Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Nov. 13 through Nov. 19

Good morning!

I have just twelve features stories to share with you today and more that will be posted over the weekend (I'm working through the weekend), so do watch for them.

Now for a recap/update on my BryonySeries projects. Although, honestly, I probably won't get much done on the fiction front until next weekend, due to my work schedule and the holidays.

I am currently re-reading my scribbled first draft for Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy) and starting to color in the lines. I'm anticipating a late spring publication date, but progress is slow, so we shall see. 

Barring the unforeseen, we do plan to publish the book in 2022.

Sue Midlock has completed the art for Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical Being" (cover looks great, by the way) and I'm hoping she can begin art soon for Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. 

Timothy has also scheduled (and canceled) a couple of "Cornell" breakfasts to start working on the next book, a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes) as life has gotten in the way for us. But we will get to it soon.

Sarah also had a crazy dream that sounded perfect for An Adventure of Cornell Dyer mystery. But she wants time to draw some sketches, a map, and write the "rules." It's called Cornell Dyer and the House of Broken Portals.

Bertrand the Mouse has returned, and you can read about it here, here, and here. 

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) has completed two portraits for  "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls and is currently working on a third. The portraits are beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! 

I current have one book in the series completed, and I am working on the second, which I'll revisit this weekend when I'm off work. The goal is to have three of the eight done before I release any of them.

Now back to the twelve stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too -

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Sunday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks or will be featured in an upcoming cookbook.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need support in your writing, I highly recommend this Twitter group: #5amwritersclub. I  joined it last year. Writers support each other on Twitter and meet every three weeks at 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CST - needless to say, I am often late!) on Zoom.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide and Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story and Book Review Newsletter at https://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

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

Morris Hospital hosting pediatric vaccine clinics in November: Children receiving vaccine must be accompanied by adult, registration is required

Troy school district collaborates with mental health navigator: District 202 in Plainfield, Valley ViewSD 365 U began offering mental health resources earlier this year

An Extraordinary Life: Joliet nurse championed neuroscience, cared for people 24/7: Ghaly: ‘She should be in the history books for all nursing students

2 Latino groups donate 10,000 to Latino student scholarships: Long-term goals include the concept of investments

Can’t pay rent, mortage or utilities? This grant might help: Funding is available through Will County COMEBACK grants

New Lenox church continues tradition of free Thanksgiving dinner to the community: Must reserve dinner by Nov. 18

Pets of the Week: Nov. 15: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

McDonald’s gave away turkeys and trimmings Monday in Joliet: Northern Illinois Food Bank and Bimbo Bakeries USA also partnered with Thanksgiving giveaway

Struggling with addictions or behaviorial health? Find joy this holiday season: Attend 1 or more Sober Holiday virtual support sessions in November and December. 

Plainfield family becomes advocates of pediatric cancer care: Support helped them cope with daughter’s diagnosis and family passed along the blessings

5 Things to do in Will County: Get back to nature and get ready for the holidays: Enjoy art, Singo Bingo, milestone market, nature hikes and holiday concert

Joliet motorcyclist is optimistic about his ‘new normal’ following devastating accident: Tim Flannery: It’s ‘just a new turn in the road’

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Back to the Books: Elson-Gray Basic Readers Book Four

I first encountered this book on the bookcase of my childhood home. 

It was my father's fourth grade reader, and I read it cover to cover hundreds of times, starting when I was about eight or nine years old. 

I used it as reader with my six children when we home-schooled. And when, no lie, I saw this book sitting on an empty shelf after friends moved into a new home (the previous owners had left it behind), I expressed my delight and was gifted with it on the spot.

So I gave my father's copy to my sister.

What makes this book especially remarkable is that all its wonderful stories and illustrations are written and depicted in ways that children could understand and enjoy without feeling the silent condescension of adults.

From this book, I learned about animal behavior (such as a partridge pretending to be lame to lead enemies away from her young) and I learned about mythology and mythological characters, and I learned about Scrooge.

I also read poems, plays, stories about children in other lands. Some of these stories might sound racist today. But they formed a foundation for my love for other cultures, so I wouldn't discount them.

This book also introduced me to classic stories of Beowolf, Sigurd, and Song of Roland, stories which sparked an interest in great literature that remains to this day.

