BryonySeries: Original "Drop of Blood" Vampire Trilogy

On one of the first days of 1985, I lay on the couch trying to combat pregnancy nausea with a book of classic vampirestories. 

My two-year-old and eight-month-old were napping at the same time, a highly unusual occurrence. I laid the book upside down on my chest and decided to write a gothicy-style vampire novel.

Now, I had never written a novel, only short stories and one novella. Nor had I even written much fiction since my junior high school days, thanks to a series of illnesses in high school and a killer schedule in college. Since becoming a parent, I had not even read much fiction. I preferred the Bible, as well as books on pregnancy, childbirth, Cesarean sections (I've had six total), home birth (I've had none), breastfeeding (infants, toddlers, through pregnancy, and tandem), Christian parenting, and homeschooling.

 

Yet, by the time the kiddies had awakened, and I was soaping washcloths for diaper changes (Yes, I used cloth diapers, by choice), I had the rudiments of s story--a teenage girl falls in love with a vampire she meets by a remote lake--flowing through my mind.

 

Of course, the main character would be Melissa. That had been my name of choice for numerous childhood stories. Finally, Melissa would star in her "official" story. I decided to set her story in 1972 (I later changed it to 1975 simply because I wanted Halloween on a Friday) to give expansion room to the story. It was a slow growth.

 

The raising of six, lively, breastfed, homeschooled children left little time for writing. Drafts attempted in locked, toddler-proofed rooms offered little concentration. Those adorable little people who shared the space were more interested in tapping typewriting keys than playing with all the lovely, educational toys strewn on the floor. Many, many deleted scenes found their home in some landfill.

 

Yet, while other stories ideas have come and gone, this particular one would not go away. Finally, in 2007, I decided to write it as a novella for the seventeenth birthday of one of my sons. I figured it could write it in a weekend. I was wrong.

So in January 2008, I tackled the novel in earnest. At some point, I realized the story was too large for one book; it would need a sequel. And far too many sequels (in my opinion) aren't that good. And I was struggling to write one book without the specter of a second looming before me.

Not until I had outlined the sequel and was actively writing it did I realize the story was actually a trilogy. And that was a real problem (to me) because I had enough material for two books but not three.

So I paused writing the second until (for consistency's sake), I had an outline for the third. And, honestly, without integrating Ed Calkins as a character into the first novel (when it was only a first novel), that third novel would would never have happened, at least not in the wonderful directions it veered.

The rest of my ideas for the rest of the BryonySeries books derived from writing another book.

While writing the first novel, the companion cookbook derived from all the fun food references, the mentoring subplot, and my desire to give back.

The idea for the bonus short story came from my publicist, who wanted me to have something to read at pre-publication events.

While writing the first novel, Sarah had the idea for Girls of the BryonySeries subseries.

While writing the second novel, I had the idea for The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries.

While writing the third novel, Sarah had the idea for the Bertrand the Mouse subseries.

And while editing the first novel while drafting the second, I had the idea for the Before The Blood prequel and the werewolf story.

And after I published all five of those volumes, I had the idea for the Limbo trilogy.

And while writing the werewolf story, I had the idea for the "A Year of Shadows" novelette.

Funny how that happens, isn't it? The entire series really took on the life of its namesake noxious weed, which can easily overtake healthy vegetation..

Now although I've previously said I've likely written my last novel, a vague, wispy shadow of another BryonySeries story is already lurking in the back of my mind.

Ed thinks I have a another novel inside of me.

He may be right.

The original BryonySeries "drop of blood trilogy

These books for young adults and older below originate from the expansion of the initial idea and revolve around the idea of "a drop of blood, a deceptive fantasy.

