Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, April 15 to April 21

Good morning!

Today I have ten features and news stories to share with you today with more to be posted over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

I'm also finishing up stories for special "Thank You, Teachers" edition that The Herald-News will publish on May 4. More on this later.

In addition, WriteOn Joliet will host its first radio-style reading on April 22at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet, which you can see here. 

And we have a promotional video, which you can see here.

We've held practices every night this week, except for last night due to our regular meeting of WriteOn Joliet at the Joliet Public Library. So if you're in the area, come out and heckle us! (wink).

So have I written anything on the fiction front?

Actually, last weekend was a good weekend for the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. I have the prologue and first eighteen chapters drafted as well as a couple of chapters near the end. 

So between lots of doctor-related trips over the past month and the radio play, I'm rather proud of myself (virtual pat on the back).

I am still in the process of fleshing out the next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries: Cornell Dyer and the Hounds of Basketville and made some progress on that story on Monday. Timothy and I drafted it months ago, and I currently have five solid chapters. 

Sue Midlock has already sent all the interior art and a rough draft of the cover. As always, the art is amazing and perfect for the series.

I have also completed three chapters for the fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series and have chapter four in a very rough draft.

You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

I'm also working on a guide book to the series called: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries.

And I'm also working on a novella. I have written and edited a fourth of it and have about another third of it loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover, which is very close to my loosely formed vision for it. So I'm excited about that as well.

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts, so watch for those.

Now back to the 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 Wednesday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks, will be featured in an upcoming cookbook, or is just an "extra" we want to share with you.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We'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 and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every 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 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 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 on Twitter at @BryonySeries and assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.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.

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

Romeoville siblings repair window screens to pay for Scout activities: Sara Gentile: ‘We started posting it on Facebook and the work started trickling in’

Earth Day in Will County: 9 ways to celebrate natural resources: Activities range from kid friendly activities to cleanup projects  

Dave Mason’s ‘Endangered Species’ tour coming to Joliet theater in May: Tickets are available now

86-year-old Cleveland man stops in Red Cross Romeoville office as part of his U.S platelet donation tour: Al Whitney plans to donate platelets in every U.S. state for the 3rd time 

Baran-Unland: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’: Will County Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter on Sunday with traditional foods

New Lenox hospital now offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy: Silver Cross Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine began offering the service on Monday 

Lake Chaminwood Preserve near Channahon to close temporarily for improvements: The Forest Preserve District of Will County expect to complete improvements in June. 

Will County forest preserve welcomes 5 eaglets in April: Joel Craig: ‘It’s really a population explosion in our area over the past few years’

Pets of the Week: April 17, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: buy, sell, trade sneakers at Joliet conventionL Plus, 4 more ways to enjoy your weekend 

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"