Tag Archives: Dragon Soul Press

The Irresistible Summons – An Introduction

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simon-dillon-irresistible-summons-full-resHere’s a more detailed introduction to my upcoming novel The Irresistible Summons, to whet your appetite.

In a brief prologue, teenager Naomi Levinson laments the death of her boyfriend, Toby Lane. Toby and his entire family perished in a mysterious house fire, which Naomi comes to believe may have been started deliberately.

Several years later, Naomi is now an accomplished television producer making documentaries debunking the supernatural. When a shoot interviewing a possibly possessed killer in prison goes terribly wrong, the production company Naomi works for faces a lawsuit and possible closure.

Offered what could be her last job, Naomi is initially reluctant to take on filming a promotional video for computer game company Persephone. She considers the task beneath her talents. However, after production gets underway at the Persephone office block on London’s Canary Wharf, strange things begin to happen.

One member of staff inexplicably disappears. Ghosts are sighted, one of whom appears to be Toby. This re-opens old emotional wounds for Naomi, bringing back bittersweet memories of her strictly religious messianic Jewish parents, who disapproved of her teenage romance with him.

As Naomi continues to investigate, she begins to believe she might have stumbled onto a genuine haunting, one with disturbing links to her past, and possibly her future.

A horrifying conspiracy is gradually revealed. Cutting edge technology and ancient evil meet, leading to the discovery of a shocking and terrifying secret – one that could change the nature of life and death as we know it.

Irresistible Summons mock up 1

The Irresistible Summons is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is officially released on the 27th of July. However, paperbacks are already out, and Kindle versions can be pre-ordered. Click here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

The Irresistible Summons: Cover Reveal and Pre-Order

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Check out this brilliant cover for my upcoming novel The Irresistible Summons, published by Dragon Soul Press.

Simon Dillon - Irresistible Summons full res

I’m absolutely thrilled by what the artist at Salvation Creations did with this. The imagery perfectly captures the sinister tone.

Here’s the blurb from the back of The Irresistible Summons:

The nail-biting new novel from the author of Spectre of Springwell Forest…

How far would you go to bring your loved one back from the dead?

Television producer Naomi Levinson makes documentaries debunking the supernatural.

When asked to film a promotional video for computer game company Persephone, she considers the task beneath her talents. But as production gets underway at the Persephone office block on London’s Canary Wharf, a mysterious disappearance, ghostly sightings, and lingering tragedy from Naomi’s past lead her to believe she might have stumbled into a genuine haunting.

As Naomi continues to investigate, past and present collide in a horrifying conspiracy. Cutting edge technology and ancient evil meet, leading to the discovery of a shocking and terrifying secret that could change the nature of life and death as we know it.

The Irresistible Summons is available for pre-order now. Click here to pre-order in the UK and here to pre-order in the US.

STOP PRESS: Paperbacks are already available, so if like me you prefer dead tree versions to digital formats, you can order your copy today!

Spectre of Springwell Forest: Have you read it yet?

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Have you read Spectre of Springwell Forest yet? If you love a gripping supernatural mystery, why not give it a go?

Spectre promo 1

A nail-biting ghost story in the classic tradition of Susan Hill or MR James, the plot concerns Lily Parker, who, after moving to the sleepy village of Springwell, discovers in her attic an eerie painting depicting an abandoned railway tunnel amid a local forest.

When she learns the secretive villagers also have paintings of this image on walls in their homes, Lily begins to ask questions no-one is willing to answer. Then, after an uncanny encounter in the forest, a mysterious figure appears in the painting, emerging from the tunnel.

Every time Lily looks at the picture, the figure gets closer and closer. At the same time, Lily’s young daughter Olivia begins to exhibit increasingly strange, disturbing behaviour.

Spectre of Springwell Forest has had several great reviews. Here’s a sample from Amazon:

“A darkly intense and intriguing horror story full of mystery… Will have you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end.”

“A wonderful horror/thriller, which cannily interplays woo and rationality so that the reader can decide which explanation they favour. A creeping sense of unease starts almost immediately – even before you know what is to come you are shouting at Lily to leave well alone. Dillon writes excellently and believably as a 1st person female protagonist. The story is tightly written with little preamble which has a pleasingly sudden way of throwing you into this strange and disturbing village.”

“Carefully chosen words oozed from the text, creating a creepy feeling as the story went on. But the element of the novel that kept me turning the page was the suspenseful mystery and the attachment I felt to the mother protecting her child.”

