The Story behind the Story with Author Eve Koguce of Latvia, Europe.

 

Let’s welcome Eve back to the Scribbler!

 

I’ve had the chance to read Eve’s work and she is a talented author with captivating stories.

She’s been featured here before and if you missed her visit, please go HERE.

Read on my friends.

 

 

 

I’ve been blessed to be born in the best place on the planet. My hometown, Jurmala in Latvia, is a seaside town on the coast of the Baltic Sea with an endless sandy beach. Riga, the capital of Latvia, is a city rich with history and extraordinary architecture. Riga has the largest number of splendid Art Nouveau buildings in the world. After quitting my relatively successful career as a civil servant in a vibrant field of internationally funded cooperation projects, I dedicated my life to my family and writing. Since then, as an independently published author, I’ve published six books: a high-concept fantasy trilogy, two novels set in Latvia (crime noir and coming-of-age), as well as a women’s fiction book set in the United Kingdom.

 

Title: “Broken Chances”

Synopsis:

A young wife. A much older husband. Is it only the age gap that threatens to ruin their marriage?

When Margo marries Michael, she believes that her life will change forever. And it really does, only not in the way a young girl from a small country in Northern Europe thought it would.

Latvia, a dreamy land with rich historical heritage and endless beaches stretching for miles, for Margo, is a gloomy place where she would have to struggle for years to have a decent life. All she knows is her hometown – a depressing place built for the needs of the factory workers – dull commuting to the capital Riga, and a bar in the Old Town where she works, always full of loud and often unceremonious tourists.

Skipping a chance to explore her home country and the opportunities it might offer, Margo accepts Michael’s proposal and moves to a dramatically picturesque island in England.

A small, tightly-knit community, where everyone knows everyone and where nothing ever happens, is not particularly welcoming to a newcomer. Unfamiliar with local traditions and quirks, Margo often finds herself in awkward situations. Still, with each walk she takes along the coastal path on the small island she now calls home, Margo falls deeper in love with the stunning landscapes of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. Alas, with each day she spends with Michael, she realises more clearly that her marriage is falling apart.

Margo keeps asking herself why what she thought was a chance of a lifetime turned into a disaster. Will she find the answer? And will she love again after having been bitterly disappointed in marriage and relationships?

Set against the backdrop of breathtaking landscapes of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England, “Broken Chances” is a self-discovery journey with a dash of cosy mystery and clean romance.

P.S. Expect to be smitten by charming dogs and majestic horses.

Literary awards:

* Finalist award in the Pacific Book Awards contest 2025 / Best Women’s Fiction category;
* 3rd place winner in the DBT Literary Awards contest 2024 / Fiction category;
* Finalist award in the Global Book Awards 2024 / Contemporary Fiction category.

The Story Behind the Story:

“Broken Chances” is set in beautiful Dorset in the United Kingdom, on the fictional island of Southbay. I’ve chosen this setting for a reason. I spent a couple of years living in the region, and, like Margo does in the book, fell in love with the Isle of Portland, where my office was located and the magnificent Jurassic Coast.

During the time I lived in the UK, my lack of knowledge of local customs got me into some awkward situations. So, writing “Broken Chances” was a great chance to share these funny stories. When you read an episode where Margo has no idea she is walking straight into the trap by saying the most innocent thing, please know that it was actually I who had to blush and feel like an ignorant foreigner.

I met many wonderful people while living in Dorset. Before moving there, I’d heard that people in Western countries generally keep to their own business and do not show much interest in other people’s lives. Instead, I found kindness, support, and a genuine wish to get to know me despite the cultural differences. People were open and did not hesitate to help me, even when I did not ask for it. I wanted to share this experience through a book, and that is why you will meet a bunch of secondary characters in “Broken Chances” who play a significant role in Margo’s life.

“Broken Chances” is a story about a woman struggling in a marriage that turns out not the way she thought it would be when accepting a man’s proposal. In books and movies, we are usually presented with an exaggerated version of such situations. I wanted to show that domestic violence isn’t always about broken bones and apparent bruises. In real life, we often don’t see any visible marks on the people who suffer from mistreatment by their family members. It is also because those with oppressive personalities aren’t always prone to use physical cruelty. A lot of people who ‘feed’ on diminishing others and making them feel inferior, prefer more subtle methods, such as emotional pressure, which, stripping the victims of self-respect and confidence in their abilities, tie them to the aggressor.

Through “Broken Chances”, I have shared my admiration for the unique part of the world, the memories of which I still cherish, even after the two decades that have passed since the days when I called beautiful Dorset my home.