In addition to the trilogy, this initial subseries has a bonus short story and companion cookbook featuring recipes for all the food references in "Bryony," which is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

Bryony

After her father’s sudden death, seventeen-year-old Melissa Marchellis moves onto the former estate of nineteenth century composer and pianist John Simons, where a mysterious mist stalks her, ghostly piano music plays in her bedroom, and visions of John Simons’ young wife Bryony, who died in childbirth, invade her dreams. Those dreams, Melissa discovers, are simply a distraction for the midnight feedings of John Simons, now a vampire. 

So, John proposes a trade: Melissa may visit the past as Bryony in exchange for minute samples of her blood to neutralize his vampire state. For a time, Melissa happily seesaws between her adolescent routine of school, slumber parties, and cute boys to dancing at balls, attending formal dinner parties, and hosting garden fetes. 

But fantasy and reality blur when her eccentric, middle-aged English teacher penetrates her dreams as Melissa’s dashing, young vampire chaperone; her brother Brian adopts a peculiar stray cat after a friend disappears in a midnight exploration of the dilapidated mansion; and another girl with a similar vampire pact is gruesomely murdered. 

Caught between the danger of her agreement and her escalating infatuation with John Simons, Melissa contends with other vampires and their agendas, while struggling with her feelings for an undead musician.

Visage

While grieving the abrupt end of her blood bargain with nineteenth century pianist John Simons, eighteen-year-old Melissa Marchellis packs sensible goals for her life and marches off to college, where her obsession flings her into a relationship with a music professor, a man with a shady reputation and an uncanny resemblance to John.

Meanwhile, Melissa’s peer support crumbles, as her friends make other choices for their lives. Shelly and Laura attend out of town schools. Ann forsakes her wealthy ambitions for a Munsonville boy. Julie is preoccupied with studying and dating a nice, but dull, psychology major. Katie runs away with an aging medicine man.

Melissa quickly cycles from pursuer to victim when the professor develops a mysterious illness requiring unusual treatments; neighborhood pets disappear at alarming rates; and she begins caring for a child with a number of disturbing qualities: a voracious appetite, abhorrence for meat, luxurious red hair that defies trimming, extreme intelligence, and musical abilities beyond its tender years.

As her world unravels, Melissa glimpses the horrifying truth beneath her choices. Will Melissa use that knowledge to finally break free from Bryony’s past?

Staked!

For seventeen-year-old John-Peter Simotes, prodigy of a college music professor that died from a mysterious illness and was staked by his best friend’s vampire-slayer father, growing up in a remote fishing village means tolerating an English teacher mother, enduring a Bible-thumping grandfather, working for a newspaper delivery uncle and a funeral director stepfather, playing with astral projection, and waiting for the right opportunity to rescue the princess trapped in a bedroom mirror.

So when John-Peter accidentally discovers a diary written by his deceased great-grandmother, revealing her claims that a famous nineteenth century pianist and composer with a connection to the village and a resemblance to the music professor was actually a vampire, he and his best friend, Karla Dyer, decide to resurrect the vampire to prove her theory.

But experiments with magic and immortality do more than test the information set forth by a mentally unstable woman. They unlock the truth about John-Peter’s real identity, the evil motives of people he trusts, and the mission upon which he must embark to save them all.

Snowbell

While visiting an out of state friend, a snobbish teen decides to show up the locals by disproving their cherished ghost stories. However, her calculated prank becomes a terrifying night in a dilapidated mansion and a desperate wish that the legends were true.

Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony"

In Denise M. Baran-Unland's young adult vampire novel, Bryony, seventeen-year-old Melissa Marchellis trades her blood with a Victorian vampire for a trip back into time as his wife, Bryony. 

Yet, as Melissa zig-zags between 1975 and the late 1890's, she encounters plenty of food. These range from the familiar dishes that grace her family's dinner and holiday tables to unfamiliar Victorian fare: beef tongue, stuffed pigeons, and boiled calves head. 

The recipes included in this collection reflect the culture of both time periods to give the reader an insight into the world of "Bryony."

Whether you read this cookbook to enhance the story's enjoyment or for menu ideas, may you thoroughly delight in each "bite and nibble."

