Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Feb. 4 to Feb. 10

Good morning!

Today I have just eleven features and news stories to share with you today with more to be posted over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Also, here are two "save the date" events for people in the general Will County area.

One is our annual Calkins Day celebration on Feb. 13 at The Book Market in Crest Hill. For details, read this post and then read this post.

The other is WriteOn Joliet's first radio-style reading that will be held on April 22 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet. 

I'll share details as they jell. But for now, read this post. 

Fiction projects are coming along very slowly, since tomorrow will be my first real day off in nearly two weeks. My plan is to spend lots of time secluded in my room with coffee.

I now have rough drafts for the first six chapters of in the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill and hope to get another done this weekend.

I am in the process of writing the next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries: Cornell Dyer and the Hounds of Basketville and made some progress on that story on Monday. Sue Midlock sent all the interior art and it is stunning! Sue is currently working on the cover.

I am also working on the fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series.

You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

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

And I'm also working on a novella. But I'm not sharing any details yet. 

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

Now back to the 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 Wednesday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks, will be featured in an upcoming cookbook, or is just an "extra" we want to share with you.

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 and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every 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 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

Ozempic for weight loss hype causing shortages for diabetic patients that need drugShortage of another medication contributed to Ozempic’s shortage

Why Ozempic is potentially unsafe in the wrong hands: Local health experts recommend caution when using Ozempic strictly for weight loss  

High cost of eggs hurts people who need an affordable protein source: Eggs are known for their good source of dietary protein and low cost.

Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet to grace entrance with 40-foot mural: The Rialto received $85,000 from the FY 22 Route 66 Grant program. 

Plainfield wedding planner offers advice to couples in wake of fire at The Haley Mansion: The cause of the fire at the historic Joliet mansion is under investigation.

Galabration event on Feb. 11 to benefit Plainfield Catholic school: Allison Baumgartner said. ‘It won’t cost much to have fun and it all goes to our support our school. ' 

Joliet Noon Lions honored by Lions Club International for community impact

How are rising egg prices affecting the WIC program?: WIC is a food assistance program for low-income pregnant women, infants and children.

Pets of the Week: Feb. 6: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: enjoy a ‘Wander and Wonder’ hike in a Will County forest preserve.: Plus, enjoy comedy at the Rialto in Joliet and a play at Lewis University in Romeoville.

Mystery Diner: China Experience in Joliet serves up good food by friendly staff: Portions are large enough for 2 meals.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Local Author Collection at the Joliet Public Library

It's been thirteen years since Kristina Skaggs asked me to form WriteOn Joliet with her, a nurturing and supportive critique group for writers over age eighteen and of any genre.

Since that time, my present co-leader Tom and Hernandez and I have worked together to ensure members receive valuable feedback on their works AND find the audience who wants to read them.

To that end, we've partnered with other resources in the community with the goal of making positive impacts for all, especially readers.

One of those projects we helped start shortly before the pandemic was the local author collection at the Joliet Public Library, a collection that is available at both branches, Black Road and Ottawa Street.

Although the library began with the donations of books from WriteOn Joliet authors (because we had the authors and the books to start a well-rounded collection), the project didn't end with WriteOn. This local author collection includes books from other local authors, too.

Last week I met with a member of the library's staff to discuss possible collaborative projects for 2023. Afterwards, Rebekah gave me a mini tour of the current local author collection at the library.

I was delighted to see books I had previously reviewed for the LocalLit newsletter.

LocalLit was a newsletter published by The Herald-News (of which I am the features editor) that featured reviews by me of books local authors had written.

As I refer to some of these books, I'm hyperlinking to descriptions of books I've read, reviewed, and written. This way, if something catches your eyes, you can click on the link for more information.

I was also delighted to see the tattered cover of R. Michael Markley's Necessary Death, as this suggests many happy readers have enjoyed this book.

Next to it is an ABC book for economics that I really enjoyed.

Directly below that is WriteOn Joliet's first anthology and one of the poetry books by WriteOn Joliet author Holly Coop.

Inching along, I saw Bryony, the first book in the BryonySeries "drop of blood" trilogy.

Next to that is Krampusnacht: Twelve Nights of Krampus, an anthology with contributions by WriteOn Joliet member Colleen H. Robbins.

Directly below that is The Legacy, one of the books in WriteOn Joliet member Sue Midlock's Rosewood series.

