Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Aug. 28 through Sept. 3

Good morning!

I havetwenty-three stories to share with you today and quite a few not yet posted, so watch for them over the long weekend.

Quiet a bit has changed on the fiction front, so here is a quick recap.

We have another book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer series to share (Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being, co-written by Rebekah, who also needs surgery now). Our artist Sue Midlock is currently working on the chapter heading illustrations. Timothy saw her last night and said the drawings are about halfway done.

Sue is recovering nicely now from that surgery but may have another issue, ugh! So please keep the good thoughts coming. 

Timothy and I had outlined Cornell Dyer and the Calcium-Deficient Bones and I hope to complete the first draft this weekend. We have another breakfast scheduled for tomorrow - hopefully - to work on another Cornell Dyer story. This one is another parody and features a character named Sherman Homes.

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

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

I created quite a few character outlines for all the new characters (and returning minor characters who now have secondary or major role) in the second book of the Limbo trilogy: Call of the Siren. I've written the first and last line for every chapter and become more granular on the outlines. 

Since I'm not going to Raleigh this year AGAIN (I'm so bummed), I'm planning two at-home writing retreats with my vacation time and want to make good use of that time as we'd like to release the book in 2022. The first writing retreat is the week Rebekah has surgery. 

The writing retreat starts on an odd day off, then I work four days through the weekend and then I will be off. I have my writing homework outlined and ready for me to get started.

I also have in my possession the first piece of completed cover art for the "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls. It's beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! She was working on art for the next two books (I have eight planned in all) - until she was in a bad motorcycle accident. Please send up good thoughts for her, too!

I have one "Girls of the BryonySeries" book ready for editing, a second in progress, and some really skeletal outlines for the rest. So I'm not lacking in projects, just time - but I have three days this weekend and intend to make good use of them. 

Now back to the twenty-three stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too -

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Sunday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks or will be featured in an upcoming cookbook.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need support in your writing, I highly recommend this Twitter group: #5amwritersclub. I  joined it last year. Writers support each other on Twitter and meet every three weeks at 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CST - needless to say, I am often late!) on Zoom.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

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

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

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

FEATURES

Getting all people vaccinated - that’s the mission of this Joliet resident: RJ Barry-Ethridge is a COVID Ambassador for the state of Illinois

LocalLit book preview: All you need is another Beatles book - yes, really: Joliet history professor published book focusing on Fab Four’s time in Chicago

Nursing was her dream – until she decided not to get the COVID-19 vaccine: CNA from #Joliet nursing home refuses COVID vaccine and tells why

Pets of the Week: Aug. 29: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

Morris Hospital physical therapist is a ‘professional who gets the best therapy results’: Renee Joder honored as Morris Hospital’s Fire Starter of the Month

Trinity Services recognized for 10 recent advances to help people with developmental disabilities and mental illness: 2021 International Business Awards honors New Lenox nonprofit with a Stevie Award 

Pets of the Week: Extra: Here’s an extra edition of dogs and cats for adoption by Will County rescues

LocalLit book review: recovering addict offers advice about achieving goals: ‘Body. Mind. Beatdown.’ is a concise, no-nonsense guide to making your dreams come true

An Extraordinary Life: Athlete’s family paying it forward in his name on Sept. 12: Rick Baranak of Shorewood was ‘the type of person you get to meet once in a lifetime’ 

Joliet Central’s classes of 1989-1991 to host combined reunion: Special incentives for early registration 

HRSA grant will help Joliet university prepare nursing educators: Goal: reduce nursing faculty shortage, address health disparities 

From teen entrepreneurs to young adults with a downtown storefront: Joliet Kreamers is the place to buy, sell or trade your sneakers

Morris Hospital, Silver Cross post daily COVID numbers: Morris Hospital also breaks down cases by vaccination status 

As COVID cases rise, need for blood rises, too: Here’s where to donate in Will County this September

New police chief for the village of Frankfort: Board approved Leanne Bender-Chelep for role

Protect forests and natural resources as a USDA wildland firefighter: The USDA Forest Service Eastern Region has 14 openings

