The Story Behind the Story with Author Janet Sanford of Moncton, NB, Canada.

 

The Scribbler welcomes a new author to its pages. I was introduced to Janet by a mutual friend, Gracia Williston, who is an avid reader and wonderful supporter of my own writing.

 

Janet’s book is unique and on my To Be Read list. I know you will enjoy meeting her and hearing about the Story Behind the Story.

 

 

 

Let’s meet Janet.

 

I am a retired high school English teacher and a long-time Monctonian. I love the Maritimes and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Like many Maritimers, my husband John and I enjoy a bit of travel, but family and friends are most important. I am an avid reader, a dog lover and a painfully slow writer.

 

 

 

Book Title:  Memories on the Bounty

 

 

Synopsis:  Memories on the Bounty recounts Maritime and seafaring history, but primarily it is a human story. The book recalls one golden year in the life of Roy Boutilier. At 19-years old, Roy was suddenly given the opportunity to sail on the replica ship Bounty from Lunenburg, NS on its maiden voyage to Tahiti in 1960.  Roy and 24 other Nova Scotians spent a year on the film set of Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando. It was a grand and life-changing adventure.

 

 Roy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2017.  And so began a series of Monday morning meetings as I embarked on a race against time. In the end, Memories on the Bounty goes far beyond retelling Roy’s story; it looks at the hard truth of memory loss and the importance of friendships and stories in our lives.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story:  My husband and I were friends with Roy and his wife for 40 years. Over the years, I heard many of Roy’s Bounty stories and loved them. People often told Roy he should write a book about his adventures, and he always agreed it was a great idea.

 

 After Roy’s diagnosis, I realized his marvellous story was about to be lost – unless maybe, just maybe, I could save it. I originally intended to write a little booklet about Roy’s adventure that he could pass on to family and friends. But once I got started, I found there was much more to tell than I had ever imagined!

 

I researched the history of the original mutiny on the Bounty in 1789 – what a story! I delved into the 1960 building of the replica ship Bounty, commissioned by MGM Studios – more fascinating history!   I tracked down the only two other remaining crew members, who delighted me with their recollections of life aboard the Bounty and working on the film set of Mutiny on the Bounty. The more I found out, the more I realized this was much bigger than just Roy’s story. 

 

During the time I worked with Roy I witnessed many changes as his memory slowly faded. Eventually the time came when I realized I knew more of Roy’s story than he did. I had become the keeper of the story. That strengthened my resolve to write this book and ensure Roy’s memories of Bounty, Tahiti and his shipmates would live on. I’m happy to say the result is Memories on the Bounty – a story of friendship, love and adventure.

 

 

Website:  www.janetcoultersanford.ca

 

A question for you, Janet:

 

What is your favourite and least favourite part about publishing?

 

 

My favourite part of publishing is getting published! Not much in my life compares with the thrill I got when I received an offer to publish from Nimbus. As an unpublished writer, I knew that submitting an unsolicited manuscript was a huge long shot. Although I believed in my book, I honestly had no idea if a publisher would be interested. I am very grateful to Nimbus editors Whitney Moran and Angela Mombourquette for reading my work and believing in it.

 

My least favourite part about publishing is figuring out what comes next. I have never been part of a community of writers so I have been feeling my way along. I am new to social media and starting to realize its impact. I’m happy to have connected with Allan Hudson, who knows his way around the book world and gave me this opportunity to let readers know about this book.

 

I am at work on another book – fiction this time. But as I said, I am a painfully slow writer.  Memories on the Bounty was three years in the making - and it’s short! So, it’s going to take awhile. In the meantime, there is no shortage of great new books to discover.

 

 

 

Thank you for being our guest this week, Janet. Wishing you continued success with your writing journey.

 

 

Do you have a question for Janet? Leave it in the comment section below and thank you Dear readers for visiting.

The Story Behind the Story with MJ LaBeff of Arizona.

