Tag Archives: Simon Dillon

Christmas Present Ideas Part One – Books for Children

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Christmas is rapidly approaching, but if you are scratching your head over potential presents, why not try one of my novels?

Here, in the first of a two-part series, is a quick look at what I have written primarily for children, though I must emphasise these stories are not just for children. Amid the humour, thrills and scares are themes many adults will appreciate too – from the dangers of mollycoddling to overcoming fear, difficult parent/child relationships, murderous religious fundamentalism, sexual equality, civil rights, slavery, political corruption, the metaphysical and more…

My most recent novel, Echo and the White Howl, is a thrilling animal fiction adventure about a pack of wolves set in the wilds of Alaska.

Echo and the White Howl Cover 10 (FINAL)

Here is the blurb from the back of Echo and the White Howl:

When a wolf pack discovers humans lurking near their territory, Echo senses dark times ahead.

Despite the warnings and omens, Aatag, the pack Alpha, refuses to flee… leading to a cruel turn of events that forces Echo into exile, and a quest for revenge that will change the pack forever.

Dr Gribbles and the Beast of Blackthorn Lodge is a gripping and scary tale involving spies, monsters, haunted houses, mad scientists and lots more besides, with action and thrills to spare. It was inspired by the nightmares of my youngest son, and the book is duly dedicated to him.

DrGibbles_1600x2400_front cover

Here is the blurb from the back of Dr Gribbles and the Beast of Blackthorn Lodge:

September 1987.

Curiosity lands Tim Rawling in a world of secrets, spies and a desperate race against time.

The haunted house, the monster and the mad scientist are only the beginning of a terrifying adventure.

Uncle Flynn, my debut novel, was received very positively. A properly old-fashioned treasure hunt adventure with a big twist, this book is dedicated to my eldest son. and was largely inspired by our many excursions over Dartmoor, as well as a bit of local history.

Uncle Flynn_Cover_600px

Here is the blurb from the back of Uncle Flynn:

When timid eleven year old Max Bradley embarks on a hunt for buried treasure on Dartmoor with his mysterious Uncle Flynn, he discovers he is braver than he thought.

Together they decipher clues, find a hidden map and explore secret tunnels in their search. But with both police and rival treasure hunters on their tail, Max begins to wonder if his uncle is all he seems…

The George Hughes trilogy (comprising, in reading order, George goes to Mars, George goes to Titan and George goes to Neptune) is a thrilling, action-packed space tale set just over a hundred years in the future. Each story is a stand-alone adventure, but I recommend reading the novels in order nonetheless.

Here is the blurb from the back of George goes to Mars:

When George Hughes discovers he has inherited the planet Mars, he goes from poverty to becoming the richest boy on Earth overnight.

Accompanied by his new guardian, a mysterious secret agent and a crew of astronauts, George voyages to Mars to sell land to celebrities wanting to build interplanetary holiday homes. But sabotage, assassination attempts and the possibility of an alien threat plunge him into a deadly adventure…

Here is the blurb from the back of George goes to Titan:

The thrilling sequel to George goes to Mars…

A year on from his adventures on Mars, George Hughes faces an even deadlier peril as he travels to Titan on an urgent rescue mission. The mysterious Giles returns to help him, but assassins are once again on his tail, and a new, far greater alien menace lurks in the shadows waiting to strike.

Here is the blurb from the back of George goes to Neptune (my personal favourite of the three):

In this spectacular sequel to George goes to Mars and George goes to Titan, George Hughes faces his most dangerous adventure yet.

Following the Titanian invasion, a deadly and very personal threat forces George to undertake a voyage to a top secret Martian research base on Neptune.

On this remote outpost, he uncovers a diabolical plot. But George is too late to prevent the catastrophe.

A catastrophe that will change his life forever…

All the above books can be ordered on Kindle or as paperbacks from Amazon here.

 

NEW RELEASE: Echo and the White Howl – out now!

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My latest novel, Echo and the White Howl, is out now!

