Thursday, August 15, 2024

Six Photos From Various August 15s

Today is a medical catch up day for Rebekah and me.

This means today we are catching up on routine parts of our health lives that we've let slide the last few years due to beating back one health emergency or another - while also mourning the loss of cherished family, friends, and pets. So we're addressing some things during this "lull" period.

So while we're busy making appointments, getting some in-person visits done, and even running a couple of necessary errands, please enjoy this sampling of photos I've taken with the camera on my cell phone on August 15 over the past few years. 

May you be attuned to the beauty around you today - and perhaps be inspired to capture it with your phone to enjoy a second time on another day.

Happy Thursday! 

Taken Monday, August 15, 2022 at 7:18 a.m. So most likely within walking distance of my home, since Rebekah and I walk together in the mornings before work.


This photo was taken one minute later.


Same walk as above, except it was taken at 7:31 a.m.


This one is a mystery. The photo says it was taken Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 7:41 a.m. But I think it backed up wrong. The lighting isn't right for so early in the morning. And I would not have been in Chicago at 7:30 on a Wednesday. I think this is from a trip with Rebekah, Daniel, and Cindy, which would have been on a Saturday.


Here is Bertrand signing a new shipment of his books on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at 5:12 p.m.


Taken Saturday, August 15, 2020 at 8:06 p.m. Can't remember where. Most likely from the walking path near Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Joliet.





Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Sue's Diner: Ricotta Cheesecake

This week's recipe for is for a ricotta cheesecake, which Rebekah prepared last night for my sixty-third birthday.

Rebekah asks me every year what she should bake for my birthday. And I suggest this cheesecake every year.

I've loved cheesecake since I was very young, and this version by Rebekah is my absolute favorite cheesecake in the world.

If you've never tried cheesecake made with ricotta, here's your chance to make it at home. It's less sweet and sweet, dryer and more firm, yet still very rich and with (I think) a more satisfying texture and taste.

Now, my birthday was July 15, so we are a little overdue for cheesecake. But I had a different kind of birthday this year.

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

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

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

For more great recipes, check out 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.



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.

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

BryonySeries Will Have "Stuff on Bluff" On Aug. 17

Good morning!

Early Saturday morning, after a late night at New Orleans North, BryonySeries will head out to the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre for "Stuff on Bluff."

"Stuff on Bluff" is a flea market-style event with "one-of-a-kind" treasures, according to Bicentennial Park. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 201 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet.

Not only will BryonySeries have stuff (books, tie-dyed T-shirts, Ribbit-Ribbits, an assortment of water cups, mystery quote cards, and backpack-style nylon bags - scroll through our photos) for sale, Rebekah is prepared to haggle, wheel and deal, and overall work out some bargain shopping with those who stop at our booth.

FYI: Ribbit-Ribbits and tie-dyed shirts are also one-of-a-kind and may not match the ones pictured here.

So come on out and let's make some deals!

Happy Tuesday!









Monday, August 12, 2024

WriteOn Joliet "Quarter" at New Orleans North

For the very first time, five WriteOn Joliet authors will be part of the Artists Row at New Orleans North. 

They are Mauverneen Blevins, Ryan Francis, Cean Magosky, Sue Midlock, and me, displaying and selling BryonySeries and WriteOn Joliet books and other products.

Organizers have offered to place the five of us together. So in keeping with the spirit of the event, I'm dubbing that section the "WriteOn Quarter."

BryonySeries also participated in the 2022 New Orleans North event and the 2023 New Orleans North Event. So we are thrilled to return again this year.

New Orleans North will take place 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 at the Joliet Slammers Stadium, 1 Art Schultz Drive in Joliet.

For a festival guide, a map, and overall information about the event, visit jolietchamber.com/new-orleans-north







Friday, August 9, 2024

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Aug. 3 to Aug. 9

 Good morning!

I have thirteen stories to share with you today with stories posting over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Currently, I am also writing two more stories just for print. One is called "Eye on Enterprise" and it runs on Wednesdays. The other is a print version of "5 Things to do," which is slightly different from the online version.

"Eye on Enterprise" is a roundup of local business development, as wells as businesses that are opening or closing.

People outside our coverage area and those who don't subscribe to a physical newspaper should know The Herald-News also has an e-edition. This is an e-version of the print publication with virtual pages that actually turn.

You can access The Herald-News e-edition here: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/enewspaper.

