Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Jan. 8 through Jan. 14

Good morning!

I have fifteen features stories to share with you today. a few more will be posted over the weekend, so do watch for them.

It's been a full week in terms of just about everything. I'm ready for a three-day weekend of rest and working on some fiction. At least, I hope that's how the weekend rolls.

Speaking of fiction, here is an update on those projects.

I have about half of Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy) ready for editing, a pleasant surprise to me this week, when I started scrolling through the manuscript. This book has a different "vibe" from some of the others in the BryonySeries (all of which have their own vibes, to), but I've struggled to get it where I wanted it. I'm anticipating a late spring publication date. 

That may still be an ambitious goal, but publishing the book at some point in 2022 seems very possible. Rebekah has the cover ready to go. Nancy Calkins created the gorgeous cover art.

Sue Midlock has completed the art for Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical Being" (cover looks great, by the way) and is touching up the art for Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. Rebekah will format the release them as soon as she can make the time. She has been very busy lately with work and side projects. 

Timothy has nearly completed the outline for the next book in the series, a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes). We were hoping to make some time for a "Cornell Breakfast" over the holidays, but that didn't happen. Maybe January. Here's hoping!

Sarah also had a crazy dream that sounded perfect for An Adventure of Cornell Dyer mystery. But she wants time to draw some sketches, a map, and write the "rules." It's called Cornell Dyer and the House of Broken Portals.

Bertrand the Mouse has "returned," and you can read about it here, here, and here. 

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) has completed two portraits for  "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls and is currently working on a third. The portraits are beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! 

Rebekah Baran has completed cover art for two of "Girls of the BryonySeries" books. They are beautiful! One book in this series of eight books is completely written, a second is halfway written, and the rest are outlined. 

Now back to the fifteen 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.

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 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.

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 Will County Go Guide and Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story and Book Review Newsletter at https://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/

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 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.

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-1.

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

Will Omicron really find everybody?: Probably. But that doesn’t mean everyone will become severely ill. Here’s how to mitigate that risk. 

Illinois Nurses Association files complaint against St. Joe’s in Joliet: The union wants the hospital’s union nurses paid in full immediately.

New procedure at St. Joe’s in Joliet is like ‘GPS for lungs’: Robotic technology can diagnose lung cancer less invasively, with greater accuracy 

JJC’s workforce development program helps get Grundy County residents back to work: Grant apportunities are available for Grundy County adults, dislocated workers, and young adults 

Pair of books may help kids feel comfortable in their own skin: Lemont mother and former school social worker said inspiration came from her biracial daughter’s struggle with identity

Kathy Scheiper brings her parks and recreation experience to Plainfield Park District: Scheiper is also a Plainfield resident 

16 Hispanic Catholics in the Diocese of Joliet are ‘pioneers’ in new leadership program: All 16 completed the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative, created by a national, Washington, D.C.-based Catholic nonprofit 

Are Will County schools heading back to remote learning?: Not yet - but getting there may be challenging

Mystery Diner in Shorewood: Don’t limit your order to just hot dogs at Portillo’s: Make sure to end your meal with a slice of Portillo’s ‘famous’ chocolate cake

Many nurses at St. Joe’s in Joliet only receiving partial paychecks: A ransomware attack on the hospital’s timekeeping and payroll has resulted in paychecks that are ‘grossly out of line.’

Veterans: learn more about VA benefits at these 2 events: Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital outreach team visiting Channahon and #Gardner in January 

Health care workers invited to pray, reflect today: Attend in-person or virtually

Catholic Charities hosting job and resource fair today: The fair will be held at Harrah’s Joliet

No school Friday at D. 86 in Joliet due to COVID-related staffing shortagesSchools are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday 

5 Things to do in Will County: Music, anime, family fun and a few laughs: Plus, walk safely inside during the cold weather Monday through Friday at the Dellwood Park Community Center

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

A Bittersweet Mother's Day

Before I discuss all the great aspects of this past weekend, I'd like to share the bittersweet ones.

Yesterday a friend from high school lost her battle with lung cancer. We'd reconnected strongly over this past year, but she was given just a couple months to live just as this coronavirus broke out, which meant "no visitors" to those hospital visits and eventual move to nursing home.

However, we did stay in touch via text and phone calls, and I talked to her briefly Friday morning. I could tell, then, that the end was near.

Her name is Sue, if you'd like to remember her with nice thoughts and/or prayers.

Sue's mother died from the same cancer, so I'd like to think that, on Mother's Day, her mother was waiting with open arms on the other side, and they had a lovely reconnection.

Also, our "original" cat Frances is having some health issues. All blood work is perfect, except for a smidgen of anemia, but she's suddenly started losing weight these past couple weeks, nearly a pound, so she's seeing the vet for weight checks.

We're expecting a call today for the next step as she's lost a little more during her weigh-in on Saturday.

She had been a stray at the I and M canal near our former home in Channahon when she appeared at our back door on October afternoon in 2005, and Daniel fed her a can of tuna (all unbeknownst to me) while I was upstairs working.

We've often wondered if she abandoned or if someone lost her, for she was about nine months old at the time and wore a red collar with a jingle bell.

If she was lost and the owner is reading this blog and wondering what happened to her, please know she's loved and she's been having a wonderful life. In fact, we invested in a $3,500 invisible fence just for her.

Since the canal is Frances' favorite place to be, Timothy and Daniel took her down there the day the state parks opened back up.

Tomorrow, I'll be less gloomy since I otherwise had a wonderful weekend. I hope you did, too.

Laboring on Labor Day Weekend

For some people, Labor Day weekend is the last weekend of summer, a time to enjoy summer activities a final time before putting them away until next year.

For others, it's the first weekend of autumn, a time to start unearthing Halloween decorations, readying the yard for winter, and planning fall activities over a cup of pumpkin spice something.

For some, it's another working weekend, either by default or by choice.

I worked this past weekend. By choice and on purpose.

Writing is my job and my hobby. I love both.

When I was part of the weekend editor rotation, I always offered to work Labor Day. It was my way of expressing thankfulness for working a job I love. Not everyone is so blessed.

Now that I'm out of that rotation, I still work, although not all of the work is job-related.

For instance, I spent part of Friday afternoon presenting an abridged journalism seminar to area youth who are creating a newspaper with positive messages for other youth.

I spent most of Saturday and Sunday working my way through the remaining notes of eighteen months of interviews. The interviewee is a Joliet woman in her nineties. Her family hired me to ghost-write her memoir.

Those were two extremely productive days. I only need two more interviews, one more weekend of writing, and I'll have a draft she can read. She has already seen how the book will look in a template. It looks like, well, a book. And she cried when she saw it.

I updated an editing client on his novel.

On Monday, I worked all day on odds and ends of work-related projects.

Some were the ones that take time to complete but are impossible to tackle on deadline, and so keep getting pushed back.

Some were projects I normally handle on Monday.

Was the long weekend all work? No.

I visited a friend who has lung cancer on Saturday.

We had family financial meeting on Sunday.

I spent time time talking with Rebekah on Monday.

I called Sarah and talked with her, too, the first time since we came back from Raleigh.

I took two walks each day.

I stayed up late reading on Sunday night.

Today is my writing day, and I'm in good shape for it. That means, all my main interviews for this week's feature stories are done, and I spend the day writing drafts for all of them. It's an intense day, but it makes for a more streamlined week if they only need editing and layout.

It was a wonderful three-day weekend. I hope yours was just as good or better.