What Uncle Barty Wants You to Know

Philosophers, scientists, and theologians have debated for centuries on what constitutes the beginning of life.

The BryonySeries novel Staked! gives a brief explanation of how Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, populated the kingdom of his imagination - and how he invented the fairy Glorna in particular.

It was a perfect life, and Glorna was grateful for the steward’s generous gift of consciousness. One moment he did not exist, and the next he sat cross-legged under a toadstool, the tips of his pointed ears grazing its velvety, cone-shaped cap as he blew a treble jig. When he willed it, Glorna expanded to the height of a full-grown man, one that kept an immaculate cottage and bountiful garden. Other times, he shrank smaller than a butterfly, scaled trees with the agility of a lizard, and glided through the air with the easy speed of a dragonfly.

As you know, for the last few weeks, Uncle Barty has spent all his time searching for his missing nephew Bertrand the Mouse.

Uncle Barty has searched for Bertrand here.

Uncle Barty has searched for Bertrand there.

Uncle Barty scaled steep steps...

...busy roads (always look both ways before crossing)...

...and dangerous beasts.

Uncle Barty has even searched in places where he had little hope of finding Bertrand.

No matter what, Uncle Barty has not given up.

And it paid off, too.

Because Uncle Barty found something intriguing in the middle of a field today, all way the back by a fence line. So he went to investigate.

Yes! Bertrand the Mouse!

Now Bertrand had no idea he'd worried Uncle Barty. 

Bertrand did not know Uncle Barty had searched many days for him. 

Bertrand did not remember falling out of my pocket. 

He did not remember our past adventures. He did not remember his Instagram page or the books that feature him.

One moment Bertrand was not and the next moment he was here, enjoying a crocheted mouse-type of life. And it was a happy life for Bertrand, full of cheese and crackers and books and sunshine and sweet green grass.

But Bertrand could not sit in the middle of a field enjoying life. He had a purpose for being and job to do (just like we all have a purpose for being and a job to do) and Uncle Barty had to make his little nephew understand that.

Which he did, over the cheese and crackers Bertrand kindly shared. 

And what is Bertrand's job?

In the BryonySeries, we sum it up like this:

Have you met Bertrand the Mouse? He’s always on the go and happy to lend a helping…paw…to bring the joys of reading to children.

Once Bertrand understood that, he willing left with Uncle Barty, ready to return to the life he had forgotten.

For more information, visit bryonyseries.com.