Monique Snyman's Blog, page 10

Black Mariah: Juneau, Alaska (S1E3) by Lindy Ryan

The third episode in the Black Mariah series is out today, and boy are you in for a treat! Written by the multi-award winning author, Lindy Miller, readers can be expected to be transported to Juneau, Alaska, where things are about to get super tense … and a bit cold … I hope you’ve got your bugout bag packed and you’re ready to flee into the unknown. Just in case. ����

Black Mariah: Juneau, Alaska

After her wife���s death, Rachel Mason wants to grieve in peace. But when the place she���s sought for sanctuary becomes another site in a series of strange events sweeping the nation, she���ll have to brave the Alaskan wilderness to survive.

Former cop turned mystery novelist, Rachel Mason wasn���t ready to live without her wife Ruby, but that didn���t stop the hiking accident that claimed Ruby���s life from happening. Heartbroken, Rachel left behind the noise of the East Coast to hide away in her parent���s guest house in Juneau, Alaska with nothing but her grief, her memories, and her two dogs.

When she is startled awake during a weekend camping trip by the sound of a low-flying plane, Rachel returns to town to find her parents and her dog have disappeared���along with everyone else in Juneau. The only clues to the disappearance of over thirty-thousand people are a strange white dust, the tail end of a ferry in the distance, and a caravan of blacked-out military vehicles she���s never seen on the island. Concerned that all of her late wife���s ���doomsday predictions��� are coming true, Rachel is forced to lean on the knowledge Ruby taught her if she���s to find her family, and���as the first hints of snow arrive in the mountains���stay alive.

All over the world, from small rural towns to big cities, from Alaska to South Africa, something is happening. Though events differ from place to place, all point to the same chilling outcome: the implementation of a New World Order by the global elite. Their goal���to centralize the world���s power and wealth into their own hands, and to control humanity. But first they need to cull the human population to sustainable levels, and their plans have begun. Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.

Welcome to the world of Marie D. Jones Presents Black Mariah, a harrowing near-future ripped from today���s headlines that dares to look at what might come next. This is a world of conspiracies and cover-ups, of lies and deception, of chaos and confusion, and of small groups of people who realize the only way to survive is to harness the power of the human spirit. To defy and persist. In the wake of the quest for survival, a revolution called ���Defiance��� is born.

This is a stand-alone story in the Black Mariah Shared World, a collaborative effort by authors from all across the globe whose characters react and respond to the same events, but in their own unique ways. Each story takes the reader on a journey of one of these characters, allowing for multiple perspectives to unfold. The only thing these characters have in common is that they survived Wave One. But will they survive what���s to come?

Immerse yourself in the world of ���Black Mariah��� and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.BlackMariahSeries.com.

NOW AVAILABLE

Buy Ebook


About Lindy Ryan

Lindy Miller Ryan is an entrepreneur, award-winning analytics professor, and publishing professional. In 2011, Ryan became the co-founder of Radiant Advisors, a business intelligence research and advisory firm, where as Chief Content Officer, she leads the company’s editorial and research divisions, and its data enablement practice, for clients that have included 21st Century Fox Films, Warner Bros., and Disney. In 2017, Ryan founded Black Spot Books, an independent small press focused in speculative fiction, which was acquired by Vesuvian Media Group in 2019. Now an accomplished publishing professional, Ryan currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and was named as one of Publishers Weekly‘s 2020 Star Watch Honorees. In 2021, Ryan founded media agency DARKLINE with author and screenwriter Burke Bryant.

Learn More About the Black Mariah Series

Black Mariah: El Desaguadero River, Nicaragua (S1E2) by Burke Bryant

Today marks the release of the second episode in the Black Mariah series, and this time we join Burke Bryant at the El Desaguadero River in Nicaragua! Things are about to get hella exciting in this remote area in South America. I mean, there’s action, suspicious people, some haunting scenes … Yup, you’re definitely going to bite your nails down to the quick. *nods*

But don’t take my word for it, read the synopsis for yourself and then get your copy (you know you want to 😉 ).

Black Mariah: El Desaguadero River, Nicaragua

When a member of a private research team deep in the Nicaraguan jungle succumbs to an unknown contaminant, the team is desperate to find help in the razed villages along the El Desaguadero River.

After a team member succumbs to a fatal respiratory infection, Chris Rake is forced to sail his research team upriver through dense Nicaraguan jungle in search of help. Instead of medicine, they find a deserted village still-smoldering from the fire of a mass grave and one survivor: a young blind girl too in shock to explain what’s happened to her people. Down one man and with a vessel unfit for sailing, the team sets out on foot with the girl in tow. A plane crash in the middle of the night sends Chris and his team to investigate another horrific scene where again they find only one survivor—a Nicaraguan woman named Maria.

When a survivor of the blind girl’s village is the next to perish, Chris’s suspicions demand answers. But when Donovan confronts Nadia and demands to know who she is and what she knows, Maria has a question of her own: who is he, and what was he doing so deep in the Nicaraguan jungle?