And to its right is Denise Unland's Irish Genealogy by Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara.

Below The Legacy is the first book in Kenneth Lee McGee's "Emmy" series. Ken is a prolific writer and self-publisher as you can see for yourself.

And right next to "Emmy" is the first installment in the BryonySeries Before The Blood prequel.

And waaaay to the far right is another book by Robbins: Stories of a Sheltered Suburbanite.

We had to ask where books in two of the BryonySeries subseries "The Adventures of Cornell Dyer" and "Bertrand The Mouse were located.

These books are actually among other books in the juvenile fiction section.

You will find several "Cornell Dyer" books here, including Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone.

And you will also find several "Bertrand" books, too, such as Bertrand's Silly ABC Book.

The Joliet Public Library also has other BryonySeries titles, too, not just this one.

To read descriptions of other BryonySeries books, visit bryonyseries.com/pages and Denise M. Baran-Unland on Amazon.

For more information about WriteOn Joliet and the Joliet Public Library's commitment to local authors, visit writeonjoliet.com and jolietlibrary.org/en/special-interest/local-authors.

Sue's Diner: Molten Cake

This week's recipe is for vampire-themed, chocolate-cherry molten cakes, a delectable treat you can make for Valentine's Day.

These molten cakes not featured in any of the BryonySeries cookbooks, including Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties and features all the recipes referenced in the novel Bryony. 

However, you can try this recipe for molten cakes on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

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

If you have any troubleshooting questions or comments, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. 

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.

Art of the BryonySeries at Book and Bean Cafe: Joliet TV 2018

This Marketing Professional Saw the "Collaborativeness" of the BryonySeries

So 2022 was a challenging year for my family and me on lots of fronts. We battled one emergency after another for the bulk of the year, with emergencies sometimes happening while addressing an emergency.

Because I was recovering from mild COVID on January 1, 2023, I was leery 2023 might be more of the same.

But then I was interviewed by a book marketing specialist in New York (whose blog I've followed for a couple of years). He posted the interview on his blog and gave me a thirty-minute free consultation.

During the interview, I asked for a list of services and prices (BryonySeries has a limited marketing budget), which he sent. 

After an initial review of those services and prices, we are considering the possibility of hiring him for one particular service and see how we work together.

My reasoning for this has less to do with the interview, the services, the fees, and even the initial consultation - and more for what he did with my interview post on the blog.

You see, when we talked on the phone, he pointed out a glaring error on the BryonySeries website, which Timothy maintains. This isn't assigning blame to Timothy.

BUT, because Timothy and I are in and out of that site so often, we both missed it. And we are thrilled this book marketing specialist spent some time on the BryonySeries website, getting a feel for the series, before we talked.

This is where it gets fun.

So when the book marketing specialist sent me the link to my interview on his blog, I saw he didn't run the author photo I attached with the interview questions, a photo he requested.

He actually swapped the photo for one from the BryonySeries website and we're thrilled.

The one he swapped was actually a photo featuring me and Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara.

This means the book marketing specialist spent enough time on my website to pick up AND understand what we're doing, in terms of the project being extremely collaborative among authors, artists, the productions team, the marketing team, the venues in which we appear, and, yes, even the characters turned authors.

Granted this are small teams, consisting of a few people, who often cross over into other teams. We're not a huge corporation. We're just us.

And yet, I honestly couldn't have been more pleased.

Here is the blog post.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/01/interview-with-journalist-turned-author.html

The reason I chose the photo below for this past.

You see, I purchased those gift cards you see below from the Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet last year to give as a "thank you" gift to people who bought BryonySeries books at  Joliet Public Library event.

The Book and Bean Cafe is very gracious to local artists, including the BryonySeries, including members of WriteOn Joliet.

So I want to return it, too.

Stay tuned for a super broadcast from 2018 from inside the Book and Bean Cafe that was played on a local TV station.

I'll share that tomorrow.

New Music: The Lake [piano solo]

Five Reasons Why You Should Attend Calkins Day 2023 on Feb. 13 at The Book Market in Crest Hill

Now that the world has "National Day of " just about anything you can name, why not have a day to celebrate laughter, imagination, and generosity?

Wait - we do!

It's called Calkins Day.

Calkins Day was invented by Ed Calkins. Ed was a former supervisor of mine in our family's newspaper delivery era.

He created an alter ego for himself (ruthless dictator) and named his birthday (Feb. 13) as Calkins Day. 

