A Cricut for Rebekah

If you haven't guessed right now, we are a "project" family.

Christopher, Joshua, and Daniel love car projects.

Timothy loves creative projects, from culinary to storytelling to branding and design.

Sarah loves so many different projects, it's difficult to name them all, She is currently remodeling an out-of-state home, doing much of the work herself.

Rebekah especially loves craft-related projects. We're currently in the process of moving and have already planned a large dedicated protected space where Rebekah can set out craft projects in progress and work at them bit by bit.

So when Cindy brought a cricut for her craft-related projects, she suggested to Rebekah that they learn how to use it together to create BryonySeries swag.

They recently took some training at the Joliet Public Library's Digital Media Studio, which led Rebekah getting bit by the cricut bug and placing buying one of her own on her "someday" list.

Instead, I told Rebekah to pick the one best suited to everyone's needs and let BryonySeries buy it for her, since Rebekah's intention is to use it mainly for BryonySeries projects (she's already planned a list, too).

It arrived Saturday after the presentation and she was thrilled.

Really thrilled. 

As in she couldn't wait to try it out.

I'm glad she did because I had no idea how it worked, and I had fun watching the process.

Rebekah's goal is to create approximately seventy BryonySeries miniature backpacks before Friday. 

On Friday, we are running the children's games for the Independence Celebration at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet for the fourth year in a row.

And we ran out of our previous stock of bags at last year's events.

Yes, we aren't leaving ourselves much time. But that's not do to our excellent planning abilities and more to the boulders life keeps placing in our paths.

So Rebekah printed all her logo sheets on Sunday.

And then she "weeded" them all last night, from the time she clocked out of work until long past her bedtime.

Rebekah is planning to complete everything by Wednesday night.

The backpacks are black, but the BryonySeries logo will feature different colors.

Rebekah is very pleased with her test. 

Just so you know, we are not selling these on Friday.

We are distributing them for free to people who play the games.

This gives them a handy place to put their books, prizes, and creations (we have a coloring/sticker/craft stations this year).

Thoughts?

Test Your "Shades of Noir" Knowledge

Good morning!

Today eight members of WriteOn Joliet will present “Shades of Noir." an original radio theater production, at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

And "Detective Ed" is inviting you to test your "Shades of Noir" knowledge after the show.

Here's what to do:

 1. Stop by the WriteOn Joliet table and pick up our quiz before or after the show.

The first page will have mystery thirteen phrases from each of the thirteen vignettes.

The second page lists the vignettes (in order) and numbered.

2. Write the number of the vignette next to its phrase.

3. Return the completed quiz to the WriteOn table. 

4. If your answers are correct, you will receive a small gift.

Obviously, picking up the quiz before the show allows you to quickly number the correct phrase when you hear it. That's otherwise known as an "open book test."

The opportunity to take the quiz closes when it's time for us to pack up. So don't delay!

And now back to show information.

"Shades of Noir" authors and performers on are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Mauverneen Blevins, Ed Calkins,  Steve Cordin, Cean Magosky, Jenny Russ, and Duanne Walton.

Director is Jake Thomas.

Production assistant is Rebekah Baran.

Cast supplies provided by Edward and Nancy Calkins.

Cast T-shirt sponsors are Coops Bowsmith and Holly Coop Books.

And Rock City Bar & Grill in Rockdale offered just this morning to provide a generous discount on piza and their awesome beef rolls for the cast and crew dinner in the green room between performances.

The cost was then reduced to zero thanks to contributions from  B.L.O.C.K.S. and Paula Sanzenbacher of Garden Keepers in Chicago.

Lobby doors open at 1 and 6 p.m. Concessions and drinks available for purchase. WriteOn Joliet books and anthologies will be available for purchase one hour before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

In addition, the first ten attendees at each performance will receive a FREE 2025 WriteOn Joliet anthology, courtesy of the BryonySeries creative group B.L.O.C.K.S.

The first thirteen attendees at the BryonySeries before the 2 p.m.performance and the first twelve attendees at the BryonySeries table before the 7 p.m. performance will receive a FREE booklet called "Angel or Demon" (source material for one of the show's pieces), courtesy of The Raven's House, who will be selling select noir pieces at the BryonySeries table.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is at 201 West Jefferson Street, downtown Joliet, 60432.

Admission is $5. Pay cash at the door or order online.

For tickets and more information, visit eventbrite.com.

PS: Thanks to Jenny Russ for this awesome photo of Detective Ed!

A Gift of Poppyseed

I have a longstanding love for poppyseed that extends deeply back into my youngest years.

