Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Aug 6 to Aug. 12

Good morning!

I have just eight stories to share with you today - and two more not yet posted.  But most are fairly comprehensive and took time to write.

So do check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news. 

If you're in the area, stop out at Willow Fest on Saturday and Sunday. Ed and Nancy Calkins will have a table or two. Nancy is selling her artwork and Ed is selling BryonySeries books. 

This past spring, I also wrote an additional nineteen stories for a special "Thank You, Teachers," edition that will ran in print and online on May 5. You can check out all those stories at this link: https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/thank-you/teachers/

I also wrote a three-part series on the impact of COVID on kids, which you will at the bottom of this blog.

On the fiction side of things, we recently released Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being. It's not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

We also released Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

And we also  released Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy, with gorgeous cover art by Nancy Calkins). It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

I'm currently outlining the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. 

And I'm also working on a guide book to the series called: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries.

Next up in the series: a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes), which has a solid outline. Sue Midlock is already working on the cover and the interior art: Sherman Homes and the Howls of Basketville.

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! 

Rebekah has completed cover art for two of "Girls of the BryonySeries" books. They, too, are beautiful! One book in this series of eight books is completely written, a second is nearly written, and the rest are outlined. 

Rebekah is also working on updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts, so watch for those.

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

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

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

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

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

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

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

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

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

Shorewood family giving away 2,000 tickets to Military Appreciation Night at Joliet field: Frank Pastorello: ‘Let’s honor those who have served and remember those we have lost’

Will County school districts respond to Illinois’ new sex education policy

Pets of the Week: Aug. 8, 2022: Will County Rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

Dog daycare/boarding franchise with an ‘all-day play’ model opened Monday in Plainfield: John Quinn: ‘Dogs are just social creatures.’ 

Why the discrepancy of gas prices in the Will County area?: The answer is multifaceted.

How helpful was Illinois’ sales tax holiday for school supplies for Will, Grundy County parents?: Only select items qualified for the reduced state sales tax rate.

5 Things to do in Will County: barns, bargains, magic and music: Enjoy secondhand deals, live entertainment this weekend

Team Lawson Sizemore wins Great American Big Wheel Race in Joliet: Sizemore: ‘I’m grateful we got a great team together’

Kids and COVID

COVID-19 didn’t leave kids unscathed: Aschinberg: ‘Like any negative social event, kids who are most at risk bear most of the brunt’

The pandemic was a lonely time for kids: Loss of in-school experiences, sports affected many youth on some level.

Facing the post-pandemic: ‘We know when something is off with our children’: Showing kids how to talk about feelings is a good first step toward protecting their mental health. 

10 Quotes from "Before The Blood: Henry Matthews"

When we were getting ready to release Bryony back in 2011, my daughter Sarah (who did a lot of the marketing for me) suggested I pull thirty teaser quotes from the book that she could post on Facebook, one each day.

We did the same for the second book, Visage, which is also part of the BryonySeries.

But for some reason, I never did the same for another book.

So now I am catching up.

Here is the synopsis and chapter headings for Lycanthropic Summer, folloed by thirteen quotes, one from each chapter.

Here is the synopsis and chapter headings for the fourth installment of the BryonySeries prequel Before The Blood, followed by 10 quotes, one from each chapter.

"Before the Blood" is a five-novel prequel to the BryonySeries "drop of blood" trilogy. Told in multiple points of view with Faustian elements, "Before the Blood" centers on the lives of four key characters and the choices that ultimately lead to a tragic ending. In Book Four, read how Henry Matthews goes from rags to riches and what he sacrifices to serve the riches.

And look - Blogger kept the book font intact!

Enjoy!

HENRY MATTHEWS

CHAPTER 1: EATING CAKE.

He heard the squalling as he neared the door. The woman next door, a fat old hag that smelled like yesterday's garlic, was wrapping something in a dirty blanket.

Harold gazed down at the wheezy blue face.

Finally, he thought, a son to help with the work.

CHAPTER 2: THE GYPSY

Once upon a time there lived a very small boy not well enough to join the happy shouts of the other children when they played Kick the Can in the alley and King of the Hill off the top of the public privy and too weak to be useful inside whatever current rat hole they called home.

Useless, he was, except to be petted by the females ruling it, and amuse them with his illustrations and yarns.

