Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Gabrielle Yetter to the blog to talk about her debut fiction novel Whisper of the Lotus.
As far back as I can remember I have always loved to write. At school, English was my favourite subject and when my career guidance teacher suggested I study journalism, I didn’t hesitate. Once I’d completed my studies, I started working as a reporter on The Star, South Africa’s largest daily newspaper, and soon had my own column as well as writing for the entertainment section where I wrote film and theatre reviews, restaurant critiques and personality profiles. I interviewed a number of celebrities, including Cliff Richard, the Osmonds, David Carradine, and Spike Milligan, and enjoyed being able to peek below the surface, learn what makes people tick, and hear their life stories.
After leaving South Africa, I went to the U.S. and was always writing something: freelance articles, children’s stories, press releases, marketing pieces and dozens of journals where I chronicled the events of my life.
If you had to give an elevator pitch for your debut novel, Whisper of the Lotus, what would it be?Whisper of the Lotus is about the journey of a young woman who meets a mysterious old man on her way to Cambodia who changes the direction of her life. She’d originally planned on visiting her best friend and enjoying a foreign holiday but instead finds herself exploring dusty back streets and mystical pagodas in search of a missing person and, ultimately, discovering the real reason for her journey. Part mystery, part self-discovery and part magic, it’s story wrapped up in the sights, sounds, and smells of this exotic Asian country.
Charlotte's mundane, dead-end life lacked excitement. She never imagined that sitting on a plane to Cambodia, struggling with her fear of flying, would lead to her being befriended by a Rashid, an old man whose tragic secret would take her on a mystery tour of discovery.
In a land of golden temples, orange-clad monks, and smiling people, Charlotte discovers nothing is as she'd expected. She also never imagined the journey would take her back to the night when her father walked out on the family.
And who was Rashid? Was he just a kindly old man, or was there something deeper sewn into the exquisite fabric of his life?
The story of the lotus is about a beautiful flower that begins life underwater covered in mud. As it grows, it pushes toward the surface, and the water washes the mud from its petals so that it emerges into the sunlight. This tale is a metaphor for my protagonist, Charlotte. When the book begins, she is a timid, naïve young woman trying to free herself from the shackles of a challenged background. But as the story progresses, she discovers truths about her past and emerges as a stronger, more confident and independent young woman.
