The official blog of Denise M. Baran-Unland, author. Discover her books for all ages at bryonyseries.com.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Paralytic
Yesterday, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was the "Sunday of the Paralytic," the Gospel reading of the man, paralyzed for thirty-eight years, who lies besides a pool, known for its miraculous healing...if you're the lucky first fellow in after an angel rippled the water. The problem was that this man had no one to place him into that water.
I think writers, so often, are like that paralyzed man. Our brains flood with ideas, but we wait for the right circumstances to begin writing (or for taking that good, hard look at our bad writing and start the process of self-editing and rewriting) and languish beside the pool of creativity.
However, when Jesus came along, he informed the paralytic that true healing came elsewhere. It's the same when facing a blank page. If we wait until we're bathed in muse, we'll probably have a long wait. The real business of writing comes from picking up our mats of excuses and getting some words on paper.
Like any journey, we'll take some wrong turns. Like the paralytic, we'll stumble at times, but that's common to anyone who decides to get up and walk. But if we just lie staring at our reflection, we'll never know the sweetness of the path.
I think writers, so often, are like that paralyzed man. Our brains flood with ideas, but we wait for the right circumstances to begin writing (or for taking that good, hard look at our bad writing and start the process of self-editing and rewriting) and languish beside the pool of creativity.
However, when Jesus came along, he informed the paralytic that true healing came elsewhere. It's the same when facing a blank page. If we wait until we're bathed in muse, we'll probably have a long wait. The real business of writing comes from picking up our mats of excuses and getting some words on paper.
Like any journey, we'll take some wrong turns. Like the paralytic, we'll stumble at times, but that's common to anyone who decides to get up and walk. But if we just lie staring at our reflection, we'll never know the sweetness of the path.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
My Favorite Poem about Mothers
Yes, I know it's a little late for Mother's Day, but it's Victorian era, so still appropriate.
Rock Me to Sleep
By Elizabeth Akers Allen 1832–1911
Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight,
Make me a child again just for tonight!
Mother, come back from the echoless shore,
Take me again to your heart as of yore;
Kiss from my forehead the furrows of care,
Smooth the few silver threads out of my hair;
Over my slumbers your loving watch keep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Backward, flow backward, O tide of the years!
I am so weary of toil and of tears,—
Toil without recompense, tears all in vain,—
Take them, and give me my childhood again!
I have grown weary of dust and decay,—
Weary of flinging my soul-wealth away;
Weary of sowing for others to reap;—
Rock me to sleep, mother – rock me to sleep!
Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue,
Mother, O mother, my heart calls for you!
Many a summer the grass has grown green,
Blossomed and faded, our faces between:
Yet, with strong yearning and passionate pain,
Long I tonight for your presence again.
Come from the silence so long and so deep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Over my heart, in the days that are flown,
No love like mother-love ever has shone;
No other worship abides and endures,—
Faithful, unselfish, and patient like yours:
None like a mother can charm away pain
From the sick soul and the world-weary brain.
Slumber’s soft calms o’er my heavy lids creep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Come, let your brown hair, just lighted with gold,
Fall on your shoulders again as of old;
Let it drop over my forehead tonight,
Shading my faint eyes away from the light;
For with its sunny-edged shadows once more
Haply will throng the sweet visions of yore;
Lovingly, softly, its bright billows sweep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Mother, dear mother, the years have been long
Since I last listened your lullaby song:
Sing, then, and unto my soul it shall seem
Womanhood’s years have been only a dream.
Clasped to your heart in a loving embrace,
With your light lashes just sweeping my face,
Never hereafter to wake or to weep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Rock Me to Sleep
By Elizabeth Akers Allen 1832–1911
Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight,
Make me a child again just for tonight!
Mother, come back from the echoless shore,
Take me again to your heart as of yore;
Kiss from my forehead the furrows of care,
Smooth the few silver threads out of my hair;
Over my slumbers your loving watch keep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Backward, flow backward, O tide of the years!
I am so weary of toil and of tears,—
Toil without recompense, tears all in vain,—
Take them, and give me my childhood again!
I have grown weary of dust and decay,—
Weary of flinging my soul-wealth away;
Weary of sowing for others to reap;—
Rock me to sleep, mother – rock me to sleep!
Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue,
Mother, O mother, my heart calls for you!
Many a summer the grass has grown green,
Blossomed and faded, our faces between:
Yet, with strong yearning and passionate pain,
Long I tonight for your presence again.
Come from the silence so long and so deep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Over my heart, in the days that are flown,
No love like mother-love ever has shone;
No other worship abides and endures,—
Faithful, unselfish, and patient like yours:
None like a mother can charm away pain
From the sick soul and the world-weary brain.
Slumber’s soft calms o’er my heavy lids creep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Come, let your brown hair, just lighted with gold,
Fall on your shoulders again as of old;
Let it drop over my forehead tonight,
Shading my faint eyes away from the light;
For with its sunny-edged shadows once more
Haply will throng the sweet visions of yore;
Lovingly, softly, its bright billows sweep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Mother, dear mother, the years have been long
Since I last listened your lullaby song:
Sing, then, and unto my soul it shall seem
Womanhood’s years have been only a dream.
Clasped to your heart in a loving embrace,
With your light lashes just sweeping my face,
Never hereafter to wake or to weep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, – rock me to sleep!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Bryony Receives a Makeover
Over the next few weeks www.bryonyseries.com will be incorporating new variables. The newest is a color makeover. The Bryony business cards which are circulating in several areas have intoxicating shades of purple. Newcomers to Bryony rave over the design, color, and sleekness of the card. Purple is a significant color choice to the story, so the web administrator, Sarah Stegall, has been adding it onto the pages. The process was more time consuming than planned. There were a few snags, colors not showing up well, font hard to read, but everything seems smoothed out now.
