Enter the literary world of Frank Talaber.
The author has been called a natural storyteller who writes like his soul is on fire and the pencil is his voice screaming. Literature written beyond the realms of genre, whose compelling thoughts are freed from the depths of the heart and the subconscious before being poured onto the page. Known to grab readers kicking, screaming, laughing or crying and drag them into his novels.
To date he has over fifty articles/short stories, sixty blog posts, over ten interviews and fifteen novels written or published.
One novel, The Joining, top three finalist in the Canadian Book Club Awards in 2020, out of nearly two hundred entries.
Some Recent Reviews (Book Covers Below)
And for those who are curious all of my covers are done by Milblart a company out of the Ukraine
Raven’s Lament, Stillwaters Runs Deep: Book One
2023 WHISTLER INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS Fiction Evaluation
Easy to follow and immerse oneself into this well-told story.
The pace unfolds so naturally, I forgot that I was reading – which is essential to achieving this result.
Loved the narrative voice that brought Characters to life through vivid descriptions and unforced dialogue.
Time and place are masterfully captured through poetic and beautiful imagery.
The writing style is wonderful, a celebration of words, both visual and imaginative.
This story has depth, the themes are heartfelt and lingered long after I finished reading it.
The pulse of energy – otherworldly, Raven’s Lament is a classic in waiting with dream-like narration. I loved every inch of it.
[Thanks Frank & good luck!]
Molly Harrison
WiBA Coordination
I thought I’d have a quick peek at Autumn’s Summer and then finish the book I was currently reading! I was entranced and spellbound from that moment, my current read neglected! Couldn’t put it down, read it in one day. Yes, the love scenes were intense, passion blossoms in many forms! I enjoyed this immensely!
Shelley Walsh
As a weaver of books you’re beyond compare.
Greta Olsson
The Lure, Stillwaters Runs Deep: Book Two
I want the author to take me to their world. I love the adrenaline rush I get from reading a book that scares the crap out of me. You know, the ones that have you screaming to the characters in your head or out loud. It tells me that the author did his or her job by getting me emotionally involved. I give up on books if I don’t feel something. This book isn’t one of those.
April Wolfgong
The Mystery Of Ms. Teak, Book Two: The Ainsworth Chronicles
Fasten your seatbelt as Frank Talaber takes you on a multi-dimensional trek through time where history comes alive to reveal buried secrets and tortured souls. From the stately tea salons of old Victoria to the haunting desolation of British Columbia’s rugged West coast waters, The Mystery of Ms. Teak will both entertain and invite you to confront the demons that live within us all.
Michael deJong
The Mystery Of Ms. Teak, Book Two: The Ainsworth Chronicles
Do not read this book! Seriously, do not read this book – unless you are prepared to deal with a rift on your personal timeline. You will find that this book causes you to postpone activities that you would otherwise be doing.
You will be transported into a world of history and mystery, crime and grime, Spirits and other worldly time travel, with the delectable Detective Carol Ainsworth.
An amazing tale, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Paddy Kopieczek
The Mystery Of Ms. Teak, Book Two: The Ainsworth Chronicles
I hate you, I can’t put this book down. Every page gets more interesting, suspicious, wondering what is going to happen next. I sit down to only read one more chapter but end up having to read two more, because I need to know what happened in the past. Each chapter keeps you wanting more and now I hate it even more since I can’t get to it before Long weekend coming up.
I just read the last six chapters, clinging to every word, every sentence thinking I know what is going to happen next. Oh no, you take me in a completely different direction. Great book.
Sandy Strebe
Raven’s Lament, Stillwaters Runs Deep: Book One
It may only be a book to some, but to me it is a beautiful piece of artistry that I have the privilege of enjoying.
Greta Olsson
The Lure, Stillwaters Runs Deep: Book Two
Damn Frank — this writing is as tactile as a 1955 T-Bird. Very nice descriptions, good dialogue, a thinking man’s book but one that can be read entirely for pleasure. Good work.
Michael Arkin, Judicial Indiscretion
The Lure, Stillwaters Runs Deep, Book Two;
Your book was a rollercoaster ride thorough my emotions which, when I got off, left me stunned and breathless.
