This week on Finding Your Bliss, Life Coach and Bliss Expert Judy Librach is joined by one of our “regulars” on the program, who typically is here to talk about the best Christmas movies of the season! But this time, film critic and TV host Thom Ernst is here for another reason.

The Toronto-based film critic and writer, broadcaster and podcaster is here because he wrote an incredibly inspiring, heartfelt, and compelling memoir. The book is called “The Wild Boy of Waubamik”, and to use broadcaster Ian Brown’s words, the book is “a harrowing, heartfelt, fascinating, and thoroughly original and readable memoir of adoption and abuse – and the art that can come of them.” The sexual abuse that Thom Ernst endured as a child from the ages of 7 to 17 is tragic, shocking and heartbreaking. But what is most incredible, is that his story is ultimately one of hope. In spite of one of the most horrific stories of child abuse, he somehow not only survived it, but soared above it all, carving out a career as a renowned film critic and broadcaster. How did he achieve this? In spite of a system that failed, a community that looked the other way, and a family that kept silent, Thom Ernst triumphed. We will find out how he accomplished that in this fascinating conversation.

Thom is best known to audiences as the host, interviewer and producer of television’s longest-running movie program Saturday Night at the Movies and BellMedia’s Making Movies the Canadian Way. Currently, his film reviews can be read on Original-Cin.ca and NorthernStars.ca.

Thom’s first book “The Wild Boy of Waubamik” has just been released from Dundurn Press.

Also on the program, we will be featuring the music of talented singer/songwriter Juliana Eye!

Juliana Eye is a dynamic and unapologetic alternative-pop artist & songwriter based out of Toronto, Canada. With pop at its core, her music draws influence from 90’s & early 2000’s Alternative Rock, Indie & Dance music and pairs it with a hint of melancholy, nostalgia & introspective lyrics.

Born and raised in the Toronto suburb of North York, Juliana took to music obsessively at the early age of thirteen, as an act of teenage rebellion. She spent the majority of her adolescence playing guitar and writing songs in her bedroom, jamming in basements with her friends’ obscure bands, and venturing to downtown clubs to watch local artists perform. Over the years Juliana has participated in a number of musical projects in the Toronto Music scene, as well as performed across Canada, the US, UK & Europe as a live keyboard player and back-up vocalist for various major label and independent artists.

Most recently, Juliana graduated from Metalworks Institute’s ‘Audio Production & Engineering’ program and has since worked as an engineer and assistant engineer on a number of projects, including being our Audio Engineer at ‘Finding Your Bliss’ on Zoomer Radio.

Since her first release in 2021, Juliana has released four original singles, as well as a self-produced cover of the 1979 BLONDIE classic, “Dreaming”, which has been featured on CBC’s “Afterdark” and “Under the Covers”, as well as Guelph University’s Campus Radio (CFRU 93.3FM).

Juliana will be releasing her debut EP, “LATE BLOOMER” in 2023.

Click on this link to listen to Juliana’s song “Late to the Party” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2NQGHMCyjY6sJIU7DHPpgC?si=6717d4089aa44dfa

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