The Stillwater’s Run Deep Urban Fantasy Series, Set on Canada’s Wild West Coast
Book One: Raven’s Lament, Released By Books We Love Ltd
What if there really was a native prince trapped inside the Golden Spruce tree on Haida Gwaii and it was cut down. Releasing the prince and the reason he was trapped inside, Raven. What if Raven woke up and looked at the world it is today and didn't like it one bit and tried to change it back to the way it was?
Welcome to reporter Brook's day. So the question is; how do you stop a God from changing the world? Especially when Raven has captured the woman Brook has fallen in love with. You hire a Shaman, who is more whacked than a hockey player's slap shot and nuttier than a squirrel's winter stash. "Yeah, this is going to work, I'll get my lady back and we'll live happily ever after," Brook grinned while banging his head several times after realizing it’s like leading a charge of six drunken squirrels trying to storm the beaches of D-Day.
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
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
Book Two: Vancouver’s Spirits, Released by Books We Love Ltd.
Vancouver’s mayor is found brutally slain in Stanley Park by Pauline Johnson's monument. His family is missing.
With no clues to either, an enigmatic old native, claiming to be a shaman, shows up swearing he knows the answers. Plays tag-your-it and disappears without a trace.
After a night of drunkenness a reporter wakes up in a part of town he’s never visited and begins investigating why he's having strange nightmares of a life not his.
Which begs him to question the validity of the urban myth, when you get drunk enough you don't remember anything you did? Could it be possible there's a place where spirits might take over to have a little fun on their own?
A slain Devils Spawn Biker returns from the dead seeking vengeance and he ain’t happy.
An ancient witch/succubus has been set free from her imprisonment and will stop at nothing to return to our realm. She never was happy.
The streets of Vancouver threaten to explode in gang war.
And for cavalry to the rescue, a boatload of ancient gods arrives. Only they've been out of action for over two hundred years and haven't quite grasped the concept of modern civilization.
So begins Carol Ainsworth’s first day on the job as a detective.
Endorsements
Paranormal fantasy, mystery thriller rolled into one. Vancouver’s Spirits is a well-crafted story that builds suspense through flowing narrative, life-like characters, and believable dialogue. If you're a fan of any of the above mentioned genres, or if you're just looking for a page turner to get lost in, Vancouver’s Spirits will not disappoint.
Cris Pasqueralle
I loved “Vancouver’s Spirits” powerful imagery. It's beautifully written and very descriptive. I can picture all of it. Another thing I noticed was the "feel" of the story. It definitely "feels" like a crime novel. I definitely liked how you began the story and then rewinded time. It makes me anxious to find out what happens between now and then! Your writing is elegant yet it's not pretentious. The alliteration is great, too!
Ryan Holden HOMOCIDAL
Book Three: Thunderbird’s Wake, Released by Books We Love Ltd.
Agatha Christie, roll over in your grave, new sleuths on the prowl. Haida shaman Charlie Stillwaters convinces Carol Ainsworth, a Vancouver detective, to join him as he breaks his way into a high security prison. The duo are determined to find out who killed the previous native elder before all lightning and thunder breaks loose. They encounter deranged inmates, mystical beings, ancient serpents, wood sprites and someone who should have been dead long ago.
Not your usual crime/mystery!
Not your usual criminal investigators!
You thought Jack Nicholson was mad in The Shining…
Wait until you meet Charlie Stillwaters in the Sweat lodge.
Endorsements
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 “Thunderbird’s Wake” 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 BC.
There are many aspects true to First Nation’s beliefs. For example the transformation of animals and anomalies within our realm. Frank Talaber’s writing is clear and concise, leaving no grey areas. But his true talent as a writer is not only a sense of time, history and capturing First Nation’s humor, but going from the real to the surreal and the supernatural. A gift he plies very well.