 

One of our most popular guests is back for The Story Behind the Story.

MJ LaBeff writes terrific thrillers and I’m a big fan of her work. If you missed her previous visits, check them out HERE.

 

Hi Allan! Thank you for inviting me back as a guest on the Scribbler. It’s always fun to share what I’m working on- even if a release date isn’t anywhere in sight!

***It’s always a pleasure to have you as a guest, MJ. Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your newest work.

 

Bio: MJ LaBeff is an American author best described as the girl-next-door with a dark side. MJ grew up in northeastern Ohio but traded snow for sunshine and moved to southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and two dogs. She’s drawn to writing suspense novels, featuring complicated characters and twisted plot lines that will keep readers turning page after page. When she’s not writing or plotting her next novel, MJ enjoys reading, running, lifting weights, and volunteering for the American Cancer Society.

 

Working Title: Murdered Last Summer (book 6 of the Last Cold Case series)

 

 Synopsis: I’m not invisible…

Someone is killing Snug Harbor, Ohio’s most vulnerable residents. A serial killer prowls the streets in search of drug addicts. There are three victims in one week—a drug addiction specialist, a down-on-her-luck former teacher, a recovering drug addict. Unlike the overdoses plaguing the city, this time the killer removes the victims’ eyes. Does the signature have meaning? That’s what homicide detective Rachel Hood, a psychic empath and FBI agent Nick Draven, an occult crimes specialist need to find out before more people die.

You look…

The killer sends a string of messages. An envelope addressed HOOD contains a photo of two boys. An undercover detective goes silent. Another woman is murdered.

But you don’t see me…

This victim haunts homicide detective Rachel Hood. The woman’s spirit seeks forgiveness but all she conveys to Rachel are these two words: see me. Rachel suffers through this unidentified woman’s pain putting her through the rigors of the addict’s hell on earth.

The story behind the story:

There are two that inspired this story. The first one came from a friend many years ago about a child who had brought drug paraphernalia to school for show and tell, and the second from a news story I caught one morning about a child who had gone to school and told a teacher about the parents drug use.

I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about how irresponsible the parents were and the tragic conditions they were raising their children. However, I also started to think about the possibility that these parents’ could’ve been decent, hard-working people who fell victims to drugs, maybe through no fault of their own.

Next came the: what ifs? What if a child brought drugs to school and confided in a teacher for help. What if that teacher had drug problems? What if the teacher became the parent’s newest customer? What if the parent’s weren’t as decent as I imagined? What if there was a toddler in the home that died as a result of living in a place where drugs were carelessly left out? What if the children felt let down by the teacher and the police? After all, these were people they had counted on for help. How would that affect them in later years?

Before I knew it a story began to develop about two boys who relied on each other but as young adults were on very different paths.

This common theme arose: what happens when the people you think you can trust the most are the ones you learn to trust the least. I thought about the people I was told to trust as a kid if I needed help or was in trouble. What if all of them had failed me in my eyes?

As I started writing about halfway through I started to think about the boy’s mom. What was she like? What did she do? Did she care for her children? What happened to their father? That was easy. I incarcerated him. A death in the home led to his conviction and sentence. I don’t want to spoil the surprise so that’s all I’ll say about it.

Now, you might be thinking you know who the serial killer is, but do you? Nope. You wanna know why? I haven’t even decided who has gone on this killing spree. There are so many wonderful characters with so many reasons to commit murder, and if you’ve read any of my other books you know how much I love to create clouds of suspicion around everyone being investigated.  

A Question for you, MJ, before you go.

What is your most favorite part and least favorite part about publishing?

 

MJ: My favorite part about self-publishing is the control I maintain when it comes to deadlines and release dates. My least favorite part about self-publishing is the control I maintain, LOL! Seriously, the one thing about self-publishing that I don’t enjoy is that I’m responsible for setting several deadlines, assembling a team responsible for editing, formatting, and designing cover art and then I’m the one releasing the book via Draft2Digital and Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). 