Website: Please go HERE.

A question before you go, Eve:

Scribbler: Where do you draw creative energy from?

Eve: For as long as I can remember myself, stories written on the pages fascinated me. I loved listening to my parents read to me before bedtime. I loved nothing better than reading a book after school and before I had to leave for the music school. Spending time with fictional characters – the ones created by others and of my own imagination – always held more allure to me than running about with my friends. So, I’d say that generating creative energy is a natural part of who I am. Still, any energy needs a source of nourishment and replenishment. It really is motivating that my husband and my son are my greatest supporters. Some days, I can be grumpy and distracted, and it is enough for them if I say, ‘My characters won’t stop talking, so, sorry guys, I have to listen to them and not to you today.’ They don’t tell me that I must always put them first and write only when they don’t need me, in the wee hours of the morning or after everyone is asleep.

I always feel refreshed and ready to continue writing the story I work on at the moment after a long walk along the beach or in the forest. I am lucky to have both literally on my doorstep.

An Excerpt from “Broken Chances”

During our meetings before we got married, even the look in his grey eyes was different. He looked at me with warmth and treated everyone, including waiters in the restaurants he took me to, with a fatherly kindness. Benevolence and content emanated from him. Now I know that the things that drew me to him weren’t his natural traits. They came in a package with the king of the world role. After he lost it, I found myself married to the man who Michael Birkett actually was underneath those layers of gloss. A man whom I wouldn’t have married, or followed thousands of miles from everything I knew and loved, if I’d seen the truth of him before I’d said yes.

I stare at Michael as he’s changing into his casual clothes. It is difficult to gather the courage to ask him even the simplest question. I’ve learned what usually triggers him into snapping at me. Still, I’m not sure I’ve discovered all the ways to displease him.

“Should I change into jeans then?” I finally ask, touching my dress. I stopped wearing dresses after Suzie asked me if it was my birthday when I came to her café dressed in a jeans skirt. The dress I put on for the funeral today is a simple black sheath midi affair that I bought on sale in Topshop in Eastpoole. It cost ten pounds but looks like it belongs on a catwalk. It’s not too form-fitting, and I feel confident in it.

My husband gives me a fleeting glance. I haven’t heard a compliment from him since our wedding. “No, leave it on. George is used to the women around him looking like Moulin Rouge dancers.”

I almost dash to the wardrobe, but then we hear the car horn. “Let’s go.” Michael leaves the room, having not cast a look my way.

Buy it HERE.

This story sounds like one I need to have a look at.

Thanks for being our guest this week, Eve. We wish you continued success with your writing.

And a special thank you to all our visitors and readers.

The Story Behind the Story with Author Erika LeClair of New Brunswick, Canada.

 

A new author for you to discover.

I met Erika at the recent GMRD Book Fair last Spring where she was an eager participant.

She has kindly accepted my invitation to be our guest this week.

Her novel has received rave reviews and she’s going to tell us about it.

Read on my friends.

 

 

 

Erika LeClair is a dystopian science fiction author and editor from Fredericton, New Brunswick, where she lives with her husband and cat. When she isn’t working on her next book, Erika often spends her time reading horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Her debut novel, The Quarantine Drift, was released in 2022, with a sequel on the way.

 

Title: The Quarantine Drift

Synopsis:
Sixteen years ago, an alien ship crashed into Carina Linderoth’s home.
Sixteen years ago, she saw her twin sister for the last time.
Since that night, Carina has spent every waking moment searching for answers. What happened to her sister? Why did the aliens take Sonja and not her? And why do people keep telling her she never had a twin sister—that Sonja isn’t real?
Now, sixteen years later, Carina is approached by a mysterious genetic research company. They want her to work on a top-secret project, genetically engineering the human race with Eluridan—alien—DNA.
For any geneticist, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.
For Carina, it’s something more.
This is her chance to return to Mount Desert Island, the scene of the crash, home to the stranded aliens. Back to the place where this all began. This is her chance to finally learn what happened to her sister.
If Sonja ever existed.

