Bruce R. Smith's Blog
April 15, 2025
Inspiration
The inspiration for my novel "The Answers Lie in Africa," is rooted in real events. In this case, the real event was a trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe that my wife and I made in 2023.
The route we traveled, from Cape Town to Johannesburg, and then to Victoria Falls, is coincidentally the same route that Fiona and Karl travel. The idea for this story formed during our tour of the Kimberley diamond mine and was solidified by the exotic nights aboard Rovos Rail. The fire in the mine was a real event and incorporated into the story, however, that’s where reality ends and fiction begins. Like the gold rush in California, the diamond rush in South Africa in the late 1800s was fueled by excitement and greed. I recall standing at the edge of the Big Hole, imagining the chaos as fortunes were made and lost.
It wasn’t our first time in Africa, but it was the first time I’ve ever been so inspired. While we didn’t chase any long-hidden family secrets or search for missing diamonds, the experience was unforgettable.
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed telling it.
For more information, or to contact the author, please email using the link below.
brucesmithwrites@gmail.com
The route we traveled, from Cape Town to Johannesburg, and then to Victoria Falls, is coincidentally the same route that Fiona and Karl travel. The idea for this story formed during our tour of the Kimberley diamond mine and was solidified by the exotic nights aboard Rovos Rail. The fire in the mine was a real event and incorporated into the story, however, that’s where reality ends and fiction begins. Like the gold rush in California, the diamond rush in South Africa in the late 1800s was fueled by excitement and greed. I recall standing at the edge of the Big Hole, imagining the chaos as fortunes were made and lost.
It wasn’t our first time in Africa, but it was the first time I’ve ever been so inspired. While we didn’t chase any long-hidden family secrets or search for missing diamonds, the experience was unforgettable.
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed telling it.
For more information, or to contact the author, please email using the link below.
brucesmithwrites@gmail.com