Now, I’m the one driving the schedule. I’ve always taken my writing seriously so meeting deadlines has never been an issue I’m highly self-motivated and full of determination. The writing is the fun part. I do miss having a publisher who set the deadlines and provided the team of professionals. At my core, I’m a writer and if I’m being honest I don’t have any interest in learning how to format a manuscript, and I’m definitely not an artist so designing a book cover is a hard no. When it comes to editing I find it much harder to edit my own writing so I’ll trust that to someone else, too. For what it’s worth, my manuscripts are pretty clean but as writing goes there’s always something!

Website: www.mjlabeff.com

 

Thanks again, Allan, I always have so much fun chatting it up with you on Scribbler! I’m also a fan of your books and especially enjoy the Jo Naylor detective series and your short story collections. You’ve inspired me to give writing a short story a try, but I don’t have the time just yet.

 

***Your kind words and support is very much appreciated. Wishing you continued success with your writing. When you get around to the short story, I know it will be good! Thanks again for being here.

Do you, my wonderful readers, like thrillers? What is your favorite genre?

The Story Behind the Story with Zuzanne Belec of the Czech Republic.

 

Hello to all our fantastic readers and visitors.

This week the Scribbler is pleased to have our first guest from the Czech Republic. We met on Twitter and discovered we both have an affinity for short stories.

Let’s welcome Zuzanne.

 

Who is Zuzanne Belec?

Zuzanne was lucky enough to grow up in the school of life that is the stunning South Africa. She has two wonderful daughters and now lives a peaceful life near Prague, Czech Republic, with her supportive partner.  She worked as a translator and interpreter for many years. Then she discovered writing… Zuzanne also enjoys travelling, languages, and learning from other cultures (and trying out their interesting dishes!).

  

Title:  

Layers: A Collection of Short Stories

 

Synopsis:

Eight short stories on the power of the human spirit around the world.

Layers is a collection of original and imaginative short stories celebrating life and the human spirit despite the ever-present spectre of melancholy in our lives today. With their distinctive blend of wit and humour, they light up any underlying darkness and will leave a lingering impression long after the pages have been read.

From the Americas to India, from Africa to Europe, and through a range of genres, voices and styles, layers are unraveled, revealing the textures and contrasts of old and new in the environments and cultures of today's fast-paced world. 

 

 

The Story Behind the Story:

I confess that I did not read a lot. And until recently, the idea of creative writing never occurred to me. I was too busy trying to take care of my girls, get through university, and maintain some semblance of home for myself and my family.

Then I discovered creativity! It was in my late forties, after winding down on the doctor’s orders. And I was bowled over!

I began reading again. I immersed myself in the beautiful, surreal world of writing–learning and practicing the craft for several years. It came as a shock when two of my short stories were then accepted by traditional publishers (two Canadian literary magazines), because I’d always thought that publishing was only for the gods. Once I realized (thanks also to Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft) that even regular folk can become good writers if they’re passionate enough about it and willing to practice hard, I knew that I will one day publish a book of my own–which I did about a year later. Publishing Layers: A Collection of Short Stories was both exciting, and scary, but with the support of my friends and family, I overcame the challenges (especially on the tech side, or learning about and hopping on the social media train–something I’d avoided like the plague till then).

 

  

Why do I write short stories in particular? Because life is short. Because I believe that when our time comes, we won’t go remembering the entire length of one’s life, or its long narratives, but what will impact us more are the deeper, key nuances of our lives. And it is that depth–that essence–which I enjoy capturing through my stories. I write short stories also for practical reasons because, as a late bloomer, I might not have those ‘10 000 hours of writing needed to master the craft properly.’ So while the short form sure is difficult, learning and practicing it goes a longer way for me.  Oh, and the short attention span might also have something to do with my choice too…

I am grateful for the trials and tribulations of life, for the lessons learnt from Mother Nature, for the opportunities to travel, to all the interesting people I’ve met, and for the support of the writing community–thank you all for the motivation and for inspiring my stories. A big thank you too, Allan, for inviting me onto your blog.

