Community News: March 30 and April 1, 2019

Check out upcoming events and 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.


Pets of the Week: March 31

Click on the caption to read the description of each pet.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/03/25/9480ff2d79b64b7c818771b99f38c800/index.xml



CAPE recognizes outstanding members of the D. 202 community in Plainfield

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/25/cape-recognizes-outstanding-members-of-the-d-202-community-in-plainfield/akwah5y/


Bolingbrook school recognizes P.E. teacher

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/29/bolingbrook-school-recognizes-p-e-teacher/axlmqjl/


Bolingbrook school recognizes bilingual teacher

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/29/bolingbrook-school-recognizes-bilingual-teacher/a1ndxes/

Lincoln-Way Cadets earn ‘Cadet of the Quarter’ title

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/03/28/9b0085720014486389756940b8098ccf/index.xml

District 202 in Plainfield hosts first high school science fair

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/28/district-202-in-plainfield-hosts-first-high-school-science-fair/abp9a4u/


Local art and entertainment: April 1 through April 8

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/25/local-art-and-entertainment-april-1-through-april-8/axo8hyr/


Local faith events: April 1 through April 8 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/25/local-faith-events-april-1-through-april-8/ab34wwi/


Local food events: April 1 through April 8 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/25/local-food-events-april-1-through-april-8/ad25jyn/


Local health events: April 2 through April 9

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/25/local-health-events-april-2-through-april-9/ake7icq/


Gotta Do It: April 1 through April 8

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/25/gotta-do-it-april-1-through-april-8/ajcdkvv/


Local pet events: April 1 through April 8 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/03/25/local-pet-events-april-1-through-april-8/axvk21j/


NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//


Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story Newsletter

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit/


Sign up for The Munsonville Times

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

10 Reasons to Read (or Re-Read) the BryonySeries this Year

Talk about shameless self-promotion!

Well, not really. But with all the "top ten" stories online coupled with the many story lists I've made for The Herald-News website, I thought I'd have fun with one of my own.

If the points below DON'T interest you, then the series is definitely not for you.

But if any of them make you think, hmmm, well, then maybe...


1) You'll become immersed in another world.

Munsonville. Simons Mansion. Eircheard’s Emporium. Grover's Park. The land beyond the mirror. Jenson College of Liberal Arts.

These are just some of the examples.

2) It's not what it seems to be.

Or to quote Tom Hernandez's forward from the third book:

The ability to capture and convey the challenges and rewards of human interaction -- pain and joy, celebration and sorrow, heartache and elation. These are the difference, to paraphrase the immortal Truman Capote, between “typing” and “writing.”

Thanks, Tom!!! :)

3) The trilogy is not a page-turner.

Wait -- what??? Shouldn't good books be page-turners? Well, yes...and no. Instead of a sprint to the the end, the BryonySeries trilogy has a slow-build pace to keep you rooted to each word in each line so you read slowly and carefully. Very carefully.

4) If you're a parent, you may understand your teens better.

5) If you're a teen, you may understand yourself and your peers better.

6) There's an emphasis on personal responsibility and consequences of actions.

Translation: No victim mentality here.

7) No sparkling vampires.

Not one. Not a single one.

8) You might fall in love.

Plenty of 3-D characters here, all with their virtues and vices (more or less) and no cliches.

9) It's complicated.

If you like "light reading" or beach reads, this isn't the series for you.

10) You'll improve your vocabulary.

Some terms lightly tossed around (depending on the book): pseudogenes, hanta virus, crubeens.

How to buy it? Right HERE.

Illustrations by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt ("Bryony") and Matt Coundiff ("Visage"). Follow Matt at www.facebook.com/artbymattcoundiff or @MattCoundiff on Twitter.

Sue's Diner: Melissa's Garlic Bread by Kathleen R. Van Pelt

Losing track of time is easy when Melissa is researching Bryony, but the timing is bad when Melissa is supposed to make garlic bread to accompany Steve’s delicious spaghetti, sauce, so different from the canned version Darlene made.

Try Melissa's recipe posted on the Sue's Diner page.  Quick, simple and great for Father's Day. :)

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties at www.bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com.

Rough Drafts Are IN!

Just saw a sneak peak of several the images from the Bryony cookbook. Awesome! I can’t wait to see more! The illustrator promised to send pencil sketches of them all before the week is out. That way, he can tweak them before he inks them.

