Stephanie Verni's Blog, page 24

Let Us Take You to St. Michaels – the setting of my new novel, LITTLE MILESTONES, with a video tour

One of the things I had on my “to do list” with Little Milestones, is to take you on a guided tour of the places and settings that inspired the writing of my novel, Little Milestones. I was patiently waiting for the perfect Saturday to go and shoot the footage, and that day came with blue skies, fall foliage, and a friend by my side to make it fun.

Little Milestones is available on Amazon.com and BN.com. It’s a story of moving on, love, friendship, family, and forgiveness. It’s a light novel that takes you from Labor Day weekend through Christmas, and it’s set in this gorgeous town.

When I write contemporary fiction, I try to make it as realistic as possible, incorporating sights and sounds and places and “people” into the storytelling. Hence, doing the research and visiting often.

I really hope you enjoy this novel. It’s meant to take you away and remind you of the goodness in life.

xx

 

Teaser Ads for LITTLE MILESTONES and a Bit About the Novel

[image error]Set in beautiful St. Michaels, Maryland, my newest novel delves into the notion of the importance of family, friendship, moving on, and starting over. The idea of bringing in some of the characters from Inn Significant into this new story was an absolute thrill for me, and I did my best to do so for those who loved my previous novel. However, Little Milestones can be read alone—as a stand alone novel—without having previously read Inn Significant.

These teaser ads below reflect the style of writing you will find in the book.

As a writer, I try to write as realistic fiction as I can, borrowing from people and situations I’ve had in my own life or have learned about from the lives of others. Our main character, Olivia, has gone through a divorce, and decides to leave New York City and her job as an event planner for a magazine to move back to her roots in Maryland. Her grandmother, Nan, lives in St. Michaels, and suggests decompressing in her house in town after losing her own husband to cancer the year prior. Olivia takes her up on that offer, and in doing so, begins to find her way as a member of the community. With back stories heard from the perspectives of Nan, as well as narration from Miles Channing (who was in Inn Significant), Olivia’s main narration drives the novel.

I hope you’ll pick up a copy of my newest work. It began last year during National Novel Writing Month, as I accepted the challenge to write and publish a novel within a year of starting it.

Why?

Because I’m crazy and because I wanted to show my students that where there is a will, there is a way.

Thanks for following along on my writing and publishing journey. I appreciate you, my loyal blog followers.

XX

 

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Launching Little Milestones AND NaNoWriMo in one Evening on Campus

[image error]It’s been an unbelievably busy and exciting week! Launching LITTLE MILESTONES has been a thrill! I am so happy it’s available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and I’m doubly thrilled to be launching #NaNoWriMo this Tuesday on campus. It’s our third year of promoting writing on campus and getting students thinking about writing their own stories, be it fiction, nonfiction, or memoir. Students can also think about creating their stories on Wattpad or via a blog.

When I was the age of my students, I would sit in class and dream of publishing something one day. At that time, you had to find an agent or publisher, or you were out of luck. With the birth and expansion of self-publishing, we are lucky—just as YouTubers and musicians are—to have an outlet for our creativity. It took me a while to hunker down and do it, but I’m so happy to have this platform to share stories that come from the heart.

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This one’s about love, family, relationships, and moving on. It’s about the significance of supportive female friendships. It’s set in St. Michaels, Maryland, a beautiful harbor town, and it takes place from Labor Day weekend through Christmas. I’d love for you to meet Olivia, Nan, and Miles in LITTLE MILESTONES. Hope to see you Tuesday.

For more about NaNoWriMo at Stevenson University, click here to read the article by our student journalists in the The Villager!

Thanks for following along!

 

 

 

It’s Been A Helluva Week & A Little Milestone Is In The Books

[image error]The life of a writer:

Wake up.

Think about your writing.

Edit your writing.

Worry your novel isn’t good enough.

Edit some more.

Worry some more.

Write more and delete more and rewrite the damn thing.

Pretend like you don’t actually talk to your characters like a lunatic.

Drink a lot of coffee and curse a lot of curses.

Write. Edit. Write. Edit.