All over the world, from small rural towns to big cities, from Alaska to South Africa, something is happening. Though events differ from place to place, all point to the same chilling outcome: the implementation of a New World Order by the global elite. Their goal—to centralize the world’s power and wealth into their own hands, and to control humanity. But first they need to cull the human population to sustainable levels, and their plans have begun. Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.

Welcome to the world of Marie D. Jones Presents Black Mariah, a harrowing near-future ripped from today’s headlines that dares to look at what might come next. This is a world of conspiracies and cover-ups, of lies and deception, of chaos and confusion, and of small groups of people who realize the only way to survive is to harness the power of the human spirit. To defy and persist. In the wake of the quest for survival, a revolution called “Defiance” is born.

This is a stand-alone story in the Black Mariah Shared World, a collaborative effort by authors from all across the globe whose characters react and respond to the same events, but in their own unique ways. Each story takes the reader on a journey of one of these characters, allowing for multiple perspectives to unfold. The only thing these characters have in common is that they survived Wave One. But will they survive what’s to come?

Immerse yourself in the world of “Black Mariah” and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.BlackMariahSeries.com.

NOW AVAILABLE

Buy Ebook


 About Burke Bryant

Burke Bryant was born in Everett, Washington. His creative career began as an actor working alongside talent including John Cleese, Emily Mortimer, Alford Molina, Christopher Walken, and William H. Macy. His desire to write came from his late girlfriend, bestselling author Jennifer Jaynes. After losing Jennifer to suicide in 2019, Bryant wrote his first book The Killing Kind, a prequel to Jennifer’s award-winning series the Strangers Series. Bryant continues to honor Jennifer’s legacy by keeping her series alive while also working on his own projects, including an upcoming installment in M.D. Jones’ Black Mariah Shared Universe at Black Spot Books and a number of forthcoming novels and screenplays. When not writing, Bryant runs Humanitarian Aid and Rescue Project (HARP), a humanitarian organization that delivers critical aid into areas experiencing war, ethnic cleansing, conflict, and disaster. Learn more at HarpRescue.org

Learn More About the Black Mariah Series

What’s New Wednesday #38: The World is in Ruins

The world is in ruins. South Africans are barely keeping it together nowadays. As the Delta Variant continue to spread through entire families���decimating livelihoods and lives���and the unrest in certain areas of Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal having left people with growing fear in their hearts and destroyed their faith in humanity … Then hearing about new, really unneeded troubles popping up around the country as desperation, anger, and greed drives folks into doing heinous things. Well, it’s amazing we’re still somehow marching forward.

On a personal note, it feels like the universe has decided to just flip me off on a daily basis.

I don’t want to get into the details, to be honest. It’s not because I don’t want to share my life or anything like that. There’s just so much to process and I would probably need to dedicate an entire post to it. Besides, what seems like troubling times to me may be nothing in comparison to what other people are going through in South Africa right now, so …

*sigh*

On the upside, at least there’s just 2 months of winter left here. That helps. Right?

The World is in RuinsAnnouncements

I recently saw that an interview I did with author, Lindy Ryan, for the US Bookshow is available on Youtube … ���� Now, I just watched the video and if you need something for your next drinking game, voila! Hit one back every time I say “South Africa”. HAHAHA! In my defense, I was heavily pregnant when we did the interview and my brain had already gone into nesting-mode. Nevertheless, if you have a few spare minutes and you want to know more about Dark Country, here you go:

Yesterday, the spotlight was also firmly fixed onto the Black Mariah series by Book Riot, which was awesome! If you haven’t gotten around to getting your hands on those books yet, I suggest you do. ���� There are 10 episode per season (we’re in Season 1 now), each set in a different location, and they all revolve around stuff we’re experiencing now and where it might be heading (if you’re into conspiracy theories). Honestly, it’s just a great project. Books

I’ve been back at work now for a week or two and I find it a tad difficult juggling everything with the baby. For one, I’ve realized reading physical books is kind of impossible, so I’ve started thinking of utilizing Audible to keep my mind fresh. This, however, will have its own issues, considering Samara loves her music (more about that later) … So, right now, I’m actually just on the hunt for some good horror audiobooks. I’m thinking of starting with��The Exorcist.

If you have any suggestions for what I should listen to, leave me a comment and I’ll have a look.

TV/Film

So, we’ve been watching��some��TV, at least. Not a whole lot of entertaining stuff, because we mostly tune into the news now to keep updated on the unrest around the country. BUT Husband and I finally finished watching the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix and it was actually so much fun! That said, I suggest you watch them all in a marathon-type of way for the right vibes to hit in the right way. Individually, apart from Fear Street 1978, didn’t exactly��feel��Fear Street-y, but together … Boy, oh boy! It was such a good trilogy. Definitely watch it if you haven’t already.

Music

Okay, so Samara��loves��music. When she’s awake, I can play pretty much anything and she’ll be happy. She likes The Masochism Tango, and Monster Mash a lot when she’s awake because we dance then. The Ghostbuster‘s theme song doesn’t do anything for her. She likes the theme song for The Exorcist and Nightmare on Elm Street, though. Also, Chamillionaire’s Ridin’ and, don’t judge me, Lil Jon’s Get Low makes her smile at times.

