Two great new reviews for The Irresistible Summons

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Simon Dillon - Irresistible Summons full resMuch of my recent focus has been on my latest novel Phantom Audition. However, I have had two extremely encouraging reviews for my previous novel The Irresistible Summons which I’d like to share here.

The first is from a fellow author, the excellent Galina Trefil (do check out her work here). She amusingly describes the novel as a “poignant story of innocent, young love gone a very gory wrong”, and notes the following:

“Demons, ghosts, witches, high-powered businessmen, this book has almost every possible form of monster… to make the hair prickle on the back of the audience’s neck. The only question is, of all the multiple baddies to choose from, which one will ultimately wind up being the biggest threat and will they be formidable enough to take down Dillon’s badass, axe-wielding heroine? Evil may be powerful, but it’s in for one hell of a fight.”

In my experience, “high-powered businessmen” really are the ultimate monsters. That axe-wielding moment is a reference to something that happens right at the very end, by the way. Check out her full review here.

The second review I wanted to mention is from Aaron Channel. I was especially pleased about his article, because in addition to praise, he also made some entirely valid criticisms. I liked this because 1) it shows my work is being taken seriously, and 2) I am always on the lookout for ways to improve. He sums up The Irresistible Summons in this manner: “A story of letting go… or else!” Very apt. I also like the way he describes my protagonist’s quest: “Naomi believes that she wants to see what is on the other side, but she doesn’t realize that it’s the other side that wants to see what is inside of her…”

Do check out his full review here.

The Irresistible Summons is out now. Click here to get your copy.

Phantom Audition out today!

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It’s here! My new gothic mystery novel Phantom Audition is officially released today!

PHANTOM AUDITION

I’m very pleased with this one, to be honest with you. Of all the novels in my “Spooky Quintet”, this one has a very special place in my heart, because I took some big risks with the narrative. Mercifully, these seem to have paid off, in view of the superb reviews I have received so far.

Don’t forget to join in today at 6:30pm UK time (1:30pm Eastern time) for the online launch party for Phantom Audition on Facebook. Click here at that time to catch me and other talented authors celebrating this new release with games, giveaways, a Q&A, and other fun stuff. Talented authors Zoey Xolton, Galina Trefil, and AM Cummins will be co-hosting, and my “headlining” slot is between 8:00pm and 8:30pm UK time (3:00pm – 3:30pm Eastern time). I’ll have a new post popping up every two minutes, so do stick around.

Although this gripping psychological/supernatural mystery is definitely a suspenseful page-turner, it is worth re-emphasising that this is much less scary than some of my previous novels, so much so that I’m reluctant to class Phantom Audition as horror (despite that scarily brilliant blood-splattered cover). To be honest, my notoriously easily alarmed mother could probably brave it, and if she could, anyone could.

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

Small-time actress Mia Yardley, recently widowed wife of renowned actor Steven Yardley, discovers her late husband’s secret acting diary.

The diary details appointments made with a psychic medium, who advised Steven on which roles to take. It also raises questions about his mysterious and inexplicable suicide.

Seeking answers, Mia speaks to the medium, but in doing so is drawn into an ever- deepening mystery about what happened to her husband during the final days of his life. Eventually, she is forced to ask the terrible question: was Steven Yardley murdered by a vengeful evil from beyond the grave?

Phantom Audition is published by Dragon Soul Press. Click here to get it on Kindle or in paperback.

Phantom Audition is out tomorrow

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My new novel Phantom Audition is out tomorrow! Paperbacks are already available, but Kindle versions can be pre-ordered here.

PHANTOM AUDITIONA gripping, gothic nail-biter, Phantom Audition oozes with mystery and suspense, and has already had some terrific reviews.

If you enjoyed any of my previous supernatural/psychological thrillers, you’ll love this one. Conversely, if you were put off my previous novels Spectre of Springwell Forest or The Irresistible Summons because of the “horror” label, you’re on much safer ground here. This one has plenty of suspense, but it isn’t really scary. For more details on scariness levels in my “Spooky Quintet”, click here.

Phantom Audition is out this week

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My new novel Phantom Audition is officially released this Saturday! Needless to say, I am rather excited.

Also, this week, my publisher, Dragon Soul Press, have organised an online launch party for Phantom Audition on Facebook, on Saturday at 6:30pm UK time (1:30pm Eastern time). Click here at that time to catch me and other talented authors celebrating this new release with games, giveaways, a Q&A, and other fun stuff.

My other hosts include Zoey Xolton and Galina Trefil, both of whom are superb writers, and I highly recommend their work. Zoey opens the party at 6:30pm, and Galina is on at 7:30pm. My “headlining” slot is at 8pm (all UK times).

