Hi, Maxie! Welcome back! How has the past year been since we last spoke?

Hey, thanks so much for talking the time to chat with me again! It’s been quite the year. I’ve been lucky enough to meet so many wonderful people through the first book, which has been the most unexpectedly lovely part of this whole ‘being an author’ thing. I’ve also moved from Canada to Scotland because I needed a little plot twist in my own life.

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death is the second installment in your S.C.Y.T.H.E Mystery series and it’s out December 2^nd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Oh gosh, okay, if I had to narrow it down to five, they’d be: quirky, suspenseful, supernatural, family, parrot.

What can readers expect from the sequel?

We’re saying goodbye to the gang from book one for a sec and hanging out with S.C.Y.T.H.E. administrative coordinator and anxiety queen Nora Bird. Nora lost her parents at a young age and has been afraid of death ever since, so she took a job with modern-day grim reapers in a ‘keep your enemies close’ kind of way. When she comes across the name of her twin brother, Charlie, in her to-die files, she decides to risk it all in order to save his life. It’s kind of a dysfunctional family road trip meets Final Destination, but (hopefully) funny.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?

Though I usually end up having the most fun with side characters, I really enjoyed getting to know the twins at the heart of Cheating Death. They’re polar opposites in every way, but are motivated by the same core things, and learning what makes them both tick and how they turned out the way they did was such a fun process!

Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel? How did you overcome them?

Oh, always. If I ever manage to get through a project without at least one challenge I think I’ll be incredibly confused. In this book, I reached a point where I had two very different plot options to choose from, and either decision would drastically change the outcome of the story. I know I’m being vague here, but I’m trying not to spoil anything. Suffice it to say this was nearly a very different book. Thankfully I borrowed my friends’ ears to talk endlessly about the dilemma and eventually realized that this was meant to be a book about family, anxiety, and what it means to live. I think, in the end, that was the right call.

Were there any key lessons you learned between working on the two books?

More than anything, I think the idea of writing for myself was reaffirmed. When I wrote Catching a Killer I had no idea whether anyone would ever pick it up, so I really just wrote the kind of book I’d want to read. For Cheating Death, I knew I was writing it for publication, and for a while that was paralysing. I kept getting stuck on whether my editor would like it, whether readers would like it, whether reviewers would like it. I forgot to ask myself whether I would like it, and instead put a ton of pressure on myself to make it perfect. It wasn’t until I went back to writing the kind of book I’d want to read that the writing began to flow again.

What’s next for you?

Book three, baby! We’re heading back to S.C.Y.T.H.E. again, and I’ve been having a blast getting to introduce yet another shiny new reaper to the collection. I’ve taken a big risk with this one, and I cannot wait for everyone to get to meet them next year!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up in 2026?

I’ve read some absolute gems this year! I had the honour of blurbing two incredibly unique reads: Dead and Breakfast by Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor and Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell. Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series has continued its chokehold on me, and I adored Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas. I’ve been absolutely itching to read Wyndclyffe by Joe Hart but haven’t been able to find it in the UK, so I’ll definitely be picking that up next time I visit Canada and reading it in the new year!

Will you be picking up A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Maxie Dara, Author of ‘A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Maxie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hey, thanks so much for chatting with me! And absolutely! I’m a small-town girl (midnight train sold separately) from Ontario, Canada, where I spend my free time exploring nature and trying to befriend the local raccoon population. When not writing, I also act in theatre and film and dabble in screenwriting. I have an unhealthy obsession with the country of Scotland, at least one bruise on my legs at all times, and will try to cuddle any animal who will let me.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I first knew I wanted to be a writer when I was seven and have been too stubborn to change my mind since. To be honest, I don’t know that I had much choice in the matter when it comes to my love of storytelling. My mom and dad read to me from the time I was in the womb all the way until I was old enough to snuggle under the covers and read to myself. Which I did, rather voraciously. At seven I came up with a story about a personified baby tooth who was afraid to fall out and grow into an adult tooth, and that was enough to get me hooked on writing for life. I actually still have that short story, which I hang onto as a reminder of where this all began.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The first book I remember reading to myself is probably The Phantom Tollbooth, but the first book I remember having read to me has to be something by Robert Munsch, who was a favourite in my household. Very likely The Paper Bag Princess, though we burned through them all.

• The one that made you want to become an author: I remember reading books by Jean Little and thinking ‘I want to do this.’ Now, if you’ve ever read Jean Little as well as my own work you’d know that I did not do this. Her work is often heart-breaking and my obsession with it as a kid doesn’t quite jive with my lighthearted writing style. But Little could tell a story that makes you feel, and that’s exactly what I wanted to do.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Dodecahedron by Paul Glennon. I had to read this in university and the story structure had me in awe throughout, to the point where I forgot it was a reading assignment.

Your debut novel, A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Whimsical, comedic, heartfelt, messy, cozy!

What can readers expect?

A mystery surrounded by a whole lot of heart. Themes of found family, second-chance love, and overcoming insecurities. And hopefully a lot of laughs along the way!

Where did the inspiration for A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer come from?

I’ve always had a weird relationship with the subject of death. And I mean, hey, who doesn’t? But the usual fear and morbid fascination most people experience was exacerbated for me by my mom’s job as a Death Doula (basically a midwife for those at the end of their lives). I think being that close to the topic forced me to come face-to-face with my fears, and the only way I know how to do that is through humour. So, I created a goofy world where I could answer unknowable questions—what happens when we die? Is there meaning to any of this? And why are so many famous ghosts Victorian?—in a way that made the subject feel more absurd than scary.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Characters are always my main focus when I’m writing, and while I really enjoyed getting to know each of them and their relationships with each other, I especially loved the moments between Kathy and Conner. While there is a romantic love story at play with Kathy and her ex-husband Simon, the found-family bond between the grim reaper and the lost soul will always hold a special place in my heart, if only because of how much their dynamic impacted their character growth. It’s a love story in its own right, but celebrating a platonic relationship rather than a romantic one.

This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

Definitely a winding one! I started a bunch of novels as a teenager but never really saw them through. It wasn’t until my early twenties that I completed my first manuscript and tried to find rep for it, to no avail. I did the same with my second novel a few years later with the same outcome. When I started shopping Grim Reaper’s Guide around, I wasn’t convinced anything would change, but this time I also submitted to an open call from Berkley as well as querying agents, and in what I still consider a miracle, my now-editor Tracy Bernstein reached out requesting the full manuscript. Before I knew it I was looking for a time machine so I could go back and tell my seven-year-old self that all that dreaming came true in the end.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently cooking up a second book in the S.C.Y.T.H.E. Mystery series, which should hopefully be on the shelves next autumn. I’m also simultaneously filming my first independent feature film which I’ve co-written with one of my best friends and have high-bordering-on-delusional hopes for. Suffice it to say I feel like the luckiest girl in the world these days.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?

My current obsession is A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong. I’m just about to dive into the sequel and cannot wait to return to Victorian Edinburgh alongside time-travelling modern detective Mallory. Once I’ve devoured that, I’m itching to get my hands on The House by the Cemetery by Lisa Childs. It is spooky season, after all!

Will you be picking up A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Maxie Dara, Author of ‘A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.