When it comes to beddy-bye time, though, she only wants certain types of music. Specific songs, to be more accurate. Now, I know how it looks���Afrikaans music with religious undertones���but when you’ve been up two days straight with a crying baby, you give into whatever your kid wants. And Samara wants��this, apparently.

I’ve tried moving toward some American Country music for her, because most Afrikaans music she likes kinda sounds like that. You know, some Johnny Cash, Joe Purdy, Tim McGraw, but she wants nothing to do with it. I’ve tried playing Tracy Chapman, Elvis, some of those rock lullabies, normal lullabies … Nope. She doesn’t want it. But when I put on her Afrikaans music she drifts off to dreamland like nobody’s business.

I have no idea why this music soothes her, but it does, so I’m sticking with the current curated playlist for now. Still, if anyone has any ideas how to introduce other songs into her playlist, let me know. I like Afrikaans music, but sheesh … You can only listen to the same songs so many times, you know?

Financial Stuff

With Samara here, I think we’ve finally grown up enough to start getting serious about financial stuff and what we’re leaving for her once we depart from this world. I know most people probably get these things sorted out before they have kids, but we’re not like most people. *shrugs* Let’s get real, though. The pandemic has left��most��folks without any savings. That ‘Rainy Day’ account has been drained dry months ago for almost everyone, and there’s a possibility that the ‘rainy days’ won’t be ending anytime soon.

It’s the same here.��All��our savings went up in smoke over the last year and a half. The money we’d been saving up to either immigrate or buy a house with …��Poof!��All gone.

There’s no use crying about it, though. What we decided to do was just move forward and pray we can make some semblance of a life.

So, Husband and I sat down and talked about the financial stuff again. Not for us, per se, but to give Samara what she needs out of life.��What we did do before she came along was implement the “Debt Snowball” to pay off any and all debts. If you haven’t heard about it before, click here. There’s also a nifty Excel spreadsheet for you to download to get started. ���� We’ve restarted our little project with this again, but I’ve also insisted a few other things to save money.

Limiting takeaways to once (maybe twice) a month���Having kids make it difficult to cook, I know, and yes I do want to support local establishments, but I realized how much we actually spent on takeaways lately and it wasn’t a pretty number.No spending on stuff we don’t need���Yes, retail therapy is nice and I do want to do my part in rebuilding the economy, but Samara’s future is more important than buying a PS5.Budget, budget, budget���Sticking to a budget is not easy, especially when prices seesaw, but we’ve decided to just grit and bear it.Selling off some stuff we don’t need/use anymore���The next ‘home project’ I’m going to embark on is to get rid of things we no longer use or need. The furniture just taking up space in storage? Yup, that’s going first. Of course, a lot of the things I want to get rid of will probably be donated, like the baby stuff Samara’s already��outgrown.Utilizing financial apps���I’ve been researching a lot of apps now to track my spending and see how I can grow my savings. It’s been very insightful. Also, financial goal apps to help keep me on track with things, budgeting apps, etc. We have the technology, so we might as well use it.

I’m not saying we’ll become millionaires by cutting expenditures and saving what we can. I doubt anyone’s become a millionaire that way. BUT if living frugally now means Samara will be able to go to a nice school someday or���God forbid���be taken care of if something happens to me and Husband, then so be it.

This was probably one of the weirdest, most eclectic What’s New Wednesday posts I’ve done to date. LOL! What can I say, the world is in ruins and we’re all just trying to make sense of it how we can. *shrugs* That said, I hope you found some of it, at least, entertaining or insightful.

Have a wonderful week!
Monique

Black Mariah: Morris, Indiana (S1E1) by Marie D. Jones

Are you ready for the ride of your life? The Black Mariah series kicks off with Marie D. Jones‘ tale, which is set in Morris, Indiana, where the proverbial pawpaw is about to hit the fan. I’m not about to give away any spoilers, though. ���� All I’m going to say is that this story is very now and full of the uncertainty and concern we’ve been experiencing since the pandemic hit us.

What’s more, this is the first episode of ten! So, that means there’s a whole lot of drama, conspiracy theories, action, and grief waiting for readers who are ready to buy their ticket on this rollercoaster.

Just see for yourself …

Black Mariah: Morris, Indiana

Planes come the day Jolene Riley decides to end her life, checkerboarding the sky with deadly white trails, and the fight for survival begins.

Still despairing the death of her young son, recovering alcoholic Jolene Riley is on the verge of putting a bullet through her temple when a neighbor asks Jolene to watch her daughter, Mags, for a few hours. It isn���t long before planes begin to fly overhead, dropping chemtrails that kill anything exposed. In a matter of moments, the rural Indiana town is wiped off the map while Jolene and Mags huddle in a storm cellar. Trained in disaster preparedness, Jolene becomes the unwilling leader of a small group of survivors���including Siri Queen, the woman who ruined Jolene���s marriage.

