Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Jan.13 to Jan. 19

 Good morning!

I have just nine news and features stories to share with you this week since I spent a few days in the hospital. But more will be posted over this weekend, especially with me working this weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Most of my BryonySeries focus these past weeks has been on copyediting "The Fifth," the second novel by Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, since we are hoping to have books for Calkins Day on February 13.

I am down to the last few chapters of "The Fifth," which I hope to complete on Tuesday (a day off for me, since I will be working the weekend).

I will also be off work next Friday, since Shaw Media generously gives its employees a day off in the month they were hired. So I'm hoping to take advantage of the three-day weekend by sinking into several of my own BryonySeries projects.

If you're new to the BryonySeries and this blog, here is a post that with links that explains Calkins Day.

For a list of BryonySeries projects in progress, check this story roundup from a few weeks ago.

Now back to The Herald-News stories 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 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 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 and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

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 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 used to curated content relating to the BryonySeries on Twitter/X at @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.

Again, not sure yet about the direction of the BryonySeries Twitter/X account. Still mulling that over.

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.

FEATURES

Joliet woman’s pencil collection part of Guinness World Book of Records: Sarah Randolph of Joliet said her mother had more than 100 hobby collections

Crest Hill couple uses improv to foster healing in victims of trafficking: Dave Ebert, improv coach: ‘“Laughter is proven way to breakthrough a lot of those of those barriers’

Missed ‘Joseph Galilee’ at Joliet church? Watch it on YouTube: The story is a modern retelling of the events leading up to Jesus’ birth

Blood donors urgently needed: Where to donate in Will County: Number of people who donate is dropping

Joliet’s Great American Bagel is now The Curator’s Cafe: The café will display and sell the work of local artists

Latin fusion restaurant opening in Plainfield: Altiro Latin Fusion also has locations in Aurora, Geneva and Wheaton

Will County Center for Community Concerns offering scholarships

Pets of the Week: Jan. 15, 2024: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

The Local Scene: 2024 Playwrights and Poets Festival in Joliet: Here are 5 things to do this weekend

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 15 to July 21

Good morning!

Today I have 10 features and news stories to share with you today with more stories are coming today and over the weekend, since all have not run yet and I am working the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

On Tuesday, I presented "How to Find - and Share - Your Voice" at the Minooka branch of the Three Rivers Public Library District. We had five attendees, a highly engaging discussion, and we sold fourteen books, which was the most surprising aspect of the evening.

Also, WriteOn Joliet will return to the digital media center at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library next week to continue editing the radio play we presented at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet on April 22. We are now halfway through with the editing, hurray!

Also, if you missed that radio play the first time, you will have another opportunity at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library. More on this later.

Finally, Bertrand is hosting a birthday party in August with a special guest...Santa! We will share more about this next week.

Here is a quick recap of BryonySeries projects in progress:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and two chapters that are ready for final edits.

Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville: The next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries is finally in production. We can't wait to release it into the hands of readers. Timothy said the next book will be slightly dark (because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. I cannot wait for our next "Cornell" breakfast.

You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

Karla Joins In: The fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series. Nine of the twelve chapters are completed. and ready for their final edits; four more to go. Jennifer Wainright iw working the cover.

Jennifer designed the covers for Julie and the Too-Hard Homework, Katie and the Big Fear, and Summer Sisters, as well as frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer. I can't wait to see her "Karla" illustration.

BryonySeries reference/guide book: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries. I'd love to have this one ready by the end of the year. Pecking slowly at it.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novella in the second person. Half of it is written and edited and another half is loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover. 

Rebekah is also 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.

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 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 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 and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

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.

FEATURES

Barbie mania comes to Joliet area: Jennifer Joho owner of J.Joho Boutique in #Plainfield: ‘Barbie is the newest exciting thing out’

Joliet mental health program removes barriers to care: Mayor Terry D’Arcy: ‘It’s really going to improve the lives of so many people’

Joliet teen boxing champion sets new goals: Joseph “Jo Jo” Awinongya Jr. is thankful for the support

Habitat ReStore celebrates 5 years at current location: Heidi Serena, ReStore director: ‘We’re one of Joliet’s best-kept secrets’ 

Will County expands therapy dog team to comfort crime victims: Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow: ‘Dogs are the medicine that cure all ills’ 

Get your tickets for Joliet Stone and Steel art auction: Tickets are going fast

Joliet library unveils youth gallery on Tuesday: Mallory Hewlett, library communications manager: ‘The kids are just so proud of their art’ 

Joliet bank sponsors Route 66 blood drive at Rialto Theater: Red Cross donation event is ‘the signature blood drive’ for Romeoville-based chapter 

Pets of the Week: July 17, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: Joliet nonprofit’s Big Wheel race: Plus 4 more suggestions for enjoying your weekend.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, April 15 to April 21

Good morning!

Today I have ten features and news stories to share with you today with more to be posted over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

I'm also finishing up stories for special "Thank You, Teachers" edition that The Herald-News will publish on May 4. More on this later.

In addition, WriteOn Joliet will host its first radio-style reading on April 22at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet, which you can see here. 

And we have a promotional video, which you can see here.

We've held practices every night this week, except for last night due to our regular meeting of WriteOn Joliet at the Joliet Public Library. So if you're in the area, come out and heckle us! (wink).

So have I written anything on the fiction front?

Actually, last weekend was a good weekend for the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. I have the prologue and first eighteen chapters drafted as well as a couple of chapters near the end. 

So between lots of doctor-related trips over the past month and the radio play, I'm rather proud of myself (virtual pat on the back).

I am still in the process of fleshing out the next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries: Cornell Dyer and the Hounds of Basketville and made some progress on that story on Monday. Timothy and I drafted it months ago, and I currently have five solid chapters. 

Sue Midlock has already sent all the interior art and a rough draft of the cover. As always, the art is amazing and perfect for the series.

I have also completed three chapters for the fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series and have chapter four in a very rough draft.

You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

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. I have written and edited a fourth of it and have about another third of it loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover, which is very close to my loosely formed vision for it. So I'm excited about that as well.

Rebekah is also slowly 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 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 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 and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

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.

FEATURES

Romeoville siblings repair window screens to pay for Scout activities: Sara Gentile: ‘We started posting it on Facebook and the work started trickling in’

Earth Day in Will County: 9 ways to celebrate natural resources: Activities range from kid friendly activities to cleanup projects  

Dave Mason’s ‘Endangered Species’ tour coming to Joliet theater in May: Tickets are available now

86-year-old Cleveland man stops in Red Cross Romeoville office as part of his U.S platelet donation tour: Al Whitney plans to donate platelets in every U.S. state for the 3rd time 

Baran-Unland: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’: Will County Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter on Sunday with traditional foods

New Lenox hospital now offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy: Silver Cross Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine began offering the service on Monday 

Lake Chaminwood Preserve near Channahon to close temporarily for improvements: The Forest Preserve District of Will County expect to complete improvements in June. 

Will County forest preserve welcomes 5 eaglets in April: Joel Craig: ‘It’s really a population explosion in our area over the past few years’

Pets of the Week: April 17, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: buy, sell, trade sneakers at Joliet conventionL Plus, 4 more ways to enjoy your weekend 

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"