Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, April 24 through May 1

Just a few stories this week as I have several on a regional level that are still in production for this weekend or early this week.

I'm working on a hybrid of projects over the next couple days, the result of working for a news publication during a pandemic.

Today and tomorrow: Part "real" work and part finishing up the first round of edits (non-fiction book) for a client. A smattering of fiction if time and the muse allows.

Sunday: "Real" work and fiction, if the above applies.

Monday and Tuesday: Fiction.

Also on Monday, a phone call with my "original" BryonySeries fan. Not my lone SUPER fan, but the very first person who found me by chance and read the original "drop of blood" trilogy.

She is not on social media too much these days, but she sent me a lovely college of virtual purple roses, said I'd been on her mind, and we scheduled a time to talk.

Quick thought, more later: As an indie author, I hear so much about the frustrations of marketing,, the "secrets" to marketing, etc.

But my biggest fan and my longest fan both found me by random. I wrote something that resonated with them and made it visible so they could discover it.

The fact that, nearly ten years later, someone could think of me with a trope from the BryonySeries means more to me than sales that mean nothing to the readers.

Be safe, be well, be blessed.

Non-bylined features:

Search by topic (people, pets, A and E, faith, health, and food) at theherald-news.com.

Once a week, I do combine a week's worth into a single blog post.

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 join 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 BryonySeries events:

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts. 

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) along with upcoming events is at bryonyseries.com.

Newsletters:

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//


Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story Newsletter

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit/


Sign up for The Munsonville Times

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

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.

An Extraordinary Life: History buff died from COVID-19

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/04/26/an-extraordinary-life-history-buff-died-from-covid-19/dq88ntq/


Edward Hospital nurse shares her experience in fight against COVID-19

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/04/23/life-on-the-front-lines/ahojbql/


Joliet subdivision is 'beacon of hope' for dark pandemic times

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2020/04/28/5068a45f94a94c93a830c89870166a44/index.xml?page=1


COVID-19 pneumonia is more insidious than regular pneumonia

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/04/29/covid-19-pneumonia-is-more-insidious-than-regular-pneumonia/afvoriz/


Baran-Unland: How to work out inside your house
Don't let fitness slide while sheltering in place and social distancing

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/04/29/baran-unland-how-to-work-out-inside-your-house/a52qhqn/

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Community News: June 20, 2018

Check out upcoming events in the Joliet area, as well as the awesome things people are doing.



A roundup of food pantries in Will and Grundy Counties

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/06/15/roundup-of-food-pantries-in-will-and-grundy-counties/auhqyj8/


Five recipes in The Herald-News for you to try

http://www.theherald-news.com/lifestyle/food/


And this week's featured recipe from Sue's Diner, marinated mushrooms and peppers:

https://www.bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner

And the newsletters:

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//

Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story Newsletter

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

What's With All these Newsletters?

Well, it's a little bit me, a little bit The Herald-News, and a little bit of both.

Here's a summary of the trio. All three are free. Sign up now and check them out.

Will County Go Guide

This one is all Herald-News (and me). I was asked to take on this project in January. Content by moi.

Looking for something to do in Will County?

Once a week, we'll send you a newsletter filled with ideas for your weekend, including family-friendly activities, and an exclusive, up-close look at a few of the most interesting events in the area.

Sign up here: http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//

LocalLit Short Story Newsletter

This one is my project for The Herald-News. The fun part is that you can sign up to read the stories, and you can sign up as a writer and submit stories. The point is to help readers find good local stories, and help writers find devoted loyal readers.

Shaw Media wants to help grow your readership with LocalLit, a new short story newsletter. Each week LocalLit will deliver an original short and family-friendly story by a local author to the newsletter's subscribers.  

Authors with a connection to our readership area may submit.  Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Stories should be edited and between 1,000 words and 7,500 words. In addition, featured authors will be spotlighted  in publications before the newsletter runs so readers have time to sign up.

To submit and for more information, contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.