Morris Hospital changing visitor guidelines due to rising COVID cases: Changes were effective Friday, Aug. 27

Edward Hospital’s tiniest preemie is now a senior at Plainfield Central: Zoe Koz’s earliest days were filled with ‘tubes and wires and machines’

5 Things to Do in Will County: End of summer fun includes festivals, luau, Labor Day party: For some quiet fun, check out an unique exhibit of historical buildings

Use Labor Day weekend to plan your fall colors: Will County Inside/Outside Guide offers suggestions for enjoying your weekend

10 opportunities to chase away loneliness in kids: Angelic Kindness donated Buddy Benches to 10 schools around VVSD District 365U 

Joliet club for students receives WiFi-connected Lift Zone: Lift Zone also will help the G.W. Buck Boys & Girls Club of Joliet extend its programs and services

Black pastor and photographer delivers stirring pro-vaccination message: Nolan McCants’ ‘Stillness’ video is part of the Arts Alliance Illinois’ ‘Vax to Get Back’ project 

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

The Devil-Doll Official Trailer #1 - Lionel Barrymore Movie (1936) HD

"It's Complicated" (Character List for Just One Scene)

If my WriteOn comrades will let me take up a chunk of time at our WriteOn Joliet meeting this Thursday, I'd like to read a very long excerpt.

It's not because I like the sound of my voice or think my writing is better than anyone else.

But, rather, the topic of "voice" has come up at the last couple of meetings, and this scene has A LOT of different voices.

In the book where this scene falls, the characters are introduced gradually. But they won't be when/if I read it.

So I created a character sheet last weekend for the meeting. This character sheet has a brief overview of who these people are. The scene itseld shows how I develop their "voices."

For me, as a writer, creating character "voice" is the most challenging of the entire process.

And this particular scene posed a particular challenge when I wrote it back in 2015 because it was the first time I had written an event in a crowd where many of the characters gathered at once. The "voice" for each character had to be highly developed for the scene to have dimension and depth. Otherwise, I risked clogging up the scene with "he saids" and "she saids" just to keep the voices all straight.

So here is the cast of characters. And if this doesn't scare away my fellow writers, and if they let me, I will read the scene in which all these people appear.

You can see why I struggled with it...

FISHER FARM PUMPKIN PARTY

October 1884 Munsonville, Michigan, a fictitious “Utopian” remote village in Northern Michigan where “everyone is welcome.” Residents practice vegetarianism.

Industries: fishing, lumbering, maple-syruping

Leader: Owen Munson. Owns the land, overseas commerce and village development, is “shepherd” to the “sheep.” Caused a division by appointing a good friend as mayor (some people thought Owen should be mayor). Short, stocky, curly black hair, healthy teeth (an important sign of wealth), always wears his cowboy hat, struts through the village singing cowboy songs. Mostly on the go, bunks in a sparsely furnished fishing cabins.

This excerpt: The small, but growing community (about 75 – don’t worry; they don’t all talk in this scene) is gathering on Fisher Farm (just outside Munsonville proper) for a harvest fest. Excerpt is through a 9-year-old girl’s eyes. The people mentioned are the ones most familiar to her.

MARSEILLES FAMILY

Bryony Marseilles: Age 9. Slender with long, thick, wavy tan hair typically pulled back and held with a bow. Being raised by her bitter, widowed father; is anemic, sheltered, a tad mouthy at times, and slightly spoiled by the childless Mr. and Mrs. Parks, her adopted Uncle Orville and Uncle Bertha.

Reverend Galien Marseilles: The church’s pastor is tall and thin with gray, short-cropped hair and pointed beard. He wears only black, partakes in no village festivities, wants to make a “new woman” out of Bryony, and obsessively controls her environment.

PARKS FAMILY

Orville Parks: Short, fat, middle aged. Curly brown hair, furry brown mustache, loves to fish and tell fish stories. Very easy-going unless you piss him off.

Bertha Parks: Much taller than Orville with a gray beehive. Bossy, self-important, gossiper. Housekeeper to the Marseilles family and Bryony’s only mother figure.