The little boy, named Henry at birth and never addressed with that name except by his mother, rarely left the sagging four walls except to move to another set of sagging four walls whenever someone announced an angry landlord was on his way.

Now Henry had never actually met a landlord, but he imagined him to be quite villainous. 

            "Men! Don your armor! The landlord approacheth!"

            (All shiver with fear).

CHAPTER 3: DEADLY NIGHTSHADE

Bess and Henry's sisters, except Lizzie who was folding shirts into a large burlap sack, ducked over their sewing. Roaches skittered along the walls, heedless of the girls' work and the parents' pleasure. Lizzie was occupied; her broom leaned against the corner; to the insects, nothing else mattered. Henry could almost hear their leader cry, "Freedom, mates!"

CHAPTER 4: REST FROM THEIR LABORS

Ott was Mrs. Variola's "guard dog." This homeless man had appeared on her doorstep one rainy night, unkempt, soaked, and begging for shelter. Ott couldn't hear, and his bark was feeble, but he had the strength of Cratus and was fiercely protective of Mrs. Variola and anything she held dear. Only a halfwit aroused Ott's fury.

CHAPTER 5: MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

Newspaper sales were brisk the rest of the week, but neither Henry's nor Major's heart was in them, not with the unexpected bludgeoning of Henry's small run of fame. The only person who benefitted was Harold, as he now had a drinking partner in his son.

CHAPTER 6: HAUTE COUTURE

But it was the conversation Henry had overheard between his uncle and Dr. Stone that established his fate.

He was snipping the roses, lips puckered in concentration and scarcely aware of the two men meandering through the greenhouse until he heard Dr. Stone comment on Henry's "natural style."        

Lawrence said something Henry couldn't ascertain, but Dr. Stone's next remarks were unmistakable: "Mark my words, Girard. He'll be quite the charmer someday."

CHAPTER 7: SHOT IN THE HEART

Once out of town, they traversed the mile more quickly than Henry wished, a full moon illumining their way toward a bleak ending. Felled trees scattered the earth; a night breeze swished through bean and potato fields. Against the backdrop, shadowy farmhouses watched them pass, a glint from the glass and gone. With each hoof step, Henry's trepidation grew.

Neither man spoke until they perceived the outline of the Platt farm.

"Ever see a corpse?" Donovan asked.

CHAPTER 8: WHEN THE PURPLE ROSE BLOOMS

By the third Saturday, Bryony had the hang of "sitting still," and Henry did quite a bit of painting.

The silence and rhythm of the brush strokes muted his passionate impressions of the subject in the rocking chair and returned him to sanity. He felt a little sheepish that a little girl had rattled him.

Art, Henry told himself. This was all about the art.

CHAPTER 9: SEWING OATS

Henry waited until the shows began before slipping into the nearly full theater. He endured the fiddler, the juggler, the can-can girls, the lewd carnival-style vocalist/pianist who kept the audience laughing with his lyrics, and a male impersonator in a regency wig who actually had talent.

Finally, a tipsy man with a Cockney accent announced John. Half-hearted applause ensued. And then Henry heard something he never expected to hear again in his life.

He forgot his cheap whiskey, he forgot pen and pad. He sat mesmerized while Seymour Cassidy's majestic and powerful music teleported him back to Arcadia's north parlor, when Henry heard a piano and a true master for the first time.

This was despite the cheapness of the instrument and the tinny sound it produced. A musical genius. A master of melodies. In lower Manhattan. When the man could be running one of New York's most paramount companies. Unbelievable. 

CHAPTER 10: MEETING AT THE CROSSROADS

They sat under moonlight and counted shooting stars. They walked as one through Central Park, a Sunday lull to the grind and twirl.

BryonySeries Back-to-School Special

Each month, I spend a few hours updating the calendar on the BryonySeries website.

Hidden under each date are links to games, crafts, music, activities, science experiments, and  recipes that pick up themes to one or more of the BryonySeries books.

This month, we are leaving the July calendar intact in case you need to catch up - and offering a "back-to-school" book special instead.

Here's how it works.

Buy any print book in our BryonySeries bookstore and receive a second book of equal or lesser value free.

No limits. However...

For each free book, you must first purchase a book of equal or greater value.

And you must purchase the "paid" book from the BryonySeries bookstore, not Amazon or any other third party seller.

