Local Author Talks About Debut Novel

Stephanie Verni took a few moments to share her thoughts with Annapolis Patch about her characters, her creative process and about why she chose Annapolis as the home for her characters in her debut novel, Beneath the Mimosa Tree (Beneath the Mimosa Tree, 218 pgs., $8.99).

Annapolis Patch: In a nutshell what's your book about?

SV: It’s about two kids who grow up next door to each other. One of them makes a mistake, and it's about how and if you can find forgiveness after 10 years once you make a mistake.

Annapolis Patch: The book is based in Annapolis. What made you want to choose our city as a backdrop for your novel?

SV: I grew up there. Twenty-five years ago when I was in high school and when I would come from college I would only ever go out in Annapolis. I have such a clear picture of Annapolis and growing up there.

Plus, there aren’t a lot of novels set in Annapolis. The city has got a little bit of romance to itself. I knew I could write it picturesquely. I knew I could take how I felt about Annapolis and put that into my characters.

Annapolis Patch: How did you decide which locations in the novel would be based on real Annapolis locations and which one would be figments of your imagination?

SV: I picked places that I knew were around in the '80s and '90s. 

Annapolis Patch: The story centers on two characters, Annabelle Marco and Michael Contelli. What do you want people to take away from their relationship?

SV: I just believe that in your 20s you do so much growing and changing and maturing and finding out who you are. That’s when you’re starting to really know yourself. They needed to do their growing. And that you can fix something if you want to because sometimes time does heal the wounds. 

Annapolis Patch: Would you say the book is geared towards women?

SV: Yes; it's a love story. I would say it's for women in their 20s and 30s, but I have been surprised by the number of women in their 50s and 60s who have written me saying they loved the book.

Annapolis Patch: Throughout the book readers hear from both Annabelle and Michael. What made you want to format the story this way?

SV: I knew from the get go that I wanted alternating voices. I wanted to try writing in a female voice and a male voice. I really wanted Michael’s perspective. It was actually a little bit of a challenge writing Annabelle because I didn’t want people to like her right off the bat. We have to come around to her and understand what she did.

Michael is like an Italian version of a contemporary Mr. Darcy; how could you hate him? But I didn’t want him to be too perfect. He married somebody for the wrong reasons.

Annapolis Patch: Was it challenging writing from a male perspective?

SV: (laughs) Yes. I drafted this for my MFA thesis and turned it in last year. I’ve spent the last year really re-working it. One of the things my professor said to me was let’s "guy up" Michael a lot.

I would read what I drafted to my husband for the first time and he would say, "Michael would not say that." He said, "No guy would say that." I would read him some of the Michael dialogue, and he would give me feedback. It was great being able to bounce ideas off my husband.

Annapolis Patch: So then, are Annabelle and Michael based off you and your husband?

SV: Micheal may have bits of my husband and Annabelle may have bits of me in them, but nobody is anybody that I know.

Annapolis Patch: Will you write another novel based on these characters?

SV: No, I’m done with those people.

Annapolis Patch: Was it difficult to let go of Annabelle and Michael after you lived with them for so long?

SV: Yes, the day that I hit send and sent the book to Kindle my hand was shaking. When I hit send, I started to tear up because they were gone; my babies were gone. They’ve been in my head for a long time. The last year and half that I was writing I thought about them all the time.

Annapolis Patch: Where can people find 'Beneath the Mimosa Tree' if they're interested?

SV: Aside from Amazon, there are three bookstores in the area:

The Blue Door in Pasadena.

Greetings and Readings in Hunt Valley. 

The Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore.

I’d love to get a store in Annapolis. That’s my next goal. I’d love to get a book store downtown.