Ed said the day should be celebrated with a parade (we had a small one in 2017, where Rebekah and I walked a bowl of candy to The Herald-News on my day off; watch the video here) and a three -day holiday (since it falls between Abraham Lincoln's birthday and Valentine's Day).

Because Ed is both a BryonySeries author and Irish vampire character, the BryonySeries adopted Calkins Day as its very own holiday, which we will celebrate this year on Feb. 13 at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

Here why you should attend:

1) No long lines: Local author events tend to attract the author and a few family and friends, both of which thin out when you've been hosting such events for more than a decade. 

2) Free stuff: Authors can leave with one of five BryonySeries books for free if they bring one they've written (or appeared in) as a gift for Ed, who loves reading, promoting, and buying books by local authors (true story). 

For details, read the flyer below or this blog post from last week.

And refreshments are also free.

3) We are celebrating laughter: Who needs a good laugh? You, maybe? I certainly do. 

You can laugh at our paltry attempts to create a holiday out of nothing. (We do). You can laugh at our attempts to write good books (We do). 

Or maybe just come out and laugh - or, at the very least, muster up a smile or two. Life is hard, especially on a Monday night. 

But you can pop in for just a few minutes (because lines will be short to nonexistent), grab your free stuff, and then (hopefully) leave smiling.

4) We are celebrating imagination: Reality is hard sometimes, isn't it? And yet, imagination is such a great escape! It costs nothing and can provide endless hours of amusement.

And what can be more imaginative than a dyslexic sixty-something man imagining himself as a ruthless dictator (his creation), Irish vampire (my creation), who then becomes an author despite his dyslexia (all true), who turns his dyslexia into a novel featuring my characters and a few of his own (all true and we have the book to prove it, which you can take home for free while supplies last. And what local author doesn't have a decent supply of books he cannot sell?).

5) We are celebrating generosity: Ed is generous. When he supervised a portion of the distribution center where my family worked, he bought and cooked steaks on the Fourth of July for all his carriers, hosted a Queen of Christmas contest where the winner distributed the gifts Ed and his wife Nancy bought for the children (ages twelve and younger) of his carriers, distributed free candy canes to all the carriers every day during December, and organized a pallet jack race for Labor Day.

And this was just for starters.

So the BryonySeries is continuing that theme of generosity with free stuff (explained in point two).  

And you thought Calkins Day was just a ploy to market our books! Sheesh.

Of course, we will have other BryonySeries titles for sale. And The Book Market has thousands of new, used, and rare book titles you may browse and buy at this after-hours event.

So...we hope to see you there!

Because we will be there, chatting among ourselves and watching the front door with hopeful eyes, waiting for someone to show up.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Jan. 28 to Feb. 3

Good morning!

Today I have just eleven features and news stories to share with you today with more to be posted over the weekend, especially since I'll be working through the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Also, here are two "save the date" events for people in the general Will County area.

One is our annual Calkins Day celebration on Feb. 13 at The Book Market in Crest Hill. For details, read this post from last Saturday.

The other is WriteOn Joliet's first radio-style reading that will be held on April 22 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet. 

I'll share details as they jell. But for now, read this post from Monday.

Fiction projects are coming along very slowly, and I doubt I'll make too much progress this weekend, although I hope to make some when the work assignments are completed. But I am making progress.

I now have rough drafts for the first six chapters of in the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill and hope to get another done this weekend.

I am in the process of writing the next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries: Cornell Dyer and the Hounds of Basketville and made some progress on that story on Monday. Sue Midlock has completed all the interior art and is currently working on the cover.

I am also working on the fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series.

You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

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

And I'm also working on a novella. But I'm not sharing any details yet. 

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

Now back to the 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 Wednesday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks, will be featured in an upcoming cookbook, or is just an "extra" we want to share with you.

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 and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every 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 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

Joliet theater to host 2 Black History Month events this week: Be educated with a play, be inspired by a gospel concert

Sarah Oprzedek to become president and CEO of United Way of Will County: Kamala Martinez will step down as president and CEO on Jan. 31.

Register your team now for JTHS Foundation annual trivia event: Tables of 10 are still available for the March 12 event.

2022 Herald Angels campaign sets record again: An anonymous donor gave $4,000

Calcium artery scoring: is this $49 scan at New Lenox hospital right for you?: Dr. Francisco Yun: ‘This is just a screening tool. It does not identify blockages.’ 

