A.F.E. Smith's Blog

This blog post will not be written with any kind of skill or coherence. Just getting that out there before you actually decide to commit five minutes of your life to reading it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

So, a few things, in no particular order.

First, I SUBMITTED MY THIRD BOOK TO MY PUBLISHER. This is a pretty major event for me, because I’ve really been struggling to write for the past seven months. And, indeed, was struggling as recently as last week. But last weekend, I was given the gif...

Dear JJ,

I’ve written and rewritten this multiple times. I’ve written it angry. I’ve written it calm. I’ve written it crying. I’ve written it laughing at the sheer stupidity of the thing. I’ve thought about the hatred that gets thrown at people online whenever they raise their heads above the parapet, and considered not writing it at all.

But then the Orlando massacre happened, and silence was no longer an option.
Let me be honest: I want to swear. I want to call you names. I want to wr...

Writer’s block is a goddamn thing.

I never used to think it was. I always thought it was a bit of a silly concept, really. You can’t think what to write? Just write something else! If you’re struggling to complete a scene/chapter/book, simply switch to writing a different scene/chapter/book and all your problems will be solved. It doesn’t matter what you write, after all, as long as you’re writing.

That’s probably reasonable advice for a normal case of being stuck, but true writer’s block is d...

Today I'm pleased to welcome Sarah Armstrong-Garner to the blog. She's currently on tour with Sinking, the first in a new mermaid-themed YA fantasy trilogy. So let me hand you straight over to Sarah to tell you a bit about the research that went into the novel ... Researching Sinking Thank you so much, AFE, for having me on your blog today!

When I began writing Sinking, I had seen The Little Mermaid, been to an aquarium, read Jane Austen’s novels, and had read a history book or two. This...

Darkhaven is now available to buy in paperback - so if you've been holding out for a physical copy, this is your moment.

You can buy it from Amazon (if you're in the UK) or from Wordery or Book Depository (both of which come with free worldwide shipping). It's currently 25% off at Book Depository, so that seems like a good option.

Alternatively, if you are in the Milton Keynes area tomorrow, feel free to stop by the Waterstones and get a signed copy. I'll be there from noon and I'd love to see...

Welcome to Barren Island Books, the author interview series that’s in no way related to a popular music-based radio programme. You know the rules by now: my guests are exiled to a remote island with only five books for company, selected from the categories I give them. It’s up to them to make sure they choose wisely, because they’re going to be stuck with those books for a long, long time …

My interviewee this week is Dan Koboldt, author of action-packed sci-fi fantasy novel The Rogue Retrieva...

In Darkhaven, peace doesn’t last long.

Ayla Nightshade has ruled Darkhaven for three years since the tragedy that tore her family apart. She has left her father’s cruel legacy behind and become a leader her people can believe in – or so she hopes.

Tomas Caraway is no longer a disgraced drunk; he’s Captain of the Helm and the partner of the most powerful woman in Darkhaven. He will do everything to protect Ayla and their adopted son against all possible threats.

But a discovery has been made tha...

My second novel Goldenfire is coming out this week, so I thought you might like the chance to win a copy. Oh, yes ... and 99 other books. And a Kindle.

This giveaway is being run by Free Kindle Giveaway and it's very easy to enter. Just click on the link below! Or, if you want to see what you could win first, scroll down to look through all the prizes that will be given to the winner.

Enter the giveaway here Prizes: one Kindle or $100 ...

... plus these 100 amazing books!

The end of the year is upon us, and so it's time for the obligatory navel-gazing. This time, it comes with something of an announcement. 2015 was a big year for me. Probably the biggest ever, in terms of my writing career: Darkhaven came out as an ebook at the beginning of July and officially made me a Big Five published author.

You can only be a debut novelist once, so I put a lot into that launch: release party, blog tour, reviewer spreadsheet, the works. And while the results may ha...

Today I'm very pleased to present an excerpt from Without Light or Guide, the second Los Nefilim novella by T.Frohock. You can read what I and many others said about the first one, In Midnight's Silence, here. I thoroughly recommend these books, so without further ado, here's the author to introduce her excerpt. The hero of Los Nefilim is Diago Alvarez. He, and his lover, Miquel, are part of a secretive group known as Los Nefilim (Spanish for The Nephilim—say it like...