Over the past few weeks on Medium, I’ve been showcasing some of the opening chapters from my novels. The series draws to a close with this initial segment of my dystopian sci-fi coming of age novel Children of the Folded Valley. Since it partly draws from my own experiences of growing up in a cult, it is perhaps the most “personal” of my novels currently in publication (though the term “personal” always strikes me as faintly absurd, as I consider all my stories personal in some way).
Here are the first few paragraphs:
We spend our adult lives trying to regain what we lost in childhood.
I do not claim to be unique in that respect. Whilst it might be argued that I lost more than some, we all, I think, chase after what we once had or never had. What we lost cannot be replaced, but we chase after it nonetheless.
Some think of what they lost with romantic rose-tinted spectacles, whilst others are more pragmatic. Some deny it, others get angry about it, others still accept it and seek help from friends, family, lovers, therapists, priests, gurus, or anyone else who will listen. But I cannot do that. I can never tell my friends, my colleagues, my wife, or my children what happened to me in the Folded Valley.
Since escaping all those years ago, I have been searching; but mine is not a sentimental journey. I do not long for the past, yet nor do I think of it as exclusively bad. I don’t ever want to go back, but I want things that are trapped there, lost forever.
What I lost, I lost on the railway line that runs along the southern edge of Dartmoor. I can still see the train disappearing; a silhouette against the bleak moors and darkening sunset skies. I can still smell the freshly cut grass, sense the cool breeze and feel the stinging tears. I remember the relief at escaping, the fear of what lay ahead, and the horrible churning sensation at the knowledge that everything I had ever known was gone.
That happened in August 1982.
From Children of the Folded Valley by Simon Dillon
You can read the whole of the chapter here, and read my companion piece article on this series here. Alternatively, to purchase a copy of Children of the Folded Valley (ebook or paperback) click here (for the UK), here (for the US), or here, if you wish to purchase via Smashwords.
This month on Medium, I’m showcasing some of the opening chapters from my novels. These will be primarily from my gothic mysteries, though there may be one or two others. This week I feature the first part of horror-thriller The Irresistible Summons.
This opening comes directly after a short prologue touching on a tragic and mysterious incident in protagonist Naomi Levinson’s teenage past. Naomi has gone on to become a TV producer making documentaries that debunk the supernatural, but she and her TV crew are in for a nasty surprise when they interview a supposedly demon-possessed murderer in a prison. Here’s are the first three paragraphs.
Naomi Levinson sat in the driver’s seat of the company Citroen Berlingo, watching light drizzle splatter on the windscreen. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, staring at the walls of Holloway prison. Judging by the silence among her colleagues, she wasn’t the only one feeling on edge.
They had interviewed prisoners before, including the worst kinds of rapists, child molesters, and murderers, but on this occasion, there was something particularly chilling about the individual they had come to film.
Naomi recalled Tanya Sutton’s mug shots from the television news, along with footage of her walking calmly to and from the court during her trial. Elegant and attractive, Tanya Sutton came from a wealthy background. She had founded what promised to be a very successful cosmetics business. During the trial she had been softly spoken, never once raising her voice. Somehow that had made her appalling crime, and the reasons behind it, all the more frightening.
From The Irresistible Summons by Simon Dillon
You can read the whole of the chapter here, and read my companion piece article on this series here. Alternatively, to purchase a copy of The Irresisitible Summons (ebook or paperback) click here (for the UK), here (for the US), or here, if you wish to purchase via Smashwords.
Death Nest: A widower fears his young son is cursed when he shows disturbing behaviour akin to that of the widower’s younger brother, before he vanished twenty years previously.
The Irresistible Summons: A television producer who debunks the supernatural encounters a genuine haunting in a London office block.
The Birds Began to Sing: An aspiring novelist enters a mysterious writing competition at a sinister mansion.
Phantom Audition: The grieving widow of a famous actor begins to suspect a supernatural hand at work in his apparent suicide, linked to his final acting role.
Spectre of Springwell Forest: A mother comes to believe her young daughter is cursed, after discovering a mysterious painting in her attic containing a gradually revealed figure, which only she can see.
The Thistlewood Curse: A detective and her paranormal consultant suspect supernaturally assisted murder after the sudden heart attack of a Lord’s son on Lundy Island.