BASS FAMILY

Theodore “Teddy” Bass: Master carpenter, average height, round and pock-marked “Man in the Moon” face. Loud-mouthed. Leads all the building and furniture making under the name Bass and Betts. Is married to the best cook and baker in the village. He and his wife often get into fist fights, which Owen has to break up. One of the many who’s resentful that Owen isn’t mayor. Often heckles Mayor Boswell Pike.

Sally Bass: See above. Blonde, large-boned, outspoken, and a flirt. Cares for Pearl Griffith (see way below), who is sick with an unspecified lung disease and bedridden. Might have slept with Pearl’s husband Gus Griffith.

DRAKE FAMILY

Stuart Drake: Middle age, slightly pedantic, shopkeeper. Gray hair, wears gray pin-striped suits. Wife is 20 years younger, got lucky in marrying her. Her dad hated him, but Dad was dying of consumption and that would have left his 15-year-old daughter in the village without male protection. Stuart isn’t creepy. He’s crazy about Belinda in a good way. Pouts if he doesn’t get his way. Closely mentors his oldest son. Often forgets he has a younger son.

Belinda Drake: Skinny, timorous, nearsighted (no glasses), fine auburn hair, poorly educated, pregnant.

Addison Drake: Age 11, mirrors his father. Except for the gray hair.

Norton Drake: Little and lively. About 4.

HASSET FAMILY

The newest family to Munsonville and introduced in this scene.

Richard “Dick” Hasset: Journalist who started The Munsonville Times, the village’s first and only newspaper. He’s calm with merry eyes, handlebar mustache, loud bowties. Quickly becomes good friends with Mayor Boswell Pike.

Lula Hasset: Brown hair, quiet, glasses, serious. Quickly becomes friends with Janet Pike, Mayor Pike’s wife.

Lillian Hasset: Age 12, a miniature of her mother. Minus the glasses.

Leo Hasset: Tall, slim, brown hair, 11. Happy.

Luther Hasset: Less tall, slim, brown hair, 10. Somber.

PIKE FAMILY

Mayor Boswell Pike: Looks like Mephistopheles, lives in a gated colonial at the top of the hill, has expensive horses, an expensive carriage. Has six children – two with his first wife who died giving birth to an unnamed third (also dead) – and three with his new wife Janet, for whom he advertised. Dresses elegantly in expensive clothes. Philosophy teacher at a liberal arts college the next town over. His dissenters complain he spends more time with his books than “mayoring.” Not a hands-on person, although he’s chopped his share of trees (nearly cutting off his hand) and buried his share of the dead (got frostbite in the process).

Janet Pike: Tall, brunette, broad-shouldered, confident, a former teacher from Boston.

Only two of their kids are mentioned in this scene. Blanche, a toddler, who crawls underfoot, and Boswell Junior, subtly vicious and cold-hearted, age 11.

BETTS FAMILY

Sebastian Betts: Known as the village sot behind his back. He’s nevertheless a master carpenter and half of the Bass and Betts team. Short, chunky, with a square head, tight auburn curls, florid complexion. Wears glasses. College-educated. Inflated sense of self worth.

Phoebe Betts: Skinny with fine yellow hair and freckles. Illiterate. Foul-mouthed and loudly insulting of the girl her son Paulie likes (farther in the book, at their wedding, she yells “Slut!” during the service). Drinks just as much. If not more.

The Betts have five boys, ages 12 through 21, and one daughter. The kids all look like Phoebe. All the kids are illiterate.

Denny: Fell off the roof while building their saltbox, is paralyzed and confined to bed

Paulie: Quiet, a carpenter with Bass and Betts, in love with Ida Griffith

Robbie: Mama's boy, easily influenced by others

Milty: Eager to please, personal assistant to Mayor Pike, being educated, not in this scene

Freddie: Fat, stupid, dull, disinterested.

Susan: Skinny, wispy blonde hair that’s usually dirty. Freckles. Dull cornflower eyes. Bryony’s best friend, thanks to Mrs. Parks who insisted to Reverend that Bryony have a playmate. Age 9.