I liked Roland the best. Perhaps some of that liking is due to the fact that my father had a first cousin named Roland, Dr. Roland Foraste, a child psychiatrist, who died in a car accident in 2000.

While writing this blog and searching for Roland's obituary to add as a backlink, I learned he was a friend of Ethel Kennedy's brother and quoted in this story (scroll to page two).

I only met Roland once (the summer of 1986), and I thought he looked like Fred Gwynne; he certainly had his height and facial shape.

I could not find a photo of him online. But I found one of his brother Roger, who really doesn't resemble Roland.

OK, that was quite a digression. But a fascinating one, you have to admit. I just found out one of my cousins was friends with the brother of Ethel Kennedy. Seriously.

Anyway, because it's really too hard to summarize such a book and the impact it's made on my family and me, I've included photos of its table of contents and some of the wonderful artwork, so you can get a glimpse for yourself.

Needless to say, "they" don't make books like this anymore.

Son of Frankenstein 1939 - 35mm Nitrate - HD

Sue's Diner: Pumpkin Roll

Each week for the next couple of weeks, I'm planning to feature one selected recipe from the Thanksgiving menu that's featured in the BryonySeries cookbook: Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permament fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

All of these recipes are referenced in the novel Bryony. The complete menu is found in the cookbook.

Here is the explanation from the cookbook:

For the Marchellis’ first Thanksgiving in Munsonville, Melissa’s little brother Brian shows off the depth of his newly acquired culinary skills, under the direction of his mentor, Steve Barnes, the village maintenance man.

You can try the pumpkin roll recipe, which is Sarah's 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 from the BryonySeries Thanksgiving menu will take it's place.

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.

Explaining the Orthodox Christmas Fast to Children

Up until a few years ago, my family belonged to an Orthodox church that had never been large in membership and whose numbers were steadily declining.

My husband and I created a religious education for the handful of youth (which actually grew in number during this time). We also created space for a youth group by remodeling buildings on our property and adding an additional one.

We also planned a number of programs to engage them (and us!) in the liturgical life of the Eastern church.

One of those programs was an annual retreat shortly before the start of the Nativity fast. Most people know this season before Christmas as Advent, except that, in the Eastern Christian church, Advent begins on November 15.

The retreat consisted of activities, lunch, plenty of conversation, and a workbook that I wrote. Yes, if I couldn't find the materials I wanted, I wrote my own.

Below is the introduction to one of those workbooks, this one from 2006. The attempt was to explain eternal truths in a way that children and adults could both grasp.

I'm sharing it today because it's the first day of Advent in the Orthodox church but, more importantly, I'm sharing it today because maybe you, the reader, may find something of value in it - a word, a phrase - that deepens the Christmas season for you this year.

The Orthodox church, in its wisdom, gives us a few weeks to prepare our bodies, minds and hearts to receive the gift of salvation that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ offers to us. The Nativity (Christmas) fast begins on Nov. 15. It is also sometimes called St. Philip’s Fast, because Nov. 15 is the feast day of St. Philip.

 In a traditional Orthodox fast, people do not eat any milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, sour cream, eggs, meat or olive oil until Christmas. But for many of us, this will be impossible. We should try to give up at least one of these foods until then. Either way, we try to eat less, so we can feel hungry. This will remind us that we need God in our lives. But we can also do some other things too to prepare for Jesus’ birth.

 We should go to Holy Confession at least once during the fast and try to fast from sin. What kinds of things are sin?

 We can also try to cut down on the things that amuse us—movies, video and computer games, CDs and ipod, talking on the telephone—and replace that time with reading the Bible or other books about Jesus (see our church library) and doing do things for other people.

 What other kinds of things can we do?

 Why is this preparation necessary? Have you ever had a birthday party? Supposing you had been playing outside all day. Perhaps you might want to take a shower and put on some clean clothes before the party.

 Well, that is kind of what the Nativity fast is like. By sinning, we have been playing in dirt. But now we are preparing to receive a gift greater then the best birthday present, Jesus Christ, who takes the punishment for our sins and restores us in image and likeness of God.

 There is another reason why we prepare. Remember how when Mary was about to give birth to Jesus she and Joseph had trouble finding somewhere to stay? Remember what they were told?

 If we compare our hearts and minds to an inn, then we can understand how important it is to make room in our lives—our inn—to let Jesus come into it.

