The release of Mr Holmes in the UK this week provides an incredibly tenuous reason for me to write a love letter to one of my favourite novels of all time: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Existing almost as a spin-off compared with other Sherlock Holmes stories, it takes an interesting sidestep from crime fiction into gothic horror. Another reason it feels like a spin-off is because Holmes disappears for a vast chunk of the narrative, leaving Watson with the bulk of the investigating.

The plot – about a supposedly cursed family line stalked by a bloodthirsty hellhound – is ripping, gripping stuff. The death that sets the story in motion is vividly and terrifyingly related, as is the subsequent background of Sir Henry Baskerville’s ancestor – a “profane and godless man” who supposedly sold his soul to the devil for assistance in abducting a woman.

The text positively drips with atmosphere and intrigue, and no matter how many times I read it, I get shivers. After I first read the novel, I managed to scare myself silly by camping on Dartmoor and imagining the hound stalking around our tent in the shrieking winds. A recent late night re-reading caused me to feel slightly unsettled even now, and I had only reached the end of chapter six, which is hardly the scariest part of the tale. Here’s an excerpt from the end of said chapter:

“I drew aside my curtains before I went to bed and looked out from my window. It opened upon the grassy space which lay in front of the hall door. Beyond, two copses of trees moaned and swung in a rising wind. A half moon broke through the rifts of racing clouds. In its cold light I saw beyond the trees a broken fringe of rocks, and the long, low curve of the melancholy moor. I closed the curtain, feeling that my last impression was in keeping with the rest.

And yet it was not quite the last. I found myself weary and yet wakeful, tossing restlessly from side to side, seeking for the sleep which would not come. Far away a chiming clock struck out the quarters of the hours, but otherwise a deathly silence lay upon the old house. And then suddenly, in the very dead of the night, there came a sound to my ears, clear, resonant, and unmistakable. It was the sob of a woman, the muffled, strangling gasp of one who is torn by an uncontrollable sorrow. I sat up in bed and listened intently. The noise could not have been far away and was certainly in the house. For half an hour I waited with every nerve on the alert, but there came no other sound save the chiming clock and the rustle of the ivy on the wall.”

Anyone who has ever found it difficult to sleep in a strange house will relate to the above. As for the rest of the novel, practically every sentence oozes menace. It is a truly remarkable piece of writing.

I contend that there has not yet been a fully satisfactory film version of the novel. Some have been better than others, and one or two have come close, but all have fallen short in some way. Perhaps there simply is no way to full convey the gnawing sense of dread one gets from reading the text. For instance, the above passage where Watson is unable to sleep on his first night in Baskerville Hall somehow just doesn’t come across in the same unsettling way in any of the film versions.

The earliest version of The Hound of the Baskervilles on film is a German serial from 1914. The first British version is from 1921, and the first version with sound is from 1932. These are little remembered historical curiosities, as is the Nazi Germany 1937 version. However, the first version to really grab the audience was the 1939 take starring Basil Rathbone. It works well enough, and more or less sticks to the novel, omitting a number of elements. This version also features a censor-baiting and hilarious reference to Holmes’ drug habit in the final line.

Subsequent versions worthy of a watch include the 1959 Hammer Horror version (featuring late, greats Peter Cushing as Holmes and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville), and a faithful TV movie version starring Jeremy Brett (whom many consider to be the definitive Holmes). Versions to avoid unfortunately include Benedict Cumberbatch take, because whilst other Holmes stories can be effectively updated to the present I don’t think The Hound of the Baskervilles can be due to the genre hopping into the gothic. I enjoy Cumberbatch’s Holmes immensely, but this one didn’t work for me.

However, nothing for me tops the prose in the original novel. It’s a truly masterful piece of work well worthy of a read, even if you’ve seen film or TV versions of the story and know the plot backwards.

What’s the single thing a writer must have in order to write? The answer will vary from writer to writer, but for me the answer is very simple: my wife, Zara.

Before I got married, I had written very little except a couple of screenplays and a few short films. I had major writing ambitions, but my quest to find a soulmate overrode all other concerns. Once that quest was fulfilled however, I suddenly found myself writing and I have barely stopped since.

It isn’t merely the presence of my wife that allows me to write. She has also been a hugely important critic of the early drafts of my work. In addition, since the death of my father (who acted as both editor and general “Eye of Sauron” in terms of scrutiny), that mantle has also passed to Zara in a somewhat spookily supernatural way.