FISHER FAMILY

“Old Man” Clyde Fisher: Oldest man resident. Typically wears overall and boots unless he goes to town. Limp white hair that touches his shoulders. Calm, mellow, soft-spoken, tanned, slender, muscular, good friends with Owen Munson (they have a past).

James Fisher: Clyde Fisher’s great nephew. Came to Munsonville in his late teens with his pregnant girlfriend (now wife). Short, round, brown hair, baby face. Hardly speaks. Shuns alcohol. About 27.

Maybelle Fisher: Pregnant with sixth child. Heavy (gets heavier with each child), a run-on sentence type of chatterbox, thick dark hair past her shoulders, easy-going. Shuns alcohol. About 25.

Their five girls range in age from 4 to 9, not in sight, hanging out with unnamed others at this event. They all have dark curly hair and give their parents no trouble.

GRIFFITH FAMILY

Gus Griffith: Lumberjack, came to Munsonville because his wife Pearl has a lung issue (better air) and is confined to bed. Sally Bass cares for wife, home, and hearth while he’s busy in the woods. And maybe Gus, when he’s home from the woods.

Pearl Griffith: Never seen, only her struggle to breathe is heard.

Harv Griffith: Late teens. Lumberjack like his father. Interested in politics and current events.

Ida Griffith: About sixteen. Gawky, homely, and under the wing of Janet Pike. Ida gets Janet’s hand-me-downs and helps out with the Pike children, especially little Blanche. Paulie Betts is in love with her. She’s oblivious.

Three Good Songs

I'd like to share three songs that you may not have heard that are really sweet.

They are from a Korean drama Rebekah and I finished last week. It's called Something in the Rain, and I'd recommend it for writers who would like to see a really good construction of relationship, including how the relationship affects the people around us (for as many romances would like us to believe, relationships don't exist in a vacuum).

Also, again for writers, the character development is outstanding. 

I also recommend it to people who would like a good instroduction to Korena culture.

Lastly, the drama addresses a number of taboos. The Wikipedia page gives a good overview of both the story and the taboos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_in_the_Rain

Now for the songs. The first is a cover of a familiar song, and the first time I've watched a K-drama that had an American song. I wasn't certain I liked it when it first played but soon changed my mind.

The next two are just nice. Again, I wasn't certain how I felt about them at first, so I suggest listening to them all the way to the end before you decide.

Have a great day! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1YAdFjdvx4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJq2YsoSHk0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt5yUcunUmI

Forest hermit to Professor, it's never too late to change. | Dr. Gregory P. Smith | TEDxByronBay

Year Of The Cat - Courtlyn Carr

Mary Bergin Tin Whistle

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Aug. 21 through Aug. 27

Good morning!

I have eighteen stories to share with you today and another eleven not yet posted, so watch for them over the weekend.

Nothing has changed, fiction-wise, in the last couple of weeks, but I'll quickly recap.

We have another book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer series to share (Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being, co-written by Rebekah, who also needs surgery now). Our artist Sue Midlock is currently working on the chapter. Thank you for the good thoughts. She is recovering nicely now from that surgery but may have another issue, ugh! So please keep the good thoughts coming.

Timothy and I had our first "Cornell Breakfast" last week to start Cornell Dyer and the Calcium-Deficient Bones. We have one scheduled for tomorrow - hopefully.

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

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

I'm currently working on tons of character outlines for all the new characters (and returning minor characters who now have secnodary or major role) in the second book of the Limbo trilogy: Call of the Siren. Last weekend, I also wrote the first and last line for every chapter. 

Last weekend, I got a little more granular on the outlines. Since I'm not going to Raleigh this year AGAIN (I'm so bummed), I'm planning two at-home writing retreats with my vacation time and want to make good use of that time as we'd like to release the book in 2022.

I also have in my possession the first piece of completed cover art for the "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls. It's beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! She was working on art for the next two books (I have eight planned in all) - until she was in a bad motorcycle accident. Please send up good thoughts for her, too!

I have one "Girls of the BryonySeries" book ready for editing, a second in progress, and some really skeletal outlines for the rest. So I'm not lacking in projects, just time. And coffee.

