Steph's Scribe

The Website of Author & Professor Stephanie Parrillo Verni

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

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  • One of My Favorite Scenes

    November 22, 2020 /

    *** I’ve been decorating a little bit today for the holidays. I’m feeling terrible, still trying to deal with a chronic health issue, but I’m trying to remain positive and optimistic. Evert time I break out my Christmas decorations, I always think about a particular scene in my first novel, Beneath the Mimosa Tree. The scene unfolds at the holidays after ten years, when two former lovers and next door neighbors are reunited. After years of not speaking and feeling anger and guilt over a mistake that was made, the two come face-to-face in the driveway as Annabelle and her family return from getting a Christmas tree. Michael, home from…

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    Dear Fellow Writers

    March 6, 2020

    The Slump: A Short Story in the Absence of Baseball for Fiction Friday

    March 27, 2020

    Reflections on 2131 after ESPN Aired the Game Last Night

    April 8, 2020
  • What Are You Missing Most Right Now?

    July 29, 2020 /

    Here’s the question: WHAT ARE YOU MISSING MOST RIGHT NOW? Most of us are probably missing the freedom we used to have to travel, being with those we love without social distancing, and seeing the world. Plus, as I am working on my syllabus for feature writing, I typically instruct and assign an article about travel writing. This morning I woke up realizing I may have to take this assignment out. How can I expect the students to travel and write about their local travel in these present circumstances? This semester is going to be unusual enough without now having to rethink assignments. I’m going to have to get creative.…

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    Autumn is Always a Good Time to Fall into a Story

    November 9, 2015

    Mercury Glass For A Touch of Sparkle

    July 30, 2015

    Happy World Book Day

    April 23, 2020
  • The Madness of Writing a Novel (in my own words)

    July 8, 2020 /

    ✨HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN YOU’RE IN THE ZONE?✨ I’ve hit my stride, finally. As we are approaching mid-July, I’ve made some pretty good progress with reading and writing. I’m about to hit 26,000 words on my work in progress, and my goal this week is to make it to at least 30,000 words. As well, I’ve finished one book about bookstores and I’m on to another. My pile of these books is pretty tall, so I have a lot to work toward. I’m also finishing the last week of the master’s course I’m teaching, so it’s been a little busy. What do I mean when I ask how it…

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    Creating a Capsule Wardrobe To Simplify and Change Your Life

    July 7, 2019

    Podcast 11 : Don’t Bring Negative To My Door

    March 23, 2020

    Endorsements for Baseball Girl

    July 14, 2015
  • Meet Some of My Author Friends on #WritersWednesday

    March 25, 2020 /

    WELCOME TO WRITERS WEDNESDAY #writerswednesday One of the wonderful things about being on Instagram is connecting with other writers. During this time of being home and “flattening the curve” and trying to kick this coronavirus pandemic to the curb, I decided I wanted to do something positive with and for my fellow writers. As such, I’m featuring other writers that you can get to know here on the blog. All these ladies featured here today are contemporary fiction, contemporary romance, romance, or romantic-comedy writers…just like me! I was so glad to see them answer the call when I solicited writers for this new segment. We’ll see how it goes, but…

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    Today’s Suggestion: Keep Dancing

    October 19, 2015

    On This Valentine’s Day, LOVE

    February 14, 2020

    Launching Little Milestones AND NaNoWriMo in one Evening on Campus

    October 26, 2019
  • Podcast 11 : Don’t Bring Negative To My Door

    March 23, 2020 /

    Combating negativity: this is a subject I could talk about forever. Maya Angelou said it best: “Don’t bring negative to my door.” When it comes to being an independent author, one of the things that absolutely DRIVES ME CRAZY are receiving negative comments and negative perspectives from others. It’s hard enough being an author; no one needs that BS in our writing world. So, today’s podcast is all about combating negativity. Let me know what you think and what you experience. Enjoy. xx, Stephanie *   Stephanie Verni is Professor of Communication at Stevenson University. She has authored five works of fiction and one academic text on Event Planning. Her character-driven…

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    Podcast 8: Music When You Write + The Hard Road of Being An Indie Author