Take your Valentine’s celebration outdoors with these Will County forest preserve events: Cindy Cain: ‘You can have fun outside all year long, even in in the winter, even for Valentine’s Day.’ 

Firefighters battle fire at Joliet’s Patrick Haley Mansion

No one injured at Joliet house fire early Thursday morning: The first units arrived four minutes after receiving the call.

Herald-News seeking ‘Women of the Year’ submissions: Entry deadline is April 7.

Pets of the Week: January 30, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

5 Things to do in Will County: bring the family to ‘Winterfest’ in Bolingbrook: Also enjoy an all-age coloring contest, a solo art exhibition and 2 food-related events.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

The Book Market Sales And Trading Center Crest Hill, IL

Sue's Diner: Vampire Meatballs

This week's recipe for vampire meatballs is one you can serve for Valentine's Day (even if you don't like vampires).

You may serve it as an appetizer or as part of a main dish.

It's not featured in any of the BryonySeries cookbooks, including Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties and features all the recipes referenced in the novel Bryony. 

However, you can try this recipe for vampire meatballs on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

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

If you have any troubleshooting questions or comments, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. 

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.

A Snowy Day at The Book Market in Crest Hill

As part of my commitment to "keeping it real" in terms of sales expectations, I like to share how many books I sell at any particular event.

I think authors, as well as other artists, sometimes have unrealistic (or uncertain) expectations regarding sales volume at bookstores, vendor fairs, craft shows, etc.

So on January 27, Rebekah and I hung out at The Book Market in Crest Hill for a few hours.

It was a snowy day and store traffic was light.

We sold seven books, which was more than we anticipated, actually, considering the weather.

So we were pleased.

And we had a great time meeting and talking with customers.

Save The Date: WriteOn Joliet "Radio Play" at Bicentennial Park in Joliet

Back in 2011, a local writer had the idea of starting a writer's group and repeatedly pitched the idea to me until I said yes.

We held our first meeting in February 2012.

About a year and a half later, this writer had to step back and my current co-leader Tom Hernandez stepped up.

In the fall 2013, Tom approached Tammy at The Book and Bean Cafe about hosting an open mic event at her venue. Tom felt that we, as writers, should develop the skill of reading our pieces in front of a microphone to an audience.

We continued holding open mics at The Book and Bean a couple times a year until COVID. And we hope to schedule one later this year.

In September 2022, about a dozen of us stretched our confidence a bit further by reading in a large ballroom at The Timbers of Shorewood book club, which had read two of our anthologies.

We now have an opportunity that will stretch us even further.

At 7 p.m. April 22, eight of us will present our works in a radio-play format at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park and Theatre in Joliet in a yet unnamed event.

In addition to me, the following WriteOn Joliet members will participate: Maureen Blevins, Ed Calkins, Holly Coop, Steve Cordin, Diana Estell, Cean Magosky, and Duanne Walton.

The eight of us met at The Book Market last week to decide which pieces to read, what order to present them, divide speaking parts, lightly discuss sound effects, and read through the pieces a couple of times.

Except for WriteOn Joliet and Bicentennial Park, you, as reader of this blog post right now, are the first to hear about this event. We haven't event take a group photo yet.

It is a huge leap for people who are most comfortable sitting behind a computer to stand in front of a mic on a large stage. 

But we promise to work really hard so you will laugh with us (and not at us) as we strive to entertain and, maybe, inspire you.

WriteOn Joliet meets at the Joliet Public Library.

For more information, visit writeonjoliet.com. 

øneheart x reidenshi - Snowfall (Piano Cover)

Authors: Help Build the Steward's Library on Calkins Day (And Take Home a Book for Yourself)

Readers, writers, and everyone else is invited to join us for Calkins Day 2023.

Calkins Day will be held this year from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 13 (Calkins Day, what else) at The Book Market in Crest Hill, 2365 Plainfield Road.

For very detailed and very precise information on a BryonySeries holiday that actually preceded the series, read this post from last week.

Here are the highlights for the event:

1) Meet Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara: Ed is a real person who worked through his dyslexia to become a real BryonySeries author (he's written two books and is working on a third). Ed is also an Irish vampire in the BryonySeries "drop of blood" trilogy.

2) Enjoy refreshments: We have some special treats in the planning stage. And we're not sharing details.