Last week, someone gifted me with this poppyseed roll during Faith's last week.

Rebekah and I had bought a variety of tempting foods for Faith, and her interest in them increased as the week progressed.

Her favorite was a soup with minced chicken pieces. By Saturday morning, Faith only had one soup left. I save it, just in case she stayed with it and needed it later in the day.

Unfortunately, "staying" was not in Faith's best interests. Dr. Beechler came with tuna and chicken sticks and asked which Faith might prefer.

Faith, of course, preferred the soup. 

Fortunately, a bit of this roll still also remained on Saturday.

After Dr. Beechler left I had a slice of poppyseed roll in Faith's honor, completely a comforting culinary circle of life.

A Light in the Writer's Block Darkness

It's funny sometimes how life works out.

Every year for many years now, fellow original WriteOn Joliet member Duanne Walton has presented me with a thoughtful gift of some kind during the holidays.

For the last few years, that gift's been a candle.

The first candle was a "werewolf candle." I now burn this one sparingly because it's out-of-stock.

The second candle was called "The Playwright," which I burned during the oom rehearsals for WriteOn Joliet's oom radio play. That's the candle with the dusty lid, which I set aside to burn again for the 2026 radio play rehearsals.

This year's candle is called "Wordsmith." So now I have rehearsal choices.

And it's funny how life works out.

Because I wrote this post to post today.

And tonight launches WriteOn Joliet's 2026 radio play with our first table reading.

And due to brutally cold temperatures that are predicted for tonight, it's likely that table reading will move to Zoom, where I can burn this candle while we read.

You should also know that I presented Duanne with a special gift this year, too.

My niece and goddaughter Rachel, who directed WriteOn Joliet's two radio play, owns White Stag Wares with her husband Michael.

And Michael created this one-of-a-kind leather journal cover for Duanne, who journals regularly and has a robust collection of journals.

We selected the colors, texture, and size based on Duanne's preferences.

So Duanne, like me, will be able to enjoy his gift long, long past Christmas - and enjoy the  happy glow of a longstanding writely friendship.

A Better You in 31 Days

For many of us, 2025 was a challenging year - and we might be approaching 2026 with more trepidation and less hope.

But hope, even a very tiny, flickering hope, can inspire us in lifechanging ways.

And whether times are favorable or not, we can still choose how our past and present circumstances can mold the person we become in the future.

So here's an opportunity for becoming a better you.

This January, the BryonySeries calendar is offering thirty-one suggestions for positive change in the new year.

Simply visit the BryonySeries calendar, pick a date (any date or the current date), read the prompt, and follow the instructions.

Yes, each activity does link back to a BryonySeries book. But that's only for context. You don't need to click the link at all (unless you're curious).

Even one of these activities is a priceless gift you can give to yourself in 2026.

Let's begin today!

Photos: Here's the Food You Missed at WriteOn Joliet's 2025 Anthology Release Party

Good morning!

WriteOn Joliet will hosted its 9th Annual Anthology Release Party from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Joliet Public Library, 150 N. Ottawa St. in Joliet.

The event was free to attend and open to the public. 

The chef-created heavy appetizers, coffee, water and hot chocolate, along with  photos with Santa, were also free. 

In fact, we had ten great reasons why we wished you could have attended.

Here's what Chef Tim of the BryonySeries B.L.O.C.K.S. team prepared for attendees last Thursday.

If you missed the party, you can at least feast your eyes on the photos.

And if you braved the bitter cold, parking challenges, respiratory illnesses, and scheduling challenges this time of year, you can visually relive the delectable experience.

Happy scrolling!

Beef Tenderloin Sliders

Marinated and roasted beef tenderloin, slow cooked onion, garlic aioli

Chicken Ceaser Salad

Applewood smoked chicken breast, lightly toasted croutons, creamy caesar dressing

Kale and Cranberry Salad

Peppered pulled pork, buttered crumbs, carrots, cabbage, and a creamy mustard dressing

Key Lime Bites

Lime Juice, lime zest, lime syrup, whipped cream

Cream & Berries

Fresh vanilla scented whipped cream, assorted berries, vanilla wafer, raspberry sauce

Cookies & Cream

Cocoa crisp, white chocolate, flake salt

(My year-old corgi is serving for a placeholder for this item, while Timothy looks for a photo).

Now, Timothy purchased all the food from his own pocket and prepared it fresh that day, too. He and Daniel (who worked all day in Chicago) set it everything up, did all the serving and replenishing, and took it all down, too, loading and unloading the entire setup from their vehicles multiples time that day.