Tom Patterson, Nuu-Cha-Nulth Artist and Master Carver
Where to buy my novels? Ebooks and Paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Talaber/e/B00UC407R0
Or Ebooks through Smashwords.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/29855
Or catch me at my Facebook authors page and sign up for my newsletter (ah, come on you know you really want to.)
https://www.facebook.com/franktalaberpublishedauthor/
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Friday, October 20, 2017
Friday's Guest - Frank Talaber answers questions #MFRWauthor #Plot #characters
1. Are you a panster or a plotter or perhaps a bit of both?
I’m definitely a panster. I’ll just sit down and start pounding out scene after scene as the book unfolds in my head. Most often in no particular order, with the end scene often one of the first I write. Although once I reach a certain point then I’ll start organizing the plot. Which then usually leaves me with more ideas on scenes to write. Also with the end scene written I usually end up writing backwards towards the beginning. I suppose you could call me a reverse-plotter/panster. Hey, did I just invent something new here?
2. Which comes first - characters or plot for you?
Usually plot. While some of my characters tend to get into and raise a lot of trouble that has to be dealt with, the plot will drive the book. I usually will think up a plot idea and ask my usual question, what if? Then coffee kicks in, after I feed the cats. Trust me, no writing is done in the morning unless the cats are fed first. But once I get an idea on what to write, then the nagging question, what if, begins to stalk me. I’ll answer more of that in the next question.
3. What are you working on now? Is this a book in a current series or something totally new?
A totally new series entitled; The Ainsworth Chronicles. Book One: The Joining.
Carol Ainsworth is an undercover police officer acting as a day manager at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Two mafia mob families have gone there to supposedly have a wedding and join their families. Only the truth is they’ve gone there to start up a new division of the mobs business, one that would concentrate on importing illegal goods and drugs from the Far East using Victoria as its hub. Victoria just happens to be the most haunted city in all of Canada, with a lot of ghosts and hauntings. For some reason the ghosts are being disturbed and agitated by what is happening, as Carol soon discovers. Carol worked in a previous series with a Haida Shaman and knows there are a lot of woo-woo things we don’t understand and/or believe in. Because of this, she soon learns that she’s sensitive to ghosts and ghostly disturbances.
Carol runs into Jake Holden an American FBI agent, also investigating the case. They both have the hots for each other. Then enters handsome Luigi Cavallio one of the mafia head men, who really has the hots for Carol.
Toss in Rebecca, a demented dominatrix, who’s been jilted by Jake and still wants him and elderly Agnes who is known as Ms. Teak from her stage career. She can read minds, as Carol soon finds out and talks intimately with a crystal skull named Cider. High Tea at the Empress Hotel just evolved from high class and social decorum to crazy on the edge of your seat thrills.
4. Do you have some kind of object or place that figures in most of your books? I use gems a lot, hospitals and caves.
Well, if ghosts and spirits count then yes. But for the most part I use the west coast of Canada, which is rich in native lore and legends.
5. Do you write everyday or just when the spirit hits?
Usually more when the spirit hits, if I’m heavy into a novel I’m working on, then usually everyday. But as my day job is being a service manager for a very busy auto shop, during the week my mind is usually very tired at the end of the day. I usually spend half an hour to an hour in the wee hours of the morning writing and on weekends.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Thursday's Third Scene - Code Blue #MFRWauthor #Romantic suspense #medical
He stood in the shadows just beyond the brightly-lit
Emergency Room entrance. She was here. A series of quickly inhaled breaths
brought a feeling of euphoria. He caught his lower lip between his teeth and
savored visions of what was to come.
He felt the softness of her skin and of his fists
pummeling her body. Susan would be with Mommy and he would be free. There would
be no one to scold him for doing the things that made him feel so powerful and
so strong.
He slapped his jacket pocket and growled. No hard piece
of metal pressed against his hip. Susan was here. What had he done? He had
planned this event so carefully but somehow, he had forgotten a vital piece of
the plan. He pulled off his gloves and shoved his hands into his pockets.
