The "Other" Writers Group

One of the goals my WriteOn Joliet co-leader Tom Hernandez and I set for last year was to be more "ecumenical" - in other words, to pop into a couple other local writers groups at least once.

Of course, when we set that goal, we had no idea what would transpire in 2020.

Neverthless, I did make one Zoom meeting of the writers group in New Lenox (and the leader's been so kind in patiently inviting me).

And I've also found some writing fellowship with a group called the 5 A.M. Writers Club on Twitter. (#5amwritersclub).

I stumbled upon this one quite by accident.

Some of my followers on my BryonySeries Twitter account are other authors. And as we talked, I discovered this group. A few of these members lived on the east coast and had met in person a few times before COVID hit. So they moved to Zoom and opened the meetings up to whoever wanted to join them.

I was one of them.

The whole purpose of the group is to write for an hour every day, starting at 5 a.m., before the rest of your responsiblities begins. Everyone doesn't make this every day; life happens. And people make it at different times of the day, depending when 5 a.m. occurs in their part of the world.

The only time this becomes a bit rough for me is every three weeks. That's when we meet on a Friday over Zoom. Because their 5 a.m. is my 4 a.m. and that meet often comes right on the heels of WriteOn Joliet's meeting the previous evening - and Friday's are very full for me anyway.

So I often check in late - and in the case of this past Friday when I was dealing with a new, temporary medication that made me tired - not at all.

But the group has brought new connections and new opportunities.

We had a holiday party over Zoom between Christmas and new year. We're having a virtual writing retreat at the end of next month (just got my schedule yesterday - I'm super stoked!), and I'm co-leading a meeting on self-publishing in August as I may be the only author in this group that self-publishes. The others have traditional contracts with traditional publishers or they are in the querying stages.

Yes, 2020 was definitely a challenging year filled with tragedies for far, far too many people.

But there's something remarkable about the human spirit that just doesn't allow tragedy to get the final word.

And even among last year's horribleness, tiny green shoots of hope and new life are edging their way out.

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

An Invitation to Make Memories in the Kitchen With Us

For many years, our family made nearly all of the bread we make, and all six of my children grew up helping to make that bread.

One day in late 1993 while kneading bread dough that would be used for Communion in our church, I was struck by the whole Eucharastic nature of breadmaking in general: taking a few ingredients, working them with your hands, and then later distributing that bread with people I love - and sitting down to enjoy it with them.

And, honestly, you could apply that philosophy to all of cooking. Food is so basic - we all need to eat - but it can also can become the conduit for giving, receiving, and sharing love. There's something really sublime about preparing and serving the very substances a person needs to survive. 

And making and breaking together can create long-lasting bonds. Think of the saying: "It's hard to remain enemies when you've broken bread together." 

Last week, I wrote about how Rebekah and I would soon reinstate the Sue's Diner feature of the BryonySeries - a recipe from one of the BryonySeries cookbook that we would prepare and post on the website each week.

Our first recipe is ready to go - and I couldn't figure out the back page of Sue's Diner the way Timothy has created it. 

So I had two choices: decipher it myself (and risk altering many hours of his hard work) or wait and ask.

I chose the latter. 

So in the meantime, I'm sharing with you the background behind WHY the series is even publishing cookbooks - and an overview of where we found the recipes used in the original cookbook.

Our first recipe should be posted next week on the website, and I'll share the link on this blog.

Mostly, we are inviting you to join us - either by yourself or with a loved one - and make your own memories in the kitchen.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Introduction to Memories in the Kitchen: Bites andNibbles from “Bryony.”

Why a cookbook?

Well, why NOT a cookbook?

Even before I began submitting Bryony to agents and small presses, my kids and I talked about all the fun, additional products the novel might inspire.

Although I’ll probably never see bendable dolls with their own line of clothing (too bad, since we could make a fortune on all those lost, little shoes) or a Simons Mansion dollhouse (I REALLY want one), the cookbook idea flourished inside me, especially after I wrote a story on what Kathy Carey did for March of Dimes.

For two decades, this remarkable woman participated in Grundy County's March of Dimes walk. In 2000, after a friend gave birth to a premature baby, Carey increased her efforts. She assisted the district coordinator. She contacted companies for donations and sponsorships. She re-routed the local walk to increase its visibility.

Three years ago, Carey read an advertisement for fundraising cookbooks. Although she owned no computer and had no previous cookbook experience, Carey sent for the information. She studied it closely and decided she could do it. She set a fundraising goal of $7,000 and calculated that she needed to sell 1,000 cookbooks to reach it. Carey peddled the books at local stores, craft shows and festivals until she sold them all.

