Monique Snyman's Blog, page 23

Friday Favorites: Female-Centric Horror Films

The Friday Favorites segment was inspired by total unjustifiable rage. Not against anyone in particular, of course. I just get my moods. Anyhow, I thought it would be excellent to make a list of all the movies that really gets me into my “female empowerment” mode. You see, I know there are a lot of lists out there that revolve around horror movies about feminism and “final girls”, even chicks getting revenge. But none of those lists really speak to me in a whole. Sometimes, just sometimes, I want to see women show their anger and beat the patriarchy in some way or another, without the movie being so freaking dark I can’t watch it again (I’m looking at you, I Spit on your Grave). So, here we are.

Will the Friday Favorites posts always be about movies? Perhaps. We’ll see.

Saving Tips For Creatives – The Basics

Sadly, not every author or artist is lucky enough to marry rich, so here are some tips for those who’re struggling to make ends meet.

Your Carrie Days Just Got Better with Hannahpad

The horror industry loves blood! We adore bleeding walls and creative kills. Blood is where it’s at, baby! I mean, Stephen King built a highly successful writing career on periods. Remember Carrie? Yeah, us horror folks don’t shy away when it comes to menstruation. This is one of the reasons I decided to share my experiences of Hannahpad with you.

Look, I’m not one of those people who’s into the mumbo-jumbo “pretty moon goddesses” stuff, and I’m sure as hell not going to sugarcoat it. Periods are not, in my personal opinion, oh so beautiful. It’s a natural process, yes, and there’s no reason to be embarrassed about Aunt Flo, but that’s where my euphemisms end. So, if you want the lowdown on Hannahpad, you’re going to have to bear with me as I tell it as it is.

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Background Info

I was an early bloomer. I started my period when I was 12, and used disposable pads for two years, which was a nightmare. I detest the sound of disposable pads—the crinkling noise whenever you move just made me so uncomfortable—not to mention always knowing you’re wearing a pad. The “ultra slim” is still noticeable, no matter what people tell you. Pads, in general, just didn’t work for me. So, I switched over to tampons when I was 14, and I’d be lying if I said tampons weren’t more convenient, comfortable, and less noticeable. I mean, I used them for 17 years, so I think it’s clear they were my product of choice.

In 2012, I started seeing the Venus Cup/Moon Cup/Goddess Cup, whatever you want to call it, making the rounds. Women swore by it—”It’s perfect for you, especially since you’re more comfortable with tampons”. Honestly, I don’t know why I simply dislike the concept. I just do. So, no. Not gonna try it even if you give it to me for free.

In 2018, however, I started to feel off whenever my menstrual cycle was coming on. And I don’t mean the usual PMS type of off—that I could handle, my husband not so much—what I mean is the cramps. I’ve never had to deal with excessive cramping before, but suddenly I was doubling over with pain. I also suddenly went through two big boxes of tampons a cycle, which was not normal for me. And my insomnia was cranked up to the max, both because of the pain and needing to constantly change tampons.

Something was wrong and I instinctively knew it was because of the tampons. So, I started to do some research…

Bad idea!

We’re Killing Ourselves

Do you have any idea what commercial sanitary products have in them? I read and I read, and apart from disposable sanitary products using a lot of plastic, they also included: Rayon, Dioxin, Phthalates, Chlorine Dioxide (BLEACH!) and a whole lot of other scientific words that would give Clive Barker the creeps. Oh my word, no wonder I felt like I did. Now, yes, I know all the health organizations say that the chemicals in sanitary products are too low to really be toxic to humans, but how do they explain Toxic Shock Syndrome then? Rare as it is, I was not willing to take that risk. I was not going to voluntarily kill myself any longer.

During my research, I also realized how bad disposable sanitary products were for the environment. The plastic doesn’t degrade, the chemicals are leeching into the earth, and the landfills and oceans are full of them. It’s just a nasty business that I didn’t want to partake in.

Surely there was something out there, some alternative product to disposable pads, tampons, and the silicone cup?

There simply had to be something for me.

