Unexpected Event, Sold Five

On Saturday, my youngest three adult children and I worked our church's annual spaghetti dinner.

It's a bit of an unusual fundraiser as fundraisers go: we attract mostly customers who have attended over the last few decades and we raffle off mostly afghans made by one amazing woman in the parish.

This year, to add something different to table, Rebekah suggested I raffle off a few books. Recalling the one visiting priest's dismay that I write vampire literature, I left the trilogy at home and brought some of the cookbooks and children's books.

I gave away a few of each (winners could use either books or afghans; yes, I was thrilled when books were chosen), but that wasn't all.

One woman insisted on paying for one Bertrand and the Lucky Clover and one Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from Bryony, because she had to leave and she didn't want to risk not having her name called.

A friend of hers loves mice, she said, and she really wanted the first book for her. She had also flipped through the second book and found a couple recipes she wanted to try. I tried giving the books to her since we were raffling them off anyway, but she insisted on paying for them. I didn't feel comfortable arguing with her at that point (at the raffle table with people milling around), so I sold them.

The other three sales were made to a former member of the church who attends the dinner once a year. Her first question, when she saw the books, was, "Where's 'Bryony?'" 

I explained why I didn't bring any copies. She then proceeded to put in an order for the Bryony/Visage/Staked! trilogy (she wrote her address on a napkin and went looking for me to be sure I had it) and the proceeded to win a copy of the cookbook and one of Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone. 

Essentially she wound up with five books for the price of three, not a bad deal.

Probably the sweetest moment of the night was toward the end. One of the customers was talking to me, and her little girl kept alternating between flipping through her copy of Bertrand and the Lucky Clover and clutching the book to her heart.

Made my night, that's for sure.

Oh, and I left the event with an idea for the next Bertrand the Mouse adventure. I took photos and even wrote it yesterday. And our small church is a few dollars richer and a few hugs closer. Can it get better than that?

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

Sue's Diner: Potato Dumplings

 When Melissa develops a crush on Henry, she boldly approaches him for a date. Henry seizes his chance to enlarge Melissa’s world and gives her a kaleidoscope evening of theater, historical landmarks, and peasant food, including these potato dumplings.

 Find the recipe HERE.

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. www.bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com.

Ed Calkins: Review of "Staked!"

I love this review for three reasons and not because it's positive.

One: Ed Calkins gets it. His points echo the forward my WriteOn Joliet co-leader Tom Hernandez (who also gets it) wrote for the book, and Ed's points also echo those given in my lone review Amazon by my lone super fan, who's done me the humbling honor of reading the series three (or is it four) times now.

Two: Ed stays in character throughout the entire review by making most of it about himself.

Three: I didn't see his ending coming. Very sweet and touching. Ed's final comments won't mean anything if you haven't read the book, and it will (hopefully) make you smile if you had. And apple cider of all things (great subtext, Ed!).

The postscript made me smile and made me glad I'd written it.

As to the play Ed referenced, I thought I published it, but I can't find it anywhere. I'll try to give it a copy edit and publish it in a week or so. Ed wrote it (it's very short) in 2012, so long overdue for publication, I'd say.

I'll  never look at St. Patrick's Day the same ever again. It will, now and forever, be, in my mind, the day Ed Calkins finished Staked!

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

Dear MOMI,

I spent St. Patty’s day doing what I advised, reading Staked! and now am compelled and inspired to review it. As my insight to those who have read the book is invaluable, I must warn anyone that has not that there will be spoilers.

In the BryonySeries, the questions come slowly and gently, where the answers come fast, hard, and ruthlessly.  Staked! is as final as the title, starting, as the other three did, with the family that at first blush is no different than other very different families.. until blood, vampires, ghosts, immortality and Ed Calkins change the strangeness into epical situation. 

In the first, a girl copes with isolation in a new home. In the second, that same girl because a mother. In the last, her wonder-son seeks to know himself. In the third, we are reacquainted with John-Peter, the overachieving high maintenance child who is now entering manhood with a questioning defiance and intolerance of meat. 

His journey parallels the journey of the entire series, but also the author herself. Other authors have done similar story lines: Pinocchio wants to be a real boy and Data want to be more human-like, but John Peter has to learn why he’s different before he can even start.

This reflects the author own understanding of her own series even as she writes the book. Only now, in this last novel, does she seem to realize that the whole tale really is about Ed Calkins, while she faces the truth about her Irish nature. 

And what a nature it is!