Sign up to read the newsletter here: http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit/#//

The Munsonville Times

This one is all me. I will launch it later in 2018, most likely after I'm firmly established in Nos. one and two. But definitely sign up now. This one comes with a free gift! :)

Stay up-to-date with the author and her writings in this weekly newsletter.

Get "subscriber-only" specials on BryonySeries merchandise.

Enjoy links to curated content on topics related to the series: feature articles, art, writing tips, recipes, poetry, short stories, and a variety of products.

Sign up and get your free gift here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Have a great Monday, readers, writers, and vampire fans! :)

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Jan. 14 through Jan. 19

Not much of a story round-up this week, as far as full-length feature stories go.

Besides having a couple days off, I've been catching up on other work I had to let slide during the holidays in order to focus on the holiday work, as well as start an events newsletter for The Herald-News.

BTW, the newsletter is free. Interested? Sign up at http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//

On Monday, I also met with my WriteOn Joliet co-leader Tom Hernandez to outline plans for this calendar year. Among the projects: a second anthology (buy our first one HERE), two open mic nights at Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet, and a marketing arm to the group.

Also since, the self-publishing seminar went so well, we'd like to offer it again later this year, as well as a few others, such as self-editing, etc. So if you're a writer reading this blog, stay tuned!

Oh and a local acting teacher in town has agreed to work with me to improve and enliven my readings. The first lesson starts this Saturday. She wants to record it, as do I, to track my progress.

I also accepted a ghostwriting project, writing the memoirs of a local woman who turned 92 in June. I'd written about this woman a couple times years ago and found out after the first story ran that she was a neighbor to Sarah Stegall.

Not to mention I'll be starting a BryonySeries newsletter later this year (details HERE) -- as well as the Calkins Day celebration on Feb. 13. Details are HERE.

These are some of the reasons why I agreed. So 2018 is shaping up to be a busy year.

Needless to say, I didn't get completely caught up this week, of course, but enough to stay the course over the next few weeks.

Now where do you find features, fiction, and me?

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): Monday (pets), Tuesday (health), Thursday (faith), Friday (arts and entertainment), and Sunday (people).

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.

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) is at www.bryonyseries.com. 

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you're read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Here are the two stories that ran in features this week. For the briefs, scroll back to this week's community news posts.


Channahon teen quick to say three magic words

This teenage boy not only joined the family for prayers, including recitation of the rosary, he prayed on his own, too.

"He always had such a close relationship with God," Aideth Lopez, Aiden's mother,  said.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/01/14/277094b182c44ce99cbaaeaa07e98e27/index.xml

Mystery Diner: Plenty of variety at Westfield Family Restaurant

For the first time ... ever, my kids already knew what they wanted and I had no idea.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/01/16/fd9eb595011f415abe6fc822c0b48a82/index.xml?page=1

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage." Follow him at www.facebook.com/artbymattcoundiff or @MattCoundiff on Twitter

Interested in the BryonySeries Newsletter?

Last year over Thanksgiving weekend, I wrote out a four-page, comprehensive, well-researched marketing plan for the BryonySeries, of which I've expanded this past year.

One part of the plan was a weekly BryonySeries newsletter. I'm starting one in early 2018.

The newsletter will contain updates about the series and quite a bit of curated content as I'm an avid cross-promoter. These will include related articles on topics pertaining to the series; useful information on writing, editing, and publishing for authors; themed recipes; vintage poetry and short stories; ways to connect with other WriteOn Joliet authors; and even products in related themes, most of which are available on Etsy.

How to sign up: message me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Or stop y my table at one of the upcoming author fairs. Information on those fairs are HERE.

As a courtesy for signing up, I'll send you the first chapter in the fifth and final novel in my work-in-progress BryonySeries prequel, Before the Blood.

Of course, opting out of the newsletter is always an option.

Either way, thank you for your support. Writing a satisfying story for you, the reader, is the entire point of the series.