“The story is slow-building and the spookiness develops in a subtle manner with an occasional BANG of fright. If you like subtle creepiness that builds as the story progresses, I’d recommend this. Good read for horror fans. Also good for those who enjoy sniffing out a mystery.”

“Spine-chilling, terrifying, absolutely gripping… a fantastic read, very well written.”

Spectre of Springwell Forest is available now and can be ordered here.

New release – The Irresistible Summons

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Exciting news! My next novel, The Irresistible Summons, is out on the 27th of July.

Published by Dragon Soul Press (who published my previous novel, Spectre of Springwell Forest), The Irresistible Summons is a gripping supernatural horror thriller that grabs from the very start and doesn’t let go.

The photos in this article tease a few locations from the novel – Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoor, a haunted office block on Canary Wharf, and eerie, abandoned London Underground tunnels.

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

The nail-biting new novel from the author of Spectre of Springwell Forest…

Television producer Naomi Levinson makes documentaries debunking the supernatural.

When asked to film a promotional video for computer game company Persephone, she considers the task beneath her talents. But as production gets underway at the Persephone office block on London’s Canary Wharf, a mysterious disappearance, ghostly sightings, and lingering tragedy from Naomi’s past lead her to believe she might have stumbled into a genuine haunting.

As Naomi continues to investigate, past and present collide in a horrifying conspiracy. Cutting edge technology and ancient evil meet, leading to the discovery of a shocking and terrifying secret that could change the nature of life and death as we know it.

The Irresistible Summons is released on the 27th of July. Pre-orders will be available soon, and there will be a cover reveal within the next week or so. Watch this space.

Papercut makes top three in Reader’s Choice poll!

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My short story Papercut has made the top three in a Reader’s Choice poll conducted by my publisher, Dragon Soul Press. Papercut initially appeared in First Love, a romantic fantasy anthology, which is available here.

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Because Papercut has made the top three, it will be republished as part of a “Best of” from all this year’s Dragon Soul Press anthologies, due to be published at the close of the year.

Needless to say, I am really rather pleased about this.

Papercut concerns a lonely teenage boy living with his overbearing and strict Jehovah’s Witness mother. One day a mysterious girl made entirely of paper appears in his dreams, and… you’ll need to read the story to find out. more.

Title Announcement for my next novel (and other news)

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As well as promoting new releases Spectre of Springwell Forest and my short story Papercut (part of the First Love romantic fantasy anthology), I’ve made good use of the grim winter months writing another spooky mystery novel entitled (drumroll…) Phantom Audition.

St Johns Museum, Warwick

I struggled more than usual to find a title for this particular novel, even resorting to testing a few suggested titles on social media. But in the end, my closest friend suggested this title to me, and it stuck.

Phantom Audition revolves around Mia Yardley, a recently widowed bit-part actress grieving for her much more successful actor husband in his ancestral family mansion (like the one pictured above). Cryptic runes, a strange diary, a mysterious medium, and ghostly visions gradually lead to the unravelling of a sinister mystery. Is Mia being given a message from beyond the grave?

This novel sits more at the supernatural/psychological thriller end of my gothic thriller/horror spectrum, though there are still plenty of suspenseful, skin-crawling moments. I intend to beta test it very soon, and once that’s happened (and it’s been through various publisher hurdles), it should be available this October.

Before then I have another scary novel to unleash, called The Irresistible Summons. This is a haunted house story of a very different kind about which I will say no more at present, other than you can expect to have it in your hands in July.

In between those two releases, I might just release another short story. It all depends whether my somewhat offbeat submission to my publisher’s upcoming Coffins and Dragons anthology is accepted. Watch this space.

Spectre of Springwell Forest: Summary of Recent Articles

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SSF coverIf you haven’t yet picked up a copy of my ghost story mystery novel Spectre of Springwell Forest, why not give it a go? Here’s a one-stop shop with links to all the articles pertaining to this page-turning, spooky nail-biter.

Introduction to the novel

“Lily starts to make out a mysterious figure in the painting of the railway tunnel. As time passes, the eerie figure becomes more and more clearly defined, but Lily is disturbed to discover no-one can see it but her…”

Influences and Inspiration

“Two undoubted influences on the story are Susan Hill’s seminal The Woman in Black, and the shorts of ghost story par excellence author MR James…”

Trees, Tunnels and Toadstools

“I undertook research into hallucinogenic fungi for the novel (no, not that kind of “research”).”

Simple, Relatable Fears

“All great horror stories have, at their core, a simple and relatable fear which is then explored, exploited and exaggerated.”