Although Kathleen Rose Van Pelt, Bryony’s illustrator (www.ImaginaryLinesStudio.com) created the cover design for Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from “Bryony,” (and the cookbook cover is just as gorgeous as the novel’s cover), previous commitments prevented her from also drawing the interior art.

So unbeknownst to me, Sarah Stegall, Bryony’s web administrator, went searching for a second illustrator.

For awhile, Sarah was “hush-hush” about his identity until he submitted some sample Bryony pieces. She unveiled her surprise in the very wee hours of my birthday morning, certainly an excellent way to greet the day.

In other Bryony news: the cookbook editing is nearing completion, plans are underway for the launch event, new members have joined the Bryony team, and James Onohan is playing a second event later this month.

Details for all of the above will follow in upcoming posts.

Details for the "Name the Bryony Cookbook" Contest.

In honor of Bryony's one-year annivesary on Facebook, we have initiated a contest to name the upcoming cookbook.

This cookbook will be an eclectic compilations of (mostly) Victorian-era and '70s stylish recipes, complete with story teasers (appetizers) and Kathleen Rose Van Pelts (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/) signature pen and ink drawings (treats) Recipes will be arranged according to events in Bryony and will not be grouped by subject.

However, there is a catch. The contest is only open to Bryony Facebook fans. To "like" the page and submit your suggestion, visit www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. All (any) profits from the Bryony cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbswillgrundy.org/).

Contest rules: You must comment to enter a name or title; you may comment as often as you like; no foul language (posts will be deleted at administrator discretion); and all entries will be reviewed by the author.

The winner receives a free copy of the cookbook with the signatures of as many members of the Bryony team as possible at time of publication.

Name the Bryony Cookbook contest will run until May 31, 2011 until 12:00 am (midnight) EST time (North Carolina time). This gives all fans the opportunity to vote.

We've already received a number of clever/intersting/amusing title possibilities. Tomorrow, we will post them.

Happy Naming!

My Recipe Wish List for the Bryony Cookbook

Although we received/found/contrived an interesting assortment of recipes and submissions are officially closed, there are two exceptions.

I’m still hoping for some more good fish recipes for Sue’s Diner and a 12-tiered wedding cake for John and Bryony Simons’ wedding. Anyone?

The recipes will be arranged by themes in the novel and will feature Bryony illustrator Kathleen Rose Van Pelt's beautfiul line drawings and blurbs to root the cook into the story

All proceeds from the cookbook will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbswillgrundy.org/).

For a closer peek at Kathleen's work, visist www.facebook.com/BryonySeries or http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/.

The Conversation With My Daughter Went Like This

Rebekah: What do you want for Mother's Day?

Me: Nothing.

Rebekah: Would you please stop being YOU for a day?

Me: Okay, I'd like some purple roses.

Rebekah: There's no such thing!

Me: Only the vampires in Bryony are make-believe.

And then I showed her where to order purple roses online and posted the link on Facebook. I received quite a few friend comments, ranging from "purple roses are painted "(they're not) to their "real" name (sterling roses), and why not order one if they're so expensive? (And that's a thought).

I first learned about purple roses while researching the mythical blue rose. The different "Language of Flowers" postings I have read say purple roses signify enchantment, making them the perfect signature tool for one of Bryony's vampires.

Even more fun was learning that my illustrator, Kathleen Rose Van Pelt of Imaginary Lines Studio (wwwImaginaryLinesStudio.com) used to sign her work with a rose. For both those reasons, I asked her to include a purple rose at the bottom of Bryony's cover design. I hope the publisher does not remove it when modifing the cover, since it's an important symbolism in Bryony, but I guess that's not my call.

And yes, while I'm disgustingly non-materialistic, making it difficult for family to buy for me, I'm longing to see one of those roses up close and bury my face in its fragrance.

Excuse me while I check the balance on my credit card.

Bryony Business Cards....

....are in and the first 1500 or so are distributed.
These plastic-coated cards features the Bryony logo, complete with Bryony's signature vines (created by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/), tagline (a drop of blood, a deceptive fantasy), and contact information: website, blog, Facebook page, and email.

THANK YOU Christine at CAL Graphics, Inc. (http://www.calgraphicsinc.com/) for designing a fabulous logo!

Best of all, they cards are FREE!

If you'd like some, contact me at BryonySeries@gmail.com, and I'll send you some.

Logo, Makeover, and First Appearances

Wow! Bryony is getting busy.

