A Wisp of a New BryonySeries Novel

"I think you have one more novel in you."

Thus Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, has said to me more than once.

At first I thought his comments were wishful thinking on his part.

But he may be right. 

Maybe.

A very small wisp of an idea started floating arond my brain a few weeks ago. But with so many other projects (some other book projects, some not) filling front and back burners, the wisp can just float untended for a while.

OK, maybe I'll throw it a few kibbles now and then, just to se if the idea is hungry and wants to grow.

I'm strangely excited at the thought of writing another novel, which is turning into "I probably will" as I write these words.

And I'm already musing, "Standalone?" "New trilogy?"

Seriously. (shaking head at myself).

That's great news for the small audience that love my books.

And that's great news for me, too.

For I've spent some of the best thousands of hours in my life taking half-formed ideas out of my imagination and shaping them onto the page.

If you're an artist of any kind (and I think anyone who creates anything is an artist) you'll understand.

Happy Tuesday!

An Ambitious Project

Starting Saturday, I will finally use a week of my accrued vacation to...new quite sure yet.

You see, it's been a year of emergencies for our family, so most of our plans for this year since haven't happened.

Now, I have an idea on how I'd like to spend that week.

I'd like to get down to Raleigh for thirty-six hours with Timothy to see my father (while I still have a father to see) and see Sarah and her family, too.

However, it's uncertain yet if Timothy and Daniel have to go out of town for business yet.

Faith, who has cancer and needs medicine twice a day, can't be left alone. And Rebekah, who is going through some health challenges and needs to see two specialists, also should not be left alone.

These background challenges make for a row of these ??? when it comes to solidly planning next week.

However.

Assuming that ALL of the hours (and hopefully none) turn into emergencies, I have a novel I'd like to write.

Yes, you read that correctly. 

I'd like to write an entire novel - in one week. And as long as I have at least four solid days to write, or a few good hours every day, I think I can get an extremely rough draft done of one novel completed.

The book is divided into four sections.

The structure is atypical - but not untried by other writers.

And it's a small-ish novel, nothing like, say Before The Blood.

It's a standalone novel and loosely, very loosely. attached to the other BryonySeries books. Yes, I have title. Yes, I have a synopsis.

But I probably won't share any of these until the novel is completed.

I've also begun the third and last book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. 

But I'll set that novel aside next week in favor of this ambitious project.

Happy Monday - and wish me luck!

A Cast of "Ruthless" Characters

Good morning!

I'm happy to announce the release of Ruthless by Ed Calkins the Steward of Tara, the very first BryonySeries novel that I didn't write (may there be many more).

The book is now available from Amazon, and we are celebrating its release with a virtual one-hour party from 7 to 8 p.m. on Calkins Day (Feb. 13).

The party is free but you must register for the Zoom link and menu. 

Yes, menu.

Chef Tim will give three demonstrations that will allow you to enjoy chef-created refreshments during the party. No cooking is involved; you only need to have a few, simple, common, key ingredients ready.

Register here: bryonyseries.com/registerforcalkinsday.

Although you'll find the description for Ruthless on Amazon, you should know that the novel is a book of literary nonsense. Think Lewis Carroll for adults.

On the first (and maybe even second) read, Ruthless seems all over the place. 

But it really has a well defined structure, and the pieces come together nicely, leaving the reader wondering if Ed will write a sequel (the answer is yes; he is already working on it, having been bitten by the vampire muse).

The book parodies vampire lore, Irish lore, time travel, kink, politics, abuse, death, dyslexia, religion, the newspaper delivery industry (to name a few) and really extols the values of creativity, self-esteem, friendship, and true love in ways that aren't immediately apparent but are very sweet by the end of the story.

The characters are very, very human, and I found myself connecting to them (even the ones that didn't appeal to me for a while) as I moved through the pages.

For the most part, Ruthless simply expands the Ed Calkins perspective of the BryonySeries trilogy. In places where it deviates (and deviates significantly), the reader must remember that Ed as Steward of Tara is an unreliable narrator. Therefore, anything he says/writes can't be trusted as truth, since he lives so much in his own imagination.

As with all the books in the BryonySeries, you can read Ruthless as a standalone. Meaning, you don't have to be familiar with the other books to read this one.

