Happy Birthday!! (Kurt Hugo Schneider and Andrew Johnson)

Cliffs of Dooneen - Tin Whistle

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 8 to July 14

Good morning!

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

If you're a writer, want to be a writer, or know someone in the Will/Grundy counties area that fits that description, be sure to check out this event.  It's free but seating is limited and registration is required.

Also, WriteOn Joliet returned to the digital media center at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library last night continue editing the radio play we presented at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet on April 22. We are now halfway through with the editing, hurray!

Also, if you missed that radio play the first time, you will have another opportunity at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library. More on this later.

Not much as has changed in the BryonySeries world. I had lots of "life" catching up the last couple of days; I've re-read through some of the projects-in-progress; and spent quite a bit of time on the BryonySeries reference guide last weekend.

A quick recap:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and two chapters that are ready for final edits.

Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville: The next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries is finally in production. We can't wait to release it into the hands of readers. 

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. 

Karla Joins In: The fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series. Eight chapters are completed. and ready for their final edits; four more to go. Jennifer Wainright iw working the cover.

Jennifer designed the covers for Julie and the Too-Hard Homework, Katie and the Big Fear, and Summer Sisters, as well as frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer. I can't wait to see her "Karla" illustration.

BryonySeries reference/guide book: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries. I'd love to have this one ready by the end of the year. Pecking slowly at it.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novella in the second person. Half of it is written and edited and another half is loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover. 

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts. And she' catching up with Kindles for some of the BryonySeries books. So do 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 animal hospital helping displaced pets in Ukraine: The fundraiser on Saturday will include raffle baskets and food

Lockport music teacher composes new books, songs: Jodi Bordenaro: ‘I started letting my imagination run just like a child '

Movies, music and more at the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet this summer: Kelly Urquidi, Rialto spokesperson: ‘We have three shows coming up this week’ 

Joliet school’s reunion book earns state, national honors: Author: ‘It’s a nice reward for working on it’

Joliet’s Sub Dock’s new owner promises same ‘legendary’ quality: Mario Allabadi: ‘I want to keep everything the same for the people’

Joliet’s D. 86 approves 2 new principals

Free dog clinic in Bolingbrook on Saturday: Dog owners must register before the event

Pets of the Week: July 10, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: Taco Fest in New Lenox: Plus 4 more suggestions for enjoying your weekend

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

12 Quotes from Cornell Dyer and the Eerie Lake

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 twelve quotes for Cornell Dyer and the Eerie Lake, one from each chapter.

Enjoy!

Before supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer can figure out the questions, one man disappears and another dies. To find the answers, Cornell must cross the lake - but all who tried never came back. Will Cornell survive and solve the mystery?

Prologue: 

"Will you leave me, too?" she sobbed.

"Hush," he squeezed her hand. "I will never leave you."

But she left him because of a man, a mean old man with important papers. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to his boat.

Chapter 1: A Stone's Throw Away

Mr. Hogley and Mr. Basset looked up from their game of checkers and sneered at Cornell, too.

But Cornell did not care. Supernatural super sleuths are too busy to pay attention to the scorn of others.

Chapter 2: Stumps, Dumps, and Car Trunks

Finally, they reached the dump. It was full of broken items on top of each other: sinks and lawn mowers and grills, along with rolled-up moldy carpet, yellow-stained mattresses, dry-rotted truck tires, broken lamps, sofas with scattered cushions, upside down desks and bureaus, and random trash bags and plastic wrappers.

Cornell tossed his empty can and bottle in the direction of the wrappers, not because he liked to litter, but because that seemed like the place they should go.

Chapter 3: Jack of all Trades

Cornell hadn't seen smoke that thick and dark since the heat wave of 1972 when he was in New York banishing a poltergeist from a shoe store.

But Jack turned to Cornell with a wide smile. "Don't worry, friend. I can fix that."

