Good morning!
I have just five stories online to share with you today, since I worked on some longrange projects this week. More stories will likely go live over the weekend. So please check back at 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!
Calendar
The BryonySeries calendar offers links to games, crafts, music, activities, science experiments, and recipes that pick up themes to one or more of our books.
To participate, visit bryonyseries.com/ourcalendar.
Events (or where to find the BryonySeries) - so far:
POSTPONED Aug. 1: Kid Fest: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., City Square, Downtown Joliet. For the third year in a row, WriteOn Joliet will have a tent at the annual Kidz Fest celebration. Write your own story with our unique, one-of-a-kind, made-just-for-us story manipulable story blocks. And be sure to pick up one (or more) WriteOn Joliet-authored books (titles for all ages), which we will distribute for free.
Aug. 22: Bertrand's Back-To-School Birthday Bash: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., The Book Market, 2365 Plainfield Road, Crest Hill. Refreshments, party hats, BryonySeries books for sale, birthday games-to-go, and back-to-school ribbits (while supplies last) with the purchase of any Bertrand the Mouse book for yourself or for us to give away at Kids Fest this fall.
Aug. 28: WriteOn Joliet Presents "Page to Stage:" 7 p.m., ROXY Lockport, 1017 S. State St., Lockport. Eight members of WriteOn Joliet will present a compilation show as a fundraiser for Trinity Services. For details, read this "save the date" post.
Sept. 6: Plants, Paws, and Pages: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lockport Metra Station, 133 W. 13th St., Lockport. A diverse selection of curated handcrafted goods, artisan pets items, books and local authors.
Sept. 12: FAME - Fandom Arts and Music Expo: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Joliet Public Library, 150 N. Ottawa St., Joliet. A cross-fandom artist-market minicon. Features 50 local artists, live music, panels, games, and contests.
Sept. 19: Fountaindale Public Library Author Fair: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fontaindale Public Library District, 300 Briarcliff Road, Bolingbrook.
Oct. 17: Halloween Night Market: 3 to 8 p.m.., Channahon Tractor Supply, Channahon
Nov. 12: WriteOn Joliet Annual Anthology Release Party: 6 to 8 p.m., Joliet Public Library, 3395 Black Road, Joliet. Anthologies as well as books by individual WriteOn Joliet authors for sale. Free chef-created refreshments and visits from Santa.
In addition, please check out our books by popping into The Book Market in Crest Hill (if you live in the area) or bookshop.org or Amazon if you don't.
Also, many titles are available at the Joliet Public Library and the Downers Grove Public Library.
Please note: Bookshop and the libraries do not carry all of our books.
What is the BryonySeries?
BryonySeries books-in-progress
Bertrand the Mouse: We have plenty of Bertrand photos and ideas. Several are at the top of the list. At some point, we will assemble and release some more.
The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: Cornell Dyer and the House of Horreur" (because the toymaker's last name is "Horreur.") is finally begun, although albeit very slowly. I'd like to get enough done very soon to finally give Sue Midlock (our artist for The Adventures of Cornell Dyer) some ideas for the book's cover and chapter heading illustrations.Timothy's newest idea is to spend a couple of hours early on Saturday mornings, one chapter at a time, before his weekly breakfast with Daniel.
Brainy Ann: The fifth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries has three remaining chapters in drafts; the rest of the book is edited. I hope to finish it over Labor Day weekend and have it available for sale at WriteOn Joliet's Anthology Release party on Nov. 12.
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."
Other books: I am not writing a novel this year. But we plan to release a BryonySeries Christmas anthology around the holidays. This will be Christmas excerpts from existing BryonySeries novels along with a few bonus chapters (I hope) only available in this anthology.
We also have a prologue/first chapter sampler of all the BryonySeries novels and an novel excerpt (so far) that's only available at certain events and another sampler called "Angel or Demon" that is also only available at select events, including WriteOn Joliet's "Page to Stage" event on Aug. 28.
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 weekly recipe here.
WRITERS
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.
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'm gradually reviving BryonySeries on Twitter/X at x.com/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.
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
Lawmakers Manley, Cappel served more than 200 families at
back-to-school fair in Crest Hill
Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox named a top hospital
by Forbes
Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet named ‘High
Performing Hospital’
Joliet police: Woman who went missing has been found
Will County Pets of the Week: Aug. 10, 2026
Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption
https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2026/08/10/will-county-pets-of-the-week-aug-10-2026/
Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"
