Stephanie Verni's Blog, page 26
May 29, 2019
Stay Positive, Writers!
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It’s the first day of summer break for me, and that means it’s time to dust off my work in progress and hunker down. I’d really love to have this novel done by the end of summer.
However, in doing so, there are challenges. It’s really easy to tell ourselves that our work is mediocre…that it needs a lot more love and attention…and that may very well be true. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be wonderful! My current work in progress needs some love and attention. I have to start at the beginning and go through it, chapter by chapter and sentence by sentence. I have to pull this thing together, and I have to do it without having a lot of self doubt. Self doubt seems to creep in at all times, especially when we’re trying to create something decent. We wonder if it’s good enough. We wonder if there will be readers. We wonder if someone else will think it’s good or crap.
I guess overall, the most important thing is that you believe in the project and see it come to fruition.
Take the time.
Believe in yourself.
Sometimes days it will be easy; some days it will be difficult.
But keep going. Keep pushing.
That’s my inspirational thought for today.
Five Quick Tips:
1. Start writing, and set a schedule to write
2. Tell your story the way you see it (believe in yourself)
3. Take the time to tell the story the whole way through to the end (persevere)
4. Edit that baby…over and over again (confidence and clean up)
5. Figure out your publishing options – self publishing, small presses, agent, or large press (you did it!)
May 27, 2019
The Postcard & Other Short Stories Earns Finalist Award in 13th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards
[image error]YOU GUYS!!!!
Am I allowed to be a little excited for a moment?
I was thrilled to learn on Friday that The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry received recognition as a FINALIST in the 13th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards! This is the fourth time my books have placed in this contest, and on behalf of all indie authors out there, I want to thank organizations such as NIEA for hosting contests where our writing can be reviewed and showcased. Indie authors are tireless little bunnies out here writing and publishing our own stories, and I couldn’t be more pleased to hear this news! Thank you, NIEA, for this honor.
I’m back in action this summer writing my fifth work of fiction, and I’m hoping to have that completed by summer.
But guess what I’m most excited about, people? Finishing the novel will require me to go back to St. Michaels, Maryland, to shoot my cover and get this thing together, and I love going to St. Michaels!!! So, while I continue to work diligently to bring this book to a close, there are some perks that come along with it.
In the meantime, I’m going to spend the rest of the weekend being deliriously happy for a few moments for The Postcard. Years and years of my writings were put into that little book, which also required me to unleash my years of locked away poetry on you. It took a lot for me to muster up the courage to publish the poems, as I find poetry to be such a personal art form, and I selected my top favorites for that book.
I hope you’ll pick up a copy and help those of us who are indie authors get noticed. It’s a daily struggle, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not a person who is afraid of some hard work, and I know there’s more of it on the way if I want to continue being an independent author and publisher.
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May 22, 2019
Weekly Recipe: Chicken, Turkey Sausage & Kale
Chicken, Turkey Sausage, and Kale
This week, it’s a healthy meal so we can fit into our bathing suits (well, some of you might be able to … I’ve got a ways to go).
Anyway, it’s Chicken, Turkey Sausage & Kale, and the video above will tell you how to make it. More specifics and the recipe are below.
My husband and kids love this recipe. As I mention in the video, you can add pasta or beans to this if you want it to be a little more hearty.
Ingredients:
Chicken breasts or tenders, cut and sauteed in pan with olive oil
Turkey sausage (I buy the hot sausage and boil it first for about 15 minutes; then toss in pan with chicken when chicken is done cooking)
Kale
Chicken broth (I use low-sodium chicken broth, about 3/4 of a cup to a cup for one bag of Kale)
Garlic
Directions:
Cut up chicken into little pieces and throw in pan with olive oil. Cook until it’s not pink.
Boil turkey sausage in water about 15 minutes.
Cut up turkey sausage into pieces.
Add garlic to pan with chicken; then toss in turkey sausage.
In another large pan with lid, measure about a cup of low sodium chicken broth.
Toss in kale. Place lid on top. Steam for about 5 minutes.
When it’s slightly wilted, toss in chicken and turkey sausage mixture.