 What a beautiful miracle Jesus’ birth is. Let’s think about this. He who created the whole world is born as a helpless baby. He, who holds the entire universe in the palm of His hand, was held in the arms of his mother Mary.

 The Nativity of Jesus Christ—Christmas—is not just about God coming down to us, but us rising up to Him.

 Sin makes us dead to God. The more we sin, the less we want to pray, go to church and read about God. Without God, we are dead inside because we are not the people he created us to be.

 It is only with God that we can ever live a full life. When a baby is born, the doctor gives it a little slap to make it cry, to force air into its lungs. If this doesn’t happen, the baby will not live.

Christmas, for us, is like this. Some wise person once said that people took their first real, deep breath when the baby Jesus cried His first cry.

 Because only then could life in God happen. “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10.

 

 

Thanksgiving - Solo Pianist George Winston from his album DECEMBER

Magic Piano Medley From The Irish Senior

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Nov. 6 through Nov. 12

Good morning!

I have twenty-two features stories to share with you today and few more that will be posted over the weekend, so do watch for them.

Speaking of stories, I've had a bit of change in work duties this past week.

Four years ago, I was asked to write a weekly events newsletter for The Herald-News. Most likely unbeknownst to area libraries )unless they subscribed to this newsletter), I dedicated one newsletter each month to highlight upcoming free events at all libraries in Will County - one event per library.

And because I was receiving so many requests for feature stories from local authors (while Herald-News print space was simulaneously shrinking), I pitched a second newsletter so I could share short stories from authors and review their books.

That newsletter was called LocalLit, and I was especially proud of this newsletter. I felt it was a unique offering, especially for a daily community newspaper.

For me, it was also a wonderful opportunity to read one book each week from a local author I may not have otherwise read - and to share my thoughts about the book with readers in terms of, not just what I thought about it, but also the type of reader who might enjoy reading it.

A few days ago, I was asked to let both newsletters go in favor or writing more features stories, especially since I am known for in-depth, longform stories about people in the community.

So will I still read books by local authors? Of course. 

In fact, I can finally tackle a very long series by this local author I've always wanted to read. I'm halfway through the first book and probably have thirty or more to go.

For all of you who subscribed to the newsletters, especially LocalLit, which was more robust in subscribers than I ever imagined it would/could be, thank you. 

May you continue to seek out and read books by local authors, not because they're locally written, but to discover some really terrific stories that often get unnoticed.

And for those of you who subscribed to the Will County Go Guide (later named in 2020: the Will County Inside/Outside Guide), please continue to patronize your local library. 

Now for a recap/update on my BryonySeries projects:

I am currently re-reading my scribbled first draft for Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy) and starting to color in the lines. I'm anticipating a late spring publication date, but progress is slow, so we shall see. 

Barring the unforeseen, we do plan to publish the book in 2022.

Sue Midlock has completed the art for Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical Being" (cover looks great, by the way) and I'm hoping she can begin art soon for Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. 

Timothy has also scheduled (and canceled) a couple of "Cornell" breakfasts to start working on the next book, a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes) as life has gotten in the way for us. But we will get to it soon.

Sarah also had a crazy dream that sounded perfect for An Adventure of Cornell Dyer mystery. But she wants time to draw some sketches, a map, and write the "rules." It's called Cornell Dyer and the House of Broken Portals.

Bertrand the Mouse has returned, and you can read about it here, here, and here. 

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) has completed two portraits for  "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls and is currently working on a third. The portraits are beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! 

I current have one book in the series completed, and I am working on the second, which I'll revisit this weekend when I'm off work. The goal is to have three of the eight done before I release any of them.

Now back to the twenty-two stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too -

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Sunday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks or will be featured in an upcoming cookbook.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need support in your writing, I highly recommend this Twitter group: #5amwritersclub. I  joined it last year. Writers support each other on Twitter and meet every three weeks at 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CST - needless to say, I am often late!) on Zoom.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide and Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story and Book Review Newsletter at https://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

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

After 55 years of steady service, Troy bus driver Barb Gray is ready to retire: Baumann: ‘That’s a lifetime of dedication. In a service industry, that’s pretty amazing.’

LocalLit book preview: In-depth, pictorial look at Ottawa’s tent colony for TB patients: The year was 1904 and antibiotics were not yet developed

And the very last LocalLit book review is here.

