Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 9 to July 15

Good morning!

I have thirteen feature stories to share with you today - and more not yet posted. So do check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news. 

This past spring,  also wrote an additional nineteen stories for a special "Thank You, Teachers," edition that will ran in print and online on May 5. You can check out all those stories at this link: https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/thank-you/teachers/

I also wrote a three-part series on the impact of COVID on kids, which you will at the bottom of this blog.

On the fiction side of things, we recently released Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being. It's not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

We also released Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

Rebekah hopes to upload Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy, with gorgeous cover art by Nancy Calkins) very soon. The book is ready to go except for a little trouble Rebekah is having with KDP. 

I'm currently outlining the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. 

And I'm also working on a guide book to the series called: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries.

Next up in the series: a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes), which has a solid outline. Sue Midlock is already working on the cover and the interior art: Sherman Homes and the Howls of Basketville.

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) has completed two portraits for  "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls and is currently working on a third. The portraits are beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! 

Rebekah has completed cover art for two of "Girls of the BryonySeries" books. They are beautiful! One book in this series of eight books is completely written, a second is halfway written, and the rest are outlined. 

Rebekah is also working on updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts, so watch for those.

Now back to the thirteen 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 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 on Twitter at @BryonySeries and assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.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.

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

New to thrifting? Try these inflation-fighting resale stores in Will County: Clothes, furniture, toys and more can be found secondhand.

Cleared COVID-19 but not the symptoms? You are not alone. Local doctors seeing persistent symptoms in some of their patients.

Morris Hospital credits new MRI for improved scans in less time and with greater patient comfort: The new MRI replaces Morris Hospital’s 11-year-old model.

Therapy animals delight clients at UCP-Center for Disability Services in Joliet: Therapy animals have a wide range of benefits.

Joliet nonprofit teaming up with Joliet pizzeria to offer free hot meals. The first meal will be distributed July 14.

Rotary Club of Joliet donates 2,000 dictionaries to 3rd and 4th grade students at 15 D. 86 schools: Sheehan: ‘The kids get so excited about it.’

Pets of the Week: July 11, 2022: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

Mystery Diner in Crest Hill: La Chicanita Bakery serves fresh Mexican breads, pastries and more: Aromas are amazing and staff very friendly

Inflation: Will County residents hunker down: ‘This country is going the wrong way; let’s face it.’

‘Smoke’ the competition at Frankfort’s 13th annual Amateur Rib Cook-Off: Deadline to enter is July 22.

Will County Coroner’s Office seeking community’s help with a cold case: Sullivan: ‘It’s about the families being able to have some closure.’

5 Things to do in Will County: Plainfield Fest kicks off Friday: Plus, enjoy some good music and local art.

Kids and COVID

COVID-19 didn’t leave kids unscathed: Aschinberg: ‘Like any negative social event, kids who are most at risk bear most of the brunt’

The pandemic was a lonely time for kids: Loss of in-school experiences, sports affected many youth on some level.

Facing the post-pandemic: ‘We know when something is off with our children’: Showing kids how to talk about feelings is a good first step toward protecting their mental health. 

10 Quotes from "Before The Blood: John Simons"

When we were getting ready to release Bryony back in 2011, my daughter Sarah (who did a lot of the marketing for me) suggested I pull thirty teaser quotes from the book that she could post on Facebook, one each day.

We did the same for the second book, Visage, which is also part of the BryonySeries.

But for some reason, I never did the same for another book.

So now I am catching up.

Here is the synopsis and chapter headings for the first installment of the BryonySeries prequel Before The Blood, followed by ten quotes (or short excerpts), one from each chapter.

The artwork at the bottom of the page, created by Christopher Gleason, is the book's frontispiece.

"Before the Blood" is a five-novel prequel to the BryonySeries Gothic trilogy. Told in multiple points of view with Faustian elements, "Before the Blood" centers on the lives of four key characters and the choices that ultimate lead to their tragic endings. In Book One, read how nineteenth century pianist/composer John Simons goes from riches to rags to riches, and the price he pays along the way.