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Introducing Hannahpad

Hannahpad is a reusable pad made of 100% organic cotton, which means they breathe, and lasts between 3-5 years. They are pretty to look at, completely recyclable, much more economic, and they feel natural! There’s no crinkling noise when you walk, the pad doesn’t twist, you no longer have to worry about chemicals or TSS. Oh, and they’re super absorbent—more absorbent than your regular disposable pads.

I’m also helping the environment during my Carrie Days.

What’s New Wednesday #5

It’s been a couple of months since I last did a What’s New Wednesday post. I didn’t forget, I promise, it’s just been crazy here. Usually by the time I’ve had a moment to type a blog post, Wednesday has come and gone. You didn’t miss much—everything that needs to be shared is usually shared, after all. That being said, I’m pretty sure there are some folks who likes to know what I’m up to when I’m not being all writerly and stuff. So let’s get on with current obsessions…

Books

Sitting still for long enough to actually read a book cover-to-cover is somewhat difficult at times. I know I’m not the only one with this problem nowadays. But I do make time for that late in the evenings. It takes a while to finish reading a book, yes, but there’s still nothing quite as satisfying as closing a book and letting the story sink in. Most of those books are currently still in production, and I’m not sure whether I can pimp them yet. So, I’ll stay quiet until I get the go-ahead from the authors and publishers making all the magic happen.

That aside, audiobooks have been a blessing lately. While I’m doing all my mundane stuff (running errands, doing admin, driving, etc.), I just pop my earphones in and allow myself to be transported to a new world. These books, I’m allowed to share (seeing as they’ve been published for a while) and so far I’ve not been disappointed.

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TV Shows

Ah, the beauty of binge-watching shows lately… I have a mixed batch of shows I’m currently obsessed with, all of which are binge-worthy. Chernobyl and Catch-22 are the heavy ones, but are absolutely excellent. What We Do In The Shadows is hilarious (especially if you’re into wry humor). The Society and The Order are just superb storytelling. And I doubt I need to give any introduction to Joe Hill’s N0S4A2. If you’re looking for something to watch, definitely try one—or more, if you feel so inclined—of these shows.

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Gardening

Look, sometimes I need to clear my head of all the clutter, and there’s no better way to do that than to embrace nature. I have usually been the person who killed plants just by looking at them, but since we’ve moved, my herb garden is flourishing. In just a few months, I suddenly have more chives than I know what to do with. Seriously, I have scoured Pinterest to figure out how to make sure none of my precious herbs go to waste (if you have any tips, be sure to leave me a comment). Right now, I’m working on drying a rosemary, thyme, and oregano harvest, making basil-infused vinegar, and even have some of those herb-olive-oil ice cube thingies in the freezer.

So far, I’m still unsure what to do with all my mint, though… Those plants just grow and grow and grow.

The best part of the gardening venture, you ask? It’s freaking winter here now. Come spring, I’ll have so many edible flowers, I won’t know what to do with them all (well, I have an idea—tea, anyone?).

Going Green

[image error]Due to doing the gardening research, I may have stumbled onto some interesting articles that handled over some nightmarish stuff. As a result, I’ve become more conscious of my surroundings and the world’s plastic situation. So, I looked at my bathroom and my kitchen, and was horrified. I mean, there is so much plastic in just the bathroom (shampoo and conditioner bottles, moisturizers and face washes, sanitary product packaging, etcetera)! In the kitchen, it’s not any better (plastic grocery bags, bottles upon bottles, Ziplock bags, and so on). The worst thing about this is, I took the time to look up some of the ingredients in our every day products and I was shocked beyond belief.

What are we putting inside our bodies?

I thought to myself, there had to be alternatives, because I can only reuse so much plastic in my own home, and all those chemicals can’t be good for anyone.

Thankfully, there are thousands of sites dedicated to helping people like me try and cut down on plastic.

How I’m Doing It…

So, the first thing I did was figure out what the most wasteful products were in my house—turns out, it’s female hygiene products and plastic grocery bags. The easiest to change was the grocery bags (I’m recycling my old jeans into reusable shopping bags, which I’ll leave in the car permanently). Next, I found Hannahpad who specializes in reusable and eco-friendly female hygiene products (I’m excited to try them out).

