BryonySeries: October 2019

Thursday, October 31, 2019

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: Vampire Moths Discovered

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Community News: Oct. 30, 2019

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Visage at Aunt Nina's Sweets and Treats

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Three Sweet Things

Three sweet things came into my life over the last twenty-four hours or so.

Here they are:

As I've previously written, I'm pen pals with nine of my youngest grandchildren. This includes Justin, the son of my youngest son's girlfriend.

Although the couple has no plans for breaking up ever, if they do fall apart for some reason, I want to stay this child's grandmother forever.

This is the first letter he sent me. I love it!!!

The second is this delicious chocolate a lovely woman left by my desk yesterday at The Herald-News.

She is one of the people who came out to the limerick slam at Book and Bean Cafe for Calkins Day this year and then, subsequently, tried (unsuccessfully) to persuade other venues in the area to host a limerick slam.

She also sent a few Letters to the Editor to The Herald-News in limerick form and would periodically text me in limerick. :)

By choosing dark chocolate, it shows she read my story on National Chocolate Day.

And the mint?

Perhaps she still has fake Irish on the mind.

Finally, I woke up to these blog stats this morning.

While I was hoping to hit 400,000 total views by the end of the year, I had no strategy for doing so. It was just a wish.

And now, well.

Excited, to say the least!

Monday, October 28, 2019

Community News: Oct. 28, 2019

Check out upcoming events and local pets who need homes.

If you live within the Herald-News' coverage area (most of Will and Grundy counties in Illinois), and you'd like to share your organization's news or upcoming events, email the information to new@theherald-news.com.

Pets of the Week: Oct. 27

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/23/f9b292c3bc384ce78c7279a8621fac3a/index.xml?page=1

Local pet events: Oct. 28 through Nov. 4

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/25/local-pet-events-oct-28-through-nov-4/azcdv3e/

Gotta Do It: Oct. 28 through Nov. 2

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/25/gotta-do-it-oct-28-through-nov-2/a6io055/

Local health events: Oct. 29 through Nov. 5

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/25/local-health-events-oct-29-through-nov-5/ak8m1xx/

Local food events: Oct. 28 through Nov. 4

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/21/local-food-events-oct-28-through-nov-4/a2prbch/

Local faith events: Oct. 2 through Nov. 4

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/25/local-faith-events-oct-2-through-nov-4/ay0uinr/

Local arts and entertainment: Oct. 28 through Nov. 4

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/25/local-arts-and-entertainment-oct-28-through-nov-4/a5i6l6p/

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//

Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story Newsletter

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Christopher Gleason for "Staked!" Follow him at artworkbytopher.com.

"Bryony" the Audiobook Update

Last week Rebekah and I met with Alby at Book and Bean to discuss progress on Bryony the audio book so far.

Since we won't be re-recording the files (they were recorded in 2012), and Alby feels they're pretty clean, since he edited as we recorded, we decided beta listenders would not be helpful at this point.

Alby did, however, ask Rebekah to listen to them, a few chapters at a time, to catch any mistakes he might have missed. She listened to the first few last week (and only heard one mistake - a line read twice) and is currently waiting for Alby to send more.

Also Rebekah, who has not read Bryony since I'd written it, found it as compelling in audio form as it is in print.

In the meantime, we are researching our distribution options. I feel like I'm navigating the early years of self-publishing without the map of people who did the hard work for me by the time I joined the party.

Meaning the pool of distribution services are small, and terms are varied.

So I'm researching the available services and evaluating terms, etc. I'm debating between two and leaning toward one, but that could change.

However, the process is exciting, and I'm definitely enjoying it. Even better, Alby would like to start recording another book and is interested in possible voices.

We debated the pros and cons of possibilities: should we record Visage next or should we record the first in each series before circling back?

That means we would record Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone (children's chapter book) and Bertrand and the Lucky Clover before circling back to the "drop of blood" trilogy.

Any thoughts?