Chapter 4: Trouble Under the Hood

"Don't forget to collect your things," Jack said. "There's a boarding house at the end of the lane. Tell the owner I sent you, and she won't charge you a cent."

So Cornell pulled his magic carpetbag from under the sofa and began grabbing a few essentials: potions, cards, crystal balls, maps, an entire shelf of code-breaking books, and a llama.

Chapter 5: A Haunting Tale

"Inside this town lived a boy and girl, the strangest boy and girl you could ever meet."

"What made them strange?" Cornell asked.

"They were inseparable." Jack said as he set a small part on the floor. "They were born right next to each other. They learned to crawl together and walk together. As they grew up, they played together. They were like one person with two bodies."

Chapter 6: The Very Sad Funeral

Someone else in Marbleheart had also wanted to sail to the other side of the lake. Someone Cornell had met in the dump right before he met Jack.

That's when he realized someone very important had not attended Jack's funeral.

Chapter 7: A Splinter on Deck

"Sir, do not interfere with important work. I am the great Professor Cornell Dyer, supernatural super sleuth. I fear nothing and no one. And I most certainly do not fear this lake and what's on the other side."

The boatman pointed his finger rudely at Cornell's face. "Bad things happen to people who try. Look what happened to poor Jack. I'm warning you, don't go."

Chapter 8: Big Water and Deep Trouble

"It's a trick," Cornell thought. "My mind is tricking me because of the fever."

But a supernatural sleuth that cracks the hardest supernatural mysteries and breaks the most stubborn of curses won't be broken by a splinter and a fever.

Chapter 9: Sometimes He Comes Back

Jack wore a bright excited look, the type little boys wear on Christmas morning when they see the tree and know the gift they wanted most of all is lying beneath it.

Chapter 10: Two for the Price of One

Only water surrounded him on every side as the boat sailed at an even pace across the placid, sparkling lake under a pleasant sunny sky.

Epilogue

"I'll help you!" Cornell cried. "Just as soon as I have a snack!"

With that, he headed to the broken-down car and began rummaging for food.

Sue's Diner: House Salad

This is my favorite side salad in the entire world, as served in the fictional Sue's Diner in the fictional Munsonville, Michigan of the BryonySeries world.

Timothy actually created it when he was a student at Joliet Junior College's culinary arts program.

This house salad delicious any time of the year, but especially this time of the year when temperatures are warmer and salads are even more welcomed.

Try the recipe 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. 

This house salad recipe also appears in the BryonySeries cookbook Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

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.

All proceeds from "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'" benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties at bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at bryonyseries.com.

How to Find – and Share – Your Voice on July 18

The Three Rivers Library invited me to speak on the topic "How to Find – and Share – Your Voice" from 6 to 7 p.m. July 18, at the Minooka branch of the Three Rivers Public Library District, 109 Wabena Ave.

Maybe this event is right for you - or someone you know.

We'll discuss the concept of writing "voice" and how to develop and share that voice. 

We'll share some examples of distinct "voice, tell a few "voice" stories, and provide resources for sharing that voice with the world.

BryonySeries books and WriteOn Joliet anthologies will be available for purchase.

The event is free but registration is required at trpld.org/event/8506148.

Have a great Tuesday!

Of Higher Value Than Coffee

Daniel and I both love Dunkin' Midnight coffee.

So recently, when only one pod remained, I set it aside near the Keurig for Daniel to make and enjoy.

That pod sat there for more than a week. 

Because Daniel, you see, also left it for me.

Now one day when I headed downstairs to make another cup of coffee, the pod was missing. Good, I thought. Daniel drank it.

A few hours later, it was back. 

Daniel had moved the pod to clean a spill on the counter and forgot to put the pod back. But then he did, later, when he remembered.

I saw that pod and literally laughed aloud.

Now on Saturday, the pod once again disappeared (yes, keep scrolling)

Because Daniel had bought two boxes of Dunkin' Midnight (scroll one last time).

So he used the old pod and opened the box to encourage me to take a new one.

