We recently connected with Stephanie Verni and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

My life changed when I was 19 and floundering in college, when I secured a job working in public relations for the Baltimore Orioles in professional baseball. It didn’t take long for me to mature and learn the true meaning of a work ethic. The people I worked for were the best role models; they worked hard and taught us to do the same, sometimes by setting expectations and sometimes by example. The long hours spent working in baseball forged lifelong friendships similar to those found in the military or among those who work in law enforcement: there’s a bond of kinship that doesn’t fade with time, even if we don’t see each other as regularly as we would like.

Watching my colleagues and others in the organization work hard was inspirational and aspirational. From my sophomore year on, I quickly realized who I wanted to be: I wanted to be like them. They had passion, drive, and a lot of fun along the way. It was a great place to grow up. The hours spent working in baseball taught me everything I needed to know about setting and achieving goals, and that hard work equals success in life.

Fast forward to my forties, and I completely switched careers from working in public relations and publishing and became a full professor at a university outside Baltimore. In 2009, I went back to school and earned an MFA in Creative Writing while raising two young children with the support of my husband. Since then, I’ve written seven fictional books and a textbook. The ingrained work ethic I learned from the Orioles got me where I am today. In the spring of 2022, I stepped down from my full-time teaching role to part-time teaching in order to pursue more fervently the dream of writing more books, while still being connected to students and teaching, which is also a passion of mine.

The truth is, none of this would have been possible if I didn’t learn how to work smartly alongside the best mentors. Additionally, I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a passion for what you do.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I take my job as an author seriously, and believe it is my destiny to write uplifting, realistic stories that tug at the heart.

To date, I’ve written seven fictional books in the categories of contemporary/historical/women’s fiction with a touch of romance in each. My newest book is called The Letters in the Books (2022), and it’s the story of an empath who owns a bookstore and how she changes people’s lives by slipping letters inside the books of those in need of a pick me up. In November 2021, I published From Humbug to Humble: The Transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, which is a continuation of Ebenezer Scrooge’s story originally written by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is my favorite book of all time, and in my novella, I explore what might have happened to Scrooge once he decided to change his ways and become a better human being.

Anna in Tuscany (2021), is a story of a woman who moves to Italy as a travel writer and happens upon a romantic love story for Valentine’s Day. Other books include Inn Significant (2017), a story of love, loss, and recovery set on Maryland’s Eastern Shore; Beneath the Mimosa Tree (2012), my first novel, which is set in my hometown of Annapolis and is centered around the theme of forgiveness; and Baseball Girl (2015), a women’s fiction story loosely based on my life working in professional baseball. Little Milestones (2019), another story of recovery and friendship, is a follow-up to Inn Significant, and is set in the beautiful Eastern Shore town of St. Michaels, Maryland.

Currently, I am an adjunct professor at Stevenson University Online, where I instruct graduate and undergraduate courses in communication. Along with two of my colleagues, Leeanne Bell McManus and Chip Rouse, we authored a textbook entitled Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice (2019), published by Kendall-Hunt. This textbook takes a look at the “why” behind event planning and attaches communication theory to it, in addition to offering practical guidelines regarding all aspects of event planning.

While an undergraduate at Towson University, I secured a job working for the Baltimore Orioles in public relations. After college, I stayed with the ballclub for 13 years and was the assistant director of community relations and then director of publishing. Helping to plan the move from Memorial Stadium to Camden Yards was a thrill; afterwards, helping to plan the 1993 All-Star Game, Cal Ripken’s 2131 Celebration, and the events surrounding the back-to-back playoff years in 1996 and 1997, were some of the highlights of my career working in the sport. My work as editor of the Cal Ripken Commemorative Publication, which celebrated Ripken’s tying and breaking of Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak record, was the pinnacle of my career in baseball.

I also love freelance travel writing, and I currently write for marylandroadtrips.com. I love writing about our beautiful state of Maryland, and jump at the chance to take another adventure to explore what we have at our fingertips.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building your presence on social media can be challenging. Having instructed courses in New Media Communication, I was both professor and student. It’s amazing how much we can all learn from each other regarding branding and visibility on social media. My personal strategy has been to focus on your favorite social media and stick with it as you brand yourself. As an author, I chose a handle that reflects what I do; therefore, it’s stephanieverniwrites on Instagram and TikTok . A few things I’ve learned along the way that I am happy to share are the following: (1) never forget who you are and what you are—what you value should be in everything you do. (2) Even though I’m an author, I try to mix up what I post about. Anything from books to writing tips to promos to fashion and travel can be found on my feed. (3) It’s okay to have fun with social media, too. Surprise your followers with a funny imitation or mimicking the lyrics to something; post a photo with your significant other or family; show that you have a sense of humor, and post pics of yourself laughing with friends. Part of branding is allowing others to see the many facets of you—not just that you write books or are an author.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As a storyteller, my mission is not just to tell a story, but to tell a good story. I want to reel the reader in with good storytelling techniques. I want readers to enjoy the characters and miss them when they finish the book. I keep all of this in mind as I am writing. Sometimes, to help foster my creativity, I picture a reader in my head holding my book. What will make him or her turn the page to see what comes next? Knowing that I not only have the job of keeping a reader’s interest, but the privilege of doing so motivates me. There are tons of books out there. What will make someone want to plunk money down on my books and read them? What can I give readers that will make them happy they invested both their time and money in my storytelling? These are the things that drive me to put out a solid book. Ultimately, I want my readers to be entertained and happy they spent time on my novels.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stephanieverni.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanieverniwrites/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieVerni/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieparrilloverni/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephverni

Image Credits
Stephanie Verni