Inspired by Carey's story, I decided to create a Bryony themed cookbook and donate any profits it might make. Its recipient is Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. In its 40-year history, the organization has matched over 15,000 at risk children from single-parent homes.

Because Bryony's main character, Melissa Marchellis, spends part of her childhood in a single parent home, the group was a good match for the cookbook. I am humbled that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties agreed.

So, I scrolled through the manuscript, jotted all the food references, and began collecting recipes. I modified many of the Victorian dishes to ease preparation, but kept the original language intact. Some, such as boiled calves head, are included so readers can learn about the culinary delights of days long past.

But enough talking. As Melissa’s younger brother Brian said during a holiday dinner, “We made all this food to eat, right?”

Right, Brian. Happy reading and bon appétit!

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From "Bryony," is the official BryonySeries cookbook.

(Editor's note: that should read "original," for we now have two more cookbooks: GRRR and Squeak!) 

 It's a collection of authentically Victorian recipes and recipes that were popular in the 1970s.

 

Some of the recipes came from 19th century, out-of-print cookbooks.

 

Some came from vintage cookbooks still in print and were used and modified with permission of the publisher.

 

Some came from the collection of The Henry Ford and features signature recipes of restaurants long since closed.

 

Some came from reader submissions.

 

All proceeds from cookbook sales benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties, a nod to the cooking/mentoring relationship between Steve Barnes and Brian Marchellis in Bryony.

 

So when you purchase a cookbook for yourself or as a gift, you not only might make your own "memories in the kitchen," you'll help a child.

 And that's a sweet combination.

Yes, the Photos Are Staged...

 ...but the enjoyment is not.

And that (in additon to money, sometimes) is what most artists want.

The painter wants his work to be hung and admired.

The chef wants his work to be tasted and savored.

The musician wants his work to be heard and appreciated.

The writer wants his work to be read - and he hopes the reader (depending on the material) is informed, inspired, or transported to another world that only exists somewhere in the space between the mind of the writer and the mind of tbe reader.

There's nothing wrong with creativity for creativity's sake.

But creativity that finds a home in the heart of the receiver completes the journey, I think.

When Nancy texted me last week, she had read all but four of the currently published books in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer series. I think of all the books in the series, she likes these the best.

She loves the charactrer. She told me some of her own encounters with ghosts.

And she said Cornell Dyer and the Necklace of Forgetfulness is her favorite (so far) because it has a love story in its background.

Ed Calkins shared his thoughts (so far) on Before The Blood last week.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, March 6 through March 12

Just came back from an early morning doctor's appointment, so not too much commentary from me this morning - not that you'll need it.

I have eighteen stories to share with you today - and one video. 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.

And have a great Friday!

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

An ExtraordinaryLife: ‘She always did everything with a smile on her face’ - Clara Schultz of Joliet served her family, community and church 

LocalLit book preview: ‘Memories From Margaret’ by Susan Shetina - True story of life in the early 20th century will be reviewed in Tuesday’s newsletter

Joliet Central alum wrote the score for ‘Coming 2 America’: Stegall discusses working through COVID mitigations, Our Star Wars Stories and inspiring youth 

Need food? Come out to one of these Northern Illinois Food Bank events: Free food will be distributed on a drive-thru basis today in Plainfield

Troy 30-C hires new director of finance, new asst. director of special education: Kristine Hutten and Ryan Newberry join Troy Community School District 30-C

Pets of the Week: March 8: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

Lockport welcomes its 1st hotel: A ribbon cutting was held on Wednesday for the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lockport

Holiday Inn Express & Suites is actually Lockport’s 2nd hotel: Building of Lockport’s first hotel is now Embers Tap House

Diocese of Joliet names new director of communications for the Diocese of Joliet: Mary Massingale’s appointment is effective March 22 

3 Plainfield East students named 2021 National Merit finalists: Prestigious program now in its 66th year @d202schools

Minooka Community HS seeking parents for its Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee: Parents on the committee should have ‘the interests of bilingual students in mind’  

Plainfield woman hosts socially distant celebration for grandmother’s 104th birthday: Centenarian Marianna Zukowski felt like a celebrity with the attention

‘Mr Zee’ to celebrate 100th birthday with vehicle parade: Community invited to help celebrate the WWII veteran’s milestone day on March 24

VIDEO: Gene Fordonski shares memories of his cousin's World War II service

It’s time to register for kindergarten at #Lockport School District 91: D. 91 currently in blended learning

Scholarship opportunities for students in Will, Grundy counties: PJWC’s focuses on service, Morris Hospital Foundation focuses on health care education

Will-Grundy Medical Clinic focusing on housing as well as health - Marconi: ‘Because if you don’t have stable housing, it’s very difficult to manage chronic illness’

Diocese of Joliet held vaccination clinic: Round 2 of shots will be administered on Saturday 

D. 202 in Plainfield seeks nominees for 2 awards: Nominations for both awards are due March 15

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Up Close and Personal with Young Wolves | Snow Wolf Family And Me | BBC ...