Your portrayal of sociopaths and the criminal mind in the pursuit of the sexually willing was so disturbing I had nightmares and had to set the novel aside for days. But the writing was so compelling I had to finish it, and I’m glad I persevered.
I literally cheered “go get them!” when Charlie used his protectors to deal rather uniquely with the antagonists.
I was enlightened to the Native spiritual culture which pleased me for which I now have a greater understanding and respect.
Carol G.
The Awakening, Stillwaters Runs Deep: Book Three
Just when I was beginning to wonder where the next great Canadian story teller would emerge from, Frank Talaber has written a modern crime mystery with a twist. In “The Awakening” Talaber weaves the richness of Canada’s west coast aboriginal spirituality into the science of modern forensics. CSI comes to Haida Gwaii as the shaman and the detective conduct an investigation that will take them and the reader on a journey to a place where murder, redemption and ancient mysticism intersect.
Michael G de Jong, QC, Minister of Finance, Government House Leader, Province of British Columbia
The Joining, Book One: The Ainsworth Chronicles.
I hate you! My wife, who is off on medical leave, won’t get out of the bathroom. Can’t put your book down. LOL. Bruce W.
Raven’s Lament, Stillwaters Runs Deep: Book One
“After being stranded twenty kilometers from the nearest road at the tip of Rose Spit, Haida Gwaii, and having to push Frank’s spanking new SUV a few kilometers along the beach before the tide came in and we ran out of booze, my first reaction on being asked to write a back cover blurb was, “over my dead body.” Some people will do anything to get an endorsement.”
Susan Musgrave/Cargo of Orchids/Given
The Mystery Of Ms. Teak, Book Two: The Ainsworth Chronicles
Fasten your seatbelt as Frank Talaber takes you on a multi-dimensional trek through time where history comes alive to reveal buried secrets and tortured souls. From the stately tea salons of old Victoria to the haunting desolation of British Columbia’s rugged West coast waters, The Mystery of Ms. Teak will both entertain and invite you to confront the demons that live within us all. Michael deJong
The Lure, Stillwaters Runs Deep, Book Two;
I want the author to take me to their world. I love the adrenaline rush I get from reading a book that scares the crap out of me. You know, the ones that have you screaming to the characters in your head or out loud. It tells me that the author did his or her job by getting me emotionally involved. I give up on books if I don’t feel something. This book isn’t one of those.
April Wolfgong
The Lure, Stillwaters Runs Deep, Book Two;
I started reading your Opus and thought I would give you my cent and half:
The first thing that jumps here is the style. Is a moment by moment perception where every moment is a dangling act promising the next to have the same urgency….
….. and that you deliver.
The jewel of the narrative however is on several fronts:
The time and care you take in setting up place. How you carefully use words as utensils so as not only to describe….
…..but to set up atmosphere…
The character descriptions shine through their specificity, the use of “he does this…he does that” to paint a character’s emotional map is something many writers aspire to, few know how to get it done right…..
…..you deliver
Finally, there is a dialogue, from time to time it misses a note here and there, but in most instances it moves the plot, arching the narrative
Some of my favorites:
“like Harleys in heat”
“like a thief caught in the headlights” is usually “like a deer”
“Like squat walrus dreaming…..”
“Egg Fu Yung” I have never seen this which is why I liked it. If wanted to read about things I have already seen, I would take the subway…lol
“moon ghosting”
“darkened with tint”
“Ben closed his eyes….this characterization in ch 3 is one of your best….wildly idiosyncratic, specifically concrete. Leaving a clear emotional map in the reader’s mind
Overall, wonderful
David
Brilliant! The most craziest lore I’ve ever read and awesomeness pure! Spellbound from page one, can’t wait to read more of his pen.
Pille
Autumn’s Summer Soon To Be Released by Felicity Talisman,
A collaboration between Frank And Jenny Talaber
Great loves come and go,
profound ones mark your soul,
in ways that take the rest of your lifetime to comprehend.
What if you were given up for adoption NOT because your mother didn’t want you, but because she was trying to protect you from a curse?
A mysterious package is delivered by Richard’s solicitors one year after his wife Autumn’s death. What he expected to find, he didn’t know, but he would never have guessed in a million years what was about to unfold.