She effortlessly sorts through both limerick and lore, painting the vacation paradise of life behind the mirror… for some. Brilliantly, she never mentions Melissa’s silent lament. For indeed, not since A Hitch Hiker’s Guild to the Universe has there ever been written more practical advice for navigating life. 

How different Melissa’s life would have been had she married Ed Calkins in the first book! Most of us readers had to stop ourselves from skimming ahead, hoping to find that he asks her again and this time she answers, allowing her a life behind the mirror with numbered husbands completing for the right to father her children that she could swap out if they didn’t measure up.\

Alas, no, Ed Calkins never asks twice. In the end we find her broken by two vampire husbands and childless except for an under-fed unremarkable submissive girl so unlike the rebel hero she had in John-Peter and a once rejected boyfriend is what a life without Ed Calkins has left her.

We also can make out why the author never married Ed Calkins, (He didn’t get to ask, she refused him before he could.) In life behind the mirror, the stolen women were branded with a number while great authors of varied times were compelled to ghost-write for Ed Calkins. 

To the first, I can swear that I never would brand my wives with numbers. Their ranking changes too often by new wives or deeds that please/displease. At worse, I might mark their forehead with washable makers. 

To the second, I wish a could promise Denise that if she were my wife, I would like her take credit for some of her lesser works. More likely, I would punish her for lesser works by signing her name to works of mine. (A certain play comes to mind!)

                

Sadly, I fear for the author herself who must surely think she has put an end to the two most loved characters in her novels. Ironically, I speak not of Bryony from which the trilogy takes its name. She is a ghost that inherits the earth…or at least it’s summary in A Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Universe, which is ‘mostly harmless’. Indeed! Melissa tells Bryony to go, and she does. 

No, I speak of John-Peter and of course the Steward himself. Reader, if you see Denise on the street, see Melissa as well. Hug her, comfort her, and whisper in her ear, “Ed Calkins and John-Peter are alive as friends sharing an apple cider together.”

                

I promise an epic poem of limericks explaining how.

Ruthlessly yours,

                                                           

Ed Calkins

P.S. I really loved this book.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, March 18 through March 23

Readers in the Joliet area: ready for some spring snow?

For my church, the timing couldn't be worse. Our only fundraiser for the year, our annual spaghetti dinner, which we've been hosting almost six decades now, is tomorrow. Our workers and patrons are mostly elderly people, and they tend to stay home in bad weather (can't say I blame them).

Today: all Sunday deadlines must be complete by noon because the afternoon is full of interviews. And I have to cover an event later today. Oh, and I have a high school student shadowing me for part of the day. Should be fun! :)

Still, hoping to get to bed early, so I can get up early and work on Before the Blood before I have to head up to St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Homewood, where the spaghetti dinner will be held from 2 to 8 p.m.

So if you're looking for some great food, feel free to stop in tomorrow.

Have a great Friday, readers, writers, and vampire 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): 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.

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.

Books and Such

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

Meeting new people a full-time job for Plainfield Area Chamber hire

She talks up local businesses and makes new residents feel welcome

“Basically, I get to meet and greet all the new residents that move into the area and I get to bring them goodies.”

That’s exactly what Alena “AJ” Sokoloski said she does all day long as the new public relations director/residential greeter for the Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/16/meeting-new-people-a-full-time-job-for-plainfield-area-chamber-hire/aegdn8o/

An Extraordinary Life: If a job was worth doing, Edward did it well

Joliet man lived patriotism and service to others 

 A newspaper article written when Edward Vercelli was 21 said that the success of the Army Air Forces’ B-29 Pacuson Dreamboat 9,500-mile nonstop flight from Hawaii to Cairo was partly because of Edward, then a navigator in the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based in Meeks Field, Iceland.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/13/39e5e3c843ce44dc81aa1d88ef4ffe13/index.xml

Joliet woman finds home for cats, rats and dogs

The rescue is hosting a fundraiser March 24 to help with medical expenses and "for people to have a good time," Tana Labuda said.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/17/fc71d30fffca4d2586232891a5ca900f/index.xml

'We're not the same on the inside'

Members of #Joliet support group discuss life with brain injuries 

“I didn’t realize how much I could do until I couldn’t,” Molly Snodgrass, founder, said. “Everything has changed. My hobbies have changed. My interests have changed. I’m almost a different person.”