And look - Blogger kept the book font intact!

Enjoy!

JOHN SIMONS

CHAPTER 1: ONE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS

With a grim smile and involuntary shudder, Lucetta lined up the leftovers for the ice box The rest of the country avoided Granny, and the girls had made her the wicked witch in every childhood story they ever invented, the crone from which every jealous suitor solicited potions to claim the heart of his beloved. Still, for all of her eccentricities, no abode matched Granny's in cleanliness. No scraps of any kind. Everything went into the garden.

CHAPTER 2: TASTING IMMORTALITY

Long before John approached his father's height, he had learned the secret of his father's influence and prominence: money and plenty of it. One decided advantage to perceiving Abbot as God the Father was it made John the beloved son, with each servant underneath the roof of the Beaux Arts structure catering to John's every quirk and caprice.

CHAPTER 3: KEYS TO HEAVEN

"Your family is perfectly divine. So is this inn...and the food! I can't recall the last time I supped so well. How do you leave such paradise?"

John snapped off a low-hanging branch and dragged it through the weeds. "Connecticut is a passing amusement, nothing more."

"Well, Master John, perhaps growing up with such delights makes you numb to them."

"You need to get out more, Helsby." 

CHAPTER 4: MAID TO ORDER

Nora's eyes met John's; her despairing tears begged for mercy and absolution. Impervious to her plight, John once again turned to the main staircase, hoping Janie had prepared a decent lunch before his father had discarded her.

Yet, as John partook of the steak and kidney pie and contemplated his sonata in progress, the image of the disgraced Nora kept breaking into his concentration and spoiling his meal. The parlor maid received what she deserved, yet sharp claws picked at his conscience, spoiling the serenity of the sunny afternoon. One good thing resulted, however, and in this John took immense satisfaction.

Nora wasn’t laughing anymore.

CHAPTER 5: POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

She rambled on how her husband manipulated the inner workings of the railroad system to his financial advantage, while John admired her animation, made all the brighter each time she uttered, "Warren," and Savannah uttered it often.

CHAPTER 6: SHEDDING THE COCOON

Herbert broke the silence by saying, "Mr. Smythe, I believe it's your turn."

The short and shrunken Bartholomew Smythe grasped his sheet with shaking hands, and read in a raspy voice, "Describe Mrs. Rutherford's wedding gown."

A murmur spread through the room, and all feminine eyes turned on Herbert, who accepted another cocktail from the tray as his butler made the rounds, and took a sip.

"I never noticed the gown," Herbert said smoothly. "Only her radiance."

CHAPTER 7: MUSIC HALLS AND GARBAGE CANS

The first lesson was inside another tenement apartment, not far from Hewes Music Hall. The children, a girl and two boys, along with their parents, were busy rolling cigarettes. This was no small operation; as a group, they turned out thousands each week, which the oldest boy sold on the streets as fast as the rest of the crew made them. It was this boy, Jake Haunch, about thirteen, who was John's pupil. When John entered the room, Jake dropped his work like a hot potato and hurried to the ancient piano, the family's most treasured possession.

CHAPTER 8: ONE FOR THE MEMORY BOOKS

"How did you glean my style from a short burst of questions?"

"I didn't," Henry's eyes twinkled as he tasted his own drink. "I was in the audience last night."

"You never mentioned that was your plan."

"It wasn't my plan," Henry coolly returned. "And you didn't ask."

CHAPTER 9: THE CONTRACT

"Who is it?" John called out.

A pair of red eyes stared back. A form took shape in the gloom. Out stepped a man, his sleek hair and goatee blacker than his top hat and cloak.

"I am the devil," the stranger replied with a faint German accent.

He was simply an eccentric and John had met plenty of that type during these last years. With a tip of his hat, John sarcastically said, "A pleasant evening to you, sir," and turned toward the fire escape, but the stranger was now walking down the stairs in John's direction and examining him with a studious air. John stopped short, wondering how the man had moved so quickly, until the stranger stood before him, leaned closed, and sniffed his neck.

