WriteOn Joliet Radio-Player Jenny Russ

Good morning!

If you've popped into this blog in the past, you may know that nine members of WriteOn Joliet will present “Fragments of Time," an original radio theater production, at 7 p.m. April 19 and April 20 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

Admission is $5.

One of the author/performers is Jennifer Russ.

Jennifer Russ is a freelance writer focusing on animal welfare and human rights. They are the author of “The Heart’s Bone,” a fictional account of Tibet’s youngest self-immolators, and “Whitewallsville: One Man’s Journey Through Tigers, Frozen Birds, and Suicide,” a story of grief and redemption set within the walls of a mental institution. 

She also recently published a third book under a pen name, which reached the number one spot on Amazon in its category.

When Jennifer is not tackling the serious topics, they enjoy petting dogs, smelling old books, cosplay, and traveling the world.

The other authors and performers on April 19 and April 20 are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Mauverneen Blevins, Edward Calkins, Holly Coop, Steve Cordin, Diana Estell, Cean Magosky, and Duanne Walton.

Director is Rachel Veres.

Lobby doors open at 6 p.m. Concessions and drinks will be available for purchase. WriteOn Joliet books and anthologies will be available for purchase one hour before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is at 201 West Jefferson Street, downtown Joliet, 60432.

For tickets and more information, visit bicentennialpark.org or contact the office: 815-724-3761 or bipark@joliet.gov.

For more information, visit writeonjoliet.com.

Sue's Diner: Homemade Pierogies

This week we are featuring a recipe that is a favorite in our family: homemade pierogies.

A pierogi is simply a stuffed dumping. Pierogies are popular in Eastern European cuisine. Some cultures call them pirohi.

Traditional pierogi fillings include potato and sauerkraut, but you may use any filling you like.

I learned how to make pierogies from a cookbook when my oldest son, now forty-two, was about eighteen months old. I always included the kids in making them. 

The ones from the cookbook were dry and heavy, so we adapted the recipe through the years.

My two preschoolers (Sarah and Joshua) helped me make two hundred of them one afternoon in the 1980s when one of our friends was being ordained to the priesthood.

I even had a regular customer for a short time, which provided some extra money for me.

You can try our pierogi recipe on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

This recipe does not appear in Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From "Bryony" which benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

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.

WriteOn Joliet Radio-Player: Cean Magosky

Good morning! 

Nine members of WriteOn Joliet will present “An Evening With WriteOn Joliet: Readings to Entertain and Inspire You” on April 22 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

Admission is $5.

One of the author/performers is Cean Magosky. 

You might recognize the Magosky name. Cean's family had owned the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History and generously let us film the Bryony book trailer and the music video to the BryonySeries theme song (also named "Bryony) in the museum in April 2012.

Cean's family also let us take photos of their wonderful museum and help promote it to the community. Some of us shot photos in the doll room, our filmmakers shared some stills, and Sarah shared her impressions (and a few photos) in this post.

The Magoskys lent us clothes for shooting the videos and for our VampFest fundraiser and opened up the museum more than once for BryonySeries photo shoots, including this one for The Morris Herald News. 

Cean is returns to radio play for the second year. A WriteOn Joliet member, Cean is a surgical nurse by day and writer and musician in the remaining time. Current writing projects include researching and writing on the life of Joliet architect F. S. Allen and 19th century school architecture, which has made him an accidental postcard collector.

As surgical nurse, Cean has presented on the regional and national level and was a member of Northwestern Medicine Nursing Ambassadors for the Fine Arts and contributed to their project Listening to Life.

His children’s story Oatmeal Raisin Bear was featured in LocalLit, a newsletter I conceived and wrote for The Herald-News for several years.

Cean also writes and publishes a blog on Joliet history and architecture. He is also republishing the books his brother and father wrote on Joliet history and Shorewood history.

The other authors and performers on April 19 and April 20 are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Mauverneen Blevins, Edward Calkins, Holly Coop, Steve Cordin, Diana Estell, Jenny Russ, and Duanne Walton.

Director is Rachel Veres.

Lobby doors open at 6 p.m. Concessions and drinks will be available for purchase. WriteOn Joliet books and anthologies will be available for purchase one hour before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is at 201 West Jefferson Street, downtown Joliet, 60432.

For tickets and more information, visit bicentennialpark.org or contact the office: 815-724-3761 or bipark@joliet.gov.

For more information, visit historicimpressions.blogspot.com and writeonjoliet.com.

