BryonySeries: Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Oct. 19 to Oct. 25

Good morning!

I have sixteen stories to share with you today at the bottom of this post (it's been a very busy week) with more stories going live over the weekend and next week, when I'm off work for my fourth at-home writing retreat of 2024.

So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

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

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

And have a great Friday!

Event Updates

The BryonySeries Halloween display is up at The Book Market. Along with seven curated BryonySeries books for you to browse and buy, the display features all-new Halloween Ribbit-Ribbits from Cindy - and some free gifts with purchase while supplies last. So please do check it out.

We are also participating in two more events (so far) this month

Today: The Book Market in Crest Hill from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 30: Black Cat Curiosities in Joliet with WriteOn member Cean Magosky as part of the Joliet City Center Partnership's "Spirits with the Spirits" event.

BryonySeries books-in-progress

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. The proof copy arrived on Wednesday, and I'm already working on copyedits. We are still estimating a late 2024 release date for this book, with copies available for sale at WriteOn Joliet's anthology release party on Dec. 5.

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: No updates here in a very long time, mostly because Timothy and Daniel are super busy with school on top of work (and plenty of work-related traveling). However, I outlined a "bonus" book that is intended for distribution at Bicentennial's "Ye Olde Mayfest" event in 2025. Here is a recap of the 2024 event.

Timothy said his concept for the next book in the actual series will be slightly dark ("slightly" because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. We are also working on the last book in the series (but it's not the final book, if that makes sense). Timothy is actually writing that one. In order to make progress on any of this, Timothy is hoping to schedule a "Cornell breakfast." But Timothy and Daniel are very busy with work and school right now. We've scheduled and broke several Cornell breakfasts in 2023 and 2024. Our last one was July 2022. So we are LONG, LONG, LONG overdue.

Brainy Ann: The fifth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries is outlined and the first chapter is written, hurray! Jennifer Wainwright, who welcomed her first child into the world in April, has already started working on the cover portrait. I've neglected this book for a few months and hope to revisit it soon. We wanted to release it in late 2024, but 2024 has been a challenging year. I'm shooting for early 2025.

Jennifer designed the cover portraits for "Julie and the Too-Hard Homework," "Katie and the Big Fear," "Summer Sisters." and "Karla Joins In," as well as the frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer.

Rebekah is also slowly (very, very slowly) updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts. And she' catching up with Kindles for some of the BryonySeries books. So do watch for those.

And finally...

The manuscript for Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara's third book in his Ruthless trilogy is submitted and will be my next editing project once "House on Top of the Hill" is complete. Ed

s first book is "Ruthless," his second is "The Fifth," and he is also the author of "Denise Unland's Irish Genealogy."

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

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 haven't posted anything on Twitter/X (except a daily Bible verse) since September I can no longer schedule posts in advance. I'm not sure yet how to manage the account without that option. But you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I used to curated content relating to the BryonySeries on Twitter/X at @BryonySeries and still post assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.com/bryonyseries.

Again, not sure yet about the direction of the BryonySeries Twitter/X account. Still mulling that over.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

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

Lightways Hospice in Joliet dedicates street to former CEO Duane Krieger

The late Shorewood resident and former Will Co. coroner led way for the first in-patient hospice in Illinois

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/10/24/lightways-hospice-in-joliet-honors-former-ceo/

Plainfield couple turns events into festival fun with Mr. Salty Eats

Jeremy Olson: ‘Nobody brings the festival to you like we do’

https://www.shawlocal.com/thescene/2024/10/20/plainfield-couples-mr-salty-catering-puts-personal-flair-on-festival-food/

The Clifton restaurant in Plainfield blends sophistication with ‘a little bit of everything’

Restaurant owner Dan Tacone: ‘We wanted to build with our community’

https://www.shawlocal.com/thescene/2024/10/11/the-clifton-in-plainfield-blends-sophistication-with-a-little-bit-of-everything/

Baran-Unland: Check out winning downtown Joliet Halloween windows

Vicki Sanchez, Joliet City Center Partnership: ‘You can tell who really loves Halloween’