BryonySeries: Purple Roses

I don't remember how purple roses became a BryonySeries motif.

But because they are, loved ones people have gifted me with purple roses through the years ("All The Purple Roses I have Known") with Cindy being the top and most frequent "gifter" of purple roses). 

My mother always grew roses, so I have lovely memories of those bushes, some pink and some yellow, and their heavenly scent.

But how I decided to incorporate roses into the BryonySeries is lost in my mind of writing the first draft of the very first book, "Bryony" almost twenty years ago.

I remember researching the symbolism of roses and deciding that the mythical purple rose, with its symbolism of enchantment, was exactly what the story needed.

I have an old file on the computer called "Bryony and Purple Roses" from February 2, 2009, that only has scant information on white bryony - nothing at all about purple roses.

How purple roses came to be associated with the BryonySeries young dandy vampire Henry Matthews (or how that young vampire evolved from a staid old professor vampire) is also lost to my memory.

The purple rose motif only shows up in the original "drop of blood" trilogy and two of the "Before The Blood" books. And purple roses only receive a scant mention in "The Phoenix."

Yet, if you ask some people who've read BryonySeries books, "What color do you associate with the BryonySeries?" the answer is most often is, "purple."

I have no idea - truly - why that motif instead of others in the series has really resonated with people.

But here is the first purple roses reference from "Bryony."

The room, although not very large, felt warm and comfortable, with its wine-hued carpeting and wallpaper, overflowing bookshelves, and rich mahogany furniture. Several desks sat at the east end of the room. One held a heavy, black, silver, oddly shaped typewriter, very different from her mother’s slim, beige, electric machine. Vases of fragrant, purple roses filled the room. Fully awake now, Melissa rested her head on the back of the settee and blinked in surprise.

For reasons I won't share here (spoilders) "Bryony" protagonist Melissa Marchellis becomes very attached to purple roses, to the extent that an envelope of dried purple rose petals are one of her most precious treasures in "Visage" and that she keeps a vase of fresh purple roses in her bedroom "Staked!"

Her eyes fell on the envelope, and she remembered Henry’s admonition to forget vampires, including him—her undead chaperone--and especially John, who brought only death to Bryony. She could resist no longer. Carefully sliding her hand past the dried purple rose petals, Melissa retrieved the sheet of paper whose words she had long since memorized. ("Visage")

Melissa sat at her desk correcting papers by the tiny lamp. It was the only light in the entire room except for the pink candle she burned near the vase of the fresh purple roses she always insisted Kellen buy for her. ("Staked!")

But as enchanting as these passages sound - to Melissa and to some readers - the purple roses might just be more curse than blessing. 

Pre-vampire Henry Matthews was a very young boy selling newspapers on a busy street corner with his father when he first encountered the term "purple rose" in the BryonySeries prequel "Before The Blood: Henry Matthews."

Harold worked Western; Henry worked Clark. When the morning rush dissipated, Harold again swapped the pouches and scampered away. Henry guarded the newspapers and watched the caravan. The women sat in clusters and wove baskets. The men played stringed instruments.

One dark beauty in brilliant hues locked Henry's wondering gaze with her rippling irises.

So many beads, Henry mused. So many, many beads.

They rattled from her waist, dangled off her hair, and wrapped her neck in a chromatic embrace.

"Son, take a break."

They lounged against the remaining bundles, munching stale ham sandwiches and gulping hot coffee from the street peddlers. Soon after Harold disappeared between the buildings, no doubt seeking his own relief behind Henry's trash barrel, Henry sensed movement behind him.

Before he could react, a withered rose pressed into his palm.

"True love spumes," a woman hissed, "when the purple rose blooms."

Henry yelped, his father's strong hand yanked him away, and the gypsy fled. ("Before The Blood: Henry Matthews")

Henry, again for undisclosed spoiler reasons, winds up signing all his original oil paintings with a purple rose instead of penmanship. The indention denotes a flashback.

