In our new interview we interviewed Veleta Hayles about her premium book “The Depth of Mischief” and its origin.

1. Do you think that the title of the book lives up to expectation?

Yes, I do. ‘The Depth of Mischief’ reveals the strengths of the characters. They take pride in themselves to be who they are. I believe in the characters. They have strong attributes that help to overcome setbacks and limitations.

2. Which character(s) most resemble you in real life?

I would think that I fall between Twi and Ibo.  For one, their names have some significant meaning which I like. They are young and they have everything going for them. Twi and Ibo want to take stock of their lives and respond to setbacks the best way that they can. However, they are timid, and they hate to be losers, so they will go beyond the ordinary to right the wrongs that they encounter.

3. What inspires you as a writer?

I love to read books. There is something in every book for me to learn from. I can laugh or smile about the lighter side of life. It is a tremendous boot to read and I can say the same about ‘The Depth of Mischief’.

4. How did you choose your characters?

I thought for a long time about how I wanted the characters to be.  I observed a lot of people and places. It’s a good way to build a story. I wanted the characters to be the first of their kind.

5. When did you get the feeling that the story was coming together?

Getting over the first three chapters was a great feeling and after that, I was more at ease with myself. From then on, there were noticeable differences in their personalities, it all added value to the story.

6. Are you expecting the characters to live on in your future writing?

I hope so. It’s a possibility that the world will orbit around their lives and since travelling is what they love to do, we might see them differently, but it is hard to tell at this stage.

7. How could your book influence changes in people and society?

Migration happens every day and wherever a person goes, whether it is Sudan or Scotland they’ll have an experience to tell people. It’s not a bad idea to venture into the unknown.  

8. How were you able to balance fact with fiction in the book?

It was not easy to do. However, I believe that fact has some bearing on fictional outcomes, and it is important to show that even the wilder sides of life have some real meanings to it. Wikipedia and Google are always helpful.

9. Did you set out to create heroes and anti-heroes?

I gave some thought to it, and so, I felt that there was nothing drastically wrong if the heroes and the anti-heroes were to feature strongly in the story, as long as they were appealing to the readers.

10. What would you like the readers to remember about ‘The Depth of Mischief’?

It is my debut novel. It’s about a transcendent generation who challenged themselves and society to fulfill their goals against all odds and if they did so could others.