Jolene struggles to stay sober as her world begins to unravel, especially when word trickles in on her ham radio of more attacks on nearby towns. She wants nothing more than to put an end to her pain, but now she must fight for her own survival���and for the little girl she promised to take care of. When a mysterious voice on her radio known only as ���Crow��� claims to have inside information and a safe place for them to go, Jolene and her group question if he can be trusted ���and, even more terrifying…if the things he is saying are true.

All over the world, from small rural towns to big cities, from Alaska to South Africa, something is happening. Though events differ from place to place, all point to the same chilling outcome: the implementation of a New World Order by the global elite. Their goal���to centralize the world���s power and wealth into their own hands, and to control humanity. But first they need to cull the human population to sustainable levels, and their plans have begun. Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.

Welcome to the world of Marie D. Jones Presents Black Mariah, a harrowing near-future ripped from today���s headlines that dares to look at what might come next. This is a world of conspiracies and cover-ups, of lies and deception, of chaos and confusion, and of small groups of people who realize the only way to survive is to harness the power of the human spirit. To defy and persist. In the wake of the quest for survival, a revolution called ���Defiance��� is born.

This is a stand-alone story in the Black Mariah Shared World, a collaborative effort by authors from all across the globe whose characters react and respond to the same events, but in their own unique ways. Each story takes the reader on a journey of one of these characters, allowing for multiple perspectives to unfold. The only thing these characters have in common is that they survived Wave One. But will they survive what���s to come?

Immerse yourself in the world of ���Black Mariah��� and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.BlackMariahSeries.com.

NOW AVAILABLE

Buy Ebook


 About Marie D. Jones

Marie D. Jones is a best-selling author of non-fiction and fiction, and a screenwriter/producer with her own company, Where���s Lucy? Productions. She has appeared on television and on radio all over the world, and has hundreds of credits writing for magazines, guest blogs, reviews, short stories, online articles and gift books. She has lectured widely on the paranormal, unknown anomalies, cutting edge science, metaphysics and human consciousness.

 

Learn More About the Black Mariah Series

What’s New Wednesday #37: Hello Again

Hello again! I hope you didn’t miss me too much over the past couple of months. ���� As I’m sure you know by now, I was on maternity leave (well, it turned out I couldn’t sit still, even with a newborn keeping me occupied, so I may have cheated and worked anyway), but I’m back now.��And��I have a little bundle of joy, too!

I’ll be honest, having kids isn’t a joke���a baby takes up so much time and energy (and they cost a fortune). Yeah, I was semi-prepared, but sheesh. I didn’t know just how much time, energy, and money babies could drain out of you. Sleep? HA! Sleep is for the weak. I’m running on a few (stolen) hours of sleep as I’m writing this post. But I love her with every part of my being and I’ll do it gladly to make sure she’s okay.

Jokes aside: I do miss sleep, though. And showers. And hot food. ���� Seriously, I miss��showers that are longer than 5 minutes.

Anywho, so I’ve been busy doing a bit of this and that, and I thought I’d share it with you guys in case you missed all the announcements lately. Apart from that, I do have some current obsessions. Whoohoo! So, let’s get into this week’s What’s New Wednesday!

AnnouncementsDark Country

In case you missed the cover reveal for Dark Country, I’ve got you covered. ����

Too often people mistake monsters for gods.

When a ravaged corpse is discovered in Pretoria, South Africa, Esm�� Snyder���an occult-crime expert���is called in to investigate. But she doesn���t know the scope of what she���s up against. Esm�� is the target of a cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer who uses the paranormal to do his bidding, with the intent of becoming a god on Earth.

With assistance from her team���a brusque detective, eccentric millionaire, stoic priest, hawkeyed secretary, and handsome British forensic criminologist���Esm�� hopes to find the killer before he strikes again.

But the clock isn���t all that���s working against them. The media catches wind of the threat against the citizens of Pretoria, and their reported speculations promise a post-Apartheid Satanic Panic.

As the body count grows, Esm�� must figure out who is behind the heinous crimes before she ends up the final sacrifice.

Dark Country highlights the multicultural mythologies, magic, histories, beauty, and horror of living in pseudo-modern South Africa.

PRE-ORDER NOWBlack Mariah

Black Spot Books’ first episode of the Black Mariah series is releasing on the 9th of July, 2021 and is written by Marie D. Jones. I’m so excited, because: 1.) it’s a really good kick-off story to this fun project; 2.) this is just the beginning of the shared-world series; and 3.) My episode will be launching soon (I’m episode 8 btw).

Planes come the day Jolene Riley decides to end her life, checkerboarding the sky with deadly white trails, and the fight for survival begins.

Still despairing the death of her young son, recovering alcoholic Jolene Riley is on the verge of putting a bullet through her temple when a neighbor asks Jolene to watch her daughter, Mags, for a few hours. It isn���t long before planes begin to fly overhead, dropping chemtrails that kill anything exposed. In a matter of moments, the rural Indiana town is wiped off the map while Jolene and Mags huddle in a storm cellar. Trained in disaster preparedness, Jolene becomes the unwilling leader of a small group of survivors���including Siri Queen, the woman who ruined Jolene���s marriage.

