Very excited for today’s 3Q’s! Over the course of two novels, today’s guest has already leaped into my ‘must-read’ author list and I sit here desperately awaiting word of what we’ll get next from him.

A.M. Shine landed in my lap with the exquisite ‘The Watchers’ and then followed it up with the recent ‘The Creeper.’ If you’re a fan of Adam Nevill and some Tim Lebbon thrown in, Shine will be a writer you’ll want to read!

Please, do welcome A.M.!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Shine: My writing habits are constantly changing, which probably doesn’t do my body or mind any favours. But I’ve learned through trial and error that it’s not something you can switch on when it suits you, so you need to be ready to run with the inspiration when it hits.
I do have a word count that I set myself. Otherwise, I know that I’d waste hours editing and fancying up what I’ve written instead of moving the plot forward. Maybe I’m a strange case here, but I genuinely love editing. Those little final touches to a sentence are always the most satisfying.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?

Shine: Okay, I’m guessing that what happens on the imaginary island retreat stays on the imaginary island retreat. So, you’ll excuse me if I indulge in some casual necromancy and raise up two absolute gents.
First up, Edgar Allan Poe is always top of any guestlist for me. And I don’t believe for one second that he was the irrepressibly melancholic loner that some say he was. I’d expect nothing more than a dark sense of humour and a few recitals to keep us all entertained.
For banter and endless witticisms, Oscar Wilde would make a fine addition, but I’d have to go with Bram Stoker. Just because, well, who wouldn’t want to spend some time with the man who invented Count Dracula? And I’m sure he has a few interesting stories from 19th century Dublin.
And last but by certainly no means least, I’d ferry you over to the island, Steve. I’d like to catch-up with you in-person and chew the fat with a fellow horror writer who hadn’t just been unceremoniously dragged from their grave. (WHAT! NO WAY! THANK YOU!)

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Shine: It’s called The Creeper. It’s an Irish horror novel with some Gothic stylings and a nice underlying sense of dread. I’m very proud of it. It’s the kind of horror that’s designed to get under your skin. And I think everyone should read it because that’d make me a very happy horror writer, and the world needs more of those.
We have an elusive academic, a village lost for two-centuries, and a curse that is kept alive through the old art of superstition. Oh, and there’s a creepy kid who really shouldn’t be allowed outside.

Steve: Bonus Question: You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

Shine: Most definitely the Count.
Poor old Victor has a somewhat nervous disposition and wouldn’t make for the best of company. Add in the fact that we’ll be dining together, and the man’s habit of handling corpses could play havoc with my appetite.
I’ve always wanted to visit Dracula’s home – the meet the man himself and the three vampire sisters. And Jonathan Harker did say in his journal that the Count’s roast chicken was excellent. And it came with cheese and a salad and a bottle of old Tokay. And as my host doesn’t drink wine, then this rare little vintage would be all mine, and it’s meant to be seriously tasty.
I imagine we’d all stay up late, chatting by an open fire, probably calling it a night sometime just before sunrise.

Excellent decision! Thank you so much A.M.!

To keep up to date with his work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/A-M-Shine/e/B099S32KQJ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMShineWriter

Website: http://www.amshinewriter.com/