2021 YMCA Gala nets more than $205,000: Funds will benefit Y’s Mission Strong Fund

7 students in D-86 in Joliet perform in LMEA music festival: The festival takes place at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox 

An Extraordinary Life: Virginia Fleming took a culinologist approach to life: Former New Lenox resident understood the components of a good life and applied them well

Pets of the Week: Nov. 8: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

Lockport man runs 11 5k races in 11 days: Virtual races were part of the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Harvest Hustle program 

Grundy Bank donates $250,000 to Morris Community YMCA: Gift will fund the Y’s Capital Campaign and support the The GrundyBank/Ron Wohlwend Childhood Development Fund 

New Habitat for Humanity home will honor memory of Romeoville veteran: The construction is one of several events for Veterans Build 2021

Frankfort farm that serves people with special needs receives $4,000 donation: On Nov. 4, 100+ Women Who Care of Will County donated $4,000 to Navarro Farm.

Morris Hospital nurse gives patient’s puppy a temporary home: Rambo: ‘She just offered to take him home and take care of him until I was able to get him’

Veterans: Get your seasonal flu shot this Wednesday in Channahon: The Edward Hines Jr. VAMC Outreach Team will be at village hall

Silver Cross Hospital earns 14th straight ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group: And that’s not the only patient safety recognition Silver Cross has earned in 2021 

5 brothers from a single Joliet family served in World War II at the same time: A handful of laminated Herald-News clippings tell their story

New Lenox native to perform trumpet concerto with CYSO on Sunday – and it was written just for her: Mary Elizabeth Bowden will also recive CYSO 2021 Alumni Award at the concert 

5 Things to do in Will County: Music, military history, craft shows, autumn walk: And ‘Haphazardly Ever After’ is a comedy about ‘four obnoxious, bratty, adult children who do not live up to their royal titles’

Silver Cross Foundation appoints 2 new members: Dr. Mark Danielson and Nick Tyrell join the foundation’s board of directors

Veterans Day observances in Will and Grundy counties: Here’s how to honor veterans in a formal way

Why all the breakthrough COVID cases at Edward Hospital?: Numbers don’t tell the entire story at Naperville hospital 

Morris Hospital earns 7th straight ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also recognized Morris Hospital in 2021

Help a Joliet hospice by baking holiday cookies: Register for “Baking Memories” virtual cooking demo fundraiser by Nov. 22 

And finally:

He was diagnosed 11 months ago, I wrote his story in June, and he died Monday.

Prayers/thoughts for his family.

He’s just 6 but he’s already an honorary police officer and a superhero: Supporters planning car show in honor of Channahon boy battling cancer

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Back to the Books: Honey Bunch, Just a Little Girl

Last week my WriteOn Joliet co-leader Tom Hernandez commented that I "breathe a different air."

Being asthmatic, I'm happy for any air, but he does make a point.

I think it's true that "we are what we read" in some part, at least.

In my sixty years of living, I've read many books that most of the people I encounter have never read and, in many cases, didn't even know they existed.

Yes, I am going to tell you about all of them, one blog post at a time.

The first one is called Honey Bunch, Just a Little Girl, by Helen Louise Thorndyke. I  always assumed belong to my mother at one point, or perhaps someone in her family, although now I'm not certain she ever read it.

It was published in 1923, and my mother was born in 1935. Now it could have belonged to father's mother (we had some of her books, too), but the date is wrong for that.

But Honey Bunch, Just a Little Girl was one of the books that sat on the bookcase in the hall between the room where my sister and I slept and the room where my parents slept.

And it was one of the books I picked off the shelf one a day I was either not allowed to go outside (my mother, I later learned, had agoraphobia) or was not able to go outside due to my asthma.

Helen Louise Thorndyke was a pseudonym used by several authors for this series. The Honey Bunch books (thirty-four books in the original series with extras and reboots in later years) were part of a series of books for children by the Stratemeyer Syndicate.

You might not know what the Stratemeyer Syndicate was, but you will be familiar with many of the book series it produced, including Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

For more information on the Stratemeyer Syndicate, go here. 

"Just a Little Girl" was the first book in the series, and I had really enjoyed it. It left on a cliffhanger, of sorts, to encourage readers to pick up the next book. 