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/18/4fd57c02efa3492da39629ed4466d574/index.xml

‘Like a blind man trying to race a car’

Joliet man gives insight into living with a traumatic brain injury 

“We get happy, sad, mad, etc., faster than others because we have dead parts in our brains where our brains are trying to rewire to try to figure things out faster and this turns into overload," Brian Zook wrote. 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/19/like-a-blind-man-trying-to-race-a-car/a9xq4i9/

Mystery Diner: A.B. Gusto's food in Crest Hill is worth a stop

The pot roast, by the way, is a specialty there and worth your time. it's tender, flavorful and I would consider ordering it on its own or on those previously mentioned nachos in the future.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/19/0a60838f233241b5947a71592ac033f6/index.xml?page=3


Preparing the Lockport area community for the way of the Lord 

 “I think it’s got a great message about love and faith,” Jenni White said. “And I think it’s a good example of who we are as a church.”

The church will present “Godspell” on Friday and Saturday.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/21/ea61ac2a76dc47079ec0d011c7952eb4/index.xml?page=1


A home business so strong, even Amazon took note
Plainfield woman found sucess on Etsy and Amazon Homemade

 "I actually put four to six things on there thinking, 'If I sell one thing a month, I'll be happy. I'll have some extra pocket money,'" Nicky Scott said. "That's really all it was."

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/22/bed57a429acf4305ab45f3fa989b0cb2/index.xml

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

Community News: March 22, 2018

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

Local faith events: March 22 through March 29

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/21/local-faith-events-march-22-through-march-29/atp4uq2/

Annual ‘Women of the Year’ nominations sought

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/21/annual-women-of-the-year-nominations-sought/aufd8gk/

Plainfield school recognizes ‘special volunteers’ 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/02/21/plainfield-school-recognizes-special-volunteers/agv1mob/ 

Students at Romeoville's Lewis University honored at math conference

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/15/students-at-romeovilles-lewis-university-honored-at-math-conference/a7ionb9/


Plainfield high school journalists do well at Minooka Invitational 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/15/plainfield-high-school-journalists-do-well-at-minooka-invitational/arvpy0p/

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

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: It's the Challenges that Form

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

It's the Challenges that Form

Most of us like  to hear praise and encouragement; there's no doubt about it; and most of us enjoy standing on the pinnacle and gazing down the mountain at the conquered rocky slope, and I am no exception.

However, it's the dark, solitary, teeth-gnashing, gut-wrenching, clawing-through-challenges--despite, doubt, pain, loneliness, weariness, failure, etc.--that press, shape, and mold us into the people we are continually becoming and striving to be.

So when I encounter those circumstances in my life--and I have experienced one or two--and I'm uncertain whether I can or should keep plowing resistant furrows, and assuming the task is in the will of God for me, I grab a symbolic looksie into the mirror and ask myself one question: How badly do I want this?

It's no secret I'm a technological and software dummy. During the early editing and formatting stages with Bryony, shifting text, and the perpetual resetting page breaks, was hugely frustrating for me (an understatement).

One night, after I had already missed bedtime by hours and would greet the day by delivering mountains of papers wayyyyy too soon, and my flaccid attempts to halt the shifting again failed, I absolutely cracked.

Clutching handfuls of manuscript, I flew down the ladder, screaming, "It's wronnnnnggggggggg," to anyone in earshot. Timothy and Rebekah were hanging out in the kitchen and talking, but paused to gaze at me as if I had gone insane.

After a few minutes of ranting, raving, foot-stomping, thumping Timothy's back, and a spewing of colorful language, I marched back up the ladder and began resetting page breaks (Keep in mind this was a six hundred page manuscript). Rebekah was right behind me with a stern, "Go to bed!"

And my equally terse reply was, "Not until I make a dent." And I stoically reset another break.

Months later, I shared that scene with my book designer, Serena Diosa, and she, bless her, laughed heartily and offered to show me a simple technique to prevent shifting text. What an insightful moment. If only I'd had that information at the beginning, I could have avoided hours of mistakes. Yet, the incident was a valuable one for me because I was truly considering quitting altogether.

What stopped me? I really, really wanted to take this project all the way to the conclusion. I didn't want to just see the promised land. I wanted to stand on it, walk through it, claim it, SEIZE IT!

So, I started over.

Today, that scene is often replayed in my household. Whenever someone encounters a problem that appears too big to handle, a hurdle so enormous the goal no longer seems worth it, I only have to say, "Page breaks," and then ask the question, "How badly do you want this?"

Now someone in the throes of distress might prefer a bit of warm and fuzzy coddling and a soft, "There, there," and there are appropriate times for meting it out, for applying the soothing salve of, "You can do this," and "I believe in you," etc. But when you've lost your footing on a perilous ledge, a sweet utterance is not the solution.