Currently the timeline, Humane Society Page, Homepage, and Board of Trustees Page are receiving page overhauls. In fact, you may notice changes immediately on the Home Page. Feel free to comment with suggestions or things you'd like to see. With a book release in the nearing future, we are trying to whip everything into tip-top shape.
Sarah Stegall
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Contest Selections (So Far)
Initial submissions for the Name the Bryony Cookbook contest are in:
"Taste of Munsonville""
"VAMPIRE DELITE"
"RECIPES FROM THE DARK."
"FOOD FROM THE DARKSIDE"
"Hold the Garlic"
"Deception in the Kitchen"
"Bloody Delights"
"Stakes and Snacks"
"Bloody Good Temptations"
"Sink Your Teeth into These"
"Bloody Good Recipes To Sink Your Teeth Into"
"Bloody Tempting Recipies"
"Human Digest"
“Prey Before You Eat”
"Chicken Soup for the Souless," "When Blood Won't do, Byrony Culinary Treats for the Earth Bound..."
"Heart, Hold the stake!!!"
"Delectable Toothsome"
"Hold the Garlic"
"A Collection of Munsonville's Timeless Recipes"
The contest will run until May 31, 2011 until 12:00 am (midnight) EST time (North Carolina time). This gives all fans the opportunity to vote. However, there is a catch. You must be a Bryony Facebook fan to vote.
No, this isn't a ruse to up the fan count, but rather, some fun, with a perk, for those who have been faithfully following the page, in honor of Bryony's one-year Facebook anniversary.
Other details are: You must comment to enter a name or title; you can comment as often as you like; no foul language (posts will be deleted at admin discretion); and all entries will be reviewed by the author.
Prize: A free copy of the cookbook signed by as many Bryony team members as possible at the time of publication.
To fan the Bryony Facebook page, visit www.facebook.com/BryonySeries
Happy Naming!
"Taste of Munsonville""
"VAMPIRE DELITE"
"RECIPES FROM THE DARK."
"FOOD FROM THE DARKSIDE"
"Hold the Garlic"
"Deception in the Kitchen"
"Bloody Delights"
"Stakes and Snacks"
"Bloody Good Temptations"
"Sink Your Teeth into These"
"Bloody Good Recipes To Sink Your Teeth Into"
"Bloody Tempting Recipies"
"Human Digest"
“Prey Before You Eat”
"Chicken Soup for the Souless," "When Blood Won't do, Byrony Culinary Treats for the Earth Bound..."
"Heart, Hold the stake!!!"
"Delectable Toothsome"
"Hold the Garlic"
"A Collection of Munsonville's Timeless Recipes"
The contest will run until May 31, 2011 until 12:00 am (midnight) EST time (North Carolina time). This gives all fans the opportunity to vote. However, there is a catch. You must be a Bryony Facebook fan to vote.
No, this isn't a ruse to up the fan count, but rather, some fun, with a perk, for those who have been faithfully following the page, in honor of Bryony's one-year Facebook anniversary.
Other details are: You must comment to enter a name or title; you can comment as often as you like; no foul language (posts will be deleted at admin discretion); and all entries will be reviewed by the author.
Prize: A free copy of the cookbook signed by as many Bryony team members as possible at the time of publication.
To fan the Bryony Facebook page, visit www.facebook.com/BryonySeries
Happy Naming!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Details for the "Name the Bryony Cookbook" Contest.
In honor of Bryony's one-year annivesary on Facebook, we have initiated a contest to name the upcoming cookbook.
This cookbook will be an eclectic compilations of (mostly) Victorian-era and '70s stylish recipes, complete with story teasers (appetizers) and Kathleen Rose Van Pelts (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/) signature pen and ink drawings (treats) Recipes will be arranged according to events in Bryony and will not be grouped by subject.
However, there is a catch. The contest is only open to Bryony Facebook fans. To "like" the page and submit your suggestion, visit www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. All (any) profits from the Bryony cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbswillgrundy.org/).
Contest rules: You must comment to enter a name or title; you may comment as often as you like; no foul language (posts will be deleted at administrator discretion); and all entries will be reviewed by the author.
The winner receives a free copy of the cookbook with the signatures of as many members of the Bryony team as possible at time of publication.
Name the Bryony Cookbook contest will run until May 31, 2011 until 12:00 am (midnight) EST time (North Carolina time). This gives all fans the opportunity to vote.
We've already received a number of clever/intersting/amusing title possibilities. Tomorrow, we will post them.
Happy Naming!
This cookbook will be an eclectic compilations of (mostly) Victorian-era and '70s stylish recipes, complete with story teasers (appetizers) and Kathleen Rose Van Pelts (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/) signature pen and ink drawings (treats) Recipes will be arranged according to events in Bryony and will not be grouped by subject.
However, there is a catch. The contest is only open to Bryony Facebook fans. To "like" the page and submit your suggestion, visit www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. All (any) profits from the Bryony cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbswillgrundy.org/).
Contest rules: You must comment to enter a name or title; you may comment as often as you like; no foul language (posts will be deleted at administrator discretion); and all entries will be reviewed by the author.
The winner receives a free copy of the cookbook with the signatures of as many members of the Bryony team as possible at time of publication.