But these (images) disturbed her less than the purple roses. The artist had painted a single one at the right-hand base of each image.

       "What this?"

            "My signature."

            " I thought a signature required the alphabet and penmanship."

            "Not always."

Back in the passageway, she locked the door and tucked the key next to her heart. She had to get dressed and find Henry. ("Before The Blood: Bryony Simons")

And, of course, the purple rose also comes to symbolize the rivalry between John Simons the pianist and composer and Henry Matthews, the writer, artist, and horticulturist, summarized nicely in the purple music roses Jan Stack handmade and gifted to me, to distribute at events.

Back to the top image with the crocheted flowers and white box. 

Somewhere in the haze of health battles these last couple of years, Cindy crocheted the purple rose bouquet, which has sat near my office supplies, waiting for its own special post.

She gifted me the purple rose buds she crocheted and the purple rose in the box for Christmas 2024, which we celebrated on January 7, 2025. 

But on that day I was in the tail end of a bad virus and then straight into one health challenge after another for the rest of the year. So both boxes stayed near my desk, waiting for a quiet moment to give them their due and very heartfelt appreciation.

Those boxes waited so long, I no longer remembered what the "angel blessings" purple rose looked like. 

But yesterday, I finally had that quiet moment - and I took the photo you saw at the beginning of this blog.

And then I opened the box.

Unlike Henry, for whom purple roses were more curse than blessing, more heartache than joy, I rejoiced to see the gift before me, my own little angel of purple roses.

To me, they symbolized the parallel prayers, good wishes, and blessings that silently and out of my view, accompanied me through the challenges of 2025.

BryonySeries: The Adventures of Cornell Dyer

The BryonySeries world of phantasmic books has several subseries, one of them being The Adventures of Cornell Dyer.

These are short chapter books for ages eight and up about a supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer, who travels around the country in his motor home solving supernatural mysteries. He also really likes food (especially junk food), is good at "persuading" clients to clean his motor home and wash his backed-up laundry, and insists people call him "Professor."

The series has two taglines, invented by Timothy. 

"Join the incredible, impossible, and marvelous Cornell Dyer as he unravels mysteries, untangles myths, and decides what to have for lunch."

Or "the greater the mystery, the bigger the lunch."

But how did Cornell Dyer come to be?

Cornell first appeared as a man in his fifties in the latter part of of his sleuthing career in "Visage," the second book in the BryonySeries youing adult vampire trilogy.

The reader's first impression of Cornell comes from his wife Katie's description of him in a conversation with her former high school friend Melissa, who has just graduated from college.

“Believe it or not, my parents are letting us keep the motor home in the back yard.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope. They seemed pretty upset about it at first, but they changed their minds when they saw how happy I am.”

“Are you happy?”

“Of course, silly. I can’t wait for you guys to meet my husband. I’m sure he will have lots in common with John. Cornell’s a professor, too.”

“He is?” Melissa wondered if Julie had not given her prejudiced information about Katie’s situation. “What kind of professor?”

“He’s a professor of the esoteric.”

“The what!”

“The esoteric. You know, the occult.”

“I know what esoteric means,” Melissa said, losing patience with her old friend. “Katie, you can’t be serious.”

Katie giggled. “I sure am. Not only is he smart, he’s very compassionate, which is why we travel around the country. That’s all Cornell does is help people, kind of like an old-fashioned medicine man. He goes from place to place teaching people about the mystical world they can’t see and fixing their problems.”

This last statement did it for Melissa. “He solves their problems? For free?”

“Big problems, little problems; it doesn’t matter to Cornell. He just likes doing good for people. Sometimes all a person needs is a charm to get that job promotion, but other times the problem is more serious, like when an evil spirit haunts a house. Cornell will go in there and get rid of it.”