Even my husband’s on board, which makes this much easier to implement. I know it doesn’t sound like much yet, but the amount of plastic I’ve cut back on is already exponential.

Is It Easy To Go Green?

I’ll be honest and say that some things are easier to change than other things. For example, I’m really struggling to find alternatives for dish-washing liquid and laundry detergent. Castile soap is all the rage abroad, but do you think I can easily get it in South Africa? Ha! I’m also unsure what to do in regards to small things like Q-tips, floss, and mouthwash. In general, though, it wasn’t too difficult to cut back on plastic.

What’s Next?

Soon, we’ll be switching to solid bars of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, thanks to figuring out that’s a thing.

I’m still figuring this out, so any tips will be appreciated.

For the Love of Books!

Hear ye, hear ye, Book Lovers of America!

I hope you’re all heading to the Javitz Center in New York between May 29 and May 31, 2019, because that’s when  BookExpo 2019 is happening. Yep, if you’re into books, this is the place to be… Big publishers are exhibiting, where you’ll be able to discover some excellent new titles. I also noticed some fantastic authors are going to be in attendance to autograph books and have a quick chat.

What’s more is that Vesuvian Books will be there to showcase some of their new and upcoming titles, which includes:

Realm by Alexandrea Weis
The Night Weaver by Monique Snyman
The Year I left by Christine Brae
Helix by Mary Ting
Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner
In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington

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You can find Vesuvian Books at Booth 775, where you can get your hands on signed ARCs (while stocks last). 

If that wasn’t enough to get me all giddy about an expo I can’t even personally attend… Well, Vesuvian Books surprised me with a freaking billboard tonight, all in preparation for BookExpo 2019! Actually, if I’m not mistaken, it’s a series of billboards in Los Angeles, Boston, and Hartford. Yes, I’m still dancing on clouds almost 3 hours after getting this news. I mean, just look at my freaking 1,200 square foot beauty:

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My people (HA! I can say that now) haven’t received word from Charlize Theron’s people as to whether she’s seen the billboard yet. I remain hopeful. *super grin*

So, that’s it for this post… Phew. How am I going to top a billboard announcement or a BookExpo showcase? We’ll have to see. *wink*

Enjoy your week!

Monique

Super Massive Big News + Cover Reveal + WIN!

The News

It feels like only yesterday when I announced that The Night Weaver was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award® in the “Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel” category, and that I finally found a wonderful agent to represent me and my work… I mean, half the time I’m still waiting for a camera crew to jump out and tell me it was all a cruel joke. The rest of the time, though, I’m so excited I can hardly breathe!

I thought my news would be over for a while, but it seems this is not the case.

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It is my great pleasure to announce that Vesuvian Media Group, Inc. has acquired all of The Night Weaver‘s rights! I am both ecstatic and grateful for the privilege of being part of this amazing team, who I know will go above and beyond to bring The Night Weaver to life.

Things are possibly going to happen fast from here on out, so let me give you a basic low-down of what this means:

Vesuvian Books will be republishing The Night Weaver—There are some extensive re-edits in the works to make the book all snazzy, and Holly Atkinson is my new editor. *wink* I also got a new cover (check it out a little further down) AND re-formatting is in progress. It is AMAZING what’s happening behind the scenes, and how quickly it’s happening.
Vesuvian Books acquired the foreign language rights, too—This means that there will possibly be translations available of The Night Weaver in the not-too-distant future. I’m holding my thumbs for a Japanese or Hindi translation, but I’m happy with whatever the literary goddess decides.
There could be a movie or a TV show—Considering Vesuvian is a books-to-film company, there is a small chance that there could be a film or TV show in the future. This, however, is never one of those things one can set in stone, because of all the nitty-gritty Hollywood stuff involved. There’s a chance, though. So, keep your fingers and toes crossed!