A beautiful leather-bound diary written in his wife’s hand contains many secrets; that his lonely empty-nester wife’s life changed profoundly after a purely-by-chance meeting in, of all places, a normal, mundane, corner grocery store. She embarks on a voyage of discovery with the spiritualist, Summer, to find new meaning to her life, that, once commenced, transports her to realms and dimensions she never knew existed.
He also learns of a heart-breaking secret she kept from him until after her death.
Shuttered Seductions
A collaboration between Frank And Jenny Talaber
She only wanted Not to fall in love with him. He only wanted to steal her company.
Roy only wanted to seduce Julia-Rae and convince her to sell him her company. Julia-Rae wanted to shut him out of her heart like every other man that ever got close. Only what do you do when you fall in madly in love with the enemy and the enemy with you?
Will the dark secrets they hold tear them apart or bring them closer together?
Stillwaters Runs Deep Series, Book One: Raven’s Lament
A madman cuts down a rare tree in protest of logging, releasing something he didn’t intend to. Reporter Brooke Grant investigates the story, finds the love of his life, only to lose her to said being. Enlisting the aid of a deranged shaman he has to save his love and stop the world from being changed forever. Based on a true story.
A contemporary literary romance novel mixed with a suspense-filled mystery thriller. The writer combines magical realism and paranormal urban fantasy on a profound spiritual level unlike any novel you have ever, or will ever, read. Based on a true story, this beautifully written and compelling page-turner will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat to its gripping, unexpected ending.
Newest Review
Easy to follow and immerse oneself into this well-told story. The pace unfolds so naturally, I forgot that I was reading – which is essential to achieving this result. Loved the narrative voice that brought Characters to life through vivid descriptions and unforced dialogue. Time and place are masterfully captured through poetic and beautiful imagery. The writing style is wonderful, a celebration of words, both visual and imaginative. This story has depth, the themes are heartfelt and lingered long after I finished reading it. The pulse of energy – otherworldly, Raven’s Lament is a classic in waiting with dream-like narration. I loved every inch of it.
Molly Harrison, WiBA Coordination/WHISTLER INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS
What if there was a bar where spirits hung out and used your inebriated body until you sobered up?
Ben Carlton, a reporter visits a bar where he wakes up in a strange part of town and begins having nightmares of being chased on his Harley by bikers. Only he has never ridden a motorcycle. Enter Carol Ainsworth, her and Ben begin investigating the death of Vancouver’s mayor in Stanley Park and become romantically involved. The Mayor’s wife and child are missing, no clues, until a mysterious Shaman shows up in town looking for a Succubus being that has been released from a centuries-long imprisonment in Stanley Park. So begins Carol’s first detective case that takes her to realms she never knew existed.
Set in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
YouTube Link to Film video pitch https://youtu.be/pa_-l2WejjA
PS. Turn on the Volume
How angry would a mythical god be if he found himself awakening inside a mortal? After a strange and inexplicable death inside a jail, an intriguing and extraordinary shaman detects great unrest in the world, and breaks his way into the jail to investigate. He enlists Detective Carol Ainsworth to assist as an undercover prison officer who, rather strangely, also finds herself tasked with bringing to justice the murderer of a gentle forest being’s mother.
Welcome to Victoria in Beautiful British Columbia, the most haunted city in North America, and to Detective Carol Ainsworth’s first day undercover at the very grand old lady, The Fairmont Empress Hotel. Ready to deal with the two Italian families flying in for a wedding to unite them, she did not bargain for the ghosts, the FBI agent or the ancient curses that come along too. Add to that the very wonderful and mysterious psychic lady claiming you’ve invited her, the young boys disappearing, and the weird things happening to the unfortunates looking for their next fix trapped alongside spirits in the sewers. Carol soon finds her first undercover assignment way more challenging than she could have imagined.
The one saving grace was the great Empress High Tea that Agnes introduced her to and the fabulous scones that are to die for. Literally.
Review
I hate you! My wife, who is off on medical leave, won’t get out of the bathroom. Can’t put your book down. LOL. Bruce W.
