Tag Archives: Fantasy

New Novella: Bloodmire

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Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

Over the past seven weeks, the wonderful people at Medium publication Fictions serialised my fantasy novella Bloodmire. The plot concerns a Dark Ages knight undertaking a quest to rescue the young woman to whom he is betrothed. She has been captured by a mysterious Beast and taken into a mysterious and dangerous uncharted forest. On his quest, the knight encounters bandits, witches, and strange supernatural beings, journeying ever deeper into the forest, and ever deeper into himself.

Sounds trope-tastic? I can assure you Bloodmire is not a straightforward tale of damsels in distress. In fact, it’s a narrative designed to invite different interpretations and perspectives. Inspiration wise, it draws on everything from Arthurian legend (particularly Sir Gawain) to Heart of Darkness. It is also intended as a companion piece to my upcoming novel Ravenseed and features one of the supporting characters. However, I stress Bloodmire requires no prior knowledge of Ravenseed. It stands entirely alone.

I’ve had some terrific response and comments so far, so do check it out. Part One of Bloodmire can be found here, with links to subsequent parts at the end of every instalment. I hope you enjoy it.

Papercut Returns

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My short story Papercut was recently removed from the Short Stories section of this blog, but it has now returned. The reason for the removal was that I submitted a screenplay version to the BBC Writers Room. It didn’t win, but I did make it to the second round (the top 10 percent of five thousand odd submissions). I received an encouraging note from the BBC saying this was no small feat considering the competition. They also encouraged me to send further screenplays, which was nice.

Papercut was originally published in the Dragon Soul Press romantic fantasy anthology First Love. The story concerns 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 into… Well, click here to download the story for yourself.

If you’re curious, you can also download the screenplay version which streamlines and reinvents one or two areas of the story, particularly in the first act. Translating from one medium to another is a challenging task, especially when trying to find visual equivalents for inner monologue.

In case you were wondering, the above images, from classic fantasy adventure movie Jason and the Argonauts, and the iconic music video to A-ha’s 1985 hit Take on Me, were a visual and tonal influence on Papercut.

Coming Soon, Later, and Perhaps Never: October 2020 Update

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A couple of years ago, I posted an article with the same title, expounding on exactly where I was at with my novels, in their varying states of disrepair. Here’s a full update, sort-of divided by genre. Bear in mind one of these will be released very soon, almost certainly before the end of the year.

Fantasy

Ravenseed – This Dark Ages set fantasy novel is now on its third draft, having received largely positive feedback from various sources. It’s a brooding, melancholy tale of knights, sorcerers, and enchantment, simmering with love, lust, betrayal, and revenge. Alongside the Dark Ages story is a parallel framing story set in the present.

The Faerie Gate – My long-delayed, horror-story-for-children is now on its fourth draft. Originally written in 2015, it’s definitely the scariest novel I’ve written that is primarily aimed at children, and it really pushes the envelope in that respect. But this dark fairy tale is also a very compassionate story, about a young adolescent coming to terms with the separation of her parents. I’m also planning an epic sequel which may end up being more than one sequel, set in the same universe. The sequel(s) might be aimed at a more “young adult” readership. I’ll know more once I start writing this next year.

The Deviant Prophet – Another dark fairy tale, but this time for adults. Fantasy and reality clash in a disturbing tale of religious oppression, amid a vivid and surreal world parallel to our own. The initial inspiration for this came from a close friend’s extraordinary dreams. I finished a third draft earlier this year.

Goldeweed – This is an epic, three volume fantasy saga I have been shaping on and off for almost eighteen years. Set in a vast imagined realm on many different planes of reality, it details three love stories that play out against an apocalyptic backdrop at the end of an era. Currently longer than War and Peace, it’s a tale I have rewritten and tinkered with for some time, and I’m still not entirely happy with it.

Gothic Mystery Thriller/Horror

The White Nest – This novel is something of a culmination for me; a summing up of all the tropes, themes, and ideas I have explored in earlier gothic mystery novels. But although there is an element of Now-That’s-What-I-Call-a-Simon-Dillon-Gothic-Mystery about this novel, it is also radically different in two ways. Firstly, it features a male protagonist. Secondly, it is the most intensely personal novel I’ve written since Children of the Folded Valley. Yes, I know all writing is “personal”, but this one really jabbed raw nerves in an ultimately cathartic way, tapping into traumatic fears regarding siblings, parental fears, false guilt, and more. It is also something of a coming of age novel, despite the genre trappings. One more point: The White Nest refers to something sinister in the story, but it’s only a placeholder title. I’m keeping the real title secret for now.

Wormcutter – From something I wrote in 2020, to something I wrote in 2007 (from an idea I had researched on and off since 1996), this detective thriller/horror hybrid begins as an apparently open and shut murder investigation, then escalates into a humdinger of a conspiracy, involving the Freemasons and much more… until it ends up in the most disturbing territory I have ever explored in a novel (definitely 18 certificate stuff). Currently on its fourth draft, and due for another polish.

Miscellaneous

The Balliol Conspiracy – This somewhat old-fashioned, Hitchcockian romantic spy thriller is a conspiracy story of a different kind (much more PG territory, unlike Wormcutter), and proved a real change of pace for me when I wrote it. A strong, suspenseful central mystery results in an historic, fact-based treasure hunt, leading to a new lease of life for the bereaved protagonist. I don’t want to say too much more, except that yes, it does involve Balliol College in Oxford (see above picture). I also wanted to write a grown-up book that, for once, my mother would be able to read without having nightmares. Currently on its second draft, its actually grown on me quite a bit since I first wrote it, and my wife thinks I should attempt more stories of this kind. But I suspect it is a one-off. We’ll see.