Serve as meal. We add a fruit on the side.
***You could also add cannellini beans, pasta (small pasta like little shells or ditalini pasta)—whatever you like to make it more hearty if you wish. Otherwise, it’s a healthy little meal. The turkey sausage is low in fat and is the perfect combination for this recipe.
Enjoy! See you next week!
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May 21, 2019
When Things End
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 time to sit and write, my answer is that it happens mostly when I’m not teaching. The summer and winter breaks provide me that opportunity to work on my novels, and so this morning, I opened up my current work in progress and began to comb through it. It’s not done, and I still have to write the ending.
[image error]Spotted in Annapolis on Sunday afternoon prior to the series finale of Game of Thrones.
Which brings me to some thoughts on the ending of Game of Thrones. I invested so much time in that show, and I wanted a different ending for the season and series finale. And then I sat back and rethought my criticism, especially after listening to my favorite GoT podcasters, Darren and James from Entertainment Weekly. As someone who creates her own stories, and therefore has to create endings to those stories, the creativity comes from within me as to how my creations should end. So here I was, being judgmental about how someone else ended his story, but the truth is, it’s not really up to the audience to have the ending they want. It’s up to the writer and/or creator to figure out how their story ends. All we can do is like it, not like it, and/or try to appreciate the art of it all. Storytelling is an art form, and art is so subjective.
So today, as I began rereading what I’ve written of my own novel so far, I’m keeping in mind my audience, but I’m also going to stay true to what I hope will happen in the story. As J.K. Rowling has said, “I write for myself.” I think if we constantly remind ourselves that our narratives have meaning because we are invested in the authenticity of our storytelling, then we’ll produce something that will make at least a segment of the population happy with what we produce.
Similarly, as I looked around last night at Baccalaureate at Stevenson University and got teary-eyed as two of our students sang For Good, a fitting song from the musical Wicked, I realized that we are faced with many types of endings in life…the end of a career, the end of a relationship, the end of a friendship, the end of a residence or place we called home, the end of our educational journey, and so on. These ends lead us to some other journey, something else to discover. Something new to write or create.
When the writing of a story or a television show comes to an end, we can become emotional because of the time and investment we put into it. Perhaps that’s why our expectations are so high for them. And perhaps that’s also why we have the saying, when one door closes another door opens. Because we are ready for something new to capture our hearts and allow us to plunge ahead again.
[image error]A summer of writing…here I come!
May 20, 2019
The Postcard Gets 5-Star Review from Readers’ Favorite
[image error]Honestly, it’s been a pretty rough 2019 for so many reasons, but seeing this review this morning from READERS’ FAVORITE put a big smile on my face. It’s when I read something like this that I know that despite all the work and effort it takes to be an independent author, it is all worth it in the end. Thank you also to my former student, now PR pro, Grace Clark, for the amazing cover photo, which helped earn us a perfect 5 score for the collection, from writing, storytelling, to cover design. Cheers!
THE BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite
A postcard is more than just a pretty picture on one side, marking a spot of interest somewhere in the world, perhaps even something exotic. A postcard is what’s written on the back, addressed to a recipient with a quaint little note about an event, a memory, or an expression of emotions filled with hope. What is written on the postcard is a story, a memoir, a cherished tidbit of life. It may be prose, or it may be poetry. But it is short, eloquent and to the point.
Stephanie Verni’s collection of short stories and poems, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, provides readers with a large selection of ideas, emotions, experiences and a love that comes from a message in a bottle, or a love that endures a breakup only to be resurrected through the exchange of vintage postcards with loving messages. In verse, the author/poet introduces the reader to this eloquent collection of thoughts and scenarios: “Stories can blur what’s true, what’s not-/ And among these pages, I’ve dabbled with plots./ So I’m awfully glad you’ve taken the time-/ To read what’s yours, but once was mine.”
The collection follows this enticing opening, carefully arranged and presented so the reader can savor one story or poem at a time. The author suggests that she really isn’t a poet, but her rhyming verse, her haiku, and even a lovely sonnet say otherwise. Each story is well constructed and speaks about the human condition: love, death, loneliness, separation, fear and so much more. An enjoyable read.