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Community News: Oct. 27, 2019 (and a lot of catching up)

Artwork by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Friday, October 25, 2019

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Oct. 20 through Oct. 25

First of all, a shout-out for tomorrow's Panic in the Plaza event, which will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. outside on Van Buren Street in Joliet (which will be closed for the event) and is hosted by Audiophil's Records.

BryonySeries will be there (i.e. Rebekah and me, for sure), along with our books, other vendors, music, and more. Come in costume (we will) and enjoy!

Second of all, it's been a crazy week with the move and more, but we're getting unpacked and turning our new townhouse into a real home.

I only have two chapters to finish of Cornell Dyer and the Flu. The rest are edited and ready to go. As soon as Sue Midlock has the art done, we'll upload.

The goal is to have a few copies for WriteOn Joliet's anthology release party on Nov. 15 at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

At the very least, we should have the proof copy and will take orders for discounted copies, which will be shipped to buyers in time for Christmas.

The book has a great nod to A Christmas Carol (thanks to the great plotting by Timothy Baran) and is very readable for kids and adults - just ten chapters and around 10,000 words.

The memoir I'm ghost-writing is very nearly ready for formatting. I have just a few more pages of notes and then Phyllis can read and approve the text. I'm also working on an independent editing project and plan to dive a little more deeply into it next weekend.

What about the werewolf story?

I saved up about half of my vacation time for Thanksgiving and Christmas, where I'll be giving myself a couple of mini writing retreats as my own Christmas present to myself.

I also have some updates on audio book version of Bryony, which I'll discuss next week.

Have a wonderful day readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans. I'll write soon - from the view of the new room.

Non-bylined features:

Monday through Saturday I assembled my non-bylined works - brief posts and calendar listings - into one convenient file and posting them on Facebook in the evening, so readers can easily choose the ones they want to read.

One can also find those event listings, the Gotta Do It calendar, as well as the pets, health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars, under the sections tab on the left hand side of http://www.theherald-news.com/. Click on "features" and the topics drop down. Gotta Do It runs under "people."

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time):

Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to jon WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writeonminooka/?ref=bookmarks. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

Upcoming events:

Once Timothy Baran is done updating this page, these will listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts.

Check out the progress he has made so far. Each square is hand-built. And be sure to "hover" your hand over the first square. Note: this only works (so far) with the desktop version.

But he's also made A LOT of changes to the website. So be sure to roam around a bit.

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) along with upcoming events is at www.bryonyseries.com. Again, Timothy is in the process of updating the website, so all titles may not appear. If you have any questions, email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

'He's like a Santa Claus, really'
Ozzie Mitchell of the Peter Claver Center in Joliet is battling terminal cancer, supporters hosting fundraiser

Find out how you can help - and why you should.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/16/417b97f6313b4d9b97281b1b98940b05/index.xml

An Extraordinary Life: Joliet teacher valued service above all

Anthony Gutierrez was born in box car but grew up to use his talents in the most extraordinary ways.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/09/a3a6342d1df649f188c20393699a6202/index.xml

5 decades of prayerful faithfulness in the Joliet-area

The St. Clare House of Prayer is only open to visitors on an individual basis. And yet, the small ministry has greatly impacted the Joliet-area community in the past five decades. Find out how.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/16/5-decades-of-prayerful-faithfulness-in-the-joliet-area/ak50o59/

All for the love of chocolate
A primer and recipes to help celebrate National Chocolate Day on Oct. 28

All you ever wanted to know about the different types of chocolate, plus three tried and true recipes to get you in the chocolate mood.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/14/all-for-the-love-of-chocolate/apc5c7/

Ghouls rule this Joliet Catholic School

"We take the kids to Mass every morning," Jan Novotny said. "We’re certainly not doing anything against dogma.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/21/ghouls-rule-this-joliet-catholic-school/dqcqemv/

Artworks: Lockport program will commemorate 100th anniversary of suffrage through song

Phil Passen said: "I do it for two reasons. The main one is I love it. It’s how I want to spend my time. The other reason is that it really does bring joy and happiness to people. Their eyes just light up.”