Now back to the eighteen stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too -

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Sunday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks or will be featured in an upcoming cookbook.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need support in your writing, I highly recommend this Twitter group: #5amwritersclub. I  joined it last year. Writers support each other on Twitter and meet every three weeks at 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CST - needless to say, I am often late!) on Zoom.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

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

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

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

FEATURES

 Longtime Joliet daycare provider ‘GaGa Cindy’ battling rare and incurable cancer: Amber Kolodziej: ‘She thought she’d be watching kids until she was 80′ 

Need free food? Come to this Crest Hill church on Aug. 27: Word of Life to host mobile food pantry

Do you have a Joliet story to share? Wednesday’s town hall meeting is for you: Joliet Focus to share details of its new app at museum

An Extraordinary Life: Joliet woman survived 4 serious car accidents, had a ‘big, giving heart’: Raynice Tadey ‘cared very deeply about everyone around’

LocalLit book review: Children’s book aims to give hope to the hopeless: The heart of ‘Eva’s Heart’ is to never give up

Joliet based hotline seeking Catholics in good standing: Upper Room Crisis #hotline begins volunteer training in September

LocalLit book preview: a blunt, concise guide to wellness from an unlikely author: Lockport resident used drugs, spent time in prison. Now he shares his ‘guide to conquering demons and crushing goals’ in new book 

LocalLit book review: a new/old way to experience Illinois this summer: Route66 guidebook for Illinois has directions, photos, suggestions for best experiences

A day just for Joliet youth and their families: Joliet Unity Movement held annual 815 Youth Day on Aug. 15

New organization seeks to strengthen the Latino business community: The Joliet Latino Economic Development Association brings resources and opportunities to members

Crest Hill hoping to expedite new development along Weber Road: City Council unanimously approves TIF inducement resolution on Monday

Veterans: meeting with a VSO officer is about to get easier: Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Service Office opens Aug. 23 in Lockport

Will County health officials hope full approval of Pfizer vaccine will convince some to get the jab: Full FDA approval is ‘a step in the right direction’ 

3 Will County hospitals mandate COVID-19 vaccines: Morris Hospital, DuPage Medical Group undecided 

Joliet native keeps murdered teen’s memory alive: Bill O’Connell will discuss the details of his book ‘Fourteen: The Murder of David Stukel’ at museum webinar this Thursday 

5 Things to do in Will County: have a doggone good time at the Crest Hill library on Saturday: More suggestions for your weekend: free concert, open air yoga, doughnuts and drafts

Too hot this weekend? Plan your autumn walking challenge: Will County Inside/Outside Guide offers suggestions for enjoying your weekend

Joliet area residents speak out about the #COVID shot: With full FDA approval of the #Pfizervaccine they hope more people will get it

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

What Uncle Barty Wants You to Know

Philosophers, scientists, and theologians have debated for centuries on what constitutes the beginning of life.

The BryonySeries novel Staked! gives a brief explanation of how Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, populated the kingdom of his imagination - and how he invented the fairy Glorna in particular.

It was a perfect life, and Glorna was grateful for the steward’s generous gift of consciousness. One moment he did not exist, and the next he sat cross-legged under a toadstool, the tips of his pointed ears grazing its velvety, cone-shaped cap as he blew a treble jig. When he willed it, Glorna expanded to the height of a full-grown man, one that kept an immaculate cottage and bountiful garden. Other times, he shrank smaller than a butterfly, scaled trees with the agility of a lizard, and glided through the air with the easy speed of a dragonfly.

As you know, for the last few weeks, Uncle Barty has spent all his time searching for his missing nephew Bertrand the Mouse.

Uncle Barty has searched for Bertrand here.

Uncle Barty has searched for Bertrand there.

Uncle Barty scaled steep steps...

...busy roads (always look both ways before crossing)...

...and dangerous beasts.

Uncle Barty has even searched in places where he had little hope of finding Bertrand.

No matter what, Uncle Barty has not given up.

And it paid off, too.

Because Uncle Barty found something intriguing in the middle of a field today, all way the back by a fence line. So he went to investigate.

Yes! Bertrand the Mouse!

Now Bertrand had no idea he'd worried Uncle Barty. 

