"Stingy Jack" at Spirits with the Spirits Oct. 30

 WriteOn Joliet member Cean Magosky and I are participating in a Halloween event in downtown Joliet tomorrow night.

It's called "Spirits with the Spirits" and will run 5 to 9 p.m. at various locations.

Cean and I will be at Black Cat Curiosities reading original ghost stories - and you can browse our books, too.

I'm planning to read the BryonySeries version of "Stingy Jack," a legend about the origin of the jack-o-lantern that's been told and re-told by others in various versions. And if there's time, I have two others planned (just haven't decided which one).

I'm also planning to wear this super fun "Stingy Jack" necklace that Rebekah bought me from The Raven's House when we participated in "Panic at the Plaza" earlier this month (recap still to follow).

The Raven's House owner was super nice and had some gorgeous, very unique, and mostly handmade jewelry Rebekah also bought a pair of earrings for herself.

Come "Spirits with the Spirits" early and learn and perform a "Thriller" dance.

For details and to register, visit jolietccp.com/spirits.

"Ghosted" by an Ex

Remember when people used to carefully drop off the their rolls of film with all the precious images they took with their cameras to the local camera shop for development?

And remember how eagerly people would pick up the packages, excitedly look through the pictures, and then carefully preserve those pictures inside photograph albums?

Well, when you have a large family, those photo albums quickly stack up. Today, they are falling apart and packed in boxes, the result of one too many moves in the last decade.

Rebekah and I are hoping we can start scanning those photos onto an external hard drive after the holidays so all the kids can enjoy them, especially since some of those photos are fading.

So what's my point?

The point is I can't show you the "before" photo.

If this were a book, the above paragraphs might be considered a prologue.

In October of 1983, when my then-husband Richard was working at a door company, having been laid off over a year from Caterpillar, money was very tight. But we wanted a few Halloween decorations to delight our year-old son Christopher.

We bought three pumpkins for the porch. One was large, two were small, and one of the small ones was green. Of course, someone stole the green pumpkin, devastating Christopher, and I expressed my dismay with a Letter to the Editor, which I sent to The Herald-News.

And Richard made a ghost from an old white sheet and a galloon milk jug, which he hung underneath the porch. Christopher loved it.

I'd show you the original photo if only - see? I'd already explained why.

So fast forward to 2022. Money is still tight, but we do have a couple Halloween decorations. 

Like these skulls that glow in the dark.

And this item, which Uncle Barty and Bertrand love...

And this autumn wreath for the door.

I decided to what my porch needed this year was a ghost.

So I asked Richard to make one.

He couldn't find a sheet.

Yes, that's correct. In 2022, it's impossible in stores (it seems) just to buy one inexpensive flat white sheet.

So we did what lots of people do in 2o22. We found one on Amazon and ordered.

Richard made the ghost, a much fancier version than the 1983 version. 

And Timothy hung it - just in time for Halloween.

I can't wait for the grandkids to see it tonight.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Oct. 20 through Oct. 25

First of all, a shout-out for tomorrow's Panic in the Plaza event, which will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. outside on Van Buren Street in Joliet (which will be closed for the event) and is hosted by Audiophil's Records.

BryonySeries will be there (i.e. Rebekah and me, for sure), along with our books, other vendors, music, and more. Come in costume (we will) and enjoy!

Second of all, it's been a crazy week with the move and more, but we're getting unpacked and turning our new townhouse into a real home.

I only have two chapters to finish of Cornell Dyer and the Flu. The rest are edited and ready to go. As soon as Sue Midlock has the art done, we'll upload.

The goal is to have a few copies for WriteOn Joliet's anthology release party on Nov. 15 at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

At the very least, we should have the proof copy and will take orders for discounted copies, which will be shipped to buyers in time for Christmas.

The book has a great nod to A Christmas Carol (thanks to the great plotting by Timothy Baran) and is very readable for kids and adults - just ten chapters and around 10,000 words.

The memoir I'm ghost-writing is very nearly ready for formatting. I have just a few more pages of notes and then Phyllis can read and approve the text. I'm also working on an independent editing project and plan to dive a little more deeply into it next weekend.

What about the werewolf story?

I saved up about half of my vacation time for Thanksgiving and Christmas, where I'll be giving myself a couple of mini writing retreats as my own Christmas present to myself.

I also have some updates on audio book version of Bryony, which I'll discuss next week.

Have a wonderful day readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans. I'll write soon - from the view of the new room.

Non-bylined features:

Monday through Saturday I assembled my non-bylined works - brief posts and calendar listings - into one convenient file and posting them on Facebook in the evening, so readers can easily choose the ones they want to read.

