LocalLit author spotlight: Wendy Bialek of St. Charles

LocalLit is a short story newsletter that connects local authors with local readers. The family-friendly newsletter kicked off in April.

Each week, a new short story by a local author is sent directly to subscribers' emails. Tuesday's featured short story is by Wendy Bialek of St. Charles

Bialek recently took a few minutes to speak via email with Herald-News features editor Denise M. Baran-Unland.

Baran-Unland: Tell us a bit about your writing background.

Bialek: Storytelling was a big part of my childhood. I remember ghost stories shared around a camp fire, fairy tales before bedtime. It wasn't long before I was writing my own stories. "Letters," a collection of memories/ stories was written many years ago. I wrote it so my children would not forget their past. Today, dozens of sealed letters sit in a desk drawer, waiting to be opened and read when the time is right. Since then I have written many short stories, including The Story of Ginny series. "The Nose that Hooked" is the opening story in that series.

Baran-Unland: What types of stories do you like to write?

Bialek: I am drawn to the kind of stories my grandmother, and my aunt after her, shared with me. Curious adventures, quirky stories of real people in unlikely circumstances, people dealing with challenges that are overwhelming one day, forgotten the next. My stories are a product of my memories, my imagination and the people who have touched my life.

Baran-Unland: Give a one-line summary about your featured short story.

Bialek: "The Nose that Hooked" is a warmly nostalgic, coming of age story of two small town siblings and their obsession with a phantom neighbor.

Baran-Unland: Have you published any books and/or are you working on one now?

Bialek: I am currently working on a mystery, "A South Side Story," set in Chicago in the early decades of the 1900s as well as more Ginny stories.

KNOW MORE

Each week, LocalLit will deliver an original short and family-friendly story by a local author to the newsletter's subscribers.

Authors with a connection to the readership area can submit stories for consideration. Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Stories should be edited and between 1,000 and 7,500 words.

In addition, featured authors will be spotlighted in publications before the newsletter runs so readers have time to sign up.

Past LocalLit authors include Ken McGee of Plainfield, Norm Cowie of Chicago, Tom Hernandez of Plainfield, Vanessa Stephens of Joliet, Anne Anderson of Sandwich and Joshua Henderson of Joliet.

Other LocalLit authors include Peggy Lindstrom of Shorewood, Carolyn Hill of New Lenox, Kevin Trusty of Joliet, Sharon Houk of Joliet, James Guseman of Oswego and Allison Rios of Joliet.

More LocalLit authors include Colleen Robbins of Joliet, Diane Maciejewsk of Elgin Denise Issert of Wilmington, Bill McCormick of Chicago, J.Terence (the pen name of Joe Wengler) of Plainfield, Larry Zoeller of Downers Grove, Robert Hafey of Joliet, Ramesh Shah of St. Charles and Dawn Plestina of New Lenox.

To submit and for information, contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.

To sign up for the LocalLit newsletter and read Bialek's story on Tuesday, visit www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit.

To read about other LocalLit authors, visit www.TheHerald-News.com.