May 13, 2019
Our Italian Red Sauce Recipe
[image error]Hello, readers!
Today, I’m posting a recipe, and I think I’m going to add this as a weekly feature during the summer (now that my semester is almost over). This recipe has been handed down from my mother-in-law to me.
I’m going to post the handwritten recipes for you, so you can see exactly how I do it. I make a small modification to her recipe in that I add tomato paste to the sauce. As she does, after I sauté the onions and garlic, I remove them and let the flavor sit in the olive oil. The rest I do pretty much as she does, although I throw a big ole bunch of basil in my sauce (or gravy, as they call it in Italy).
If you have any questions, let me know. I serve the sauce over our favorite pastas, and to be a little healthier, we use the whole wheat pasta these days.
Enjoy. Mangia!
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This is the first time I’ve used the Instagram stories to show how I made a recipe (minus the meatballs), so I decided to put it together in this short video.
May 5, 2019
The Wonderful, Wacky World of Writers
[image error]I’m just gonna put this out there because it makes me sad: too many people are not reading. They are spending their time on other things, which is great, but I would like to see the average books people read a year climb (see a piece I wrote last year about average number of books people read each year by clicking here.)
I am, however, encouraged on Instagram by all the READERS and WRITERS I’ve become connected with over the last six months. People post books, book art, and their favorite stories in beautiful pictures. It’s been a whirlwind of likes and follows, but the people I’m connected with are building a very strong IG community of writers and readers. It’s a good little #writingcommunity (yes, that’s the hashtag if you want to follow along).
Our writing community has connected through social media, and we talk about writing, we share what we’re writing and how we do it. We share pieces of ourselves and what makes us tick. Honestly, there’s a wonderful, wacky world writers out there. It’s so amazing to see.
I’m hoping that if there’s a world of writers out there, that there will be a world of readers willing to give our books a chance. We may not be Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham, John Green, or Jodi Picoult, but we do have stories to share. And we’re putting them in print or on e-readers just for you.
This wacky writer is nearing completion of NOVEL NUMBER 4…and I’m excited to share it with you and unveil the name of the novel soon. I tend to complete my novels in the summer, and I’m aiming to do it again in Summer of 2019. I’ve been working on it off and on over the last several months, but I’ll really dive in once the semester finishes, and then we’ll see where it takes me.
But please, don’t discount us as writers just because the word “independent” comes in front of the word “author.” We work hard—REALLY HARD—to bring you our best work, our best stories, and our very best efforts.
The world of publishing is in a state of change, much like newspapers and the music industry, and we writers are a part of the new way things are done. Everybody has a fair shake at this thing, it’s just getting people to pick up a copy of the book is a little more challenging.
But we’re just wacky enough to give it all the energy we have…and then some.
[image error]A sweet post and recommendation for my book that I was tagged in yesterday. Love this.
May 1, 2019
I Was “One of Those” People
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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 couple of years ago, and I guess at the time, we just weren’t in the mood for it.
But this winter, we got in the mood because, well, Winter Was Coming. And now we are more than hooked.
And here’s the thing, you guys, as I’m writing this blog post two days after Season 8, Episode 3 aired, which left us all with A LOT to talk about…I can honestly say to you that it’s the best show I’ve ever seen on television. It’s intelligent and provocative; it makes you think and it asks you to think about the characters. The characters drive the plot, and it’s oh-so-interesting because they are oh-so-great, even the ones you despise.
I’m not a huge television watcher, and there are a lot of shows I haven’t seen, but some of the shows I’ve dedicated time to watching that required a huge time commitment included Downton Abbey, The Tudors, Call the Midwife, The Crown, Victoria, Grantchester, and 24, just to name a few (with 24 being the BIGGEST commitment of all, as each season had 24 nail-biting episodes).
[image error]Jamie Lannister and Brienne of Tarth
But Game of Thrones makes me think…and I do think about it a lot. I’m caught up in the characters and what will unfold as they all have some stake in sitting on the Iron Throne. I’m glad I binge-watched the series and was caught up with Season 8 as the final episodes began to unfold.