Children’s Adventures
Uncle Flynn: A timid boy gradually overcomes fear and mollycoddling as he searches for hidden treasure on Dartmoor with his enigmatic uncle.
Dr Gribbles and the Beast of Blackthorn Lodge: A monster, a mad scientist, and a haunted house… That’s just the beginning for a boy who finds himself caught between spy factions near the end of the Cold War.
Echo and the White Howl: A exiled young wolf seeks revenge after his Alpha father is murdered by a pack rival.
The George Hughes Trilogy
The Martian Inheritance, The Titan War, and The Neptune Conspiracy: Teenager George Hughes unexpectedly inherits the planet Mars. He finds himself the target of covert assassins, hostile aliens, and even darker forces. But he also comes under the protection of a mysterious secret agent, and finds friends in unlikely places.
Other Novels
Children of the Folded Valley: A man looks back on his past when he grew up in a mysterious cult cut off from the rest of the world.
Peaceful Quiet Lives: Forbidden lovers fall foul of laws in both nations that emerged following the Second American Civil War.
Love vs Honour: Teenage lovers pretend to convert to Islam and Christianity to appease each respective set of parents.
Ravenseed: As a teenage girl reads a mysterious account of two knights in the Dark Ages attempting to break an enchantment, her face is gradually disfigured. But she is obsessed with discovering the outcome and unable to stop reading.
All titles are available from Amazon here (in the UK) and here (in the US). Some of the above titles are also available from Draft2Digital and their various outlets (such as Smashwords).
If you enjoy my novels and short stories, please consider supporting my writing on Patreon or Ko-fi. Thank you.
Me looking moody next to some of my novels, trying to hide how badly I need a haircut. Photo by author.
I have a new Patreon page, and I’d love you to take a look at it.
Why Patreon?
I’ve resisted having a Patreon page for some time, because of the begging bowl baggage with which I associate it. However, I believe I have found a way to give potential supporters back something of value. If I am serious about this full-time writer malarkey, especially with my ambition to land a mainstream publishing deal for my novels, I need to be realistic about the costs involved. My Patreon page is a means of (hopefully) addressing this reality. I lay out my writing goals over the next year in some detail, so potential supporters can see exactly what their contributions will fund.
What am I offering?
On my Patreon page, I offer various levels of monthly support (plus a link to a newly created Ko-fi account, for anyone who wishes to go the one-off donation route). Those who support me will get certain exclusives, including writing updates, video updates, film of the month recommendations, alternative cover imagery, interesting deleted segments, and early access to short story and novel chapter drafts (in some cases, a year or more ahead of official release). I’m going to serialise one (and possibly more) of my novel drafts, exclusively on Patreon, though my first literary preview will be for my upcoming ghost story, Vindicta (part 1 is already up).
I’m also offering the chance for Zoom interactions, either to offer my writing expertise (such as it is), or else to simply chat about books, films, and so forth.
Image by author (Cover design credits: Charles Bown, Yasmine Nuoraho, Denisa Trenkle, Simon Dillon).
Please do check out my Patreon page here and consider supporting me. If nothing else, have a good laugh at the video of me at the edge of Wistman’s wood on Dartmoor, in desperate need of a haircut.
(This is a shorter verison of an article originally published on Medium).
This month on Medium, I’m showcasing some of the opening chapters from my novels. These will be primarily from my gothic mysteries, though there may be one or two others. This week I feature the first part of gothic psychological thriller The Birds Began to Sing.
I wrote this novel back in 2012, and in all honesty, I think if I were writing it today, I’d open the book differently. Yes, I have a bit of satirical fun with the publishing industry, but I fear it comes off as a little petulant. Still, I love the book overall, and am proud of it. Here are the opening paragraphs.
Rejection is normal. Everyone experiences rejection at some time in their life, so there is no point getting upset about it. Don’t give up. Just move on. Tomorrow might be better.
That’s what Alice Darnell kept telling herself. Yet having her writing rejected again and again by agents and publishers was beginning to feel worse than getting dumped by a boyfriend. She had just received another rejection letter from a literary agency through the post, and every time she read one it felt like something inside her died. Her bedroom now had an entire wall plastered with rejection letters of one kind or another, all of them saying more or less the same thing:
Dear Alice,
Thank you for your sample chapters and synopsis which we read with interest. Unfortunately we don’t feel this is one for us, but we wish you the best of luck elsewhere.