Isn't he a fine young man?

Peder B. Helland - Feelings (Radio Edit)

Irish Rain by Michele McLaughlin from A Celtic Dream

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 1 to July 7

Good morning!

Today I have thirteen features and news stories to share with you today with more stories are coming. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

If you're a writer, want to be a writer, or know someone in the Will/Grundy counties area that fits that description, be sure to check out this event.  It's free but seating is limited and registration is required.

Also, WriteOn Joliet returned to the digital media center at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library this week continue editing the radio play we presented at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet on April 22.

Also, if you missed that radio play the first time, you will have another opportunity at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library. More on this later.

Not much as has changed in the BryonySeries world since I worked last week through the weekend and the holiday. I had lots of "life" catching up the last couple of days, although I did re-read through some of the projects-in-progress to get back into the mood for this weekend.

A quick recap:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and two chapters that are ready for final edits.

Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville: The next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries is ready for production - after the Fourth of July. Rebekah will be traveling and then she's taking a few days off. We can't wait to release it into the hands of readers. 

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. 

Karla Joins In: The fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series. Eight chapters are completed. I'm hoping to write the ninth on Sunday. But we shall see.

BryonySeries reference/guide book: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries. I'd love to have this one ready by the end of the year. Pecking slowly at it.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novella in the second person. Half of it is written and edited and another half is loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover. 

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts. And she' catching up with Kindles for some of the BryonySeries books. So do 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

New Lenox radiation oncologist heals body and spirit: Dr. Anne McCall: ‘The first time I distributed communion, I started to cry’

Historic Wilmington movie theater builds community: The Mar Theatre in Wilmington is still a first-run movie theater 

Manhattan displays Moving Wall honoring service members who died in Vietnam: Those who served shouldn’t be forgotten, Moving Wall volunteer said

Fireworks near me in Will County for 2023 Fourth of July shows: Many Fourth of July events also include live entertainment 

5 tips for keeping pets safe this Fourth of July: Will County Animal Control urges residents to be proactive 

Joliet East H.S. alumni to host reunion on July 22: Admission is $5 

5-year-old girl drowns at Tinley Park water park

Bolingbrook police, FBI, investigate bank robbery

Orland Park man gets 8 years in prison for 2018 Crete shooting: The man knew the victim from prison

Joliet, Wilmington men plead guilty, are sentenced to burglary: The plea is part of an ongoing burglary case Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced in 2022

Joliet firefighters extinguish garage fire; no injuries reported: Residents left the house on their own 

5 Things to do in Will County: Boat Regatta Bash in Shorewood: Plus 4 more suggestions for enjoying your weekend.

Pets of the Week: July 3, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Patriotic Relaxing Piano Music | God Bless America | America the Beautiful | Star Spangled Banner

BryonySeries at Bicentennial Park on July 3: A Recap

What a wonderful Fourth of July/Independence Day holiday!

We began our celebration on July 3, when BryonySeries returned to the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre with books, a couple free games with prizes, BryonySeries Word Music for $1, and an extra special free gift with select purchases.

I worked yesterday (July 4) and that was Rebekah's last day of vacation, so we have not crunched the final numbers.

But we gave away approximately thirty free books, sold about a dozen more, which came with a free. tie dyed shirt that Rebekah and Jasmine made from shirts Daniel bought as a surprise "BryonySeries book marketing" Christmas gift.

In fact, we actually ran out of small T-shirts.

We were able to give away some free books due to a few random donations we received at two previous events. 

So Monday night at Bicentennial Park, people could spin our carnival wheel at no charge and receive the title that matched their spun number.

Depending on the age of the child, they left with either a Bertrand the Mouse Book or a book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries).

In fact, we have a great photo (not included on this post) of a mother taking a picture of her very happy little girl holding Bertrand the Mouse. The little girl was already thrilled to take a "Bertrand" book home with her...and then she noticed Bertrand sitting on the table. So naturally, she had to hold him and take a photo.