What would he do now? He rocked from his heels to his
toes. It had to be tonight. He couldn't wait.
The glow of anticipation faded. He struggled to renew the
fire.
Susan was like Mommy. Until he closed her eyes, he
couldn't act. Before he had a chance to make those people pay for what they had
done to Mommy she had to die. He knew she would tell on him.
"I'll never leave you. They'll have to kill me
first."
"Mommy, don't leave me."
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
http://www.bwlpublishing.ca/authors/lane-walters-janet-romance-fantasy-usa/
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Wednesday Hooking Murder and Poisoned Tea #MFRWBookHooks #cozy mystery #Katherine Miller
The moment she hears his mastery of the organ, Katherine covets him as St. Stephen’s new Minister of Music. Handsome, charming and vastly talented, the women of the congregation adore him. Even Katherine is swayed by his manners and ability, But Roger not only brought beautiful music, he brings poisoned notes to the choir. Katherine seeks to find the secret of why he has changed churches yearly. She prays the discovery will be in time to prevent a tragedy.
Review
The Mrs. Miller Mysteries series is a sheer delight. Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher would love Katherine Miller. I know I do. ~~ Writer Gail Roughton
Excerpt:
On Groundhog day
when Robespierre, my Maine Coon cat, jumped from his place on the window seat,
one thought popped into my head.
Company. Who? After following him to the kitchen, I watched
him push his bulky, brown and black body through the hinged opening at the
bottom of the door. Moments later I
peered down the dimly lit stairwell.
Robespierre had sprawled in the center of the third step and blocked my
visitor’s progress.
“Good grief,
Katherine, I hope he’s not planning to bite me again.” Edward Potter, pastor of St. Stephen’s
Episcopal Church, glared at the cat. His
voice had risen to a high pitch.
“Whatever do you feed him? He’s
ever so much bigger than Bitsy.”
The temptation to say my pet fed on
pastors was strong. I refrained and
fought to control a grin that threatened to blossom. Teasing Edward usually results in a lecture
delivered in an indignant voice.
With an air of disdain, Robiesperre
stretched. His back rippled in a way I
envy. Then he slithered around Edward.
When Edward reached the top of the
steps, he turned and peered at the cat.
“He’s becoming more brazen.”
“Only toward selected guests. He ignores most people.” I turned my head and Edward brushed my cheek
with his lips.
Edward is a dapper little man with
an ear for gossip and a penchant for turning even the slightest event into a
fiesta or a disaster. He’s astute about
church politics. The coffers at St.
Stephen’s are filled through his ability to cosset and cajole the elderly
population of the church, mainly wealthy women.
I partially fit the category, being over sixty-five, and while not rich,
I’m at least comfortable.
When he entered the sunlit kitchen,
the expression on his face announced a problem.
He walked into the living room.
Unlike most of my guests, he considered chats at the kitchen table for
commoners. In the living room, he
perched on the edge of a Queen Anne chair, purchased years ago before antiques
became the rage. In the past twenty
years, stores selling every manner of old things have spread plague-like in the
business district of the Hudson River village
where I live.
“You’re tense. How about a cup of mint tea?”
“Not all the tranquilizers in the
world will calm me. It’s a disaster, a
complete and utter tragedy.” His hands
fluttered. The words rolled out like a
sermon promising hell and damnation.
“How will we maintain the quality of the services? Easter will be a disaster.”
My forehead wrinkled. What in the world had stirred him into this
state? The last time had been when one
of the altar boys had spilled the communion wine. Had there been a fire at the church? A flood?
A plague? The strident fire
whistles had been silent for days. What
had occurred? Knowing a full and
dramatic scene would develop, I wanted mint tea.
“I’ll heat the water. Then you can tell me about this
tragedy.” Mint tea is my all-purpose
remedy, calming nerves and stimulating the mind, bringing alertness or sleep.
I retreated to the kitchen, filled
the kettle and stuffed a silver ball with an assortment of dried mint
leaves. While the water boiled, I
assembled the pottery mugs, sugar and spoons on a wooden tray.