Kind regards
The Publisher/Agent
Alice thought a more honest summary might read as follows:
Dear Alice,
I’m not sure why you bothered to send us your sample chapters and synopsis, as you are not an established author. Obviously, we didn’t bother reading it. You might want to try elsewhere and see if anyone is foolhardy enough to take on an unknown author, but don’t count on success.
Indifferent regards
The Publisher/Agent
Alice pinned the most recent rejection letter alongside the others, and glanced at the alarm clock at the side of her bed. Almost half past nine. She had a cold, and had already called in sick so wouldn’t be going to work. That meant a day alone trying to rest, recuperate and watch daytime television whilst trying not to feel too depressed.
From The Birds Began to Sing by Simon Dillon.
You can read the whole of the chapter here, and read my companion piece article on this series here. Alternatively, to purchase a copy of The Birds Began to Sing (ebook or paperback) click here (for the UK), here (for the US), or here, if you wish to purchase via Smashwords.
This month on Medium, I’m showcasing some of the opening chapters from my novels. These will be primarily from my gothic mysteries, though there may be one or two others. This week I feature the first part of gothic psychological thriller Phantom Audition, which begins like this:
What Mia noticed most was the silence.
She kept expecting to hear Steven’s voice, or the insistent thud of his feet, as he rehearsed his lines, pacing up and down. She expected to hear him on the phone to his agent, publicist, or to a director.
In the mornings, she no longer heard his absurd singing in the shower. His seat at the breakfast table stood empty. Mia would avert her eyes, unable to bear staring at the space he should occupy. He should be sipping his tea, scrolling through his phone, crunching his cereal… Silence chewed the room instead, like wind and rain gnawing an eroding landscape.
At nights, Mia would awaken and roll over, hoping to warm herself on his body. But Steven wasn’t there, and he wasn’t coming back. He had been replaced with the same terrible silence that screamed, clawed, and tore at her mind whenever she entered the rooms that still had his smell. The memory of her husband had stained the entire house.
Mia had always thought the mansion ludicrously big for the pair of them, but now more than ever she felt the size of the place. A curious unease lingered, as though the carpets, furniture, paintings, and ornaments had turned against her. She felt like a stranger in her own home, imagining everything around her glared in frowning disapproval. Perhaps her presence was a desecration.
One Monday morning a month after the funeral, the unpleasant sensation of feeling watched by the house became too much, and Mia yelled out into the silence.
‘It’s my bloody home too!’
The house responded without mercy, making every tiny tick of the clock an intolerable cacophony. Mia put her hands over her ears. She knew her behaviour was absurd, but the curious mixture of anger and fear that stirred within her had taken her by surprise. Sadness at Steven’s passing was to be expected, but she had not expected to feel so defensive or fearful. Perhaps bewilderment at the events leading up to his suicide by drug overdose still had her on edge.
From Phantom Audition by Simon Dillon.
You can read the whole of the chapter here, and read my companion piece article on this series here. Alternatively, to purchase a copy of Phantom Audition (ebook or paperback) click here (for the UK), here (for the US), or here, if you wish to purchase via Smashwords.
“A futuristic book about a post-civil war America. The east is ultra-liberal and the west is ultra-conservative. What I loved about this book is the detailed thought Mr. Dillon put in about what an extreme society would look like. In my personal life, I live mainly on one side of the aisle. The description of the other side’s extreme made sense to me. The description of the extreme side of my ideals was shocking. It made me understand what the other side of the aisle is so afraid of. Quite an eye-opener. I’d like to believe the proverbial “slippery slope” will never end in the extremes described in this book. And hope this book is a warning to us all of what could happen if we continue to widen the gap and refuse to compromise.” – Heather K, Amazon.
“Dystopian sci-fi with a high level of haunting creepiness that begets humans in some situations. Interesting character development and interactions.” – Aimee Gramblin, Goodreads.
“An extraordinarily imaginative tale, the supernatural infused with technology, love and hatred and an intense sense of dread and mystery. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend you check out more of Simon’s extensive body of work both here and on Medium.” – Alison, Amazon.