    March 2, 2020

    Deciding to Be A Hallmark Movie in Annapolis, Not Just Watch One

    December 9, 2018

    A Few Updates On This Rainy Saturday

    September 12, 2015
  • Unlost – Sharing a Short Story from The Postcard

    December 18, 2019 /

    Today, I’m sharing a short story I wrote that was published in my book of 2018 titled The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry. It’s set in London, a place I’ve only visited once, but loved. In striving to write about female friendships as I did in my new novel, Little Milestones, I guess you could say I practiced with this very short story. I love writing short pieces of fiction, as they test both your ability to tell a condensed story, as well as test your proclivity for further expanding the story. This one stayed put as a short story, but another one I wrote for that collection, Life with Nan, turned into…

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    Some Quick Book Recommendations

    March 2, 2016

    Friday Fiction – The Beginning of a Love Story

    November 6, 2015

    The Move to Online Learning and Its Benefits

    March 22, 2020
  • Excited for an upcoming book talk in January…and how reading benefits us

    December 7, 2019 /

    I’m looking forward to being at the Severna Park Library in January on the 21st at 7 p.m. They are always so gracious to invite me whenever I release a new book (and there are three copies of Little Milestones in circulation there). Also, I have books on hand for $10 each (plus postage, if I have to mail) if you would like a copy for the holidays…simply message me at stephanie.verni@gmail.com and I’ll take care of it for you. Finally, a PSA: Be sure to support your local libraries and bookstores and keep kids reading! As a professor who teaches writing, I’m passionate about the ways reading positively affects…

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    Podcast 2 – Who Inspires Your Writing?

    January 13, 2020

    Fashion Friday, Week 1

    February 1, 2019

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

    December 11, 2018
  • Launching LITTLE MILESTONES Today, my newest novel…

    October 22, 2019 /

    *** Okay, my friends, today, my newest novel, LITTLE MILESTONES is official and is on the market through Amazon (coming in days to Barnes & Noble). While this is not a true sequel to Inn Significant, it does tap into those characters as they become a part of Little Milestones and the lives of Olivia and Nan. The new book is set in beautiful St. Michaels, Maryland, and as you may have surmised, I have a slight obsession with the Eastern Shore. There are also some scenes in Annapolis because I love my home state so much. * I think of all the books I’ve written, this one has made…

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    Midnight Madness in Annapolis

    December 11, 2015

    Life Philosophies, Not Resolutions This Year

    December 31, 2018

    Acceptable “B” Words for a BETTER You

    January 8, 2016
  • Fashion Friday: Summer Maxi Dresses & A Versatile Duster

    June 28, 2019 /

    * What is STYLE? 👠 How do you define the word? Here’s my take, for what it’s worth. Style isn’t about what you wear, it’s about how you feel about what you wear. Style also isn’t about labels and expensive clothes: you can look good in inexpensive clothes if you learn what cuts work best on your figure and body type. Sometimes I try something that’s really trendy because it looks so great on someone who is tall and thin, but on me, someone who is short and curvy, it just looks silly. I still like to look contemporary, but I know what’s within my zone. Occasionally, I do try…

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    Frocktober begins tomorrow & I’ve picked my charity

    September 30, 2020

    7 Tips for Working From Home During This Unusual Time

    March 20, 2020

    Show recommendations to binge-watch

    January 7, 2021
  • Borrowing Character Inspiration and Traits From People You Know

    November 30, 2018 /

    The million dollar question writers are asked at book talks is this: How much of your characters are you or someone you know? It’s the question that has intrigued readers with every book or story they read. So, how does one answer this question? Very carefully. We can’t help it as writers if we borrow things from people we actually know or have heard of or have met along the way. There is typically some truth behind fiction, whether big or small, but as observers and keen admirers of the world and the people in it, we are apt to take a few notes here and there. So if you…

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    What I Didn’t Say About Life as an Author

    January 22, 2020

    Podcast 14: Finding and Flushing Out Story Ideas for Novel Writers

    April 14, 2020

    On This Valentine’s Day, LOVE

    February 14, 2020
  • Friday Fashion: The Commitment to Add More Color to My Wardrobe