Bertrand did not know Uncle Barty had searched many days for him. 

Bertrand did not remember falling out of my pocket. 

He did not remember our past adventures. He did not remember his Instagram page or the books that feature him.

One moment Bertrand was not and the next moment he was here, enjoying a crocheted mouse-type of life. And it was a happy life for Bertrand, full of cheese and crackers and books and sunshine and sweet green grass.

But Bertrand could not sit in the middle of a field enjoying life. He had a purpose for being and job to do (just like we all have a purpose for being and a job to do) and Uncle Barty had to make his little nephew understand that.

Which he did, over the cheese and crackers Bertrand kindly shared. 

And what is Bertrand's job?

In the BryonySeries, we sum it up like this:

Have you met Bertrand the Mouse? He’s always on the go and happy to lend a helping…paw…to bring the joys of reading to children.

Once Bertrand understood that, he willing left with Uncle Barty, ready to return to the life he had forgotten.

For more information, visit bryonyseries.com.

Goodbye, Bertrand (Part 2)

Think of an object you treasure. 

Hold that image in your mind.

Why do you treasure it? From where does its value come?

The answers are as varied as the world has objects to hold dear. 

Perhaps it conjures memories.

Perhaps a loved one owned it or gave it to us.

Perhaps it has high monetary value.

Perhaps we found it on a day we felt low.

But in all cases, a treasured item holds value because we ascribe value to it, because we hold it in esteem, because it stirs our emotions or soothes our fears or transports us away from the everyday, the commonplace.

Yet when we strip our perceived value away from the object, we see the object in its most basic essence (hold onto this last word).

The truth about all material objects is that they will, eventually, break down, rust, crumble, yellow, mold, crack. We can preserve items and delay the process. But decay is their fate. Heck, it's even our fate.

Sometimes a crocheted mouse, no matter how loved, no matter how much value WE attach to him, is just that: strands of gray and red yarn and stuffing. And even crocheted mice can't escape their fate and must go to the place all toys must go someday.

And sometimes, we do not control when and where and how and why that happens.

Isn't it ironic that this was the last photo I snapped of Bertrand and posted on his Instagram page?

I snapped it at 7:05 a.m. May 5, 2021. And see? He's still wearing the facemask he wore all during COVID, courtesy of Rebekah, who made it for him.

The road before him beckons and leads to where we cannot see. And Bertrand pauses at its threshhold. Perhaps he sensed what we could not?

After I took the photo, I pushed him back into my pocket. I never saw him again. And to say I desperately miss him is an understatement.

But this is not the end of Bertrand's story. 

Keep scrolling. 

And try to follow the path of my mind.

Many science fiction fans have watched, or at least know of, Doctor Who. It's a BBC-produced science fiction show that piloted in 1963 and is still running today.

Because it's aired for so long, my kids and I have seen different versions. The Doctor himself, a Time Lord who travels on a ship called the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space), is a bit of an enigma. 

That turned out to be an advantage to the show. In a 2013 article, The Atlantic said:

"When it started in 1963, Doctor Who should not have succeeded. A committee created it, to fill a time slot. It had a small budget. The BBC intended for it to be a children's educational show focusing on science and history. Oh, and it debuted the night after John F. Kennedy was assassinated."

Three years later, the main character had to be replaced. Short reason: the actor, William Hartnell, was ill and could not be Doctor Who anymore.

So the concept of "regenerating" him began. 

And it worked.

Without Hartnell's illness, without the regeneration, Doctor Who would not be fresh and alive today and on its thirteenth regeneration (if my count is accurate).

A really important part of the show was having the Doctor regenerate in the middle of a storyline. Doctor Who storylines had multiple episodes, which ended on a cliffhanger.

So when the Doctor did regenerate, he typically did in the middle of a storyline, with the "new" Doctor eventually completing the story (which could take a few more episodes) and continuing on with the series.

Some Doctors only lasted a couple of seasons. And some stayed for nearly a decade.

For the curious (or nostalgic), here's a video that shows all the regenerations.