All The Purple Roses I Have Known

The theme of purple roses is first introduced in my first novel, Bryony.

The room, although not very large, felt warm and comfortable, with its wine-hued carpeting and wallpaper, overflowing bookshelves, and rich mahogany furniture. Several desks sat at the east end of the room. One held a heavy, black, silver, oddly shaped typewriter, very different from her mother’s slim, beige, electric machine. Vases of fragrant, purple roses filled the room. Fully awake now, Melissa rested her head on the back of the settee and blinked in surprise.

My my oldest daughter Sarah was the first to receive a purple rose, a "fake" one from her stepson Nick. And her husband has given her purple roses, too.

My first one came from Sarah. She had died rose petals purple, dried them (because that has meaning in the story, too) and sent them to me. They should be packed, somewhere, in my BryonySeries files from my old office in Channahon - I hope.

Here are some of my other gifts of purple roses, left to right, top to borrom: a birthday cake Jasmine made, a random Mother's Day gift someone at Louis Joliet Mass placed in my hand, flowers from Timothy, a Mother's Day gift from Jasmine, a Christmas gift from Cindy, a homemade cake from Rebekah, and flowers from Rebekah.

Like other flowers, roses have meanings ascribed to them, based on their colors. Purple roses, in case you're curious, symbolize "enchantment."

Spunk and Biscuit

A feature The Herald-News had for many years was called Pets of the Week.

This was a weekly roundup of dogs and cats from area shelters and rescues who needed homes.

When the person who put this together was laid off, the feature went away. It was reinstated in 2014 after Shaw Media bought The Herald-News and I was hired as the features writer and editor for this publication.

Two cats from Humane Haven Animal Shelter in Bolingbrook that kept returning year after year were Spunk and Biscuit.

Rebekah said if something ever happened to our cats (we have a pet limit at the townhome), she would adopt them.

Well, this past week, Spunk (top photo) was finally was adopted.

But that still leaves Biscuit, who looks somewhat like our Tabby Fraces.

If you, or someone you know, needs a cat to complete the family home, please consider opening your doors and heart to this cat.

Here is Biscuit's information:

Biscuit is a sweet 8-year-old who likes to play with string toys. She does well with other cats. Since she’s shy around people, she needs a family who’s willing to be very patient and give her the time and space she needs to get used to her new home. She also needs a special diet for kidney support. She’s quiet and likes to be petted if you take it slow and easy. To meet Biscuit, contact Humane Haven Animal Shelter at hhas.org or 630-378-4208.

Man pamper his wife's cats, spa day with dad

The Return of Sue's Diner - Soon

Her mother parked in front of a dingy, squat-looking building, Sue’s Diner. Brian turned and rolled his eyes. Melissa mouthed back, probably get food poisoning.

"Let’s go, guys!” Darlene peered in the mirror and patted her short hair, the color and texture of corn silk. “Don’t judge a book by its cover. I’ll bet the food is terrific.”

Stiff and cramped from the long ride, Melissa and Brian slowly emerged from the car and entered the dreary building. Brian poked Melissa, and her jaw dropped.

For a small, lakefront village restaurant, throngs of people packed the dining room. There were men in overalls and plaid shirts or business suits; women wearing faded, print dresses; and kids in jeans. Darlene asked the gum-cracking, pony-tailed hostess for a table, and the girl led the trio to a booth by the picture window overlooking Main Street. Melissa slid close to the fingerprinted window and glanced down. Clear tape sealed cracks in the vinyl blue-green seats. The table’s smooth top was speckled with gold and imbedded with coffee stains.

From "Bryony."

The one and only restaurant in the fictional fishing village of Munsonville, Michigan, Sue's Diner made a regular appearance as a Sunday blog for a couple of years until Rebekah and I became too busy for long Saturday cook-ins.

Huh?

You see, The BryonySeries has an official cookbook. It's called Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony" and it features recipes for all the 1970s and Victorian food references (divided by scene or them), along with historical references.

This cookbook is, and always has been, a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

Each week, Rebekah and I would prepare a recipe from the cookbook and post it on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website, which Timothy built piece by piece to look like an actual menu from Sue's Diner - if Sue's Diner was a real place.