In the BryonySeries world:

If you missed this week's recaps, be sure to read BryonySeries at Bicentennial Park and WriteOn Joliet at Kidz Fest.

Also, our BryonySeries hand-dyed tie dyed shirts are available for a limited time at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

Next week, BryonySeries will be part of the WriteOn Joliet quarter at New Orleans North in Joliet on Aug. 16 and Stuff on Bluff at Bicentennial Park on Aug. 7, also in Joliet. More information coming next week.

I had one day off this week (Tuesday), my first day off in a week and a half. I managed to edit one chapter in :House on Top of the Hill" and part of a second chapter before leaving for a wake, the second wake in under a week.

At the same time my twenty-month-old grandson was in the ER earlier that day for the second day in a row. So I did my best to relax and stay focused during the in-between times. The distraction was nice, too.

BryonySeries books-in-progress

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book, with all nine chapters that are ready for final edits. I've done some minor editing since the at-home writing retreat, I should be able to finish the nine at the next at-home writing retreat. We are estimating a late 2024 release date for this book.

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: No updates here in a very long time, mostly because Timothy and Daniel are super busy with school on top of work (and plenty of work-related traveling). However, I outlined a "bonus" book that is intended for distribution at Bicentennial's "Ye Olde Mayfest" event in 2025. Here is a recap of the 2024 event.

Timothy said his concept for the next book in the actual series 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. In order to make progress on any of this, Timothy is hoping to schedule a "Cornell breakfast." But Timothy and Daniel are very busy with work and school right now. We've scheduled and broke several Cornell breakfasts in 2023 and 2024. Our last one was July 2022. So we are LONG, LONG, LONG overdue.

Brainy Ann: The fifth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries is outlined and the first chapter is written, hurray! Jennifer Wainwright, who welcomed her first child into the world in April, has already started working on the cover portrait. I've neglected this book for a few months and hope to revisit it soon. We'd like to release it in late 2024, but 2024 has been a challenging year. We shall see.

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.

Rebekah is also slowly (very, very 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.

And finally...

Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, has sent me twenty-one chapters to edit for his third book in his Ruthless trilogy. His first book is "Ruthless," his second is "The Fifth," and he is also the author of "Denise Unland's Irish Genealogy."

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 pageWe'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/BryonySeriesyoutube.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

Merichka’s in Crest Hill now selling its house dressing at Berkot’s grocery stores

Joe Zdralevich III, Merichka’s co-manager: ‘This was a long time coming’

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/06/merichkas-in-crest-hill-now-selling-its-house-dressing-at-berkots-grocery-stores/

Joliet City Center Partnership: Here to help new businesses in downtown Joliet

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/07/joliet-city-center-partnership-here-to-help-new-businesses-in-downtown-joliet/

Joliet Public Library premieres its new outreach van

JPL On-the-Go will bring services to those without access to the library

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/02/see-joliet-public-librarys-new-outreach-van-at-saturdays-kidz-fest/

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox hosts first NICU reunion

Dr. Corryn Greenwood, NICU medical director: ‘It’s so amazing to see how our babies are thriving’

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/05/new-lenox-silver-cross-hospital-hosts-1st-nicu-reunion/

Owner of new Joliet vintage store says downtown an ideal location for business

Emily Brzycki of Black Cat Curiosities said downtown Joliet is experiencing a resurgence

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/05/downtown-joliet-ideal-location-for-new-vintage-store/

Lockport Fire Fest showcases some local history along with music, food and tours

Attendees will see ‘what a vibrant community looks like’

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/08/lockport-fire-fest-showcases-some-local-history-along-with-music-food-and-tours/

Plainfield road closures coming Saturday as village hosts cycling race

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/31/plainfield-hosting-competitive-bike-race-on-saturday/

New pancake restaurant opens in Plainfield

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/03/new-pancake-restaurant-in-plainfield/

New Lenox Trinity Services seeking memorabilia for 75th anniversary

Trinity Services began as a small school for children with developmental disabilities

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/03/new-lenox-trinity-services-seeking-memorabilia-for-75th-anniversary/

Young woman seriously injured in ATV crash Sunday in Joliet

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/05/young-woman-seriously-injured-in-atv-crash-sunday-in-joliet/

2 people shot Saturday in Lockport Township

Police: Gunfire came from unknown vehicle that fled the area

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/05/2-people-shot-saturday-in-lockport-township/

Will County Pets of the Week: Aug. 5, 2024

Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/05/will-county-pets-of-the-week-aug-5-2024/

5 Things to Do in Will County: Annual Joliet Blues Festival

https://www.shawlocal.com/thescene/2024/08/08/5-things-to-do-in-will-county-6th-joliet-blues-festival/


 

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Thursday, August 8, 2024

WriteOn Joliet At Kidz Fest on August 3, 2024: A Recap

WriteOn Joliet participated in its very first Kidz Fest in downtown Joliet on Saturday and our booth did extremely well.