WriteOn Joliet Radio-Player: Diana Estell

Good morning!

Nine members of WriteOn Joliet will present “Fragments of Time," an original radio theater production, at 7 p.m. April 19 and April 20 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

Admission is $5.

One of the author/performers is Diana Estell.

The joy and pains of Diana's personal story, as well as her educational background, have shaped her writing style.

Diana has a Bachelor of Arts from Northern Illinois University and it was there, while writing for her classes in anthropology, that her love of writing re-awoke.

Growing up, Diana had a book in her hand constantly, books like Little House on the Prairie, Little Women, and countless others.  

The love of words is a deep passion of hers. She enjoyed reading the dictionary, taking words and changing them into new words.  

Words were her imaginary playground, a veritable lush garden, springing out blossoms of creativity.

When Star Wars blasted into orbit, so too did Diana’s love for all things fantasy. Dungeon and Dragons and Star Trek played a significant role in her private imaginary world. 

Now the worded playground, with its abundant flora, sprung forth thorns of sharpened steel. Planets and creatures emerged with ease. This passion for fantasy has never left but has grown stronger.

Diana has traveled extensively, most recently to Paris, France. Her love for history, martial arts and weapons is woven into her writings. She has a black belt in a martial arts blend of Taekwondo and Jujitsu. 

She had anticipated she would be going on archeological digs after graduating, but childhood dreams never die.  No matter how many layers of her past accumulated, nothing could stop a story from emerging in her mind.

Diana's first novel, Abyss of the Fallen, was released by Brimstone Fiction in 2020.

For more information, visit dianaestell.com.

The other authors and performers on April 19 and April 20 are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Mauverneen Blevins, Edward Calkins, Holly Coop, Steve Cordin, Cean Magosky, Jenny Russ, and Duanne Walton.

Director is Rachel Veres.

Lobby doors open at 6 p.m. Concessions and drinks available for purchase. WriteOn Joliet books and anthologies will be available for purchase one hour before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is at 201 West Jefferson Street, downtown Joliet, 60432.

For tickets and more information, visit bicentennialpark.org or contact the office: 815-724-3761 or bipark@joliet.gov.

For more information, visit dianaestell.com and writeonjoliet.com.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Beethoven | Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, "The Tempest" | Daniel Barenboim

WriteOn Joliet Radio-Player: Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara

This past week, I've shared posts about the individual performers in WriteOn's upcoming and second radio theater-style performance.

Here is one who already gets plenty of attention on this blog and is now about to get a little more: Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara.

Ed is one of nine members of WriteOn Joliet who will present “Fragments of Time," an original radio theater production, at 7 p.m. April 19 and April 20 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

Admission is $5.

Ed Calkins is a real, 60-something, proud of his Irish-heritage computer programmer and amateur writer who has also spent his entire life working in newspaper circulation. Years ago, Calkins invented a "ruthless dictator" alter ego, also known as "The Steward of Tara."

With Calkins' permission, BryonySeries author Denise M. Baran-Unland furthered altered him to create a minor character in "Bryony," making Calkins the first Irish vampire of any significance. 

Of course, Calkins claims "Bryony" is really all about him, so he’s held his own book signings, which he is calls, "The Ed Calkins Tour." There must be some truth in his sentiments, because Calkins' plot importance does grow with each novel in the original BryonySeries trilogy

The post "Twenty Questions With Ed Calkins" will give more insight into the man, the myth, the character, and the author.

Calkins is the author of "The Fifth," (his backstory) “Ruthless” (also his backstory) and “Denise M. Baran-Unland's Irish Genealogy.” He also shares his writings on the BryonySeries blog. Email him at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

The other authors and performers on April 19 and April 20 are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Mauverneen Blevins, Holly Coop, Steve Cordin, Diana Estell, Cean Magosky, Jenny Russ, and Duanne Walton.

Director is Rachel Veres. 

Lobby doors open at 6 p.m. Concessions and drinks available for purchase. WriteOn Joliet books and anthologies will be available for purchase one hour before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is at 201 West Jefferson Street, downtown Joliet, 60432.

For tickets and more information, visit bicentennialpark.org or contact the office: 815-724-3761 or bipark@joliet.gov.

For more information, visit bryonyseries.com and writeonjoliet.com.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, March 30 to April 5

Good morning!

I have just seven news and features stories to share with you this week...but I did finish a large special project this week.

But more stories will post over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Tonight I will participate in National Poetry Month Open Mic Night at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre at 201 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet. Doors open at 6 p.m. Readings start at 7 p.m.