Three of us (Jasmine, Rebekah, and I) hustled all night. We were busy by the time we set up. Traffic didn't wind down until shortly before the fireworks began at 9:30 a.m.

Rebekah handled sales; Jasmine handled the book giveaways; I handled the free Bozo buckets (with dollar store red, white, and blue prizes). 

Timothy and Daniel carried all the heavy stuff from the vehicles to the site, set up the tent, took it all down, and carried all the heavy stuff back to the vehicles at the end of the night. They also ran for (and paid for) coffee, tea, and dinner.

These are really outstanding adults of really fine character.

We chatted with long-time friends and made a few new ones.

But the most memorable part of Monday night was the smiles. People could not believe the games with prizes were free to play, that the shirts were free (with purchase), that the Word Music was only a dollar.

For people who feel kids don't want to read, they were sure excited to take books home. Now, maybe they won't actually read them. 

Still, we saw a lot of wonder in eyes, a lot of awed smiles, a lot of really happy people walking away to listen to music or buy some ice cream...holding a book in their hands.

Wow!

Here are a handful of photos from the event, all taken by Jasmine except the one of her talking to customers.

At the end is a photo of me Timothy snaped while we were watching the fireworks off Cass Street Bridge. I love fireworks, and Cass Street bridge is my favorite place to enjoy them,

And by the way, the Bicentennial Park's firework show was truly outstanding, the best one ever, from the very first blast.

Needless to say, little Bertrand the Mouse and his Uncle Barty had a terrific time, even though they, too, worked most of the night.

"The Egg" from the musical 1776

BryonySeries Word Music is Just $1 Each

We are launching a new product at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

The product is called "Word Music."

BryonySeries Word Music is a random quote from a BryonySeries book to inspire you, encourage you, or kindle your imagination.

Each quote is printed on quality linen paper and includes the title of the book in which it appears.

All quotes are contained in a premium golden rose envelope. They cost $1 each.

Buy one or more for yourself or to slip into a book or greeting card as an extra special gift for another.

At this point, BryonySeries Word Music is only available at in-person events.

But if someone wanted to order them in bulk, we would consider shipping them.

For more information, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

John Williams: Born on the Fourth of July (piano cover)

The Foggy Dew | Irish Traditional | Piano Cover

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, June 24 to June 30

Good morning!

Today I have thirteen features and news stories to share with you today and one gallery of photos that I shot of an amazing STEAM exhibit that's at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library through the end of July.

I'm also working straight through to Wednesday, so more stories are coming. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

If you live in the Joliet area, BryonySeries will be part of the Fourth of July celebration at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre on July 3.

We will have free games with prizes and "Word Music" for $1 (new product) for sale, along with books for sale (free gift with select purchases). For more information, read this post.

On another note, if you're a writer, want to be a writer, or know someone in the Will/Grundy counties area that fits that description, be sure to check out this event.  It's free but seating is limited and registration is required.

Here's a recap of other my other writing projects:

Next week,  WriteOn Joliet will return to the digital media center at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library to continue editing the radio play we presented at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet on April 22.

We learned that recording and editing a radio play is very different from performing one. And it looks like we will be performing this play in another venue in the fall. More of that later.

And in the BryonySeries world:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and two chapters that are ready for final edits.

Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville: The next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries is ready for production - after the Fourth of July. Rebekah will be traveling and then she's taking a few days off. We can't wait to release it into the hands of readers. 

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. 

Karla Joins In: The fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series. Eight chapters are completed. I'm hoping to write the ninth on Sunday. But we shall see.

BryonySeries reference/guide book: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries. I'd love to have this one ready by the end of the year. Pecking slowly at it.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novella in the second person. Half of it is written and edited and another half is loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover. 

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts. And she' catching up with Kindles for some of the BryonySeries books. So do 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

Baran-Unland: Don’t miss STEAM exhibit at Joliet Public Library: The exhibit is based on the Questioneers characters in the book series by author Andrea Beaty and illustrator David Roberts. 