So it turns out the essence of Bertrand, after all, is not just gray and red yarn and stuffing. For Bertrand is a little bit of everyone who created him, everyone who esteemed him, everyone who cradled him.

If Bertrand had not gone missing, my three youngest adult children would not have shown their fine character by spending hours (on more than one occasion), retracing all the various routes Rebekah and I took on our morning walks in the hopes of spotting him lying on the ground, waiting to be found.

If Bertrand had not gone missing, the mother of one of Bertrand's former fans would not have taken ten hours of her time to study Bertrand's Instagram photos in order to "discover" Uncle Barty and make sure he arrived safely in Joliet to search for his missing nephew. 

If Bertrand had not gone missing, his real mommy would never have pushed herself to "regenerate" him, to ensure he continues to delight children of all ages for a very long time to come.

If Bertrand had not gone missing, Sarah and I would not have brainstormed some new projects for Bertrand, projects that required the type of explanation I had to tease out in these last two posts.

For the essence of Bertrand is love - love and imagination and creativity, traits that keep us forever young.

And love, where it reigns, makes everything OK.

It's OK if Bertrand, when he comes home, isn't quite the Bertrand we remember. It's OK if the red in the ears is not exactly in the right place. It's OK if the tail is a little too short or a little too long. It's OK if the nose is a little too pointy or slightly rounded.

That's good news for us, too. You see, I don't look like this anymore. In fact, I haven't looked like this for fifty-eight years.

But I am still me. So now...

...it's time for the next chapter in Bertrand's tail/tale.

And I will share that in tomorrow's post.

Goodbye, Bertrand (Part 1)

Many of you who read this blog already know who Bertrand the Mouse is.

If you do not, read this post first. 

And then read this post in order to get an idea of Bertrand's impact on people of all ages.

The crazy thing about all of it is that, just a few weeks before Bertrand disappeared, I had noticed his little tail was slightly unbraided, and bits of red threads were coming out of his ears.

And it suddenly occurred to me that Bertrand was getting old, at least in crocheted mouse years. With only two Bertrand prototypes in the whole world (the other "lives" in Raleigh), I was forced to consider what I would do once Bertrand was too frail too handle.

I thought about other long-time animal toys, such as Lamb Chop (I had that "linked-to" LP as a child) and Kermit the Frog. Surely, the modern day versions couldn't be the originals, could they?

I couldn't find an answer regarding Lamb Chop. But I did find this on Kermit.

So, perhaps, having my attention drawn to Bertrand's current state was God's way of preparing us for what was to come.

Still, when it came, we simply were not prepared for it. It wasn't just me, either. Other adults whose children had enjoyed Bertrand (heck, other adults that had enjoyed Bertrand) reached out to express their dismay at his disappearance.

I've had three dreams (so far) that he's come home. I'm not the only one who'se dreamt of him. Crazy, right? He's just a little crocheted mouse.

And yet, watch this scene about the "reality" of Kermit, starting at the 22:45 mark (RIP, Tim Brook-Taylor, yes COVID).

So, OK. 

I understood that, at some point, I would "retire" the original Bertrand to a life of peaceful dormancy. And I assumed it would be inside this shoebox.

Bertrand would rest beside the first mouse my kids dubbed as Bertrand and presented to me one St. Nicholas, more than six months before I began this blog and shortly before my first book Bryony, was accepted for publication by a small press: December 2009.

The kdis put this mouse in a shoebox, because John-Peter in Staked! captures the "real" Bertrand with a shoebox. I hadn't even finished Staked! when I received this mouse. I was just two-thirds through the first draft (Timothy and Rebekah were my beta readers).

After emptying a shoe box and plucking an apple core from his knapsack, John-Peter sprinted down the hall on bare toes. The faint television sounds from the first floor master bedroom suggested Kellen might still be awake, but the silence from his mother’s bedroom didn’t necessarily mean she had gone to bed, since it was only eleven o’clock. The attic door gave a slight creak as he opened it, but that was all. No parent stirred; no parent called out. John-Peter noiselessly sped up the stairs.

            Once in the attic, he rolled the core across the floor and crouched, box opened, waiting for Kellen’s potential victim to approach. Several minutes passed with no mouse. John-Peter remained motionless. More time elapsed, and still the mouse had not appeared. What if Ed Calkins...