Jolene struggles to stay sober as her world begins to unravel, especially when word trickles in on her ham radio of more attacks on nearby towns. She wants nothing more than to put an end to her pain, but now she must fight for her own survival���and for the little girl she promised to take care of. When a mysterious voice on her radio known only as ���Crow��� claims to have inside information and a safe place for them to go, Jolene and her group question if he can be trusted ���and, even more terrifying…if the things he is saying are true.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Shallow Waters Vol. 8

Something I haven’t had the opportunity to pimp much is the Shallow Waters Vol. 8 anthology, which I edited for Crystal Lake Publishing. It’s full of some great flash fiction by established and emerging authors, so if you’re looking for something that’ll keep you entertained for a while, this one’s for you. ����

Take a Deep Breath and Dive Beneath the Surface of��Shallow Waters���Where Nothing Stays Buried.

With 20 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.

Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by the multiple award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing (including the HWA���s Specialty Press Award). Every month a new challenge is issued online and via our newsletter. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake���s Patreon page (an exclusive behind the scenes community of readers and authors), where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner every month.

What you���ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the winners as well as the most popular of our finalists. Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges.

Volume 8 includes:
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
Prior to Slaughter by AJ Franks (winner)
A Quick Trip to the Liquor Store by Denver Grenell
The Boohag by Linda J. Marshall
Monsters by Justin Boote
Mr. Giggles by Nikki R. Leigh
Natural Selection by Mark Allan Gunnells
The Riverfront by Jay Bechtol (winner)
Allie���s New Crayon by Red Lagoe (winner)
Roadside Believer by Ben Norris
Heart���s Break by Jonathan Winn
Dance Faster, Carmelita by Sunni Ellis
Hello by Karen Bayly
#Camping by Lee Smart
Gone Fission by Amanda Hard
Reaching Out by Jeremy Megargee (winner)
Double Feature by Denver Grenell
Preparation by Claire Brown
A Cunning Plan by R. B. Wood
Wifely Duties by D.C. Phillips
All We Endure by Grant Longstaff (winner)

Come Dive Beneath the Surface!

Proudly brought to you by��Crystal Lake Publishing���Tales from the Darkest Depths.

BUY NOWHello Again Obsessions!Books

Reading is a bit difficult with a 6 week old that’s constantly vying for my attention, but I’m currently reading Grady Hendrix’s The Final Girl Support Group. I’m really enjoying the book so far, even if I have to stop-read-stop-read. The Final Girl Support Group is perfect for folks looking for an action-packed slasher-type of story with a strong female protagonist. So, get your hands on it if you’re having some horror withdrawal.

TV/Film

Feeding the baby at midnight can be a bit lonely … and boring, especially since I’m used to working with my hands a lot. So, most of the time I fill the silence with a show. I recently watched Sweet Tooth , which is a dystopian fantasy show that I��loved. The plot gripped me from start to finish. Also, the acting was great!

Another show I’ve been watching is��Zoo (I’m seeing a trend here), which is an apocalyptic show where the animals are mutating and taking revenge on humans. It’s pretty cool. I’m on Season 2 now and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. Just take note that it’s a bit formulaic.

Like reading, watching a movie in one sitting is not happening. Husband and I haven’t been able to enjoy a film without interruption since Samara came along. So far, it’s taken us 3 days to watch Fear Street: 1994 (and we’re still not done with it). It’s a good flick so far, but I’ll be honest and say it lacks the charm of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books.

And there you have it for this week. Not as full as usual, I know, but my life isn’t quite as interesting as always. Hopefully, next time, I’ll have more to share with all you lovely readers.

Have an excellent week!

Monique

Dark Country Cover Reveal

It’s been a while since I last posted anything, but I’m here to reward your patience with a GORGEOUS cover reveal! That’s right, folks, I can finally show everyone Dark Country’s beautiful cover art. Eeep! I’m so excited. ����

First, though, I need to just thank a few people:

My wonderful agent, Italia Gandolfo, helped come up with the concept of this cover. I’ve always found it incredibly difficult visualizing how this book would look in the end, but she knew exactly what I needed���as always. So, Italia gets a HUGE thank you for the pretty-pretty that  Dark Country has become. ������

My publisher, Vesuvian Books, for taking another chance on me and my strange stories. ���� The fact that they’ve not grown tired of me yet is astounding. LOL! So, thank you to everyone who puts up with me. I love youuuu!

Then, to the man of the hour, the artist that made Dark Country look so gosh darn memorable and oh-so-pretty … Scotty Roberts. I love working with Scotty, because he knows exactly what I want even if I don’t have a cooking clue what that is. If you’ve been following my blog, you may remember me mentioning Scotty’s influence in some other covers. If you don’t remember, check out my Cover Evolution of The Night Weaver.

Okay, okay, I’ll stop babbling now and show you what Scotty made for Dark Country.