One can also find those event listings, the Gotta Do It calendar, as well as the pets, health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars, under the sections tab on the left hand side of http://www.theherald-news.com/. Click on "features" and the topics drop down.  Gotta Do It runs under "people."

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time): 

 Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars 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 at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to jon WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writeonminooka/?ref=bookmarks. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

Upcoming events:

Once Timothy Baran is done updating this page, these will listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts. 

Check out the progress he has made so far. Each square is hand-built. And be sure to "hover" your hand over the first square. Note: this only works (so far) with the desktop version.

But he's also made A LOT of changes to the website. So be sure to roam around a bit.

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) along with upcoming events is at www.bryonyseries.com. Again, Timothy is in the process of updating the website, so all titles may not appear. If you have any 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.

'He's like a Santa Claus, really'
Ozzie Mitchell of the Peter Claver Center in Joliet is battling terminal cancer, supporters hosting fundraiser

Find out how you can help - and why you should.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/16/417b97f6313b4d9b97281b1b98940b05/index.xml


An Extraordinary Life: Joliet teacher valued service above all

Anthony Gutierrez was born in box car but grew up to use his talents in the most extraordinary ways.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/09/a3a6342d1df649f188c20393699a6202/index.xml


5 decades of prayerful faithfulness in the Joliet-area

The St. Clare House of Prayer is only open to visitors on an individual basis. And yet, the small ministry has greatly impacted the Joliet-area community in the past five decades. Find out how.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/16/5-decades-of-prayerful-faithfulness-in-the-joliet-area/ak50o59/


All for the love of chocolate
A primer and recipes to help celebrate National Chocolate Day on Oct. 28

All you ever wanted to know about the different types of chocolate, plus three tried and true recipes to get you in the chocolate mood.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/14/all-for-the-love-of-chocolate/apc5c7/


Ghouls rule this Joliet Catholic School 

"We take the kids to Mass every morning," Jan Novotny said. "We’re certainly not doing anything against dogma.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/21/ghouls-rule-this-joliet-catholic-school/dqcqemv/


Artworks: Lockport program will commemorate 100th anniversary of suffrage through song 

Phil Passen said: "I do it for two reasons. The main one is I love it. It’s how I want to spend my time. The other reason is that it really does bring joy and happiness to people. Their eyes just light up.”

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/24/artworks-lockport-program-will-commemorate-100th-anniversary-of-suffrage-through-song/a73n0o/


LocalLit author spotlight: Celebrating diversity and families 

Check out this new children's book about open and biracial adoption

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/14/locallit-author-spotlightcelebrating-diversity-and-families/d5nosn2/


VIDEO: mermaids and more in Crest Hill

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/a3860485-a553-4607-a461-8f3043054114.html


VIDEO: Author shares dark secret at Crest Hill event

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/d67ac5d9-b5df-42c4-abc0-d0f14bc64ea9.html


VIDEO: Highlights of author fest in Crest Hill

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/0e54b204-ada6-428e-aa70-0b48108f80a3.html


VIDEO: Peggy Mitchell of the Peter Claver Center in Joliet speaks from the heart abut her husband Ozzie and their service to the community.

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/59125e50-8bbb-4c3b-904a-b6a7547cf2b6.html


VIDEO: Joliet nonprofit offers karate classes

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/a171625d-c2d7-4849-9599-0bf84ea07d72.html

Illustration bu Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

"Ballade of Christmas Ghosts" by Andrew Lang

"The ghosts we all can raise at will...."

LOVE THIS!!!! ENJOY!

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Poetry/ballade_of_christmas_ghosts.htm

The "Ghost" in the Doll Case at the Magosky Mansion

 Yesterday, I had forwarded the Bryony trailer stills to a friend. He gave them the polite lauds, and I thought that was the end of it.

Last night, as I was burning the 9 p.m. oil (that's late when you customarily rise at midnight), he emails me, asking if we used trick photography on the doll pictures. I told him those weren't "official" Bryony photos, just something Bryony's web adminstrator Sarah Stegall took on her camera phone the day we interviewed her.

He emails back again and asked if I'd seen the face. Busy with editing, I took a sip of warmed over coffee and told him a doll or something had been superimposed on the picture, making it look creepy, and that's why Sarah had posted it on Facebook.

My friend then sent the picture back, rotated, with the face circled, and the words, "She caught a ghost on film!"

So I called Sarah this morning from the route and asked her. She said the face was only museum director Pat Magosky. "I posted it because it looked mysterious," Sarah said.

My friend maintains it still might have a supernatural basis. "The doll room is supposed to be the most haunted room in the house," he said.

So, I showed the picture to my husband Ron. He said, "That's not Pat. If it was, the image would be distorted, and it wouldn't be sideways."