    September 14, 2018 /

    *** Writers wear black. Lots of it. It’s kind of funny, actually, that as a lot, we’ve sort of taken this color and decided to claim it as our own. I’m not sure how this got started, perhaps because as a group we’re sort of identified as a deep-thinking with a dark side. But I don’t necessarily subscribe to that label, as some labels just simply aren’t true. Some of us are happy writers. Happy writers who wear a lot of black. So my mission this semester on campus as a professor is to liven up my wardrobe. Does this mean I will never wear black or combinations of it…

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    When You Quit Something Cold Turkey

    September 28, 2017

    The Colors of Autumn

    October 27, 2015

    Podcast 13 – Ideas to Help Foster Creativity During This Crisis

    April 6, 2020
  • Goodbyes. Gripping Pain. And a Giveaway.

    August 28, 2018 /

    *** Hi there! I feel as if I’ve been away from my blog for a while, and I actually have, although it’s been entirely unintentional. Today, I wanted to explain why, especially as I wanted to write about the past week, which has been somewhat momentous for my family. My son started his freshman year at a university, and it’s not the one where I teach. The preparation, though, was all that you’d expect. The day before he left, we were frantically getting everything together, making sure he had all he needed. We washed clothes and ran to Target. We created a checklist and began ticking things off. We organized…

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    Podcast 8: Music When You Write + The Hard Road of Being An Indie Author

    March 2, 2020

    A Royal Lesson: Typing Class Came in Handy

    April 6, 2016

    Book Launch – Day Two Promo

    July 17, 2018
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I finally picked up my mail from campus and got the award I received in August for the work the Fellows did to help the university navigate the pandemic. As one of five Faculty Fellows for the newly established Center for Teaching and Learning, we created programming workshops to help faculty adjust to teaching during these challenging times.
Hi, all! Thought I’d make a video and try a little different introduction. I am so thankful to be connected to you all. As I say in my profile, I’m here to inspire and be inspired, and today I’d like to share those sentiments.
Today, I'm trying to break the Monday blues by wearing an outfit inspired by the fashion on @emilyinparis. The character Camille wore a cute one-piece plaid jumper with a sheer-sleeved shirt (see my stories), and I tried to mimic that outfit in my own way.
Before you write something, do you have to get mentally prepared and inspired? I know I do. Getting in that head space and physical space to be ready to write can be hard sometimes.
My daughter and I were lucky enough to spend an afternoon in Monterey, CA. We had lunch at a restaurant that was on the Pacific Ocean that jutted out over the water. It was a cloudy day, but stunning, and the meal was delicious.
Well, we made it to Friday🥳With so much uncertainty still floating all around us, sometimes you just gotta toss your head back and laugh. My wish for you today is that you have people around you who can make you belly-laugh. You know the kind of laughing I mean, right? The kind where you snort or cry or can’t catch your breath because it’s so damn funny????
Venice. 💕 #tbt
Annapolis has a lot of cool neighborhoods, and there are many on the water...including homes on rivers, creeks, and the Chesapeake Bay. I took this shot of Sherwood Forest from the boat in the fall. It was a beautiful day, and my camera was ready to capture the colors that were all around us.
Tired of being here, here in the cold,
FINALLY! Woo-hoo! An edited and complete manuscript is DONE and ready for beta readers!
Yesterday, I was able to get to the 100-page mark of editing my new novel (in stories). There were a couple of points where I got a little choked up reading the story—not at all expecting myself to react that way, as I wrote the words. Again, as I said last week, that’s what can happen when you put a little distance between yourself and the work.
Any other tea lovers out there? I’ve been watching a bunch of British movies lately, and it reminded me of all the high teas we enjoyed in London. You can probably guess from my posts that I’m going a bit stir crazy and I’m totally dreaming of our next trip. Until then, we’ll have to make our tea at home and watch shows/movies set around the world. Some recent favorites include: Emily in Paris, Cider with Rosie, Love and Friendship, Photograph, Island at War, Finding Joy, Grantchester, The Last Post, and Call the Midwife. #tbt

Recent Blog Posts

  • 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
  • Reading, Writing, and an Empath for November November 1, 2020

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

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