Publish.

Celebrate.

Collapse.

In all seriousness, I do want to collapse.

And I’m just starting to think about the “celebrate” part, but I’m not quite there yet. Next week on campus, on Tuesday evening, we will officially LAUNCH my new novel, LITTLE MILESTONES, in conjunction with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The book is for sale now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but the launch is next week.

[image error]I set out a year ago during NaNoWriMo to prove a point to my writing students, and the point was this: that yes, within one year, you can write and edit and publish a novel if you so desire.

I guess I desired it badly enough, because novel #4 is in the books.

And, it’s my longest book to date. So I really must have wanted to prove that words make a difference, that attitude is everything with writing, and that storytellers must not feel as if they cannot tell their story.

This novel came to me in bits and pieces, and only over the summer did I decide to add the different voices and perspectives. I always find it a little more interesting when reading novels to hear from various characters, as it keeps me wondering and on my toes. I wanted this book to have that feeling.

It’s 8:30 at night now, and honestly, I’m exhausted. Writing at crazy hours and under your own deadline is stressful! So I’m going to just say THANK YOU to all of you out there who read this and support me. I’m going to say thank you to all of my colleagues and friends who push me to always want to do better, both in life as a person and as a writer. And, I’d like to thank my wonderful family for always giving me the space I need to do my thing.

I love them dearly.

Launching LITTLE MILESTONES Today, my newest novel…

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[image error]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.


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I think of all the books I’ve written, this one has made me the most nervous to write. I started it last year during National Novel Writing Month and truly finished it two weeks ago. It’s not always easy to write–as many of you fellow writers know–and I’m always second-guessing myself as to whether or not it’s “good enough to put out there.” At some point, after living with these characters for so long, you get a sense that it’s time to publish. If you liked Beneath the Mimosa Tree , you might like this one because it is told from alternating perspectives throughout the novel. And if you liked Inn Significant , you may like the setting and characters included in here. I hope you like hearing from Nan, Olivia, Miles, along with insights from Milly, Ben, and the host of characters I put in here (along with a couple of visits to local Inn Significant, as well).


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This is my longest novel to date, the one that gave me the most agita, and the one I am most nervous about because you never want to disappoint with a follow-up book.


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If you’d like to come in person to our kick-off on campus where I will have books to sign, feel free. I would love to see you. Tuesday, October 29, 2019, 7 p.m., Stevenson University, Owings Mills Campus off Owings Mills Blvd in the Claire Moore Room at the top of the hill. Hope to see you, and as always, thanks for the support!

xx


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Stephanie Verni is the author of Beneath the Mimosa Tree, Baseball Girl, Inn Significant, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, and Little Milestones. She is Professor of Communication at Stevenson University, as is the co-author of Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice with Leeanne Bell McManus and Chip Rouse.

Well, it’s been a while…

[image error]I just opened up my blog to check the date of my last blog posting. It was almost a month ago on September 3. I’ve been a little MIA on this platform, something I’ve dedicated myself to since 2011 by making the commitment to posting a minimum of once a week.

For the last several weeks, I’ve broken that promise to myself.

Believe me when I say my absence was not intentional, it’s just that I didn’t know what to say or what to write about over the course of the last month. I’ve been preoccupied with the deaths of people we cared for, along with getting back into the swing of high school for my daughter, and college life for me. As well, my husband has a new job, and my son is back in Pennsylvania in college. Honestly, there’s been a lot going on, which I will try to recount for you.

The past two weekends, we’ve done a little traveling, visiting family and friends for birthdays. It’s been wonderful to catch up with relatives and spend some nice time with them. We’ve been to New Jersey and Connecticut, and last weekend to Delaware. We got to visit Chesapeake City for the first time, and I’ll share those photos in another post.

In August, I received the honor of being named a Faculty Fellow for the 2019-2021 school years along with two other colleagues. We will be creating programming for faculty development in our newly established Center for Teaching and Learning on Stevenson University’s campus. It’s a great way for the faculty to help each other out with ideas, workshops, and mentoring. I’m looking forward to being involved in this new initiative on campus.