I'm not a poet. But I will read two poems on behalf of my WriteOn Joliet co-leader Tom Hernandez, who is receiving hospice care for brain cancer. He picked out the poems and, while I can't read them like Tom can, I did practice them in front of mirror. Wish me luck!

At least two other WriteOn poets will read tonight, too: Sharon Houk and Holly Coop. So an entertaining and inspiring evening guaranteed for tonight.

Finally, if you live in the general Will County area in Illinois, consider adding this event to your calendar.

Here is an update on my BryonySeries book projects:

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 six chapters and a prologue that are ready for final edits. I scrapped most of chapter seven last weekend and am now working on the current draft. We are estimating a late 2024 release date for this book.

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: Timothy said the next book will be slightly dark ("slightly" because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. We are also working on the last book in the series (but it's not the final book, if that makes sense). Timothy is actually writing that one. We had a tentative "Cornell breakfast" scheduled for last weekend, which didn't happen...and we have no opportunity for another for at least a couple more weeks. We've scheduled and broke several in 2023. Our last one was July 2022. So we are LONG overdue.

Brainy Ann: The fifth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries is outlined and ready for some serious writing in 2024. The first chapter is written, hurray! Jennifer Wainwright has already started working on the cover portrait. That one is called "Brainy Ann."

Jennifer designed the cover portraits for "Julie and the Too-Hard Homework," "Katie and the Big Fear," "Summer Sisters." and "Karla Joins In," as well as the frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novelette in the second person is completed and just needs final copyediting. Rebekah is still experimenting with cover art for this and made good progress this past weekend. We are estimating a mid-2024 release date.

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 Herald-News stories 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 haven't posted anything on Twitter/X (except a daily Bible verse) since September I can no longer schedule posts in advance. I'm not sure yet how to manage the account without that option. But you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I used to curated content relating to the BryonySeries on Twitter/X at @BryonySeries and still post assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.com/bryonyseries.

Again, not sure yet about the direction of the BryonySeries Twitter/X account. Still mulling that over.

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, Crest Hill Catholic churches mark final Easter Masses as they face closure

Joliet West Special Populations Dance creates ‘memories that will last a lifetime’: Students also learn ‘the importance of inclusivity’

Future homeowners invited to attend this 2-day home expo in Joliet: The first 100 attendees each day will have a chance to win $10,000

Fox 32 meteorologist Mike Caplan to discuss tornado safety in Joliet: Light lunch provided

Easter egg hunt at Timbers of Shorewood draws big crowd: The event also raised money for the Alzheimer’s Association

Pets of the Week: April 1, 2024: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

The Local Scene: Skip Griparis returns to Joliet Bicentennial Park: Here are 5 things to do this weekend

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

WriteOn Joliet Radio-Player: Steve Cordin

Good morning! 

The introductions to the 2024 WriteOn Joliet Radio-Players and details about this year's show continue today. If you missed meeting the other authors and performs, don't worry. I'm including a complete cast list in this blog and a link to the two performers already featured. 

Here we go!

Nine members of WriteOn Joliet will present “Fragments of Time," an original radio theater production, at 7 p.m. April 19 and April 20 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

Admission is $5.

One of the author/performers is Steve Cordin.

Steve usually lurks in the outskirts of Joliet, Illinois, to pay the bills and bar tabs. He has worked in banking as a repo man, foreclosure guru, and fraud investigator.  

He writes about fraud and crime, and he also writes horror fiction. Cordin is currently working on a collection of crime fiction short stories. 

Steve was a contributor to Jacked: A Crime Fiction Anthology. The book is available on Amazon. 

Another of Steve's crime fiction, Tiger by the Tail, was recently published by Storiaverse, a new platform for read-watch stories.

Contact Steve Cordin at sjcordin@gmail.com.

The other authors and performers on April 19 and April 20 are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Maureen Blevins, Edward Calkins, Holly Coop, Diana Estell, Cean Magosky, Jenny Russ, and Duanne Walton.

Director is Rachel Veres.

Lobby doors open at 6 p.m. Concessions and drinks available for purchase. WriteOn Joliet books and anthologies will be available for purchase one hour before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is at 201 West Jefferson Street, downtown Joliet, 60432.

For tickets and more information, visit bicentennialpark.org or contact the office: 815-724-3761 or bipark@joliet.gov.

For more information, visit writeonjoliet.com.

Sue's Diner: Cinnamon Lozenges

The following recipe appears in the BryonySeries cookbook Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony."