With that, I give you "A Cast of Ruthless Characters":

NEW CHARACTERS:

Ed Calkins: The lead role, of course, is Ed Calkins, the Steward of Tara, in several incarnations: the character he created for himself (of which I further modified for the BryonySeries), elements of his real self, and the further development of all of these. As one beta reader commented, "He's died four times, and I'm still in the first chapter."

Nalla: Ed's angel wife. I knew immediately this was based on his real wife, Nancy. And she really does sing in her sleep. 

Rick: Ed's son (and he really does have a son).

Rick's Hot Wife: I only know this character has red hair and seems really nice. Other than her nickname.

Rick's two young daughters: One of them, Michaela, becomes a vampire slayer in her teens with a weapon Rick designed for her. She's destined to put her grandfather to rest when the time comes.

Trudy: Last name not given. She is a bipolar, auxiliary police officer for Beulah County (Munsonville is in Beulah County). She's also a professional dominatrix and a poet. Except she's given up the former because she's sort of in a relationship now. She's the ex best friend of Ed, and she's convinced she shot him - except she can't remember it. And she's scared of the repercussions.

Bathrobe: Trudy's love interest.

Sheriff Matt: Trudy's boss.

Dr. Roslyn: Trudy's childhood psychiatrist who lost her license for abusing kids. She's now a vampire.

Arkiens: A leprechaun and a were-goat who impersonates Satan and speaks with a thick Irish brogue.

The Inquisition: They debate over Ed's dying body on how to manage his eternal fate.

Ramon (and the other brownies): Ramon is the leader of a group of brownies who hang out with Ed in his van, roll newspapers, and clean houses for seniors living in trailer parks.

Ruthie and Millie: Two of the members of Ed's verbal harem. Members of WriteOn Joliet might recognize Ruthie from one of our flash fiction nights. I put her in my werewolf book and, by a strange and fantastical coincidence, Ed placed her in Ruthless.

Knights of the Red Branch: Often discussed, but their appearance is for the sequel.

Members of Ed's self-help group: They attend his wake and share their memories

The Goddess: Me 

Father Chokey: the priest who abused Ed as a boy

Malcolm: Ed's high school chess rival. They play a tense chess game for Trudy's hand.

New Medicine: The brownie who claims Trudy.

O'Murray: A king in Ed's imagination.

Boris: The owner of a bar Trudy used to manage.

Marci: A merrow (mermaid) that's Ed's secretary for one of his incarnations in his imagination.

Vita Vernon: head of the vice department in Detroit.

Jake Noble, Robert: Ed's bosses at the news agency

Mary Steward: a vampire with ties to organized crime

Tommie Gun Ton, Tommy the Gun, and Hank the Lobster: members of the vampire mafia

Also, assorted leprechauns and their human daughters, sprites, pixies, and other creatures. Oh, and the Magi.

And lots and lots of mirrors.

RETURNING CHARACTERS:

Glorna: A wood sprite who assumes several identities. One of those is now dead (You'll know who this is if you've read Staked!). He's also the caretaker of a child in an electric womb. And he loves spaghetti westerns so he impersonates John-Peter (down to the red hair and green skin) impersonating Clint Eastwood.

Eircheard: Owner of a pawn shop in Jenson (therefore, wealthy) and a leprechaun.

John Simons/John Simotes: He works for Ed in the newspaper delivery agency Ed manages. But in reality, Ed works for John, as he covers John's nighttime vampire activities and has been commanded to make a changeling son for him.

Melissa: 1970s teen girl obsessed with John in all his forms.

Henry Matthews: A dandy vampire who explains Deep Time Psychosis to Ed and how that's part of his destiny.

Dr. Abner Rothgard: A specialist in vampire health issues

No. 42/Angela: The brownie-raised and brownie-educated human girl that was swapped for the changeling.

Aodhan: A winged creature in Ed's imagination and good friend of Glorna's.

Quick confession: My new literary crush is Glorna. I love how Ed developed him. Not sure when the "crush" developed, but I finally realized it was there after Glorna said for the third time, "Mighty fine horse, ma'am," in the hanging scene.

Although editing a nearly 150,000 word novel by a dyslexic author was a nightmare (you have no idea), I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel.

Expect some typos. But Ed said people might not believe he wrote it if it didn't have typos. 