After you make your purchase, email bryonyseries@gmail.com and then provide the title (s) of each free book you'd like, along with your complete name and complete address. We will send the books to you.

This offer is good until Aug. 31, 2022.

Happy reading!

 

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Thank You, Tom Hernandez

Back in May, my WriteOn Joliet co-leader Tom Hernandez received devastating news and is now in the throes of the most challenging health issue of his life.

So, yes, I backlinked so you can read his blogs - because writers should never miss a marketing trick when it helps another writer.

As Tom began adjusting to the news, I encouraged him to use his talent at assembling twenty-six letters into poetry as a means for, not just updating family and friends or sharing his experiences, but for digging a trench through it - for himself and for anyone who stumbles on his signposts along the way.

Because here's the bad news. We will all walk that trail one day. Perhaps some of you reading this now are walking it yourself - or know someone who is.

So one of those first pieces Tom wrote is this poem. He sent me a draft, and I told him not to tweak it, that it was a perfect, and I wanted a framed copy.

Those weren't empty words. I really did want a framed copy, my own tangible signpost.

Yesterday, I received it. And it was more than framed. 

It was signed.

And I'm so awed, humble, grateful.

ER Trip

So I had a little adventure last week that will keep on giving for a while.

On Wednesday night after getting out for just a forty-five minute walk on a hot and humid night, Rebekah and I packed two plastic bins of books for Ed and Nancy Calkins to take to Willow Fest for this weekend.

I felt a little "off," drank a little more water, finished packing, and got into the shower a little late (for me) - about nine o'clock.

I bent over at one point, and I straighted, a rainbow sprayed from my left and arched over my vision.

Now this was different from a migraine aura.

This was different from the "stars" one sees if position is changed too fast.

From then on, it was flashing lights, which seemed more pronounced from my right eye.

I knew this wasn't good: stroke, retinal detachment, or (maybe, if I was lucky), dehydration.

The bathroom is white and bright, so the flashing was obvious.

But it all but disappeared when I went into other rooms in the house.

So I had a snack and watched thirty minutes of Master's Sun with Rebekah. Flashing lights: still gone. Good. I was half asleep already. Time to brush my teeth and go to bed.

But in the white bathroom with the bright, white lights, those flashing lights were clearly there.

I had no other symptoms of stroke. I was pretty sure it was the retina. But a retinal dettachment is an emergency, too, unless one wants to go blind. 

I wasn't that person.

My question to the universe: Why don't these things happen at more "normal" time, like one o'clock in the afternoon? Why is it always at bedtime.

Anyway, by the time Timothy and I left for the hospital, the flashing lights were now just oozing strands of black silly string in my right eye. Retina. I was positive.

I have really bad astigmatism, and I'm very near-sighted. I always knew in the back of my head (pun) that retinal detachment was a real possibility one day. And now, here it was?

At the ER, I was triaged and CT-scanned immediately. And then we waited in the waiting room for a few hours. So, again, I was pretty sure this wasn't a stroke. The silly string had turned to a shower of black floaters and one large gray spiderweb with thick, dark black borders.

I tried to read The Whistling Boy and was too tired. I set the book down, dozed off, and woke up realizing I'd slept an entire hour.

At three o'clock (or so) we were put into a room, where I was told "no drinking" in case more tests were needed. So it was a stroke, maybe?

Nope. No stroke. The ER doctor was firm about that.

But I did need a follow-up MRI to check something on the brain - that was also definitely not a tumor.

I had an ultrasound of the eye: no detachment. But I was still advised to follow up with my opthalmologist. I didn't need prompting. The office opened at eight-thirty, and I would be ready to dial (OK, dial - on a cell phone?).

We got home before dawn. I took a couple-hour nap, made one work call, and then called the eye doctor. He most definitely wanted to see me; could I make one-thirty that afternoon? You bet!

The upshot?

No retinal detachment.

No retinal tear, even.

But the retina did pull away slightly, which caused the flashing lights.

The black stuff I saw was actually blood.

"You dodged a bullet," he told me.

I must say, the visual stuff was pretty dramatic for not even a tear. But I did make all the right calls.

So for three weeks, I'm to lift nothing heavier than a gallon of milk.

Live life, he said, but use common sense.

Now is not the time to take up a new aerobics routine.

Lift no weights heavier than five pounds.