Name the Bryony Cookbook contest will run until May 31, 2011 until 12:00 am (midnight) EST time (North Carolina time). This gives all fans the opportunity to vote.
We've already received a number of clever/intersting/amusing title possibilities. Tomorrow, we will post them.
Happy Naming!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Facebook BryonySeries is a Year Old Today!
It's been one year since Sarah Stegall created a web administrator position for herself by designing a Facebook page for Bryony and surprising the author with it.
Along with a minimum of fun, twice-daily posts, the Bryony Facebook page features sneak peeks into book production, Bryony cookbook information, the evolution of a book cover, Bryony's interior pen and ink drawings, stills from the Bryony book trailer and Bryony music video, rejected tag lines, fantasy pics of Munsonville, and a bevy of whimsical treats regarding Bryony in particular and vampires in general.
It's now 236 fans strong, so if you haven't "liked" the page, today is a good day for it, since we'll be adding extra celebratory posts throughout the day and a contest specifically for Bryony Facebook fans.
Come find us at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries and join the party!
Along with a minimum of fun, twice-daily posts, the Bryony Facebook page features sneak peeks into book production, Bryony cookbook information, the evolution of a book cover, Bryony's interior pen and ink drawings, stills from the Bryony book trailer and Bryony music video, rejected tag lines, fantasy pics of Munsonville, and a bevy of whimsical treats regarding Bryony in particular and vampires in general.
It's now 236 fans strong, so if you haven't "liked" the page, today is a good day for it, since we'll be adding extra celebratory posts throughout the day and a contest specifically for Bryony Facebook fans.
Come find us at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries and join the party!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Is It Plagiarism If I Write About Myself?
That’s what Ed Calkins wanted to know when he called the other day.
He’s begun a novel about his alter ego, The Steward of Tara, but since he gave me legal, written permission to vampirize him for Bryony, he wasn’t sure if he was free to write about the character, even though the creation sprang from his imagination.
I assured him my privileges extended only to Ed Calkins the vampire, not Ed Calkins the person, and that he retained rights to his identity. Ed didn't expound on the the plot, so I can't wait to read what spin Ed takes on himself.
Now, if only Ed would write the IVA piece he suggested and promised weeks ago for the Bryony blog.
What’s the IVA? Well, it's so secret that I didn't know I was a member, much less an officer, until Ed divulged it. You’ll just have to wait for Ed's submission.
He’s begun a novel about his alter ego, The Steward of Tara, but since he gave me legal, written permission to vampirize him for Bryony, he wasn’t sure if he was free to write about the character, even though the creation sprang from his imagination.
I assured him my privileges extended only to Ed Calkins the vampire, not Ed Calkins the person, and that he retained rights to his identity. Ed didn't expound on the the plot, so I can't wait to read what spin Ed takes on himself.
Now, if only Ed would write the IVA piece he suggested and promised weeks ago for the Bryony blog.
What’s the IVA? Well, it's so secret that I didn't know I was a member, much less an officer, until Ed divulged it. You’ll just have to wait for Ed's submission.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Madge and Wally
Down on the farm life is never easy for Madge. She hustles and bustles, fervently moving throughout the day. In a strange turn of events, her husband, Wally, freezes into a stupor out in a muddy field. The story grows more bizarre with a call to the doctor, orders to build a shed, a half-hazard tent, and strangers who want to know where to empty their loo. Read it online for free here. http://hubpages.com/hub/farmlife.
Sarah Stegall
Sarah Stegall
Thursday, May 5, 2011
My Recipe Wish List for the Bryony Cookbook
Although we received/found/contrived an interesting assortment of recipes and submissions are officially closed, there are two exceptions.
I’m still hoping for some more good fish recipes for Sue’s Diner and a 12-tiered wedding cake for John and Bryony Simons’ wedding. Anyone?
The recipes will be arranged by themes in the novel and will feature Bryony illustrator Kathleen Rose Van Pelt's beautfiul line drawings and blurbs to root the cook into the story
All proceeds from the cookbook will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbswillgrundy.org/).
For a closer peek at Kathleen's work, visist www.facebook.com/BryonySeries or http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/.
I’m still hoping for some more good fish recipes for Sue’s Diner and a 12-tiered wedding cake for John and Bryony Simons’ wedding. Anyone?
The recipes will be arranged by themes in the novel and will feature Bryony illustrator Kathleen Rose Van Pelt's beautfiul line drawings and blurbs to root the cook into the story
All proceeds from the cookbook will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (http://www.bbbswillgrundy.org/).
For a closer peek at Kathleen's work, visist www.facebook.com/BryonySeries or http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Conversation With My Daughter Went Like This
Rebekah: What do you want for Mother's Day?
Me: Nothing.
Rebekah: Would you please stop being YOU for a day?
Me: Okay, I'd like some purple roses.
Rebekah: There's no such thing!
Me: Only the vampires in Bryony are make-believe.
And then I showed her where to order purple roses online and posted the link on Facebook. I received quite a few friend comments, ranging from "purple roses are painted "(they're not) to their "real" name (sterling roses), and why not order one if they're so expensive? (And that's a thought).
I first learned about purple roses while researching the mythical blue rose. The different "Language of Flowers" postings I have read say purple roses signify enchantment, making them the perfect signature tool for one of Bryony's vampires.
Even more fun was learning that my illustrator, Kathleen Rose Van Pelt of Imaginary Lines Studio (wwwImaginaryLinesStudio.com) used to sign her work with a rose. For both those reasons, I asked her to include a purple rose at the bottom of Bryony's cover design. I hope the publisher does not remove it when modifing the cover, since it's an important symbolism in Bryony, but I guess that's not my call.