We gave away nearly ninety locally authored books for children and adults. All but five books were gone by 11:40 a.m. And the last book left our table at 12:10 p.m., three hours before the event ended.

Colleen Robbins and Dale Hansen did a terrific job of pairing people's interests with just the right books to take home. And people were excited to take home books.

We also gave away approximately one hundred bookmarks people could color at home.

We distributed eighty-five special subscription offers to The Herald-News in Joliet.

We gave away word finds and crossword puzzles based on some of the books.

And our word blocks were hugely successful, especially after the books disappeared. Kids and adults enjoyed manipulating our 48 double-sided blocks (so 96 words in all) to create fun sentences and simple short stories.

Two parents asked where we bought them. Well, we didn't buy them. We invented them!

Four of the five volunteers wore their WriteOn Joliet T-shirts that Jasmine made for us prior to the event. We had an extra shirt (because I'd made a mistake in sizing) and quite a few people wanted to buy it.

We actually did finally sell it. And for those interested in shirts, we did direct them to The Book Market in Crest Hill, where the BryonySeries is also selling hand-dyed tie dyed shirts.

But seriously.

You just can't miss the jubilance in Mauverneen Blevins' face (last photo on this post) after the last book found its happy home.

This was totally worth the five hours of hanging out in one hundred degree heat with one hundred degree humidity. 

Well, maybe Rebekah, who helped the entire five hours, didn't think so. But I did treat her to ice cream afterwards. So that helped.

Sooooooo looking forward to next year!











Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Sue's Diner: “World Famous” Potato Salad

Today's recipe was submitted by Lori Dodd more than a dozen years ago and is featured in the BryonySeries cookbook Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony."

Here is its Bryony reference.

A family bike ride in the woods followed by an autumn picnic is the perfect opportunity for Melissa to reflect on her recent encounter with vampires. Nothing can distract her, not a game of croquet, a grilled hot dog, or her mother’s delicious potato salad, which tasted surprisingly like this one.

We think Lori's "World Famous" potato salad recipe is perfect for indoor or outdoor summer meals.

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

But try it 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. 

Note from Lori Dodd: “The recipe is a very basic, simple recipe, but sometimes they are the best! This is my ‘tried and true’ recipe that I always use, but feel free to play around with it and make it your own.”



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.

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

BryonySeries at Bicentennial Park on July 3, 2024: A Recap

June was tightly packed with health emergencies, work, and family festivities.

July was more of the same, with even more health emergencies and nearly entire month of feeling unwell for one reason or another...interspersed with moments of triumph and joy.

One of those moments was the Independence Celebration at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park and Theatre.

At last year's event, we very spontaneously set up our booth as a miniature carnival. We had free Bozo buckets with free prizes, and a carnival wheel to spin where every spin was winner! 

For we had numbered each children's book, and the spinner received a free book that matched the winning number. We gave away thirty books and people walked away smiling. So much for people don't get excited about books!

We also gave away BryonySeries Tie hand-dyed tie dye shirts with the purchase of $15 or more in books.

Because last year went so well, we added two more games, Cindy's Ribbit-Ribbits, and came prepared to give away fifty books. 

New Lenox Dental also sponsored a giveaway of twenty "Cheetah Stories" by various WriteOn Joliet contributors.

Well, we gave away sixty-five books - and could have given more away more if we'd remembered to bring out tent lights (oops!).

We also gave away two tie dyed shirts to two teens that were determined to win them after Timothy challenged them.

We also sold two WriteOn Joliet anthologies...and we cannot wait until next year.

Sales were less this year, but inflation was much higher. And we came in to the event determined to foster a spirit of celebration and fun at our booth, and I think we succeeded.

We had a steady stream of people at our four games (Bozo buckets, ring toss, spinning wheel, and fishing), so we may set up two rows next year. Thankfully, the lines were long - but people did have to wait to play.