*** You are most welcome Zuzanne. It's a pleasure to have you as a guest. 

So, remember: it’s never too late! There is still much to learn and do, but there’s no stopping us now that we’ve found our passion in life, right? If you’ll excuse me now though, I have some dire catching up to do … ;o)

 

 

Website:  https://zuzannebelec.com

 

A question before you go, Zuzanne.

What is your most favorite part and least favorite part about publishing?

 

Zuzanne: This may sound somewhat clichéd, but what I enjoy most about self-publishing is being in charge of my own publishing process.

As interesting and exciting as self-publishing is, the time it takes to try plan out one’s own marketing is just darn frustrating. It takes up way too much of my writing time. This paradox is my least favourite part, for sure. But it’s a compromise an author starting out has to accept, I suppose, if one wants to take the self-publishing route. It is a constant and distracting battle to find a balance between the two, but it’s part of the learning curve, I suppose...

Thank you, Zuzanne, for being our guest this week. Wishing you continued success with your stories.

 

And a special thank you to all my visitors. The Scribbler would love to hear your comments. Don’t be shy. What is YOUR favorite book?

The Story Behind the Story with Author Chuck Bowie of Fredericton, NB.

 

Starting the new year with our bold look, who better to have for our first guest with The Story Behind the Story than Chuck Bowie, a popular author and a true gentleman. He is sharing the news of his Work-in-Progress. He’s been here before. If you missed Chuck’s earlier interviews, guest post, start HERE.

 

 

 

Who is Chuck Bowie? 

Chuck has been writing for a while, but has happily settled into crafting mystery series these days; specifically Suspense-Thrillers and Cozy Mysteries. He has sat on the Boards of NB Writers’ Federation and The Writers’ Union of Canada, and is a fellow of the Kingsbrae International Residency for the Arts. He writes out of Fredericton, NB, when he is not travelling for fun and research.

Chuck is currently finishing up his eighth novel, a Cozy Mystery. His readers are used to experiencing thrillers under his author name, So when he finished his first Cozy, it was decided to reduce confusion as to what genre of mystery was being offered, and cozies would be presented as having been written by his pseudonym: Alexa Bowie.

 

Working Title :

Death Between the Decks is the third Cozy in the Old Manse Mysteries series, scheduled to drop this spring. Chuck writes the Cozy Mystery series under the pen name Alexa Bowie

 

Synopsis:

Emma Andrews is finally settling into her adopted small Maritime town, and has decided she won’t return to her former home of Toronto except for visits. She attends a dockside reception of lawyers to keep her non-lawyer friend company, and while six lawyers cruise around the harbor, only five return alive. With the caterer in jail, Emma must convince the police (and herself) the caterer is innocent. But if she is correct, then the murderer must be a lawyer. Will the town’s lawyers conspire to band together, or will they seek the truth? And is Emma herself being targeted as the second victim?

 

The Story Behind the Story:

I’d been writing international suspense thrillers for years – and love writing them! – but the concept for a story kept niggling at me. What if I wrote a mystery where a small town, similar to the one I grew up in, was so charming and warm and, yes, so cozy that the town itself became a sort of character? Book one: Death Between the Walls was well received. It was loosely based on a construction demolition that revealed a skull hidden in the walls of an old inn. Book two was equally fun: Death Between the Tables, where I staged a murder to take place in front of most of the town’s police, fire, and EMTs. In Book three: Death Between the Decks, I wanted to pay homage to the river-bay water system that bisects the community in the series. The location…all fictional, I assure you!... is loosely based on the Miramichi River Valley area.

 

Website:       http://www.chuckbowie.ca

 

And a question for you, Chuck, before you go:

 

What is your most favorite part and least favorite part about publishing?