“Simon Dillon has done it again with this gripping story full of intrigue and mystery. Characters full of emotions that a reader can invest in.” – AM Cummins, Goodreads.
If you enjoy my novels, please do leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you picked them up. They are an encouragement to me, but much more importantly, they mean the algorithms show my work to more potential readers, which is a great support to me as an independent writer. Reviews literally help me put food on the table, so a huge thank you to everyone who shows their appreciation in this way. Even a one-liner helps (as you can see from the above), so they don’t have to be long.
I know I’ve not written a great deal of book/writing related articles here over the last month, but I expect that to change soon. I’ve been busy on a number of other fronts, including writing a new short story which I hope to announce here soon. Watch this space.
All titles are available from Amazon here (in the UK) and here (in the US). Some of the above titles are also available from Smashwords.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot at this stage, but here are a few titbits. As previously stated, it concerns a young journalist, who investigates a local mystery with links to her past in the fictional town of Hobbford. There are variations on a few typically gothic locations, including a large spooky house and a sinister forest. In the background of the narrative is an archaeological dig taking place on the site of a now-closed children’s home, following a major abuse scandal. The protagonist’s mysterious estranged uncle is also a key character. He runs an expensive mental health clinic for rich clients.
As for the title, it refers to Hobbford folklore. On a nearby hill, is the chalk outline of a giant figure, somewhat akin to the real-life Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset (see below). In my story, local legend states this giant was sent by a witch to take revenge, after the witch in question was persecuted. The giant was slain, and the body supposedly buried inside the hill. How does this have a bearing on the plot? I wouldn’t dream of spoiling the surprise.
Credit: Wikipedia Commons. Nigel Mykura / Cerne Abbas Giant / CC BY-SA 2.0
What else can I tell you about the book? It took about three months to complete the first draft (working from a thoroughly researched and plotted outline I prepared last year), and in the process, the story became rather darker than I originally intended. Although the essentials of the plot didn’t change, I realised whilst writing that the subject matter and tone veered more towards the horror end of my oeuvre than I originally thought. I’d expected this to read as more a thriller, like The Birds Began to Sing. But it ended up closer in tone to Spectre of Springwell Forest, though to my mind not quite as frightening. Perhaps The Thistlewood Curse is my closest point of comparison, as that one also sits at the mid-point between horror and thriller.
Thematically, this story deals with hidden secrets, as with all good gothic mysteries. More specifically, it concerns what happens when lies are told and perpetuated, and how these lies act as a kind of black hole, sucking in others when they chose to keep silent out of fear and intimidation, rather than bringing the truth into the light. I didn’t set out to write anything particularly profound, but looking back over the first draft, I can see more, in retrospect, what must have been lurking in my subconscious whilst writing this: Lies and cover-ups, however well-intended, are never a good thing.
I will now be following my standard procedure of sitting on the novel for a while, before redrafting with fresh eyes anywhere between six months to a year from now. At that point, I will start the process of showing the manuscript to beta readers, and then think about publication possibilities. I’m excited about this novel and look forward to sharing it with you in due course.
Once in a while, I post an update of where I’m at with my pile of unpublished novels, in their varying states of disrepair. These range from completed first drafts to manuscripts polished and ready to go. However, this list doesn’t include the novel I’m currently writing (I’ve almost finished the first draft). Nor does it include the rapidly growing pile of short stories I have waiting in the wings.
Why the update? Partly to whet reader appetite, and partly for my own sanity, so I’ve a nice at-a-glance piece that lays out which are likelier to see the light of day. (Those that definitely won’t aren’t included.)
These novels are divided by genre (sort-of).
Fantasy
Ravenseed
This Dark Ages set fantasy novel is currently sitting with potential publishers/agents. If I get good news, it will be announced here. As for the plot, 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.
Release likelihood: If I can’t find a publisher I’ll self-publish, hopefully this year.
The Faerie Gate (plus sequel)
My long-delayed, horror-story-for-children is now on its fourth draft. Originally written in 2015, it’s my scariest novel primarily aimed at children. But this dark fairy tale is also a compassionate story of a young adolescent coming to terms with the separation of her parents. Last year, I penned the first of a planned trilogy of sequels (currently untitled), set some years after this novel. These stand alone and can be read with or without knowledge of The Faerie Gate.