Early reviews

A smattering of early review comments, including this one: “Spine-chilling, terrifying, absolutely gripping… a fantastic read, very well written.”

The Tangent Tree podcast interview

Samantha Stephen interviews me about Spectre of Springwell Forest and my writing in general. Listen on Spotify, iTunes, Podcast Addict or on the Tangent Tree website.

To order a paperback or e-book of Spectre of Springwell Forest click here (for the UK) and here (in the US).

Spectre of Springwell Forest – Initial Reviews

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Initial reviews for my ghost story mystery novel Spectre of Springwell Forest are starting to come in, and they are very positive so far.

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Here’s a sample from Amazon readers:

“A wonderful horror/thriller, which cannily interplays woo and rationality so that the reader can decide which explanation they favour. A creeping sense of unease starts almost immediately – even before you know what is to come you are shouting at Lily to leave well alone. Dillon writes excellently and believably as a 1st person female protagonist. The story is tightly written with little preamble which has a pleasingly sudden way of throwing you into this strange and disturbing village.”

“Carefully chosen words oozed from the text, creating a creepy feeling as the story went on. But the element of the novel that kept me turning the page was the suspenseful mystery and the attachment I felt to the mother protecting her child.”

“The story is slow-building and the spookiness develops in a subtle manner with an occasional BANG of fright. If you like subtle creepiness that builds as the story progresses, I’d recommend this. Good read for horror fans. Also good for those who enjoy sniffing out a mystery.”

“Spine-chilling, terrifying, absolutely gripping… a fantastic read, very well written.”

To order a paperback or e-book of Spectre of Springwell Forest click here (for the UK) and here (in the US).

First Love Author Interviews – All of them

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First-Love-KindleOver the last few days, I’ve been running interviews on this blog with all my fellow First Love authors, discussing their contributions to the eponymous romantic fantasy anthology from Dragon Soul Press.

My short story is entitled Papercut, and it concerns a lonely teenage boy living with his ultra-strict Jehovah’s Witness mother. One night a mysterious girl made entirely of paper appears in his dreams, taking him on a mysterious and magical journey that I won’t spoil here.

Whether you fancy reading about the dreamscapes of the religiously oppressed, or love stories involving forest nymphs, mages, selkies, Native American mythology, or, as one of my fellow writers pitched her story to me, “Bridget Jones meets Morgana Le Fay”, this is a must for those who like their romance with a fantastical twist.

For ease of reference, here are links to all of the afore-mentioned interviews (including a separate interview with yours truly):

Meg Boepple interview

Story: Message in a Bottle.

Story tease from the interview: “Boy meets girl on the beach. It’s instant attraction… but he’s already promised to wed the daughter of his king even though he’s never met the future bride… Meanwhile, the pretty girl looks at this handsome dude with a ring on his finger and assumes she’d never be in his league even if he were available… and just to add a twist, he’s pretty sure she’s a siren out to break his heart and destroy his life.”

Sofi Laporte interview

Story: Chestnut Woman

Story tease from the interview: “Imagine falling in love at first sight in a really mundane place: the crowded, stuffy metro. What would you do? My heroine, shy, introverted Pamela, can’t muster up the courage to make the first move. At home she runs into her superbly aggravating, gossiping neighbour, Mrs Schmid. Who is not at all what she appears to be. Mrs Schmid gives her three roasted chestnuts that will change Pamela’s life forever. Is she going to have a second chance with the mysterious, smiling stranger in the subway?”

Kathryn St John interview

Story: A Season’s Time

Story tease from the interview: “Whilst on a summer visit with his grandparents, a young man meets a strange young woman in a nearby forest. Over the course of the season, their feelings blossom into love, but there’s an obstacle looming in the distance that threatens to separate them. Is their love doomed from the start, or will they manage to find a way around their difficulties and remain together?”

Zoey Xolton interview

Story: Once in a Blue Moon

Story tease from the interview: “My story Once in a Blue Moon is about a girl called Faith. She is an orphan on the cusp of womanhood who comes face to face with her death, and salvation in the space of a single night, when she discovers vampyres not only exist, but rule over their small, Victorian harbour town!”

Melinda Kucsera interview

Story: Caught in a Glance

Story tease from the interview: “Ours was a friendship for the ages–an abused mage just trying to raise his younger brother and a gray-clad enigma who hides beneath a cloak and veil. (That’s me, Shade, your narrator for this interview.) We didn’t know it but the day Sarn and I met, we took the first step toward a perilous friendship that would unleash a demon and earn the ire of an angel. From the mines under Mount Eredren to the Gray Between life and death, follow the twisted paths friendship takes. Only one will survive when adoration turns to obsession. But not even death can sever some bonds.”