I also feel we could easily giveaway hundred children's book, and we are considering expanded that to adult books, too.

Here are five photos that showcase the fun

May today bring you plenty of reasons to smile.

Happy Tuesday!






















Monday, August 5, 2024

Tie Dyed T-Shirts Now Part of BryonySeries Summer Special at The Book Market

 Good morning!

Can you believe it's August already? 

In just a couple of weeks, BryonySeries will change its summer-themed display at The Book Market in Crest Hill to one that reflects "back-to-school," with a new set of carefully curated books and (hopefully) a new set of studious Ribbit-Ribbits.

In the meantime, we are extending the summer fun a little while longer.

Our hand-tie dyed, hand-logoed shirts are now available for sale at The Book Market, along with our summer-themed books and Ribbit-Ribbits 

All shirt sizes are just $5 with the purchase of any book.

Otherwise, children's shirts are $10 each and adult shirts are $20 each.

In addition, each Ribbit-Ribbit is $12 or $6 with the purchase of any BryonySeries book. Additional BryonySeries titles are available in the store. The discounted price for Ribbit-Ribbits are not limited to the BryonySeries books on display.

There is no limit to how many Ribbit-Ribbits you can buy. Ribbit-Ribbits are available while supplies last (we have more than what is displayed).

These are super cute, a must-see item in person, and the perfect reading companion for any age since they will sit quietly next to you and not interrupt your reading.

Happy browsing, happy reading, and have a very happy Monday!





Friday, August 2, 2024

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 27 to Aug. 2

Good morning!

I have ten stories to share with you today with stories posting over the weekend, especially since I am working on Sunday. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Currently, I am also writing two more stories just for print. One is called "Eye on Enterprise" and it runs on Wednesdays. The other is a print version of "5 Things to do," which is slightly different from the online version.

"Eye on Enterprise" is a roundup of local business development, as wells as businesses that are opening or closing.

People outside our coverage area and those who don't subscribe to a physical newspaper should know The Herald-News also has an e-edition. This is an online version of the print publication with virtual pages that actually turn.

You can access The Herald-News e-edition here: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/enewspaper.

In the BryonySeries world:

BryonySeries was one of the sponsors for Bicentennial Park's Independence Celebration on July 3 and we had a fantastic night! I will recap the details for next week (FOR SURE).

But the short summary is that we gave away sixty-five BryonySeries books, ran four games, and sold twenty-two WriteOn Joliet anthologies. We are definitely looking forward to next year.

We also have a special BryonySeries Summer Book Sale at The Book Market was "enhanced," this week. So if you live in the area, do check it out. And stay tuned for the updates!

Also, BryonySeries will be part of two larger WriteOn Joliet events. One is Kidz Fest on Saturday in downtown Joliet. The other is New Orleans North on Aug. 16 at the Slammers stadium, also in downtown Joliet.

Finally, 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, with nearly two-thirds that are ready for final edits. I've done some minor editing since the at-home writing retreat, but June was a super packed month, which I anticipated. July (so far) has also been packed, but I did get another chapter and a half in good shape and some minor editing on several other chapters. We are estimating a late 2024 release date for this book, which is looking a little impossible since the end of July is quickly approaching. But I still have two more at-home writing retreats, so I'm not pushing the release date out yet.

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: No updates here in a very long time, mostly because Timothy and Daniel are super busy with school on top of work (and plenty of work-related traveling). However, I outlined a "bonus" book that is intended for distribution at Bicentennial's "Ye Olde Mayfest" event in 2025. Here is a recap of the 2024 event.

Timothy said his concept for the next book in the actual series 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. In order to make progress on any of this, Timothy is hoping to schedule a "Cornell breakfast." But Timothy and Daniel are very busy with work and school right now. We've scheduled and broke several Cornell breakfasts in 2023 and 2024. Our last one was July 2022. So we are LONG, LONG, LONG overdue.

Brainy Ann: The fifth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries is outlined and the first chapter is written, hurray! Jennifer Wainwright, who welcomed her first child into the world in April, has already started working on the cover portrait. I've neglected this book for a few months and hope to revisit it soon. We'd like to release it in late 2024.

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.

Rebekah is also slowly (very, very 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.

And finally...

Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, has sent me twenty-one chapters to edit for his third book in his Ruthless trilogy. His first book is "Ruthless," his second is "The Fifth," and he is also the author of "Denise Unland's Irish Genealogy."