Set in the vast Alaskan wilderness, this epic story of wolves will thrill and delight. With hunts, blizzards, dangerous journeys and a mysterious, supernatural edge, Echo and the White Howl is an animal fiction adventure for all ages.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

When a wolf pack discovers humans lurking near their territory, Echo senses dark times ahead.

Despite the warnings and omens, Aatag, the pack Alpha, refuses to flee… leading to a cruel turn of events that forces Echo into exile, and a quest for revenge that will change the pack forever.

Echo and the White Howl is available as a download or paperback from Amazon. Order your copy here.

NEW RELEASE: Echo and the White Howl – out tomorrow!

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Just one day to go! My latest novel, Echo and the White Howl, is out tomorrow!

Set in the vast Alaskan wilderness, this epic story of wolves will thrill and delight. With hunts, blizzards, dangerous journeys and a mysterious, supernatural edge, Echo and the White Howl is an animal fiction adventure for all ages.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book: 

When a wolf pack discovers humans lurking near their territory, Echo senses dark times ahead.

Despite the warnings and omens, Aatag, the pack Alpha, refuses to flee… leading to a cruel turn of events that forces Echo into exile, and a quest for revenge that will change the pack forever.

Echo and the White Howl is out tomorrow, available as a download or paperback from Amazon. Click here to pre-order your copy.

NEW RELEASE: Echo and the White Howl

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Exciting news! My latest novel, Echo and the White Howl, is out on the 11th of December.

Set in the vast Alaskan wilderness, this epic story of wolves will thrill and delight. A tale of vengeance with hunts, chases, blizzards, dangerous journeys and a mysterious, supernatural edge, Echo and the White Howl is an animal fiction adventure for all ages.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book: 

When a wolf pack discovers humans lurking near their territory, Echo senses dark times ahead. 

Despite the warnings and omens, Aatag, the pack Alpha, refuses to flee… leading to a cruel turn of events that forces Echo into exile, and a quest for revenge that will change the pack forever.

Echo and the White Howl is out on Monday 11th December, available as a download or paperback from Amazon. You can pre-order the novel here.

Download The Birds Began to Sing FREE – for five days only

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Love a gripping, page-turning psychological thriller? Download my novel The Birds Began to Sing absolutely FREE – for five days only!

Here is the blurb from the back of the novel:

When aspiring novelist Alice Darnell enters a competition to write the ending for an unfinished manuscript by late, world famous author Sasha Hawkins, it appears she might have her big break at last.

However, upon arrival at Sasha’s former home – the sinister Blackwood House – Alice is unsettled by peculiar competition rules, mysterious dreams and inexplicable ghostly visions. She begins to question her sanity as she is drawn into a terrifying web of deceit, revenge and murder.

Some review snippets:

“Mystery, drama, conspiracy theory, and some supernatural intrigue. A real page turner!” – Anonymous, Barnes and Noble.

“Well written, poetic in places, funny at times and with a plot that will keep you turning the pages…” – Al Gibson, Amazon.

“What a magical work of art! You’re really missing out if you don’t read this one.” – A Critical Reader, Amazon.

“Absolutely loved this. Properly chilling.” – Alice R Brewer, Amazon.

“This was really a great read and I loved the twist. Did not expect it at all.” – Jennifer, Amazon.

“A terrific read for lovers of suspense and mystery. Big thumbs up!” – Mickey, Amazon.

The Birds Began to Sing can be downloaded from Amazon Kindle FREE here – for five days only.

All my novels now available as paperbacks from Amazon

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At long last, I have stopped procrastinating, deferring, delaying, dilly-dallying, putting off, hanging fire, dragging my feet, beating about the bush and taking a rain check (or a “precipitation verification” as I sometimes call it, since the expression, American in origin, uses the spelling “check” rather than “cheque”). At any rate, I have finally decided to get off my backside and do what I should have done long ago and, to finally come to the point, ensure all my novels are available in paperback from Amazon Create Space, complete with physical pages that you can actually turn.