"Do you not fear me?" the stranger murmured, his gaze flitting over John's face.

"No.

"My very sight doesn't chill your blood?"

John attempted to move past, but the stranger grasped the rail, barring John's way. "Mr. Simons, do you know who I am?"

"No and don't really care."

CHAPTER 10: CROSSING THE RUBICON

On Sunday, John climbed to the choir loft of that Federal-style edifice and took his seat at the organ, one of the earliest sources of music from John's long-ago childhood, and John's first experience at awe, for the organ had cost fifteen thousand dollars at the time of its purchase in eighteen sixty-eight. As the Latin hymns reverberated off the plaster walls, John's spirit soared higher than the ceilings, knowing his father was facing the gold-leaf screen behind the altar, standing as proud as the marble statues, and loathing every note.

The Real Story Behind This Woodland Snow Photo

This is lovely, isn't it?

I took this picture in January 2021 when I needed a snow scene for a teaser photo on social media.

What this photo doesn't show is context.

Because this day was actually brutally cold, and I had no intention of venturing farther from my front door.

These are the bushes right out side the front door of my townhome at the time.

I simply opened the door and snapped the photo without stepping even one foot onto the porch.

Beyond this photo is a road, more appartment units, and even a traffic light.

So what's the lesson here? 

Don't believe everything you see?

Look beyond what's in front of you?

Appreciate the beauty that is in front you?

Don't overlook the subtle blessings?

Thoughts?

Sue's Diner: Strawberry Ice Cream

This week's recipe for strawberry ice cream is authentically Victorian, is vaguely mentioned in the BryonySeries novel Bryony, uses just three ingredients, and has an incredibly fresh strawberry flavor.

Here is how the BryonySeries cookbook references it:

Ice cream was John Simons’ one, particular culinary weakness. Each lunch at Simons Mansion ended with a dish of it.

Try this recipe on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

But try the recipe this week. It will be gone some time next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

Here is the full diner page: bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner. You can't really order, of course (wouldn't it be great if you could?).

For more BryonySeries recipes, check out our three cookbooks at our BryonySeries bryonyseries.com/general-store.

Now available: "Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones"

The book publishing process can be a slow one, even when one is self-publishing.

"Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones," the latest release in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer series, is actually not that new.

Timothy and I met for a "Cornell" breakast to map out the story a year ago this month.

Most of the book was written by the end of September.

But then both Sue Midlock (our official illustrator for the series) and Rebekah Baran (formatter) hae health issues on and off.

So the art wasn't ready until January. And the book wasn't formatted for a while after that.

Then we had to re-edit the proof copy.

Then we had to re-format the book.

But we can finally release it today for your enjoyment.

When supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer finds himself between sleuthing jobs, he fills the
time by teaching science while the real teacher is ill. But in a school that’s supposedly getting
remodeled, Cornell encounters one mystery after another: vanishing classroom skeletons, plants
that come and go, and a piano for every student. Cornell is certain his classroom holds the
answer – and that he is one of the clues.

"Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones" isn't available on the BryonySeries store yet.

Nor is it available on Kindle yet.

But you may purchase the paperback on Amazon.

Happy reading!

This is Your Fight Song (Rachel Platten Scottish Cover) - The Piano Guys

Traditional Irish singing - 980466

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 2 to July 8

Good morning!

I have just seven feature stories to share with you today - and more yet posted, especially since I'm working through the weekend. So do check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news. 

Over the last couple of months, I also wrote an additional nineteen stories for a special "Thank You, Teachers," edition that will ran in print and online on May 5. You can check out all those stories at this link: https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/thank-you/teachers/

I also wrote a three-part series on the impact of COVID on kids, which you will at the bottom of this blog.

On the fiction side of things, we recently released Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being. It's not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

We also released Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

Rebekah hopes to upload Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy, with gorgeous cover art by Nancy Calkins) very soon. The book is ready to go except for a little trouble Rebekah is having with the spine.