Typos, he claimed, is how readers will know its authentic.

Have a great Monday!

Illustration by Nancy Calkins for "Ruthless."

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Feb. 9 through Feb. 14

Although the title indicates these are all the features stories I've written this week, I still have three more that are in print but won't appear on The Herald-News website until later today.

So I will TRY to remember to update this page later and repost.

Yes, yes, and yes: Calkins Day was a lot of fun. Those who attended and participated smiled, laughed, and went home reasonable happy.

I'll post recaps, photos, and videos over the next few weeks to keep the "good cheer" going, but for now, well I'm the proud owner of a trillion dollar pombec.

Have a great Friday readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans.

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. 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.

'It’s a great way to get a full-body workout'
Plainfield family dedicated to rock climbing 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/03/its-a-great-way-to-get-a-full-body-workout/dfcfwt2/


An Extraordinary Life: From potica to politics, Elaine Bice of Plainfield did them well

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/07/an-extraordinary-life-from-potica-to-politics-elaine-bice-of-plainfield-did-them-well/d9lpipj/


'We see the hardships; we see the persecution'
One-man show about black priest coming to Joliet this month

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/07/we-see-the-hardships-we-see-the-persecution/a8hq4me/


'He was always a happy and smiling baby'
Joliet toddler fighting tumor, family needs financial help 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/08/he-was-always-a-happy-and-smiling-baby/db5ec9m/

'I’m in real estate to help people'
After lightning destroyed Joliet home, agent still advocating for former owner 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/05/im-in-real-estate-to-help-people/aidyo6x/


'I had no idea how far we’d take it'
Joliet-area special needs cheer team will compete at Disney

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/11/i-had-no-idea-how-far-wed-take-it/ase3dyi/


'We try to be available to all races and genders'
Romance novels with diverse themes are catching on – slowly

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2020/02/13/84e9f1b640854946bb55a23daa3d27ef/index.xml?page=1


Turn plain waffles into chocolate delights

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/12/turn-plain-waffles-into-chocolate-delights/dalgu45/


Deals on meals this Saturday in Lockport
Nicky's Gyros is celebrating 25 years with special discounts

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/12/deals-on-meals-this-saturday-in-lockport/ds2qgng/


'They make it looks so easy on Instagram and Pinterest' 
We tried to make chocolate cups - and failed 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/12/they-make-it-looks-so-easy-on-instagram-and-pinterest/datbpef/


Don't let the miles separate your heartbeats this Valentine's Day
Last-minute digital gifts to say ‘I love you.’

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/12/dont-let-the-miles-separate-your-heartbeats-this-valentines-day/at1ptn4/


‘The Divine Mercy Chaplet: A Deep Meditation’ by James Mark

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/13/the-divine-mercy-chaplet-a-deep-meditation-by-james-mark/a96b81l/


'It’s just going to be the best evening ever'
Breast Intentions of Illinois bringing unique fundraiser to Joliet

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/04/its-just-going-to-be-the-best-evening-ever/ajbxj4n/


'The song and dance of mental illness'
Joliet Drama Guild to present award-winning musical about 'depressing subject'

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/11/the-song-and-dance-of-mental-illness/dj8pqer/


Plainfield dog doing well after falling through ice
German shepherd is doing well following a fall through the ice earlier this week. 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/02/12/plainfield-dog-doing-well-after-falling-through-ice/dwt8vna/

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Defining Genre

Defining your book's genre gives it boundary for both the writing and the marketing. Here is a comprehensive list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_literary_genres

Defining the genre for the BryonySeries has been difficult as it does not neatly fit into any couple of categories. It has elements of literary, gothic, fantasy, psychological suspense, historical romance, and magical realism. I've also pegged it and intended it as young adult, although I have several very happy adult readers (and it's main audience has been adult) who would argue with that classification.

I'm thinking I might have to invent my own genre for the series.

Bryony's Three--Verse Scripture Playlist

Bryony is not a “Christian” vampire novel, nor did I write it specifically for a Christian audience.

And as a Christian, some—not all—of the songs on my inspirational playlist while I was writing Bryony are Christian. In fact, that playlist is very eclectic. I wrote about it here: http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2010/08/experimental-posts-and-play-lists.html

Yet, music was not the only tool I used to keep me focused on Bryony’s storyline during its roughtest drafts. Bryony contains thirty chapters, which I mentally divided into three parts of ten chapters each. Above each section was a virtual scripture-verse canopy that defined its theme. Here are the verses:

1 Peter 5:8. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Deuteronomy 30:19: “I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life.”