A gripping, gothic psychological/supernatural mystery, Phantom Audition has plenty of page-turning suspense, but I wish to re-emphasise that I don’t consider it a horror story in the same way as my previous novels Spectre of Springwell Forest or The Irresistible Summons. So if you were put off those because you thought they might be too scary, why not give this one a try?

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

Small-time actress Mia Yardley, recently widowed wife of renowned actor Steven Yardley, discovers her late husband’s secret acting diary.

The diary details appointments made with a psychic medium, who advised Steven on which roles to take. It also raises questions about his mysterious and inexplicable suicide.

Seeking answers, Mia speaks to the medium, but in doing so is drawn into an ever- deepening mystery about what happened to her husband during the final days of his life. Eventually, she is forced to ask the terrible question: was Steven Yardley murdered by a vengeful evil from beyond the grave?

Phantom Audition is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is out on the 19th of October. Paperbacks are already available, but Kindle versions can be pre-ordered here.

First Love: Papercut continues to get rave reviews

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Last February, I had a short story published as part of Dragon Soul Press’s First Love romantic fantasy anthology. This was my second published short story, as I usually stick to novels. What’s more I don’t usually write romance (here’s a rare exception).

My contribution, Papercut, is a poignant, heartfelt love story about a lonely teenage boy living with his ultra-strict Jehovah’s Witness mother. In his dreams, he is visited by a mysterious girl made entirely of paper, leading to a fantastical journey which I won’t spoil.

There have been several rave reviews for this story (and for the collection in general). Papercut also ended up in a top-three short story poll conducted by Dragon Soul Press. Here is the most recent of the unanimous five star reviews on Amazon:

“There are so many fantastic stories in this anthology, all with their own take on the theme of ‘first loves’, that it’s hard to decide on a favourite! I certainly think every story earned its place here, but I was intrigued by, and thoroughly enjoyed Simon Dillon’s Papercut. The gritty, perspective on everyday life in a strict religious household was interesting, and provided a stark juxtaposition to the strange magic that brings the Paper Girl into Gabriel’s lonely life. I’d absolutely encourage anyone looking for a nice mix of genres, and voices, to give this anthology a chance!”

First Love also features stories by AM Cummins, Kathryn St John, AR Johnson, DS Durden, Sofi Laporte, Meg Boepple, Melinda Kucsera, Edeline Wrigh, AD Carter, Zoey Xolton, and Galina Trefil. Pick up your copy here.

All Dark Places: One Year On

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Last October, I had a short story published as part of Dragon Soul Press’s All Dark Places horror anthology.

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My contribution, Once in a Lifetime, is a spine-tingling tale of existential dread. It concerns a man who wakes up in a strange London flat, in bed with a woman he doesn’t know, who insists he is someone else. More disturbingly, memories of his former life – including his wife and children – start to fade from his mind, and are replaced by memories of his the life he has awoken inside.

Here are some review snippets for my short story:

“This one was WOW. I felt like I was LIVING the story – which is probably not always a good thing. I could feel his desperation, the desire, and then at the end…. Well you are going to have to read that for yourself.” – Rebecca Hill, Gothic Bite Magazine.

“With a combination of psychological and traditional horror… It had a unique spin to it that left me nearly sobbing at its horror and hopeless tragedy.” – Seraphia, Amazon.

“The mystery, the suspense, the strangeness of this story creates something unique… The author twists this story so well, and the ending, for me, is heartbreaking.” – Anna, Amazon.

All Dark Places also features scary and sinister stories by AM Cummins, Anna Sinjin, and Hui Lang. If you fancy picking up a copy, click here.

Phantom Audition – Paperbacks out now!

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Paperbacks for my new novel Phantom Audition are now available – ahead of the official October release date. If you prefer your novels in dead tree format, click here (in the UK) and here (in the US) to order your copy now.

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Here’s the blurb from the back of Phantom Audition:

Small-time actress Mia Yardley, recently widowed wife of renowned actor Steven Yardley, discovers her late husband’s secret acting diary.

The diary details appointments made with a psychic medium, who advised Steven on which roles to take. It also raises questions about his mysterious and inexplicable suicide.

Seeking answers, Mia speaks to the medium, but in doing so is drawn into an ever- deepening mystery about what happened to her husband during the final days of his life. Eventually, she is forced to ask the terrible question: was Steven Yardley murdered by a vengeful evil from beyond the grave?

Phantom Audition is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is officially released on the 19th of October.

How scary are my novels?

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I’ve had a lot of people ask about the level of scariness in the novels from my “Spooky Quintet” (yes, it’s a rubbish umbrella name, but it’s temporary until I can think of a better one).