3) A special offer for local authors: If you are a local author, bring one of your books as a birthday gift to Ed and then take home one of ours (offer limited to books Ed has either written or appeared as a character). The first twenty authors to bring a book will also receive a $5 gift card to The Book Market, redeemable that night or any time. 

And if your book isn't in the local authors section at The Book Market yet, the owner Janet Staley will be happy to add it. Unlike some bookstores, she doesn't charge a fee to place the book to the shelf. Talk to her ahout the consignment process.

For instance, Ed really enjoyed this non-BryonySeries book and bought five copies in December to give as Christmas gifts to his friends and family members. So he enjoys your book, he may wind up buying multiple copies.

4) Everyone else who wants a free book: Talk him out of one. Present an original limerick. Read something original that you have written. Flatter him. Dress like a BryonySeries character. Wear a striped shirt. Cry. Wheedle. You get the idea. 

5) Browse our table of additional BryonySeries books for sale.

6) Browse The Book Market, which has thousands of new, used, and rare books for sale. 

7) Chat with guests. This is a very low-key birthday party event that celebrates (according to official Calkins Day verbiage) laughter, imagination, and generosity. 

We hope to see you there!

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Jan. 21 to Jan. 27

Good morning!

Today I have just nine features and news stories to share with you today with several more to be posted over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

If you live in the area, stop out at The Book Market in Crest Hill from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Rebekah and I will be there with BryonySeries books. WriteOn Joliet anthologies, and a few miscellaneous titles. And if none of those interest you, you'll find thousands of new, used, and rare books at The Book Market, all waiting for you to find them.

Also, WriteOn Joliet has big news to share next week. In the meantime, white you're sitting at the edge of your seat with anticipation, here is a quick recap on BryonySeries projects in the works.

I now have rough drafts for the first five chapters of in the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill and hope to get another done this weekend.

I am in the process of writing the next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries: Cornell Dyer and the Hounds of Basketville and made some progress on that story on Monday. Sue Midlock almost has the art done, too. But I will adjust and get that book written soon.

I am also working on the fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series.

You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

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

And I'm also working on a novella. But I'm not sharing any details yet. 

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

Now back to the 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 a couple years ago. 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

More Will County residents are raising chickens for eggs. But is it worth it?: Will County Farm bureau said all municipalities may not allow it.

Longtime Rockdale steakhouse served up ‘lots of good memories.’: Patrons of the share their fondness for the newly closed Syl’s Restaurant.

Make a Plainfield woman’s cancer fight a little brighter on Jan. 29: Eva Mores: ‘We just really want to surround her home with light and love.’

Big Brothers Big Sisters partner with District 202 in Plainfield for in-school mentoring program: Stephanie Hook: ‘Our SOAR program was created just for this partnership.’

What you should know about new Omicron variant: Health experts in Will County offer tips for protecting yourself.

Baran-Unland: For a terrific pork tenderloin sandwich, head to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox: An employee in the cafeteria developed the sandwich. 

Our Lady of Angels in Joliet will host final Mass on Feb. 11. Reservations are required.

Pets of the Week: Jan. 23, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

5 Things to do in Will County: Joliet theater to host ‘Playwrights and Poets Festival’: Plus, enjoy a winter scavenger hunt, an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and a singer/songer spotlight.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

John Gary ~ Little Snow Girl

Sue's Diner: Irish Soda Bread

Part of gearing up for Calkins Day is making sure you have good Irish soda bread at hand.

Of course, we at the BryonySeries have the perfect recipe for you to try.

Our recipe for Irish soda bread is featured in the BryonySeries cookbook Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," . 

That cookbook is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties and features all the recipes referenced in the novel Bryony. 

You may try the recipe for Irish soda bread 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.

If you have any troubleshooting questions or comments, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. 

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.

Bertrand's Shades of Snow

On Sunday, Rebekah, Uncle Barty, Bertrand  the Mouse, and I drove to Barnes and Noble in Joliet to meet a friend for coffee.

Snowflakes fell thick and fast during our drive, and Bertrand gazed happily out the window, looking forward to finally play in the snow when we returned.

Well, the snow had stopped by the time we left, and Bertrand was super disappointed.

So far, the winter of 2022-2023 is a mild one, in terms of snow. 

That's why Bertrand asked me to share some of his favorite photos from past years, hoping it might encourage the Midwest winter to do its job.

Enjoy!