Of course, I never did find any of the other titles, and I don't know what happened to my mother's copy; I haven't read it in fifty years.

But now I can.

All of the original series are now digitalized through the Illinois Open Publishing Network (IOPN), "a set of digital publishing initiatives that are hosted and coordinated at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, according to its website.

Here are two different ways you can read this book. The first link will also send you to subsequent books.

https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/scalar/thesweetpublicdomain/toc-just-a-girl

https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/scalar/thesweetpublicdomain/media/honey-bunch-just-a-little-girl-pdf

If you love reading about life back in the day, here is a "real time" version of it. One part that has stuck in my head all these years was the way Honey Bunch celebrated her fifth birthday (it sounded so exciting to me) and how she nearly suffocated when the "coal man" paid his annual visit.

You see, Honey Bunch felt the gleaming coal was so pretty, so she jumped into the pile in the coal cellar. The coal man never saw her, and the coal kept sliding down the chute toward its goal of filling the room for for winter.

The book, although some would disagree, is surprisingly well-written, and, I'm certain, has subliminally conbtributed to my own writing "voice" over the years.

Happy reading! :)

plan 9 from outer space (trailer)

Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being

Good morning!

Here is a "sneak peek" at a new book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer chapter book series, which is part of the overall BryonySeries series.

Got that?

This "new" book is actually an "old" book that's been given an expanded and edited new life.

Back when I first had the idea to write a Cornell Dyer subseries for the BryonySeries, Rebekah, who was in high school at the time, actually wrote the first story for it.

Her computer later crashed, and she thought it was gone forever. What Rebekah did not remeber (and quite frankly, neither had I) was that she had sent me a copy of it.

I stumbled upon it one day, all 5,600 words of it, and read it aloud to her. We had a good laugh over some of her mistaken word choices (she is very dyslexic) and actually decided to incorporate one of them into the title because her mistake turned out to be genius and key to the story.

The title of the book is Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being.

The best part is that ger writing, overall, stood up very well - and even Rebekah was surprised, since she is not a writer.

So I took her original story, expanded it, edited it, and tweaked it a bit for a seamless read, and then sent it back to her.

She approved it, and Sue Midlock, our Cornell Dyer artist, began working on the cover and chapter heading illustrations.

Sue ran into some health issues this summer, but she is feeling better and finished the artwork last week - and we love it! Sue is currently editing her second "Elspeth" book and then she will begin work on the art for Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones.

Here is the back cover copy and cover for the new book. We hope to release the book before 2022.

When asked to banish ghosts in a backyard lake, supernatural super sleuth Cornell Dyer encounters one mystery after another: a ghostly mist with eyes, a ghost town, and a town that keeps changing its name. Delving into each one will change Cornell’s life. Is he ready?

For more books in the Cornell Dyer series (and other BryonySeries books), visit bryonyseries.com/general-store.

Sue's Diner: Turkey Stuffing

Each week for the next couple of weeks, I'm planning to feature one selected recipe from the Thanksgiving menu that's featured in the BryonySeries cookbook: Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permament fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

All of these recipes are referenced in the novel Bryony. The complete menu is found in the cookbook.

Here is the explanation from the cookbook:

For the Marchellis’ first Thanksgiving in Munsonville, Melissa’s little brother Brian shows off the depth of his newly acquired culinary skills, under the direction of his mentor, Steve Barnes, the village maintenance man.

You can try the stuffing recipe, which is my mother's recipe, on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

I apologize for not having a better photo at this time. But a picture of the stuffing is on the back of the plate, between the roasted root vegetables and the Bertrand the Mouse photo bomb.

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

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.

Child piano prodigy plays Carnegie Hall

Send Up Good Thoughts for Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara

 Good morning!

It's been a rough few months for Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara - the real one.

Not only did he battle a rough case of COVID this same time last year, he lost his best friend to cancer three months ago and his sister-in-law (his wife Nancy's sister) on Tuesday.

Nancy's sister had been fighting some particularly challenging health issues these last few months.

The wake will be next Saturday, Nov. 13 in Will County, Illinois.

If you'd like to drop him a line or for details of the wake (in case you live close and want to pop in), message me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Oct. 30 through Nov. 5

Good morning!

I have twenty-one features stories to share with you today and few more that will be posted over the weekend, so do watch for them.