No sudden head jerks.

It's safe to fly (story attached to this).

Call IMMEDIATELY if I have any other changes in vision.

Otherwise, come back in three weeks.

He suggested that the questionable area on my brain could be from the high blood pressures of the pheochromocytoma twenty years ago.

But only an MRI will tell for sure.

Not sure how long it will take for the black dots and spiderwebs to fade from my vision. 

But don't get me wrong. I am thankful for the vision.

Mozart Piano Sonata No 16 C major K 545 Barenboim

Ed and Nancy Calkins at Willow Fest

If you're in the general area and have some time next weekend, stop out at Willow Fest to see Ed and Nancy Calkins.

Nancy is an accomplished artist, a retired art teacher, and will be selling some of her gorgeous art (she created the cover for Call of the Siren) 

Ed, of course, has written two books for the BryonySeries, in addition to being fictionalized as the Steward of Tara in the "drop of blood" trilogy.

He will also have for sale (at his insistence, not mine), copies of all the other books in the BryonySeries.

I will (hopefully) be out of town trying to visit my father, whom I haven't seen except on video since 2019. He developed Alzheimer's during COVID and went into a nursing home in December, so I feel a sense of urgency is going.

But, disappointingly, I am missing the event. But I'm hoping you can make it on either Saturday on Sunday.

Even if you don't buy a book, you'll want a copy of Ed's new business card, a raelly fun collaborative project.

But that's another post for another day.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 30 to Aug. 5

 Good morning!

I have seventeen features and breaking news stories to share with you today - and more not yet posted.  So do check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news. 

This past spring, I also wrote an additional nineteen stories for a special "Thank You, Teachers," edition that will ran in print and online on May 5. You can check out all those stories at this link: https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/thank-you/teachers/

I also wrote a three-part series on the impact of COVID on kids, which you will at the bottom of this blog.

On the fiction side of things, we recently released Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being. It's not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

We also released Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

And we also  released Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy, with gorgeous cover art by Nancy Calkins). It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

I'm currently outlining the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. 

And I'm also working on a guide book to the series called: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries.

Next up in the series: a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes), which has a solid outline. Sue Midlock is already working on the cover and the interior art: Sherman Homes and the Howls of Basketville.

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! 

Rebekah has completed cover art for two of "Girls of the BryonySeries" books. They, too, are beautiful! One book in this series of eight books is completely written, a second is nearly written, and the rest are outlined. 

Rebekah is also working on updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts, so watch for those.

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

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

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

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

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

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

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

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

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

Joliet neighborhood enjoys its first Porch and Park Music Fest: Vickie Haire: ‘Whoever organized this was a genius.’

Walmart’s InHome program now offers grocery delivery straight to your refrigerator: 5 Will County store locations offer the service 

8 RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals brokers receive America’s Best awards: Rankings of participating agents and teams in the U.S. are based on 2021 numbers

Joliet home health nurse donating a kidney on Wednesday to someone she’s never met: Julie Lakomiak hopes her story inspires others to donate, too.

Pets of the Week: Aug. 1, 2022: Will County Rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

Gardner woman pursued dental career because her father believed in her. Chelsea Schultz also received two awards at graduation.

Plainfield pancreatic cancer survivor to throw 1st pitch at Joliet Slammers game on Saturday: Frank Wiltse was opening day pitcher in the 1993 movie, ‘Rookie of the Year.’ 

Morris Hospital progressing with surgery department renovationsL Morris Hospital has recently completed a number of additional renovations.

Mystery Diner in Crest Hill: Mickey’s Gyros serves up more than gyros

New Lenox, Homer Glen saw brunt of Wednesday’s storms: Joliet had some overcast skies and rain

BREAKING NEWS

5 Things to do in Will County: festivals all weekend long: Also, the Forest Preserve District of Will County will host a ‘Sensory Sunday’

Joliet man dies after being shot multiple times

Motorcyclist killed in Joliet crash ID’d by coroner: Avontae E. Baker fondly remembered by childhood friend

On-duty Joliet police officer injured in car crash: Officer in good condition, according to Joliet PD

Joliet detectives investigate shooting early Saturday in 100 block of South Hammes: 28-year-old man with life-threatening injuries was taken to hospital

Crest Hill home uninhabitable after heavy fire

Aurora man charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder of Bolingbrook man arrested Tuesday

Kids and COVID

COVID-19 didn’t leave kids unscathed: Aschinberg: ‘Like any negative social event, kids who are most at risk bear most of the brunt’

The pandemic was a lonely time for kids: Loss of in-school experiences, sports affected many youth on some level.

