Paul Jariabek - Historical Fiction Author

I am a father, husband, and a technology executive by day, and an amateur historian and historical fiction author by night.

As a young child, I remember picking up a book, and losing myself in the story. I devoured every book I got my hands on, and I enjoyed classical stories the most—Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, Moby Dick, and many others. It was that author’s sense of craft and story that magically carried me away on the Hispaniola, had me cross rapiers with the Cardinal Guard, or terrified me with Ahab’s all-consuming goal.

My discovery of Sir Francis Drake’s rise from a prayers’ reader and yeoman farmer’s son to one of history’s most audacious pirates sparked my historical fiction series Adventures of Francis Drake, beginning the upcoming historical fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna and the short story Retribution.

Based in Southern California, I craft meticulously researched adventures that blend historical accuracy with page-turning action. My perfectionist nature led me to rewrite multiple scenes after fact-checking a daring escape in Sic Parvis Magna against nautical architecture of 16th-century ships. To experience Drake’s world firsthand, I sailed aboard the replica galleon San Salvador, working the sails.

When not agonizing over historical details or managing technology projects, I share my passion at jariabek.com, where I publish sketches of my characters, as well as my historical fiction research, flash fiction, and reviews—creating a hub for fellow historical fiction enthusiasts. It is my earnest hope that my stories and characters catch you in mid-stride and carry you off to experience their worlds.