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.