*drumroll*

Dark Country Cover Reveal

Too often people mistake monsters for gods.

When a ravaged corpse is discovered in Pretoria, South Africa, Esm�� Snyder���an occult-crime expert���is called in to investigate. But she doesn���t know the scope of what she���s up against. Esm�� is the target of a cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer who uses the paranormal to do his bidding, with the intent of becoming a god on Earth.

With assistance from her team���a brusque detective, eccentric millionaire, stoic priest, hawkeyed secretary, and handsome British forensic criminologist���Esm�� hopes to find the killer before he strikes again.

But the clock isn���t all that���s working against them. The media catches wind of the threat against the citizens of Pretoria, and their reported speculations promise a post-Apartheid Satanic Panic.

As the body count grows, Esm�� must figure out who is behind the heinous crimes before she ends up the final sacrifice.

Dark Country highlights the multicultural mythologies, magic, histories, beauty, and horror of living in pseudo-modern South Africa.

Pre-Order Paperback


 

 

COMING OCTOBER 12TH, 2021

Isn’t she a beauty? That snake just pops out at me and the African mask … I adore everything about this cover. It’s just so me. EEEEP! Also, this cover compliments the story so well, I just can’t find the words to describe how perfect everything came together. *sigh*

I’m super excited to introduce this book to the world. What’s more, there will be a sequel! I can’t tell you when exactly, but it’s coming (and I’ve seen that cover already, which is absolutely breathtaking) So, if you love folk horror of a different kind���something with one foot in reality, to be exact���and you want to get into my head, I suggest you pre-order your copy today. ����

Also, keep checking back for more Dark Country stuff. I have quite a few interesting posts planned.

Until then,

Monique

Website Revamp

It’s time for my not-so-big-but-still-pretty-big website reveal! Whoohoo! ���� If you follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter (and if the algorithms were kind), you may have seen that my website was undergoing some maintenance and a website revamp. Well, it’s done now and it looks … Well, you should really look for yourself. ����

Before you go exploring, though, let me tell you about what you can expect.

Website Revamp

New Stuff

So, first off, you might have noticed I fixed my logo on the menu. What do you think? It may look familiar, because it is. Guess where else it is. ����

Then, there are some brand new book pages for you to look at, too.

Dark Country is a horror novel set in South Africa (and the first book in a series). It’s quite dark, and certainly not suitable for younger audiences, but Dark Country is also near and dear to my heart.Black Mariah is a shared world series that’s part political thriller, part horror, part conspiracy theory … (and there are so many awesome writers involved!)Another new page I added to my site is the Events page. Here, you can see all the upcoming events I’ll be part of. Okay, so with the whole ongoing pandemic, my events are currently limited to book releases, but hopefully that’ll change soon. Luckily, there are quite a few books lined up for release (and hopefully there will be more coming in 2022), so I can fully utilize the feature.There’s also the Shop page! Here, you can find all the��official merchandise for my books. So, if you’ve been itching to get your hands on an official The Night Weaver T-shirt or the snazzy Monique Snyman Storytellers Box with all kinds of cool stuff added, now you can get there from my website! Cool, huh?Revamped Stuff

The Home page looks hella pretty now. I changed up some stuff there���the coloring and such, mostly. There’s a swanky slider that just looked fabulous to me while I was experimenting with my site’s new features, so I added some graphics and voila. I’ll update it on occasion (whenever I have a new release or want you to see something important). Basically, I did a bit of this and that on the home page to brighten (darken?) it up. All in all, I like it. I hope you do, too.

I also did a mini revamp of The Night Weaver’s series page, along with the book pages for The Night Weaver and The Bone Carver. It doesn’t look��too��different, but things seem more sorted to me now.

Oh, and lest I forget, I updated and prettified my Read-Alikes page. What is the Read-Alikes page, you ask. Well, it’s where you can see what books are similar to my various titles. So, if you’re having a Monique Snyman book hangover, now you can find something along the same lines of whatever book you didn’t want to end. ���� I’ll try to update it often, but my reading time has diminished quite a bit lately.

Other Notable Things

I’m constantly updating the Other Books page with new books that I’m involved in as either a contributor or an editor. There are links to the books for anyone searching for a good read, so you can call it a ‘one-stop shop’. Do keep in mind, though, that most��titles are well-established in the horror genre, although I am hoping to broaden into other genres in the near future. ����

Ooh, yes, something else I should mention: With the upcoming release of Dark Country, there are some new posts (some released and some upcoming stuff) for you to read. There’s the Dark Country Cover Reveal that came out today, of course. Then, I have a series of posts coming out soon that’ll give readers more insight into the story (and the setting) of the book. Some of that will involve true crime stories that shaped a whole country (and me) in some ways, so I hope you’re looking forward to that …

With Black Mariah also releasing soon, there are some things planned that I can’t wait to show you, but I’m going to keep that quiet for now. Shhhhh. LOL!

And that’s all I have for you for now. ���� I hope you enjoy exploring my revamped site and love the new features as much as I do. I’m sure there are still a few kinks to work out (that reminds me, I should probably see if it’s as responsive on cellphones and tablets as on PCs), so let me know if you see anything I may have overlooked.