Before COVID and remote working, I lived close enough to The Herald-News office to walk back and forth to work with Bertrand, even in winter. He loved it!

And some days, he skipped ahead of me.

Even crocheted mice get cold in the snow, so Bertrand makes sure to bundle up!

We;;, he bundles up most of the time...

But sometimes Bertrand would be so excited to play in the snow, he dashed out the door without his winter wraps ("extra" mittens that lost its mate).

Although on sunny days, Bertrand didn't mind the cold at all.

But snow does get Bertrand's yarn all wet. When you're a crocheted mouse, you not only need to warm up when you come inside, you need to dry out. So it's best to be proactive.

But thinking ahead doesn't always happen when you're an impetuous pretend mouse that can't resist adventure.

Because for Bertrand, adventure is everywhere and always calling him.

    This was one of our easier winter walks to The Herald-News.

But some days are too bitter cold for me to chase a crocheted mouse in the snow. So Bertrand has to content himself with living his nonlife from the inside and patiently waiting for better days.

Soap bubbles in the snow? Makes sense to Bertrand!

Snow by day, snow by night: it makes no difference to Bertrand. All snow is fun snow.

Yes, he walked across all of it. No, I did not follow him.

As much as Bertrand loves snow, he enjoys a good whiff of spring air like many other creatures, real or pretend.

And sometimes Bertrand even persuades his Uncle Barty to join him in the snow, when Uncle Barty isn't too busy reading, which is Uncle Barty's favorite activity.

Reading is Bertrand's favorite activity, too. His reason for being is to share the joys of reading with children. But when adventures calls...

...sometimes Bertrand just can't resist.

A New Old Doll

I have previously written about my great love for dolls, starting in childhood, so I won't repeat that information here.

Instead, I'd like to introduce you to the latest member of my current family of old dolls, which includes dolls from my childhood and dolls from my childhood I really wanted to own and never did.

Meet Winifred or Winnie.

I can't exactly recall if I owned this particular doll, since one very like her was given to me very early in my childhood.

I had lost her original dress very early into my ownership.

And I had done a pretty good chopping job on her hair, not understanding her hair would not grow back (I persuaded my sister to do the same with her dolls, too - whoops!)

But this Winnie is very close to the Winnie I owned, so I am content.

She arrived to my house in nearly new condition.

Now my kids will sometimes make comments about my growing collection of "creepy" dolls. This is Nancy, by the way.

But my granddaughter Riley, who shares a middle name and birthdate with me, loves to come to my room and see the latest addition.

In fact, on Old Calendar Christmas, Riley carried Winnie around all night.

Winne's hair is no longer impeccable, from all the love Riley bestowed on her.

But at least Winnie still has most of her hair.

"Winter Breeze" by Peder B. Helland

Save the Date: Calkins Day 2023

Readers, writers, and everyone else is invited to join us for Calkins Day 2023.

Calkins Day will be held this year from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 13 (Calkins Day, what else) at The Book Market in Crest Hill, 2365 Plainfield Road.

Precise details on the festivities are forthcoming. 

In the meantime, we have plenty of information to help you prepare, enough information to keep you busy and entertained until Calkins Day.

For anyone who is not familiar (yet) with Calkins Day, read our Guide to Becoming Un-Serious right here.

This post has all the details: why we celebrate, what we celebrate, how to celebrate, what to wear, foods associated with the holiday, and why Calkins Day is not an excuse to sell books.

For information on the holiday's namesake, read this interview.

For photos of Ed Calkins 2018 Calkins Day book signing, go here.

And for Ed Calkins' first interview, go here.

For photos and recap of our 2019 Calkins Day Limerick Slam, go here.

For the back story on how Calkins Day came to be, go to this video from our 2020 Calkins Day event.

And for Ed Calkins' performance at the microphone during Calkins Day 2020, go here.

For details on our virtual Calkins Day event in 2021, go here.

And for Timothy's video on the virtual food he planned for the virtual Calkins Day, go here.

Calkins Day 2021 was a hilarious Zoom chat (by Ed Calkins' request) and a "viralish" book giveaway.

Ed Calkins is the author of Ruthless and Denise M. Baran-Unland's Irish Genealogy. Ed Calkins is currently working on his second novel.

Ed Calkins has appeared as the alive and undead version of himself in all three books of the original "drop of blood" trilogy: Bryony, Visage and Staked!.

But Calkins' favorite BryonySeries book is this one.