And yes, while I'm disgustingly non-materialistic, making it difficult for family to buy for me, I'm longing to see one of those roses up close and bury my face in its fragrance.
Excuse me while I check the balance on my credit card.
Me: Nothing.
Rebekah: Would you please stop being YOU for a day?
Me: Okay, I'd like some purple roses.
Rebekah: There's no such thing!
Me: Only the vampires in Bryony are make-believe.
And then I showed her where to order purple roses online and posted the link on Facebook. I received quite a few friend comments, ranging from "purple roses are painted "(they're not) to their "real" name (sterling roses), and why not order one if they're so expensive? (And that's a thought).
I first learned about purple roses while researching the mythical blue rose. The different "Language of Flowers" postings I have read say purple roses signify enchantment, making them the perfect signature tool for one of Bryony's vampires.
Even more fun was learning that my illustrator, Kathleen Rose Van Pelt of Imaginary Lines Studio (wwwImaginaryLinesStudio.com) used to sign her work with a rose. For both those reasons, I asked her to include a purple rose at the bottom of Bryony's cover design. I hope the publisher does not remove it when modifing the cover, since it's an important symbolism in Bryony, but I guess that's not my call.
And yes, while I'm disgustingly non-materialistic, making it difficult for family to buy for me, I'm longing to see one of those roses up close and bury my face in its fragrance.
Excuse me while I check the balance on my credit card.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Making the Bryony Videos, Step Five: Prep and Check
Shooting the Bryony book trailer and music video at the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History (http://www.museumofvictorianlife.org/) was a blast!
However, this is what you won't see in the finished pieces:
* Frantic telephone calls for space heaters. The huge mansion is four floors and unheated; we will be there five hours; and temperatures dipped to 30 thirty degrees, brrr!
* Last-minute shopping trip for water bottles and lint rollers.
* Analyzing which set of fake hair looked better on each of our John Simons, then swapping and reswapping wigs and top hats.
* Peeling the tails off Bryony's pianist and composer James Onohan because they were too tight and ripped in the shoulder and then persuading Christopher Blankenship, the John Simons for the Bryony book trailer, to give up the coat with the caplet.
* Watching the stunned expressions on James and Christopher as make-up artist Jen Wesolowski applies mascara to them.
* Applauding my publicist Dulcinea Hawksworth's costume ingenuity by creating effect with added touches: her scarf and an earring (I dare you to find them in our trailer stills at (www.facebook.com/BryonySeries).
* Kicking myself for missing Ed Calkins many patient explanations to my seventeen-year-old daughter Rebekah's friend on how to play the The Steward of Tara computer game he designed.
* Wondering why Stephen didn't bring one of the space heaters into the upstairs bedroom where he shot the trailer and admiring Rebekah's patience with the many takes, despite the brutal cold.
* Losing track of how many times museum director Pat Magosky replaces fuses, and James practices sitting on a piano bench without sitting on his coat.
* Hearing Bryony filmmaker Stephen Tuplin's poignant reassurance of Rebekah's suitability for the role of Melissa Marchellis when she dissolves in a nervous flood of tears.
* Rolling my eyes at my nearly thirty-year old son's lament of, "Why is this taking hours?" and patiently explaining to him that shooting a book trailer is different from filming home movies with a cam corder.
* Delighting in everyone's awed enjoyment of James' music when my twenty-year old son Timothy, who is recording James' playing on his cell phone, points out their faces to me. Christopher hails me in the hall saying, "I like piano music, but this guy is amazing!" Ed Calkins applauds at the conclusion of Bryony and rushes up to shake James' hand.
* The quiet enjoyment of viewing the trailer still, already posted on Facebook by the time I returned home. Nice work, Stephen Tuplin and Josh Siegers of JKS Productions (http://www.jksproductions.com/)!
However, this is what you won't see in the finished pieces:
* Frantic telephone calls for space heaters. The huge mansion is four floors and unheated; we will be there five hours; and temperatures dipped to 30 thirty degrees, brrr!
* Last-minute shopping trip for water bottles and lint rollers.
* Analyzing which set of fake hair looked better on each of our John Simons, then swapping and reswapping wigs and top hats.
* Peeling the tails off Bryony's pianist and composer James Onohan because they were too tight and ripped in the shoulder and then persuading Christopher Blankenship, the John Simons for the Bryony book trailer, to give up the coat with the caplet.
* Watching the stunned expressions on James and Christopher as make-up artist Jen Wesolowski applies mascara to them.
* Applauding my publicist Dulcinea Hawksworth's costume ingenuity by creating effect with added touches: her scarf and an earring (I dare you to find them in our trailer stills at (www.facebook.com/BryonySeries).
* Kicking myself for missing Ed Calkins many patient explanations to my seventeen-year-old daughter Rebekah's friend on how to play the The Steward of Tara computer game he designed.
* Wondering why Stephen didn't bring one of the space heaters into the upstairs bedroom where he shot the trailer and admiring Rebekah's patience with the many takes, despite the brutal cold.
* Losing track of how many times museum director Pat Magosky replaces fuses, and James practices sitting on a piano bench without sitting on his coat.
* Hearing Bryony filmmaker Stephen Tuplin's poignant reassurance of Rebekah's suitability for the role of Melissa Marchellis when she dissolves in a nervous flood of tears.