Sometimes, what a person wants and needs are completely different. Too often, we leave behind an undesirable situation, only to repeat it, with different circumstances and people, perhaps, but our pattern of approach and behavior, even with slight modifications, is too predictably similar to produce the end we desire.

When an individual is battered and banged with defeat and discouragement and on the verge of abandoning the prize, tauntingly in sight and still so elusive, the needed remedy is really to quickly bandage up those wounds, deliver an unkind nudge into the nether regions, and harshly remind the person the consequences of forsaking the quest.

May you always have both kinds of people in your life, those that comfort, buck up, and applaud you, but, most importantly, those who command you out of the cozy places to meet, head-on and with open eyes, the awaiting destiny.

Lazarus might have felt blissfully peaceful inside the tomb, but Jesus' firm, "Lazarus, come out!" opened up an unbelievably new existence for the man.

You will stumble through dimly lit, uncharted territory. You will kiss the dirt. You'll greet uncertainty. You'll take wrong turns. You'll grow increasingly aggravated and pissed off at the circumstances and the people shoving you forward, at the ones offering dangling carrots.

And yet, it's really the only way to reach the joys of the peak.

So, what's on your "bucket list?

How badly do you want it?

Community News: March 21, 2018

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

Need help? Want to help? Here’s a roundup of area food pantries and upcoming events

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/15/need-help-want-to-help-heres-a-roundup-of-area-food-pantries-and-upcoming-events/aq0b386/

Local students named to dean's list for fall 2017

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/15/local-students-named-to-deans-list-for-fall-2017/apxbxot/

Shorewood Lions Club names Troy January 2018 Students of the Month 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/15/shorewood-lions-club-names-troy-january-2018-students-of-the-month/ay1xxjl/

Shorewood Lions Club recognizes December Troy Students of the Month

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/15/shorewood-lions-club-recognizes-december-troy-students-of-the-month/a2ufyoj/

Annual 'Women of the Year' nominations sought

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/16/annual-women-of-the-year-nominations-sought/af0cht1/

Lockport students mentor at leadership conference

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/15/lockport-students-mentor-at-leadership-conference/axuynoc/

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

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

Bryony - Official Book Trailer

Community News, March 20, 2018

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

Local health events: March 20 through March 27

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/19/local-health-events-march-20-through-march-27/ajyim2x/

Will-Grundy County Medical Society welcomes new members 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/05/will-grundy-county-medical-society-welcomes-new-members/axmpjzk/

Lincoln-Way East students learn from New Lenox hospital 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/05/lincoln-way-east-students-learn-from-new-lenox-hospital/azhc70b/

Frankfort students create blankets for hospitals

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/19/frankfort-students-create-blankets-for-hospitals/afo52k7/

Local students graduate in spring 2017

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/10/local-students-graduate-in-spring-2017/aio5zn/


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

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

Email Hell

So once upon a time I was great at keeping up with email.

We're talking about, oh, pre-2014.

What changed in 2014? Well, I became an employee.

And my one work email address became two work email addresses. My previous work address then became my personal email address - except it was also a work email address to my contacts of fifteen years.

But I wasn't comfortable checking it at work because, well, I was at work. So I did it on off hours. Except as off hours shrank, I didn't feel like spending off hours checking email.

The last time I did a great purge was February of 2015.

So in 2017, I decided to get ahead of it. Except it multiplied faster.

Yesterday, AOL spoke.

As I was moving some things around, AOL asked, "Do you want to permanently delete this?" And of course I clicked, "No."

That's not what AOL heard.

Momentary panic. And then relief.

So now I'm taking a few minutes each day to sort by keywords stuff I want before it permanently vanishes. But "new mail" is looking lean.

And I like it.

Easy. Manageable.

Finally.

Community News: March 19, 2018

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



Local pet events: March 19 to March 26 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/local-pet-events-march-19-to-march-26/aq571n6/


Pets of the Week: March 19 

 Read the caption of each photo to find out about that pet, including where he or she can be adopted.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/17/c0a5e0ac285148e4b0b5cb88879e7aae/index.xml


10th annual ‘Hugs for Hounds’ is March 31 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/10th-annual-hugs-for-hounds-is-march-31/ay74w93/


Library board president named Library Association Luminary 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/15/library-board-president-named-library-association-luminary/axxj82j/

 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

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

How Not to be Stressed on Monday Morning

A friend in WriteOn Joliet sent me this two years ago and its three simple words ("Enjoy the roll") have become my mantra ever since.

