RECAP: BryonySeries at Critical Grind Author Fair

BryonySeries had the good fortune to participate in Critical Grind Board Game Cafe's first author fair on Saturday.

And then we also had the good fortune to share the table with longtime WriteOn Joliet member Dale Hansen.

I've participated in many author fairs over the past fifteen years. And this was one of the best in terms of steady and robust attendance abd marketing along with additional "fun" elements, such as genre-inspired beverages from the cafe, the fact Dale and I each sold seven books, and the surprise handmade bookmarks from Cindy, which we gave as gifts to anyone who bought one of our books.

Cindy chatted to attendees about B.L.O.C.K.S. and distributed information. Rebekah discussed tropes and helped select books to browse according to interests.

But don't take my word for it. Check out these videos Critical Grind uploaded to its Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1169522728588370

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1403052704534223

And then if you live in the area, come out to Critical Grind tonight at 7 p.m. and learn more about B.L.O.C.K.S. when Timothy presents information as part of Critical Grind's "Presentation Night."

Be blessed today!

BryonySeries at Critical Grind on Saturday

Good morning!

I am super excited to participate in Critical Grind Board Game Cafe's Local Author Book Fair with TWO of my favorite authors.

One is WriteOn Joliet member Dale Hansen, who writes devotionals.

The other is children's author C.W. White, whom I met at Calkins Day 2023. I was so impressed with her books, I wound up ordering copies for my grandchildren.

In additon to BryonySeries books, I will have copies of WriteOn Joliet's anthologies (including copies of 2024 and 2025), and information on B.L.O.C.K.S.

Be sure to check out Critical Grind's menu and get yourself something good to eat and drink before you leave with your book purchases.

Because what could be better on these cold dark days than a hot drink and some new good books?

Happy Monday!

Open Mic Night 2023: Dale Hansen

Meet WriteOn Joliet Author Dale Hansen on March 11

WriteOn Joliet member Dale Hansen (right) was one of the local authors who gifted Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, with a copy of one his books on Calkins Day, Feb. 13.

You see, Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, really wanted to give some books away on his birthday. And  ever since he's published his first book, he's been slowly building up his personal collection of books by local and independent authors (and giving those books as gifts, too).

So why not extend the offer to other authors, too? Bring a book to give and take one of ours home. 

To our surprise and delight, some authors took a chance on this out-of-the-box idea and came out with their books.

Dale, who has Parkinson's, writes devotionals, blogs about ways you can practically apply the Bible in your life, and has written about his experience with Parkinson's through the eyes of faith.

And anyone who lives in the Will County area can get their own signed copies of his books by coming out to the Book and Bean Cafe from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11.

The Book and Bean Cafe is located inside the Joliet Public Library at 3395 Black Road in Joliet. Its owner, Tammy Duckworth, is super friendly to local artists of all genres (including authors) and displays local art on her walls and hosts book signings now and then.

I actually own all of Dale's books. He writes in a personal, conversational style that makes it feel as if he's sitting right next to you, sharing from his life experiences.

More information about Dale's books can be found here. 

Open Mic Night 2019: Dale Hansen

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, April 7 through April 12

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

This quote from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (an extremely subtle nod to Staked!), best sums up our family's last couple of weeks: extremely trying and full of blessings. Strange how that works, isn't it?

But it's also been (so far) a extremely productive week at home and at work, production that's gone relatively smoothly. This morning (so far) is serene, and the coffee cup, while not quite half full anymore, is relatively full, and I'm looking forward to the tasks ahead of me.

Not a bad way to start a Friday, n'est-ce pas?


Non-bylined features:

Monday through Saturday I assembled my non-bylined works - brief posts and calendar listings - into one convenient file and posting them on Facebook in the evening, so readers can easily choose the ones they want to read.

One can also find those event listings, the Gotta Do It calendar, as well as the pets, health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars, under the sections tab on the left hand side of http://www.theherald-news.com/. Click on "features" and the topics drop down.  Gotta Do It runs under "people."

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time): Monday (pets), Tuesday (health), Thursday (faith), Friday (arts and entertainment), and Sunday (people).

 Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars 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 at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to jon WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writeonminooka/?ref=bookmarks. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

Upcoming events:

These are listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts.

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) along with upcoming events is at www.bryonyseries.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.

Non-bylined features:

Monday through Saturday I assembled my non-bylined works - brief posts and calendar listings - into one convenient file and posting them on Facebook in the evening, so readers can easily choose the ones they want to read.

One can also find those event listings, the Gotta Do It calendar, as well as the pets, health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars, under the sections tab on the left hand side of http://www.theherald-news.com/. Click on "features" and the topics drop down.  Gotta Do It runs under "people."

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time): Monday (pets), Tuesday (health), Thursday (faith), Friday (arts and entertainment), and Sunday (people).

 Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars 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 at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to jon WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writeonminooka/?ref=bookmarks. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

Upcoming events:

These are listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts.

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) along with upcoming events is at www.bryonyseries.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.

Bringing resources to the homeless
Guardian Corps of America expanding into Joliet, needs volunteers

JC Afternoon Inspiration: Tony La Piana said, "It saddens me seeing Americans in this situation... The sad part is, our society looks down on these people."

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/26/bringing-resources-to-the-homeless/abzseaq/


An Extraordinary Life: A spinal cord injury didn't stop Chuck
Shorewood musician always invested in his family, no matter what

Gloria Kramer of Yorkville said, "My dad liked to take the scenic route. Every time he could, he took the back roads and stayed off the highways. He liked showing us stuff."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/04/02/b30f239219bd4d749aebf8a7f510a5bc/index.xml?page=1


More than hunting for goodies
Some Joliet area Easter events also draw children's attention to Jesus' resurrection

Steve Fox, ministries coordinator for Child Evangelism Fellowship of IL, Inc., Three Rivers Chapter, said, ""We have so many more activities than just the hunt. We have a Bible lesson. We learn memories verses. We'll have snacks and games."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/04/08/6e889d9166374c448b7e86ccd438cad4/index.xml


Moderation is key when consuming black licorice
Too much can lead to an irregular heart rhythm

Use moderation when celebrating today.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/04/09/08e8268457ee45c1bbb173ab3327b456/index.xml


A convention for vampire fans coming this September

"If you have a strong love of vampire culture or any connection to it," Christopher Davis, organizer, said, "or if you are a fan of live visual entertainment, this is for you."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/04/09/093ff672a99745b5998517b66ee0c047/index.xml


Artworks: Joliet 12-year-old has knack for digital art

Words of wisdom: "Always do what you think would be best. There's no clear-cut art style. People may put you down or try to talk you out of it but don't listen to them."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/04/09/1f76c696cd25415e950a5747b24d07ba/index.xml

LocalLit book spotlight: Dale Hansen of Joliet, author of 2 devotionals 

Both “One Week at a Time: Grounded and Growing Through His Word” (2017) and "Journey Through the Old Testament: 52-Week Bible Devotional" (2018) are structured in 52-week formats, so people can reflect on one verse at a time for an entire week and not feel guilty for not trying to memorize one day.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/04/11/862baac3eebb4f36b386b30c362d4331/index.xml

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage." Follow him at www.facebook.com/artbymattcoundiff.

Open Mic Night 2018 2: Dale Hansen