With that deliberately silly paragraph out of the way, to be more succinct, all my novels are now available from Amazon in dead tree format. Simply click here, and you’ll find them all listed accordingly.

Inspiration: Children of the Folded Valley

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Concluding my series on inspiration and influences for my novels, here’s a look at the stories that informed my most successful and “personal” book to date, Children of the Folded Valley.

Folded Valley cover

A coming of age memoir set against a “light” science fiction backdrop, Children of the Folded Valley is about a man recalling his childhood and adolescence amid an unusual religious cult. The novel draws on some elements of personal experience, but here are seven key texts that were also influential.

The Remains of the Day (Kazou Ishiguro) – Children of the Folded Valley has a similar flashback structure to Ishiguro’s masterpiece, with the protagonist also taking a journey from Oxfordshire to the West Country during his reminiscences. Obviously The Remains of the Day has very different subject matter, but the melancholy theme of wasted lives is definitely an undercurrent in my own novel.

Never Let Me Go (Kazou Ishiguro) – Ishiguro again, and actually a novel I am less keen on because for me dystopian narratives really need to culminate in an act of rebellion (successfully or otherwise). Although brilliantly written, this one is determined to be “realistic”, with the characters resigned to their fate, at the expense of dramatic satisfaction. However, it remains a key influence for this reason: I love the way the science fiction element remains very much in the background, unrevealed until it absolutely has to be, and even then very obliquely.

The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) – As with Never Let Me Go, the science fiction elements are kept cleverly in the background (hence my term “light” science fiction), because they are less important than the bone-chilling themes of religious dystopia. The hideous treatment of women in this appalling future was also influential to a certain degree, though to be honest I must sadly admit I didn’t have to look too far into my own experience of real life religious organisations to find inspiration on that front.

1984 (George Orwell) – Well, obviously. I mean, anyone writing a dystopian novel has to acknowledge the granddaddy of them all. Orwell’s scathing, brilliant condemnation of totalitarianism is a clear influence, even though his novel focusses more on political dictatorship and mine on religious dictatorship. Like Shakespeare and Dickens, Orwell despised “the mob” (in this case, a political mob manipulated by the state). In my novel, the brainwashed “mob”, followers of cult leader Benjamin Smiley, are equally insidious at times, even though they too are victims. The “bleeding” scene in Children of the Folded Valley is also influenced a little by “Room 101”.

The Wizard of Oz (L Frank Baum) – The wizard being revealed as a fraud is an important moment in the novel (and in the film), although the effect is largely comical. In Children of the Folded Valley, when Smiley is revealed for what he is, the effect is devastating. However, there remains a touch of the Wizard of Oz in his character, despite Smiley’s malevolence.

Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) – Just as 1984 is the ultimate dystopian novel, Great Expectations is the ultimate coming of age story and I borrowed from it extensively. There are definitely elements of Estella and Pip in the relationship between James and Miranda, though again I know the backgrounds are very different. It’s also worth giving an honourable mention to The Kite Runner here, as there were tonal elements that were an inspiration, particularly in the novel’s latter stages.

Lost (TV series) – Yes, I know this ultimately led to an exasperating and disappointing finale, but along the way the story of “the Others” proved very influential, in the way they operated much like a cult. Benjamin Smiley is not deliberately named after Ben Linus, but it is an amusing coincidence.

You can download or buy print copies of Children of the Folded Valley from Amazon here.

Inspiration: Uncle Flynn

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Continuing my series on inspiration and influences for my books, here’s a look at texts that informed my debut novel, Uncle Flynn.

uncle-flynn_cover

A thrilling treasure hunt inspired by local history and walks on Dartmoor with my oldest son, Uncle Flynn is a good old-fashioned adventure story for young and old alike, with a surprising twist in the tale. It delves into themes of overcoming fear and the dangers of mollycoddling, but the heart of the story concerns the restoration of a relationship between father and son. Here are five key influential texts:

Five on a Treasure Island (Enid Blyton) – Not my favourite Famous Five novel (that would be Five go to Smuggler’s Top) but certainly the biggest influence on Uncle Flynn in that it features a map, treasure and villainous rival treasure hunters. Like all good treasure hunt stories, the real prize is not the gold but something greater – in this case, lonely George gaining lifelong friends in her cousins. In the case of Uncle Flynn, the afore-mentioned restored relationship between Max and his father is the real prize.

Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) – I could hardly exclude this. As well as obvious treasure hunt iconography (maps, gold, etc), there are elements of Long John Silver in the darker side of Uncle Flynn. My book doesn’t have pirates though.

Swallows and Amazons (Arthur Ransome) – Another obvious touchstone, and a classic of children having adventures out of doors. The inspiration here is more tonal, though other Ransome novels contain elements that perhaps proved a more direct influence on the plot (for example Peter Duck and Pigeon Post, which are both treasure hunt stories).

The Goonies (Film) – Childhood nostalgia plays a big part in my affection for this film, a treasure hunt adventure packed with secret tunnels, maps, boobie traps, villainous treasure hunters and so forth. Obviously there are also treacherous secret tunnels and treasure chambers in Uncle Flynn, so the influence is obvious.

Mary Poppins (PL Travers) – To be fair, the film provided much of the inspiration here, since the character arc of Mr Banks isn’t really present in the novels. Uncle Flynn shares a certain amount in common with Mary Poppins, in that he enters the story at a point when Max really needs him. They go on great adventures, like Mary Poppins with the Banks children, so in that sense both the books and the film are an influence. But it is the film that features the restoration of the relationship between Jane and Michael and their parents. Just as Mary Poppins leaves “when the wind changes” so Flynn leaves once Max’s relationship with his father is restored.

You can download or buy print copies of Uncle Flynn from Amazon here.

Plot Twists versus Unexpected Plot Turns

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I have noticed some people confuse plot twists with unexpected plot turns. Here I shall attempt my own definitions of each, to explain the difference.

Earlier this year, I was most amused by a “bad” review of my novel Love vs Honour on Goodreads. The reviewer took great exception to the third act, stating the following:

“No…just No….
I hate such endings..
Wtf….
When the story got interesting then the author has to shock us?
No…
That’s bad..”

Obviously the reader is entitled to their opinion, and I am pleased that my writing got under her skin, but I maintain (and this is supported by many others who have read the novel) that the third act of Love vs Honour is not a pointless exercise in shock tactics but an outcome that was hinted at throughout – indeed the very first chapter clearly telegraphs where this is all going to end up.

LvsHonour 1600 x 2400

That said my intention in writing that novel was to create an unexpected plot turn, despite the hints that had been dropped. The third act should still feel like a shock, even though in hindsight it ought to seem inevitable. This was not a twist, but a new and unexpected narrative direction. However, an unexpected plot turn does not mean earlier events are viewed in a different light. In Love vs Honour, the first two acts are not open to drastic reinterpretation as a result of the third act.

By contrast a plot twist, particularly a final act plot twist, turns the entire story on its head, providing a rush of insight that causes the reader to see all events and characters in completely new terms. Said twists must be cleverly woven into the narrative in such a way that they come out of left field, and yet like unexpected plot turns, also seem inevitable in hindsight, causing the reader to wonder how on earth they didn’t see it coming.

In a number of my novels – including Uncle Flynn, The Birds Began to Sing and most recently The Thistlewood Curse – there are big, final act twists which mean the entire story has to be reassessed in light of the new information. How well these big twists work is of course up to readers to decide, but for better or worse, the events in those finales do mean the entire plots of those books are turned on their heads, hopefully in an entertaining and enjoyable way.

To conclude, a good example of the difference between the above narrative devices occurs in Alfred Hitchcock’s film Psycho. The notorious shower stabbing is an unexpected plot turn, whereas the finale in the cellar (when the nature of Norman’s “mother” is revealed) is a plot twist.

Here are some other examples of both from books and movies (I will tip-toe around spoilers):

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – The man with two faces finale is a big plot twist.