The Story Behind the Story:

When I first had the idea for The Quarantine Drift, I was studying biology at UNB and drawing a ton of inspiration from my classes. Everything was so interesting, and I couldn’t help thinking of ways I could use what I was learning in a story. In my third year, I latched on to an idea I felt good about. I knew I wanted a dystopian setting, something dark and spooky and gory and set here on Earth, but with a more flexible, imaginative element—like aliens—that I could have fun with. Studying environmental sciences can give you a bit of a bleak outlook on the future, so that naturally wormed its way into the premise in the form of a global water crisis. I’m also a sucker for characters with heaps of emotional baggage (sorry, Carina), so that was an inevitability. That was also the year I joined my first writing group, which changed everything. Sharing my work and exchanging feedback with other writers finally broke my cycle of starting projects and not knowing how to finish them. It also gave me the perspective I needed to really study my writing and understand how I could improve. I eventually graduated and started working in laboratories, and those experiences gave me even more ideas I could use. Between the constant stream of scientific inspiration and my fellow writers pushing me to improve, the story kept transforming, and that was exciting as hell. I eventually left lab work to pursue writing and editing full-time, but this book feels a bit like a time capsule of those seven years of my life.

Website: Please go HERE.

Buy it HERE.

A question before you go, Erika:

Scribbler: Where is your favourite spot to write? Are you messy or neat? Your beverage of choice?

Erika: My favorite spot to write: I have an office lined with bookshelves, a big desk, and a window with a view of the trees outside. At every opportunity, I have the window wide open to let in the breeze and listen to the birds chirping. It’s a great setup, but I sometimes get restless, so when the weather is nice, my favorite spot is outside on my balcony with my laptop. The fresh air and lack of distractions from my cat (who is almost always pawing at the glass, demanding I come back inside) make for the perfect writing environment. It’s also nice to get a bit of sun and feel like I’m sort of outside, since working from home means I don’t leave the house as much as I probably should.

My beverage of choice: My fun answer is an iced chai latte with oat milk, with a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top. My honest answer is water—no ice, no flavoring (I know, I know, I’m a monster, but at least I’m a hydrated one).



An Excerpt from The Quarantine Drift

“To start, I’d like to discuss your doctoral thesis.” Dr. Sarian leaned back in her seat comfortably and tented her hands. “I’ve read it twice, and I have to say that your vision for the future of genetics is exactly what we’re looking for.”

“Future?” Carina had to laugh. “I work in a government-run medicinal genetics laboratory. Not much hope for the future there.”

“True. A waste of your talents and a far cry from the content of your doctorate. Your focus was on the use of gene therapy to enhance human tolerance to changing environmental conditions.”

“Yes, but—”

“The climate continues to change, Dr. Linderoth. Humanity has struggled for decades to overcome increasingly uninhabitable conditions. In the last fifty years, over four billion people have died globally of illnesses related to a simple lack of water. The time for tinkering with medicinal therapies is long past.”

She’d waited years to hear another scientist utter those words. “If the government stopped restricting our research, we could solve the water crisis within the decade, without making changes to the environment.”

Dr. Sarian smiled. “I won’t dance around it. Genidex conducts genetic research—among other fields of study—not unlike what you’ve mentioned. In fact, we’ve already taken your idea quite a few steps further.” She smirked, her eyes searching Carina’s expression.

“What do you mean, further?”

“We’ve been working on the exact avenue of research you’ve been proposing for the last seven years. We’ve begun genetically engineering human DNA with that of other organisms. The organism we have in mind, however, is more advanced than anything you’ve proposed. What we aim to recombine with human DNA…” Dr. Sarian’s eyes flashed, and she grinned. “…is Eluridan.”

 

Buy it HERE.

 

Thanks for sharing an excerpt with our readers, a real teaser.

Your story sounds intriguing and I’m anxious to know how it goes.

Thanks for being our guest this week. We wish you continued success with your writing.

 

 

Thank you to all our visitors and readers

Looking for your next book?

 

Hello everyone.

I expect that if you visited my website today, you are most likely an avid reader, always searching for the next great book.

Well then, you’ve come to the right place and I intend to introduce you to a few terrific New Brunswick authors and their awesome stories.

Read on my friends.

 

 

One.

This has been one of my favourite reads from a NB author.

Well researched and a well written.

Amid the Splintered Trees

Heather McBriarty.

 

From Goodreads:

August 1914 - Emma has dreamed of becoming a doctor all her life, not an easy task for a woman. Will wants Emma as his wife, but she is worth waiting for. They both imagine a life together, a family, and a future of happiness - someday.

But suddenly, the conflict in Europe erupts into war, and they are asked to sacrifice everything. Nothing could have prepared Will for the death and devastation he faces in the muddy trenches of the Western Front. As his losses mount, he struggles to remain the man Emma knows and loves. Emma is forced to tackle her own obstacles as a woman in a man’s world of medicine, alone, without his support. From her patients to her classmates, it seems no one truly believes her capable. Just when she thinks things cannot get worse, a devastating explosion levels her city, and Emma is called to her own front line.

