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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-01-21, Page 10Crossroads 10 Wednesday, January 21, 2004 Exeter Times Advocate Local author publishes first novel By Mary Simmons TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF WROXETER — It's every parent's worst nightmare — the fear of losing their child. This nightmare is the premise behind 'A Wake,' the first novel of Andrea Yungblut in which the loss of a child results in the main character head- ing on a downward spiral to near madness. "It's the hidden, uncon- scious fear of every parent that you will lose your child," Yungblut, the moth- er of three daughters, said. Set in the small Ontario town of Hope, the story revolves around the mid- dle-aged character of Clarice Forrest, who responds to the devastat- ing personal tragedy by plotting revenge against the person she believes is responsible. Yungblut is the first to admit Clarice is not the most likeable character. "She is very down on herself," she said. "She was a confident person and her confidence has been taken from her." She said the character has a shift in attitude by the end of the book and if you stick with her until the end you will feel closer to her and understand why she acts the way she does. "She goes through a healing process," the author said. "She comes to terms with her emo- tional fragility." Yungblut and her family moved from a farm near Exeter to the village of Wroxeter nine years ago. Having lived in small towns most of her life, Yungblut said Hope is a combination of those she has known, but is not based on any specific community. She said she chose to name the fictional town Hope because the book is full of despair and she hopes by the end, the reader will feel a sense of hope. She said the book is a complete work of fiction, which is not autobiographical. Yungblut said the novel was a work in progress for many years and writing it was a drawn-out process. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario with a BA in Honours English, the author worked as a jour- nalist at the former Zurich Advance and the Stratford Beacon Herald. She is now a member of Howick Township council and a freelance writer. 'A Wake' underwent numerous and extensive revisions and was initially handled by the Helen Heller Literary Agency in Toronto and published in Vanacouver by Imprint Books, now Global Publishers, a publishing house based in South Carolina. Yungblut said the process of finding a pub- lisher took almost the same amount of time as the writing itself. She said it is hard work to find a Canadian pub- lisher since most compa- nies do not accept unso- licited manu- scripts, so writers need to have an agent to find a company for them. Yungblut advised other writers to join a writer's group and find a network to promote their work. She also said she found journalism to be an ideal vehicle. "Learning to write is like learning to play a musical instrument," she said. "You have to prac- tise." According to the author, 'A Wake' has been selling well locally and is avail- able in bookstores in Stratford, Wingham, Listowel and Wroxeter. It is also available from amazon . com , booksurge.com and half. com. "It's the hidden unconscious fear of every parent that you will lose your child." ANDREA YUNGBLUT, AUTHOR OF 'A WAKE' Andrea Yungblut has published her first novel,`AWake' (photo/Mary Simmons) Alzheimer Society hands out Cuddle Bears EXETER — When a person is affect- ed by Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, they often experience isola- tion. This isolation is in part due to the person's inability to remember who the important people in their lives are. To assist in decreasing the feelings of loneliness, the Alzheimer Society of Huron County developed the Cuddle Bear program. The program was spearheaded by Willa Rivett and the late Barb Shewfelt, both of Goderich. These for- mer board members of the society ini- tiated the making of teddy bears after learning of the project in the London Free Press. Each Cuddle Bear is hand-knit by one of 30 volunteers from Huron County. Teddy bears are donated to persons with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia who are living in long term care facilities or have an extended stay in a hospital in Huron County. The bears allow the recipient to the opportunity to have a constant com- panion that is warm, soft and familiar. Cuddle Bears also allow the opportu- nity for the recipient to experience both tactile and sensory stimulation. The Alzheimer Society of Huron County delivered bears to Bluewater Home for the Aged, Queensway Nursing and Retirement Home, Exeter Villa and South Huron Hospital Jan. Allan Johns receives a 16. Simmons) Cuddle Bear at ExeterVilla Jan. 16. (photo/Mary POLICE BRIEFS Break-in and assault EXETER — On Jan. 9 a little after midnight OPP were called to a residence on Victoria Street in Exeter over a break-in. The officer learned a 32 - year -old woman was at home with her children when a man came banging at the door. The woman, realizing it was her separated husband, refused to open it. The man then forced open the door and allegedly assaulted the female. Officers working on the case then learned of past events that led to more charges against the male. On Jan. 5 the man allegedly called the victim and threatened her life. On Dec. 21 the man allegedly arrived at the resi- dence and was allowed inside to see the children. A verbal argument followed and the alleged victim was assaulted, requiring medical attention. As a result of the investigation a 41 -year-old male was arrested and charged with assault causing bod- ily harm, assault, uttering threats, break enter and committing an indictable offence and mischief under $5,000. Charged with assault EXETER — On Jan. 10 OPP responded to a report of domestic violence at an apartment on Thomas Street in Exeter. The officers attended the apart- ment and met two people inside the unit. The offi- cer spoke to a 49 -year-old woman who said the pair had been involved in an argument that led to the man grabbing her and committing a minor assault. The 36 -year-old male was arrested and held for a short time before he was released to other family members. He has been charged with assault and was released with conditions to attend court in Exeter March 25.