Rebekah and I made a goal of bringing Sue's Diner back after the holidays - and then one of my cats - Midnight - and me, needed procedures done in the same week.

Now that we're past all of it (we hope), our plan is to cook one BryonySeries recipe a week and share it with you to try at home.

But don't wait too long. The "recipe of the week" disappears in seven days - to be replaced with a new one.

Please join us virtually in the kitchen.

Read a "restaurant review" of Sue's Diner. here.

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Ed Calkins Reads "Before The Blood"...

...and Nancy Calkins has started on BTB, too - as well as The Adventures of Cornell Dyer.

Yes, this "telegram" is very different in tone from the usual ones Ed sends from his fictional Steward of Tara character to me, using one of the titles he gave me ("Goddess" or "Mistress of My Immortality").

In this case, Ed, the real Ed, sent me, the real me, a real, actual email. Imagine that!

Apparently, instead of writing his sequel to Ruthless, he and his wife Nancy have been catching up on BryonySeries books.

None of it will make any sense to you if this is your first stop at the blog. The quick story is that Ed Calkins is a real person who created fictional character of himself that wound up (legally) as a character in the BryonySeries "drop of blood" trilogy and recently released his first novel for the BryonySeries that features all of these elements as Ed, as well as some BryonySeries characters and some new characters.

Here are his comments:

Dear Denise,

              Just checking in.

              I have stopped all writing in favor of reading your “Before the Blood” series which has revealed so much about the characters that I’ve read and written about. I am immensely enjoying a book that ISN’T all about me. Is that even possible?  I understand now what you meant by ‘back story’ and might have gone in a different direction if I read "Before the Blood" first. That direction is still "the road not taken" that I have "saved for another day" with the same doubt about [my writing abilities] ever returning. ("The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost). This story line is so much bigger than its writer and readers and I wonder if your vision of it is in line with its devotees as I am becoming one.

              I believe you’ve created a franchise. I just got it now! When you named John-Peter Simons were you thinking Simon Peter, the apostle? Were you thinking of the youngest apostle, John?

              Despite some divergence, my Irish luck kicked in when your treated time the same way as "Ruthless" did as well as some pieces of vampirism, Mathews, and the cruelties of the distant past.

              There is so much more to be written in all directions…futures, pasts, and sideways. I think of a Trudy that has read "Before the Blood" in some figurative way and is worried about an assault from Kellen who has been already destroyed from her perspective, but he could have could into the future and devoured all of Munsonville leaving John Simon, Henry Mathews and Ed Calkins nothing to eat but…well crow. In "Before the Blood," Kellen gets so confused about time that he needs a psychologist to remember who he is, where he is, and what (or who) he’s doing (eating), but that is NOT Deep Time psychosis…Ed Calkins has something more severe as does Dr Roslyn. I’m not yet completely sure of what this severity means to behavior, but I’m quite sure Ed Calkins crawls to his own - way too easy for Michaela’s liking - staking.

              I like that you call the process of becoming a vampire as "turning."

              Are our readers going to need psychologists to explain the book, blood, and backstories? We could include LSD blotters on our covers. And willing necks…are we going to need a hotline for people wanting to get bitten?

              You may be writing books faster than I can read them, but I’m retired now (not really, I haven’t had a full week yet of not working). I should be able to read faster.

              My sequel has no plot yet, but it has ideas yet unwritten. I had worked on a piece about a serial killer ghost that is a younger Ed Calkins Vampire without the humor that had half angels in it, but I abandoned as too dark…but now I’m emboldened by Kellen. That may latter have connection to the franchise. I know you’re writing about sirens now and I’ve yet to read the books about your ghost hunter (i.e. Cornell Dyer, illustrated below) as described without spoilers by my wife, who’s read three of them already and is reading behind me, the "Before the Blood" books. (I’m in the middle of Bryony Marseilles, she’s finished John Simons.)

              As far as ghosts, I’m going to repeat the "this time, you first mommy" phrase from the last sentence of that new fantasy writing in her piece about the hatching dragon. In other words, I’m going to read more of your books before I start that one.

                                    You Go, Girl,

                                        Ed Calkins....super fan and steward

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Feb. 27 through March 5

 Good morning!

Just eleven stories have posted so far this week, so this morning's blog is a little light. 

If you live in The Herald-News' coverage area, be sure to pick up a print copy of the newspaper. It has a full page story on Jermaine Stegall. He is an alumnus of Joliet Central High School - and he also wrote the score for "Coming 2 America" (released today on Amazon Prime) both seasons of "Our Star Wars Stories." 