"Well, maybe it has something to with the angle where he was standing," I said.

I showed it to my twenty-year-old son Timothy (who does NOT believe in ghosts), and he said, "That's not Pat's reflection. There's not enough light in that room to catch it."

I called Sarah again. She said, "That's Pat. I'm sure."

"Too bad," I said. "There's been paranormal groups in that mansion, and they're convinced something's going on in there." I paused. "We could forget we had this conversation."

Sarah laughed. "Yeah, let someone else debunk it."
I asked her to post the picture here, anyway. Reader, what do you think?

The Deep Dark Reason Why Friday’s Short Stories Have No Links

The answer is simple. Some sites that offer the free, copyright-expired stories don’t give permission to link to their sites.

Seriously.

I don’t understand why someone would create a site of stories to read for free, then not want people to link others to it. But I’ve read the terms of use on those sites, and it is right there, in the fine print.

However, finding the stories I succinctly summarize and review is simple. Just type the title and author into your browser and sites that offer it will pop up.

Not every story is a vampire story. Some are ghost stories or contain other aspects of the supernatural. Some are just stories I personally enjoy and/or find inspiring. Most are short and easily read in a short period of time.

FYI: I’m always looking for a good vampire story.
Feel free to send your ideas or links to bryonyseries@gmail.com.

A Real Victorian Vampire Story

In 1909, Victorian occultist Dr. Franz Hartmann published An Authenticated Vampire story in The Occult Review. In it, Hartmann relates how villagers in a remote part of the Carpathian Mountains burned down a certain castle after they suspected a recent wave if a fatal illness was due to vampirism.

That led to a friend sharing his knowledge and personal experiences of that castle, which included the death of a certain countess during a riding accident, a mysterious painting, and a ghost.

True? Read An Authenticated Vampire Story by Dr. Franz Hartmann online and decide for yourself.

Snowbell

One of my favorite childhood novels--the title escapes me--was about a girl who raised a white Persian stray that her siblings called a "ghost cat."

The story opens when the girl--I think her name was Gloria--stands outside a house rumored to be haunted and waits for the ghost of Miss Nancy Rose. This was a woman who was accidentally shot dead while carrying a bunch of lilacs and running outside to meet her lover. I don't even remember who shot her, but her ghost was supposed to appear around dusk.

Anyway, Gloria is half-hoping, half-not hoping to meet this ghost, either to prove or dispel the legend. Of course, no ghost appears, but as Gloria turns to leave, this white Persian cat emerges from the lilac bushes. In stunned disbelief, Gloria takes the cat home, wondering if it's a real cat of the ghost of Miss Nancy Rose.

This was the inspiration behind Brian's cat, Snowbell. The cat's exact role in Bryony is nearly as mysterious as her sudden appearance at the Marchellis' back door. To the people who have previewed Bryony, Snowbell has represented different things and all of them are different from my intention for the cat.

As I've moved through the editing process, I've considered strengthening my point of view regarding Snowbell, then discarded the idea. Hearing everyone else's take makes Snowbell a satisfying, shadowing character. I like her that way.

Denise M. Baran-Unland

Monsters, Witch Cats, Ghosts,............Vampires?

My 3 year old considers himself to be very knowledgeable on all things spooky. He thinks it would be so very cool to have a monster living under his bed, a nooth grush on his tooth brush, Lord Licorice as a buddy, and he stares at spiders after he's killed them to see if they really have eight legs. He has a vivid imagination and keeps me very busy.

With living in a neighborhood now instead of off a dark country road, he's taken in the flood of Halloween decorations that have been popping up at every house. Halloween happens to be my favorite holiday and I think it's wearing off on my son. He happily announces the latest neighbor to hang spiders and purple lights over snacks.

Yesterday I took him to Walmart to oodle all the decorations and costumes. I had promised him he could pick out one decoration (we have a strict budget and I have lots of Halloween related items) to join the festivities. After playing with an enormous rat, a styroform skull, and some dangly spiders and skeletons, I was sure he was going to select the window stickers. He loves stickers and they had witch cats (an absolute favorite). Instead, he picked out an outdoor ghost. It moves up and down by motion sensors and wails like a sick banshee. I hate it. He LOVES it!

The shelf below had basically the same thing in Count Dracula theme. "What's him?," he asks. "The count, he's a vampire," I replied. "Ohhhhhh, like in Damma's (grandma's) book!" So we talk vampire. He tells me it's a monster that tries to drink blood. Not any blood, neck blood! Swell, another monster he knows about.

Today the ghost hangs from the window. Today also marks the most times I've heard, "I want to drink your blood," followed by neck grabbing and sloppy fake bites. Let the scary fun commence!