Have a great day!

Monique

Announcement Time! (Black Mariah Cover Reveal + Trailer)

I hope you’re ready for some great news, because it’s announcement time! 🙂 I’ve been sitting on this piece of gossip for months and it’s been incredibly difficult to keep myself from blabbing. So, without further ado, let’s get on with it …

Announcement Time

All over the world, from small rural towns to big cities, from Alaska to South Africa, something is happening. Though events differ from place to place, all point to the same chilling outcome: the implementation of a New World Order by the global elite. Their goal—to centralize the world’s power and wealth into their own hands, and to control humanity. But first they need to cull the human population to sustainable levels, and their plans have begun. Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.

Welcome to the world of Marie D. Jones Presents Black Mariah, a harrowing near-future ripped from today’s headlines that dares to look at what might come next. This is a world of conspiracies and cover-ups, of lies and deception, of chaos and confusion, and of small groups of people who realize the only way to survive is to harness the power of the human spirit. To defy and persist. In the wake of the quest for survival, a revolution called “Defiance” is born.

This is a stand-alone story in the Black Mariah Shared World, a collaborative effort by authors from all across the globe whose characters react and respond to the same events, but in their own unique ways. Each story takes the reader on a journey of one of these characters, allowing for multiple perspectives to unfold. The only thing these characters have in common is that they survived Wave One. But will they survive what’s to come?

Immerse yourself in the world of “Black Mariah” and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.BlackMariahSeries.com.

Coming soon from Black Spot Books is a shared world serial project called Black Mariah, which is chockful of political intrigue, nail-biting moments, conspiracy theories, and character-driven awesomeness. With 10 stories set around the world—from Alaska to South Africa—you get to experience a global disaster out of various points of views. What’s more, the contributors of this series are absolutely top-notch. Don’t believe me? Keep on reading …

Black Mariah is created by featured contributor to the History Channel’s Nostradamus Effect and Ancient Aliens, Marie D. Jones.

Contributors include Rutgers University Professor, Lindy Ryan, Executive Producer of Cloud Atlas, Pearry Teo, Founder of HARP (Humanitarian Aid and Rescue Project), Burke Bryant, USA Today bestselling authors Eva Pohler and Dorothy Dreyer, Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author Mercedes Yardley, Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Monique Snyman (look, it’s me!), and Dragon Award Nominee, Julieanne Lynch.

And yes, you probably guessed correctly: My story in the series is set in South Africa!

About My First Episode

What makes this serial so cool, though, is that you can follow all the stories in every season and they gel together awesomely BUT every author’s tale can be read as a standalone, too.

There will be 3 seasons (2021 sees the release of Season 1) and all the stories are spaced out to give you enough time to read the books but not you won’t have to wait for long for the next installment either. So, you can enjoy the thrills and conspiracies all year round!

For years, the people in Victoria West, South Africa, had prayed for rain, but when it finally came, hell followed.

Eleven-year-old Protea Meyer can barely remember a time before pandemic regulations became part of everyday life. Even in a small town like Victoria West, in the most sparsely populated province in South Africa, the new laws are, at best, draconian. Combined with the long, devastating drought, the continued hardship folks are facing, and the government’s reluctance to assist the struggling communities of the Northern Cape, the future already looks dire.

But when a storm erupts without warning, Protea watches on helplessly as a vast majority of Victoria West’s residents are killed by the rain. Stuck in a communications blackout, shocked, and confused, Protea and café owner, Simon Stander happen upon the mysterious, old librarian, Auntie Martha, who knows far more about what’s happening, thanks to someone called Crow.

COMING OCTOBER 15th, 2021

Learn more about the whole series here.

Black Mariah Trailer

Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.

What’s New Wednesday #36: Lest I Forget

Hey-hey-hey! It’s What’s New Wednesday time again and, lest I forget, I thought it best to get everything written down before my baby brain turns everything into mush for the umpteenth week in a row. Yes, I’ve been forgetting a lot of things lately. I don’t mean to forget. Honest. I even have a little notebook to help me remember, but half the time I forget where I put the damn thing. Not today, though. Muhahaha!

So, what’s on the agenda today?

Well, I have some updates and announcements (yeah, they keep on coming!). Also, there’s some baby news to share (don’t worry, I’m not turning this into a mommy blog). Then, there’s some of the usual stuff.

I hope not to make this post too long, but I never know how my What’s New Wednesday posts will turn out in the end. So, my advice is to just sit back and enjoy the ride. 🙂

Lest I ForgetShallow Waters Vol.7

NOW AVAILABLE

The seventh instalment of Crystal Lake Publishing’s very popular Shallow Waters series is now available! I had the honor of compiling and editing this volume, and I must say I am proud of how it turned out. What’s more, it’s only $0,99 to get your hands on this flash fiction anthology! So, if you’re looking for short but powerful horror stories, this one may just be for you.