Now for a recap/update on my BryonySeries projects:

I am currently re-reading my scribbled first draft for Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy) and starting to color in the lines. I'm anticipating a late spring publication date, but progress is slow, so we shall see. 

Barring the unforeseen, we do plan to publish the book in 2022.

Sue Midlock is nearly done with the art for Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical Being" (cover looks great, by the way) and I'm hoping she can begin art soon for Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. 

Timothy has also scheduled (and canceled) a couple of "Cornell" breakfasts to start working on the next book, a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes) as life has gotten in the way for us. But we will get to it soon.

Sarah also had a crazy dream that sounded perfect for An Adventure of Cornell Dyer mystery. But she wants time to draw some sketches, a map, and write the "rules." It's called Cornell Dyer and the House of Broken Portals.

Bertrand the Mouse has returned, and you can read about it here, here, and here. 

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) has completed two portraits for  "Girls of the BryonySeries" series for tween girls and is currently working on a third. The portraits are beautiful and it shows that artist Jennifer Wainright can draw anything from werewolves to portraits! 

I current have one book in the series completed, and I am working on the second, which I'll revisit this weekend when I'm off work. The goal is to have three of the eight done before I release any of them.

Now back to the twenty-one stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too -

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Sunday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks or will be featured in an upcoming cookbook.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need support in your writing, I highly recommend this Twitter group: #5amwritersclub. I  joined it last year. Writers support each other on Twitter and meet every three weeks at 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CST - needless to say, I am often late!) on Zoom.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide and Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story and Book Review Newsletter at https://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

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

Morris Hospital honors RN Sara Gorham as its October Fire Starter of the Month: Co-workers praise Gorham’s positive approach to patient care

Silver Cross opens 2nd urgent care facility: The new facility opened Thursday in Mokena 

Joliet resident repurposes old items into new Halloween decorations: Not a creature is stirring, but they’re all over her house

Photos: Joliet resident repurposes old items into new Halloween decorations

Catch the Halloween spirit with safe celebrations in Will, Grundy counties: Plus a few tips to make the fun even safer

Military veterans: receive free dental care on Nov. 6 in Morris: Advance appointments are required, other locations available

Will County students participating in ILMEA district festivals: Students attend Joliet Township, Troy and District 202 schools

Pets of the Week: Nov. 1: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

White Oak Library offering 3 COVID vaccine clinics in early November: Appointments not necessary

Easterseals installs officers and directors, recognizes staff at annual meeting: Staff recognized for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years of service 

Deborah Ziech recognized by Illinois Association of School Boards: Ziech is on board of school inspectors for District 86 in Joliet 

LocalLit book preview: ‘Purple Skies over Sage Canyon’: Plainfield author has published 33rd book. And it looks like a fun read.

LocalLit book review: Escape to ‘Purple Skies Over Sage Canyon’: Plainfield author writes a lighthearted 21st century Western adventure

Free exercise class may help with Parkinson’s symptoms: Morris Hospital/Morris YMCA’s Pedaling for Parkinson’s class begins Nov. 8

Blood and platelet shortage continues. Donations urgently needed: Here’s where to donate in Will County this November

5 Things to do in Will County: Music, milkweeds, monarchs and bingo: Also enjoy some clean, family friendly comedy to help send children in the foster care system to camp

Joliet Junior College hosting open house on Saturday: Be sure to register online 

4 Troy school board members honored by Illinois Association of School Boards: Board members recognized at October meeting

Make a child in need smile - Donate a toy: Plainfield Fire Protection District collecting new toys for Toys for Tots

Mystery Diner in Shorewood: Dishes at Noodles & Company are globally inspired, taste homemade: We tried five dishes. The quality was outstanding and beyond our expectations.

Grundy Bank donates $250,000 to Morris Community YMCA: Gift will fund the Y’s Capital Campaign and support the The GrundyBank/Ron Wohlwend Childhood Development Fund

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Kim Bum and Character Develpment

Ever since Rebekah introduced me to Asian dramas a few years ago, a few actors have emerged as favorites due to their ability to really bring different types of characters to life.

As a writer, I learn much about character development by watching how these actors fade to the background in order to let the characters entertain (and/or edify) us.

One very unlikely actor (for me, I thought), is Kim Bum.