AR Johnston interview

Story: Twin Flames

Story tease from the interview: “Dragons, young love, and curses that need to be broken. Will fate tear them apart or will love be enough to keep them together?”

AM Cummins interview

Story: Savage

Story tease from the interview: “My story is a dramatic recreation of a family legend that was told to me by my grandfather. He was proud of his Native American heritage.”

Edeline Wrigh interview

Story: Of Seals and Storms

Story tease from the interview: “When a storm threatens the lives of several local fishermen, Elizabeth’s best friend – a selkie and the girl she’s in love with – comes up with a plan to save them. But there’s one little caveat: she has to return to the ocean for the rest of eternity. Assuming they can find the skin her father hid from her before he drowns, of course. Of Seals and Storms is a love story about hard decisions, sacrifices, and trusting fate.”

DS Durden interview

Story: Lonely Oni

Story tease from the interview: “An exiled woman in a futuristic city finds hope and love where she never expected.”

AD Carter interview

Story: A Forbidden Union

Story tease from the interview: “The story is about a young prince name Zander who sees a woman and instantly falls in love with her, but her fate is sealed. Now Zander must make a decision that could very well change the course of history for his kingdom as well as himself.”

Galina Trefil interview

Story: The Rusalka of the Murashka

Story tease from the interview: “The murder of an innocent spawns a seductive creature which stalks a Ukrainian village for centuries.”

Simon Dillon interview

Story: Papercut

Story tease: See earlier in this article.

First Love is out now, as a paperback or e-book, here (in the UK) or here (in the US).

First Love Author Interviews: AR Johnston

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First-Love-KindleIn this, my final interview with my fellow First Love authors, AR Johnston talks young love, curses, dragons, writer’s block and more…

What drew you to the First Love anthology?

In all honesty it was a fluke, I came across the submission ad mid-December and thought, why not? What do I have to lose since I had writer’s block on another story.

Give us a little tease for your short story for First Love.

Dragons, young love, and curses that need to be broken. Will fate tear them apart or will love be enough to keep them together?

Do you prefer your romantic fiction to end happily-ever-after, happy-for-now, tragically, or does it depend on the story?

AR JohnstonIt all depends on the story and where the muses take me.

What fantasy elements (if any) do you use in your First Love story?

Definitely fantasy elements in this story.

What major theme(s) are you exploring in this story?

Can young love survive something that seems rather devastating? Honesty, hope.

What inspired your story?

Not really sure honestly, lol it just seemed to come to me.

To what extent are your characters based on you or people you know?

Traits maybe but not usually anyone in particular and in this story, no one.

Do you know your ending when you write, or do you start and see where the story or characters take you?

Sometimes I know the outcome I want to head to. If I end up there is a completely different story.

What is the best thing about being a writer?

Seeing my imagination come to a realisation in front of me. That the words flow and weave a fantastic web of a story. That others enjoy it and tell me to keep going is such an amazing feeling.

What is the worst thing about being a writer?

Writer’s block when the muses don’t want to talk and you get stuck mid story, not knowing where to take things.

To what extent (if at all) do you agree with the statement “write what you know”?

There will always be some elements of that. I’ve often been told that people see bits of my personality in some of my characters and that they love it. Even when I step into a genre that I’ve never done I try to lend a bit of something that I know to it.

Are you promiscuous or monogamous with your genre of choice?

I often stick to one type of genre, urban fantasy mostly but, there will always be elements of paranormal, supernatural, romance. I have stepped out from these before too and even submitted dystopian and horror stories before.

Which writers inspire you?

There are so many!! Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Laurell K Hamilton, Tanya Huff, Anne McCaffrey, smaller time names but no less absolutely amazingly epic, JJ King, Candace Osmond, SL Perrine, Kindra Sowder, Shawna Romkey, Cora Kenborn, KL Ware, Alison Mello, Mickey Miller, Derek Adams, Christopher Harlan, Amy Cecil, P Mattern, ….I could keep going because there are so many fantastic writers that I am lucky enough to know.

What other books or short stories have you written?

So many but not published….yet.

What is your current work-in-progress?

Main piece is a series one, urban fantasy, different timelines, magic, mayhem, mystery….

What advice would you give someone who tells you they want to be a writer?

Do it! Just start writing and don’t stop.

To pick up a copy of First Love either in paperback or on Kindle, click here (in the UK) and here (in the US).