It’s all a lot to take in, and I am still struggling to understand how I got this lucky. Truth is, I didn’t even want to submit The Night Weaver to the Bram Stoker Awards® (interesting fact: it took a helluva lot of convincing before I finally did submit it). I am truly blessed for the support system I have—the friends who believe in me, the family who never stopped cheering me on, the colleagues who inspire me to continue my journey as an author, and the readers who keep reading my books!

The Cover Reveal

My gorgeous new cover was created by Marcela Bolivar, artist extraordinaire, and I can’t stop looking at it. Oh, and Michael J. Canales did the title treatment (look at my pretty flies!), which looks absolutely stunning. I mean, it screams Shadow Grove, don’t you think? I can’t wait to hold this beauty…

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WIN!

Jean Book Nerd is holding a little giveaway on her site, where you can win book swag and stuff from THE NIGHT WEAVER. Just head on over to Jean Book Nerd to see the details on how to enter.

A Long Time In The Making by Mark Allan Gunnells

My new collection BOOK HAVEN AND OTHER CURIOSITIES contains the title novella as well as 20 other short stories. I think the reader will get a solid view of the different types of stories of which I’m capable. Different subjects, different tones, different themes, different genres. What I want to talk about here, however, is the title tale, “Book Haven.”

This is a story that bounced around in my imagination for many years before finally becoming a finished piece. In fact, I even had a few false starts.

The story started out as a short story. I had an idea about a future where the world’s literature was lost and we were trying to recreate it from memory. I penned this tale probably a decade ago, and it wasn’t very good at all. Still, the idea nagged at me and began to grow. What if this group, perhaps a governmental agency, also was charged with finding antique print books and got wind of a secret library of hundreds of such relics? A book haven. A plot began to form, a murder mystery type tale.

I gave it a start, but got only a short way into it before I found that it wasn’t working for me. I couldn’t put my finger on the exact problem, therefore wasn’t sure how to fix it, and therefore I merely abandoned the piece.

A couple of years later, I began collaborating on fan fiction with a friend of mine. We were having so much fun, we decided to try something original together. She liked the “Book Haven” idea so suggested we give that a try. And thus, attempt number two. We got further into it than my first solo attempt, but again it started to die on the vine. Thus, abandonment number two.

I put those incomplete manuscripts aside and the idea got pushed to the distant corners of my mind. However, it still did not completely go away. Once in a while, it would stick its head up over some crates and boxes and remind me of its existence.

And then it all clicked…I realized what the problem was that kept me from getting too far into it before. It was too dark. This story wasn’t meant to be dark, therefore the murder that I was starting the story off with was the problem. The story was a mystery, but not a murder mystery. It became a bit of a scavenger hunt story instead.

I dove back in, discarding everything I’d tried before and starting completely from scratch, and this time the story caught fire. I kept up the momentum, and tore through the thing in a few months’ time.

When I finally got to that point where I got to write those two magic words – THE END – I felt a sense of total exhilaration. A story I had carried around inside me for so long was finally out of my head. A longer gestation period than a lot of ideas I have had, but one that I considered worth the wait. I am very proud of the tale I told, and hope that readers will enjoy it just as much.

Book Haven And Other Curiosities

[image error]Come peruse the dusty shelves of BOOK HAVEN. Scan the titles, study the strange trinkets that are lined up on display. Maybe pull aside the cobwebs and run your fingers alone the spines of the books, caress the artifacts. You will find many forgotten treasures and un-mined gems among the debris.

From the author of Flowers in a Dumpster comes a new collection of stories to terrify you, to move you, to make you think. In the title novella, readers are introduced to a future where all literature has been lost, but a group of government agents are on the hunt for the mythological Book Haven, a vast secret library. Along the way, they encounter mysteries and betrayals and are not sure who they can trust.

With Book Haven and Other Curiosities, Gunnells provides an eclectic mix of tales to entertain and engage the imagination.

Some of what you find will be horrifying, some of it beautiful, but all of it is yours for the taking. We’re so glad you found your way here and welcome you in side BOOK HAVEN.