From the blood-soaked ground of Ypres, the Somme, and Vimy to the 1917 Halifax explosion, each of them are tested in ways they never could have imagined. Wounded in body and soul, can they find a way back to each other or will their future be destroyed by the Great War?

From the author of Somewhere in Flanders: Letters from the Front comes a sweeping novel of love, loss, and redemption during the First World War.

Buy it HERE.

Two.

I must admit, I have not read this novel yet but I have read all the previous Thief for Hire novels by this clever writer and I’ve never been disappointed. I do have a copy coming soon.

Lost in London.

Chuck Bowie.

From Goodreads:

Loic Wedden, a friend of Donovan has a problem. His daughter Áine has disappeared. He believes she is with friends, likely visiting art galleries in London.
Áine’s secret, however, is that she is on a mission to steal Irish artefacts from England and return them to their Ireland. Things change in the midst of the first theft, and now Áine is Lost in London .
Donovan must extricate her, while avoiding placing her friends in peril. The crimes begin to mount up, and he begins to suspect that all of the friends are indeed lost. The mess becomes more complicated, and an attempt at a rescue could force a choice between saving Áine, or saving her friends.

Buy it HERE.

 

Three

This is a well told story from a debut novel by another talented author. Published by Merlin Star Press and their #1 choice, it has received a lot of wonderful reviews.

 

The Widow and the Will

Rhonda Bulmer 

From Goodreads:

Lindy Hall has begun a promising career in Toronto with her boyfriend, George. When Grandma Runa, her only living relative dies, Lindy receives a shocking bequest—the d’Avray Manor Inn in Harmony Bay on New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy.

Lindy takes two weeks off to visit the inn. Locals call it The Widow’s Inn, haunted by the grieving widow of its first owner. She finds herself on a collision course with the proprietors, Tony and Anne Allaby. In the face of bankruptcy, Anne is bitter. Lindy is sure the couple is holding something back.

When a handsome tour operator vies for Lindy’s affections, and the ghost of Elizabeth d’Avray visits her, an impatient George urges Lindy to forget it all and come home.

Could Gram’s final wishes and The Widow’s Inn be the keys to unlock Lindy’s mysterious past—and her future?

Buy it HERE.

 

Four

This is a cozy mystery which I truly enjoyed reading, as I have with all his previous novels. This was book #2 from Merlin Star Press and it also is receiving great reviews.

 

The Romanian Cleaning Lady

Zev Bagel

 

From Goodreads:

Lizzy Bright has just opened her office as a private investigator and her first inquiry seems like a prank. When the case takes her into the murky world of prostitution and human smuggling Lizzy is in over her head, until retired Detective Inspector William Breasy appears. But Breasy also has his air of mystery, not least the fact that he was a friend of Lizzy’s father, who vanished when she was eleven. The shadows from her past weave through the darkness of the present, pulling Lizzy deeper into a web of dangerous secrets.

Based in the historic city of Canterbury in England, this is the first in the Bright & Breasy mystery series by Zeb Bagel.

Buy it HERE.

 

Five

This novel is another terrific read from an author more know for his scary tales but with a neat change in genre, he has spun another delightful story.

 

Something Happened in Carlton

Pierre Arseneault

 

From Goodreads:

Life in a small town can be hard, it's nearly impossible when the bonds between neighbors and friends begin to unravel.

People used to say that nothing ever happened in Carlton, but there is a lot going on in this small town, and Police Chief Clovis McPhee is in the middle of it all even as he struggles to let go of the life he worked so hard to have. Neighbors Garth Blackett and 93-year-old Eli Woodman's feud over garbage threatens to become more than a war of words as Garth runs into the reality that he's not as great as he thinks he is. Raylene McPhee is doing anything and everything she can to support the man she has loved her entire life, but at what price? Mayor Jack Ledger is furious that the elderly Ms. Musgrave has erected a huge Christmas display in her yard in July, and nobody but him seems to care how this will affect his reputation. Officer Libby Terwilliger must let go of the man who has been like a father if she's ever to step into his shoes while Bonnie Campbell desperately tries to keep the Carlton Gazette from failing before its time. The seemingly mundane and random events of this small town coalesce as something happened in Carlton.

Buy it HERE.

 

Six.

I love this lady’s stories. This novel is a winner and I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Birch Island: And the Secrets it Held.

Suzanne Casey

From Amazon:

Away on a bachelor party weekend getaway, Leo Clement makes the acquaintance of Peaches King while staying at Birch Island Resort. An odd friendship ignites between the young reporter and the enigmatic owner of the quaint vacation spot.