I first saw him in Boys Over Flowers, which I watched with Rebekah earlier this year. He plays a wealthy teen playboy who likes create pottery. He is one of a group of four rich boys (F4) who terrorize the school the boys attend. The main character's best friend develops a crush on him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78xVG7dW2_k

When Boys Over Flowers ended, I looked up some of the characters and other roles they played. I found this clip for the drama Tail of the Nine-Tailed and didn't even recognize Kim Bum for most of the scene (where he plays two very different versions of the character) until Rebekah pointed it out later - and that intrigued me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDE4LnGYWQA

Then Rebekah suggested we watch Law School and said "the playboy" was in it. His performance as a quiet, soft-spoken prodigy law student was outstanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gmMv7BdCWo

So we circled back to Tale of the Nine-Tailed. I wasn't too sure if I liked the actual drama at first. But I enjoyed the horror elements and Kim Bum's performance as Lee Rang (half humna, half nine-tailed fox) is entertainingly over the top, creepy and hilarious, sometimes at the same time.

Favorite line (so far, it's in the last link):

Evil CEO of broadcasting company: "I'm sure you didn't come to watch me die."

Lee Rang: "I love watching death. I even brought popcorn."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr9e_DhpKoE&t=86s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM0ZYVXzNYw&t=2s

Sue's Diner: Roasted Root Vegetable Medley

Each week for the next couple of weeks, I'm planning to feature one selected recipe from the Thanksgiving menu that's featured in the BryonySeries cookbook: Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permament fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

All of these recipes are referenced in the novel Bryony. The complete menu is found in the cookbook.

Here is the explanation from the cookbook:

For the Marchellis’ first Thanksgiving in Munsonville, Melissa’s little brother Brian shows off the depth of his newly acquired culinary skills, under the direction of his mentor, Steve Barnes, the village maintenance man.

You can try the Roasted Root Vegetable Medley 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 from the Thanksgiving menu will take it's place.

Crocheted mouse not included (Did you catch Bertrand the Mouse's photo bomb?)

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.

Down the Research Rabbit Hole

Research is often a necessary component when one writes novels that are not set in the present or recent past.

The fun, educational, and, quite frankly, time-suck problem with that research is that I get pulled into one rabbit hole after another, with trails that go bounding away into areas that have little (or nothing) to do with the novel.

Furthermore, it can take an immense amount of research just to find the information I need simply to make one paragraph (or even one sentence) factually accuate.

But, I think (and hope), such research does add to the storehouse of my general knowlesge, keeps the reader firmly set into the novel's world and, maybe, makes me a tinge smarter too.

Here are some of the topics I researched during my last week-long retreat for the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo series, Call of the Siren:

* How boats look bobbing on a lake in a torrential storm

* Photos of a late nineteenth century newsroom and press room

* New cars in 1914 and their cost when new

* Types of beer produced and sold in Michigan in 1914 and what type of bottle caps were used

* The history of carryout

* The history of motels

* The history of fast food

* Lodgings for travelers at the turn of the twentieth century

* How unmarried couples could legallyl travel together in 1914

* Various floorplans for saltboxes

* World War I

* The Spanish Flu

* Suffragism

* Tourism in the early twentiesh century

* Value of the dollar in the 1920s

* Cost of opening a small restaurant in the 1920s

* Prenatal care and childbirth in 1935

* Early twentieth century breast cancer treatment

* Wakes/funerals in the early twentieth century in the United States

Halloween 2021: Uncle Barty and Bertrand's Celebration

While all holidays and celebrations are special in their own way, Halloween 2021 had an extra layer of that.

It was the first time we had trick or treated with some of the grandchildren in several years.

Last year it had rained, so that "dampened" our plans of a bonfire and going door to door.

The year before that was brutually cold, and we would up trick or treating at The Timbesr of Shorewood and back to my house for a cookout (which was still lots of fun).

This year, I trick or treated with three of the grandkids at the beginning and end of the fun. In the middle of it, Timothy and I ducked out and headed to Channahon to pay a surprise visit to Ron's brother.

He was at the door handing out candy. We stayed on the porch, chatted about movies, and got a good recommendation.

In the meantime, Uncle Barty (as a lion) took the newly regenerated Bertrand (as Superman) on their first trick or treating adventure together.

We caught them at their last house, and Timothy snapped a few photos.