One Day – The bike accident late in the novel is an unexpected plot turn.

The Sixth Sense – Bruce Willis’s final discovery about himself is a justly famous plot twist.

His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass – The upshot of the romance between Will and Lyra, as a result of the difficult choice they are forced to make, is an unexpected plot turn.

Planet of the Apes – Charlton Heston’s final discovery on the beach is a plot twist.

Great Expectations – The demise of Miss Havisham is an unexpected plot turn.

The Empire Strikes Back – Darth Vader’s big revelation is a plot twist, one that turns the entire story of not just that film but also the previous film completely upside down.

Million Dollar Baby – What happens to Hilary Swank’s character following the sucker-punch is an unexpected plot turn.

Les Diaboliques – The nail-biting bath finale is a plot twist.

Dead Poets Society – What happens to Neil after he performs in A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an unexpected plot turn.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – The identity of the mole in MI6 is a big twist.

Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia – Irene Adler’s escape is an unexpected (and unconventional) plot turn.

Murder on the Orient Express – The finale is one of the most famous whodunit resolutions of all time, and one of the biggest twists.

Kind Hearts and Coronets – The delicious irony of why the protagonist finally gets arrested is a particularly amusing unexpected plot turn in this sublime black comedy.

I could go on and on, but hopefully that clarifies my definition.

Download Uncle Flynn FREE – for five days only!

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For five days only, my debut novel Uncle Flynn is available to download FREE from Amazon Kindle.

Uncle Flynn was received very positively. On the surface it is a properly old-fashioned treasure hunt adventure, but it contains underlying themes about overcoming fear and the dangers of mollycoddling. The book is dedicated to my eldest son, and was largely inspired by our many excursions over Dartmoor, as well as a bit of local history.

Here is the blurb from the back of Uncle Flynn:

When timid eleven year old Max Bradley embarks on a hunt for buried treasure on Dartmoor with his mysterious Uncle Flynn, he discovers he is braver than he thought.

Together they decipher clues, find a hidden map and explore secret tunnels in their search. But with both police and rival treasure hunters on their tail, Max begins to wonder if his uncle is all he seems…

Here are a few reviews from various readers:

“Harking back to the wonderful adventure stories of Arthur Ransome, Uncle Flynn is a welcome return to the excitement of outdoor exploits in wild surroundings. Excitement, tension and peril combine in a well-written tale where The Goonies meets Swallows and Amazons. The evocative descriptions of treasure seeking on Dartmoor will have you longing to visit and explore for yourselves. Action-packed puzzle-solving pleasure for children and adults alike, with a neat twist in the tale to keep you guessing.”

Mrs Alice R Brewer, Amazon.co.uk

“A treasure for all ages. Kids and teenagers would love this fast-paced adventure story. Most adults would also find it a light and enjoyable read.”

B Fraley, Amazon.com

“Don’t pass this one by. I have been burning through the free NOOKbooks and this is the absolute BEST. Doesn’t matter what type of fiction you like to read, I can imagine this would capture just about anyone’s attention – and heart.”

willreadanything, Barnes and Noble.

“Could not put the book down, so enjoyed the journey. Recommended it to my 12 year old grandson who now wants me to be his book reading adviser. Loved by three generations.”

Brinney, Barnes and Noble.

“What a wonderful book for young readers and anyone else who loves a book with a great twist on an amazing story of courage over fear.”

Beansie47, Barnes and Noble.

“I’m an 83 year old woman. Your book was a joy to me. I felt I was having all the adventures myself at this ripe old age. Your book was like a cold drink of water on a hot day. Thank you.”

Joan McLaughlin, commenting on the Uncle Flynn blog.

“I downloaded the book for my boys to read, and thought I’d just read the first few lines… Needless to say I read to the end! Well written and most enjoyable – great adventure with life lessons woven into the story.”

Cecile Weyers, commenting on the Uncle Flynn blog.

Uncle Flynn is available to download FREE here. Print copies are also available (not free) here.