“Why will Easter be a problem?” I set the tray on a Duncan Phyfe table.
“We may have to cancel the
season.” He patted his thinning light
brown hair.
I swallowed a laugh. “How can we cancel one of the main reasons
for St. Stephen’s existence?”
“Are you making fun of me?” His voice rose in pitch. “I’m absolutely serious.” He accepted a mug. “Mary’s husband has been transferred. It’s a disaster.”
I mentally sorted through all the
Marys in the congregation and tried to decide which one’s leaving would cause
Edward to fall apart. Who had triggered
the word of the day? On another level,
the need to giggle soared. Perched on
the edge of the chair and holding a tea cup with both hands, Edward looked like
a child.
“There are about twenty Marys at St.
Stephen’s. Which one do you mean?”
“Mary Hensen, our organist. What will our services be like without the
organ and the choir? Katherine, you have
to help us until we find a replacement.”
Twenty years ago I resigned my
position as organist at St. Stephen’s.
My husband’s sudden death had left me with a son to raise and enough
money to cover three years of expenses.
Once I finished my nursing course, my Sunday schedule had passed out of
my control.
“Don’t you think I’m a bit old for
the job?”
My Places:
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
http://www.bwlpublishing.ca/authors/lane-walters-janet-romance-fantasy-usa/
Be sure to visit here and see what great reads you will find
http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com
Be sure to visit here and see what great reads you will find
http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Balancing Scene and Sequel #MFRWauthor #writingtips #Swain
As a writer, there needs to be a balance between scene and sequel. Too much scene and the characters bounce from one adventure into another without time for the reader to draw a breath. On the other hand too much sequel and the reader might fall asleep. The character can only obsess over a decision and react emotionally to what has happened before the boredom element sets in. You do not want to bore your reader, neither do you want him of her to feel breathless and wish the story could end so they can take a breath.
Blending scene and sequel are important to the flow of the story. They also perform different parts of the whole. If the pacing of your story seems to drag, a scene where action is the king needs to take place. If the story begins to become just one adventure after another give the characters time to reflect on what just happened and what that means to them and their quest for their goal.
How big should the scene be? There much to consider. Where does the scene fall in the story? If you open with a scene like a volcano erupting or a major battle unfolding, what kind of scene do you follow this with. I look at each story like a rollercoaster. The ride takes you up and then down and up and down. That's what scene and sequel do but each must build a little higher than the last one.
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
http://www.bwlpublishing.ca/authors/lane-walters-janet-romance-fantasy-usa/
Monday, October 16, 2017
Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Poetry #am writing
Meander 1 - Poem
Autumn River
Restless,
Lashing against rocks and earth
In aimless efforts to win free from a channeled life
Trying to erode entrapping banks
Before the coffin beneath its grave cloth
When your currents are calmed
And you are snared.
Meander 2 _ Visiting With a Friend - Not in person, though I wish we could see each other again. I've been reading the books of my friend Kat Attalla and enjoying every moment. Her stories make me laugh and also bring tears. She had such a gift for snappy dialogue and very macho heros who were also human like some macho heros aren't. I wish there were more stories but walking this pathway on occasion brings memories of the days we spent talking about writing and life.
Meander 3 - Writing. I am still slogging through Sweet Tea. Hopefully soon this will be at an end. Also typing up another short story to share. This is one story that really sounds like a synopsis for a book. One never to be written since the world has changed especially with technology and all. 1968 the story was possible. Not today.
My Places:
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
http://www.bwlpublishing.ca/authors/lane-walters-janet-romance-fantasy-usa/
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Sunday's Book - Code Blue #MFRWauthor #Suspense #medical
In the medical suspense Code Blue by Janet Lane Walters, published by Books We Love and previously published as Obsessions, nurse Susan finds the body of the hospital’s “gossip queen” in the orthopedic storage room. She doesn’t realize this is the first of a series of murders involving her colleagues or that her life is in danger. She is a widow and is exploring a new romantic relationship that promises love but she fears the man she is falling for is as controlling as her dead husband. The arrival of courtship gifts, at first, seen as innocuous soon takes on a sinister note.