I'm currently outlining the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. 

And I'm also working on a guide book to the series called: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries.

Next up in the series: a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes), which has a solid outline. Sue Midlock is already working on the cover and the interior art: Sherman Homes and the Howls of Basketville.

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) has completed two portraits for  "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls and is currently working on a third. The portraits are beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! 

Rebekah has completed cover art for two of "Girls of the BryonySeries" books. They are beautiful! One book in this series of eight books is completely written, a second is halfway written, and the rest are outlined. 

Rebekah is also working on updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts, so watch for those.

Now back to the seven 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 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 on Twitter at @BryonySeries and assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.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.

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

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox offers implant treatment for sleep apnea: But candidates must meet certain criteria. 

‘We want to be an extension of the love of Christ’: The Way Church of #Joliet is a little church with big plans

No cancelations scheduled for remaining July 4th celebrations in Will County: Many communities in Will County held Fourth of July celebrations on Monday

Heightened security planned for Plainfield Fest next week: The modified event also won’t include a carnival again

Pets of the Week: July 4, 2022: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

5 Things to do in Will County: get creative this weekend: Plus, enjoy a family fun fest and Civil War reenactors.

Morris teen heads to national bull-riding rodeo competition July 17: Dubberstine-Ellerbrock: ‘I haven’t been seriously injured yet, knock on wood’

Kids and COVID

COVID-19 didn’t leave kids unscathed: Aschinberg: ‘Like any negative social event, kids who are most at risk bear most of the brunt’

The pandemic was a lonely time for kids: Loss of in-school experiences, sports affected many youth on some level.

Facing the post-pandemic: ‘We know when something is off with our children’: Showing kids how to talk about feelings is a good first step toward protecting their mental health. 

20 Quotes from "Lycanthropic Summer"

When we were getting ready to release Bryony back in 2011, my daughter Sarah (who most of the social media marketing for me at that time) suggested I pull thirty teaser quotes from the book.

She would then post one each day on Facebook in the month leading up to the book's release.

We did the same for the second book, Visage, which is also part of the BryonySeries.

But for some reason, I never pulled any marketing quotes for the rest of the books.

So now I am catching up, one book at a time.

Here is the synopsis for Lycanthropic Summer, followed by some quotes. 

Caryn Rochelle loves werewolf stories and promised herself she would write the world's greatest werewolf love story before her eighteenth birthday. But with the date just months away, Caryn has shredded more drafts than she's kept and is feeling desperate.

But then she learns the town's most prestigious couple has a dark secret: they're keeping a savage boy her age locked in their basement. One glimpse, and Caryn's inspiration skyrockets. Caryn knows she ought to report them, but...

Can it really hurt to wait until she finishes her story?

Now this book has a Jeckyll/Hyde-ish protagonist: the author and her main character, whom she based off herself.

This book also has three parts, which run together: the protagonist's diary, her manuscript, and her short werewolf stories (none of those quotes is from the shorts).

And look - Blogger kept the book font intact!

Finding the right quotes was challenging because the protagonist has, what my mother used to call, "a mouth on her."

First, I'm sharing one quote from the introduction.

Then I'm sharing three quotes from each of the book's three parts.

And finally I'll share a snippet from each of the manuscript's chapters.

Enjoy!

The Introduction:

The waitress brought the bill. Dad reached for his wallet. It's old and worn, more beige than tan, but hell, I was six when I bought it for him at Santa's Secret Shoppe. (Stupid dumb spelling at the end. It was only the school basement).

The Diary:

June

Wanna hear about my pretend friends? No, I’m not crazy. They’re all real people that THINK they’re real friends because I let them think that. It makes life easier. Mom threatened to send me to a head-shrinker if I didn’t’ make some, so here ya go.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity." I think Charles Dickens was really writing about prom night.

Then he sits down and takes out his pipe and lights it. We all sit quietly together, Dad smoking, Aunt Silly rocking, and me hunched on the wicker chair with my knees to my chin, reveling in the sounds of the night and the creak of the old wood and the smell of tobacco, a robust and fragrant smell that’s hard to describe except that it smells like a hunt at night.