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/24/artworks-lockport-program-will-commemorate-100th-anniversary-of-suffrage-through-song/a73n0o/

LocalLit author spotlight: Celebrating diversity and families

Check out this new children's book about open and biracial adoption

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/14/locallit-author-spotlightcelebrating-diversity-and-families/d5nosn2/

VIDEO: mermaids and more in Crest Hill

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/a3860485-a553-4607-a461-8f3043054114.html

VIDEO: Author shares dark secret at Crest Hill event

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/d67ac5d9-b5df-42c4-abc0-d0f14bc64ea9.html

VIDEO: Highlights of author fest in Crest Hill

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/0e54b204-ada6-428e-aa70-0b48108f80a3.html

VIDEO: Peggy Mitchell of the Peter Claver Center in Joliet speaks from the heart abut her husband Ozzie and their service to the community.

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/59125e50-8bbb-4c3b-904a-b6a7547cf2b6.html

VIDEO: Joliet nonprofit offers karate classes

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/a171625d-c2d7-4849-9599-0bf84ea07d72.html

Illustration bu Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Thursday, October 24, 2019

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: How I Ran My First Blog Tour

Saturday, July 7, 2018

How I Ran My First Blog Tour

I've had "blog tours" on my brain even before I published Bryony.

I loved the concept, a virtual book tour. Instead of driving from bookstore to bookstore, you post on other blogger's blogs.

I feel both types of tours are useful, but that's for another post.

My research into blog tours turned up lots of places that charge for touring and one that asked for donations only. For my series, I did not find them useful, for two reasons.

One: I don't have the money to spend (and, frankly, I didn't want to spend the money to post on someone's blog).

Two: None of the blogs I found had anything to do with my genre. True, my series crosses genres, and one reader thinks I've invented a whole new genre. It was her comment that led me to create my own tour. A custom genre deserves a custom tour, right?

Writers often hear, "Write what you know." Well, I reasoned, I'll start with WHO I know.

This is how I created a tour in ten easy, but time-consuming, steps. I have not seen another tour quite like it on the internet, so maybe I've created something new here, too.

Note: Don't let "time-consuming" frighten you away. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Including write your book, marketing your book, and ESPECIALLY asking people to give you real estate on their personal blogs.

And here we go.

1) Decide your tour length.

A week? A month? Whatever you decided, schedule your tour several months in advance. You'll need the time to properly plan.

I picked May/June because I made a commitment this past year to schedule one marketing event a month. Events in May and June, I figured, would have low turnouts, due to weddings, graduations, Memorial Day, First Communions, etc. But everyone (it seems) is on their phones these days. (I myself am guilty at reading marketing posts through dreary graduation speeches). So be strategic in your timing.

2) Make a list of bloggers you know.

Don't worry if they are in your genre or not. (This contradicts an earlier paragraph but just follow the rabbit trail, please). Make it a long list, about twice as long as your tour length. Not everyone will say yes. Don't take it personally.

3) Spend some time reading their posts.

Get a feel for the tone of the blog and what each particular bloggers likes to post. Bookmark the ones you really like. You'll need them later.

4) Brainstorm some topic ideas for each blogger that reflect both the tone of your book and the tone of their blog.

A blog tour should be mutually beneficial. I don't care if you're pitching your cousin. You should not ask for space on someone's page unless you're offering to give free content that could potentially benefit that blogger. Period. No one owes you anything.

5) Politely contact prospective blogging partners.

Explain what you're setting up and pitch your ideas.

6) Make a blogging schedule.

And let your blogging partners know the day you're linking back to their pages, so they know what day to post your content.

7) Write your posts in advance and submit to each of your partners for approval.

They may suggest some editing. Don't balk at this. Again, if they're posting submitted content on their pages, they should be thrilled with the content and excited to post and promote it. If not, you're wasting everyone's time (including your own), and you won't meet your tour goals, either.

8) Promote the heck out of your tour, before and during.

Not in a spammy way, of course. But the average tweet has a 15-minute life. The average Facebook post has a three-hour life. The average reader will recall your post only until he scrolls through his feed to someone else's. Gentle reminders in advance bring the focus back to your tour.