Here is some background from the cookbook on where this week's recipe falls in the BryonySeries novel Bryony:

When Melissa develops a crush on Henry, she boldly approaches him for a date. Henry seizes his chance to enlarge Melissa’s world and gives her a kaleidoscope evening of theatre, historical landmarks, and peasant food. 

This recipe is modified from the Bohemian-American Cookbook by Marie Rosicky, published by the Automatic Printing Company (www.autoprintomaha.com), and used with permission.

The version of the cookbook I had was published more than one hundred years ago. The Automatic Publishing Company is still publishing it today.

This recipe is featured on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website.

But try the cinnamon lozenges 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. 

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.

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.

WriteOn Joliet Radio-Player: Holly Coop

Good morning! 

As I promised yesterday, I'm planning to introduce you to each of the 2024 WriteOn Joliet Radio-Players and flood this blog with show details over the next couple of weeks.

Of course, this is for marketing purposes...because I want you to see our unique and diverse talents and make you curious how we are taking that to create one seamless show.

Nine members of WriteOn Joliet will present “Fragments of Time," an original radio theater production, at 7 p.m. April 19 and April 20 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

Admission is $5.

One of the author/performers is Holly Coop, for whom touching hearts with words has become a life purpose.

Holly writes and publishes inspirational poetry, motivational quotes, and spiritual insights. As the author of five poetry collections, Holly hopes her words will stir hearts and inspire others in their purpose.

She also enjoys sketching, creating photo notecards and art, and featuring her poetry. at hollycoopcards.Etsy.com.

At hollycoopauthor.wordpress.com, Holly shares reflections, nuggets of wisdom, and anything that comes to mind.

She also blogs for the Romeoville Art Society at romeovilleartsociety.org/blog.

Holly resides in Joliet, Illinois with her husband, children, and furry friends.

Her poetry collections are available for purchase at: HollyCoopBooks.com and The Book Market Sales and Trading Center in Crest Hill.

Holly's books are also available in the local author collection at the Joliet Public Library. 

The other authors and performers on April 19 and April 20 are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Mauverneen Blevins, Edward Calkins, Steve Cordin, Diana Estell, Cean Magosky, Jenny Russ, and Duanne Walton.

Director is Rachel Veres. Holly also coordinated all of the sound effects for "Fragments of Time."

Lobby doors open at 6 p.m. Concessions and drinks available for purchase. WriteOn Joliet books and anthologies will be available for purchase one hour before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is at 201 West Jefferson Street, downtown Joliet, 60432.

For tickets and more information, visit bicentennialpark.org or contact the office: 815-724-3761 or bipark@joliet.gov.

For more information, visit writeonjoliet.com.

WriteOn Joliet Radio-Player: Mauverneen Blevins

Good morning! 

In the next couple of weeks leading up to showtime, I'm planning to introduce you to each of the 2024 WriteOn Joliet Radio-Players and flood this blog with show details.

Are you ready? Here goes!

Nine members of WriteOn Joliet will present “Fragments of Time," an original radio theater production, at 7 p.m. April 19 and April 20 at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

Admission is $5.

One of the author/performers is Mauverneen Blevins.

Mauverneen (or Maureen as she is generally called) has spent most of her life in the Midwest, although she loves to travel and does so at every opportunity. 

Her interest in photography was sparked at an early age by a beloved uncle, and has developed into a passion over time, earning her a number of photography awards. 

Following in her mother's footsteps, who was also a published writer and author of four books, she began writing and has been published in various magazines and anthologies. 

Mauverneen is the author of "I KNOW That Bird!: Introducing Young Children to some common birds of the backyard," which is available for purchase on Amazon.

Her weekly blog, Positively Tuesday, is an ongoing attempt towards encouraging more positive thinking, one Tuesday at a time. 

She is the mother of three beautiful daughters, and foster mom to her adorable dog, Bailey. 

Mauverneen also created these beautiful individual radio-player cards I will be posting.

The other authors and performers on April 19 and April 20 are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Edward Calkins, Holly Coop, Steve Cordin, Diana Estell, Cean Magosky, Jenny Russ, and Duanne Walton.

Director is Rachel Veres.

Lobby doors open at 6 p.m. Concessions and drinks available for purchase. WriteOn Joliet books and anthologies will be available for purchase one hour before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

The Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre is at 201 West Jefferson Street, downtown Joliet, 60432.

For tickets and more information, visit bicentennialpark.org or contact the office: 815-724-3761 or bipark@joliet.gov.

