Author's Interview with Frank Talaber

Before we dive into our exciting conversation with today’s remarkable author, let’s start by getting to know the creative mind behind the diverse and captivating stories.

1. Could you please introduce yourself to us?

Hi, I’m Frank Talaber and I live in Chilliwack, BC. I currently have twelve novels released. I’ve written in many genres: Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Spiritual, comedy, Erotica, and Romance. Well, anything that calls to me, basically! I also have over eighty published short stories, articles, over sixty blogs and ten live interviews.  

I’m also published by The Wild Rose Press, one of the largest traditional Publishing houses in the world, with “my other half” Felicity Talisman which is my pseudonym in my more romantic ventures.

2. Congratulations on your book! What inspired you to write it?

Raven's lament is based on a true incident the cutting down off the golden spruce in Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands. 

I was sitting in UBC museum in Victoria, the First Nations rooms with all of these totems and swore I heard voices. Just after that I heard about the cutting down of the rare spruce on Haida Gwaii in protest of logging, of all things. This actually happened here in British Columbia about thirty years ago. 

One of my customers a famous First Nations Carver, Tom Patterson, said that in their culture it was oral based and those that have passed away are always looking for someone to speak on their behalf. 

3. What is your book about?

The Haida believe a prince is trapped inside the tree and the leaves have turned gold in sorrow. In real life a man in protest of logging cut down this rare tree. 

In the novel the tree is cut down and the prince is released, during the novel he is becoming an earth spirit after being in the tree for nearly three hundred years. But the reason he was trapped, Raven the big creator god dude also is released and wakes up and looks at the world it is today and says this place sucks especially after seeing weird metal animals running around. 

A reporter investigates the story, meets a native lady and they fall in love. Along with her crazy shaman uncle, Charlie they have to stop Raven from changing the world back to the way it way.

4. Why did you choose this genre for your book?

In essence I love weaving fantasy into modern times and legends. I do a lot of research and often reading about the legends gives me ideas and then they begin to weave themselves to stories. I write a lot like Charles de Lint, for those familiar with his work. 

5. How long did it take you to complete the book?

The rough draft was written in 21 days. I had entered a novel contest on January 1st, the rules were that I had to enter 5,000 words, I had about 8,000 words written. I was also unemployed at the time and figured if I made the next round, which would require 50,000 words, I had lots of time to write this novel. I had a job interview on Jan 10th, the day they’d announce the semi finalists. That afternoon I got two phone calls, one saying I’d gotten the job and needed to start full time the next day. I also got a second call later that said “Congrats, you’ve made the semi-finals and we need your finished novel by the end of the month.”

So, I’d write madly on the bus to and from work. I sent the rough drafts to my editor friend, who’d pound through the drafts and send them back the next day. I made it but didn’t get past the next round, still got 48/50 points. They replied with it didn’t quite feel like a finished book. I tell you that was such a great rush having to write on the edge like that. 

6. What makes your book special?

I include a lot of the Haida legends and language, the way they look at the earth and their connections to it. One of my best quotes was from a First Nations Carver friend, Tom Patterson, that said you write more along the lines of First Nations beliefs than most First Nations authors. 

7. When can we expect your next book?

I already have written two more in this series, called Stillwaters Runs Deep and eight other novels out there. I’ve just released Book Two in my Science Fiction series called: Gateways this month and Charlie reappears in my new series about a female detective who works undercover at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, which by the way is one of the most haunted cities in the world. The Empress has five registered ghosts in it. Again, great material for an urban fantasy writer. The third book in the Ainsworth Chronicles will be entitled, Into The Darkside and should be out by the summer. I’m also working on my first non-fiction novel entitled, Trust Me, I Didn’t Make This Sh*t Up. I already had a short story released based on the novel by Culturate Magazine. Look it up. 

8. Did you experience writer’s block while writing? What advice would you give to others who face it?

First of all, no, never have. When I was in high school I took a creative writing course that I thought would be an easy creative writing course.

On the first day of the class the teacher handed out a blank lined binder and said this is the class manual. I put my hand up and said, “yeah, But it’s blank.”

“Yeah, your job is to fill it.”

We had to spend the first 20 minutes just writing. At first it was murder, I’d write things like the walls are still green and the cute blonde sits in front of me. Should ask her out. But after a bit it kicked in and I’d sit down and pound out page after page. Often unwilling to put my pencil down when done. He was teaching us subconscious writing flow. Just write, no edits, grammar etc. To this day I can sit down and pound out entire short stories in one go. It opened up my muse to compel me to just write as I saw fit in whatever hit my head or I saw on TV or watched in live person.

So, if you have come up against a dead end. Put it aside and think about where you want to take this novel or story and put it into your head. I learned through another self development course a long time ago to trust the process. When it is ready to come out, it will. 

9. Besides being a talented author, what are your other hobbies?

I usually go hiking a lot, it also helps put my mind into that alpha or hypnagogia state which is when you first get up and in the hour before you go to bed. That helps to relax me and begins the writing process.

10. Last but not least, how did you feel during this interview?

Great, I love talking to the public unlike most writers who tend to be introverts. I’ve done over ten live interviews, presentations and do many book signing and promoting events every year. I’ve always said you can’t write the stuff some people have lived and usually work the really bizarre stories into my novels. Email me if you got something crazy and who knows maybe I’ll use it. 

My email is franktalaber58@gmail.com. 

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