9) No bait and switch.

Make sure any loyal readers you have don't feel sold out when you redirect them to another's page. Make sure they know well in advance (read No. 8) that the tour is coming. Assure them the content they will read on someone else's site is the type of content they expect to read (and with an unspoken understanding you are redirecting them to a safe and reputable site). Encourage them to explore the other site. Readers are always looking for great new things to read. They may find it in one of your hosting sites, good for one, good for your blogging partners.

10) I added an element to my blog tour I've not seen elsewhere: a TurnAbout Tour.

This was an extra "free" tour as my "thank you" for all my tour hosts did for me. I reintroduced the hosts and provided links to three posts I really enjoyed. And I promoted these posts with the same gusto as I did mine. It continued the fun and extended the promotion for my hosts with zero work on their part. That's the "free" part. They received additional promotion by linking back to three blogs they'd already written and posted.

And BTW, if any of your tour hosts wants to run his/her own tour and is looking for hosting sites, please raise your hand.

Now, was such a tour useful?

Ah, the numbers. We always want to know the numbers.

Here's what I gained from the tour:

1) I stretched my creativity in new ways and learned to promote my series in new ways. I wrote my first poem. And I connected vampires to social justice (who'd have thunk, seriously). I wrote a post in baseball terminology (And I know nothing about baseball. Except you need a ball. And a bat).

2) My blog stats for May and June shot up by thousands. I've retained those numbers into July. I averaged nearly 15,000 for each month.

3) My website stats also shot up, over 600 percent in June, according to Google, most of them through readers directly accessing the site (i.e. not through social media). I had 2,600 visitors in June and 2,800 pages viewed. Meaning, a few people stuck around to check out the other pages.

4) I sold five Kindles: two Bryony, one Visage and one Staked!. I have not checked Nook and Smashwords, so I may have a few sales there, too.

5) Last, and certainly not least, not one tour host has expressed displeasure or disillusionment at the experience. That's eight blogging partners and me. One blogger said she intends to re-promote my post at a later date.

All in all, a successful tour, especially for a first time.

I intend to make this an annual event. In the meantime, I'm going to archive the entire tour onto its own page on my website and promote it from time to time. That's the great thing about a virtual tour. It can be perpetuated long after the tour has ended.

In the meantime, you can "meet" the tour hosts at https://www.bryonyseries.com/promotions

(Do you see what I did here)?

Want to run your own tour? Got questions? Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

2012 Witches Night Out Joliet, IL

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Musings on a Tired Morning

It's easy to get grumpy when sleep has been short for several nights running.

However...

1) Some people today did not wake up and never will again.

Today I will praise God for the blessing of another day and remember those who grieving.

2) I'm tired because we've taken another huge step forward and that brings effort.

Today I will praise God for that blessing and pray to grow with it.

3) I don't have to drive anywhere today; there's plenty of coffee in the house (and I'm drinking it from a mug that was a gift from Jasmine); and a list of interesting work I can't wait to tackle.

Today I will praise God for the blessings of this job and pray for the words that best communicate what needs communicating.

Monday, October 21, 2019

A Moving Weekend

What does a working when moving look like?

It starts with packing up my home office and the few personal items I decided to keep when we left Channahon.

That part's easy. Those items have remained in labeled boxes since 2013. I just move those around with me, a total of five boxes.

Then, about 9 p.m. on Thursday night, after a meeting of WriteOn Joliet, I packed up my the personal items I use on a daily basis and my home office, which I also use on daily basis.

Friday: Up before 5 p.m., dragging through work until 9 until we did the walk-through of the new townhouse. Then into the office until 4:30 p.m. to honor interviews and pages that needed editing and design. Then coffee and joining the moving crew until 11 p.m. Then back on the computer until 1 and then a shower.

The moving crew included Rebekah and Jasmine when they got off work at 5, Timothy (who worked offsite and moved while participating in conference calls, Daniel, who swapped days with someone else to have the day off, and Cindy, who worked extra hours so she could help with the move.