First, the official Bryony logo and tagline is complete, thanks to Bryony's illustrator, Kathleen Rose Van Pelt (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/) and CAL Graphisc, Inc (http://www.calgraphicsinc.com/).

To view, click onto Bryony's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bryony/115857775121196?ref=sgm

My publicist, Dulcinea Hawksworth, has scheduled a makeover for this Friday afternoon and is coming with TWO cameras in tow--I don't own one :(--so she can take lots of pictures of the "new me" to post on the Bryony sites.

Now, this a little daunting for me because I don't wear makeup (I have chronic hives), but Dulcinea insists it's part of my packaging (see http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-am-commodity.html), and that the make-up is very hypo-allergenic.

I trust Dulcinea's judgment and, besides, it's should be a nice bonding time with my two daughters. Rebekah, seventeen, can heckle me in person, and my web administrator, Sarah Stegall, who lives out of state, can heckle me long-distance, via camera phones.

I have a dressmaker!!!

Last week she came to my house and measured me for my first, three Victorian outfits: two walking suits (spring and fall), and a ball gown. Yesterday, we purchased our first patterns and several yards of shimmering burgundy/black fabric, on sale.

Her future plans--sooner than later--is to kidnap me for a day (sans her children--two small boys who "helped" us yesterday look for patterns) and flee to a much larger, out-of-town fabric store.

Last, but certainly not least, Bryony has two upcoming events. Because any profits of the Bryony cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbs.org/), Bryony is supporting the 2011 Bowl for Kids' Sake in two ways, by helping to fund event costs and through pledge-sponsored bowling on March 25.

If you live in the area and want to become a sponsor, form a team, join an existing team, or pledge a bowler, visit http://bfks.kintera.org/ for details. It takes $1000 to match one child with a positive adult mentor, so any help is welcomed, appreciated, and put to good use.

Bryony will also participate in an April 10 event at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet (http://www.uucj.com/). I don't have details, but will share them when I do. Although WriteLife LLC does not yet have a release date for Bryony, the entire Bryony team is eager to start spreading the word.

To view sketches and biographies of the Bryony team, visit our website at http://www.bryonyseries.com/ or click here: http://www.bryonyseries.com/About_Us_FFC4.html.

I wonder if the spring walking suit is appropriate for April 10. I certainly hope so!!!

It's An Exciting Week in Bryony World

So pumped! The Bryony trailer team met this week to review a script and discuss details of its upcoming filming. So far, we have planned an official book trailer, a music video for the Bryony theme song, and individual interviews with members of the Bryony team. We even have a mansion for on-location shots. How cool is that? Also, CAL Graphics, Inc. (http://www.calgraphicsinc.com/) sent two sample logo designs for me, the director of marketing and our web administrator to review, and it was unanimous. Everyone loved option #1, so it now goes to our illustrator, Kathleen Rose Van Pelt(http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/) for a sprig of vines. We also have an opportunity to help sponsor Bowl for Kids Sake, a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.coIJLROnGlF/b.3919285/k.FB2C/Big_Brothers_Big_Sisters_of_Will_and_Grundy_Counties.htm), which is the recipient of profits from the Bryony cookbook. We are forming a couple of teams to bowl, too, and crossing our fingers we'll be able to create some Bryony T-shirts by then. Also, please check out the survey Sarah Stegall, Bryony's web administrator, posted yesterday. It's just five, short questions, but it will give her insight for future Bryony posts. http://FreeOnlineSurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=d4henfcoo429xm1861356 Later today, I'll post another song by James Onohan (http://www.jamesonohan.com/), Bryony's pianist and composer, the musical "voice" of John Simons, the nineteenth century pianist and composer in Bryony. Have a great day!

Branding Logos and Taglines, Grrr....

Coming up with ideas for a logo was easy, thanks to the previous creative efforts of Bryony's illustrator Kathleen Rose Van Pelt (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/) and Christine A. Lindenberg, president and founder of CAL Graphics, Inc. (http://www.calgraphicsinc.com/).

An effective, snappy tagline, however, is eluding us.

Just when the majority of us like a particular verse, someone else comes along and slams it, either for the phrasing, the cadence, a solitary word, of all of the above. Sarah Stegall, Bryony's web administrator, has had fun creating really awful taglines and randomly posting them on Bryony's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bryony/115857775121196?ref=sgm).

