Positively Horror recently got the chance to ask the brilliant new YA author Cynthia Murphy some questions. Please enjoy the full interview below.
I’m 37 and I live in Manchester with my husband and our dog, Loli, who is a mixed breed rescue from Romania.
I’ve adored horror since being young, starting with Point Horror books and Christopher Pike before working my way up to Stephen King, when I was definitely far too young.
What was your introduction to horror, and at what age?
I think with books, it was MR James short stories, a book I bought without really knowing what it was before progressing to Point Horror. I still remember being terrified by those old school ghost stories. In terms of movies, I didn’t really watch any horror films until I was a bit older but I did have an incident where I flipped over the TV when I was about ten and it was on the bodybag being dragged down the hallway scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street. To be quite honest, it scared me so much I can’t believe I actually went back and watched it years later!
Your debut novel ‘Last One to Die’ is a blend of thriller, slasher and supernatural, do you have any favourite sub-genres that you gravitate towards?
I love them all. I really love a supernatural element because your imagination can go wild and it doesn’t always have to be rooted in reality. Saying that, I absolutely adore slasher movies - there is something so terrifying about being trapped in what should be a safe environment and having no escape.
Last One to Die has been very well received in the online bookish community, do you feel that bookstagram is a big help in today’s world for getting work out there?
Bookstagram and Twitter have been amazing, especially for someone who released their debut novel during a pandemic! I think the whole community is so creative and supportive and I have found some real kindred spirits over the course of the year. The support for Last One to Die has been beyond my wildest dreams and the community has absolutely helped get the word out about my creepy little book.
Your next book Win, Lose, Kill, Die is set for release early next year. Could you tell us a little bit about it?
This book has been living in my brain for about six years, seven by the time it comes out in 2022. It follows Liz, who is a student at Morton Academy, which has a reputation for only selecting the best and brightest students. Everyone there is on a scholarship, so there is a really diverse cast of characters, not just the usual super-rich, privileged kids that you often see in a boarding school novel. However, that means that everybody is thirsty to succeed and some will do absolutely anything to get what they want. Liz and her friends must figure out who is stalking the students and try to keep themselves safe, all while learning about Morton’s murky past. The story is told from two points of view – Liz and the murderer…
Who are some of your favourite people working in the genre at the moment?
I love anything by Kat Ellis and have followed her career since her first book, Blackfin Sky. I also love Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw, anything by Dawn Kurtagitch, Mark of the Wicked by Georgia Bowers, Kathryn Foxfield’s novels and House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland. I also have a huge TBR pile with books on it such as The Taking of Jake Livingston and Such Pretty Things by Lisa Heathfield.
And are there any other project you’re involved with that you’d like to talk about?
I’ve got quite an exciting pre-order campaign coming up for Win Lose Kill Die. I can’t talk about too much at the minute but all will be revealed around Halloween. I can say it might be re-visiting a villain that people became familiar with in Last One to Die…
Thank you again to Cynthia for the great interview. To find her work check out
@cynthiamurphyya on social media and
https://www.waterstones.com/author/cynthia-murphy/4546077 for all releases.
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