NK Chats To: A.M. Shine

Published February 14, 2026 | By Laura

Thank you so much for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Grace is steeped in Irish mythology and Gothic horror—what inspired you to blend these elements in this story?

An unhealthy obsession with horror and history is probably to blame for this one. I’ve always enjoyed the notion that the old lore was inspired by very real fears, and that there are horrors still existing in Ireland that we’d be wise not to disturb. For centuries we were an island of storytellers, gift-wrapping these terrifying warnings as tales and rooting them to the land, not merely to spook the children, but to keep them safe.

Growing up in a small village in the west of Ireland, I knew which trees were fairy forts and best avoided. There was even a rock that’d apparently been a witch once upon a time, and on the darkest nights she could be seen travelling as a passenger in the backseat of your car. I believed the stories then, and I still respect them now. Grace was inspired by my love of the gothic and Ireland’s wonderful inheritance of horror, and I’m exceptionally proud to carry on that tradition in the twenty-first century.

The island in Grace is described as “isolated and wilfully forgotten.” How did you go about crafting such a haunting and atmospheric setting? Was it inspired by a real place?

I’ve wanted to set a novel on an island for years now, as I can’t imagine a setting more cruel and isolating than a lonely rock out in the ocean. To make it suitably inhospitable, I drew on my own experiences of Ireland’s unique and ofttimes bleak west coast. I also visited the Aran Islands and Inishbofin to get a real feel for the isolation first-hand and to test out the local pubs (for research purposes, of course). There’s a feeling to these communities that I really wanted to infuse into my writing, not only to craft the horror, but to also capture their stark beauty. And Croaghnakeela, where Grace takes place, is actually a real island. Nobody lives on it, thankfully, so I didn’t feel too bad when I invented its own horrible history. But who knows, maybe this novel will inspire a few adventurous horror fans to visit it someday. I’d be happy to tag along with them.

What draws you to horror as a genre, and what do you think makes a truly terrifying story?

For reasons lost even to me, it’s the only genre I’ve ever wanted to write in. And I can’t see that changing any time soon. Horror has zero limitations – no cage to contain its potential. It can include elements of fantasy, sci-fi, even romance if you want, and there’s a wonderful freedom in that. But it’s the art of writing effective horror that has inspired me to dedicate so much of my life to it. I’m not trying to make readers laugh or cry, I want them to second-guess opening their curtains at night. I want them to look at a forest or a blanket of fog in a different way than before, imagining my horrors lurking within them.

Horror is so rife with timeless creations, and I’d love to add some horrors of my own to its enduring legacy. A truly terrifying story needs some element of the unknown to really get under your skin. Mystery and suspense go hand in hand, and the best horror authors wield the reader’s imagination like a weapon. And because so much is their own mental creation, it stays with them. It implants a very particular and personal fear in the mind. And that’s all part of the fun, isn’t it? We’re all rational people. We know it’s just a story. But hey, what if it isn’t?

Without giving too much away, can you talk about the nature of the “ancient evil” in the book? Is it rooted in any specific Irish myth or legend?

I’m going to dance around this question as best I can to avoid any spoilers. Short answer: yes, everything evil in this book is a reimagining of something very, very old from Irish folklore. The novel’s key horror, shall we say, can be found in both Ireland and Scotland; not uncommon, as we share so much. But there’s another element to this novel that is uniquely Irish, and one that I’m very excited to say ties all my novels together in a way. I’ve seen a few reviewers refer to it as the A.M. Shineverse, and though that was never my intention back when I sat down to write The Watchers, it does strangely work. So who knows, maybe in the future some of my stories might crossover in new and terrifying ways. Stranger things have certainly happened in the world of horror.

What do you hope readers take away from Grace beyond the scares?

Grace is by far the most layered of my novel thus far. Besides from the atmospheric horror and twists that readers have come to expect from me at this stage, we have a story that spans thirty years, touching on themes of faith, home, and human weakness. It’s a window into the lives of the last surviving people of an abandoned society, and a dark take on the isolation and bonds of island life. Along with the very present horror that stalks the pages, we have a past riddled with regret, and a community torn apart by its own greed and selfishness as it tries to escape its past. But some horrors in this world, especially those trapped on the Isle of Croaghnakeela, sure do love to hold a grudge.

Where do you want to take horror writing in the future?

I want all of my stories to be unique in their own way, and that’s the most rewarding and challenging part of being an author – trying to invent something truly original that readers haven’t encountered before. That’s why the horror genre is so timeless. If it can be imagined, then it can be brought to life on the page. And I have some absolutely terrifying ideas that I’ve been brooding over for far too long. I think now is as good a time as any to set them free.

About Grace –

A haunting, atmospheric modern Gothic horror tale based on traditional Irish mythology, from the author of smash hit The Watchers. Ancient evil is awakened on a lonely isle off the coast of Ireland.

TO LEARN THE TRUTH
WOULD YOU DESCEND INTO HELL?

Off the west coast of Ireland lies a lonely island, isolated and wilfully forgotten. Some say there hasn’t been a child born on the island for thirty years. Others speak of strange deaths there, decades ago. But no one really knows what happened. Locals believe that the dark times are behind them.

They are mistaken.

Grace, adopted at four years old, has never known where she came from. A mysterious phone call leads her back to the island where she was born – and where a terrible evil has been disturbed.

As the evil starts to spread, Grace finds herself dragged back into a living nightmare that threatens to engulf anyone who steps into its path.

Grace is perfect for fans of horror classics, Paul Tremblay, and Kealan Patrick Burke.

Grace was released by Head of Zeus in February 2026. Click to buy on Amazon, Waterstones, bookshop.org, TG Jones and Eason.

About A.M. Shine –

A.M. Shine writes in the Gothic horror tradition. Born in Galway, Ireland, he received his Master’s Degree in History there before sharpening his quill and pursuing all things literary and macabre.

He is a member of the Irish Writers Centre. His debut novel, The Watchers, has been made into a major motion picture produced by M. Night Shyamalan. Follow him on @AMShineWriter and

Say hello via his website, X and Instagram.

Follow Aris Fiction on X and Facebook and Head of Zeus on Instagram and their website.