Although this video seems to have nothing to do with life, it really does. And when life gets a little nuts, I repeat these words again. And again. And maybe one more time until they sink in.

Here's the video: https://goo.gl/TouvfF.

Happy Monday readers, writers, and vampire fans! :)

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

Sue's Diner: Bohemian Biscuits with Jam

When Melissa develops a crush on Henry, she boldly approaches him for a date. Henry seizes his chance to enlarge Melissa’s world and gives her a kaleidoscope evening of theater, historical landmarks, and peasant food.

Find the recipe HERE.

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. www.bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com.

Community News: March 17, 2018

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

Suspected EHD cases in deer at low to moderate level in 2017 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/suspected-ehd-cases-in-deer-at-low-to-moderate-level-in-2017/alr5bmp/

Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet to offer Tenebrae on March 28 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/cathedral-of-st-raymond-in-joliet-to-offer-tenebrae-on-march-28/axg9zhj/

Families invited to learn about Girl Scouts on March 26 or March 29 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/families-invited-to-learn-about-girl-scouts-on-march-26-or-march-29/ap86z0a/

Edward named one of nation's 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/edward-named-one-of-nations-100-top-hospitals-by-ibm-watson-health/apvr1st/  

Bird the preserves during ‘Big Day’ bird-watching challenge 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/bird-the-preserves-during-big-day-bird-watching-challenge/a4o6dxw/

Lecture on Woodrow Wilson and World War I at Romeoville university

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/lecture-on-woodrow-wilson-and-world-war-i-at-romeoville-university/afephvq/

Timbers of Shorewood’s 'Hippity Hop Easter Egg Hunt' is March 31

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/17/timbers-of-shorewoods-hippity-hop-easter-egg-hunt-is-march-31/aazgdf/


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

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

Ed Calkins: Three Ways to Celebrate St. Paddy's Day

Dear MOMI, 

First of all, thanks for everything. 

I’ve been reading Staked! and I’m breaking at Chapter 26 (Ruthless Business) to conduct my own ruthless business. 

I love the book, believing it to be your best yet, but then, I’m prejudice as if stripped of all that concerns John-Peter, what’s left is my biography. I see a lot of Christopher in John-Peter, but maybe I expected to. Anyway, my post….

On this special St Paddy’s Day, (and special it is for it’s the first one after the reading of Staked, which is an Irish tale written by the most prolific of the Irish writers (Denise) (and of course it’s all about me)), I feel compelled to write long, rambling sentences about how it might be celebrated.

One assumes that a pub should be visited, a mug should be drained, a song should be sung, and a bartender over tipped. Not everyone, however can afford the money, time, or lack of sobriety to indulge this way. So, there are other ways to suggest before I get to how I intend to celebrate.

1) Read the BryonySeries, particularly Staked! which is as Irish of a novel as a novel can be.

2) Learn a new song or poem. Then count yourself richer. After all, a pot of gold is spent and is no longer yours but a song stays yours no matter how many times you sing it.

3) Tell a tale like an Irishman tells one, (in other words, make the whole thing up). That’s what I’m going to do next week, when I shall (in written prose) recite the epic tale of how beer came to Ireland.

Ruthlessly yours,

Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara

PEd Calkins, Steward of Tara, assumes a ruthless pose at his Calkins Day 2018 book signing at the Book and Bean Cafe is Joliet.

Community News: March 14, March 15, and March 16

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

Need help? Want to help? Here’s a roundup of area food pantries and upcoming events 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/07/need-help-want-to-help-heres-a-roundup-of-area-food-pantries-and-upcoming-events/am89k1g/

Local faith events: March 15 through March 22 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/13/local-faith-events-march-15-through-march-22/a757ax0/


Local arts and entertainment March 16 through March 23 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/13/local-arts-and-entertainment-march-16-through-march-23/aox7hfe/

Plainfield students compete in Will County spelling bee  

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/08/plainfield-students-compete-in-will-county-spelling-bee/arkl06d/

Annual 'March for Meals' fundraiser is March 16 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/02/14/annual-march-for-meals-fundraiser-is-march-16/a86h11h/

Lincoln-Way students place in annual welding contest 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/08/lincoln-way-students-place-in-annual-welding-contest/al1joc5/


Joliet school wishes police officer happy retirement 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/08/school-wishes-police-officer-happy-retirement/a619fto/