Reviews
This book kept me on edge from the first page to the last. Several times I just 'knew' I'd figured out who the killer was, but each time, there was a bit of doubt there until the very last paragraph! I highly recommend this book. 4 Stars (Excellent!)"--Tracie's Book Reviews by Kathy's Faves and Raves
"A series of murders, suspense, action, a tad of love makes OBSESSIONS an intriguing tale designed to mystify your mind. If you love mysteries, you'll love Janet Lane Walters newest release. 4 Stars!"--Just Views
"Fast-paced mainstream novel ... Walters plots carefully, each scene constructed to perfection. For readers who enjoy being terrified, this is an author to turn to for entertainment. She tells all, while managing to create paranoia among the characters."--Affaire de Coeur
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books by Rosemary Morris #MFRWauthor #historical romance #regency romance
Yvonne
Lady of Cassio
When Yvonne and
Elizabeth, daughters of ruthless Simon Lovage, Earl of Cassio, are born under
the same star to different mothers, no one could have foretold their lives
would be irrevocably entangled.
Against the
background of Edward II’s turbulent reign in the fourteenth century, Yvonne,
Lady of Cassio, contains imaginary and historical characters.
It is said the
past is a foreign country in which things were done differently. Nevertheless,
although that is true of attitudes, such as those towards women and children,
our ancestors were also prompted by ambition, anger, greed, jealousy, humanity,
duty, loyalty, unselfishness and love.
From early
childhood, despite those who love her and want to protect her, Yvonne is forced
to face difficult economic, personal and political circumstances, during a
long, often bitter struggle.
Tangled Love
Tangled Love is the story of two great estates.
The throne has been usurped by James II’s daughter Mary and her husband William
of Orange. In 1693, loyal to his oath of allegiance, ten- year-old Richelda’s
father must follow James to France.
Before her father leaves, he gives her a ruby
ring she will treasure and wear on a chain round her neck. In return Richelda
swears an oath to try to regain their ancestral home, Field House.
By the age of eighteen, Richelda’s beloved
parents are dead. She believes her privileged life is over. At home in
dilapidated Belmont House, her only companions are her mother’s old nurse and
her devoted dog, Puck. Clad in old clothes she dreams of elegant gowns and
trusts her childhood friend, a poor parson’s son, who promised to marry her.
Richelda’s wealthy aunt takes her to London and
arranges her marriage to Viscount Chesney, the new owner of Field House, where
it is rumoured there is treasure. If she finds it Richelda hopes to ease their
lives. However, while trying to find it her life is in danger.
Sunday’s Child
Georgianne
Whitley’s beloved father and brothers died in the war against Napoleon
Bonaparte. While she is grieving for them, she must deal with her unpredictable
mother’s sorrow, and her younger sisters’ situation caused by it.
Georgianne’s
problems increase when the arrogant, wealthy but elderly Earl of Pennington,
proposes marriage to her for the sole purpose of being provided with an heir.
At first, she is tempted by his proposal, but something is not quite right
about him. She rejects him not suspecting it will lead to unwelcome
repercussions.
Once,
Georgianne had wanted to marry an army officer. Now, she decides never to marry
‘a military man’ for fear he will be killed on the battlefield. However,
Georgianne still dreams of a happy marriage before unexpected violence forces
her to relinquish the chance to participate in a London Season sponsored by her
aunt.
Shocked and
in pain, Georgianne goes to the inn where her cousin Sarah’s step-brother,
Major Tarrant, is staying, while waiting for the blacksmith to return to the
village and shoe his horse. Recently, she has been reacquainted with
Tarrant—whom she knew when in the nursery—at the vicarage where Sarah lives
with her husband Reverend Stanton.
