 Stephanie Chantre was born in 1996 in France. Passionate by words from the start, she studied literature and always wrote during her spare time. She won a writing contest as a teenager and published a short story in a collection. Down The Lake is her debut novel. WEBSITE LINKS https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Chantre/e/B088G2YV88/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1 https://stephaniechantreau.wixsite.com/stephaniechantre https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20294192.Stephanie_Chantre https://www.instagram.com/stephaniechantreauthor/ Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself? Hi! I'm Stephanie, I grew up in France and currently live in the South of Ireland. I started writing stories as soon as I learned how to actually write. Of course, it wasn' very interesting at the time – I was just a child. But every single thing I wrote had a hint of horror in them (which might make one wonder what the hell was going on in my brain at the time. Boy, the number of neighbours I gruesomely killed!), so it's really no surprise that my first book, Down The Lake, fits into the category. I was also lucky enough to have a short story published as a teengager. To get the ball rolling and get everyone relaxed, here is a hopefully lighthearted question to break the ice, which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life and have them complain at you about they way you treated them in your work. Definitely Dave! He really wouldn't be happy about the way I treated him, and we would not get along anyway. I loved to hate him, and I'm dying to know why he is the way that he is. Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing? I read a lot of books, of all genres, so I took a bit of everything and use it in my writing. Bt honestly, Stephen King has been the major influence on my work. I'm fascinated by his writings. The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations. What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions? I think a lot of people see horror as a “cheap genre”, something that doesn't require a lot of talent or research to write. I also think readers refuse to believe what they read, or to even accept that there is a possibility that somewhere in the world, villains like the ones in those books exist and do horrible things. For me, horror is just a depiction of the human nature. Yes, people are easily manipulated. Yes, they can have the worst behaviors when under pressure. Yes, they blindly follow the masses. I truly don't think we can change the assumptions about horror. Readers who don't want to read it, or don't appreciate the genre, never will. It's the same about any genre. A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years? I think we will see some very good (and not so much) dystopian horror. Right now, after everything that happened this year, I can definitely see some “parallel universe where the coronavirus has killed everyone but the resistance” stories coming. I mean, I already saw some romance novel about it, so why not horror? It would be fitting. But even without the pandemic, I think the world has sadly enough hell to offer to write books about it. Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it? Readers can relate. Nothing is sugarcoated, we can recognize ourselves in some of the characters (especially when they do things they're not proud of), and it's reassuring to see we're not alone. As I said earlier, it is an accurate depiction of the human nature. We can be shit sometimes, very mean or cowardly. This violence is inside all of us, and reading is also a way of acknowleding and accepting it as part of our normal self, even if we don't act on it. What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre? I don't know, and I wish I did! In the past authors were able to write about almost anything with a far lesser degree of the fear of backlash, but this has all changed in recent years. These days authors must be more aware of representation an the depiction of things such as race and gender in their works, how aware are you of these things and what steps have you taken to ensure that your writing can’t be viewed as being offensive to a minority group? I actually had to think about it with Down The Lake. I wrote the book some years ago, when there weren't so many things to be careful about. I had to edit out some details, or soften them. But anyway, people will always be offended by something. Always. If your character is beautiful and fit, they'll ask why she is not another way. If you don't include LGBT+ people, they'll ask why. And if you do include them, other people will come at you. It's a never ending story. I basically just gave up. I know some things will offend some people, but I can't really care, or else I wouldn't write anything anymore. It's their problem and not mine. No book will ever please everyone. Does horror fiction perpetuate it’s own ghettoization? I don't see it that way. We have a lot of writers out there, all working with a different part of horror, which means the genre is now available to all readers, and can appeal to a large variety of them. By the contrary, I think that the evolution of horror fiction is making it more and more mainstream. What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off? To my great shame, I can't recommand anyone. I didn't really have time to read and discover new authors those past few months, but I hope to be able to get back at it soon. What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author? The first book I read was Desperation, by Stephen King. I was eight and remember thinking that this was what I wanted to write later. I'm one of King's constant readers, and every book of his (even the ones I didn't like) helped me become the author I now am. Second Chance Summer, By Morgan Matson, really helped me too. The emotions were raw and genuine, and I was bawling by the end of the book. I'd like to be able to get such a reaction from my readers. Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you? One of my very first readers told me “you have gold in your hands”. I always come back to his review whenever I'm doubting myself. It really helps me keep going. What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult? Starting. I always have a hard time writing my prologue, because generally speaking the stories unfold in my head with the “peak moments”. So everything outside of those moments is a bit of a blur for me. The first thing I have in mind is the action, or the moment everything goes south. I just had to work a bit harder to get the rest on paper. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? Romance. It would be literally impossible for me to write this genre. I dislike it a lot, because I think it often pictures unhealthy and dangerous relationships and promote them, which should never be done. I just couldn't write it. How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? My main character is named Alexandra because it sounded strong to me. It shows who she is. Rachel, well... It is part of a personal revenge, considering her story. All the other just popped in my head and I went with them. Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years? I changed a lot! I used to write things a bit softer, now I go full on with what I want to write. Thanks to the feedback I received from various people, I was also able to sharpen my writing and make it more accurate. But the atmosphere never changes. I'm all for horror and paranormal and death. What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing? “Keep writing”. To many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favorite child, and who is your least favorite to write for and why? Arf. I don't like children at all, so I don't see my characters this way, thank goodness. But Alexandra is my favorite. I see a lot of myself in her (is that narcissistic? Anyway), and she's forever a part of me. My least favorite would be Rachel, precisely because I don't like children. If I dislike them in real life, it's not better in my books. For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why? Down The Lake is my first book, and the only novel I wrote so far. So, I would tell you to go for it... This story imposed itself to me, and I was almost in a trance writing it. I didn't put any limits to my imagination. It definitely represents who I am as an author. Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us? “Not that she could ever have forgotten him. He would forever be carved into her flesh, like a branding she never wanted and oh so abhorred.” Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next? Down The Lake is my first book. It is the story of Alexandra Adams, a young woman who seems pretty normal – as long as you don't dig to deep. She's trying to run from her past, to bury it deep, but it turns out that her past can run quite fast, too. I'm currently writing my second novel. Although I do stick with horror, it will be quite different from Down The Lake. It doesn't even take place in the same country. While the former was in the US, this one will be in Ireland. It's a country I know very well now, and I'm so happy to be able to include some of its folklore in the book! If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice? The stupid “blond woman attacked in her home by a mysterious murderer, oh my God how will she ever survive? Thankfully, a strong man has appeared to save the day!”. Come on now. That's ridiculous. We can do just fine on our own. Can't we have a woman saving a poor, distraught man? What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you? Last great book would be Just One More Question, by Niall Tubridy. He's a neurologist in Dublin and recalls some of his patients and diagnosis. I'm passionate about neurology, and this book is a gem. The last disappointing book would be The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank. I didn't like it at all, and couldn't even finish it. What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do? And what would be the answer? I'd like to be ask why I put some of the most horrifying parts of my book in there. I would answer that I was just the narrator. I didn't have a choice. Sometimes you do feel that this story happened somehow, and you're just here to let people know about it. Down The Lake: a haunting emotional by Stephanie Chantre While she appears to be perfectly normal - she has a good career, a husband and a young daughter - Alexandra Adams is not. She has a power inside her mind, a raw energy she calls the "Light" and is afraid of. After something attacked her during her childhood to gain it, Alexandra decided to ignore the phenomenon and deny she ever had it. But whatever has tried to kill her is back. After almost two decades of peace and tranquility, he is back to hunt her. She thought she'd escaped him for good, she thought she would never have to use the Light again. But here he is, threatening everything and everyone she holds dear. The young woman will have to fight harder than ever to protect those she loves. She will have to embrace and acknowledge the darkest parts of herself, including this Light she so ardently pushed away. But after lying dormant for so long, can the Light ever be the same? Will Alexandra be able to control it and use it to her advantage, or will she be consumed by her own greatness? Infused with fear, pain and anger, Down The Lake takes us to the darkest parts of the human mind. THE HEART AND SOUL OF HORROR PROMOTIONComments are closed.
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