Brucedale Press in Bruce County is dedicated to fostering local authors’ historical occurrences and fictional stories based within the local region.
Throughout the summer, Anne Judd owner of Brucedale Press, has been featuring local authors at the Port Elgin Farmers’ Market held each Wednesday in downtown Port Elgin. It has been an opportunity to showcase authors with their works that are local to the region and to let visitors have the chance to meet authors and explore local stories centred in Bruce County.

On July 21st, guest author was Cori Mordaunt, who has created an historical novel set at Point Clark lighthouse … a scene familiar to her from childhood. Her parents and brother-in-law were all lighthouse keepers and Cori spent summer vacation weeks at the lighthouse.
‘Keep the Light Burning’ is Mordaunt’s first novel. “It took me seven months to write and then seven years to finally complete,” says Mordaunt. “It just goes to show you that you should never give up.”
“I took a writing course through the Children’s Institute of Literature,” says Mordaunt. “My first idea was to write a children’s fantasy but I was advised not to. I then saw a picture of the lighthouse keeper scraping ice off the lighthouse windows and the idea for the book was born.”
Without giving too much away, the spell-binding fictional story takes place during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913, often referred to as the “Freshwater Fury,” or the “White Hurricane,”
During the storm, teenaged Will must ‘Keep the Light Burning’ in the lighthouse despite gale-force winds, drifting snow, and the temporary absence of his parents while his sister Emma does her best to help.
The book has now been short-listed for two awards by the Word Guild, including the Historical Fiction for Young Adults award. The awards will be presented in September.
Port Elgin artist Phil McDonald created the stunning cover art for Cori’s book, which was released with a virtual reading in August, 2020.


The book is available through Brucedale Press by using the on-line order
form at www.brucedalepress.ca or by calling The Brucedale Press at
519-832-6025/1-866-832-6025