[image error]Last week, I finally finished my fourth novel, Little Milestones, and am preparing for its launch at Stevenson University on October 29 as we kick off—for the third year straight—National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I started writing my novel last year during NaNoWriMo, and now I have a finished project. I am a testament to the perseverance of committing to writing a story…and completing it. If I can do it, so can others.

Simultaneously, Leeanne, Chip and I have also spent the past several months working on the second edition of our textbook, Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice. Yesterday, we sent our edited and new files to our publisher, Kendall-Hunt. We added two new chapters on event hospitality and event tourism, which helps to round out the book in offering strong content for students wanting to learn more about the field of event planning.

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I guess I’ve been a little busy lately, but it does make me sad to think I’ve neglected poor little Steph’s Scribe.

I’ve missed being here, and I promise to do better.

XxOo

Finding Inspiration

[image error]As someone who writes fiction as my side job, I seek inspiration, either from other people or from places. Additionally, as a writer who is about to publish my 4th novel, I use places almost as I use characters in my novel—they must have a personality and purpose.  Setting is very important to me, and getting a handle on that place requires me to do some digging and exploring.

Next month, I will launch my newest novel, LITTLE MILESTONES, set in St. Michaels, Maryland, a place I love visit when I need to get away from the rat race of life. It’s only a little over an hour away from my house, so it’s convenient. It’s a place where I can hear myself think, as I love exploring the streets either by foot or on my bike. Luckily for me, I have a willing partner in exploration, as my husband often makes the trip with me. It’s also helpful for him to do so because he’s one of my beta readers for all of my novels. He asks hard questions about the characters, plot, and setting, for which I must have good responses. When he goes with me on these day trips, we dive into the culture and place in ways we wouldn’t do as tourists. We absorb all we can, and a lot of that morphs into my storytelling.

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On Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, we took our final “spin,” so to speak, on our bikes in St. Michaels. We traveled back roads and paths we’d not explored before, and as the St. Michaels Nature Trail figures prominently in my novel, we rode the path, exploring and talking to people along the way. Taking photos at the covered bridge was a highlight for me, because I’d never ridden on the trail before.

I also discovered other little alcoves and places that could potentially still be included in the story as I make my final round of edits and prep the book for publishing. Always remember, writers: a work not yet published still has room for changes. To borrow a line from Billy Joel,

And so it goes…

And so it goes…

And you’re the only one who knows.

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Writing About Grief

To tell you the truth, I’m not sure why two of my books have focused on grief. I can only tell you that I probably write about it because I have the utmost respect for people who are able to cope with grief well. Losing someone is so hard—unimaginable, even—especially when we love someone so much we can’t imagine them not being here with us.

In Baseball Girl, Frankie loses her dad. In Inn Significant, Milly loses her husband to a fatal road accident. Both of these characters loved so deeply that the loss was, for a time, insurmountable. And yet, they both learn to carry on, never forgetting their father or husband, but dealing with it the best that they could.

Two weeks ago today, we suffered our own unimaginable loss. My son’s best friend passed away at 19 from a long illness and we have been devastated by this loss. His parents are our dear friends, and he was a most beloved member of our community. He was full of life, charismatic, loving, sweet, funny, and full of charm. He was like a member of our household—coming in and out just like a member of our family. My husband bought him boxes and boxes of Cheese-Its because he loved them so much; I made him what he called my “legendary brownies.” And I’ll never forget the way he and my son became the closest of friends. He was supportive and kind. He was everything you’d want in a son, brother, friend, cousin, swim team coach or classmate. Our level of grief—our whole community’s level of grief—continues, and I pray for healing for all who loved him.

A couple of years ago after I released Inn Significant, someone who read the book told me it helped her cope with the loss of her brother. I was so touched by that, and I think what I learned from writing about grief is that it boils down to this: sharing our grief, in whatever form and in whatever way, is part of the healing process. Whether it’s reading books, talking about our loved one, needing a hug or a good meal, finding support in friends and family, or figuring out how to carry on that person’s legacy, we need ways to cope with grief, even when we can’t for the life of us get the question we all want answered by a higher power: Why? Why did this have to happen?

