Joan De La Haye

Every Legend Starts Somewhere Most people meet Jane as a voice on the other end of a secure line, or as the last face they see. She’s calm. Calculated. Lethal. The woman who always seems to know more than she should. The woman who sends Marin into impossible situations and somehow expects her to survive them. What most people don’t realise is that Jane wasn’t born knowing how to navigate a…

Every Beautiful City Has Teeth Venice Just Hides Them Better Most people visit Venice for romance. Gondolas drifting through narrow canals.Opera echoing across old stone streets.The comforting fantasy that Venice exists outside the real world—untouched by consequence, decay, or violence. It’s beautiful. It’s theatrical. And it’s very good at hiding what’s really happening underneath the…

Cinco de Mayo Is a Celebration Loud. Bright. Impossible to Ignore. Most people celebrate Cinco de Mayo with tequila, music, and crowded streets. Mariachi bands. Clinking glasses. The kind of energy that makes everything feel bigger, brighter, and just a little out of control. It’s loud on purpose. Because noise is distracting. And distraction is useful. Noise Makes Excellent Cover Crowds…

May Day Isn’t a Celebration It’s a Warning Most people treat Workers’ Day like a statement. Marches.Chants.Signs held high in the belief that if enough voices rise together, something might finally change. It’s visible.It’s loud. And most of the time… it’s ignored. Pressure Builds Long Before It Breaks By the time people take to the streets, the damage is already done. Jobs cut.Lives…

Easter Is Supposed to Be Harmless Soft. Sweet. Safe. Most people spend Easter hunting for chocolate eggs. Pastel colours.Family lunches.The comforting idea that this is one of the gentler celebrations on the calendar. Nothing sharp.Nothing dangerous.Nothing that bites back. It’s a nice illusion. Nature Doesn’t Care About Your Illusions Step outside the curated version of Easter, and things…

Luck Is a Lie And Some People Die Believing In It Most people spend St. Patrick’s Day chasing luck. Green everywhere.Four-leaf clovers.Pints raised to the comforting idea that fortune favours the bold—or at least by those drunk enough to believe it does. It’s a nice story. But unfortunately, luck has a body count. Chaos Doesn’t Care About Your Plans St. Patrick’s Day turns cities like…

Holi Is About Fire and Colour And Fire Has Always Been Meant for Demons Most people come to Jaipur for the Pink City’s architecture, spiritual heritage, and riotous colour. For one night, the entire city seems to glow. Bonfires roar into life as crowds gather for Holika Dahan, cheering as demon effigies are thrown into the flames. It’s a ritual that goes back centuries—burn the evil,…

Mardi Gras Is a Spectacle And Spectacle Is a Convenient Distraction Most people head to New Orleans for jazz, bourbon, and beads. Music in the streets.Masks that promise anonymity.A city that thrives on excess. But this year, the celebration collides with something heavier. Protests flood the French Quarter.Tear gas hangs in the air.Crowds chant against detention, against authoritarian…

Valentine’s Day Is a Performance And Love Is the Most Dangerous Illusion of All Most people treat Valentine’s Day like a promise. Romance.Intimacy.Proof that love is something you can package, schedule, and survive. Roses, chocolates, candlelight, and the comforting belief that tonight will end the way it’s supposed to. But Valentine’s Day is also crowded. Emotional. Distracting. A night…

New Year’s Eve Is a Lie And Other Dangerous Things We Tell Ourselves at Midnight Most people treat New Year’s Eve like a promise. A reset.A clean slate.Champagne, fireworks, kisses at midnight, and the comforting belief that when the clock rolls over, something fundamental changes. It doesn’t. New Year’s Eve isn’t about beginnings. It’s about denial—loud, glittering denial, wrapped in ritual…

Hello, my Freaky Darlings! Let me reintroduce you to Alistair Cross. Alistair Cross’ debut novel, The Crimson Corset, a vampiric tale of terror and seduction, was an immediate bestseller earning praise from veteran vampire-lit author, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and New York Times bestseller, Jay Bonansinga, author of The Walking Dead series. In 2012, Alistair joined forces with international…

Hello, my Freaky Darlings! I haven’t interviewed another author here in a while and thought it was time I started doing that again. So, today, I’d like to introduce you to fellow South African and USA Today Bestselling author N Gray, who also writes as Natalie Michaels. The Last Girl is her latest release as Natalie Michaels. It’s also the very first novel she wrote in 2017, but because she was…

Hello, my Freaky Darlings! Hello from the scorching inferno that is South Africa! 🔥 As if our roads aren’t dangerous enough, some real car enthusiasts have made headlines lately. One lady, clearly convinced that her car deserved a starring role, decided to give her husband a taste of road rage like never before – running him over multiple times for that extra dramatic flair. 🚗💨 Talk about…

Hello, October! 🎃 It’s the start of every horror fan’s favourite time of year – Spooky Season! While some of you are cosying up with pumpkin spice lattes as the leaves change and the air grows crisp, some of us in the southern hemisphere might be sipping iced coffees and enjoying warmer days. But fear not; no matter what the weather’s like outside, we’re all in for a chilling treat! Horror…

Hello, my Freaky Darlings! Greetings from a warm and sunny South Africa. We’re celebrating Heritage Day today and get to have an extra-long weekend. We have a pretty diverse culture, and most of us come from a rather mixed bag of cultures. I have English, Scottish and Irish blood on my mother’s side of the family. On my father’s side, I have German, Dutch and rebellious Afrikaaners who the…

Hello, my Freaky Darlings! Holy Shit! Mother Nature is throwing a serious bitch fit at the moment. Ten countries across the globe have been hit by severe flooding in the last twelve days, and this weekend, the Western Cape was smashed by massive waves that some have been comparing to a Tsunami, okay, a small Tsunami, but still a Tsunami! We don’t get shit like that here. Add to that, angry Mother…

Hello, my Freaky Darlings! Salutations from the sunny side of Africa, where the weather matches our country’s knack for surprises. While I’m sipping sunshine, Cape Town is sipping tea under a drizzle. But, speaking of life in South Africa, my last blog post dove into a rather dark and damp topic – the slippery slope of corruption behind our alarmingly high road fatalities. If you missed it but…