* Rolling my eyes at my nearly thirty-year old son's lament of, "Why is this taking hours?" and patiently explaining to him that shooting a book trailer is different from filming home movies with a cam corder.
* Delighting in everyone's awed enjoyment of James' music when my twenty-year old son Timothy, who is recording James' playing on his cell phone, points out their faces to me. Christopher hails me in the hall saying, "I like piano music, but this guy is amazing!" Ed Calkins applauds at the conclusion of Bryony and rushes up to shake James' hand.
* The quiet enjoyment of viewing the trailer still, already posted on Facebook by the time I returned home. Nice work, Stephen Tuplin and Josh Siegers of JKS Productions (http://www.jksproductions.com/)!
Monday, May 2, 2011
The "Ghost" in the Doll Case at the Magosky Mansion
Last night, as I was burning the 9 p.m. oil (that's late when you customarily rise at midnight), he emails me, asking if we used trick photography on the doll pictures. I told him those weren't "official" Bryony photos, just something Bryony's web adminstrator Sarah Stegall took on her camera phone the day we interviewed her.
He emails back again and asked if I'd seen the face. Busy with editing, I took a sip of warmed over coffee and told him a doll or something had been superimposed on the picture, making it look creepy, and that's why Sarah had posted it on Facebook.
My friend then sent the picture back, rotated, with the face circled, and the words, "She caught a ghost on film!"
So I called Sarah this morning from the route and asked her. She said the face was only museum director Pat Magosky. "I posted it because it looked mysterious," Sarah said.
My friend maintains it still might have a supernatural basis. "The doll room is supposed to be the most haunted room in the house," he said.
So, I showed the picture to my husband Ron. He said, "That's not Pat. If it was, the image would be distorted, and it wouldn't be sideways."
"Well, maybe it has something to with the angle where he was standing," I said.
I showed it to my twenty-year-old son Timothy (who does NOT believe in ghosts), and he said, "That's not Pat's reflection. There's not enough light in that room to catch it."
I called Sarah again. She said, "That's Pat. I'm sure."
"Too bad," I said. "There's been paranormal groups in that mansion, and they're convinced something's going on in there." I paused. "We could forget we had this conversation."
Sarah laughed. "Yeah, let someone else debunk it."
I asked her to post the picture here, anyway. Reader, what do you think?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Old Sly Eye by Russell Gordon Carter
We'd settled down last night to read this story, Daniel, fifteen, and I, amidst Daniel's fake yawns, his way of telling me he was about to be bored, despite my gushing, "Oh, I remember this one! It's good!!!"
Halfway through the story of a seventeenth century American boy trapped inside his home with a deadly panther, Daniel had taken over all the parts and was speeding through the story.
Its author, Russell Gordon Carter (1892-1957) wrote hundreds of short stories for children. They appeared in such publications as Boy's Life and Saturday Evening Post. In later life, when he branched into adult literature, he tended to write stories with an Irish theme.
Read Old Sly Eye and other stories by Carter for free online.
Halfway through the story of a seventeenth century American boy trapped inside his home with a deadly panther, Daniel had taken over all the parts and was speeding through the story.
Its author, Russell Gordon Carter (1892-1957) wrote hundreds of short stories for children. They appeared in such publications as Boy's Life and Saturday Evening Post. In later life, when he branched into adult literature, he tended to write stories with an Irish theme.
Read Old Sly Eye and other stories by Carter for free online.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Making the Bryony Video, Step 4: Wardrobe by Piecemeal
Victorian-style men’s clothing and long blond wigs, I thought, were the least of my concerns.
During one of the Bryony pre-shoot days at the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History, museum director Pat Magosky showed me a closet full of clothes, but at my first, untrained eye, they resembled 60’s leisure suits, certainly not the appropriate garments for John Simons. Still, I was not worried.
Since the one costume shop in town had closed its doors, I called the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet, figuring they’d have what I needed, but they steered me right back to the Magosky mansion and to another costume shop miles away. Since one of the fellows I was fitting lived out of town, I didn’t want to take chances on renting a costume that might not fit.
So, I poured out my request on Facebook and contacted Joliet Junior College. The forthcoming suggestions from Facebook were impractical. However, JJC offered to help if I ever needed Victorian women’s clothing. I was about to contact the two local universities on my list when my publicist called to see if I had assembled all props. I poured out my sad tale. She listened somewhat patiently (Dulcinea is patient and kind), and then reminded me Seth had participated in Civil War reenactments.
“There are Victorian clothes in that mansion,” Dulcinea said. “You just have to find them.”
“Maybe,” I hedged, “but I wish Heather could help. I can’t put it together so it looks right.”
Heather Frelichowski of Crafty Mom Inc., who’s making me two Victorian walking suits and a ball gown, is an expert on sewing and fashion, but Heather was sick and couldn’t help.
“What about the wig?” Dulcinea asked.
“Nothing.” LARGE sigh.
Dulcinea, in conjunction with Relentless Iota Productions (a company that specializes in custom set design and fabrication of costumes and props) is experienced in costuming, etc. I don’t have a clue (I only know what I like), so I REALLY needed her help with this.
So, Dulcinea, because she is kind, too, rearranged her schedule and met me at the Magosky mansion the next day. That time, Andrea Magosky, the education coordinator, had laid out an array of Victorian and pseudo-Victorian themed coats, shirts and ties, as well as three top hats. They had probably been in that closet the entire time. So much for 60s leisure suits (Say that three times fast).
