Hello my Freaky Darlings,
Today on 13 Questions we have fellow South African author, Monique Snyman. Monique lives in Pretoria, South Africa with an adorable Chihuahua that keeps her company and a bloodthirsty lawyer who keeps her sane. She is a full-time author, part-time editor and in-between reviewer of all things entertaining. Her short fiction has been published in a number of small press anthologies, and the Charming Incantations series is being published by Rainstorm. You can find her at the following links: Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Pinterest, Goodreads, Tumblr.
1. What drives you to write?
I suppose writing keeps me sane. My imagination is so vivid that I need some kind of outlet, otherwise everything is bottled up and my mind becomes too loud to bear.
2. What attracted you to writing horror?
Speculative fiction is progressive and constantly evolves with time. What scares us today may not necessarily scare us tomorrow, which gives writers the opportunity to think above and beyond in order to entertain their readers with the darkest parts of themselves. Horror is an especially challenging genre though, especially seeing as it is a highly competitive market. But I love a challenge and horror is a part of me, so writing horror just came naturally.
3. Who are your favourite horror writers?
I think Kim Newman is definitely one of my favourites, along with the usual suspects: Stephen King, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, Dean Koontz and Peter Straub. Some of the lesser known authors that I enjoy reading is South African author S.L. Grey and Joan de la Haye (hey, that’s you!).
4. Which horror novels do you think every horror fan should read?
That’s a tough one, because there are so many wonderful horror novels available. However, the one book that’s stuck with me longer than most is Kim Newman’s Jago. It’s just so weird and creepy… I loved it.
5. Ebooks or paperback?
Paperback.
6. What would make you pick up a novel by a new author? 
I’m not too picky with reading books by new authors. However, if you want to impress me, I love a striking cover with a great blurb on the back, and if the formatting’s good too, I’ll probably buy the book.
7. Who is your favourite fictional character?
The vampire Lestat.
8. Do you plot your stories or does it just unfold before your eyes?
I’ve tried both methods in the past, but ultimately neither works for me. I’ve taught myself to dream out my scenes though. In other words, I watch my stories unfold like movies when I’m asleep and when I wake up I write them down…
9. Do your characters take on a life of their own and do things you didn’t plan?
Most of the time they have personalities of their own and I channel their personalities when I write, but as all authors struggle to keep certain characters in line, I too have extreme difficulty to make certain ones behave.
10. Do you listen to music when you write or do you need silence?
Yes, I like compiling playlists for my works in progress.
11. Do you do a lot of research for your stories?
That depends solely on the story. For horror I don’t do a lot of research, but for my fantasy and mythology based stories it’s a whole new ball-game. *winks*
12. Facebook or Twitter?
Facebook.
13. What really pisses you off about writing?
People, in general, tend to take writers for granted. But it irks me when great authors are pushed aside and forgotten while mediocre writers are turned into so-called ‘literary’ geniuses. It’s a peculiar and unfair method that pop-culture use to break a writer’s spirit.
About Charming Incantations: Enticed
When Lisa Richards’ parents died, she never thought her life would change as drastically as it did. Now she has to take over her father’s seat on a secret supernatural council, lead troops into battle against the ferocious Goblin Lord, and try not to get herself killed in the process.
To make matters worse, Lisa thinks she may be falling in love with the socialite werewolf who was simply supposed protect her.
Whoever said growing up was easy, clearly didn’t have to save the world every other week.
Get your copy of Charming Incantations: Enticed