Leo starts to come to the island every Tuesday for lunch and a game of Scrabble with the eccentric octogenarian. He listens to Ms. King reminisce about her eventful past while nibbling on Neapolitan wafer cookies.

She shares details about her upbringing, her schooling and her marriage. However, the more Ms. Peaches talks, the more questions Leo has, including the disappearance of several staff members.

Hired by Peaches' own daughter to uncover the truth, Leo goes on a fact-finding mission that takes him from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts. By doing so, he uncovers more than he expected.

Buy it HERE.

Seven

I was familiar with this gentleman’s writing skills from his contribution to the Path Anthologies and eagerly awaited his debut non-fiction collection of essays. I was not disappointed. Good stuff!

This Rare Earth

Jeremy Thomas Gilmer

From Amazon:

This Rare Earth is a graphic account of twenty-five years working for some of the largest mining and engineering companies in the world. Much of this work was conducted in conflict zones where Jeremy Thomas Gilmer supervised the construction of dams, mine tailings structures, and oil and gas facilities. Through personal stories and detailed observations, he brings to life the daily realities of those caught in the crossfire of progress―miners, villagers, and local leaders who grapple with the promises and perils of development.

Gilmer describes nerve-wracking situations dealing with corrupt authorities, natural disasters, and project failure. He writes about his time in Northern Angola at the end of a bloody civil war, discusses building a gold mine in cartel territory in Colombia, and looking for water in the windswept pampa of southern Argentina. He writes about crawling a kilometer into a pipe in the high Andes to inspect damage and about night shifts at a vast Arctic diamond mine. He has driven through a blazing jungle in Eastern Bolivian forest fires and survived tense standoffs with armed Pork-knockers, or South American itinerant miners.

Gilmer writes from a place rarely heard from in the debate: an industry linked not only to the environmental challenges we face as a species, but to the very systems our lives― and economy―depend on. This Rare Earth is an unsparing, thought-provoking, and frankly confessional dive into the unseen costs of our technological and industrial addictions.

Buy it HERE.

Eight.

You like spooky stories? This gentleman knows how to tell a story that will keep you looking over your shoulder and to make sure the lights are on when reading it.

Tremendous storyteller.

The Boy in the Canvas

Cristopher Sweet

From Goodreads:

“You’ve gotta listen to me a second,” she said, her face suddenly serious. “If you can do what I do, you’re gonna find out not every painting is nice. Be careful about which ones you visit and which ones you jump to…Paintings are magical. They’re a reflection of the artists passions, dreams, and loves, but also their fears and doubts. I think there might be some things out there that thrive on that stuff. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see them. You mind them.”

When twelve year old Joseph tragically loses his mother, his world is shattered. Left with his angry, alcoholic father in their rundown apartment, he finds himself longing to be free of the life he’s been stuck with.

Staring into a generic landscape painting in the church basement at his mother’s funeral, he almost gets his wish; a mysterious girl in an Iron Maiden vest steps out of the picture, opening his eyes to impossible and incredible worlds. Joseph longs to follow her into the painting but before he can join her, he is ripped away and sent to St. Theodore’s Academy, a correctional school run by a sadistic headmaster.

Aided by his only friend, Odilon Mercier, Joseph will stop at nothing to escape St. Theodore's. His only hope at freedom is through the magical, strange, and dangerous worlds of the paintings he finds within the school.

But something else lurks within them. Something dangerous. Something hungry.

Buy it HERE.

Nine

Well, you know I can’t recommend some stories without including one of my own. So, forgive me for blowing my own horn. This is my favourite story to date. I loved writing it.

 

One Bedroom Ark

Allan Hudson

 

From Goodreads:

Jeb Coyne, proprietor of Coyne’s Confectionary, will have been widowed for two years tomorrow. Tending to his daily business takes his mind off the looming anniversary for a moment, as do his customers, whether cheerful or grumpy. But he’s never felt so alone. With the workday finished, Jeb is a few minutes from locking the doors. He goes out to bring in the sign board his father made and is interrupted by a tiny voice asking if he is closing. Olivia Fletcher stands before him, a teenager with wet strands of hair across her cheek, a baby in her arms. This chance meeting will change both of their lives forever.

Buy it HERE.

 

 

 

Like Porky Pig always said,

“Th… th… that’s all folks”

 

Thanks for visiting.

I hope you find your next read within this group and thank you for supporting New Brunswick authors.

You readers and visitors are the COOLEST!

Tell us about your favourite book, or author in the comment section below.