And Cornell advertises his business directly on the motor home:

Amateurish paintings of astrologic symbols, hexagrams, and magic wands covered the motor home’s white exterior. A sign painted across one side read: The Thaumaturgical World of Professor Cornell Dyer: Amulets, Fortune-Telling (with and without cards), Ghost-Hunting, Horoscopes, Numerology, Palm-Reading, Potions, Séances, Spells, and Vampire-Slaying.

Cornell Dyer was such a fun character that I partnered with Timothy and Sue Midlock to respectively create stories concepts and art (cover art, chapter heading art, and branding logo) for the BryonySeries subseries The Adventures of Cornell Dyer.

These short chapter books for ages eight and up share some of Cornell's adventures as he solves one mystery at a time (all before Cornell's time in "Visage").

Although Timothy is the storytelling consultant, Rebekah stepped into that role for one book ("Mistical" Being), which was actually the prototype for the rest of this subseries.

Here are the published titles (so far). Timothy presented me with a list of fifty or so a few years ago, so we won't run out of ideas anytime soon.

Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone

A tombstone with a Viking helmet engraving vanishes. Mysterious brown-outs plague a seacoast village. Supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer is certain the historical society leader knows more than he is telling. 

Will Cornell learn the secrets and stop the curse?

Cornell Dyer and the Necklace of Forgetfulness

A heartbroken lover wants to forget. Supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer desperately tries to solve a mystery as his memory vanishes. Meanwhile, he keeps showing up at places he's certain are clues but can't recall how or why he arrived. 

In this "back to front" story, Cornell races his fading mind to save the day - but which will win?

Cornell Dyer and the Eerie Lake

A cry for help. A glowing green ball. An old tired town with a mysterious old dump. A tale of heartbreak. Before supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer can figure out the questions, one man disappears and another dies. 

To find the answers, Cornell must cross the lake - but all who tried never came back. Will Cornell survive and solve the mystery?

Cornell Dyer and the Never Robbers

 After a band of robbers steal the motor home of supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer, time becomes strange and unpredictable. Events replay themselves with variations. Watches and light sources can’t be trusted. People disappear, and a man who claims to know everything suddenly appears. 

Cornell is certain soot, a tire swing, and his first unsolved case are somehow connected. But will he solve the mystery before he fades from memory?

Cornell Dyer and the Flu

It’s Christmas Eve and a very sick Cornell Dyer is stuck in the hospital, frustrated because he can’t find the vending machine and because he’s too sick to solve his latest supernatural mystery. 

Another patient tries to help Cornell, not with food and medicine, but with a journey into realms Cornell doesn’t want to go.

Cornell Dyer and the Whispering Wardrobe

While investigating a home with mysterious whispers, supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer stumbles upon its source: an antique wardrobe in a room all by itself. But when Cornell steps inside, he discovers the wardrobe is more than a wardrobe and a whisper is more than a whisper. 

Even if Cornell solves the mystery, will he ever go home?

Cornell Dyer and the Old Folks Home

Cornell Dyer needs a break from solving supernatural mysteries. So he heads to Paradise Falls for a well-deserved vacation at a beach resort, where he meets another sleuth as skilled as he. But dark secrets can lurk even in a sunny paradise, secrets the tanned and energetic natives don’t want him to know. 

It takes two to solve the mystery – but will the sleuthing team live that long?

Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being

When asked to banish ghosts in a backyard lake, supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer encounters one mystery after another: a ghostly mist with eyes, a ghost town, and a town that keeps changing its name. 

Delving into each one will change Cornell's life. Is he ready?

Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones

When supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer finds himself between sleuthing jobs, he fills the time by teaching science while the real teacher is ill. But in a school that’s supposedly getting remodeled, Cornell encounters one mystery after another: vanishing classroom skeletons, plants that come and go, and a piano for every student. 

Cornell is certain his classroom holds the answer – and that he is one of the clues.

Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville

Howls. Shadows. Disappearances.

Something is roaming the run-down town of Basketville, Michigan, and Detective Sherman Homes is struggling to connect the dots. So he asks supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer for help - but the mystery bites back. 

