4A • Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing
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Addison writer selected as finalist for Illinois author project An endeavor which began as the improbable dream of a pre-teen writer has taken a road less traveled to become the debut novel of a local resident. While the inception of the idea to one day become a published novelist took over two-and-a-half decades to achieve, never did Addison resident and local author Dennis Avelar believe that the Spanish edition of his novel – El Quetzal Azul: El Mundo Desde El Cielo (in English as The Blue Q: The World As I See It) – would be selected as a finalist for the first De La Página a La Fama competition, the Spanish-language contest of the Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Project. Dennis Avelar’s writing journey began at the approximate age of 12, when he discovered the endless joy found in the imagination-driven world of creative writing. He is the youngest son of Guatemalan immigrants, who worked tirelessly toward building a successful future for their family. While the goal to write a novel was created at a young age, the opportunity to do so did not come as easily. In November 2019, inspired by a paining which he himself requested of an aunt who specializes in painting birds, Avelar became fully invested into his idea to ensure this story would be told. After more than 6 months of daily writing, The Blue Q: The World As I See It was born. It would take another 11 months for the completed work to be published, yet nothing prepared him for the joy he felt as he held the first copy of the novel in his hands. Nine months after the English edition of the book was published, Avelar successfully published the Spanish edition. In an effort to reach more local readers, he donated copies of the novel to local libraries, and that is where he discovered the Illinois Author Program. What’s more, in 2021, the Illinois Author Program launched the De La Página a La Fama contest to which Avelar was strongly encouraged and did not hesitate to submit El Quetzal Azul: El Mundo Desde El Cielo. In late September of this year, the finalists for the competition were announced, and Avelar was overwhelmed to read the ti-
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tle to his book in the Spanish-language category. As is the author, the story itself has deep Guatemalan roots as it takes readers through a quest unlike any other. The journey of The Blue Q begins in Tikal National Park, where we learn of Dioni – a teenage orphan who works as a tour guide and whose life ambition is to experience every adventure that the Earth has to offer. While Dioni is given the opportunity to do so, it is far from what he expected. Dioni learns that the world is more complex than what it appears to be, and that there are beings among us who control the delicate, natural balance of our planet. As Dioni discovers new wonders, a hidden danger emerges. What flies between success and failure is a resplendent bird who may be the Earth’s final chance of victory in the greatest ever battle between the Alpha and the Omega. The story itself has elements of action and adventure, comedy, mystery, suspense, drama, and a central theme that will stay with readers long after they read the final page. Additionally, the novel is written for readers of all ages; families are encouraged to read and enjoy the story together, though readers at almost any level will appreciate the creativity, thoughtfulness, and character development presented in The Blue Q/El Quetzal Azul. In addition to developing a story which he hopes will touch the hearts and minds of its readers, Avelar created the “Mission of The Blue Q”, a lifelong endeavor to eliminate illiteracy in Guatemala and around the world, and to advocate for environmental awareness and action. A percentage of all book sales are donated for educational or environmental purposes, such as a successful fundraiser from earlier in 2021 in which funds were raised to purchase a computer lab for elementary students in a rural village in Guatemala. Avelar also attends local, national and international events – both online and in-person – at schools, universities, and other presentations, all in an effort to further promote this mission.
(Continued from front page) middle of the afternoon in the parking lot of a busy shopping mall, will not be tolerated in DuPage County and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. “Thankfully neither the woman nor her children were physically harmed during this alleged incident. I would like to thank the Villa Park Christopher Luis Police Department for their outstandKrieg Gomez-Garcia ing work as well as the Chicago Police Department for their invaluable assistance in identifying and appre- acknowledge the heroic efforts of hending the defendants in this case.” the Chicago Police Department, par“On Oct. 8, a mother and her ticularly Sergeant Sellers, Sergeant two young children lost their inno- Wolf and the Chicago Hijacking cence to two alleged carjackers and Task Force for taking these subjects kidnappers,” Rivas said. “The pain into custody. “Without the assistance of the and suffering felt by victims is what motivates us in the law enforcement Chicago Police Department, this community to work tirelessly to arrest might not have taken place. Their efforts were outstanding and bring violent offenders to justice. “The Villa Park Police Depart- require further mention.” The next court appearance for ment is blessed to have officers and detectives who acted swiftly and ef- both men is scheduled Nov. 8 for fectively to bring this horrific crime arraignment in front of Judge Mike to a conclusion. We would like to Reidy.
SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing
Pictured is Addison resident and local author Dennis Avelar whose novel – El Quetzal Azul: El Mundo Desde El Cielo (in English as The Blue Q: The World As I See It) – was selected as a finalist for the first-ever De La Página a La Fama competition, the Spanish-language contest of the Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Project.
Today, readers can experience The Blue Q and/or El Quetzal Azul by checking it out of the Addison Public Library (other libraries in the area also accepted copies of the English edition). For those who wish to learn more about the story and the author,
websites are available in both languages: www.DennisAvelar.com (English) and www.ElQuetzalAzul.com (Spanish). To learn more about the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author project, please visit https://soontobefamous. info/.
Chicago woman accused of fatal DUI of her 5-month-old infant
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin has announced that bond has been set for a Chicago woman accused of causing a fatal crash that claimed the life of one of Alexus Sigle the passengers in her vehicle: her 5-month-old infant son. Alexus Sigle, 26, appeared in bond court in front of Judge Mike Reidy who set bond at $250,000 with 10 percent to apply. On June 13 at approximately 6:43 p.m., troopers with the Illinois State Police were dispatched to a single car crash on I-355 northbound near Ogden Avenue. An investigation into the crash found that a piece of a stopped truck was partially blocking one lane of traffic and that other vehicles on the road were slowing down and passing on the shoulder of the road. It is alleged that as Sigle approached the area, she did not slow down and instead slammed on her brakes and sharply turned her vehicle to avoid the obstruction. It is further alleged that Sigle lost control of her vehicle and crossed all lanes of traffic before crashing into the left shoulder concrete barrier. All occupants of the vehicle, including six children under the age of sev-
en, were transported to area hospitals following the crash. The infant, who allegedly was not properly secured in the vehicle, was pronounced deceased at the hospital. It is alleged that at the time of the crash, Sigle’s BAC was 0.163. Sigle was initially charged with misdemeanor DUI and misdemeanor endangering the life or health of a child. On Sept. 23, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office upgraded the charges to one count of aggravated DUI causing death, a Class 2 felony and one count of aggravated DUI great bodily harm, a Class 4 felony. On Oct. 11, Sigle was taken into custody without incident on an outstanding arrest warrant. “It is alleged that after she had been drinking, Alexus Sigle got behind the wheel of a car with seven passengers, six of whom were minors and were allegedly not properly secured in the vehicle,” Berlin said. “That decision however, proved to be fatal to her fivemonth-old infant son, whose short life has now been reduced to a drunk driving statistic. “I offer my sincerest condolences to the family of the victim. I thank the Illinois State Police for their work on this very sad case and for their continued work in keeping our roadways safe.” Sigle’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 9 in front of Judge Reidy.