So they do look understandably tired.

However...

It is my humble opinion that of all the competing events in Joliet last Thursday night, none had a spread quite so delicious or pleasing to the eye than we did.

Enjoy scrolling through the remaining photos!

For more information, visit writeonjoliet.com and bryonyseries.com.

An "Old World" Christmas Gift

A few Christmases ago, my oldest son Christopher surprised me with this ornament of an "Old World" themed Father Christmas/St. Nicholas-ish/Santa Claus ornament.

I say "Old World" because of its theme, design, colors, mood - and because it reminds me of my "Old World," when I was a young mother teaching my year-old son about the spirit of giving, especially during Advent and the Christmas season.

I'd been reading "The Year and Our Children" by Mary Reed Newland, which became the foundation for teaching my children through many experiences how to develop a relationship with God and live the liturgical year.

For Christopher's second Christmas (1983), we moved hanging up stockings from December 24 to December 5, and that tradition has continued to that day.

Sometimes people as parents, "Do you ever wish your children were young again?" For me, the answser is always, "No."

For the sweet reward of the fruit of my parenting labors in the "Old World" is witnessing the adults they've become and the values they embody in this "New World," a world that is is always new every morning  even as we are still growing and becoming.

When I hang this ornament on my little tree in my bedroom, my mind goes back in years to the toddler in sleeper pajamas, to the time our family's faith traditions began, and then wanders through the decades as God sent more children, until I step back and admire this cherished ornament in present time.

Years ago during my homeschooling years, my addition flashcards somehow disappeared. And Christopher, not quite nine years old at the time, gifted me with a new set for Christmas, scarcely containing his excitement as I opened him; he was that thrilled at giving me something he was certain I wanted more than anything in the world.

Decades later, Christopher still selects his gifts that way, as do all my children. And it's always a joy to receive them, especially since, many times, the true meaning and value is known to only the giver and the receiver.

Yes, that's a lot to pack into one ornament. But that's good.

As we plan our Christmas giving this holiday season, let's do more than put ourselves into debt.

Let's choose our gifts with thoughtfulness and care, remembering that the actual gift goes beyond the actual item and the actual cost in dollars and cents.

Happy Monday!

Celebrate Gratitude AND Give Kids the Gift of Reading This Holiday Season

Please check out a very unique display at The Book Market in Crest Hill - and then consider celebrating gratitude with us and blessing a child with a BryonySeries book this holiday season.

Gratitude

Stop into The Book Market anytime before Thanksgiving and express your gratitude with the BryonySeries gratitude tree.

Cindy created this special tree and the gratitude leaves that will hang from it.

Here's how it works.

Simple select one or more leaves and write your reason for feeling thankful and grateful this year.

Then hang on the tree to inspire the other patrons.

Then return to the store from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 22 and play our very special gratitude game.

Afterwards, you may take your leaf home as a longlasting reminder to you, especially in dark times.

The leaves are free, our gift to you.

Now read on for book donations.

Book donations

For the past several years, the BryonySeries B.L.O.C.K.S. team has donated Bertrand the Mouse books to a local Santa Services, which Santa distributes to events aimed at low-income children.

Last year, we also spontaneously gave away thirty Bertrand the Mouse books to a local food pantry and one hundred books to local foster families.

In 2023, we partnered with The Book Market and invited patrons to also purchase books for Santa, in order to increase donations. Thanks to everyone's generosity, we provided Santa with 147 books that year.

This year, we are once again collecting Bertrand the Mouse books for Santa Services.

And we are also collecting BryonySeries children's books to donate to the Will County Children's Advocacy Center in Crest Hill: Bertrand the Mouse, The Adventures of Cornell Dyer, and the Girls of the BryonySeries books.

We will be collecting books throughout the holiday season.

For bulk rates, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

You may also purchase BryonySeries books from Amazon (our store is down) and mail to Denise M. Unland, P.O. Box 2789, Joliet, IL, 60436.

Read on for closing message.

And finally, please, please reach out to us or chat with Jan Staley at The Book Market if you have any questions.

Together, we can celebrate the blessings in our lives.

And, together, we can bring the joys of reading to local children this holiday season.

Both gratitude and literacy are gifts that that keep giving long past the expression of gratitude or the end of the book.

Help Us Promote Reading in Will County This Summer

Last August, WriteOn Joliet participated in Kidz Fest in downtown Joliet for the first time.

We gave away nearly 90 locally authored books for kids and adults, which I purchased with my manuscript editing funds. 