Not only does Zara act in the above capacity, but she also puts up with my many mood swings during the writing phase – whether they be fits of “George McFly” syndrome, peculiar habits (such as getting up and writing in the middle of the night), obsessiveness, temporary insanities and so forth. She is also brilliant at calling me out on bullshit when I blow things out of proportion, and bringing the vital, much needed perspective.

Needless to say, many characters in my writing have been inspired by Zara or aspects of her. For instance, the fiercely loyal Meredith in the George Hughes novels is unquestionably a version of her. Suzie, a peripheral but important character in Children of the Folded Valley, is also very much Zara. She also crops up in other as yet unpublished works – including a major fantasy epic I have been working on for years – in various guises.

I know this all sounds a little nauseating (you may vomit if you wish), but it really is true that without Zara I wouldn’t be writing at all. I would still be on a quest, looking for her.

My new novel Love vs Honour can now be ordered in print from Amazon Create Space (see link below) for those who prefer hard copies to downloads.

AMAZON LINK (Print)

Love vs Honour is also available for download from Amazon Kindle:

AMAZON LINK (Download)

Love vs Honour is a young adult romantic drama, but it will also be appreciated by grown-up readers, or anyone who enjoys a gripping, provocative story.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Two Religions. Two Deceptions. One Love.

When Johnny meets and falls in love with Sabina, their bond proves stronger than a teenage holiday fling.

Fearing the disapproval of their strict Christian and Islamic families, they undertake an elaborate deception to continue seeing one another. Johnny pretends to convert to Islam whilst Sabina pretends to covert to Christianity to appease their parents. 

But how long can this deception last before it unravels?

Tomorrow my new novel Love vs Honour is released for download from Amazon Kindle. You can still pre-order (see link below) for a mere 99 pence.

Love vs Honour is a young adult romantic drama, but it will also be appreciated by grown-up readers, or anyone who enjoys a gripping, provocative story.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Two Religions. Two Deceptions. One Love.

When Johnny meets and falls in love with Sabina, their bond proves stronger than a teenage holiday fling.

Fearing the disapproval of their strict Christian and Islamic families, they undertake an elaborate deception to continue seeing one another. Johnny pretends to convert to Islam whilst Sabina pretends to covert to Christianity to appease their parents. 

But how long can this deception last before it unravels?

Love vs Honour is released tomorrow on Kindle.

Print copies will be available from the 6^th of June.

Herewith a second extract from my upcoming novel, Love vs Honour:

Johnny spent the afternoon with Ant, Mark and Joe at Blackpool Sands. He went swimming, cliff diving and took his surf board to the waves, but the experiences were utterly empty. In the past such activities had excited him, but now they seemed like mundane routine. He did his best to laugh and joke with his friends, but even Mark could tell he wasn’t quite himself.

‘What’s the deal with you and that Asian bird?’

‘Her father’s from Iran,’ said Johnny.

‘Yeah, whatever. The point is have you got anywhere with her?’

‘We’re just friends.’

Mark grinned. ‘I’m not stupid.’

Johnny sighed. ‘It doesn’t matter. Nothing will come of it anyway, so what’s the point?’

‘What’s the point? Mate, she’s gagging for you! Strike while the iron is hot. Who cares what happens afterwards? Another day, another bird!’

‘Is that what you think about Amanda? Sabina told me she’s interested in going out with you properly. God knows what she sees in you.’

‘She’s got taste,’ said Mark.

‘Will you go out with her?’ Johnny persisted.

‘Perhaps, if she’s lucky.’

‘I only wish I could go out with Sabina. But her family would kill me.’

‘You should convert to Islam. Then you’ll be well in there.’

At this, Mark went off to buy an ice-cream, but his throwaway remark planted the seed of a crazy idea in Johnny’s mind. He laughed as he thought about it, and realised how desperate he must be feeling to have even considered it. He wondered if he should tell Sabina, but decided not to. She might just be crazy enough to want to try it.

Love vs Honour is released on the 31^st May on Kindle, and can be pre-ordered from the link below:

Print copies will be available from the 7^th of June.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Two Religions. Two Deceptions. One Love.

When Johnny meets and falls in love with Sabina, their bond proves stronger than a teenage holiday fling.

Fearing the disapproval of their strict Christian and Islamic families, they undertake an elaborate deception to continue seeing one another. Johnny pretends to convert to Islam whilst Sabina pretends to covert to Christianity to appease their parents. 

But how long can this deception last before it unravels?

For five days only, you can download my most successful novel to date, Children of the Folded Valley, absolutely FREE from Amazon (see link below).

