Toronto-based author preparing final book in trilogy series he never expected to write.
Gabriel Tait held onto the idea for a story since he was in his 20s.
He wanted the story told, but not seeing himself as a writer – and with no intention of becoming one – he offered the idea to friends in the industry. None of them took him up on it over the years, however, and the idea sat dormant until he turned 50.
“I’d had the skeleton of what I thought was a good idea for what eventually became Meeks since my early twenties. It wasn’t fleshed out at all, but I knew it had something. I knew it had a solid hook. I never had any ambition to become a writer. In fact, I’d offered the idea to other people over the years, hoping someone else might do something with it,” said Tait. “So as I approached my 50th birthday, I started thinking about doing something big, something genuinely challenging. I’d been sober for nearly twenty years at that point, and if that wasn’t challenging enough, I was still looking for what I would consider a monumental undertaking. I wanted to attempt something I wasn’t sure I could pull off.”
With the encouragement of his family, Tait began his journey to take the idea of the character Ranleigh Meeks and turn it into something real, in October 2019. He picked up On Writing, by Stephen King and his journey had commenced.
“I don’t think I was really setting out to become a novelist. I just wanted to find out whether I could tell this story.”
After three years and seven drafts, Meeks, the first book by Tait was ready.
“Meeks follows Ranleigh Meeks from a troubled childhood on the Canadian Prairies to adult life in Toronto, where addiction, self-deception and destructive choices catch up with him. It’s dark psychological fiction, with some fairly dry humour to boot.”
Struggling through life with anxiety and depression, the character of Meeks does all he can to become someone he thinks he was meant to be.
Throughout the book, readers will get a sense of raw and emotional experiences that can only come from someone who has lived the life. This is because Tait, now more than 20 years sober, was an addict himself.
“My experience informs how I portray addiction and its consequences. I wanted the recovery arc to feel authentic, including the uglier parts. Consequences teach, and I didn’t want to soften them just to make the story more comfortable. The books are fiction, but my years in addiction and recovery give me a perspective on the behaviour. I can understand why something makes sense to a character and still see where it’s going to lead.”
The twists and turns of the book are not the only heart wrenching things you’ll experience. The trauma and weight that addiction can take on ones life, are felt throughout with a realism that will make you understand those who suffer as addicts, all the much better.
Following his debut novel, Tait wasn’t yet finished with the story of Meeks, releasing The Ranleigh Tapes in 2025.
This story, set six months into Meeks’ sobriety, finds him on step five of the 12 steps, admitting to his sponsor everything he has done in his life.
“The Ranleigh Tapes finds him six months sober, recording an account of his past with his sponsor. This time, he gets to tell the story himself. It’s told through tape transcripts, interspersed with childhood artifacts.”
With Tait changing the way the story was told from the first to second books, the story evolves with the character. With the third book, Echo, currently being written, Tait once again plans on changing the way the final chapter of the Meeks story is being told.
“Echo is the third and final installment of the Meeks trilogy. It’s going to have a big, satisfying conclusion to Ranleigh Meeks’ story. There will be no more books concerning our hero after this one,” said Tait. “I am taking another big risk with how I present the finale and hope it pays off. It should be out in late 2027 if all goes well.”
While details are under wraps, fans of the series needn’t wait that much longer for the conclusion of this layered and deeply flawed character.
With the story he wanted told nearly completed, Tait says he has no plans for what comes after the character of Ranleigh Meeks is put to bed.
“really got into this to tell Ranleigh Meeks’ story. Once Echo is done and dusted, I’ll have done that. What comes after remains to be seen.”
For more information on the author and the books, visit www.gabrieltait.com.