I might also add that Rebekah and Daniel are recovering from the flu, and Timothy has a bad cold.

Saturday: Up at 7 to find the things I needed for the White Oak Library Fest. Did two videos for work, ran a few errands, unpacked a good chunk of my new bedroom/home office (an incredibly spacious room), sneaked in a walk to clear my head and encourage energy, jumped back on the computer until 11 for a couple of hours, and passed out about 1.

While I was gone, Cindy did an incredible job of moving boxes to different rooms and unpacking the kitchen. She even made dinner.

Sunday: Up at 7, walk and coffee, worked on Monday's page until 1, broke for a meeting, back on the computer until 4, walked to Walmart with Rebekah for a few necessary items (like cat food), handled a medical emergency, back on the computer for a couple of hours, while Rebekah and Timothy finished breaking down the first townhouse (where Timothy is staying, but will be remodeled this week, so he'll spend a week with us).

I might also add here that Joshua is rehabbing his house in Morris, so Timothy spent Sunday there. And Daniel worked Saturday and a double shift on Sunday.

Joined Rebekah and Daniel for Jack's pizza at 9:30 p.m., finished one last thing for work, jumped in the shower, and finally to bed with a book (was asleep almost immediately).

And THAT, is how you move without losing work time.

BTW, I'm totally digging the new space.

The cats are a little weirded out.

But they know where to find the food. :)

Illustration by Christopher Gleason for "Staked!" Follow him at artworkbytopher.com

Friday, October 18, 2019

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Oct. 13 through Oct. 18

LOTS of stories and videos to share this week, but otherwise a very quick post.

Tight deadlines today, and I'm overseeing the WriteOn Joliet table tomorrow at the White Oak Author Fest at the Crest Hill Library...WHILE we're moving today and tomorrow. It should be adventurous, to say the least.

Stayed up late last night to pack up my bedroom and home office, so this post is one of the last pieces I'll be typing from the old space.

But do stop out at the author fest tomorrow. I'll be there with my books, Rebekah, and, hopefully, an abundance of dark roast coffee.

Have a wonderful day readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans. I'll write soon - from the view of the new room.

Non-bylined features:

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time):

Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

Upcoming events:

Once Timothy Baran is done updating this page, these will listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts.

Books and Such

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Prevention every pet should have
SNIP offers low-cost services to dogs and cats in low-income families in the Joliet area

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/08/03297aea41364cc78a3dced3a2f3b01c/index.xml

VIDEO A peek inside the SNIP Society in Joliet

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/a18ce72e-32ef-47fb-bff3-22bbaa6a053f.html

An Extraordinary Life: New Lenox man led by example

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/07/an-extraordinary-life-new-lenox-man-led-by-example/aq1xga/

Plainfield rescue's benefit was a 'drag'
'It’s entertainment not being done in our area,' Terri Crotty, founder, said.

Crotty said, “Part of our marketing is reaching every different culture and lifestyle. It doesn’t matter what you do or what you choose, there is a dog for you.”

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/15/fa72d3f1e32c452eacc9439177fc7f42/index.xml?page=1

VIDEO: Kara Mel performs Prince songs in Bolingbrook

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/ee83a1f7-a434-4a61-a42b-b76964d2218c.html

VIDEO Audrina Phoenix performs "Close Your Eyes" in Bolingbrook

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/e23efe6d-58f3-46e2-9e6f-a26125e70379.html

Decorating tricks from these Joliet residents are a treat to use

Three Joliet-area residents share budget-friendly tips for frightful decor that won't scare your wallet.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/15/d2a305eb3473478fb048cdea0fc696d9/index.xml

LocalLit author spotlight: Cean Magosky of Lockport

Magosky summed up his children's story like this: A new toy joins the playroom and learns an important lesson.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/15/locallit-author-spotlight-cean-magosky-of-lockport/az2qf66/

VIDEO: James Finn Garner talks about rejection

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/1c4e1c52-6071-4eff-8242-76faaa8fd04a.html

VIDEO: James Finn Garner shares his writing process

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/88bcc5fa-4bc4-4723-b150-edf37b5171bf.html

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Thursday, October 17, 2019

For Throwback, A Look Back

The last nine years, almost to the date, have been a strange ride.