Brains or beast: which will win?

Cornell Dyer and the House of Horreur (Available late 2025 or early 2026.

For more information about other books in the BryonySeries, visit Books of the BryonySeries: A Quick Overview.

Fifteen Minutes of AI Fame

When Timothy started revamping the BryonySeries website in 2018, he redesigned the calendar to be more than a listing of events.

Timothy turned the BryonySeries event calendar into an advent calendar-style of calendar, where I could place one activity per day that related to the BryonySeries: games, crafts, music, science experiments, and recipes.

It's a great idea...but that calendar takes an entire afternoon one weekend a month to create.

To add context to the activities, I always link back to the book that inspired it.

I typically link to the book on Amazon and do a quick Google search to find the link, since I'm creating twenty-eight to thirty-one unique posts each time.

Well, when I "googled" the book "Visage," this is what appeared (see image at bottom of post).

Naturally I screen-shotted it since that was unlikely to ever happen again.

What's especially fun about this is not that I appear "famous" - but that the shoutout is also given to those who contributed to this book.

Sarah and Rebekah did all the production work.

Matt created the cover and interior art.

Vicki and Colleen helped with the editing.

Recognizing this collaboration is why the BryonySeries website has never had (and never will have) an author page.

Instead, we have the BryonySeries "team" page (which we used to call the Board of Trustees, patterned after the series).

Yes, I wrote most of the BryonySeries books. But I haven't written all of the books. And I had help with some of the books I did write.

For instance, Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, has actually written four of the books.

And Timothy is the concept creator for all of the Cornell Dyer books - and has the final approval on how those stories are shaped.

Furthermore, all of the book art is original art by real artists.

We also have promotional products, helpers, volunteers, and tons of teamwork that takes the books and turns them into an experience for readers to enjoy.

That fifteen minutes of AI fame is not about ME.

It's about US.

Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara: Chapter Seven of "The Fifth"

The other night Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara sent a new chapter seven for his upcoming sequel to "Ruthless."

He also sent the sequel's new title. It's no longer called "Tu Ruthless." It's now called "The Fifth" and it's a play on several "fifth" concepts (I'll task Ed with the explanation in another blog).

The readers gets a subtle introduction to one explanation in chapter seven, which is called "The Munsonville Five."

Munsonville is a fictional fishing village in Northern Michigan and a "hub" of the series.

In this chapter, Ed plays with the BryonySeries character supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer for the first time. Cornell meets with a vampire crime lord in a meeting reminiscent of Cornell's meeting with John Simons in "Visage" and Kellen Wechsler's meeting with Cornell in "The Phoenix."

The chapter shows some crossing, some double-crossing, and a really large pizza.

But I really love the first line. It really summarizes quite a lot why certain things happen the way they do in the books.

The first line is: "Munsonville just doesn't play by the rules."

Well done, Ed!

Books and Bombs

If you come out to WriteOn Joliet's fifth anthology release party on Dec. 9 at the Black Road branch of the Joliet Public Library, be sure to stop by the BryonySeries table and check out our books, a "Books and Bombs" special offer, and opportunities to win some books.

You want details about these, right? Sure you do!

And here we go!

Books and Bombs:

Every person who buys one (or more) of these combinations will receive a free, locally chef-made chocolate bomb per combination - while chocolate bombs last.

Chocolate bombs are not limited to one per customer. But for each additional bomb, you must still purchase one of these four combinations.

1) One "regular" young adult or adult BryonySeries book (choices include any book in the "drop of blood" trilogy, Lycanthropic Summer, The Phoenix, Ruthless by Ed Calkins Steward of Tara or any of the Before the Blood books) or Nine Months of Kindness.

2) Any two books in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer series.

3) Any three books in the Bertrand the Mouse series.

4) All three of our BryonySeries cookbooks.

To check out our books, visit bryonyseries.com/general-store.