July

I think rain can add other moods, too. Think of the desolate sadness you feel in a gray dreary rain. Think of a storm of tears, where your face is so wet you can’t tell where the tears start and the rain ends. It’s like the whole world is having a long, lonely cry. And you’re outside walking in rivers of despair.

Would you believe even the meat shoppe buys Aunt Silly’s jewelry? It’s true! A place that grinds up animals into human food wants to sell chatoyant gems on delicate wire.

Traveling with Aunt Silly is a lot different than traveling with Dad. First of all, she doesn’t drive a brand-new Ferdinand XGE with air conditioning. No, she drives an old Mode 9. It’s full of rust and dents, but it powers up like a beast and has a super smooth ride. Plus, we both smoked our lungs out all the way there. 

August

There’s a melancholy in August I can’t describe. Almost as if my spirit senses the dying summer and silently mourns the loss.

Do you have a Mom, Maggie? Was she a card-playing, chain-smoking boozer, or was she the starched aprons, homemade chocolate chip type? Does it really matter – as long as the love is there?

The favor’s most proper. But a dishonest weapon disrupts the trend. A hypnotic comet streaks the sky. I scoop and scoop, but the fluid pours out and won’t go back.

The manuscript:

Chapter 1: Paw Prints

The moon stays with me, every step. The tracks lead me to a house, open and vulnerable in a little clearing all by its forsaken self, spotlighted under the moon.

Who would build a house in the middle of an empty space and then abandon it?

The house is old and creaky. The wind bangs the loose shutters and rattles its broken glass.

My naked skin gets goosebumps, and I shiver. I wrap my arms around me, but hair and arms don’t keep my skinny body very warm.

Chapter 2: The Walking Stick

I tremble at the thought of wandering through the open field, eternally lost.

     As I’m thinking, I realize I’m sinking.

     I sink past my ankles, and my heart sinks lower than that.

     Where is my Randy, I say in my soul. Where is the old, lonely house holding my hairy beast boy?

Chapter 3: Not a Regular Drink of Water

If you can help me find the scientist and where he keeps the aconite, I will be able to escape. I will be able to run past the hill. You won’t have to come to me. I will come for you. And then we can run free together forever.

Chapter 4: The Clock Man

A month is too long to wait for another full moon, but so is sixty seconds when you’re apart from your wolf mate.

But the world is full of people who can bend the laws of nature, and many of them live near me.

Rosie is one. The Clock Man is another.

Chapter 5: Magic Ointment

Before I leave, I lay the rowan cane near the door before I lock it. This is not as easy as it sounds. The cane was not by my door when I woke up, and the search for it was long and irritating. Finally, I found it. This time the cane was at the edge of the property, past the old gardens, and half buried by dead leaves. I wipe all the blood from the cane onto the grass, give that naughty cane a good spanking, and then carry it back to the door and set it in place.

Chapter 6: Liquid Silver

Overhead, the silver moon is molten and melting. I think of rainy afternoons at my bedroom window, watching streaks trickle paths. Yes, this is what I think as the moon’s viscous fluid oozes down; a childhood that was never simple or innocent, a childhood that was now, thankfully, gone.

Chapter 7:  Where Does Your Garden Grow?

With a claw, Randy lightly, so lightly I can scarcely perceive it, traces my face. He starts at my forehead and proceeds counterclockwise. His claw glides and slides, turns and twists, and I realize it’s dancing. His claw is dancing widdershins on my face.

Chapter 8: Turning Point

I’m wearing my long white nightgown; my feet are bare and touching the earth. I’m seeking, seeking. I’m still the huntress, but my prey is knowledge, the whereabouts of the aconite. To ask its mistress to give up her secrets, I must approach the mistress directly. I never dared before tonight. Pretense always works well for me, but it won’t do now.