Three Joliet students take top honors in culinary competition

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/02/19/three-joliet-students-take-top-honors-in-culinary-competition/ai9pej0/


Lockport student wins holiday bag 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/05/lockport-student-wins-holiday-bag/av87tjw/


The Makeup Department & Academy expands school 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/02/26/the-makeup-department-academy-expands-school/am2b5kz/

Joliet area fish fries: where to find them

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/14/joliet-area-fish-fries-where-to-find-them/acutnv/

Local students graduate in spring 2017

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/07/local-students-graduate-in-spring-2017/ap2ip0b/

Pancake breakfast March 18 in Lockport 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/02/27/pancake-breakfast-march-18-in-lockport/at7qa52/


Troy varsity cheer team fourth best in state 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/02/28/troy-varsity-cheer-team-fourth-best-in-state/apspjy8/


Remember to change smoke alarm batteries 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/08/remember-to-change-smoke-alarm-batteries/aiddoyw/


On St. Patrick’s Day, a sober driver is your lucky charm
Plan ahead; police preparing to be out in force due to holiday on a Saturday 

http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/03/16/on-st-patricks-day-a-sober-driver-is-your-lucky-charm/alzxjmi/


 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

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, March 11 through March 16

As you can see, I'm having a busy Friday, LOL.

So no editorializing or recapping today, except to recap the week in features and where to find stories and such.

Hope everyone reading this is having a wonderful day. :)

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.

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.

Books and Such

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

'I just wanted to help someone'

Mokena woman's group empowers women one dress at a time

With nearly 5,000 members and growing, "It's All About The Dress. Pay It Forward" is designed for members to post dresses they are giving away for free to people in need.

The recipients, in turn, are to continue "paying it forward" by blessing another person in need with the dress when they're done with it. Recipients only pay for shipping, if shipping is needed.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/06/fe555149fe284f778bff02526d11f48a/index.xml?page=1

An Extraordinary Life: A legacy of line and color

Joliet woman's art on exhibit at Book and Bean Cafe

"It was her last series," Janet Erio of Joliet said of her friend Gale Tolf's artwork. "The most important thing to Gale, besides the people she loved, was her art. She just loved to share her art. Her colors are amazing."

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/06/e098963c4f3341f0bb90b3dc3cb6292f/index.xml

Forget dog biscuits

Joliet store features cookies, cakes and ice cream for dogs

"We sell wholesale all over the country," Burd said. "People kept asking for our cookies and it went from there. We sell. cakes, cookies, birthday bones, and human-grade ice cream – made without additives as well as the sugars and syrups humans love, which upset canine stomachs."

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/06/0b93f524c3264fa885aca05c04096010/index.xml


Still providing free healthcare after 30 years

Donor-supported Will-Grundy Medical Clinic hosting fundraiser March 15

But despite being true to its primary mission of providing free primary are to its clients – patients who are are 18 and over and at or below 220 percent of the federal poverty level (with 80 percent having a chronic illness) – the clinic has expanded its programs and services, Executive Director Shawn Marconi said.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/12/10b8946443964790abaf75688af636f8/index.xml

Mystery Diner Manhattan's Roadhouse 52 a diamond in the dark

It was wide open with rustic and classy decor – practically a history lesson of the area on each wall – and plenty of crayons and coloring books that Ruth, our server, brought out quickly after we arrived and sat in a corner booth.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/12/8264ba5c05bd4265b81ab46a9c52f603/index.xml


A destiny greater than disease
Cancer brought Shorewood man closer to God

 Altenhoff is thankful – for small victories ("My lung function is up to 30 percent. I gained six percent," he said) and encouraging pats on the shoulder from fellow parishioners at the Church of St. Jude in Joliet.

"We'd be so better off if we could see the kindness in people," Altenhoff said.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/14/ec3e72724dd64269992ed1ab76eb0d51/index.xml

Have a Guinness St. Patrick's Day with these four recipes

Guinness.

A great addition to grownup St. Patrick's Day celebrations. And as these recipes show, you don't have to drink it to enjoy it.

Over the last week, we had some fun playing with these recipes in our kitchen. My daughter Rebekah Baran shared the recipes for Guiness beef stew, Guinness brownies and Guinness no-churn ice cream; Jasmine Rosenboom of Channahon shared and prepared the recipe for the Guinness deep-friend chocolate sandwich cookies.

We think they tasted great. Try one (or all) and see for yourself!

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2018/03/13/e52828676f8c407