Good morning!
So "Stranger Things" has continued happening 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 six stories I've written on this topic so far. Because interest in these stories is off the charts compared to any other topic I've tackled in my decades of professionally writing features (since 1998).
Those six stories are part of the fourteen total features and news stories I'm sharing with you today - and a couple more not yet posted. 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, had a stress test today (as if she weren't stressed enough already), was back in the ER Saturday for a generalized allergic reaction, and had another ER yesterday and is at the hospital this morning getting more tests down.
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 month. 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.
If you're in (or will be) the Joliet area on Dec. 8, please consider stopping at WriteOn Joliet's annual anthology release party, which will be held at the Joliet Public Library, one of our community partners. Details are here.
One the fiction side of things, I'm taking an at-home writing retreat, the first of 2022, starting tonight. 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.
ARTISTS
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.
Haunted house in New Lenox inspired ‘Stranger Things’ display in Plainfield: Jeff Eggener: ‘I made my house the main prop.”
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.
Hundreds flocking to Plainfield home? ‘Stranger Things’ has happened.: Fans of the TV show have come as far as Colorado to see ‘floating Max.’
How Plainfield couple made ‘floating Max:’ Local physics professors weigh in and Dave Appel, the prop’s co-creator, shares his secret.
Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"