Yesterday afteroon, Sarah had a brainstorm of an idea. As I wavered between skepticism and cluelessness about certain concepts, Sarah very carefully explained how the process could work to me until I had sufficient understanding to be able run Sarah's idea past my publicist.

I don't want to say any further unless we go with it, at which point I'll fill in the blanks (once I grasp them enough to explain them). I never realized creating an image for a book was so complicated. I wonder how long it took McDonald's to do it.

Submissions Closed, Except for Fish

THANK YOU very much to everyone that submitted one or more recipes for the Bryony cookbook. I received a nice variety of dishes and had a lot of fun swapping out certain foods in the novel and substituting them with the ones I received.

I will still accept a few fish recipes, however, because of page limitations with the publishing package I am planning to use, all other submissions are now closed.

Quick recap about the project: The Bryony cookbook contains recipes to the foods mentioned in the story, the ones Melissa eats in 1975 at family meals etc. and the unfamiliar ones she encounters in the Victorian era.

The recipes are arranged topically, by events as they occur in the story, rather than by food type, as most cookbooks do. A few summary lines are included at the beginning of each section to orient readers, whether or not they have read Bryony, into the story. To further set the mood, each section will feature an original pen and ink drawing by Bryony's illustrator, Kathleen Rose Van Pelt.

No one involved in this project is getting paid or will make any money. All profits from the cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbs.org/).

That's because, in Bryony, Melissa and her younger brother Brian are, for a short time, raised only by their mother, but also have the advantage of a friendly mentor. The cookbook, in short, honors the fictional Steve Barnes and all the other men and women who have stepped up to make a difference in a young person's life.

From Whimsical to Gothic

Why would a children's illustrator take on a vampire story? Read the last of a three-part interview with Bryony's illustrator Kathleen Rose Van Pelt (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/) and find out.

7) So, why did you accept an assignment about vampires?

"The author! Denise is very convincing, and a wonderful writer! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Bryony story."

8) What did you particularly enjoy about the novel?

"I liked the way it jumps between time periods and intermingles the characters within them. The Bryony story stays true to vampire legend, yet it feels fresh and current, too. I actually thought I needed a vampire in my life when I was reading it! It's not to get swept up in Denise's enthusiasm about Bryony, and I believe justifiability so!"

9) Where did you find your inspiration for the illustrations?

"A lot of the images are symbolic of what is going on in the chapter. I mixed up different images to help people visualize where they are visiting. Being a visual person, I like having images in a book. I hope I'm not the only one that still likes picture books.

Mr. C.J. Mouse

Mr. C.J. Mouse was the inspiration for many of Kathleen Rose Van Pelt's art pieces (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/). In this second of a three-part interview with Bryony's illustrator, Van Pelt shares the story behind the creature she immortalized with her fantasy lines.

1) Many of your drawings feature an adorable little mouse. Who is he?

"Oh, Sweet little Mr. Mouse. Guess mouse and little is rather redundant. Mr. C. J. Mouse has gone on to mouse heaven now, but well remembered and loved.

"I found Mr. Mouse one fall afternoon when I was raking up the fall leaves in the back of the house. I found a mouse that was dead and stopped to bury the mouse. When I came back, I found another very tiny mouse, and thought I would be digging another little hole, but the tiny mouse stirred when I placed him in my hand. My hand must have warmed him up enough to move a bit. He had himself tightly wrapped around a small white oak acorn.

"Wasn't sure what to do with him; at first I placed him in the garage, so he would be out of the wind, put some birdseed and water next to him. Checked on him a few time, then realized he was not a tiny field mouse, but a baby that had not even opened his eyes yet.

"Having a house full of cats, bringing the mouse inside was not my first thought, but went looking for and old aquarium I know I had put away from when my husband had a pet garter snake. Well, to make a long story short. The baby mouse did very well being nursed back to good health. He lived a long and happy deer mouse life. Since he thought I was his mom, we enjoyed each other's company. C. J. Mouse was a very sweet cute brave little mouse."

The Drawing Board

Magical things happens with Kathleen Rose Van Pelt of Imaginary Lines Studio (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/) picks up a pen. She created gorgeous cover and interior art for Bryony with the extraordinary talent she developed many years ago. Below is the first of a three-part interview with this gifted artist.

1) How did you start drawing?

