About Monique Snyman
Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words—be it writing, reading or fixing all the words.
Monique Snyman lives outside Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of Muti Nation, a horror novel set in South Africa, and Bram Stoker Award® nominated novel, The Night Weaver, which is the first installment in a dark fantasy series for young adults.
Read BookTrib’s review of her book, The Night Weaver.
BOOKS:
Biggest literary influencers:
D.H. Lawrence, Jack Ketchum, Stephen King and countless others.
Last book read:
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
The book that changed your life:
I’d have to pick The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It is one of my favorite books because it’s super funny and utterly ridiculous in a way that actually makes sense. Also, it changed my life because it’s my husband’s favorite book, and after I read it we started sharing inside jokes whenever the opportunity presented itself. Before he suggested I give Douglas Adams a try, I’ll admit that I didn’t really venture into sci-fi or comedy at all. So, that book really opened the genre up to me.
Your favorite literary character:
I’m pretty sure this will be a weird entry for someone who tends to gravitate towards full-blown horror, but Dimitri Belikov from The Vampire Academy series is by far my favorite character. He’s complex, which makes him extraordinarily real. Richelle Mead crafted his personality with such care that he become an unforgettable character with strange quirks and many flaws, but he’s still likable. That takes great talent to achieve.
Currently working on:
I’m working on two books at the moment. The Bone Carver (the sequel to The Night Weaver) and a horror collection of poetry and short fiction, which I’ve titled Nocturnal Deviations. Hopefully both will be available in 2020.
Words to live by:
“It was the possibility of darkness that made the day seem so bright.”
—Stephen King
Advice to new and aspiring authors:
Remember to read a lot, write when you can spare a few minutes, and don’t neglect self-care.
Articles / Reviews:
Testimonials
” “…the Night Weaver doesn’t only prey upon the flesh of children, but on grief, fear, and pain—making her both the monster under the bed in a scared child’s bedroom and a fitting personification of the dark shadow that lives in the back of the mind of anyone who has experienced tragedy.”
- – Seven Jane, bestselling author of Havenwood Falls
” “The Night Weaver was brimming with ideas, nice touches and was good company.”
- – Tony Jones, Ginger Nuts of Horror