We also gave away approximately one hundred bookmarks people could color at home.

We distributed eighty-five special subscription offers to The Herald-News in Joliet.

We gave away word finds and crossword puzzles based on some of the books.

And our word blocks were hugely successful, especially after the books disappeared. Kids and adults enjoyed manipulating our 48 double-sided blocks (so 96 words in all) to create fun sentences and simple short stories.

On Aug. 2, WriteOn Joliet will participate in Kidz Fest again this year with the same activities.

Except this year, I'm hoping to give away even more books. You see, those 90 books were gone in the first 90 minutes of a five-hour event.

Now, I do have one small sponsor (so far) to help with said book costs.

But otherwise, I'm planning on self-funding the books again.

Would you be willing to help my efforts to connect local writers with local readers?

Why are we doing this?

Because reading scores are low at both the high school and the grade school level.

Because not all families can afford new books.

Because even when families can afford new books, a free book is a no-risk way to explore the works of unfamiliar authors and books.

Because families should read together.

Because when kids see adults enthused about books, they will often naturally follow.

Because the level of our excitement at our table as familes scooped up the books was off the charts, and we wish to create that experience again, both for the families and the WriteOn Joliet authors.

How to help

1. Browse our list of WriteOn Joliet authors (below) with links to their books.

2. Purchase the book(s) you'd like to gift for the giveaway at Kidz Fest.

3. Mail to: Denise M. Unland, P.O. Box 2789, Joliet, IL, 60436.

4. Add a note for the author if you like. I'll make sure he/she/they recieves it.

Can I deduct my purchase at tax time?

Unfortunately, since WriteOn Joliet is not a nonprofit, you will not be able to write off your purchase at tax time.

But your gift will encourage local writers to keep writing.

And your purchase will place locally authored books into the hands of readers and nonreaders alike.

For kids who struggle with reading or who aren't enthused about reading, simply taking home a book written by someone in their community can help strip the mystique sway from books.

And perhaps it may spark their own creativity, knowing writing a book is really, really possible.

Because someone in their own community has written the one they are reading.

WriteOn Joliet Authors

Books links in bold are for young children and up.

Book links in bold and italics are suitable for middle grade and up.

Most adult books are suitable for young adult, except where adult themes are noted.

Finally, if you are unable to help, be assured we will have plenty of books to give away. I've worked on extra projects over this past year to raise the necessary funding.

Happy browsing!

Mauverneen Blevins 

Original photography and text of local birds for young children

I KNOW That Bird!: Introducing Young Children to some common birds of the backyard

Edward Calkins

Literary nonsense, adult themes

Ruthless

The Fifth

Recovering Ruthless

Denise M. Baran-Unland Irish Genealogy

Holly Coop

A Cup of Inspiration To Go Please: My Heart Runneth Over

Heart Strings: Forever Wanderer

Locks of Love: A Book of Encouragement

A Line in the Sand: A Journey Towards Forgiveness

The Rooster Diaries - Nuggets of Wisdom, Whimsy, and Woe

Russ Enfire

Slasher romance novel, adult themes

The Kindler

Diana Estell

Fantasy novel

Abyss of the Fallen

Dale Hansen

Inspirational

Always Moving Forward: Who is Running your Life?

When Life Gets Shaky: Parkinson's and Life's Trials

Tom Hernandez

Short fiction, slice of life essays, poetry

Chocolate Cows And Purple Cheese: And Other Tales From The Homefront

Abundance: A Collection

The Edge of Middle: Thoughts from the top of the hill

The Weekly Fruit And Vegetable Report: Tales andTidbits from a New Grandpa

Brothers: and other stories

Cean Magosky

Local history

Historic Impression Volume II: The Second Year ofArticles

Schools by F. S. Allen

R. Michael Markley

Christian crime novels

Necessary Death

Necessary Blood

SusieB Midlock

Line's Big Discovery

Rudy's Terrible Fright

Sue Mydliak

Paranormal romance novels, Southern humor

Rosewood Collection: The Complete Series

Night Games

Southern Shorts

Elspeth

James Pressler

The Book of Cain

Small Town Monster

Colleen H. Robbins

Young adult fantasy, slice of life essays

Return to Ganagar

Night Breeze and Moonbeams: Stories and Poems of Myth,Magic, and the Medieval

Invasive Species and Other Light Horror

Daraga’s Quest

Stories of a Sheltered Suburbanite

Jennifer Russ

Young adult novel

The Heart’s Bone

Chris Sarcletti    

Travel books

Bits and Pieces of a Tasty World

See, Live, Eat: Globetrotting with a Fork and a Conscience

A Family Travels as One: A North American TravelMemoir

Kevin Trusty

Supernatural short stories, baseball stories

Beyond Silence and Light

(Not) Just Another Ballgame: Stories from Baseball's Past

The Mournful Threads

Denise M. Baran-Unland

Inspirational

Nine Months of Kindness

For a list of BryonySeries books, visit "Books of the BryonySeries: A Quick Overview" and select books there, ordering in the same way as the above books and mailing to the same address.

