BryonySeries: American Red Cross

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Friday, August 18, 2023

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Aug. 12 to Aug. 18

Good morning!

I'm sharing thirteen features and news stories today. More will be posted today and over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Today is also the last day for the midline and my last day at work for a week, the most time I've had off since Christmas. I'm hoping to spend the week immersed in some BryonySeries projects, catching up with life (way too many emergencies this year), and relaxing with some good books.

But first...

Bertrand the Mouse is hosting a Back to School Birthday Bash on Aug. 19 at The Book Market in Crest Hill and YOU are invited (in person if you live the in general area).

The birthday bash will be from noon to 4 p.m. at 2365 Plainfield Road in Crest Hill. Santa will be serving FREE ice cream from 1 to 3 p.m.

The only gifts Bertrand wants is more books for Santa. Last year and early this year, the BryonySeries donated 234 Bertrand the Mouse books to Santa and his friend the Easter bunny.

Both characters (and the same person) distributed those books to children and special needs adults. We are planning to donate more books this holiday season. Bertrand was a huge hit, and we'd like to increase the amount of books we are able to give. This is where you come in.

We'll be selling Bertrand books for just $5 each at his birthday party if you'd like to donate a Bertrand book (or two) and give it to Santa personally.

And if you don't - well, you're still on his "nice" list, and you can still get free ice cream (while the ice cream lasts). Bertrand will want to see you either way (so will his Uncle Barty). And, of course, we will sing "Happy Birthday" to the little crocheted guy, too.

You don't live in the area (or can't attend) but still want to help out? Message me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

WriteOn Joliet returned to the digital media center at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library last week to finish editing the radio play we presented at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet on April 22.

But when we did the final editing, we realized one reading didn't save and another part was missing. So we still have a bit more to go.

Also, if you missed that radio play the first time, you will have another opportunity at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library. More on this later.

Here is a quick recap of BryonySeries projects in progress:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and two chapters that are ready for final edits.

Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville: Production is complete for the next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries, and the proof is ordered. The book is called Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville (yes, a Sherlock Holmes parody). We can't wait to release it into the hands of readers.

Timothy said the next book will be slightly dark ("slightly" because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. We hope to schedule a "Cornell breakfast" soon.

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.

Karla Joins In: The fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series. Eleven of the twelve chapters are completed. and ready for their final edits. Jennifer Wainright is working the cover. I never thought I'd revisit Karla and John-Peter's friendship again (albeit from an earlier time in their lives), so I'm very excited to read the final draft.

Jennifer designed the covers for Julie and the Too-Hard Homework, Katie and the Big Fear, and Summer Sisters, as well as frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer. I can't wait to see her "Karla" illustration.

BryonySeries reference/guide book: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries. I'd love to have this one ready by the end of the year. Pecking slowly at it and hope to peck a little faster this week.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novella in the second person. Half of it is written and edited and another half is loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover, and made some progress last night.

Rebekah is also 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.

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

Free music Porch & Park Fest returns to Joliet: Placher: ‘It’s nice to create these occasional opportunities for more than 40 musicians’

An educator Joliet teachers, students can always count on: Estela Paramo, paraprofessional: ‘This is home to me’

Joliet Junior College freshman is national ‘Student Chef of theYear’: JJC Chef Paul Bringas: ‘She’s just a really remarkablestudent’

Will County Red Cross volunteer deployed to Maui: Mary McGavin was deployed to Maui on Monday

Joliet bank out front on its community service: Service activities are simply “part of our solid position asa community leader’

Plainfield church hosting renowned Catholic speaker: Event organizer Rich DuSatko said Keith Nester’s podcast is‘the highlight of my week now’

Maui wildfires lead to evacuation for Channahon family: Linda Lambdin: ‘We felt so lucky and thankful to make ithome safely’

Bob Dylan launched career of Joliet musician: Scarlet Rivera: ‘It is rewarding to be more fullyrecognized in my own home town’

Back-to-school supplies: what’s hot, what’s not: Janet Palkon, parent: ‘I think 24 sticks of glue isridiculous’

Man Joliet police shot during domestic call in April dies

Lockport man critically injured in motorcycle crash: Motorcyclist rear-ended driver in same lane

Pets of the Week: Aug. 14, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: Butterfly Bonanza inLockport: Plus 4 more suggestions for enjoying your weekend

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Friday, October 7, 2022

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Oct. 1 to Oct. 7, 2022

Good morning!

So "Stranger Things" has happened to me this week.

Meaning, if you've been following the national news on the Plainfield, Illinois, couple's "floating Max" mannequin, you'll also want to check out the four stories I've written on this topic so far.

