Featured Interview With Dani Taillefer
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a South African author with a love for horror, dark fairy tales, and storytelling. I was raised in South Africa, where I still live today. My writing is heavily inspired by my fascination with the darker side of traditional fairy tales and the stories I’ve enjoyed throughout my life.
I’m also a big animal lover and have three cats, who definitely keep life interesting! They’re part of my everyday life and, in their own way, have become a constant presence while I write.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been fascinated by books since high school. That was also when I started writing and discovered how much I enjoyed creating my own stories. What began as an interest in reading gradually grew into a love for storytelling, and over the years, writing became something I wanted to take more seriously.
My fascination with books has stayed with me ever since, and eventually it led me to writing and publishing my own stories.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are David Eddings, Agatha Christie, and Terry Pratchett. I love the way each of them creates memorable characters and completely different kinds of worlds and stories.
My favorite genres to read are fantasy, horror, and crime. I enjoy stories that can transport me somewhere completely different, keep me guessing, or explore the darker side of human nature.
These authors and genres also inspire my own writing. David Eddings inspires my love of fantasy and adventure, Agatha Christie my appreciation for mystery and suspense, and Terry Pratchett reminds me that even imaginative stories can have humor, personality, and a unique voice.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is *Shadows of the Heart*, a collection of dark adult retellings inspired by the classic fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen.
These are not the fairy tales many of us remember from childhood. I’ve taken familiar stories and explored their darker sides, adding horror, violence, tragedy, and my own twists while keeping the spirit of the original tales. I wanted to create stories that feel familiar at first, but then take the reader somewhere much darker and more unexpected. *Shadows of the Heart* is for adult readers who enjoy fairy tales, horror, and stories that aren’t afraid to embrace the darkness.
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