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 pageWe'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/BryonySeriesyoutube.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 musician seeks home for historic Chicago theater organ

Taylor Trimby helping to re-home a Wurlitzer console from former Oriental Theatre in Chicago

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/30/joliet-musician-seeks-home-for-historic-chicago-theater-organ/

5 Will County business owners share lessons learned on first job

Jennifer Joho, owner of J.Joho Boutique in Plainfield: ‘Everyone at some point must do the ‘grunt work’

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/28/5-will-county-business-owners-share-lessons-learned-on-first-job/

Joliet 11-year-old will teach at tech conference for 2nd time

Student at Trinity Christian will present at THAT Conference in August

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/26/joliet-11-year-old-will-teach-at-tech-conference-for-2nd-time/

Sale of Joliet Jewel store pending as Kroger and Albertsons merger stalls

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/08/01/closure-of-joliet-jewel-store-on-hold-as-kroger-and-albertsons-merger-stalls/

Joliet MorningStar Mission hosts progressive dinner to raise funds for programs

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/31/joliet-morningstar-mission-hosts-progressive-dinner-to-raise-funds-for-programs/

Plainfield hosting competitive bike race Saturday

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/31/plainfield-hosting-competitive-bike-race-on-saturday/

Joliet hospital renames its ‘heart hospital within a hospital’ for Jay and Lori Bergman

The couple’s most recent donation will provide equipment for the cardiac catheterization lab

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/30/joliet-hospital-renames-its-heart-hospital-within-a-hospital-for-jay-and-lori-bergman/

Rockdale Pancake House hosted grand opening on Sunday

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/26/rockdale-pancake-house-to-host-grand-opening-sunday/

Will County Pets of the Week: July 29, 2024

Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2024/07/29/will-county-pets-of-the-week-july-29-2024/

5 Things to do in Will County: Joliet Kidz Fest

https://www.shawlocal.com/thescene/2024/08/01/5-things-to-do-in-will-county-joliet-kidz-fest/


 

 

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Thursday, August 1, 2024

Visit the WriteOn Joliet Booth at Kidz Fest on Saturday

Can you believe it's August already? And it's a packed month in my world: work, events, doctors appointments, family birthdays, family funeral on Friday, meeting a new grandson...and debating if I should use some of my vacation days in August or wait until September.

Hmmm...

We will kick off the festivities this Saturday when WriteOn Joliet participates in Kidz Fest for the first time this year - and we are excited!

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Will County Lot, 302 N. Chicago St. in Joliet.

Activities include magic shows, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo, roller skating, inflatable slide, and vendors, including WriteOn Joliet.

And if you come out, please by the WriteOn Joliet booth where we are all about the words! 

1. We will give way approximately 80 locally authored books for children and adults.

2. We will have 140 FREE bookmarks to color on site or at home.

3. We will distribute special subscription offers to The Herald-News in Joliet.

4. We will also have word finds and crossword puzzles based on some of the books.

But the main event is... (yes, keep scrolling)
3. 

Our word blocks!

Kids and adults alike can manipulate our 48 double-sided blocks (so 96 words in all) to create fun sentences and simple short stories.

Here are three examples.








Where did we buy them? We didn't. We invented them!

We took child-safe wood blocks, curated a list of words, and then the very talented Jasmine and her Cricut added white backgrounds and each letter one at a time.

We've tried them out at home, and they are lots of fun. You might not want to stop at just one sentence.

WriteOn Joliet will also have information about the group as a whole and individual authors separately.

We hope you will leave our table more excited about reading and writing then before you arrived.

For more information, visit writeonjoliet.com, bryonyseries.com, and jolietccp.com/kidz-fest.


Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Sue's Diner: Cucumbers and Tomatoes

This week's recipe is for a cucumber and tomato pasta salad, which Justine Evirs submitted for the BryonySeries cookbook Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony."

The cookbook is available on the BryonySeries book store and on Amazon and is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

This recipe is also referenced in the Bryony, the first book in the young adult "drop of blood" vampire trilogy. 

Here's what the cookbook said:

Melissa is thrilled when John finally invites her to a picnic away from the mansion, just the two of them. Of course, John feels Bryga packed enough food to feed them for a week, but even that careless remark couldn’t completely dampen Melissa’s excitement of being alone with John.

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

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

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.