Those four stories are part of the eleven total features and news stories I'm sharing with you today - and more not yet posted - or written, because I'm working the weekend through Monday. So do check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

This past spring, I also wrote an additional nineteen stories for a special "Thank You, Teachers," edition that will ran in print and online on May 5. You can check out all those stories at this link: https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/thank-you/teachers/

We recently and unexpectedly euthanize our oldest cat. She had an amazing and somewhat mysterious life. You can read details here.

Also, please send up good thoughts/prayers etc. for Rebekah. She's had a challenging couple years, health-wise (especially the last twelve months). Her latest bloodwork was all over the place, more was ordered, and she now needs to see three specialists and is having a stress test today (as if she weren't stressed enough already).

Rebekah is absolutely integral to the BryonySeries, not to mention our family. She oversees its all its financial aspects, handles all book production, manages two social media accounts, and is the go-to person at events. Plus, she's a wonderful person. We need her to feel much better soon.

We pulled back WriteOn Joliet's anthology from production to add a memorial page to one of our active members who died suddenly last week. We also lost two former members this year, one of whom was an original member. All three deaths were sudden. Please send up good thoughts/prayers for their families.

One the fiction side of things, I'm taking an at-home writing retreat, the first of 2022, at the end of next week. Instead of focusing on just one book during this retreat, I have several BryonySeries projects on the schedule, along with some "rest time" built in because 2022 has been an intense year.

Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, is almost done with a first draft of his second novel. Ed's feeling a bit discouraged because he wanted to release his second book by Calkins Day 2023 (Feb. 13). But as any creative person knows, good art doesn't always happen on our timetable.

Last night Ed said that, one hundred years from now, he'd feel less worse about delaying publishing than publishing a book less good than the first one.

You can find Ed's first novel here.

Also, we recently released Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being. It's not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet, but it is available on Amazon.

We also released Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet, but it is available on Amazon.

Next up in the series: a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes), which has a solid outline. Sue Midlock is already working on the cover and the interior art: Sherman Homes and the Howls of Basketville.

And we also released Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy, with gorgeous cover art by Nancy Calkins). It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet, but it is available on Amazon.

I'm currently outlining the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill.

And 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. But I'm not sharing any details yet.

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) has completed three portraits for "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls and is currently working on a fourth. The portraits are beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits!

Rebekah has completed cover art for three of "Girls of the BryonySeries" books. They, too, are beautiful! One book in this series of eight books is completely written, a second should be ready for production this weekend (I had some formatting issues last weekend) and the rest are outlined.

We hope to release the first three books in this series at WriteOn Joliet's anthology release party in early December.

Rebekah is also working on 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 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 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. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

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 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.

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

Ex. director of local Red Cross and dedicated volunteer helping relief efforts in Florida: Brian McDaniel and Chuck Massaro left Saturday for a 2-week deployment.

Be ‘gnome’ for the holidays: #Joliet theater hosting auditions for 46th ‘Festival of Gnomes’ on Sunday: Lori Carmine: ‘It showcases family values of being good human beings.’

Plainfield resident wins grand prize in contest with photo taken at Brookfield Zoo

Plainfield man running marathons after losing 100 pounds: Chris Colon, 33, even calls his weight loss journey a marathon.

Joliet Noon Lions still active after 101 years: Mark Turk: ‘We do a lot of good work. We help a lot of people.’

Haunted house in New Lenox inspired ‘Stranger Things’ display in Plainfield: Jeff Eggener: ‘I made my house the main prop.”

Pets of the Week: Oct. 3, 2022: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

5 Things to do in Will County: Celebrate special recreation, attend fall or Halloween fest, and take the ‘eat a bug’ challenge.: Plus, Gallery Seven his hosting an exhibit by Illinois artists.

STRANGER THINGS

Haunted house in New Lenox inspired ‘Stranger Things’ display in Plainfield: Jeff Eggener: ‘I made my house the main prop.”

Neighbor’s complaints prompt Plainfield couple to take down ‘Floating Max’ from ‘Stranger Things’: Dave and Audrey Appel won’t have a Halloween display this year.

Plainfield family isn’t taking down ‘Stranger Things’ display: Dave and Aubrey Appel plan to make final announcement on their TikTok account on Wednesday

Plainfield couple announces hours for their ‘Stranger Things’ yard display: Joliet police remind the public to be respectful during viewing times.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Community News: Oct. 30, 2019

Check out the awesome things people are doing.

If you live within the Herald-News' coverage area (most of Will and Grundy counties in Illinois), and you'd like to share your organization's news or upcoming events, email the information to new@theherald-news.com.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."