And if you're outside The Herald-News coverage area, watch for it on our site.

This weekend I'm working on incorporating my editor's edits into The Phoenix, which is the first installment in the new BryonySeries trilogy called Limbo. I'm also hoping to play around with the first draft of the second novel, Call of the Siren.

And plenty of walks, of course, especially now that the weather outside is warming up and my broken toe is nearly healed and fitting comfortable inside my shoe.

Have a great Friday!

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

Manhattan Boy Scout, Bolingbrook business win Forest Preserve partner awards: Recipients completed volunteer work in Shorewood, Naperville 

LocalLit book review: ‘Halloween Night: Trick or Treat’ is a fun, scary read: Enjoy the ‘crackling of leaves’ the ‘chill in the air’ and ‘the quick heartbeat’ of fear

Mystery Diner: Aurelio’s in Joliet has long history of serving great pizza: Don’t like pizza? Aurelio’s has plenty of other options, too

Stacey DiBitetto will open and lead District 202’s newest elementary school this fall: DiBitetto is a veteran educator at District 202 

Pets of the Week: March 1: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

Regional superintendent: ‘The substitute shortage is very real and has been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic’: Will County seeing ‘shrinking number of qualified candidates’ applying for certain teaching positions

Joliet’s Star Wars Day canceled again: Joliet Public Library said pandemic, library construction factored into decision 

LocalLit book review: a short picture book to brighten your day: Young writer reminds readers where to find true peace

Rockdale boy wasn’t expected to live past birth, and now he’s student of the month: God works through Niko Rodriguez, Niko’s mother Brianna McEvilly said

Gompers teacher help starts #mariachi program for junior high students at D. 86: Christine Adelmann wanted to give students a “culturally relevant musical activity 

Morris superintendent: ‘COVID has been the biggest challenge I’ve ever seen in education’: Substitute, specialty teaching positions hard to fill in #GrundyCounty #education #teachershortage

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Buggy Internet Box?

 For the second time in two days, the internet went down shortly after I signed on.

I know a few tricks to get things moving again, but I'm not as clever as my adults kids (or probably an eight-year-old, but those are in short supply at my house right now, thank you, COVID).

But after a few grumblings and a couple deep breaths, I wrote one of my stories fir The Herald-News this morning.

Just as I finished it, I was able to touch base with Rebekah. She had me up and running in ten minutes. Timothy is wondering if the problem isn't with the internet box since no outages in our area weren't reported - again.

So where I'm behind in email, I'm ahead in writing. And I'm thankful for people in my life that can solve problems that escape my limited technology skill set.

And look - the sun is shining now. 

All signs of a good day, right?

Because a photo of my internet box to accompany this post is, well, rather boring, I'm sharing one of Bertrand, my crocheted mouse, as he's enjoying a nice walk yesterday.

Cute White Cats Compilation

No Coffee? Then Let's Have Tea

I knew a woman once who struggled all of her life in nearly every area of her life.

For all her struggles, her outlook was remarkably positive.

One day we had a conversation about our abilities to whip up a meal when the larders looked rather bare to everyone else.

She agreed, gave a few examples, and then added, "If you don't have coffee, then we'll have tea."

This woman passed away a few years ago. But her amazing spirit stays with me.

Now I'm a coffee drinker. I don't like tea, except for chamomile tea - and I'm allergic to chamomile, so I don't drink it anymore.

But, as I'm sure you've guessed, this post isn't about coffee or tea.

I tend to remember the line of "then we'll have tea" on days when life doesn't fall into neat packages, the way I would like it to fall.

This morning, for example, I'm having inconsistent internet connection, and it's affected my morning routine and early morning workflow.

The odds are all those disruptions won't affect my overall life. Two years down the road (two weeks or two days most likely), I won't even remember this morning's inconveniences.

But I can affect my perspective by grumbling that the internet is not going my way - and not appreciating the fact that Rebekah can (and did) troubleshoot the issue.

Rebekah dislikes disruptions to her routine, too, perhaps even more than I do. But she does like tea.

And I did have coffee this morning.

Photo by Timothy Baran

Four Bloggers You Should Check Out Now

Four of my writerly comrades blog on a regular basis - so I check out their blogs on a regular basis.

The styles are very different, ranging from inspirational to slice of life.

The authors' names are Mauverneen (Maureen Blevins), Holly Coop, Ken McGee, and Sue Merrell. 

Here are a few snippets from some blogs that I've read and enjoyed. Please check them out.