As I’ve said in the past, I’ve been reluctant to label these novels as horror, purely because that term conjures up gory images of axe murderers stalking foolish teenagers. My horror stories have a rather different sensibility, and some are more horror-ish than others. In fact, I would argue they are more modern-gothic ghost story mysteries, on the whole.

Still, since I’m asked this question all the time by nervous, I-don’t-do-horror-but-your-books-sound-interesting readers, here’s a non-spoiler overview of how scary you can expect these novels to be, and where they fit within my psychological mystery/supernatural thriller/horror spectrum. I’m calling this the “SSS” – Simon’s Scariness Scale. I’ve also include one or two “comparison texts” so you can get an idea of not only the scariness tone, but the kind of scariness.

The Birds Began to Sing

The Birds Began to Sing_1600x2400_Front CoverMore psychological thriller/mystery than horror, and if it were a film, probably wouldn’t be rated stronger than 12A (that’s PG-13 for our American cousins). Yes, there is plenty of page-turning suspense, with our imperilled heroine wandering spooky corridors at night, but let’s put it this way; my notoriously easy-to-scare mother braved it, and managed to reach the ending unscathed. It’s only a notch up from something like Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca.

SSS rating: 4/10.

The Thistlewood Curse

THE THISTLEWOOD CURSE Cover (JPG Print version)This begins more like a whodunnit, develops into a supernatural thriller, and really only segues into horror during the finale, in quite a gradual slow-burn. Yes, the bodies do pile up a bit, but in scariness, only a notch or so up from The Birds Began to Sing.

SSS rating: 6/10.

Spectre of Springwell Forest

SSF coverA properly full-blown ghostly gothic horror mystery, most akin to something like an MR James short story, or The Woman in Black. It is a slow-burn, but it does build to a properly spine-chilling finale that will test the nerves, so I’m giving this one a higher scariness rating.

SSS rating: 9/10.

The Irresistible Summons

simon-dillon-irresistible-summons-full-resFor the most part, I’d argue this is a supernatural conspiracy thriller. However, the final act is undoubtedly in clear horror territory, in a pretty full-on manner. Comparison texts would be something like Coma crossed with the more horrific elements of Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom.

SSS rating: Most of the book, 7/10, the last bit, 10/10.

Phantom Audition

PHANTOM AUDITIONDespite the sinister (and rather brilliant) cover, this is much more a psychological mystery/drama than a horror tale. In fact, I’d argue it isn’t really scary at all. Suspenseful and gripping yes, but not scary (despite a violent sequence near the end). With this book, I was more interested in messing with your head than making you afraid. It is more unsettling than The Birds Began to Sing, but no more scary, if that makes sense. I’d also add Sarah Water’s The Little Stranger as a scariness comparison text.

SSS rating: 4/10.

Phantom Audition is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is out on the 19th of October. Click here to pre-order your copy now.

Phantom Audition – The Cover

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I love the cover for my new novel Phantom Audition (courtesy of Salvation Creations). Most of the novel is set in a sinister Jacobean mansion, so the image is appropriate. The blood splatter is a nice touch, but I want to emphasise that this is much more of a gothic psychological mystery than a horror story. In fact, it’s not all that scary compared with my last two novels, although it is suspenseful and will mess with your head (especially the ending).

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Phantom Audition is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is out on the 19th of October. Click here to pre-order your copy now.

New Novel! Phantom Audition out on 19th October

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PHANTOM AUDITIONI’ve got a new novel coming out. Another so soon after The Irresistible Summons, I hear you ask? Yes. This one’s called Phantom Audition.

A supernaturally tinged psychological mystery, Phantom Audition is another gripping nail-biter, but for all it’s creepy edges, I refuse to call it a horror story, as it really isn’t all that scary. I know the cover and the blurb make it appear otherwise, but this is more of a suspenseful, mess-with-your-head tale than an outright terrifying one. Despite a violent sequence near the finale, I reckon my mother could probably read it, and she scares quite easily.

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

Small-time actress Mia Yardley, recently widowed wife of renowned actor Steven Yardley, discovers her late husband’s secret acting diary.

The diary details appointments made with a psychic medium, who advised Steven on which roles to take. It also raises questions about his mysterious and inexplicable suicide.

Seeking answers, Mia speaks to the medium, but in doing so is drawn into an ever- deepening mystery about what happened to her husband during the final days of his life. Eventually, she is forced to ask the terrible question: was Steven Yardley murdered by a vengeful evil from beyond the grave?

Phantom Audition is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is out on the 19th of October. Click here to pre-order your copy now.