The war in
the Iberian Peninsula is nearly at an end so, after his older brother’s death,
Tarrant, who was wounded, returns to England where his father asks him to marry
and produce an heir.
To please his
father, Tarrant agrees to marry, but due to a personal tragedy he has decided
never to father a child.
When
Georgianne, arrives at the inn, quixotic Tarrant sympathises with her unhappy
situation. Moreover, he is shocked by the unforgivably brutal treatment she has
suffered.
Full of
admiration for her beauty and courage Tarrant decides to help Georgianne.
Rosemary
Morris’s Romantic Historical Fact Fiction is published by Books We Love. Her
novels are available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Friday's Guest - Rosemary Morris #MFRWauthor #romanceregency #historical
Question. Do you write a single genre or do
your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms?
Do your
reading choices reflect your writing choices?
Are
there genres you wouldn’t attempt?
Answer.
I only write Romantic Historical Fact Fiction. Writing, researching and my
interest in history keeps me too busy to write in other genres. Reading
historical non-fiction inspires me. I am reading Set in A Silver Sea, Volume
One, A History of the British People, by Arthur Bryant and intend to read Volumes
2 and 3. His description of the Dark Ages and the successive invasions of
Britain has stirred my imagination.
I
wouldn’t attempt erotica or novels with explicit sexual content. I might write
contemporary short stories but not novels.
Question.
Heroes. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or plain imagination
create the man you want every reader to love? Do they come before the plot or
after you have the idea for the story?
Answer.
Imagination creates the heroes in my novels but their lives, not their
appearance or character, are based, are influenced by biographies. Sometimes they evolve in unexpected ways. For
example, I dreamt about a young man called Justin who lived in Queen Anne
Stuart’s reign, 1702-1714, who asked me to take him shopping at The Royal
Exchange in a novel. If he is lucky he might be the hero in a future novel.
The
themes for my novels are derived from reading historical non-fiction.
I
choose a name appropriate for the era. Next, I create him by writing a detailed
character profile, so thorough that I get to know him as well as I know a close
family member.
Question.
Heroines. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or imagination create
the woman you want the reader to root for? Do they appear before the plot or
after you have the idea for the story?
Answer.
My heroines are products of my imagination dependent on the eras in which they
lived. I don’t write about 21st century women dressed in costume
with 21st century attitudes. I read biographies, base my imaginary
heroines on them and decide on the theme. Next, I write a detailed character
profile. From this the plot emerges. Illustrations and painting help with
descriptions of hair styles and costumes as well as books on these subjects.
Question. Villains or villainesses or an antagonist,
since they don’t always have to be the bad guy or girl. They can be a person
opposed to the hero’s or heroine’s obtaining their goal. How do you choose one?
How do you make them human?
Answer. They evolve
according to the plot and are used as devices to create conflict. To avoid
stereotypes, I give them a redeeming quality, love for someone or a pet or a
moral boundary they would not cross. For example, in Sunday’s Child, the villain
kidnaps a little girl but he would not cause her bodily harm.
Question.
What is your latest release? Who is the hero, heroine and or the villain?
Answer.
My latest release is Yvonne, Lady of Cassio, set in the reign of Edward II
which begins when Yvonne, daughter of Simon, Earl of Cassio is born. This novel
has many twists and turns so I won’t reveal the hero and the villain.
Question.
What are you working on now?
Answer.
I have finished Wednesday’s Child, Heroines Born on Different Days of the Week,
Book Four and am writing Thursday’s Child, Book Five, also set in the popular
Regency era. It is unnecessary to read Sunday’s, Monday’s and Tuesday’s Child
to follow the stories, each of which have strong themes modern day readers can sympathise with.
For example, the heroine in my Regency novel, False Pretences is desperate to find out
who her parents are.
Question. How can people find you?
Answer.
On my website, at Books We Love, my publisher’s website and Facebook.
www.facdebook.com/writerinagarret.
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