BryonySeries: Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, April 19 through April 25

Friday, April 25, 2025

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, April 19 through April 25

Good morning!

I have eleven feature stories to share with you today at the bottom of this post (amazing considering I took a few days off this week) - and more will go live this weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Before the stories I also 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!

Events

We Can Be Heroes: WriteOn Joliet's third original radio-style theatre performance will take place at 7 p.m. April and 2:30 and 7 p.m. April 26 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

This post has more details, including the possibility of a FREE WriteOn Joliet 2024 anthology.

And this post has details on fifteen free superhero bags that BryonySeries is giving away during Saturday's matinee performance.

If you live in the area, please come out, enjoy the show, and stop by the BryonySeries table and say, "Hi."

BryonySeries books-in-progress

Bertrand the Mouse: Rebekah and I recently created a very special Bertrand the Mouse book that I'm hoping to give away at a special event...and it looks great! Yes, I'm STILL being mysterious about it...for now.

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: Cornell Dyer and the House of Horreur" (because the toymaker's last name is "Horreur.") is stalled until Timothy finished his master's degree, which he did. So now we just have to stop having family emergencies (they just keep coming) and carve some time for a Cornell breakfast (it's been three years since our last one, way, way too long).

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 last year, is nearly done with the cover portrait. I let this book slide for other BryonySeries projects...and I'm still letting it slide, I'm afraid. But I'm hoping to finish the book in 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."

Bertrand the Mouse: I have tons of Bertrand photos and books in progress. The goal is to release at least two new ones this year.

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.

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

Joliet’s Joshua Arms senior residence to host fashion, talent show

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2025/04/22/joliets-joshua-arms-senior-residence-to-host-fashion-talent-show/

Cup of coffee costing more: Joliet area cafes say tariffs just 1 factor in rising costs

Climate change, supply chain challenges also contributing

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2025/04/15/cup-of-coffee-costing-more-will-county-cafes-say-tariffs-just-1-factor-in-rising-costs/

Plainfield host site for DEA drug turn-in event

No needles and illicit illegal substances accepted

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2025/04/21/plainfield-host-site-for-drug-take-back-event/

Register now for John Whiteside Memorial Golf Outing

Benefits Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery Memorial Squad

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2025/04/19/register-now-for-john-whiteside-memorial-golf-outing/