Chapter 9: Finally Free

Night has fully blossomed by the time our feet touch down by my back door, and the wild roses that grow up around my house wrap us in its spicy aura. The sky is drenched in darkness, and all nature feels it. The stars aren’t whispering their faraway secrets; the katydids and crickets have silenced their songs; and even yard toads have stifled their shrill calls. This is what happens when you bring a werewolf to your home on a summer evening. 

Chapter 10: Under a Full Moon Rising

With no regard for the pebbles embedded in the hardpacked dirt, I keep running and running, over the sharp pricks of pine needles and shards of soda pop bottles; my feet slip because they’re powdered with dirt, but still I press onward until I smell the pink soap, golden baby shampoo, gunpowder, and blood.

A Triple Gift of Life

My nickname in the plant world is "Angel of Death."

That's because, except for my good plant deskmate Chloe "Lucky" Hawk (a gift in the fall of 2016 from a job shadower), any plant unfortunate enough to come under my care dies.

Always and without exceptions.

Period.

So you can imagine my "delight" when a Facebook friend offered to gift me with some of her plants for my balcony.

After explaining my lack of green thumbs to her (sounds less gross than saying I have black thumbs), she selected plants she felt could stand up against my lack of vegetation competency.

She also oversaw all their initial growings, ensuring they'd passed their most vulerable staged and could survive in the wild.

It was fun, too, because she sent updates and photos on my fledgling little herbages, which I likened to peeks at offspring via ultrasound images.

Encouraged, Rebekah even adopted a few tomato plants to round out our garden family. 

So this post should really read, "An Quadruple Gift of Life." Except Rebekah brought home three tomato plants. Which is making the title of this blog post complicated.

So - no. No title adjusting.

As ill-fate ordained, Daniel and I brought my little plant babies home in their pots just as a heat wave struck our area. 

The poor things wilted, turned brown, and curled up their little leaves. Whether that was due to the heat, homesickness, or the fact I kept forgetting to water them enough is uncertain.

I couldn't fix the heat and their homesickness. But I could step up the water.

Boy, did those babies slurp up the water! (Good there is no DCFS for plants - Department of Caring Flower Stewards - or I'd be in trouble).

In the meantime, my Facebook friend is messaging me, "Do you have any flowers yet?"

Flowers, ha! 

I'm just trying to keep the little plants alive. First things first.

Such as coaxing them back from the brink of compost with encouraging words and regular waterings.

Yeah. No flowers yet.

But they are alive.

And like any proud parent, I'm whipping out the virtual wallet and showing off a few photos.

They may not bloom.

They may not last the summer.

But they are alive.

For now.

I may even name them.

If I can remember which species is which.

Nancy

I have always loved dolls.

Baby dolls.

Liddle Kiddles.

Flower, necklace, pop bottle, storybook Kiddles.

Barbies.

Walking and talking dolls.

Chrissy and Velvet dolls (which I've never owned - yet. But I did have a smaller "Mikki" doll whose hair grew the same way).

Dawn dolls.

Rock Flower dolls

Paper dolls: perforated, with tabs or magnets, and even those cut from store catalogues.

My sister and I had dozens of story arcs for our dolls: Janice and Joey, Mary and Sherry,  Rock Flower storyline that involved poppies (don't ask). The list goes on.

A few months ago, I found "Nancy," one of my original dolls on Etsy.

More specifically, I found an exact replica. My Nancy had a smashed thumb, and I have no idea what happened to her.

Now I'd named Nancy as a very little girl for an older third cousin, since my cache of names I'd encountered in my short life was small.

I'd had another one named after a relative - or the relative of a relative. Her name was Lynne. She had a plastic head and limbs and a cloth body. Lynne developed a rip, so I handed her over for repair. I never saw her again.

And I don't remember who Lynne was.

But I did buy Nancy off Etsy, and she came in her original pink dress. I hadn't held her in more than forty years.

My kids think she looks creepy.

But they don't understand.

Sue's Diner: Independence Day Cake

 This week's recipe was mentioned in the fifth installment of Before The Blood.

