Friday, June 11, 2021

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, June 5 through June 11

Good morning!

I have sixteen feature stories to share with you this morning - with another sixteen that haven't posted to The Herald-News website yet, so watch for them over the weekend.

Yesterday, I took a big step for me and a small step for herd immunity. It was a big step for me because when you have a weird medical history, you weigh the pros and cons differently than most people.

I'm happy to say my side effects at this point are completely average, and I'm super happy about that. This means I have a sore arm, am really tired (a series of naps is calling my name today), a bit achey, and I have a headache.

The second shot is scheduled for July 1. So even if side effects are severe or off the charts, I'll still be fully vaccinated on my birthday. A new full life on the day I started a new full life? I'll take it! 

Here's a quick summary of where I'm at, fiction-wise.

The next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer chapter book series: Cornell Dyer and the Whispering Wardrobe should be available for purchase this weekend at the earliest and beginning of next week at the latest.

I'm excited start the next book in the series: Cornell Dyer and the Calcium-Deficient Bones, maybe even this weekend, if Timothy and I feel up to it.

The first book in the new BryonySeries Limbo trilogy The Phoenix is now available in the BryonySeries store

I'm hoping to get some work done on the second book of the Limbo trilogy - Call of the Siren - but because of the abundance of new characters and situations, I am pretty much starting from scratch, so progress is still very, very slow. But I'm hoping to peck at it a bit, if my energy allows it.

I scratched the surface of a new series in the BryonySeries this past weekend. It's an idea Sarah suggested to me over a decade ago. It's aimed at tween girls, so if you have a tween, are a tween, or will have a tween someday, this might interest you.

And if you missed it, I had a really nice review on Bryony recently and also one on Visage. Both are from the same reader, which is now also reading Staked!

Now back to the sixteen feature stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too -

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Sunday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks or will be featured in an upcoming cookbook.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook pageWe're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need support in your writing, I highly recommend this Twitter group: #5amwritersclub. I  joined it last year. Writers support each other on Twitter and meet every three weeks at 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CST - needless to say, I am often late!) on Zoom.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide and Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story and Book Review Newsletter at https://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs 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.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

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.

FEATURES

Cantigny Post 367 VFW in Joliet to celebrate 100th anniversary on D-Day: Community invited to come out and enjoy dinner, music and membership recognition 

Hines Joliet outpatient clinic continuing to vaccinate adults over 18: Vaccination of 12 to 18 year olds at main hospital only 

Registration open for 29th annual Back to School Fair: Registrants will receive a ticket to attend the Will County fair

Will County Inside/Outside Guide offers suggestions for enjoying your weekend

An Extraordinary Life: Former New Lenox man, cartoonist realized dream of national syndication: ‘He was lucky that he got to pursue his passion. He saw his lifelong dream come true’

A kidney for Lizzie: Joliet teen receives kidney transplant 9 months are her diagnosis of a rare genetic syndrome 

Pets of the Week: June 7: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

3-hole golf course at Carillon Lakes in Crest Hill get ‘Monarch’ approval: Retirement community was recently accepted into the Monarchs in the Rough program

A 90-year-old tapestry of friendship and respect: Joliet natives Rosemarie Devine and Rose Mancuso met in kindergarten nine decades ago. They’re still friends.

Here are 2 more places kids can receive free breakfast and lunch this summer: D. 86 in Joliet and the Valley View School are participating in summer meal programs 

5 things to do in Will County: get back to nature and go back in time: Enjoy good music, great local food, a historic display of one-room schoolhouses and see local birds up close

Here’s why you should be concerned about the Delta variant – especially if you’re unvaccinatedAnd here’s why vaccination really is the best defense 

Diaper drive, pinwheel garden raised awareness of child abuse: The Lincoln-Way GFWC Junior Woman’s Club collected and donated 3,400 diapers for Joliet-area agencies

Mystery Diner: Local pizza group has tastiest beef pockets: Pizza For U delivers more than great pizza

This weekend in Will County: festivals, fireworks, music: Will County Inside/Outside Guide offers suggestions for enjoying your weekend

Plainfield, Joliet high school students place 1st at state journalism competition: Students did especially well in review writing, infographic category and copy writing




Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

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