It started with a call to my husband from my doctor's office that I was being hospitalized. He was just about to call me.

He had quit his job.

And as the months unfolded, his dementia became more obvious.

Another son was out of work. He and his family moved in. A year later, she and their son left. Towards the end of our time in Channahon, another son and his family refused to resign the lease on their roach-infested apartment and asked to move in, too

Over the years, we had invested our own money in our church. We ran developed a Sunday school and a youth program, even remodeled some adjacent buildings on our property to host the youth group.

We also hosted elaborate monthly lunches at our church and two banquets a year. We bought and prepared the majority of the food, which was so good, when one couple was getting married, the bride's mother approached us and offered to pay for all the supplies if we could host a breakfast for the guests the day after the wedding.

We did all this while working four jobs between us. As a family, we delivered over a thousand newspapers each night. By day, my husband worked in the maintenance department at a local school district; I was a freelance writer and wrote about ten pieces a week for various publications.

We homeschooled.

But our pastor returned the generosity and supplemented us to the tune of $500 a month for 2011 and 2012 and $250 a month through part of 2014 so I could buy health insurance for my three youngest kids and me.

Because of all my husband's medical issues, I could not find a policy to cover him. This was pre-Obama care. And we fell just outside the income guidelines for subsidized care.

Eventually Aunt Martha's saw him. And with only one very kind doctor and me filling out the forms and talking to the state, my husband was approved for disability. But the road from job loss to disability was five years. And he had continued to decline during those four years.

The house his parents built went first. We could have stayed longer, but the well failed that fall of 2013. That meant no water and no septic. With eight people and five cats in the house.

By then, my husband, my children's stepfather, had left to move in with a relative, another blessing, because he did not have to see the dismantling of his childhood home, the home we lovingly remodeled, the home where we thought we'd live out our days and welcome visiting children and grandchildren into the fold.

At the end of hard days, some days I just want to go home.

Fortunately, we had run the youth group. And so we had a portable toilet on the property. My daughter-in-law, who worked in another town, refilled water jugs after work. Friends let us use their shower. We knew the best hours for frequenting laundry mats.

That hardship only lasted two weeks. We worked hard in that time period to re-home everyone.

Again, the failed well was a blessing. Otherwise, we would have been breaking down that house in the brutal winter of 2013-2014 (remember that?).

Some of the freelance worked dried up that fall, and I decided to stop writing and look for work. Right after Christmas, the Sun Times sold The Herald-News and Shaw Media bought it and hired me, a wonderful Christmas gift, indeed!

Instead of looking for work, I grew in my work with new opportunities.

Several months later, my three youngest kids (I have six) two of whom went to school and worked at Joliet Junior College, and one, who had just graduated and was working, and I moved into a two bedroom apartment.

We were right by the door and across from the laundry facilities, one of the sweetest spots in the complex, so it was yet another blessing.

A year later, a two bedroom townhouse opened up, and we moved again. This was the spring of 2015.

The kids continued to progress in their work and education. They gradually made more money.

So this weekend, we are moving again.

A three bedroom townhouse has now opened up. One son is staying in the two bedroom. My other two adults kids and me are moving.

It will be a bit of a crazy move as this week is super-packed!

Tonight, WriteOn Joliet is hosting James Finn Garner at 6 p.m. at the Joliet Public Library, 3395 Black Road, so if you're in the area, please join us! The event is free. But make sure you stop at the Book and Bean Cafe inside the library first. The coffee is excellent.

Then tomorrow night, I have tight deadlines for Sunday and Monday publications.

And then on Saturday, WriteOn Joliet will be part of the White Oak Author Fest, which will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Crest Hill Library. Since no one can stay the entire time, Rebekah and I will.

How will we get the move done?

There's before and after work times and before and after event hours.

And we have wonderful family and friends who understand our insane schedule and are helping in between their own work hours.

See? Blessings abound!