"I don't remember ever not drawing! I was one of those kids that doodled all the time. One of the first things I remember drawing was in first grade, we were given a plain piece of white paper and told we could draw anything!!! That didn't happen very often, normally it was just a run off sheet from a coloring book with a religious image on it to color in......I was always corrected by the nun that I colored too lightly.. Sorry I wandered.....(but I do have nun stories). The first image I remember drawing was Snoopy on top of his dog house, laying on his back with one long ear hanging over the side, and drawing his round belly and filling in his black nose. I also added his food bowl next to his house. Classic Snoopy! I like to think I did Charles Schultz proud. I was very much a Snoopy fan back then. Still like Snoopy."

2) What inspired you to draw?

"I really don't remember ever not liking or not wanting to draw. If there was paper and pencil, I was drawing something. In the third grade it got me a nice space in the corner. I was drawing a big owl and a little owl on a branch at the time and the nun wasn't into the art I guess, so I was told to go to the corner and stand..... that was only time I was ever told to go stand in the corner....Maybe the nun wasn't into art, can please every critic."

3) Why pen and ink?

"I started with pen and ink for a few reasons. It's very direct to work with, and unlike painting medium, no real dry time is needed. Plus, if you don't have a lot of work space or can't paint in a space because size or other reasons, ink is very quick, convenient, and cost efficient. If you are on a tight budget, ink is very affordable and goes a long way. For me, working with the ink just kept me drawing, especially during times I may not have because of lack of space or money or time, when working what many call a "real job". It is just a very portable way to keep working. My first love (medium) is oil, but because of some of the above fore mentioned, I started to work mostly with ink then adding spot color with water colors. Working with oils and ink are so different and I really enjoy both for what they are."

Meet Bryony's Illustrator, Kathleen Rose Van Pelt

Last summer, an acquaintance of mine called me one day and asked if I would write a story for the newspaper on her cousin and her amazing art.

“Is she local?” I asked. She was not.

“Has she ever lived in our readership area?” Again, no, so I politely explained the newspaper would not allow me to write a story about the artist if she had no local connection. My acquaintance insisted otherwise. “Just look at her art,” she said.

Reluctantly, since a story was impossible, I clicked onto http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/ and was instantly enchanted by her line style and carefully placed spots of color. It was perfect for Bryony. Might Kathleen be interested in creating the cover art for the book, if and when I had a publisher and if the publisher agreed?

My acquaintance assured me it was possible and then suggested I contact Kathleen. I did, and she was open to the idea. We began working together in earnest when WriteLife accepted Bryony for publication.

Our collaboration was simple and unstructured. Basically, Kathleen read Bryony, loved it (although she’s not a fan of vampire stories), and worked from her inspirations. It was her idea to add the interior black and white drawings.

Kathleen made everyday seem like Christmas. I’ve never had so much fun signing onto my computer! Every morning, I couldn’t wait to see if she had sent an image. I’ve adored watching my story come alive under her hand.

Samples of Bryony’s artwork are posted on the Facebook page underphotos: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bryony/115857775121196?ref=sgm.

Check out Kathleen’s interview Wednesday.

Denise M. Baran-Unland

Submitting Bryony

Although I had been a journalism major and had freelanced a dozen years for a newspaper, I had scant knowledge of the book industry. I thought authors simply packaged their manuscripts, sent them to publishing houses, and waited for the ensuing rejection or acceptance.

To my credit, before I sent that first query, I researched the submission process, including how to properly format a manuscript. Being technologically impaired, I only knew how to do certain things by hand. It took an entire weekend to change my single-spaced manuscript into a double-spaced one and to manually set each page break.

Feeling like a guppy out to sea, I bravely sent my first Bryony query and, four weeks later, happily accepted my first rejection. I had officially joined the ranks of other hopeful authors. I was on my way.

After two months and several more queries passed I decided I wasn't doing too badly. I had two more agent rejections, one agent request for a full manuscript, and small press request for a partial. Both happened near my birthday, so that was pretty cool, at least until my manuscript returned, rejected, from the agent. The small press remained quiet, so I researched some more and sent out a another batch of queries, which I promptly regretted.

Why did I regret it? There was something about the process that seemed inconsistent with my goals. I only wanted to share an entertaining story with others who wanted to read it, and I wanted to encourage other people's writing efforts. I wasn't against marketing my work, but I wasn't trying to break into high-profile, commercial fiction, either.

I also wanted Kathleen R. Van Pelt's illustrations, but that's another post.

Self-publishing seemed the preferable alternative, but I hesitated for two reasons: I couldn't afford it, and I feared unprofessional editing. Then, I interviewed an author who used WriteLife LLC.