"I had the privilege of having grandparents who lived on The Farm. Not just a farm, but The Farm. I’ll tell you why."

https://kennethleemcgee.com/the-farm-2/

"The shortest month of the year. That means just a little bit less winter."

https://maureenblevins.blogspot.com/2021/02/positively-february.html

"Dang Those Miserable Masks" by Sue Merrell

https://www.suemerrellbooks.com/2020/09/16/dang-those-miserable-masks/

Since our normal has now become – well, what it has become, with this COVID, I want anything but normalcy in twenty twenty-one.

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/06/normalcy/

The principles of those terms may become a necessity, for surviving our current reality.

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/08/nowadays/

There is no dimension

Nowhere in time or space

That we can ever be hidden

From the light of Your saving grace

So thank you for the sunshine, even when our skies are gray

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/10/worship-and-praise/

A new year wakes as we embark on a new age

Embrace a new concept to live a new way

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/11/moon-wink/

"Practice Trolley Riding" 

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/13/practice-trolley-riding/

By taking just a couple minutes more, you can care for yourself just a bit more

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/15/snack-break/

"It's white, and it's wondrous, and, except for the crunching of my boots on the snow,  it's silent."

http://maureenblevins.blogspot.com/2021/01/positively-frosted.html

"Notions, Yearnings and Choices" 

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/18/notions-yearnings-and-choices/

"Labels" 

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/20/labels/

If you think going fast down a mountain in a car is terrifying, try it on a racing bike with skinny tires at speeds approaching sixty miles an hour with the wind blasting your face and bugs splattering your sunglasses.

https://kennethleemcgee.com/adventures-in-cycling-part-1/

"Road Blocks" 

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/24/road-blocks/

"Let Go Your Ego" 

https://hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com/2021/01/29/let-go-your-ego/

"The Junior Class Carnival (and Other Important High School Activities)"

https://kennethleemcgee.com/the-junior-class-carnival-and-other-important-high-school-activities/

Pictured are Kenneth Lee McGee (left) Mauverneen (Maureen) Blevins (top), Sue Merrell, (bottom), and Holly Coop.

Listen Now to Ed Calkins’ First Guest Appearance on a Podcast

A couple weeks ago, Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara and author of the BryonySeries novel Ruthless, received in an invitation to appear on a podcast that an online school for people with dyslexia hosts each week. 

Scheduling was a wee challenging due to the time difference (the school's founder and podcast host lives in Scotland) and my work schedule (Ed's wife Nancy and I were asked to appear, too, because of the nature of our involvement and to bolster Ed's confidence because he's really quite shy), but we got it done. 

I won't editorialize any further. Below is the podcast's introduction and links where you can listen to the one-hour show. I think Ed did a great job. 

 Just these last couple of weeks, he, along with Nancy, have learned Zoom and done three interviews. 

And I'm thrilled to have played a role in fulfilling a lifelong dream for him: writing and publishing a full-length novel. 

Podcast #103 Dyslexia, confidence and an alter ego who turned into a dynamic character of a novel. Ed Calkins

 February 25, 2021 Published by Darius Namdaran

We have a very special and mind-bending episode this week. It’s all about a man with dyslexia who worked 34 years as a driver for a newspaper company and recently published a book with himself as the main character.

 Let’s follow the story of Ed Calkins who had troubles with self-confidence all his life. As a hobby, he created fascinating stories with characters based on real-life people and shared them with his colleagues and friends. One of his friends is an author, Denise Unland, who decided to include Ed, as one of the characters in her trilogy.

 The character, Ed, ended up being a fan favourite that fans of the trilogy wanted to know more about his back story. Ed Calkins took on that challenge and wrote a novel based on the character with the same name. At first, Ed wasn’t confident about his story but after hearing positive feedback about the character, he was motivated to finish his novel.

BulletMap Academy: https://www.bulletmapacademy.com/blog/103

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dyslexia-explored/id1387645599?i=1000510624210  

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1G4TRLzUHE6Alg69e2MLq3?si=a7RhjTinSeCxxEC9afNL0w 

Radiopublic: https://radiopublic.com/dyslexia-explored-Wkdb1l/s1!0fc16 

Podbeam: https://radiopublic.com/dyslexia-explored-Wkdb1l/s1!0fc16  

castbox: https://castbox.fm/episode/103-Dyslexia%2C-confidence-and-an-alter-ego-who-turned-into-a-dynamic-character-of-a-novel.-Ed-Calkins-id1295166-id358915402?country=us 

breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/dyslexia-explored 

Bulletmapacademy: https://bulletmapacademy.com/dyslexia-explored/

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Feb. 20 through Feb. 26

Good morning!

Seventeen stories to share this morning on this beautiful, forty-degree, no-snow day here in the Midwest.

