We chat with author Maria Lewis about The Graveyard Shift, which is a fast paced, thrilling murder mystery novel, paying homage to slasher films of the 90’s and the perfect Halloween read for fans of Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix.
Hi, Maria! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Howdy! Well, my name is Maria Lewis and I’m a screenwriter, author and pop culture etymologist. I’ve been on The Nerd Daily a few times before for my eight-book Supernatural Sisters series, but have just come off the back of promoting my first Marvel novel Mockingbird: Strike Out and into full swing for my first murder mystery, pop culture slasher The Graveyard Shift. In the film and TV space, I have worked on projects for Netflix, AMC, DC Comics, ABC, Ubisoft, Nickelodeon and many more. I’ve also worked on audio documentaries The Phantom Never Dies – about the first superhero – and Josie and the Podcasts – about the 2001 cult classic. This year I made my directorial debut with The House That Hungers, based on my short story of the same name.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I have always loved stories, going back to when I was a wee kid and was obsessed with movies like Jaws and Mad Monster Party. Comics were probably my first love, then books once I got better at reading, but I just loved getting swept up in yarns and adventures with characters. I never thought about creating and making my own until much, much later when I was in my twenties. By then I was just focused on staying employed as a journalist, which was still storytelling in a way but strictly non-fiction.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading!
Roald Dahl’s Matilda was the first book I remember being obsessed with as a kid – the idea of vengeful girl with powers was very appealing to me then (and now). The movie came out a few years later and that sealed it for me, I was hooked.
Your latest novel, The Graveyard Shift, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A pop cultural slasher … babes.
What can readers expect?
A book! Lol, no but seriously … The Graveyard Shift is for fans of murder mysteries and literary slashers. Fast-talking, quick-thinking Final Girls, Melbourne’s darkened laneways, forgotten Australian film history and pop culture traversing just about sums it up.
Where did the inspiration for The Graveyard Shift come from?
I was heavily inspired by the slasher resurgence of the nineties, which saw industry stalwarts like Wes Craven reinvent the sub-genre they helped define. The most famous of these is Scream, obviously, but also flicks like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Candyman and Urban Legend were pretty pivotal. Even further back, pre-resurgence, of course it’s Halloween, Psycho, Friday The 13th, Prom Night etc. that were some of the pop cultural touchstones I was ambitiously aiming for.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Ooooft, so many! The Graveyard Shift was a dream project of mine, the kind of book I wrote for pleasure first before trying to figure out whether I could find a publisher for it so … technically all of it! I loved getting to take the readers into the main character Tinsel Munroe’s world as an overnight radio host, which is a field I had some experience in but also required extensive research to bring to life in a way that was authentic, engaging and reflective of the intersection between horror and hip hop where The Graveyard Shift sits.
I also loved getting to set a book in Melbourne, which is a city I adore but haven’t had the opportunity to feature in a story before. It has such a rich history and such a cool present, so getting to invite readers to some of my favourite (and most feared) locations there was thrilling.
This is your tenth published novel! What are some of the key lessons you have learned when it comes to writing and the publishing world?
Have stamina. Writing a book is only one part of the process, you then need to go through the often heartbreaking acquisitions procedure, draining and lengthy editing process, the marketing and promotional cycles, and then … then the book comes out. And if you want to have a career, you need to be prepared to get back in the trenches and start that whole cycle again. It’s long and it’s lengthy and it takes years, so have stamina! Writing the damn thing is just the beginning.
What’s next for you?
I have two genre shows that go into the production in the next six months, so it’s polishing scripts on those and then my next book! Mirage: Daughter Of No One, which is set within the world of Assassin’s Creed and follows the origins of Master Assassin: Roshan.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I looooove Alison Goodman – her Lady Helen series is one of my favourite within the supernatural historical fiction space – and I just finished her latest, The Benevolent Society Of Ill-Mannered Ladies. I think it’s one of her best, which is really saying something as she’s such a brilliant, immersive writer.