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

During a journey to visit his estranged sister, James Harper recalls his childhood growing up in a mysterious valley cut off from the outside world, as part of a cult called the Folded Valley Fellowship.

In this seemingly idyllic world, the charismatic Benjamin Smiley claimed to be protecting his followers from an impending nuclear apocalypse.

But the valley concealed a terrifying secret.

A secret that would change Smiley’s followers forever.

By far my most successful novel to date, Children of the Folded Valley is a gripping and dramatic mystery with a “light” science fiction edge.

The novel has been very well reviewed. Here is a sample of the many raves:

“I don’t usually leave reviews but I felt so strongly about encouraging people to read this fantastic book. It had me captured from start to finish. At one stage in the book I actually thought it was a true story.” – Paul, Amazon.

“The use of re-written religious doctrine to control, govern and frighten is particularly chilling… Full marks to Simon Dillon for this creative and highly readable novel.” – Around Robin, Amazon.

“I was captivated… I didn’t want to put it down and just kept trying to find time to squeeze in a chapter… It just gets better and better as you read it and you find yourself needing to know what happened.” – Hannah, Goodreads.

“Creepy and unnerving. Kept me gripped the whole way through.” – Lucyboo, Amazon.

“I couldn’t put it down.” – Bukky, Amazon.

“Really well written, well thought through, compassionate… Full of empathy.” – Over, Amazon.

“So well written, you could believe it was a memoir.” – Shelley, Amazon.

“A perturbing and very original story… The ending is magnificent.” – Joan, Goodreads.

Print copies can be ordered here (but unlike the download are sadly not free): http://www.lulu.com/shop/simon-dillon/children-of-the-folded-valley/paperback/product-21812308.html

When I wrote Love vs Honour ten years ago, I intended it to be a contemporary story. However, as I prepared the manuscript for publication, I became increasingly aware of elements that dated it to mid 2000s. These included references to pop groups and current events that could easily have been updated, but there were other, more serious elements that couldn’t.

For example, Sabina’s father Ahmed has a background that goes back prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution. His age and the age of his daughter would not work if the setting became 2015 rather than 2005.

In addition, other plot events pertaining to how the protagonists communicate would not be believable in a contemporary setting given the social media revolution that has since taken place, regardless of the strictness of parental control exhibited in the novel.

On a more esoteric note, as I re-read the text I realised the attitudes of the characters reflected the concerns inherent during the Bush-era war on terror. These concerns have shifted in a number of subtle yet significant ways in 2015.

So I made the decision to make what was once a contemporary drama a period piece. I don’t believe this will make the story any less powerful but obviously that will ultimately be for readers to decide.

Love vs Honour can be pre-ordered from Amazon on Kindle (see link below).

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Two Religions. Two Deceptions. One Love.

When Johnny meets and falls in love with Sabina, their bond proves stronger than a teenage holiday fling.

Fearing the disapproval of their strict Christian and Islamic families, they undertake an elaborate deception to continue seeing one another. Johnny pretends to convert to Islam whilst Sabina pretends to covert to Christianity to appease their parents. 

But how long can this deception last before it unravels?

Love vs Honour is released on the 31^st May on Kindle.

Print copies will be available from the 7^th of June.

The inspiration for my new novel Love vs Honour came in a most unexpected way, at a most unexpected time. I was sitting on a bus in a traffic jam, bored beyond belief, and the entire plot suddenly downloaded into my mind from who knows where. At least, Acts 1 and 3 did. The mechanics of Act 2, wherein Johnny and Sabina pretend to covert to different religions as an elaborate parental appeasing ruse so they can still see each other, came to me a little later. But in essentials, the plot for Love vs Honour arrived in my consciousness on that bus journey in 2005.

Once I determined to write the book, I wondered about where to set it. When I moved to Devon shortly after the initial inspiration, I decided to set it locally, using locations like Dartmouth and the staggering beautiful Blackpool Sands beach (see below).

As I have already said on this blog, Love vs Honour is a long way outside of my “comfort zone” (if you’ll forgive my use of an obscenity). My primary reason for writing this story was the sheer challenge of working away from my usual genres. I hope that readers enjoy the novel, and find it gripping and moving. I think it’s an unusual love story, and whilst it owes a debt to past romantic classics, I think it also works as a unique piece in its own right.

I should also add that I did not want Love vs Honour to be a piece of Christian propaganda, nor a Muslim bashing piece, nor a story with an ending where everything is neatly tied up. I definitely intend this novel to provoke thought and discussion, given its potentially contentious subject matter.

