Author Interview: Katlego Moncho on Mateo Santiago

Edited and improved by the Galatea team.

Reposted from Inkitt.com.

Katlego Moncho, Author of Mateo Santiago, Left a Career in Finance to be a Full-Time Writer

An updated version of the interview with a popular author, Katlego Moncho, who was first published on Inkitt and now is available on Galatea.

Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Katlego Moncho spent two years working as a financial planner before making the bold decision to transition into a full-time writing profession.

While she dabbled in writing since her youth, it wasn’t until 2012 that she fully committed to honing her craft. Undoubtedly, her audience appreciates her dedication to her newfound passion!

Her book, Mateo Santiago, was first published by Inkitt on Amazon and is currently available as an immersive story on Galatea. I’m so pleased to feature Katlego today on Galatea’s Author Spotlight.

Q: Welcome, Katlego!  What made you decide to truly focus on your writing?

Katlego Moncho: I started writing because I have stories to tell. From when I was younger, I’ve always been told that I have a vivid imagination, so writing allows me to put that to use.

In late 2012, I was introduced to Wattpad, which I officially joined in November of that year. I read a couple of books on the platform, specifically werewolf books, and I wondered if I’d be able to write a werewolf book of my own. I wrote Pallid Wisteria, which quickly became popular on the app before I wrote Mateo Santiago.

I actually have a Bachelor of Commerce qualification in Financial Management. I was working at a financial services provider as a financial planner, but writing is just something I know I’m meant to do with my life.

Q: How did you find the Inkitt platform, and what about Inkitt made you publish your stories there?

Katlego Moncho: I got an email about a new writing platform called Inkitt. I read up more on how the platform works, and I was interested in their algorithm. I was interested in especially finding out if I could have the same success on this platform that I’d had on other writing platforms.

When I checked it out, I found that they were running a writing competition. I published Mateo Santiago on Inkitt and watched the ratings rise. In August 2017, I got the email that Inkitt was interested in my story, and in September, I got the offer for publishing.

Q: There are many young writers using the Inkitt and Galatea platforms. Can you share with them the best and worst writing advice you’ve ever received?

Katlego Moncho: The best writing advice I’ve ever received is to keep writing, even if it’s a little bit every day. As someone who writes multiple stories at a time, this is especially useful advice to me because it keeps the creative juices flowing.

I can’t say that I’ve received any bad writing advice, simply because I don’t think anyone sets out to give you bad advice. I think anyone who gives you advice is coming from a place of experience, which means that what they’re advising might not necessarily work for you. That doesn’t make it bad advice, though.

Q: You mentioned that you’re able to write multiple stories at the same time. How many are you currently working on?

Katlego Moncho: Right now, I’m working on completing the books that I have out on my different platforms, as well as introducing some new works. In total, that’s about twenty books.

Q: Wow! I’m sure your fans will be excited to hear this! You’ll keep them reading for good long time. When you aren’t busy working on twenty different projects, what else are you interested in? Tell us a few non-writing-related things about yourself.

Katlego Moncho: I am a huge K-Drama fan, which is something my family and friends can’t quite make sense of. My favourite genre of music is electronic dance music, another thing that baffles those around me. The thing I’m probably most afraid of is a spider.

Q: For me, it’s snakes! Thank you so much, Katlego, and best of luck with your upcoming projects.

 

Here’s a sneak peek at Katlego Moncho’s fan-favorite story, Mateo Santiago, now available here, on Galatea.

He rules the most powerful pack in the world. She has been outcast by her family and forced to go rogue. When their paths cross, it could be the beginning of something wonderful – or the end of them both.

Something in me was stirring, and not in a good way. It’s that kind of feeling you get when the teacher is handing back tests. It’s nerve-wracking, and it’s like a swirl of bad emotions balled up into one, settling in your throat, chest, and stomach, gradually suffocating you and weighing you down at the same time.

I’d been walking for a while until my grandmother’s house came into view. Fear shot through me like a bullet, and I was suddenly numb as I clutched onto the package I didn’t realize I was still holding.

I scented the air, and I could smell different scents, making me tremble as I got closer to the house. I opened the door, and the scents got stronger, together with the stench of blood. I flipped the light switch, and my life froze.

My beloved grandmother lay dead, her blood pooling around her, but that’s not what made me freeze. No, it was the man and woman seated on the couch next to her body – the man and woman I’d once called mommy and daddy.

“So, this is where you’ve been this whole time, you little runt! You were supposed to be dead a long time ago,” my mother spoke icily. I was too shocked to move or say anything.

“Listen here, little girl, I told you five years ago that I don’t like being disrespected, and your grandmother followed in her husband’s footsteps by protecting you this whole time, but now you have no one. So, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re either going to choose to stay here in a prison cell for the rest of your life, or you’re going to choose to be a rogue, and we’re going to chase you off of our land. It’s up to you,” my father said emotionlessly.

The thunderstorms outside were loud and certainly closer. I could only stare at them in utter disbelief. They couldn’t have cared less that I am their own flesh and blood. But then again, what did I expect? They killed my grandfather and now my grandmother without so much so as a flinch.

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