While no one can answer that question, we can help each other in little ways by offering kindness and support to the family and to one another each and every day.

And so, I’ll end this rather melancholy post as I sit here welling up with tears by simply using a hashtag that one of our friends began in memory of our friend:

#LiveLikeLuke

Answering Questions & An Overview (and some hair-dos, lol)

[image error][image error][image error][image error]Hi Readers! I figured I haven’t done a quick introduction and overview for some new connections here, so here it goes! I’m also sharing some throw back photos of the books I’ve published (and my many hair-dos since!)

1—Why am I holding The Postcard in the first photo? This week marks the one-year anniversary of publishing my collection of short stories that has gotten some buzz lately: a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite and a finalist award in National Indie Excellence. So thrilled for both!

2—When did I start blogging? Back in 2011 with the support of some of my students, namely Bill Ritson, who helped me name it Steph’s Scribe and set it up on WordPress.

3—Why do I post so many fashion photos? I don’t know, you guys! I just love fashion, dresses, and am in the process of overhauling my wardrobe to be a little more sophisticated. Think Audrey Hepburn.

4—What’s the method to my madness of publishing four books and a textbook in seven years? Time management and devotion. There really isn’t much more to it than that except for a belief in myself as a storyteller.

5—What’s on my playlist? Honestly, you’ll find me listening to a bunch of stuff, from Kanye to Michael Buble to the Rolling Stones to Eminem. I also love musicals and music from movies. Currently, I play the soundtrack to Game of Thrones while I write.

6—How long have I been a professor? I started teaching my first class—public speaking—in the early 90s. I was working for the Baltimore Orioles at the time and fell in love with teaching. By 2000, I was an adjunct raising kids and by 2008 I became a full-time professor at Stevenson University.

7—Should I get an MFA in creative writing? I earned my MFA in 2011. I don’t regret a single second of it. It taught me to be a better writer, evaluate writing with more vigor, and be a better teacher. I don’t think you NEED an MFA to be a writer, but for me, it pushed me and made me better. Click here to learn about National University, my wonderful alma mater.

8—How do you spend your free time? If I’m not writing, I’m hanging out with my husband and kids, family and friends. I’ve been sneaking up to the pool to read books this summer, and am making my way through a very long “to read” pile. I also love to travel.

9—What are you working on now? I’m in the final stages of proofing and editing my new work, Little Milestones. I’ve also queried some agents to see if anyone is interested. That’s a big, new step for me.

10—What are the biggest lessons I’ve learned in life? Mind your own business. Be happy. Don’t compare yourself to others.

Hope you are all having a great Thursday. Be kind to yourselves and others, and I look forward to learning more about you! XxOo

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Twilight and Twinkles and Travel

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As I tell my students in the special topics in travel writing course I teach, travel happens as soon as you step outside your door. Day trips, afternoon trips, and evening trips can all be wonderful experiences, especially when you’re sharing the time with someone you love. It can also be great to go exploring by yourself.

In our local travel writing class, students often pick Annapolis as their spot. I love to read about my hometown from their perspective, some of them only visiting Annapolis for their first or second time. As I’ve grown up in this area and have spent lots of time cavorting and entertaining in our little historic city (which was the temporary capital of the United States from 1783-1784), it always feels like home to me, although sometimes, like most things in life, it shines a little more brightly on certain days and nights.

Last night was one of those nights, and the photographs I’m sharing were all taken from my iPhone. I loved the way the city looked, and it reminded me of the opening scene in my first novel, Beneath the Mimosa Tree. The city looked exactly as I pictured it at twilight through Annabelle’s eyes as she tells her side of the story in this contemporary romance novel.

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While it’s not a travel book per se, my novel incorporates the city into the story to help put you there and experience the city as both Michael and Annabelle see it. Additionally, my new novel, Little Milestones, contains a few scenes in Annapolis, so I guess you could say that anytime I’m in the city, I’m taking mental notes for my writing projects.

It requires us to have our eyes open at all times.

That’s our job as writers.

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