 

Chuck: Clearly this is a trick question! I began writing, well, to write, and publishing has been the necessary evil—joking!—to the process. I was fortunate to land with a trad publisher for my thriller series, and chose to independently publish for my cozy series. I guess I am a convert to the indie route, since all of my novels are now published under my own (microscopic) publishing arm: Old Manse Studios. The best part is the control I have with my novels, and the challenging part is marketing and promotion.

People write to be read. Publishing is the enabling mechanism. I receive great pleasure from having been read, so thank you, publishing universe!

Thank you for being our guest Chuck. Wishing you continued success.

Please leave a comment. Would love to hear what you think. Who is your favorite author?

Happy New Year. A new look. Lots to look forward to in 2022.

 

Goodbye 2021.

Hello to a new year, new dreams, new horizons and all good things.

No looking back.

I have so much to be grateful for. A loving wife, a happy home, family, a roof over my head - a new one since we moved in November - lots to eat, dear friends...

Gloria Hudson.

 and you - my fantastic visitors and readers.

I said there would be changes to the Scribbler.

Besides the new color and layout, we are taking a new approach to our guest's visits.

The Story Behind the Story.

You will meet great authors, old and new, from all over the world.

They will share their latest work, or what they are working on.

A brief bio.

Title.

Synopsis.

and

The story behind the story.

A question.

A link.

January 8th - Chuck Bowie of Fredericton, NB.

January 15th - Zuzanne Belec of the Czech Republic.

January 22 - MJ LaBeff of Arizona, US.

January 29th - Janet Sanford of Moncton, NB.

Yes, there will still be occasional interviews. There will be short stories, mine and others.

 

There will be new contributors. Nothing set yet but we are searching for anyone willing to share their thoughts, ideas or whatever.

Exciting news!

Today I am introducing you to my newest story and revealing the cover. 

I'm extremely happy about this story. I've been wanting to write it for a long time.

In 1942 everything is going good for Tanner Hill. He has a good job, two healthy sons and a wife who loves him. As he makes lots of extra cash with his moonshine, he can afford many luxuries his neighbours cannot. And he’s not worried about conscription.

However, he soon realizes good things do not last forever. One argument after church with a disgruntled man with revenge on his mind and Tanner’s world is turned upside down. Forced into making a choice, Tanner chooses to follow his brothers and enlists. He leaves for the fighting so far away as a private in the Royal Canadian Engineers.

It will be three years until Tanner returns home. It won’t be the same.

Available today as a eBook. Go HERE. Paperbacks coming soon.

Launch date and location - February 19th. 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Chapters Moncton.

Go HERE for more information.

I'm hoping to publish the next Jo Naylor adventure - Shattered Dreams - in April.

Jo leaves Thailand because it is not safe for her any longer. She can't go back to Canada yet. She's not certain where she will travel to but an image of the Eiffel Tower lures her to Paris. Jo has been a cop too long to ignore injustice and this time the bad people  picked on the wrong person.

Scoudouc 

(tentative title)

 A murder mystery set in World War II at Royal Canadian Air Force Station Scoudouc,

 New Brunswick. 

The base is gone now but it thrived  during the war. Pilots from England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand trained in tiger Moths.

The body was headless. Identification would be difficult, if not impossible.

There is more than one body.

Warrant Officer Stefan Kravchenko  has been ordered to solve the mystery and keep the police from getting involved. There are too many secrets on the base to have civilians nosing around. RCMP Officer Dia Francis thinks differently. 

.... and Volume 2 of The Alexanders. 1921 - 1930. 

In progress.

I'm looking forward to 2022. I think the dreaded Covid will become a memory. I have lots of time to write. I love sharing other peoples work with you.

Leave a comment if you like. Tell me your plans for 2022. Which mountain will you climb. Which project will you finally get to? Tell me your favorite author. Your favorite book.