The Bertrand the Mouse books are suitable for young children. 

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer and The Girls of the BryonySeries books are suitable for age eight and up.

For bulk rates on BryonySeries books or if you'd like to purchase an entire trilogy or subseries, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Pictured: WriteOn Joliet Mauverneen Blevins happily shows off our empty table, less than two hourts into Kidz Fest last year.

BryonySeries Graduation Special at The Book Market

 Good Monday morning, readers! I have a bright idea for you.

Pop into The Book Market in Crest Hill and pick up a keepsake gift for your graduate with the purchase of any BryonySeries novel (or full-length book, including "Nine Months of Kindness," which is not in the BryonySeries) or any two BryonySeries children's books.

What is the keepsake gift? Read on!

The gift is a pocket-sized card that encourages each graduate to be a light in the world. The gift also features a key chain with a plastic lightbulb that changes colors when it glows. Both items are tucked into a sheer organza bag that is perfect for gift-giving.

There is no limit on purchase. The giveaway remains as long as the free gifts are available. Please see Jan Staley, owner of The Book Market, for additional keychain colors.

Happy Monday!

Playing Santa

A good acquaintance of mine put out a call for help on social media this weekend.

Twenty-five children living in a local motel were in need of Christmas cheer. Who could help?

I immediately asked Rebekah if we could afford to donate twenty-five of our BryonySeries children's books (Bertrand The Mouse, The Adventures of Cornell Dyer, Girls of the BryonySeries, etc.).

As Rebekah was figuring that out, we had a bit of a Christmas miracle.

Let's just say someone dropped in, heard about our plans, and offered to buy the books. And then the offer was modified. This person said the kids should get TWO books a piece.

Then that person called another person, who also offered to donate two books to each child, for a total of four books per child.

Then that social media was modified: Approximately sixteen adults were with the twenty-five children and in need of Christmas cheer, too.

So my two donors bought WriteOn Joliet's last fifteen Christmas anthologies, as well WriteOn Joliet's last two "Cheetah" anthologies, and even my copy of the Cheetah anthology, for a total of eighteen books (in case the count was wrong).

Now I had the challenge of wrapping all those books. I REALLY needed to finish the hard edits of the third book in Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara's third book in his BryonySeries Ruthless trilogy - and I wasn't sure if I could get those edits done if I spent every waking minute this weekend on them.

It's been that kind of autumn/2024, ya know? 

So Timothy and Daniel, on their way out the door for their Saturday morning bro-breakfast together, offered to help.

They came home a couple hours later with gift bags, lots of tape - and then Timothy custom-designed large gift tags that would hold all the important information: Gender, age, room number.

And then the boys got busy and started wrapping, making sure that rooms with multiple children didn't get "doubles" with the books.

You should know both boys just completed a busy week at work, along with finals week for their master degree programs. They submitted the final final on Friday night and REALLY looked forward to a quiet, relaxing Saturday.

Instead, they spent the day wrapping one hundred and eighteen books. And then they delivered them.

In the meantime, Rebekah had gone to Cindy's for a Christmas bakeoff since Cindy was making gift boxes of baked goods for presents this year.

Instead, the girls baked all day and then professionally wrapped an assortment of their goodies in individual packs to accompany the books.

That left Cindy without any baked goods for her gift boxes. And she was OK with that.

I should also add we do not even have our Christmas tree up. Heck, it's not even out of the garage yet.

We also have not celebrate St. Nicholas yet (that feast day was Dec. 6).

But I actually DID finish the hard edits on Ed's book late Sunday night.

And Timothy, Rebekah, and Daniel chilled on Sunday.

Most importantly, we brought a bit of Christmas to people who can't bring it to themselves this year. And they can enjoy stories written locally by writers who care about writing good stories and sharing them with the community.

I love the amount of good people can bring into the world when they work together. And social media, for all negativity sometimes associated with it, was the catalyst for it.

Besides we can always bring the Christmas tree out of the garage another day.

Happy Monday!