We
would like to welcome Novelist Aletta Smith and thank her for taking time out
to speak with us.
Q.
Hazy View: Souls of the Vanished. I have to ask what inspired such an original
name?
A. I lived on the shores of Da Gama Lake which is near Hazy View. In the winter the mist would settle among the reeds which created such a sinister and mysterious scene that gave birth to the book.
Q.
As a South African, you are fully bilingual. What made you choose to write your
book in English compared to writing it in Afrikaans?
A.
Yes, although I attended an Afrikaans school I felt more comfortable writing in
English. I felt I can express myself more and deeper in English rather than
Afrikaans.
Q.
Hazy View is such an amazing horror/thriller. Was this your first attempt at a
full length novel? What inspired the plot line?
A.
No, I have attempted others but didn’t feel as strong about them as I did with Souls of the Vanished. Mostly what
inspired the plot was the dam and the scene it painted in the winter, standing
on the shore you can almost see something rising out of the mist.
Q.
What does the future hold? Are you working on anything new for your fans out
there?
A.
I hope the future hold a great deal. I’m currently working on two new books,
the one a follow up to Hazy View: Souls of the Vanished and the other a dragon
awaken after three hundred years. This is all I’ll reveal at this moment.
Q.
What tips do you have for South African writers trying to start a career?
A. Someone wise once told me “you can fail a million times but you can succeed only one”. It was my grandfather the only person who ever believed in me. Even if no one believes in you, you have to believe in yourself and work hard, this is the only way to succeed.
Thank
you for joining us and we look forward to seeing more from you in the near
future. I encourage everyone to experience Hazy View: Souls of the Vanished.
Available at Amazon.
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