Q&A with B.R. Myers

 

 

 

B.R. Myers is the author of the new novel The Third Wife of Faraday House. Her other books include the novel A Dreadful Splendor. Also a registered nurse, she lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Third Wife of Faraday House, and how did you create your character Emeline?

 

A: After A Dreadful Splendor I knew I wanted to write another gothic mystery, but with more of a maritime theme and one that was set in Atlantic Canada.

 

I pictured low grey clouds over a crumbling manor on a private peninsula, a gloomy household led by a sea captain obsessed with morbidity, a family curse, a possible hidden treasure, and at its center a young heroine who was neither prepared nor interested in solving a ghostly mystery, but is forced to investigate when she finds herself needing to survive the inhospitable estate.

 

I grew up in Chester, Nova Scotia, which was the perfect backdrop for the oceanside setting. The novel’s theme of devious greed, and the destructive forces of superstition was loosely inspired by the world-famous Oak Island Mystery.

 

Unlike the streetwise main character in A Dreadful Splendor, who was comfortable in unexplained spiritual situations, I wanted Emeline to be the opposite, someone who had a very sheltered upbringing, but not necessarily spoiled. And not necessarily loved.

 

She views life through a matter-of-fact lens and has her own agenda, but heavily relies on traits she has always believed were her strongest assets—her beauty and charm.

 

However, when she arrives at Faraday House, she realizes neither of those will be of value or assistance in the face of the deadly mystery she finds herself embroiled in.

 

How does someone with no confidence or experience deal with the strange events that torture the poor souls of Faraday House? Emeline must quickly figure out who she truly is and what she is capable of to avoid being the next dead bride of Captain Graves.

 

Interestingly, I found her name during a walk in a historic cemetery in a small coastal village in northern Nova Scotia. I took a picture of the gravestone for no particular reason, other than the fact she had died a young woman. I hadn’t known I was going to use the name Emeline until I had finished writing the novel.

Q: The writer Carol Goodman said of the book, “A deliciously chilling gothic mystery with a smart and resourceful heroine, storm-swept island setting, and several broody men to choose from. What more could fans of Jane Eyre and Rebecca want?” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I absolutely love Carol’s quote and I feel she captured the perfect essence of the novel.

 

Like Jane Eyre, the main character, Emeline is confronted with her fiancé already having a wife; however, for reasons of her own, Emeline is determined to keep the second wife alive, needing to postpone her own marriage to Captain Graves for as long as it takes her secret plan to come to fruition.

 

And as with Rebecca, the haunting oppressive presence of the captain’s first dead wife—his true love—is still felt within the dark hallways. It is a presence that heavily influences all aspects of life and death at Faraday House, and one in which Emeline is forced to contend with. But is it trying to harm her or help her?

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: The novel underwent major revisions, but the ending stayed true to the first draft. At one point the ghost narrative grew so large and detailed it took from Emeline’s story.  My editors and I decided to take that plot out entirely, and I reworked the ghost scenes to enhance Emeline’s story instead of competing with it.

 

I outlined the entire novel and completed extensive character cards before I started to write the first chapter. This kept the scenes on track by knowing what obstacles the character must face/confront in order to move the plot forward. It also helped remind me what the characters’ motivations were for each act.

 

An outline was especially important for the mystery aspect of the story to ensure the clues and twists were placed in the most satisfying places.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The title was a combined effort by myself, the marketing team, and my editors. I find it evokes the unsettling spookiness of the novel.

 

Emeline is the driving force of the story and the potential third wife of Captain Graves, so the title is a nod to her as the central figure. However, it’s also a foreboding promise that hints at the tragedy of the two previously dead brides.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Thank you for asking! I think maritime gothic is my brand now. I’m extremely excited about my current project.

 

I can’t share too much at this time, but it is another murder mystery partly set on a merchant ship, and partly in an isolated fishing village in Nova Scotia in 1778. There might be cursed treasure, a haunted ship, a romance (or two), a missing woman, murder, and maybe a grumpy love interest with an eyepatch. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: The Third Wife of Faraday House will be my 13th published novel (lucky 13!). So, if readers would like to see my other available books, kindly visit my website for the full list. As well, you can always have your local library order them for you.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with B.R. Myers.