Ainsworth Chronicles Book Two: The Mystery of Ms. Teak
Agnes at her craziest best. Only what secret does she have to hide from herself and the one she thought dead? How does one psychic stop another from hunting her down, especially when the other hires the services of a mystical being long thought perished! As for Carol, she has her hands full with pissed-off Russians, the reborn builder of much of Victorian Victoria (yes, the Sir Francis Rattenbury), a young girl claiming to be our aforementioned psychic, there’s something very wrong with Nathan, her nephew that they saved from death, and to top it all, there’s one secret that Agnes possesses that she can’t reveal to anyone, including herself.
But in traditional English fashion High Tea is of course still being served.
Reviews of this novel
Fasten your seatbelt as Frank Talaber takes you on a multi-dimensional trek through time where history comes alive to reveal buried secrets and tortured souls. From the stately tea salons of old Victoria to the haunting desolation of British Columbia’s rugged West coast waters, The Mystery of Ms. Teak will both entertain and invite you to confront the demons that live within us all.
Michael deJong
Do not read this book! Seriously, do not read this book – unless you are prepared to deal with a rift on your personal timeline. You will find that this book causes you to postpone activities that you would otherwise be doing.
You will be transported into a world of history and mystery, crime and grime, Spirits and other worldly time travel, with the delectable Detective Carol Ainsworth.
An amazing tale, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Paddy Kopieczek
I hate you, I can’t put this book down. Every page gets more interesting, suspicious, wondering what is going to happen next. I sit down to only read one more chapter but end up having to read two more, because I need to know what happened in the past. Each chapter keeps you wanting more and now I hate it even more since I can’t get to it before Long weekend coming up.
I just read the last six chapters, clinging to every word, every sentence thinking I know what is going to happen next. Oh no, you take me in a completely different direction. Great book.
Sandy Strebe
Reader Reviews of Previous Novels
As a weaver of books you’re beyond compare.
Greta Olsson
Your book, The Lure, was a rollercoaster ride thorough my emotions which, when I got off, left me stunned and breathless. Your portrayal of sociopaths and the criminal mind in the pursuit of the sexually willing was so disturbing I had nightmares and had to set the novel aside for days. But the writing was so compelling I had to finish it, and I’m glad I persevered. I literally cheered “go get them!” when Charlie used his protectors to deal rather uniquely with the antagonists.
Carol G.
As a reader, I want the author to take me to their world. I love the adrenaline rush I get from reading a book that scares the crap out of me. You know, the ones that have you screaming to the characters in your head or out loud. It also tells me that the author did his or her job by getting me emotionally involved. I give up on books if I don’t feel something, no matter what that feeling is. This book isn’t one of those.
April Wolfgong
Raven’s Lament, Stillwaters Runs Deep, Book One
I’ve read and reread his previous series, Stillwaters Run Deep, several times. Frank’s writing is original and compelling. You run into characters and situations totally unexpected. Keeps you on the edge of your seat and your heart.
Greta Olsson
This is the first volume of my collection of short stories. Now published on Amazon.
Includes the short story, Sylvia’s Suncatchers, out of 300 entries was voted #1 by the readers.
In a normal relationship a man gets married and has the time of his life on a memorable honeymoon in Hawaii. A small dilemma begins for Roger Harrison when normality ceases existing with the discovery of metallic alien metal planted in his body.
Roger is thrust onto a path he never dreamed his life would ever take as one of the chosen few to start something that philosophers and spiritualists have discussed for centuries; the Ascension of humanity.
Only this isn’t how the human race’s next level of evolution was supposed to happen, and nor did Roger think he was the guy that would pull it off.
Toss in a guardian angel, alien hunters and a sixty-thousand-year-old Atlantean, and Roger soon begins to realize his life’s perfection ends with the understanding that memories are the illusion to which reality is draped and all is rarely as it seems in the journeys of a soul’s growth. Especially when he doesn’t even know how to spell chakra, let alone deal with having to master the seven levels in order to attain ascension.
Nor can time, as he knows it, be measured in heartbeats or lifespans and a heavy price must be exacted in order to stand in the gateway between memory and knowing, reality and illusion.
Especially when that effort means stopping those who would doom humanity’s next phase of evolution.
Frank Talaber, Writer By Soul 