I had a minor procedure on Wednesday, ran into a small snag on Thursday, and so I'm off work until Monday (hopefully snags are done).

Today I can finally eat some real food (albeit soft food). I can also fit both feet into my shoes (I had broken one toe a couple days after Christmas), so my plans today are eating, napping, reading, and getting out for at least one walk.

Have a great Friday!

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

LocalLit book preview — Halloween Night: Trick or Treat: A collection of scary stories for scary February weather 

Joliet business creates replica of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ famous woolly mittens 

An Extraordinary Life: 105-year-old Frankfort sister was ‘small but mighty’: Sister Mary Anna Clare Meyer ‘celebrated life and cared for others’

Be kind to another’s heart: Plainfield Fire Protection District encouraging the community to learning CPR

LocalLit review: ‘Jimmy Jonny Brownie Stays Up All Night’: Charming book with vintage ‘feel’ for modern kids 

Winter weather causes blood supplies to drop: Versiti Blood Center of Illinois asking community to donate 

A new way to celebrate Black History Month: donate blood: American Red Cross honoring the legacies of Drs. Charles Drew, Jerome Holland

D. 204 hosts 3 virtual events for Black History Month 

‘COVID-19 has changed every aspect of school nursing’: Troy nurses expand their roles during the pandemic

Lockport man receives 10,000th vaccine at Silver Cross: His wife received No. 9,999  

Channahon man’s sunrise photo earns him top award in photo contest: Forest Preserve District of Will County received a record number of submissions in 2020 

Pets of the Week: Feb. 22: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

‘Joliet will feel the loss’: City champion Lynne Lichtenauer died from cancer on Tuesday morning

Channahon woman thankful for liver transplant, ‘new lease on life’

Tim Placher honored for promoting local music scene: Drauden Point MS music teacher received award in memory of local pastor

5 L-W art students win awards in the 2021 Scholastic Art Competition: 2 recipients will move onto the national competition

D. 202 high school musicians play in SPC Honor Band Festival: Students also participated in two master classes 

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

No Crows

So I was planning to share a cool video of crows I took a few weeks ago and now I can't find it.

And that, folks, was the blog I was planning to post today.

That now leaves me at posting time scrambling for words. So I'll just leave a few of them here and let you continue with your day.

It's been an adventurous week of procedures (one for my cat Midnight and one for me), the passing of someone from the community whom I really respected (which resulted in that being the last story I wrote before preparing for my said procedure, literally right up to the minute - I was honored to write it), and few unexpected and really precious blessings I didn't see coming.

But this is really the essence of life.

As much as we think we predict it with our schedules and routines, the next minute is not promised to us in the way we imagine it.

That doesn't mean we should sit at the end of our seats holding our breaths. I, for one, am not likely to get much done without a schedule and routine. Most of my life is done by rote because it gives shape and direction to my day.

And yet, how wonderful it is when life tosses a bit of wonder in our direction.

Don't you agree?

Pinterest and YouTube

Last week, Rebekah unveiled a BryonySeries Pinterest she had created for the series from scratch - with more than 2100 pins.

Each block represents a book in the series. And then inside each block are sub-blocks with images that represent various elements in that book.

Please take a look at all her hard work: https://www.pinterest.com/bryonyseries/_saved/

Rebekah also worked very hard on the BryonySeries YouTube channel. Although the series has very little original content, I've been posting related content to this blog since I began it nearly eleven years ago (where does the time go???).

So Rebekah pulled the videos from the blog and made playlists on YouTube. The biggest folder, and this is where WriteOn Joliet's intrepid videographer Duanne Walton gets tons of credit, is all the videos of all the writers from WroteOn Joliet reading original stories at our open mic nights.

She's still fiddling with the YouTube channel, renaming playlists and moving things around. But, again, there's lot of content to explore and enjoy.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/user/BryonySeries.

For Those With Anxiety

Breathe.

Not as in hyperventilation.

But as if you're floating on a wave under sunny sky on a warm day.

Unless, of course, water makes you anxious. If so, feel free to substitute the imagery with one more to your liking.

As a family, we are an anxious group, and we do have some back stories that led to it.

But I've discovered anxiety is quite common, and many people I know suffer from it.

You doubt that? Post a Bible verse or meme about anxiety and see how many "likes" you get. And I've received those "likes" from people I wouldn't have dreamed have an anxious bone in their bodies.

Certainly this past year has given many cause for anxiety.

Pandemic craziness aside, why do people experience so much anxiety? Why is it so prevalent?

Rebekah has a theory that anxious people are more "aware" than people who are not. This awareness makes us less able to live our lives in denial. We know what could happen - and so we fear.