Bertrand the Mouse giveaway

We will "give away" one complete set of all Bertrand the Mouse books published (to date) AND one hand-crocheted Bertrand the Mouse to one lucky person to take home for keeps.

NO purchase is necessary. Just drop your name and contact information in our Bertrand Box. 

A random person (not anyone from our team) will select the winner at the end of the event and leave the prize package at the library's circulation desk for the winner to pick up at his/her convenience.

Holiday "Visage" Giveaway

This BryonySeries book is the second book in the "drop of blood" trilogy and can be read as a standalone.

The book is out of print and only available from us.

It has some "extras" in the back of the book that are not in the official version (such as a picture of me in a kangaroo suit).

The cover is very different.

And it has an introduction by me celebrating artists and creative folk. This is the first and only BryonySeries book that has an introduction.

We will be giving away three of these. Again, NO purchase is necessary. You only need to drop your name into the "Visage" box.

A random person (not anyone from our team) will select the three winners at the end of the event and leave the prize package at the library's circulation desk for the winner to pick up at his/her convenience.

WriteOn Joliet's Fifth Anthology

And, of course, we will have plenty of anthologies (the 2021 anthology and a limited number of past anthologies) available for sale - along with the opportunity to meet many of the writers who contributed to these wonderful books of poems, essays, and short stories.

The anthology is a fundraiser for WriteOn Joliet, so all money stays with the group to support additional programs.

But I live too far away....

For anyone near or far who cannot attend the actual event:

You may purchase the anthology here.

And message me at bryonyseries@gmail.com if you're interested in some of the BryonySeries books.

I will reward your reading of this post by working out a special discount just for you.

For those planning to attend:

The event is from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Joliet Public Library, 3393 Black Road, Joliet.

Great food and drink (including coffee) is available for purchase at the Book and Bean Cafe, which is located inside the library.

ALL purchases of ALL books by ALL authors will be handled at The Book Market's checkout table.

After nearly two years of pandemic living, I'm looking foward to meeting you in person.

Invite your family. 

Invite your friends. 

Invite your neighbors. 

Invite anyone who likes books and great coffee.

For more information, bryonyseries.com, writeonjoliet.com, jolietlibrary.org, and bookmarketjoliet.com.

New Review for "Visage"

 I'm glad to know that, even though Visage was published nine years ago this November, readers are still finding this first book of the BryonySeries and enjoying it.

This review was recently left on Amazon.

 The mystery deepens…and delightfully not in the ways you’d expect

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2021

"Picking up right where the first book in the series, Bryony, left off, the plot becomes even thicker – and more satisfying. 

"Melissa, now in college, finds herself mired in one strange situation after another as she tries to balance the rigors of her scholastic pursuits with her personal relationships, all while being pulled in many frightening directions. 

"Once again, the character development, for both new and returning characters, is exemplary and provides a stout backbone to complement the increasingly interesting story. 

Even more than its predecessor, Visage gives the reader an ongoing sense that something is coming, or is about to happen, or will be revealed, you just don’t know when or where the turn will be. Even with the expectancy of that impending…something, you still won’t be fully ready for it when it happens. 

"It’s all part of an engaging, delightful read that will have you turning page after page and anxiously expecting the next installment."

Spring

 I'm pretty certain I have spring fever.

The signs are all these: reveling in the cool breeze coming through my window as I write this blog, a higher than average eagerness to get outside and walk, and practically swooning to the giddy tweeting of birds in the yard.

So I decided to share some quotes about spring from great literature. As I'm doing an online search, and reading through some quotes, I thought, "Wait a minute. I've written a lot of stuff. How have I described spring in the BryonySeries?"

So in a rae moment of self-indulgence, I did a quick search through some of my books. 

The first two quotes are from the third installment of Before The Blood: Bryony Marseilles.

The third is from the fifth installment of Before the Blood: Bryony Simons.

The fourth is from the second installment of Before the Blood: Kellen Wechsler.