Ultimately readers will decide whether Love vs Honour should be judged as a success or failure. It is available to pre-order on Amazon Kindle (see link below).

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Two Religions. Two Deceptions. One Love.

When Johnny meets and falls in love with Sabina, their bond proves stronger than a teenage holiday fling.

Fearing the disapproval of their strict Christian and Islamic families, they undertake an elaborate deception to continue seeing one another. Johnny pretends to convert to Islam whilst Sabina pretends to covert to Christianity to appease their parents. 

But how long can this deception last before it unravels?

Love vs Honour is released on the 31st May on Kindle.

Print copies will be available from the 7th of June.

I have heard it said many times that novelists should not shift point of views back and forth between characters within the same chapter.

Well, guess what? In my new novel Love vs Honour, I do exactly that.

To be fair, this advice is often good to adhere to, as jumping in between character points of view can be very confusing. But as long as it is done in an organic and above all coherent manner, there can be exceptions to this rule.

For example, Tolkien does this quite a bit in The Lord of the Rings. More recently, JK Rowling (writing as Robert Galbraith) does this in her detective novel The Silkworm.

I made the decision to defy conventional wisdom because I wanted the two protagonists of the main narrative in Love vs Honour to have equal weight. It simply didn’t make sense for the reader to only be in one of their heads for the duration of any given chapter. Once the novel is released (see pre-order link below) readers can decide whether or not I was successful.

Here is the blurb from the back of Love vs Honour:

Two Religions. Two Deceptions. One Love.

When Johnny meets and falls in love with Sabina, their bond proves stronger than a teenage holiday fling.

Fearing the disapproval of their strict Christian and Islamic families, they undertake an elaborate deception to continue seeing one another. Johnny pretends to convert to Islam whilst Sabina pretends to covert to Christianity to appease their parents. 

But how long can this deception last before it unravels?

Love vs Honour is released on the 31^st May on Kindle.

Print copies will be available from the 7^th of June.

I have written on this blog in the past about how much I dislike stories designed purely as propaganda. People with a political or religious axe to grind are particularly guilty in this respect, so here is a little insight into how I approach the problem. Like anyone else, I hold political and religious views. For instance, given that I am a Christian, how do I try and avoid making my writing sound “preachy”?

Firstly, I always bear in mind that a story is not a sermon or a political speech. I am not trying to convince anyone of anything, I am simply trying to tell a good story. That shouldn’t just be the primary goal. Really it should be the only goal. If a writer can do that, whatever they believe politically or spiritually will be inherent in the text in any case.

Second – and this is a point specifically for certain fellow Christians – because a story is not a sermon, it does not need to be “theologically accurate”. I am astonished at how many times Christians take issue with, for instance, supernatural stories, because “ghosts are really demons”. Or when they criticise depictions of an afterlife that doesn’t adhere to exactly what is written in the Bible. When confronted with such people, I normally ask if they can honestly say, with a straight face, that Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has no moral or spiritual worth.

This problem is compounded for some Christians when sex and violence are added into the mix. Again, for me such aesthetics are merely tools that can be used well or badly. Besides, it’s always worth referring said Christians back to the Bible in any case, which has more than its fair share of bloodbaths and sexual encounters/imagery (I can think of quite a few “too much information” passages).

The important thing for a story is that it should be honest. Propaganda tales like to tie things up in neat bundles. For instance, a Christian propaganda novel often involves a very neat, sinner-gets-converted narrative, which frequently glosses over any sex/violence elements. It feels phony not just for that reason, but also because the reader knows the author’s purpose is to try and make converts.

When I wrote my upcoming novel, Love vs Honour, I wrote it for one reason alone: I thought it was a good story. It does examine both the Christian and Islamic faiths at various points, but I believe the treatment is even handed, and not what might be termed “preachy”. Whether or not I have succeeded is ultimately for readers to judge.

Love vs Honour is now available for pre-order from Amazon:

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Two Religions. Two Deceptions. One Love.

When Johnny meets and falls in love with Sabina, their bond proves stronger than a teenage holiday fling.

Fearing the disapproval of their strict Christian and Islamic families, they undertake an elaborate deception to continue seeing one another. Johnny pretends to convert to Islam whilst Sabina pretends to covert to Christianity to appease their parents. 

But how long can this deception last before it unravels?

Love vs Honour is released on the 31^st May on Kindle.

Print copies will be available from the 7^th of June.