I’ve even roped one of my best friends into watching it (and I promised her I would not spoil anything for her, and I am keeping that promise), and I no longer have to be one of those people who didn’t watch Game of Thrones.
As well, I’ve learned that I actually do love the fantasy genre, and plan on taking a peek at more stories like this in the future. I’ve got George R.R. Martin’s book sitting next to me right now and plan to read his series. Over the past few years, I have written contemporary romance novels, but I’m thinking about perhaps trying my hand at something entirely different at some point in the future.
I just need some of Arya’s courage to do it.
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April 24, 2019
Totally Slacking Off
[image error]I admit it. When I’m not working and am at home, I’ve been doing a lot of slacking off. It hasn’t been because I’ve wanted to, necessarily, although I do believe the “break” has helped my mental state a bit.
But let me explain.
Last month, I was sent to the emergency room at the hospital with a wicked back issue. I’d never felt pain like that in my life. I’d pulled it several times before (after having children, mind you), but nothing like that—ever. So, you see my dear readers, I’ve been in a bit of “recovery mode” after being diagnosed with a herniated disc and because said disc has been refusing to mend itself on its own. I’m in the throes of figuring this thing out.
This incident has led to a lot of sitting, grimacing, wincing, and basically hobbling around like, oh, I don’t know, Igor in Young Frankenstein. This period of time has allowed me to do other things that I don’t typically do because I’m often engaged in writing a novel on the side, but my brain hasn’t been functioning like it normally does through this experience, and so I haven’t done much, but I have done the following:
1-Eaten a lot (which isn’t exactly helpful without exercise)
2-Watched the entirety of Game of Thrones, from Season 1 to present
3-Read some books (most recently, Christina Baker Kline’s The Way Life Should Be)
4-Worked on my social media and connecting with other writers/authors/bloggers
5-Designed the cover of my new novel without actually having it finished
6-Missed some cool social activities like Orioles Opening Day and nights out with friends
7-Helped the makers of Icy Hot increase their revenue
8-Learned how to shave my legs without actually bending over (sorry, no photos of that)
9-Hobbled around just enough that my husband has learned to make dinner sometimes (win-win)
10-Was injured enough to not be able to clean the house and instead have a “temporary” cleaning crew take care of the cleaning (score!)
So you can see, I’m not my normal “get everything done” self. The gardens have weeds. The porch needs a wicked clean. My spring clothes are still in bins. My novel should be ready to edit this summer, but isn’t. Instead, the frigging thing still needs a lot of love and attention. I’ve also only blogged like, oh, I don’t know, once a week, instead of my usual two-three times a week.
But don’t worry. Things are looking up. I can now bend my legs enough to not contort myself to shave them in the shower.
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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 an academic textbook Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt, that she co-authored with colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus & Chip Rouse.
April 23, 2019
Celebrating World Book Day 2019
Dear Readers,
Do you remember the first book you ever read? If not, do you recall what your favorite book was as a child? You know, the one you had your mom or dad read to you over and over again because you loved it so much?
Do you remember being a teenager and maybe not loving the books that were assigned in class, but then later, recalled aspects of them and perhaps gained a greater appreciation for them as you matured?
Can you list all the books you read last year, and have you been keeping track of the books you’re reading this year? Do you share books with others? Recommend good reads to people who share your taste in literature? Comedy? Romance? Fantasy? Science Fiction? Mystery? Sports? Nonfiction?
Today is World Book Day, and I’m celebrating it by being thankful that I can read and enjoy reading; that my mother instilled a love of reading in me (even though it took me a bit to catch on); and by stacking my pile of reading sky high for this summer. Over the weekend, my mother recommended Christina Baker Kline’s book from 2007 entitled The Way Life Should Be. I’d enjoyed two of her other novels: Orphan Train and A Piece of the World, so why should I have been surprised that I finished that book in two days over Easter break.
It’s wonderful when someone puts a book in your hands and says, “I know you’re going to love this.”
When someone does that, you should trust them.
They probably know best.
So cheers to World Book Day. May you have many great reads in your future.
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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 an academic textbook Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt, that she co-authored with colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus & Chip Rouse.
