Paul Zunckel hails from South Africa. He began his career as an Indie Author and after much trials and tribulations has landed full publishing for his work with Vanilla Heart Publishing. Paul has graciously taken a few moments of his time to give us an in depth interview of his work.
Q: Where did you get the inspiration for your book Blood Moon Over Africa and the subsequent followups in The Piet van Zyl Adventure stories?
A: The inspiration for Blood Moon Over Africa came for my love of Africa, it's mysteries, superstitions, beliefs and different cultures.
1. Africa in general is steeped in superstition and supernatural beliefs. The local people both in the rural and urban areas of Africa, have a very deep rooted belief in witchcraft and even a common cold can be attributed to a spell being cast on them.
2. The Hyena is to African what the black cat is to Europe. The wide spread belief is that the hyena is used by the witch doctor to ride to meetings deep in the bush.
3. The Wambugwe of Tanzania believes that every witch doctor possesses one or more hyena that is branded with his mark and is referred to as his "night cattle".
4. A common belief around the hyena is that the animal gives birth in the witch doctors hut, and the owner milks them once a day.
5. There are no free hyena...the belief is that all hyena are owned by witch doctors.
6. In BMOA I took the cultural belief in the witch doctor/ hyena working hand in hand and joined the two in order to create my creature, I also used the superstition of the full moon to act as the trigger.
Once I had completed Blood Moon Over Africa, my characters took on a life of their own, and it was as if a tap had been opened. The ideas just flowed. Blood Spoor in the Dark, I took facts and fused them with fiction, while Blood Demon- revenge was just a figment from my dark side, giving birth to the The Blood Trilogy, I had no control over it, I just went with the flow. The Devil in Eden just naturally followed the flow.
Q: How would you best describe Piet and company?
A: Veronica Strydom was intended to be my main character, but Piet van Zyl decided that "n' Boer maak n' plan" and just took a life of his own.
Piet van Zyl is and ex-pat from South Africa, making his way in another country, doing what he loves and that is living in the African Bush. I think that the best description of Piet and company would be described as normal hard working people who value friendship, and stick together no mater what. The type of people you can relate to, not super hero's but the boy ad girl next door, who just happen to be in the wrong place at the right time.
Q: A lot of new Authors give up after a few rejections, what made you keep going?
A: Determination to succeed, but also the belief that my family and some very special friends had in my work. I would be very hard pressed to give out the title NUMBER ONE FAN, to a couple of very special people in my life.... my wife has been a pillar of support, but so have a few others who all believed in me, and that alone made me believe in myself.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writer's?
A: Wow, now you are asking me something. I think my answer to the above question sums it up. Believe in yourself and do not take rejection to heart. Keep writing and persevere, don't give up. Make a small sign and paste it where you can see it all the time... it should read...."Dreams do come true". Mine did, but I will admit to pinching myself now and then to make sure I am not dreaming.
Q: What has been the best part of being an Author for you personally?
A: 1. The people I have met on my journey, and the friendships that have been formed over a common love for writing.
2. The absolute satisfaction of being able to type "The End" to something that started out as an idea.
3. The conversations I have in my head with my characters.
4. The support that I get from family and friends, the positive reviews, plus I get to travel the world in my imagination.
Q: do you for see ending the Piet line and moving on to a new line of story?
A: At the moment, No. Piet seems quite popular with the readers in general and it would be a shame to leave them all hanging. On a serious note, Vanilla Heart Publishing has just released the Piet van Zyl African Adventure Thrillers, and there are a further three books waiting to be written, and hopefully take the reader on another roller coaster rode of mystery, superstition, thrill's and suspense with just a touch of horror.... after all you never know what is waiting out there in the dark under the Blood Moon.
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