Facing the post-pandemic: ‘We know when something is off with our children’: Showing kids how to talk about feelings is a good first step toward protecting their mental health. 

Sue's Diner: Werewolf Parfait

This week's recipe is for Werewolf Parfait, which Rebekah created for the BryonySeries cookbook, GRRR: Twelve pawtastic werewolf-themed recipes, which is available on the BryonySeries book store and on Amazon.

It's super easy to make and perfect for summer. The description in the cookbook says," A dessert so dreamy, they’ll be howling for more."

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

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

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.

Christmas "Hope" Ornament

Some people have "hope chests" into which they place items they'd like to use one day in their marriage.

On Friday night, Cindy "gifted" me with a "hope ornament" for my Christmas tree this year.

This "hope ornament" features all three of my cats: their names and their basic likenesses.

It's especially sweet considering that all three are seniors now and that two are not in good health.

Frances is eighteen, has full-body arthritis, and recently battled her first urinary tract infection.

Midnight is sixteen, slowing down, and had a sarcoma removed a couple years ago, so we have to watch her for further skin lesions. She might also be developing arthritis.

Faith, one of Midnight's "kittens," is fifteen and nearly died this spring. She has small cell lymphoma that we have decided to treat just with steriods, vitamin B, and medicine for nausea as needed. 

Charity, one of Midnight's "kittens," died quiet unexpectedly in 2013 and is buried in the backyard of our former Channahon home.

And Hope (yes, we have a cat named Hope), also one of Midnight's kittens, is living the fun life is Morris.

Photos of all four cats below the ornament photo.

And finally Hope - who is living her best life (not with us):

A Very Happy "It's OK to Not Be OK" Birthday

This past spring, Rebekah and I watched the Korean drama "It's OK to Not be OK," which is about a children's author with antisocial personality disorder, a young man dealing with past trauma who also works as a certified nurse assistant at a psychiatric hospital while caring for his older adult brother, who has autism.

The brother with autism is fascinated with dinosaurs and is very attached to his little stegosaurus Dooly. His brother, the CNA, also made "Mang Tae" for him, a little doll that chases away nightmares (the brother with autism has nightmares about butterflies).

The children's author also writes dark fairy tales, which are actual books in the series that are read onscreen. I LOVED these stories! They are dark, yes, but filled with simple, unexpected, and (sometimes) heartbreaking wisdom.

And now I own them, as well as my own Dooly and my own Mang Tae, thanks to Rebekah's generosity, although, as you will see, I think Mang Tae would GIVE nightmares rather than chase them away.

With each book and item I linked to a YouTube video in English, so you can see the context and "read" the books, too.

The books are written in Korean. So I can't read them without the videos.

First, here is Dooly.

And Dooly again.

And here is clip that shows how important Dooly was to the man with autism - and how the people around him misunderstood that interest.

And this is Mang Tae and a clip right here.

Now for the books.

Here is the autism's brother's sketchbook that shows his how he wants to make his brother's camping dream come true.

And one of his butterfly drawings as he tries to overcome his fear with the help of the doctor who runs the psychiatric hospital.

And now for the dark fairytale books.

The first is The Happy (or Cheerful) Dog. You can read the story with this clip.

Next is "Finding the Real Face." You can read the story with this clip. Start at the 1:50 mark (or not).

Here is The Boy Who Fed on Nightmares. You can read the story with this clip.

Here is The Hand, The Monkfish. You can read the story with this clip.

The last is Zombie Kid. And this is probably the most heartbreaking story of them all.

Read it with this clip.

Relaxing Music with Birds Singing - Beautiful Piano Music & Guitar Music by Soothing Relaxation

James Brian - The O'Reillys and the Paddyhats [Official Video]

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 22 to July 29

Good morning!

I have twelve feature stories to share with you today - and more not yet posted. AND I'm working through the weekend. So do check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news. 

This past spring, I also wrote an additional nineteen stories for a special "Thank You, Teachers," edition that will ran in print and online on May 5. You can check out all those stories at this link: https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/thank-you/teachers/

I also wrote a three-part series on the impact of COVID on kids, which you will at the bottom of this blog.