Quickly, Dulcinea rejected some items and arranged combinations of others on hangers while my fifteen-year-old son Daniel amused himself by trying on some of them. Photos of Daniel’s experiment here: http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2011/04/wigtraption-is-now-word.html
The clothing worry was gone. All we needed was a wig for John Simons’ long hair.
We parted ways, I to re-record an audio interview for Bryony and rescue a hypoglysemic attack with fast food, and Dulcinea for some uneventful wig shopping. Apparently, long blonde hair is not a popular wig item, but Dulcinea had other venues she would hit tomorrow. I wasn’t worried. When Dulcinea needs something, she gets it.
That night, Dulcinea called, pleased with herself. In the past, she had created wigs from human hair and had some blonde remnants. Not knowing the size of “John Simons'” head, she was stitching these to an adjustable headband our actor could wear under a top hat. We were saved!
Well, not quite.
At midnight, fifteen hours before show time, an exasperated and out of patience Dulcinea called again. The wig was shedding on her as fast as she was stitching it. Enough was enough. Tomorrow, no matter what, she was buying a wig.
During one of the Bryony pre-shoot days at the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History, museum director Pat Magosky showed me a closet full of clothes, but at my first, untrained eye, they resembled 60’s leisure suits, certainly not the appropriate garments for John Simons. Still, I was not worried.
Since the one costume shop in town had closed its doors, I called the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet, figuring they’d have what I needed, but they steered me right back to the Magosky mansion and to another costume shop miles away. Since one of the fellows I was fitting lived out of town, I didn’t want to take chances on renting a costume that might not fit.
So, I poured out my request on Facebook and contacted Joliet Junior College. The forthcoming suggestions from Facebook were impractical. However, JJC offered to help if I ever needed Victorian women’s clothing. I was about to contact the two local universities on my list when my publicist called to see if I had assembled all props. I poured out my sad tale. She listened somewhat patiently (Dulcinea is patient and kind), and then reminded me Seth had participated in Civil War reenactments.
“There are Victorian clothes in that mansion,” Dulcinea said. “You just have to find them.”
“Maybe,” I hedged, “but I wish Heather could help. I can’t put it together so it looks right.”
Heather Frelichowski of Crafty Mom Inc., who’s making me two Victorian walking suits and a ball gown, is an expert on sewing and fashion, but Heather was sick and couldn’t help.
“What about the wig?” Dulcinea asked.
“Nothing.” LARGE sigh.
Dulcinea, in conjunction with Relentless Iota Productions (a company that specializes in custom set design and fabrication of costumes and props) is experienced in costuming, etc. I don’t have a clue (I only know what I like), so I REALLY needed her help with this.
So, Dulcinea, because she is kind, too, rearranged her schedule and met me at the Magosky mansion the next day. That time, Andrea Magosky, the education coordinator, had laid out an array of Victorian and pseudo-Victorian themed coats, shirts and ties, as well as three top hats. They had probably been in that closet the entire time. So much for 60s leisure suits (Say that three times fast).
Quickly, Dulcinea rejected some items and arranged combinations of others on hangers while my fifteen-year-old son Daniel amused himself by trying on some of them. Photos of Daniel’s experiment here: http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2011/04/wigtraption-is-now-word.html
The clothing worry was gone. All we needed was a wig for John Simons’ long hair.
We parted ways, I to re-record an audio interview for Bryony and rescue a hypoglysemic attack with fast food, and Dulcinea for some uneventful wig shopping. Apparently, long blonde hair is not a popular wig item, but Dulcinea had other venues she would hit tomorrow. I wasn’t worried. When Dulcinea needs something, she gets it.
That night, Dulcinea called, pleased with herself. In the past, she had created wigs from human hair and had some blonde remnants. Not knowing the size of “John Simons'” head, she was stitching these to an adjustable headband our actor could wear under a top hat. We were saved!
Well, not quite.
At midnight, fifteen hours before show time, an exasperated and out of patience Dulcinea called again. The wig was shedding on her as fast as she was stitching it. Enough was enough. Tomorrow, no matter what, she was buying a wig.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Making the Bryony Video, Step Three: Finding Melissa Marchellis
Up until this month, Bryony filmmaker Stephen Tuplin had an actress interested in playing Melissa. After we set a production date, the actress had a conflict of interest, so Stephen asked my seventeen year old daughter Rebekah to portray Bryony's main character. He liked her "look," for the role, he said.
I thought Rebekah would refuse. She is very shy, preferring to hang out with one friend at a time rather than a room full of people. To my surprise, she agreed to do it, so I copied the script, and she began practicing "swaying and swooning."
Five hundred miles away, her older sister, Sarah Stegall, Bryony web administrator, was seeking someone to "makeover" Rebekah. Sarah found two people. Vanna Fleetwood to cut and style Rebekah's hair, and Jennifer Wesolowski to do her makeup.
On the Sunday afternoon before the April 20 shoot, Jennifer, Rebekah, her friend, and I huddled in a department store bathroom experimenting. Jennifer strove for a natural look, since "Melissa" would be on her way to bed, but wanted to highlight Rebekah's large, blue eyes.
Meeting in a department store had its advantages. Not only was it a location for us, we had a ready supply of product just waiting to be purchased and tried out on Rebekah's face. Fortunately, Rebekah had brought her own makeup with her, so few additional itens were acquired.
Coversation was mostly, "Watch how I put this one and now you try it," and, "No, we're not line for the bathroom." Rebekah's friend took "before" and "after" pictures with her camera phone to send to Sarah for posting on the Bryony blog and Facebook pages. (We've haven't gotten that far yet, oops!).