But that is part of anxiety's like. Just because it could happen doesn't mean it will. And even if it does, it probably won't happen the way our overactive imagination paints it.

This morning, some of us are anxious about Midnight. Seemingly out of nowhere, she developed a soft mass on her back, which prompted an early physical.

"Most likely a cyst," the vet said after he examined it. "But let's keep an eye on it."

Then last Saturday, right after our Calkins Day celebration, Midnight's temperature shot up. Except for curing her tapeworms and ear mites when she came to us as a sixteen-week-old kitten (she was found abandoned with her siblings), she's never been sick.

I do mean "never." No fevers, not antibiotics, no infections.

But the animal hospital did a fine needle biopsy on the cyst. And some of it came back suspicious but inconclusive.

So fourteen-year-old Midnight is having the mass removed today for a proper biopsy. And that's one reason why a few of us are anxious this morning.

But just one reason. We can list off half a dozen more on any given day. Seriously. Just ask us.

Being anxious won't help Midnight. And it certainly won't make us feel better or change any outcomes.

It's good to be aware, of course. Being aware helps us make better decisions, I think - at least up to a point.

Yet anxiety can cause level-headedness to fly out the window, too. It can throw chaos into sound thinking and the decisions we made with a calmer mind.

One terrible part of anxiety is that it makes people feel alone in their fears. And that's why I'm writing this post today.

Because "feeling alone" is also part of anxiety's lie. The Anxiety Club is actually quite large. And somedays, our family feels like we hold all the officer, alumni, and emeritus positions.

None of this will make you feel less anxious today if anxiety is already ruling your Monday.

But, hopefully, you are smiling a little and feeling slightly less alone.

Breathe.

Calkins Day Recap - and a Podcast Opportunity

Shortly before Calkins Day, the editor of a podcast reached out to Ed Calkins on the BryonySeries email account.

He had read an article about Ed and was inviting Ed to appear on the Dyslexia Explored podcast and share his story about living with dyslexia and how he overcame hid dyslexia in order to write his first novel, "Ruthless."

The only challenge is that the podcast is based in Scotland and we, of course, live in the Midwest in the United States. So the time difference is six hours.

But we found a mutually compatible time to meet on Zoom. Yes, "we."

For all of Ed's hilarious posts, he is actually very shy and lacks confidence, especially where his dyslexia is concerned. So he wanted Nancy and me to meet the host, Darius Namdaran (who also has dyslexia), with him.

I stayed mostly in the background until our meeting drew to a close so the three of them chat. Then I asked the "who" "what" "when" "where" and "how" about the actual podcast so Ed would know what to expect.

He was relieved to know it would look much like that day's Zoom meeting, except it would be recorded and it would have no video.

Scheduling was a bit of an issue, due to the time difference and my work schedule because Ed and Darius insisted I should be on the podcast, too.

But we are going to record it early in the morning early next week, before I would even need to be at work. When the link is live, I will share it on this blog. I've learned a lot about Ed and Nancy and dyslexia this past year through Ed's writing of Ruthless, and I am looking forward to hearing more of their stories.

As far as Calkins Day went, I think it went as well as a virtual event could go. No one had any major technical difficulties (except Chef Tim at the beginning). 

My WriteOn Joliet co-leader Tom Hernandez is a wonderfully engaging host, and Chef Tim's three cooking demos, sprinkled throughout the one-hour program, added to the vibrant, upbeat flow of the night.

We had thirty people register in advance. A few wound up not making it, but then a few registered shortly before the event started. We gave away three books (which Ed will sign and ship as soon as he receives them), with one of the winners being this author. 

A few people showed up as much as an hour early, so I quipped about them wanting to get a good seat. Anyone who brought the requested food ingredients could assemble their own refreshments under Chef Tim's tutorials. Anyone in attendance who wanted the recipe was invited to email us after the program.

We did not record the event to respect the privacy of those attending. So those who missed it will not, unfortunately, be able to catch it on the BryonySeries YouTube channel.

What about sales?

Ed's expectations are extremely modest and realistic, despite the proliferation of indie author success stories on the internet.

He's thrilled that he's sold about half a dozen copies online so far (before and after the event) and feels he's way ahead of Chaucer.

Ed and I both agree that the main goal is to write a good story and then work hard to find that story a home in the hands and mind and hearts of people who want to read it. BryonySeries marketing efforts are directed to that end.

To that end, this dyslexic, sixty-something, newly retired paper carrier is already working on his sequel.

Ed Calkins signs copies of his first book (a compilation of blog posts) at the Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet during Calkins Day 2018.