PHOTOS: Questioneers at Joliet Public Library

Melissa McCarthy discusses Plainfield tornado while eating hot wings on “Hot Ones”: McCarthy said all the hot sauces were ‘terrible in their own different ways'

Air quality gradually improving in northern Illinois: The hope is that the upcoming rain might help dissipate smoke

Air quality won’t affect Fourth of July fireworks in Will County: Ben Benson: ‘We’re more concerned with dryness and potential fires’

When will air quality improve in Northern Illinois?: National Weather Service: ‘Conditions are pretty stagnant right now’

How to stay safe during unhealthy air quality: Dr. Kalisha Hill: ‘I think the pandemic conditioned us to wear a mask, if necessary’

New Lenox lighting company specializes in Christmas lights installation: Gary Fouts, owner: ‘They call us and the rest is done’ 

Summer in Will County: 10 free ways to enjoy the great outdoors: Spending time outside may boost your physical and your mental health

Joliet Catholic Academy teacher gave ‘110%’ to students with learning challenges: Amy Douglas: ‘I feel really good about what I’ve done’ 

30 young women receive #scholarships from Lincoln-Way Area Business Women’s Association

Valley View school board to hold special session on Monday: The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. 

Pets of the Week: June 26: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: Joliet Slammers Military Appreciation Night: Plus 4 more suggestions for enjoying your weekend 

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

BryonySeries at Bicentennial Park on July 3: Free Gift With Select Purchases

If you come out to the Fourth of July celebration party on July 3 at  the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet, be sure to stop by the BryonySeries table.

You can check out our books, play some games, take home a free (and homemade) tie-dyed shirt with select book purchases, and purchase a piece of BryonySeries Word Music for $1.

You want details about this, right? Sure you do!

And here we go!

Books and Tie Dye Shirts:

Every person who buys one (or more) of these combinations will receive a free, locally tie dyed shirt per combination - while tie dyed shirts last.

Tie dyed shirts are not limited to one per customer. But for each additional shirt, you must still purchase one of these four combinations.

1) One "regular" young adult or adult BryonySeries book (choices include any book in the "drop of blood" trilogy, Lycanthropic Summer, The Phoenix, Call of the Siren, Ruthless by Ed Calkins Steward of Tara or any of the Before the Blood books) or Nine Months of Kindness.

2) Any two books in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer series.

3) Any two books in the Girls of the BryonySeries series.

4) Any three books in the Bertrand the Mouse series.

5) All three of our BryonySeries cookbooks.

To check out details of most of those books, visit bryonyseries.com/general-store.

To be clear, you cannot buy one of these shirts. They are strictly gifts for select purchases.

I know, I know. You want to know if the items sparkle? Well, yes. Some DO sparkle...a bit. A few might have glow.

But you'll have to stop by our table at Bicentennial Park on July 3 to know for sure.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is located at 201 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet.

For more information on the event, visit bicentennialpark.org.

For more information on the BryonySeries, visit bryonyseries.com.

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. 

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

Below that is a more traditional version.

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?).

BryonySeries at Bicentennial Park on July 3

Come celebrate the Fourth of July with us!

BryonySeries returns to the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre at 6:30 p.m. July 3 with books, a couple free games with prizes, BryonySeries Word Music for $1, and an extra special free gift with select purchases.

The Bicentennial Park is located at 201 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet.

After reading the above message, perhaps you're wondering if I posted the wrong image. 

Perhaps you expected to see a flyer that looked more like this:

But the first photo is actually the "free gift with select purchases" in progress. 

On Thursday, I will post photos of the finished products, along with how you can take one or more home with you. 

The raw materials and idea came from Daniel, as a Christmas present for me. But Jasmine took the concept a step further, as you will see on Thursday. And Rebekah has learned an amazing skill.

For now, enjoy the photos of Rebekah (left) and Jasmine (right) working hard to make something nice for you.