            A scuffle, a scratching, and WHAM! The mouse was his.

            Back inside his bedroom, John-Peter taped the box shut and punched several air holes in the top. He had just buried the box inside his closet when he heard a car door slam. He snatched his shoes and sprang for the tree.

If you think this is a lonely life for the shoebox mouse, well, my WriteOn Joliet comrades brought him a companion.

And a close-up look:

So this is where I thought Bertrand the Mouse would spend his retirement years, in the company of other pretend mice. 

But it turned out our final major event together was a virtual writing retreat the last weekend in April with the #5amwritersclub where he was a "stowaway."

I can't describe the terrible feeling on Mother's Day when I put my hand in my coat pocket where he'd lived during COVID (wearing his facemask), so he'd be handy for photos on morning walks, and felt an empty pocket.

This time, I knew he was gone for good. 

This time, you ask?

Oh, yeah, he fell out of that pocket just a few weeks earlier. You see, he'd gone missing so many times, that I obsessively checked my pocket while walking to make sure he was there.

So the time before the very last time, when I felt that empty pocket, Rebekah and I backtracked on our walk just in time to find a man picking him off the sidewalk, ready to toss him on top of his grass clippings in the trash. WHEW!

On another occasion, Rebekah and Jasmine lost Bertrand when they had taken him shopping with them. They scoured a parking lot - and found him lying there, not run over.

Now the first time Bertrand went missing, he was gone about two weeks. We discovered him outside one of the cats' litter boxes, covered in litter.

Needless to say, he got a bath! As you can see, he did NOT want to get wet.

Actually, this is how Bertrand REALLY got his baths.

The scariest time Bertrand went missing was after an especially challenging day at work. I'd walked home in the rain, caught a ride to a small writing workshop I taught once a month, and discovered Bertrand was missing when I let him out to play, like he liked to do during class.

I frantically called Timothy and Daniel. It was now at least an hour since Bertrand went missing in the rain. They retraced my steps, in the rain for it was raining still, and finally found him, in the middle of Springfield Avenue, where I had crossed the street by St. Joe's hospital. He was soaked, bedraggled, but safe.

So how could Bertrand be missing this time? Is it because God took his eye off Bertrand? Is it because God looked away and didn't see him fall? Why would we find Bertrand the other times and not this time?

To compound our problem, Bertrand's "real mommy" (I'm merely his mistress) has many, many health problems - and recently underwent open heart surgery. So we knew "remaking" him was not an option - and yet, if we had to "remake" him, only his real mommy would do.

Because Bertrand is very attached to his real mommy.

And like any good crocheted mouse, he always posted a special message on her Facebook wall for her birthday. Here was one of them.

Happy birthday to my "Mommy" and favorite person ever. Love, your little crocheted mouse, Bertrand.

And he sent her copies of all his books - as gifts from him to her. 

But even if Bertrand's mommy could remake Bertrand, how could the new mouse be the real Bertrand? 

Would a replacment Bertrand feel like Bertrand to me? The "real" Bertrand and I had been on so many adventures together over the years. I knew his shape and the way he fit in the palm of my hand. He had these cute Bertrandish expressions...

After we couldn't find him, we kept thinking of him being picked up off the sidewalk and tossed into the trash: smashed, forlorn, forgotten.

Old photos I had taken of Bertrand and never posted on his Instagram page kept showing up as memories in my Google photos in very painful ways.

Would a child that knows and loves Bertrand hold the new Bertrand and say, "That's not Bertrand!" and drop him on the table and turn away, disillusioned?

You may think these are silly questions. But any child that has loved and lost a toy will eye the new one suspiciously. Even if you find an exact one, it is never exact.

I know that. Kids know that.

So when Sarah reached out to Bertrand's mommy and explained what happened, Bertrand's mommy, despite all her health issues, wanted to help.

Because of it, I needed genuine, authentic answers for Bertrand the Mouse, answers that would satisfy me and satisfy anyone who had known and held Bertrand.

And I knew just where to find them.