Dragon Soul Press was able to interview Natalya Monyok, an author featured in The Fear Doctor and Beautiful Darkness: Volume One.
My name is Natalya Monyok. Many people struggle to guess my heritage, but I am Slovak and part of the third generation of my family to live in America. I have traveled to five different countries and twelve states. My favorite city outside the U.S. is Vienna, Austria, while my favorite inside the U.S. is Seattle, Washington. I enjoy moving around a lot, so I don’t usually stay in one place for more than a few years. Currently, I reside in Seattle, but will be moving to Iowa City in a few months to study creative writing at the University of Iowa. I hope to visit all of Europe and Asia in the near future as well as finally check out New York City.
I am currently on the fifth or sixth rewrite of my horror novel, and my goal is to hire a professional editor for it within the next year. Besides that, I have been working on a plethora of short stories to submit to various publishing houses. Most of what I write can
be classified as psychological horror, though I have been known to dabble in paranormal as well.
I am an avid movie lover and enjoy keeping track of everything I watch as well as give ratings. So far, in just this past year alone, I have watched about 70 movies, 50 of which were in the horror or dark fiction genres. My favorite so far has been mother! by Darren Aronofsky, which I rated 5 stars. I also read a lot of horror and transgressive fiction novels, and my favorite one that I’ve read this year is The Collector by John Fowles. All in all, I pride myself on being a horror fanatic, and I believe that passion comes through
in my work. I have been published in 6 anthologies thus far, two of which are from Dragon Soul Press, Beautiful Darkness Volume 1 (2022), and The Fear Doctor (2024).
- What prompted you to begin writing?
- I have been writing since I first learned to pick up a pencil. I was in elementary school
when I finished my first novel, at about 50,000 words. Writing has always been my
passion. In fifth grade, my teacher told me I needed to pursue it. In twelfth grade, my
teacher asked me what I wanted to do in college; at the time, I thought I wanted to be a
biologist, but she told me I should consider being a writer instead. Even when I didn’t
realize it, everyone around me always knew an author is what I would become.
- I have been writing since I first learned to pick up a pencil. I was in elementary school
- How many projects do you have planned over the next few years? Tell us about one.
- I am obsessed with vampires. I would love to write an anthology containing short stories
about vampiric creatures from cultures all over the world. I’ve already written stories
about the obayifo of Ghana (Beautiful Darkness Volume 1), the penanggalan of Malaysia
(Collective Humanity), and Mami Wata of Nigeria (The Fear Doctor).
- I am obsessed with vampires. I would love to write an anthology containing short stories
- Where do you draw inspiration from?
- I draw inspiration from everything. As a writer, I look at the world through the lens of
creation. Even the most mundane occurrences inspire me – a colony of ants building
their home, the crack of sunlight between the branches of a willow tree, my father
brewing a hot pot of coffee in the morning. My life is my poetry. Everything that happens
to me can be twisted into a story, from the most tragic events that define my soul down
to a conversation I had with my best friend five years ago.
- I draw inspiration from everything. As a writer, I look at the world through the lens of
- Who is your favorite author / what is your favorite book?
- I have many authors whom I admire, but my favorite author has to be Clive Barker, with my favorite book being Weaveworld. I was 19 years old when I first read it and completely fell in love with the horror genre because of it.
- What is one goal you have for your writing future?
- My short-term goal is to have my novel published traditionally with one of the Big Five.
After that, the sky is not my limit, but my bare minimum.
- My short-term goal is to have my novel published traditionally with one of the Big Five.
- What do you hope readers enjoy most from your work?
- My goal with writing isn’t to plot out amazing worlds or come up with the most creative
plot twists; that’s all well and good, but I want to shine a light on the darkest parts of
humanity, the parts everyone else is too scared to talk about, and reveal the malignance
each and every one of us is capable of possessing. Grief, anguish, betrayal, violence,
bloodshed, rage, rapture – these are the themes I deal with. I want people to read my
work and draw philosophies from it. I want them to feel something. I want to make them
think in ways they haven’t dared before.
- My goal with writing isn’t to plot out amazing worlds or come up with the most creative
- Where can readers learn more about you?
Dragon Soul Press 