“Mark Allan Gunnells is one of our best short story writers, and this book continues that tradition. I loved reading this collection!”—John R. Little, author of Miranda, The Memory Tree, and The Murder of Jesus Christ

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 26, 2019
About Mark Allan Gunnells

[image error]Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He loves reader feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with his husband Craig A. Metcalf.

What’s New Wednesday #4

It’s construction week here, because apparently I’ve not suffered enough… *sigh* Everything’s dusty, and no amount of cleaning seems to help, but worse is the fact that I have no space to stretch my legs while the construction is happening. I’m struggling to concentrate on menial nonsense because my OCD levels are off the chart, so much so that my husband’s started to become annoyed with my frustrations (I can’t sit still, because it feels like I need to clean). Yeah, it’s a weird week.

Nevertheless, I’ve found some stuff to become obsessed with, which helps a bit.

Books

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After finishing up with Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear—the first book in the Earth’s Children series—on Sunday, I decided to take a break from the prehistoric series and get on with working through some of my Winter Reading List. I’ve started with L.J. Smith’s The Secret Circle, which I am enjoying, but it’s difficult to focus for long periods of time right now. I am enjoying the trilogy thus far, though.

My Winter Reading List – 2019

Technically, there are four seasons in South Africa, but for me it’s either super hot or super cold with a couple of weeks of mild weather thrown into the mix. It’s now heading towards the “super cold” months (May – August), which is why I decided to compile my winter reading list.

Series
The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith

I have read every book in The Vampire Diaries series (which was written by L.J. Smith) and enjoyed them immensely. So, yes, I have wanted to read The Secret Circle for years, but never found the time. This year I decided I will read the original series* (which is written by L.J. Smith and not some ghostwriter who tried to please a publisher). Luckily, these three books are relatively short, so I can see myself finishing the trilogy off in about 5 days or less.

* Please note that NO, I will not endorse any publisher or film company that screw over a writer because he/she didn’t want to play along with what “sells”. I also don’t stand for that stuff in my professional capacity.

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The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is one of my go-to authors. When I see a book by him, I buy it, no questions asked, but it takes me a while to actually get to reading his books because they are so big and I get grumpy when I get interrupted whilst I’m reading his work. Nevertheless, I think it’s time to get back to the Cosmere universe and dive into the Stormlight Archive.

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]I’m still waiting for Oathbringer (the third installment of the Stormlight Archive) to be released here, but that gives me something to look forward to in spring.

 

Boudica Series by Manda Scott

Some more thick books to disappear into is the Boudica series by Manda Scott, featuring the magnificent Celtic queen, Boudica. Now, these books have been on my Kindle for ages, and I’ve been trying to find some time to sit and read them (I do love me some historical fiction, after all), but things never worked out. So, I’ve decided I will make time this winter for these mammoth books, even if it kills me. Although, I do hope it doesn’t come to that.

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Last of the Series

There are quite a few series I intend to finish reading this winter. All of them were great, so I don’t know why I took so long to read the last books (I suspect I subconsciously didn’t want the series to finish). It’s high time to get these read once and for all, though…

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Other Books I Intend to Read

So, if I get through all the above-mentioned books this winter (which I truly hope I will), I’m totally going to try and read some other books that have been on my TBR list for so long, it’s actually become somewhat embarrassing.

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I think 25 books is a relatively attainable number. Granted some of these books are mammoths, so we’ll have to see how far I get—I calculated the page count, by the way, and it’s a whopping 10,763 pages to be read! I’m hoping I can, at least, make a dent in this list, because I need to get back to my usual reading schedule after the not-so-fun move. Let’s see if I can do it.

What’s New Wednesday #3

This week’s current obsessions are more nostalgic than “new” per se. First off, on Monday it was my two year wedding anniversary, so that may have had some influence on my week. More than that, though, while I’ve been packing/unpacking, I’ve rediscovered stuff that I’ve long since forgotten I own and love. So, nostalgia is this week’s theme, methinks… Or maybe not. Maybe it’s “winter week” instead, because I do feel a bite in the air. Either way, let’s start off this week with a glimpse at my wedding album.