Peaceful Quiet Lives – This dystopian tale imagines a bleak American future, satirising the worst fears of both sides in the so-called culture wars. At the same time, it is also a love story, featuring protagonists who fall foul of political extremists of all persuasions. This novel is currently on its fourth draft, and represents a real oddity for me, as it is quite unlike anything I’ve ever written. Like Children of the Folded Valley and The White Nest, it is also a highly “personal” novel.

A Statement of Disbelief – Another satirical novel, this time set in the dubious world of Christian television fundraising. It’s only had one draft, but quite honestly, I’m not sure it will ever see the light of day. However, I will confess it was great fun to write.

Short Stories – It’s also worth mentioning that I’ve written quite a collection of short stories, mostly horror and science fiction (including one of novella length). I may publish a volume of these at some point.

To reiterate, one of the above will almost certainly be released before the end of the year. Can you guess which one? Watch this space for an imminent announcement.

2019 In Review

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2019 has been an extremely busy year for me, and I am very pleased to have released a number of novels and shorter pieces.

Novels

Two more of my gothic mystery horror thrillers were released: The Irresistible Summons, which erred much more on the horror side, and Phantom Audition, which was more on the thriller side. Both feature nail-biting, page-turning spooky shenanigans, and were very well received. If you’re interested in picking up a copy as a Christmas present (or to read yourself) click here for The Irresistible Summons and here for Phantom Audition.

Shorts

Also this year, my short story Papercut was included in romantic fantasy anthology First Love, also published by Dragon Soul Press. Furthermore, three of my “Drabbles” (micro-fiction of exactly 100 words) were published by Blood Song Books anthology Curses & Cauldrons. These anthologies have also been very well reviewed. Check them out here and here, respectively.

Works in progress

Of the above works, Phantom Audition was a novel I wrote early in the year, and that was fast-tracked for publication. Compared with other years, I have written less than usual, outside of that, but there are still a number of short stories, and one novella, waiting in the wings. Indeed, delving into shorter works has been an agreeable change of pace for me, and the total word count of the above almost amounts to the equivalent of another novel. So I’ve not been that lazy.

On the blog

As ever, I’ve enjoyed covering lots of different topics on the blog. I love to write on subjects I am passionate about, and hopefully spark some discussion. You might have missed some of these, or want to re-read them, so here are three of my favourites.

Never Surrender to the Professionally Offended: A Rallying Cry for Authors

Uses and Abuses of Inner Monologue

Why Spoiler Awareness is Important

The Tangent Tree

Series three of The Tangent Tree – the film podcast I co-host with Samantha Stephen – is about to begin next week. Series two appeared earlier in the year. You can catch up on all episodes at the Tangent Tree website here – or listen on iTunes, Spotify, Podcast Addict and so on.

There have been many people who helped and supported me this year, sometimes through difficult things.

You know who you are.

Thank you.

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.

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.

Recent Reviews: First Love and Spectre of Springwell Forest

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I’ve had one or two very encouraging reviews on Amazon for my recent work. Firstly, there was this review for Papercut, my short story included in Dragon Soul Press’s romantic fantasy anthology First Love.

First-Love-Kindle“I had a fantastic time reading the anthology. My absolute favourite stories were A Season’s Time, Papercut, and The Rusalka of the Murashka. Mayhap I’m biased because I like stories with a folk and fairy tale twist, or it maybe that I love stories set in nature, or perhaps I simply loved the strong and surprisingly well fleshed out female characters in each story, and wanted them to get everything they wanted. But either way, my reading time was well spent with Shargorod’s little river, Chimney’s dreamscape and a nyad’s forest.”

Secondly, this lengthy rave review of Spectre of Springwell Forest proved particularly satisfying. It essentially told me I achieved everything I set out to achieve with this novel. Here is a slightly edited version:

SSF cover“A darkly intense and intriguing horror story full of mystery, Spectre of Springwell Forest… will have you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end. You won’t dare want to put this book down, as it will haunt you with the darkness that threatens a family, and that threatens to tear them apart in every way… Dark, intense, engaging, and truly gripping from beginning to end…

If you are a lover of horror novels, the supernatural, and don’t mind twisted endings then I think that this book will be a good fit for you. The damage that the family in this story suffers is truly believable. You would honestly think that this story could have happened to someone from the way that it is written so true to life. There are moments of where I normally would have been angry at characters for what they did, but this story felt so real and I loved it!

I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. There is nothing that I didn’t like about this story. It is twisted, creepy, dark, and mysterious and kept me engaged. The more I read the deeper I was pulled into the story. I loved the moments of where my jaw literally dropped in shock. I have to admit that I am one who enjoys books from time to time that gives you that less than happy ending, and this book does exactly that. A curse has been laid… and nothing will stop it. Enter Springwell Forest if you dare, but be prepared for the consequences.”

If you read and enjoy any of my stories, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads (or ideally both). Reviews on Amazon in particular really help. This isn’t because I require constant affirmation, but because reviews mean their algorithms show my work to more readers. As such, reviews are essential to the livelihood of small time or independent authors like yours truly. They don’t need to be essays. A simple “I liked it” is fine.

Thank you.

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).