Tag Archives: Supernatural thriller

Two great new reviews for The Irresistible Summons

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

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

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

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

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

Do check out his full review here.

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

Phantom Audition out today!

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

PHANTOM AUDITION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phantom Audition is out tomorrow

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

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

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

Phantom Audition is out this week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phantom Audition – Paperbacks out now!

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

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

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

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

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

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

How scary are my novels?

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

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

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

The Birds Began to Sing

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

SSS rating: 4/10.

The Thistlewood Curse

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

SSS rating: 6/10.

Spectre of Springwell Forest

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

SSS rating: 9/10.

The Irresistible Summons

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

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

Phantom Audition

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

SSS rating: 4/10.

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

Phantom Audition – The Cover

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

PHANTOM AUDITION

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

New Novel! Phantom Audition out on 19th October

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Irresistible Summons: Summary of Recent Articles

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Here’s a one-stop-shop with links to all you need to know about my latest horror/supernatural conspiracy thriller novel The Irresistible Summons.

The background in the image below is a reference to an incident in a prison during the opening chapter, where a television interview with a possibly possessed killer goes badly wrong.

Irresistible Summons new graphic

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

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.

Want to know more? Here are some blog articles that may be of interest:

An Introduction – Fancy a slightly more in-depth primer for the novel than the above blurb? This will have you hooked if you aren’t already.

Influences and Inspirations – Read about key texts that informed the novel.

Settings and Research – What subjects did I have to brush up on?

Deleted Scenes – Discover what was cut or changed from first to final draft.

Themes – What is this book really about?

Interviews – I talked about the novel with my publisher Dragon Soul Press and Samantha Stephen from The Tangent Tree podcast here and here respectively.

The Irresistible Summons is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is out now. Paperbacks or Kindle downloads can be ordered here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

The Irresistible Summons: Themes

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Over the last few weeks, I’ve posted various blogs about my latest horror/supernatural conspiracy thriller novel The Irresistible Summons, often delving into inspirations, the writing process, and so on. In this article, I’m going to talk briefly about the themes and ideas it explores, whilst as ever attempting to skirt around spoilers.

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Firstly and most obviously to anyone who has read the book, there is definitely an inherent warning about the dangers of playing God. The frightening possibility of morally and spiritually catastrophic technological innovation isn’t necessarily a new theme, but here I offer my own take on a subject that has proved increasingly of interest to those with half an eye on scientific developments. I can say no more about the specifics, for fear of spoilers.

Secondly, I wanted to explore some of the more outlandish ideas contained in both the Bible and other religious texts (the Book of Enoch for instance) involving what supposedly took place between mankind and supernatural forces in the First Age, pre-Flood era. Anyone familiar with the mischief the fallen angels caused in this era will already have an idea of where my story goes.

Thirdly, in keeping with my fascination for niche religious movements, I wanted to write a protagonist from a fairly strict Messianic Jewish background. My protagonist Naomi has since turned her back on the beliefs she was brought up with. The confusion and alienation she experiences trying to come to terms with what she actually believes is a recurrent theme in much of my work.

Finally, like all good ghost stories, for all the spine-tingling spookiness, The Irresistible Summons is actually a meditation on grief and it’s potentially far-reaching effects. Many of the finest ghost stories are about comfort and catharsis, beneath all the scares, and those lofty ideals are what I aimed for in this novel.

If that all sounds terribly worthy or even preachy, it certainly wasn’t my intention to grind an axe when I wrote the story. My primary motivation was simply to write a really gripping supernatural conspiracy thriller that took gothic horror haunted house tropes and transferred them to a more modern setting. I sincerely hope readers will primarily read The Irresistible Summons to be entertained by a page-turning, nail-biting, ghostly, emotionally resonant mystery.

The Irresistible Summons is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is out now. Paperbacks or Kindle downloads can be ordered here (in the UK) and here (in the US).