Munsonville Inn would also sell a frosted loaf, popular in Thornton, known as Independence Cake, and Bryony longed to try this food from a land so far away.

 More than once, she and Susan read the advertisement in the window, boasting it was "flavored with wine and brandy," as well as "rich with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, and citron," and "heavily speckled with currants and raisons."

Here is an actual nineteenth century recipe we found online:

"Twenty pounds of flour, fifteen pounds of sugar, ten pounds of butter, four dozen of eggs, one quart of wine, one quart of brandy, one ounce of nutmegs, three ounces each of cinnamon, cloves, and mace, two pounds of citron, five pounds each of currants and raisins, and one quart of yeast. Frost it, and dress it with box and rose leaf."

It's now my favorite Fourth of July recipe (however, no one else in my family likes it). 

Still, you can try our modified recipe on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website.

But try the recipe this week. It will be gone some time next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

Below is a more traditional version. Below that is a non-Victorian version with sprinkles - because Timothy likes sprinkles, he said. I love the color combination.

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

Here is the full diner page: bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner. You can't really order, of course (wouldn't it be great if you could?).

For more BryonySeries recipes, check out our three cookbooks at our BryonySeries bryonyseries.com/general-store.

The Star-Spangled Banner (arr. Leopold Godowsky)

Dreams Of Freedom Irish Ballad Folk And Rebel Band

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, June 25 to July 1

Good morning!

I have nine feature stories to share with you today - and more yet posted, So do check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news. 

Over the last couple of months, I also wrote an additional nineteen stories for a special "Thank You, Teachers," edition that will ran in print and online on May 5. You can check out all those stories at this link: https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/thank-you/teachers/

I also wrote a three-part series on the impact of COVID on kids, which you will at the bottom of this blog.

On the fiction side of things, we recently released Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being. It's not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

Rebekah also uploaed Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones last night, so we are awaiting approval from KDP. 

And Rebekah is also planning to upload Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy, with gorgeous cover art by Nancy Calkins) today. So, hopefully, both books will be available for purchase in print in a couple of days.

I'm currently outlining the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. 

And I'm also working on a guide book to the series called: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries.

Next up in the series: a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes), which has a solid outline. Sue Midlock is already working on the cover and the interior art: Sherman Homes and the Howls of Basketville.

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) has completed two portraits for  "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls and is currently working on a third. The portraits are beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! 

Rebekah has completed cover art for two of "Girls of the BryonySeries" books. They are beautiful! One book in this series of eight books is completely written, a second is halfway written, and the rest are outlined. 

Rebekah is also working on updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts, so watch for those.

Now back to the nine 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 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 on Twitter at @BryonySeries and assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.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.

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

‘There is probably no more diverse industry than a hospital’: Mark Steadham, retiring CEO and president of Morris Hospital, looks back on his career

‘Every day that I get a treatment gives me another day with my boys’: Minooka mom with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer praying to watch her boys grow up.

5 Things to do in Will County: bikes, birds and the arts: Plenty of inside and outside events to enjoy

Will County community responds to Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade: ‘No woman makes this decision lightly’

Pets of the Week: June 27, 2022: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

Another free ‘store’ needs a home: Plainfield’s RichEnDeed lost its space in October, compensates with community events 

Asian carp rebranding: fish story or sustainable?: Calling it Copi takes its place among fish rebrands.

A quiet day Tuesday at the Will County polls: The summer election may have “thrown” voters

Dan Aykroyd and James Belushi to perform at Old Joliet Prison Aug. 19: Event proceeds will benefit the Old Joliet Prison and the Joliet Area Historical Museum 

Kids and COVID

COVID-19 didn’t leave kids unscathed: Aschinberg: ‘Like any negative social event, kids who are most at risk bear most of the brunt’

The pandemic was a lonely time for kids: Loss of in-school experiences, sports affected many youth on some level.

Facing the post-pandemic: ‘We know when something is off with our children’: Showing kids how to talk about feelings is a good first step toward protecting their mental health.