On the fiction side of things, we recently released Cornell Dyer and the "Mistical" Being. It's not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

We also released Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones. It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

And we also (FINALLY) released Call of the Siren (the second book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy, with gorgeous cover art by Nancy Calkins). It, too, is not available in the BryonySeries bookstore yet, or on Kindle yet,  but it is available on Amazon.

I'm currently outlining the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. 

And I'm also working on a guide book to the series called: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries.

Next up in the series: a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes), which has a solid outline. Sue Midlock is already working on the cover and the interior art: Sherman Homes and the Howls of Basketville.

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! 

Rebekah has completed cover art for two of "Girls of the BryonySeries" books. They are beautiful! One book in this series of eight books is completely written, a second is halfway written, and the rest are outlined. 

Rebekah is also working on updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts, so watch for those.

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

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

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

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

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

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

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

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

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

A look at why prices are up in Will County – and how you can cope

Pets of the Week: July 25, 2022: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

Vendors, school supplies needed for ‘Back 2 School Picnic’ in August: The Joliet event is free. Bring your own lawn chairs'

Trinity Services in New Lenox opens Studio 22 to provide ‘a creative and inviting space’ for its clients: Kevin Krauss: Programs ‘pair positive emotions with a sense of achievement.’ 

Baran-Unland: How is inflation impacting millennials and genZ adults?: The Herald-News would love to hear some first-hand stories.

Silver Cross Hospital opens Will County’s 1st NICU: Dr. Corryn Greenwood: ‘This lets families and babies be together’ 

5 sculptures for Joliet’s Summer of Stone and Steel to be unveiled Thursday: Statues explore Joliet’s heritage of steel and stone ‘in diverse and beautiful ways.’

What you need to know about the new COVID-19 variant: Dr. Jonathan Pinsky: ‘It’s the most transmissible variant yet.’ 

3 ways to use up your garden’s bounties after you’ve shared with family and friends: Will County master gardener Nancy Kuhajda stresses safety with all 3.

5 Things to do in Will County: Pairings of food and music: Plus, head out into the night in search of moths.

Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet anounces lineup for the holidays 

5 sculptures for ‘Summer of Stone and Steel,’ unveiled at Juliet’s Tavern in Joliet: Quinn Adamowksi, chairman of the arts commission, said it’s time to ‘forge a new path for Joliet.’

Kids and COVID

COVID-19 didn’t leave kids unscathed: Aschinberg: ‘Like any negative social event, kids who are most at risk bear most of the brunt’

The pandemic was a lonely time for kids: Loss of in-school experiences, sports affected many youth on some level.

Facing the post-pandemic: ‘We know when something is off with our children’: Showing kids how to talk about feelings is a good first step toward protecting their mental health. 

10 Quotes from "Before The Blood: Bryony Marseilles"

When we were getting ready to release Bryony back in 2011, my daughter Sarah (who did a lot of the marketing for me) suggested I pull thirty teaser quotes from the book that she could post on Facebook, one each day.

We did the same for the second book, Visage, which is also part of the BryonySeries.

But for some reason, I never did the same for another book.

So now I am catching up.

Here is the synopsis and chapter headings for the third installment of the BryonySeries prequel Before The Blood, followed by 10 quotes, one from each chapter.

"Before the Blood" is a five-novel prequel to the BryonySeries "drop of blood" trilogy. Told in multiple points of view with Faustian elements, "Before the Blood" centers on the lives of four key characters and the choices that ultimately lead to a tragic ending. In Book Three, read how little Bryony Marseilles, spoiled, sheltered, and sickly, uses her introversion and imagination to make sense of her Utopia.

And look - Blogger kept the book font intact!

Enjoy!

BRYONY MARSEILLES

CHAPTER 1: WORM IN THE APPLE

"It's far from ideal, especially in her condition," Algernon said as he and Galien spread out blankets in thick layers. "But it wouldn't do to have you at the parsonage, you understand."

Galien nodded and stacked the satchels against the wall on top of the first layer.

 

"Not that I have any objection," Algernon quickly added. "But my sister keeps house for me, and you know how women's tongues can wag."

