, is now available via Amazon and Barnes & Noble in both paperback and for the e-readers. As those of us who are independent authors know, this is when the marketing work begins, and it ain’t easy. Plus, it requires me to do something that I’m not used to doing, and that’s…