Although she exhorted Rebekah to practice at home, Jennifer had so much fun, she offered to come out to the Magosky mansion the night of filming and do Rebekah's makeup. Good thing, too, because Rebekah came down with a nasty cold later that day and didn't feel up to playing with cosmetics.
While we were playing with eyeliner and mascara, Rebekah's older brother, Timothy, was looking for 70s-style pajamas. He had taken Rebekah shopping the other day, found a couple of possibilities, and sent, after having received permission from an employee, photographs from the floor to me for critiquing. ("Excuse me, ma'am, may I please take pictures of women's nightwear?").
Again, we found two pairs that might work, so we sent the images to Stephen and dug through a bin of DVDs waiting for his reply. He suggested buying both. That way, if one didn't work well under the lights, we had options. We paid eighteen dollars total and left the store, feeling like we had an MGM budget.
Now all we needed were a couple of Victorian men's suits and a blond wig. How difficult could that be?
I thought Rebekah would refuse. She is very shy, preferring to hang out with one friend at a time rather than a room full of people. To my surprise, she agreed to do it, so I copied the script, and she began practicing "swaying and swooning."
Five hundred miles away, her older sister, Sarah Stegall, Bryony web administrator, was seeking someone to "makeover" Rebekah. Sarah found two people. Vanna Fleetwood to cut and style Rebekah's hair, and Jennifer Wesolowski to do her makeup.
On the Sunday afternoon before the April 20 shoot, Jennifer, Rebekah, her friend, and I huddled in a department store bathroom experimenting. Jennifer strove for a natural look, since "Melissa" would be on her way to bed, but wanted to highlight Rebekah's large, blue eyes.
Meeting in a department store had its advantages. Not only was it a location for us, we had a ready supply of product just waiting to be purchased and tried out on Rebekah's face. Fortunately, Rebekah had brought her own makeup with her, so few additional itens were acquired.
Coversation was mostly, "Watch how I put this one and now you try it," and, "No, we're not line for the bathroom." Rebekah's friend took "before" and "after" pictures with her camera phone to send to Sarah for posting on the Bryony blog and Facebook pages. (We've haven't gotten that far yet, oops!).
Although she exhorted Rebekah to practice at home, Jennifer had so much fun, she offered to come out to the Magosky mansion the night of filming and do Rebekah's makeup. Good thing, too, because Rebekah came down with a nasty cold later that day and didn't feel up to playing with cosmetics.
While we were playing with eyeliner and mascara, Rebekah's older brother, Timothy, was looking for 70s-style pajamas. He had taken Rebekah shopping the other day, found a couple of possibilities, and sent, after having received permission from an employee, photographs from the floor to me for critiquing. ("Excuse me, ma'am, may I please take pictures of women's nightwear?").
Again, we found two pairs that might work, so we sent the images to Stephen and dug through a bin of DVDs waiting for his reply. He suggested buying both. That way, if one didn't work well under the lights, we had options. We paid eighteen dollars total and left the store, feeling like we had an MGM budget.
Now all we needed were a couple of Victorian men's suits and a blond wig. How difficult could that be?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Making the Bryony Videos, Step Two: Finding a Mansion
While I was writing Bryony's initial drafts, I wrote a series of stories for the Herald News in Joliet(http://heraldnews.suntimes.com)/ about the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History.
Since its owner, Seth Magosky, died in 2007, his parents have struggled to fulfill Seth's dream of renovating the museum, so they were eager to show it off to me. I declined for two reasons: lack of time and an unwillingness to wander around Victorian mansions until my story was finished. I wanted Bryony's ideas to come from my imagination, not from an actual house.
Once I began querying agents and small presses, I was ready to see the mansion. Amazingly, the layout was exactly as I pictured it, a much smaller and somewhat adapted version of Simons Mansion. It's an interesting place to visit, as it is full of period clothing, furnishings and accessories. One room is devoted to antique dolls; the third floor ballroom has a pipe organ; and the main parlor has a full concert grand piano.
In January, I approached the Magoskys about using the mansion for filming the Bryony videos. They not only enthusiastically agreed, but offered to stage any room with any props we wanted and open up the museum anytime we wanted to film.
Their only request was for me to tune the piano, if James Onohan, Bryony's composer and pianist, felt it warranted it. Stephen Tuplin, our filmmaker, didn't think it was necessary because he wouldn't be using the audio, unless an out-of-tune piano would mess up James' playing. I didn't want to take any chances, so the day before shooting, the piano was tuned.
So, in February, Stephen shot some "B" footage, and in March, when Sarah Stegall was in town for the Big Brothers Big Sisters' Bowl for Kids' Sake (proceeds from the Bryony cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters), Stephen filmed her interview inside the mansion.
Then came a flurry of emails to coordinate filming of the trailer and music video. But before we could do that, we needed pajamas and a makeover for my seventeen year old daughter Rebekah, who would be playing Melissa, and Victorian suits for both our John Simons.
You'd think with four theatres in the Joliet area and one Victorian mansion, period clothing would abound, but we couldn't locate a single one. Blond wigs were even harder to scrounge up and frustration and panic were mounting. Actually, it was Dulcinea Hawksworth, my publicist, who saved the day.
In the eleventh hour, we contrived what we could not find. Our tools? Headbands, human hair, and earrings, along with creative shoppings and pairings. More tomorrow.
