My brain needs a break

My brain needs a break. Here’s a scary picture of me in brain meltdown mode.

IMG_0660(1) Given the rather excessively productive year I have had so far (first drafts on two longer than usual novels, lots of editing on earlier, currently unreleased novels, and a couple of short stories), I have decided to take a short break from writing and from posting on this blog. However, I will be back in the first week of September, and I will still post film reviews of any films I see at the cinema.

In the meantime, if you’re a regular visitor to this blog, or are stumbling on it for the first time, why not buy or download one of my novels?

I write in a variety of genres, so here are five that might interest you:

Folded Valley coverChildren of the Folded Valley – By far my most popular novel to date, this tale of a man looking back on his life growing up in a strange cult has over eighty mostly rave reviews on Amazon, and seems to have struck a chord with a lot of readers. It even seems to have got under the skin of people who didn’t like it (eg “Disturbing, distasteful and fascinating all at the same time” was one “negative” reader comment). I’ve also been told it’s my most “personal” novel to date, whatever the hell that means, although to be fair it is partly inspired by some of my own experiences in a cult during the early part of my life. Check it out here.

 

Uncle Flynn_CoverUncle Flynn – A story about overcoming fear and the dangers of mollycoddling disguised as a treasure hunt adventure, this is my second most popular novel, and again, Amazon reviews are mostly raves. It is aimed at all ages, so don’t be put off by the “children’s book” label. For example, one reader said “In this day and age I sometimes find myself reading books like this unaware. I loved it and I’m nearly 69 years old. Uncle Flynn is a real treat.”

Read more here.

 

The Birds Began to Sing_1600x2400_Front CoverThe Birds Began to Sing – A nail-biting psychological thriller about a wannabe writer entering a mysterious writing competition in a remote country house, this will satisfy anyone who loves a gripping, sinister narrative with a big twist ending. The reviews on Amazon are unanimous raves, with one reader commenting: “I kept guessing, thinking up various theories but never really sure which one would solve the mystery. As it turned out, none of my ideas were right!”

Click here for more.

 

Echo and the White Howl Cover 10 (FINAL)Echo and the White Howl – An animal fiction adventure about wolves in Alaska, mixing dirt-under-the-paw revenge story realism with a dash of the metaphysical. Tonally it is akin to something like Watership Down, and just as much aimed at adults as children. Here’s what one reviewer had to say: “The wolves bring to mind Jack London as well as George Orwell’s Animal Farm, but Dillon does it his own way, as always, with the spiritual/religious features that are common in his work.”

Click here for more.

 

LvsHonour 1600 x 2400Love vs Honour – Teenage romantic drama isn’t a genre I typically I dabble in, but this novel is something of an outside curiosity compared with my usual work. It details a tale of star-crossed teenage lovers with a religious twist, as the protagonists try to appease their religious parents by pretending to convert to Islam and Christianity respectively. A tangled web of deception ensues, building to a much darker final act that some readers think is brilliant and some readers absolutely hate. Why not have a read here and decide for yourself?

 

 

Happy reading, and see you in September.

Download Love vs Honour FREE – for five days only!

Continuing my summer giveaways, Love vs Honour is available for the next five days as a free download from Amazon Kindle.

LvsHonour 1600 x 2400

After falling in love, teenagers Johnny and Sabina pretend to convert to Islam and Christianity respectively, to placate the disapproval of both sets of parents. Then it gets complicated as their elaborate deceptions unravel in unexpected ways…

Yes, I know teenage romantic fiction isn’t really a thing I normally write, but rest assured this novel has the dark edges and challenging/controversial themes found in my other works so it really isn’t exclusively for the young adult readership. If you haven’t read it, why not give it a go?

Here are a few review snippets:

“You may find, as I did, it becomes a hard book to put down. The premise of a Christian and a Muslim pretending to convert to each other’s religion to be with each other for the sake of pure, unadulterated love creates a strangely addictive narrative.” – Graeme Stevenson, Amazon.

“This book is one of the few that made me cry. I love it. If you are a fan of emotional books then I urge you to read it. I give it 5 stars.” – Splufic, Goodreads.

“The ending of the book really made the whole thing.” – A Critical Reader, Amazon.

And just for balance, not everyone loved the ending. Check out this “bad” review from I_love_books on Goodreads:

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

Why not decide for yourself if you like the ending? Download Love vs Honour FREE here.