The last three are from the "drop of blood" trilogy: Bryony, Visage and Staked! - in that order.

While the world still grapples with a pandemic, it's to know that spring fever is the one afflication that might actually be good for us.

Have a beautiful spring Tuesday!

And Bryony would don her wraps, softly close the parsonage door behind her, and greet the cool Munsonville spring with a happy toss of her head and a blissful smile.

            "Hello, world," Bryony said softly.

On this day, giddy with springtime promise and her newly bestowed independence, Bryony sang All Things Bright and Beautiful under her breath as she trudged down the muddy path and over to Main Street.

When Bryony paused to catch her breath, she'd do so near a window, where she yearned to walk along the cobblestone, among the colorful buds poking through the damp earth, and smell the spring air blowing off the lake.

The warm winds of spring blew away winter's frigid ones. Again, Metta gathered twigs and broken branches until spring grew strong, and fire could sleep.  

Signs of spring arrived early that year in Munsonville. Red, yellow, and orange buds poked from their hiding places beneath the soil, although Melissa could not identify the flowers. In Grover’s Park, her mother planted mostly tomatoes and impatiens along the sides of the house, but Simons Mansion contained many gardens, each grouped by type or theme. 

One warm spring afternoon, Melissa did it. Perhaps the tender greenery sprouting up from the ground beckoned her, or perhaps the warm wisps of wind stirring the air also stirred inside Melissa her buried feelings for the past. Either way, when the final school bell for the day had rung, Melissa headed for the road leading to the former Simons estate. 

As winter melted into spring, Angela gradually weaned herself from the Wechsler residence to a larger world that did not interest Melissa. The more independent Angela grew, the more introspective Melissa became, until their worlds rarely collided. 

Steward Setback Saturday: Ed Calkins on Pope Benedict's XVI's Resignation, Lent and Calkins Day, "Visage," and Revisiting the Marriage Proposal

I found this gem buried in my blog's archives.

Longtime readers: perhaps you recall it?

Shorttime readers: Enjoy!

 

Saturday, March 2, 2013

EdCalkins on Pope Benedict's XVI's Resignation, Lent and Calkins Day, "Visage," and Revisiting the Marriage Proposal

Dear Momi (Mistress of My Immortality):

Surely, you jest as to why I haven't been able to drop you a line. My internal investigation into the IVA's involvement with Pope Benedict’s resignation is quite difficult as you can imagine any internal investigation would be when you don't know who the members are.

 

As the only public member and spokesman, I can assure you that allegations of strong arming the Pope, intimidating him, or scribbling on him with colored markers, are being investigated. In case you haven't drawn any parallels into the Pope's resigning I should point out that Calkins Day fell on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for Catholics.

 

For members of faith, Lent is supposed to be a long period of fasting, somber refection, and self-denial, making it difficult for the joyful indulgence of Ireland’s most ruthless dictator, paper boy, and vampire extraorindaire. Of course this limitation only applies to Catholics; do you think there are any of those in Ireland?

 

I personally have argued against dispensation the way the Vatican treats St Paddy (who wants to piss off a saint), but I’m sure the Bishop of Rome was warned what might happen if Lent wasn't pushed back a month. (The season of Lent is determined by a lunar calendar, so the actual day moves; I think it’s the same in your Eastern Orthodox faith.)

 

Anyway, my reading of Visage has until now been delayed because I gave any too many copies, leaving me to share with my wife, granddaughter, and son. I've just started reading it... or will by the week’s end so NO SPOILERS, please.

 

Already my granddaughter, who was really too young to attempt the book—she’s nine-- is asking for her leprechaun and giggling. My wife groaned about newspapers and muttered that I'm going to need larger pants for my ego after this.

 

Once again, Momi, you must not feel guilty about turning down my proposal of marriage. The hurt inside will heal and make me a stronger, more ruthless vampire for the wear if it. I'll update you latter on the Pope thing.

Ruthlessly yours,

Ed Calkins,

Steward of Tara