Berks County native Ali Smith – published under the pen name A. L. Hooke – has been wordsmithing as a journalist, copywriter and content marketer for more than a decade. This September, she’s adding another title to her repertoire: published author. Her debut action-adventure science fiction novel, Daughter of the Antediluvian World: An Atlantis Origin Story, hits shelves on Sept. 7.
Q: Ok first thing’s first: what’s with the pen name? It was really a marketing decision. Often pen names are about anonymity, but I’m proud of my work and want to be transparent with my readers. “Smith” might be easy to spell and pronounce, but it’s not exactly unique. I wanted something with a little more mystery. One of my favorite fictional characters is Capt. James Hook, from Peter Pan. So “Hooke” is a nod to J. M. Barrie.
Q: Daughter of the Antediluvian World, what’s it about? At its core, the story follows a woman on a journey of self-discovery. Except in the case of my heroine, Ryan Jones, the answers are a little more fantastic than in your everyday “coming of age” narrative. Orphaned at a very young age, Ryan is plagued by questions about her mysterious past and lucid dreams about the ancient lost city of Atlantis. When a mysterious gift arrives form her long-dead parents, she abandons the stable life she has fought to create to cross the globe in search of answers – and the legendary city. Her quest leads her deep into the heart of darkness, where she discovers that secrets hidden in her genetic code could save an entire race from the brink of extinction – but there is a cost.
Q: That’s quite a jump from nonfiction copywriting, what was the inspiration? I think making that leap was my primary inspiration. I wrote my first paid article for The Reading Eagle when I was 12 years old. Since then, I’ve really made a career out of writing, and I love what I do, but it does sometimes feel like a job. This project gave me the opportunity to take some creative license and find joy in writing again. This story has been rattling around in my brain since college, and the shutdowns in 2020 gave me the time I needed to put it down on paper.
Q: What was the writing process like? I think writing the rough draft was the easy part. There are a lot of incredible resources out there for self-published authors that helped me to structure my ideas into an engaging plot line, and the rest was sheer determination. I wrote for at least 90 minutes every morning before work for about eight months to get it all down. The book is fiction-based-in-fact – think Dan Brown but not quite so eloquent! – so there was a lot of research to do as part of the creative process. But the real work started when it came time to edit, format, market and launch the book. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about throwing in the towel more than once!
Q: What has been your greatest lesson? Not to doubt myself. There were a lot of moments when I didn’t think this book was good enough to release. Thankfully, I have an incredible support system that pushed me to do it anyway, and the early feedback I have received has been phenomenal. The dedication in the book is “For anyone brave enough to seek their own lost city.” Writing this book has been my search, and if I can help just one person find the courage to find theirs then this has all been worth it.
Did You Know:
What’s in a Word? Antediluvian is defined as “of or belonging to the time before the flood” and was used as a reference for the legendary city by Ignatius Donnelly, a Philadelphia native who wrote the infamous pseudo archeological book Atlantis: The Antediluvian World in 1882.
On Sale Now! “Daughter of the Antediluvian World” is available for purchase on Amazon in eBook and paperback formats. Learn more and pick up your copy today at ALHooke.com. For behind-the-scenes content, follow @ALHookeBooks on Facebook or Instagram.