To Adele's delight, Galien blushed again, quite deeply red this time

CHAPTER 2: THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH

On clear days, Galien ventured to the general store for Belinda Drake's coffee and news. On stormy days, he and Adele stayed close by the fire, reading, studying, journaling, drinking tea, and ignoring the desperate howls of starving wolves.

Yet at the end of the day, regardless of weather, Galien knew no finer recreation than lying across the sofa, no pillow more luxurious than Adele’s soft lap, and no angel’s hymn sweeter than Adele’s voice as she read aloud from Chaucer.

CHAPTER 3: BREATH OF LIFE

She was the lake, and the lake was she.

From deep beyond deep, it called to her from depths, and her chest rose and fell its answer. Sometimes its waves were gentle and easy; sometimes they were short and choppy; sometimes they were rapid, harsh, and heaving with spume.

CHAPTER 4: BABY STEPS.

They fled with little more than the clothes they were wearin', on a stolen wagon and stolen horses, sick horses that died where they fell.

So they'd walked the rest of the way. Wasn't the first time.

Mister Munson didn't want particulars. He jest stood there, grinnin' under his bushy mustache as he pushed back his cowboy hat and askin' the one question that made all the diff'rens: Are you willin' to work?

And Sebbie, drunker than a skunk on the Fourth of July with the last of their pilferin's, had hung his head, which made him look shorter than what he was, and said, "Yes."

Then Mister Munson slapped his back and said, "Welcome to Munsonville."

The look on Sebbie's face as he slowly looked up...it was the first and only time she'd seen tears in her husband's eyes.

It was also the first and only time anyone ever welcomed them. Mostly, people put boot toes up their asses.

CHAPTER 5: A MOST PERFECT PLACE TO LIVE

Dr. Stone snickered and shook his head in a pitying way, while tapping his ashes against the tray. "Come, come, Algernon. You speak of Man's nobility in the same breath as a cast-off rib."

"You can't deny some women complement their husbands in terms of intelligence, diligence, and temperance," Professor Clarke addressed the group, but his gaze rested on Dr. Stone. "Man's mission to the world is enhanced when the rib fits perfectly. Much like the glass slipper on Ashputtel, wouldn't you agree, Sebastian?"

"I wouldn't know anything about it," Mr. Betts said glumly, which caused all the men to laugh.

CHAPTER 6: THE MYSTERIOUS, MIRACULOUS MEDICAL BAG

"So Dr. Gothart," Dr. Sidney Stone said, and Bryony sat attention. "What's the latest from Europe?"

"The debunking of bloodletting for most conditions...finally."

A low rumbling of male voices responded and then silence. Bryony learned forward as much she dared.

"Come, come, Dr. Gothart," Dr. Stone said. "You don't propose to abandon clinical experience and empirical observation for the theories of pathology and physiology?"

"Microscopes and their specimens don't lie."

"Neither does clinical experience and empirical observation."

CHAPTER 7: DOUBLE VISION

Bryony grabbed a spoon and started on the bite-sized pieces of beef, drenched in a puddle of their blood. They were raw, messy, so unlike the white pureness of fish.

CHAPTER 8: THE DARK SIDE OF PROGRESS

"Miss Daisy, we had plenty of meat. Any critters sneaking into our basement and hoping to winter with us was skewered and roasted over the fire. That job fell to your Grandpa Clyde, because he kept losing at checkers."

Grandpa Clyde snickered and slid his hat over his face.

 

"Finally, the only item left in the cellar was a burlap sack."

 

"A body!" Daisy cried excitedly.

"Watermelon seeds!"

CHAPTER 9: THE DREADED CURSE BEGINS

Mrs. Parks gasped and dropped the plates, scattering food and fragments everywhere. Reverend dashed to the coat rack. Bryony flew after him and grabbed her cloak.

Reverend whirled around. "Daughter, what are you doing?"

"Going with you."

"Absolutely not!"

"Try and stop me, Father!"

To her amazement, Reverend sighed as he accepted his bag from Mrs. Parks, who had scuttled to his office to retrieve it.

"Very well, Bryony, but I'm warning you. A man's sick room is not a romantic place to be."

CHAPTER 10: CHILLED

Cyrus demanded an inn. Sebastian didn't object; no one did.

"I promised to make Munsonville grow," Sebastian said. "And I am."

"You are," Reverend agreed.

Damn him.