Since its owner, Seth Magosky, died in 2007, his parents have struggled to fulfill Seth's dream of renovating the museum, so they were eager to show it off to me. I declined for two reasons: lack of time and an unwillingness to wander around Victorian mansions until my story was finished. I wanted Bryony's ideas to come from my imagination, not from an actual house.
Once I began querying agents and small presses, I was ready to see the mansion. Amazingly, the layout was exactly as I pictured it, a much smaller and somewhat adapted version of Simons Mansion. It's an interesting place to visit, as it is full of period clothing, furnishings and accessories. One room is devoted to antique dolls; the third floor ballroom has a pipe organ; and the main parlor has a full concert grand piano.
In January, I approached the Magoskys about using the mansion for filming the Bryony videos. They not only enthusiastically agreed, but offered to stage any room with any props we wanted and open up the museum anytime we wanted to film.
Their only request was for me to tune the piano, if James Onohan, Bryony's composer and pianist, felt it warranted it. Stephen Tuplin, our filmmaker, didn't think it was necessary because he wouldn't be using the audio, unless an out-of-tune piano would mess up James' playing. I didn't want to take any chances, so the day before shooting, the piano was tuned.
So, in February, Stephen shot some "B" footage, and in March, when Sarah Stegall was in town for the Big Brothers Big Sisters' Bowl for Kids' Sake (proceeds from the Bryony cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters), Stephen filmed her interview inside the mansion.
Then came a flurry of emails to coordinate filming of the trailer and music video. But before we could do that, we needed pajamas and a makeover for my seventeen year old daughter Rebekah, who would be playing Melissa, and Victorian suits for both our John Simons.
You'd think with four theatres in the Joliet area and one Victorian mansion, period clothing would abound, but we couldn't locate a single one. Blond wigs were even harder to scrounge up and frustration and panic were mounting. Actually, it was Dulcinea Hawksworth, my publicist, who saved the day.
In the eleventh hour, we contrived what we could not find. Our tools? Headbands, human hair, and earrings, along with creative shoppings and pairings. More tomorrow.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Making the Bryony Videos, Step One: Stephen Tuplin
Book trailers, in general, turn me off. They're too static and dry. I wanted something more visually exciting for Bryony.
Enter Stephen Tuplin.
Stephen is all about movies. Growing up, he'd invite a dozen kids to his house for the sole purpose of watching a movie together. The events were so well put together, and my son Timothy enjoyed them so much, that we offered similiar affairs at our house all the years we ran The Higher Ark youth group.
No one was surprised when Stephen was accepted into Tribeca Flashpoint Academy in Chicago as a film student. We had seem some of his childhood endeavors (His squirrel movie was a cult favorite at our house), so we all knew he had talent, and I enjoyed watching his progress from the clips he posted on Facebook.
I explained the project to Stephen, then sent him the manuscript and the illustrations. Soon afterward, he explained his vision for the trailer, along with a mention that he had an actress interested in portraying Bryony's main character Melissa Marchellis and some location ideas. Really, all he needed to do was film it.
That, I thought, was that.
Then, in December, when Bryony's web administrator, Sarah Stegall, was in town, we had a Bryony "Meet and Greet" so everyone on the team (thus far) could shake hands round and put names to faces. At the meeting's close, Stephen leaned over and said, "Your website needs more content. I'd also like to make a music video and shoot interviews with members of the team."
The music video would feature James Onohan, the pianist and composer, playing the Bryony theme song he had created for our upcoming Bryony CD, The Best-Loved Compositions of John Simons. That CD will also feature Onohan's original music.
I agreed to Stephen's suggestion, with an idea of my own. "Let's dress up James in period clothing and shoot him at a concert grand piano in a Victorian mansion," I said.
Stephen loved the idea. Of course, now we needed to find appropriate costumes, a concert grand, and an old mansion, or at least, fabricate a reasonable facsimile.
After much thinking and prayer, I'd found the answer.
Enter Stephen Tuplin.
Stephen is all about movies. Growing up, he'd invite a dozen kids to his house for the sole purpose of watching a movie together. The events were so well put together, and my son Timothy enjoyed them so much, that we offered similiar affairs at our house all the years we ran The Higher Ark youth group.
No one was surprised when Stephen was accepted into Tribeca Flashpoint Academy in Chicago as a film student. We had seem some of his childhood endeavors (His squirrel movie was a cult favorite at our house), so we all knew he had talent, and I enjoyed watching his progress from the clips he posted on Facebook.
I explained the project to Stephen, then sent him the manuscript and the illustrations. Soon afterward, he explained his vision for the trailer, along with a mention that he had an actress interested in portraying Bryony's main character Melissa Marchellis and some location ideas. Really, all he needed to do was film it.
That, I thought, was that.
Then, in December, when Bryony's web administrator, Sarah Stegall, was in town, we had a Bryony "Meet and Greet" so everyone on the team (thus far) could shake hands round and put names to faces. At the meeting's close, Stephen leaned over and said, "Your website needs more content. I'd also like to make a music video and shoot interviews with members of the team."
The music video would feature James Onohan, the pianist and composer, playing the Bryony theme song he had created for our upcoming Bryony CD, The Best-Loved Compositions of John Simons. That CD will also feature Onohan's original music.
I agreed to Stephen's suggestion, with an idea of my own. "Let's dress up James in period clothing and shoot him at a concert grand piano in a Victorian mansion," I said.
Stephen loved the idea. Of course, now we needed to find appropriate costumes, a concert grand, and an old mansion, or at least, fabricate a reasonable facsimile.
After much thinking and prayer, I'd found the answer.
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