Isaiah 5:20: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

Perhaps, if Fr. Alexis had been more discerning, he might have impressed these verses on Melissa and urged her to make different choices. But he didn’t and so….

The Best Publishing Fit for Bryony

In the beginning, I did query several agents regarding Bryony, but after receiving my first batch of rejections, I read and thought some more about my options and goals for the novel and pulled back from the query process.

While many new authors do find agent representation quite early, I learned an average of eleven years and several novels pass before some writers attain it. Although freelance writing is a business for me, I wasn't trying to launch a commercial fiction writing career. In short, at nearly fifty, I had no desire to wait eleven years only to see another novel in print while Bryony languished inside my computer.

I had simply written a story I found entertaining and felt others might enjoy it, too. I also wanted to create an illustrated book format for Bryony and to present the story in its best shape. If possible, I wanted the editing process to have a friendly, collaborative feel, similiar to my other writing experiences.

So, I queried several new, small presses and received a request for Bryony's first four chapters. Then, I learned about WriteLife LLC. So when the press with the four chapters fell behind in production, I queried WriteLife LLC. I'm glad I did.

In the past year, Bryony has undergone three rounds of editing. I have been pleased with each result. A week ago, the publisher emailed me and said when my editor is finished reviewing my changes, she will have a better idea where Bryony fits into the company's publishing schedule.

For Bryony, so far, WriteLife has been a good option. The story has received a thorough editing, yet my story and characters are intact. My husband can't understand why I won't save the previous drafts. Yes, I will keep my editorial notes for future reference, but for me, there is only one authentic draft, and that is the published one.

Pathetic First Attempts at Writing Dialogue

As a features writer, I love incorporating quotes from sources into my stories. I rarely ask people for a “quote,” because I think the best quotes come from spontaneous conversation during the course of the interview. People say the most amazing things when they aren’t paying strict attention to their words.

So how does this relate to Bryony?

Believe it or not, the fact that I would have to supply all that terrific dialogue didn’t immediately occur to me. When I began writing Bryony as a novella, I started the story on page one and kept going (and not very far, either). Once I realized I had a novel, I changed tactics and started composing scenes, not necessarily in order. I soon ran into trouble.

Speaking for Melissa and her family and friends was easy; the vampires were much harder, even though their lines had tumbled about my head for years. How exactly did John Simons, cold and reserved, sound on paper? How would the shrewd Kellen Wechsler choose his words?

I decided to practice on a conversation between Melissa and the ever so charming and charismatic Henry Matthews. I figured it would be easy because Henry was so outgoing. I wrote and rewrote their encounter until it sounded right to me and then, heart pounding, read it aloud.

Oh the horror of really bad dialogue!

Good thing I didn’t read it loud enough for anyone to hear. If it was twenty years earlier and I was less motivated, that moment would have buried any further fiction writing attempts. However, at nearly age fifty, time is not on my side, so a couple antacids later, I set my jaw and was back at it.

Eventually, I wrote something that resembled what I heard inside me. In fact, this particular scene is a favorite of those who have read the book. Buoyed by this initial success, I wrote all of Henry’s dialogue before moving onto another character. Of course, Henry would have preferred I eliminate John altogether, but that is a different story.

I still love great dialogue, and now I’m awed that, with plenty of hard work, I can sometimes write it, too.

Playing God

“God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.” Genesis 1:3.

As a Christian, I mostly focus on “God is love.” Except for the joyful experience of carrying seven children (one at a time), I’ve only given “God as creator” a polite nod.

Then I wrote three novels.

With fiction-writing, I caught a glimpse of God’s joy to speak something into being. “Let there be Munsonville,” I cried, and lo! Munsonville was, including Simons Woods and Lake Munson. I breathed the breath of life into my characters, and they lived (and died) at my word.

Anyone who sweats long hours at the keyboard knows building an imaginary world is not that simple, nor is it done in seven days. There's writing, rewriting, editing, and more rewriting. Yet, even God’s creation is not static, but ever-transforming.

But glorious? Heck yeah!