The only sad part about all these wonderful happenings is that my ex-husband and my children's stepfather will not be here to see it. He has not passed, physically, but his mind has.

Since he's in a nursing home in another town, and I still don't have a vehicle yet, I'm only able to get down to see him once a week or so.

But I have two sons that live closer. One son has been excellent about popping in a few times a week and making sure needs are met. And I keep in contact with my oldest stepson, who's been great in coordinating care.

Tonight will be the last night in what is to become yet another former bedroom/home office, a little bittersweet, as I've written hundreds of thousands of words in this space.

But the pull toward the future is stronger within me.

I can't wait to meet our new home!

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

James Finn Garner at C2E2 2018

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Community News: Oct. 15, 2019

Check out the awesome things people are doing.

If you live within the Herald-News' coverage area (most of Will and Grundy counties in Illinois), and you'd like to share your organization's news or upcoming events, email the information to new@theherald-news.com.

Will County Health Department stresses the importance of #breastfeeding

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/12/will-county-health-department-stresses-the-importance-of-breastfeeding/afymvqs/

Family physician at Morris Hospital offers advice to keep kids healthy during school year

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/12/family-physician-offers-advice-to-keep-kids-healthy-during-school-year/aq7jpme/

Healthy Kids Running Series Shorewood keeps kids active

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/13/healthy-kids-running-series-shorewood-keeps-kids-active/a5bk2sz/

Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation program visited Shorewood school

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/13/delta-dental-of-illinois-foundation-program-visited-shorewood-school/ap086g3/

Resources for talking to children about violence

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/12/resources-for-talking-to-children-about-violence/amz0o8s/

IEMA offers tips to help kid cope with disasters

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/12/iema-offers-tips-to-help-kid-cope-with-disasters/apldkfh/

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//

Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story Newsletter

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

New Opportunities

The last few weeks, seemingly out of nowhere, a number of new opportunities knocked on my door.

A few have happened within my family and will stay there.

But several others involve sharing on my part, so I'm sharing here.

First of all, I'm thankful for my sister Karen at the Downers Grove Library for connecting me with VampCon Chicago, even though it was canceled at the last minute.

It still led to covering a Skype story with Bram Stoker descendant Dacre Stoker, which was tons of fun, considering my love for the vampire genre in general and Dracula in particular.

And then a fellow writer, whom I've not (yet) met (she runs the group

"All Things Literary, Grammar and Writing" on Facebook), asked me to reach out to the owner of Audiophil's Records in Joliet to participate in the store's first "Panic in the Plaza" event at the end of this month, which has greatly consoled me over the loss of VampCon.

But first, WriteOn Joliet will participate in its first group author fest at the White Oak Library in Crest Hill, thanks to my co-leader and local celebrity Tom Hernandez for suggesting it. I had participated in the fest twice just as BryonySeries, but it's WriteOn Joliet's first time at an author fest as a group.

And then the following Wednesday, I will participate in a small "speed networking" event for the teen members Fearless Females, a unique partnership between Joliet Central High School and the Zonta Club of Joliet. The very gracious invitation was waiting for me on bleary morning when I signed into my email, which woke me up better than my dark roast coffee.

At the beginning of November, I will participate in a career fair at St. Dennis School in Lockport, the invitation that started the slew of blessings.

Finally, I was invited to appear on this podcast, which will air (hopefully) in time to promote WriteOn Joliet's third annual anthology release party on Nov. 15 at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

Every one of these opportunities is a very different opportunity to share various aspects of my writings from various angles.

And this morning, when every sentence I'm writing is interspersed with a yawn (the silent scream for more coffee, right?), I'm very humbled that each of these people felt I had something valuable to share, and I pray that I live up to the expectations when each of the times arrive.

Have a most blessed day: readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans.

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Vampire Moths Discovered

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Monday, October 28, 2019

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Friday, October 25, 2019

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Saturday, July 7, 2018

How I Ran My First Blog Tour

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Monday, October 21, 2019

Friday, October 18, 2019

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Tuesday, October 15, 2019