For more information, visit mauveonthemove.com, maureenblevins.blogspot.com, and writeonjoliet.com.

Sleeping At Last Saturn Live with the Symphony Orchestra

Holy Saturday - An Animation

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, March 23 to March 29

Good morning!

I have just seven news and features stories to share with you this week...but not because I was fighting a virus all week.

I also worked on a story with two other reporters for Saturday, a special edition that we'll publish in May, and stories that will post over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

I was too sick last weekend to work on any project - BryonySeries or the manuscript I'm editing for a client. I'm planning to tackle the client's work this weekend and finish a couple of proposals that got pushed back with all my various maladies these past few weeks. But I did catch up (some) on my reading.

On Sunday, we plan to celebrate Western Easter with family.

Finally, if you live in the general Will County area in Illinois, consider adding this event to your calendar.

Here are the BryonySeries book updates (which have not changed much since last week).

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 six chapters and a prologue that are ready for final edits. I scrapped most of chapter seven last weekend and am now working on the current draft. We are estimating a late 2024 release date for this book.

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: Timothy said the next book will be slightly dark ("slightly" because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. We are also working on the last book in the series (but it's not the final book, if that makes sense). Timothy is actually writing that one. We had a tentative "Cornell breakfast" scheduled for last weekend, which didn't happen...and we have no opportunity for another for at least a couple more weeks. We've scheduled and broke several in 2023. Our last one was July 2022. So we are LONG overdue.

Brainy Ann: The fifth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries is outlined and ready for some serious writing in 2024. The first chapter is written, hurray! Jennifer Wainwright has already started working on the cover portrait. That one is called "Brainy Ann."

Jennifer designed the cover portraits for "Julie and the Too-Hard Homework," "Katie and the Big Fear," "Summer Sisters." and "Karla Joins In," as well as the frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novelette in the second person is completed and just needs final copyediting. Rebekah is still experimenting with cover art for this and made good progress this past weekend. We are estimating a mid-2024 release date.

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 Herald-News stories 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 haven't posted anything on Twitter/X (except a daily Bible verse) since September I can no longer schedule posts in advance. I'm not sure yet how to manage the account without that option. But you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I used to curated content relating to the BryonySeries on Twitter/X at @BryonySeries and still post assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.com/bryonyseries.

Again, not sure yet about the direction of the BryonySeries Twitter/X account. Still mulling that over.

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 West’s Dave Marco remembered as ‘genuine person to his soul’: ‘If you needed a self-esteem boost, he was the guy to talk to’

2 Will County teens shine in American Legion essay contest: Gary Stieg, American Legion Post 1080: ‘They were within 2points of each other’

Joliet Junior College partners with local rescues to help pets get homes: The partnership is a win-win for everyone

Baran-Unland: We have another cat, thanks to Joliet Junior College: And a tabby named Senna has a forever home

Joliet Bicentennial Park invites poets and musicians to share their work: The event is free for attendees and participants

Pets of the Week: March 25, 2024: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

The Local Scene: Doggie Easter egg hunt in Shorewood

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

The Unprepared Blog

So I've been sick this past week and slept in every day. 

I'm REALLY behind this particular morning and don't have much time to write a blog. 

However, I've missed very few days since we began this blog on August 1, 2010. So what's an unprepared writer to do?

Well, I can thank anyone who's read this blog right now for actually reading it. In this era of information overload and buried posts, I'm humbled anyone is still checking in fourteen years later. I'm truly humbled. So THANK YOU very, very much. As with my BryonySeries and other books, this blog is for you, the reader.

And I could give another "shameless plug" for WriteOn Joliet's upcoming radio play, since everyone is working very hard at delivering an entertaining performance for all those brave enough (ahem!) supportive enough to come out.

Of course, I could easily default to a cat photo, like this one of Faith, who is stressed by my coughing and refusing to look at the camera.

But, mostly, I want to wish you a beautiful day filled with every good blessing a beautiful day can bring.

And I wish that blessing for each and everyone person (and animal) that you love.

Sue's Diner: Crisped Rice Easter Eggs

If you need a fast and easy and very last-minute treat for Easter, we have one that people of all ages might enjoy.

Rebekah made Crisped Rice Easter Eggs last weeks as an experiment and was pleased with the results. These are a variation on the crisped rice and marshmallow bars many people loved as kids.

This recipe is 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, we are sharing these recipes with you on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website.

But try them this week. They 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. 

And have fun! 

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.