Release likelihood: Definitely my intention, even though I keep holding it back. I might wait until I’ve written the other two novels in the sequel trilogy before taking the first one any further.
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 four years ago, and haven’t looked at it since.
Release likelihood: I’m holding on to it for now, but I’d love to see this published at some stage.
Goldeweed
An epic, three-volume saga I have shaped on and off for almost twenty 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. It needs another serious rewrite, which I will undertake when I allocate some serious time.
Release likelihood: Depends on whether unhelpful perfectionism thwarts my ambitions.
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 traumas 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.
Release likelihood: Needs another polish, but probably my next priority after Ravenseed.
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, 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.
Release likelihood: Unlikely any time soon. I’m proud of this novel, but I think it might be wiser to hang on to it for the time being, as I do have some concerns about how it could be received.
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. 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.
Release likelihood: A distinct possibility, perhaps even soon, but probably self-published.
A Statement of Disbelief
A satirical novel set in the dubious world of Christian television fundraising. It’s only had one draft, and I’ve not reread it for a while. However, I had great fun writing this.
Release likelihood: Unlikely at this point, but I’m not ruling it out.
One final point: My trilogy of children’s sci-fi adventure novels, George Goes to Mars, George Goes to Titan, and George Goes to Neptune, have been withdrawn for the time being. Why? Frankly, these early self-published works didn’t really take off the way I’d hoped. I think they were let down by two problems: 1) The lack of a proper edit, and 2) Titles that make them sound like books for very little children, even though the target audience is the Harry Potter/Alex Rider demographic. My plan is to give them a thorough edit, new titles, and rerelease them in this format at some point hopefully soon (with a clear note that they were previously published in an earlier form under a different name).
Someone recently asked how long it takes between first draft and publication of my novels. The short, boring answer is “it depends”. However, I try to ensure a decent amount of time for reflection between drafts, especially between first and second drafts. I find that an interval of a year, or at least six months, gives the necessary distance for some degree of objectivity.
Trying to rewrite a first draft immediately is fraught with problems. Having just been through the intense rollercoaster of writing novel-length fiction, at that stage, I’m simply not able to discern what should stay, go, be tweaked, or rewritten, with any degree of critical judgement. By that point, I’m often sick of the whole endeavour, convinced it’s rubbish (normally having started thinking it’s a masterpiece).
By now, I’m familiar enough with my own authorial ups and downs to ignore both feelings – the idea that I’m creating a masterpiece, or the idea that it’s rubbish. I know that time and distance will provide the truth. For this reason, some of my early novels will (rightly) never see the light of day. Others I initially deemed rubbish have turned out rather well, when viewed with the distance of time.
In truth, the distance between first draft and publication has greatly varied. For instance, I wrote the first draft of my most popular novel, Children of the Folded Valley, in 2011. I sat on it for six months, then made a few tweaks, before then showing it to my father, who had a superb suggestion to improve it. That precipitated a rewrite, though sadly my father never got to see the finished novel, as he died shortly afterwards. Children of the Folded Valley was ultimately released in 2014, three years after I finished the first draft.
In stark contrast, Echo and the White Howl was written during the summer of 2017, after my youngest son (then eight years old) requested a story about wolves. I don’t write animal fiction, but made the attempt on this occasion, rushing from first draft to self-publication in December of that year, so he’d have the novel in time for Christmas. Hardly anyone has read this novel, but I’m very proud of it. Most importantly, my son loved it.
Most of my published work is in the gothic mystery horror/thriller genre, but normally there are a few years between first draft and publication. For example, my first draft of The Irresistible Summons was written in 2015, but it wasn’t published until 2019. In the interim, there were several revisions and deletions (which I detail here). Again, I’m very pleased with the finished novel.
On top of this, some of my novels have sat on the shelf for years in various states of disrepair – from first draft to nearly ready for publication. The oldest of these is another horror novel, entitled Wormcutter, which I wrote in 2007. Due to some of the subject matter, I’m a bit nervous about ever releasing this one, so it may stay there indefinitely. I’ve also a number of fantasy novels waiting in the wings, the oldest of which dates back to 2008. I hope those see the light of day at some point.
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