Before He Wakes by Mark Allan Gunnells

Crystal Lake Publishing recently released the cover art of Mark Allan Gunnells’ upcoming novel, Before He Wakes, and it is GORGEOUS! Ben Baldwin did a fantastic job for this terrifying novel. Intrigued? You should be. Check out the synopsis:

Patrick and Clare wake up trapped in a basement, a thin wall separating their cells. Their captor is mysteriously absent, which at first seems like a blessing. As more time passes with no food or water, they begin to realize a clock is ticking for their survival.
Combining their intelligence and determination, the two begin plotting an escape from their shared prison. Overcoming each obstacle only presents another obstacle standing in the way of their freedom. It will take all of their ingenuity and strength to find their way out of this mess.
They know their captor is still out there, and it is only a matter of time before he returns.
BEFORE HE WAKES is a fast-paced and tense thriller that ratchets up the suspense and tension before the thrilling conclusion.

Now, I usually have a pre-order link available before I post about books I’ve edited, but this one isn’t available yet … I’m also not sure if I’ll be able to do a post before the release date, which is scheduled for May 14th (so, do keep an eye out on Amazon for it). That’s why I thought I’d let everyone know about Before He Wakes now, lest I forget as we approach my due date. 😬 

Black Mariah

I can’t say much more about the Black Mariah shared-world announcement from last week, but I am pre-scheduling a post and book page in regards to the project for sometime in May. This is going to be a HUGE project and it’s so freaking good, you really shouldn’t miss out on any of the news. So, do check back here sometime in mid-May. 😉 I promise, you are going to L❤️VE this shared-world series.

Baby News

This hasn’t been the easiest pregnancy. Heck, two weeks ago I was admitted to the hospital for the third time in eight months! And now, with my due date approaching fast, I decided to be transparent and say there will be pre-scheduled posts coming up on the blog. The reason for that is because I will be taking maternity leave in order to heal up (probably between 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how my body responds to whatever new hell awaits it). I have no option than to take life a bit slower for a while after baby arrives. Besides, I want to bond with our little one, too. 👶

In other words, I’ll be off-duty until July 2021. That means, for the most part, I won’t be easy to get in touch with (not via social media or email).

Sorry!

On the upside, I’ll probably share some news after Samara arrives in this big, bad world. 😉

Usual ObsessionsTV/Film

I recently watched Love and Monsters and I absolutely loved the film! It was such a fun popcorn movie, one I’ll probably return to again and again. If you haven’t seen it yet, the film is available to stream on Netflix right now. 🙂

Sometime this week, I plan to check out Seaspiracy on Netflix, too. I’ve been seeing a lot of people posting about it online, which kinda intrigued me. Let’s see where this one takes me.

Shadow and Bone is also coming out this week, which I’m looking forward to. I never read the books, but maybe I’ll delve into them if the show catches my attention. 🙂

Food

I’m currently preparing ready-made freezer meals for when I get out of the hospital, so I’m always busy in the kitchen these days. Most of the things I’m working on are the usual winners—mac & cheese, lasagna, other pasta dishes—but I’m also looking into other, more nutritious casseroles that will make my life easier. You know, the stuff you can just defrost and/or toss in the oven. Aside from that, I’ve already made enough vegetables to feed a small army … LOL!

If you have any winner recipes that’ll freeze well (specifically winter-type of recipes), and you want to share them with me, please do. I will seriously appreciate it.

That’s all I have for you this week. It’s likely I missed something again, but I can’t help it. If I do remember it, I’ll slip it into a scheduled post or something. Hehehe!

Stay safe, keep healthy, and I’ll see you again next time.

Monique

10 Horror Quotes I Love

Today is such a mild, lovely day, I thought I’d spend it procrastinating a bit by curating 10 horror quotes I love. 🙂 Now, I really shouldn’t have wasted precious time, but my brain needed a break from writing and editing, and honestly I still think it’s somewhat productive. I mean, I technically did write a blog post, which can be seen as productive. Right?

From where I’m sitting, it could have been worse: I could have decided to binge-watch a brainless TV show or … I don’t know … painted my toe nails (or tried to contort myself around my pregnant belly and paint my nails). So, this is productive. *nods* Don’t judge me.

Anyway, just a side-note: I did a similar post a couple of years ago—10 Inspirational Horror Quotes—in case this one doesn’t satiate your craving. And if you want even more, go check out these scary quotes.

Procrastinate with me, my lovelies. 😈  Muhahaha!

10 Horror Quotes I Love [image error] What I Love About Horror

Horror is such a versatile genre, one that rips your ribcage apart to get to the heart of the good, the bad, and the ugly things of the world. The genre looks into mankind’s collective souls and shows you everything you don’t want to see. It’s brutal and beautiful and is more than what mainstream media makes it out to be. Yes, there are jump-scares and the slow-burns, and yes, sometimes horror is nothing more than blood and guts … But there are also thought-provoking stories out there.

Finding one of those provocative tales, getting drawn into the book or film or show, that is what I love about horror.

What do you love about horror?

Do you have any favorite horror quotes?

Leave a comment below!