How scary are my novels?

Posted on September 13, 2019 by simondillon

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 Cover More 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 cover A 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-res For 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 AUDITION Despite 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 19^th of October. Click here to pre-order your copy now.

Reflections on my earlier novels

Posted on May 7, 2019 by simondillon

Someone recently asked me whether I still liked my earlier, pre-traditional publisher novels. Another individual noted that they could see an improvement in my prose style between Children of the Folded Valley (self-published) and Spectre of Springwell Forest (traditionally published). These interactions made me curious. Would I still like my earlier novels? Could I see a marked improvement in my writing style?

After re-reading Children of the Folded Valley and The Birds Began to Sing (and I’m still working my way through other earlier works), the answer to the second question is yes. I can see how I have improved as a writer. That ought to be the case. With every book, I get more experienced, so with every book, I hope I improve.

I also must be honest and admit certain things in those earlier stories made me slightly cringe: words I overuse, needlessly passive sentences, sections of “telling” that ought to be “showing”, and so on. These days, such things would be picked up on by my wife (who has since taken a much more active role in assessing my work) as well as my editor. Despite this, I still like both novels, and judging by reviews, readers do too. Both remain rock-solid stories, and The Birds Began to Sing in particular has a twist ending I am very proud of.

All that said, I did take the opportunity to make a few tweaks to their respective manuscripts, so new versions purchased from now on will reflect these changes. However, I think both still stand as examples of where I was then as opposed to where I am now. Hopefully over the next few years, my writing will continue to improve.

Christmas Present ideas

Posted on December 2, 2018 by simondillon

If you are scratching your head this year over Christmas presents, why not consider giving one of my novels? At the risk of sounding like a cliché, I have written across a variety of genres and therefore have “something for all the family”.

First and foremost, I have a novel about to be released on the 20^th of December entitled Spectre of Springwell Forest. A nail-biting, page-turning ghost story, this supernatural mystery is my first novel to be published by Dragon Soul Press, and a must for any fan of bone-chilling suspense. Simply click here (in the UK) or here (in the US) to pre-order your copy. (NOTE: at present this pre-order is for the Kindle version only. Stay tuned for updates on the paperback.)

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Lily Henderson has a horrifying secret buried far in her past. She hoped it would never be revealed. Now she has no choice.

To save her family, Lily must keep them from returning to the village of Springwell, where she lived with her first husband and young daughter decades previously.

In the past, after moving to Springwell, Lily encounters secretive locals, government scientists, and rumours of a ghost haunting the forest.

Are they linked to the mysterious deaths of local children? Do paintings by a local artist predict when tragic events are getting closer? Will Lily’s daughter be next?

“Two were taken. More will follow.”

If you enjoy stories with devious twists on the spectrum between psychological thriller, supernatural mystery and horror, why not also try The Thistlewood Curse or The Birds Began to Sing? The former is a gripping mystery involving astral projection and murder on Lundy Island. The latter concerns a peculiar writing competition in a remote and sinister Dartmoor house.

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THE THISTLEWOOD CURSE Cover (JPG Print version)

The Birds Began to Sing_1600x2400_Front Cover

My short story Once in a Lifetime is also available, as part of the Dragon Soul Press All Dark Places anthology. A disturbing tale of existential dread, this short is based on a nightmare I had earlier this year. It concerns a man waking up in an entirely different life. As he struggles to understand what has happened, memories of his previous existence rapidly vanish, and are replaced with those from the life he has awoken inside.

Folded Valley cover On a rather different note, we have my most successful (and arguably most “personal”) novel to date, Children of the Folded Valley. A dystopian memoir mystery with a science fiction edge, the plot concerns a man looking back on his life growing up in a strange cult.

For the young and young at heart, I have written a number of gripping tales, including treasure hunt adventure Uncle Flynn (my debut novel) and Dr Gribbles and the Beast of Blackthorn Lodge, which involves spies, haunted houses, mad scientists, and monsters (and that’s just chapter one).

My most recent novel for younger readers, 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)

In addition, my George Hughes trilogy (comprising George goes to Mars, George goes to Titan and George goes to Neptune) are a trio of fast-paced science fiction adventures with thrills and perils galore.

I must emphasise my stories aimed at children are not just for children. Amid the humour, thrills and scares are themes many adults will appreciate too.

LvsHonour 1600 x 2400 Finally, Love vs Honour represented something of a departure for me, in that it is a teenage romantic drama. But many of the themes present in my other novels – religious oppression, abuse of power and so on – are present and correct here, and this is a much darker tale than it first appears. I don’t consider it a complete success for reasons I have discussed in more detail here, but I still think it is well worth a read.

All the above books can be ordered on Kindle or as paperbacks from Amazon here (for the UK) and here (for the US).

My brain needs a break

Posted on August 10, 2018 by simondillon

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:

Children 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 – 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.”

My Five Favourite Gothic Mysteries

Posted on June 1, 2018 by simondillon

As regular readers of this blog (and indeed my novels) will know, I absolutely love a good gothic brew of mystery, melodrama, thrills and horror. To date I have written five novels of this kind, including The Birds Began to Sing and The Thistlewood Curse, as well as The Spectre of Springwell Forest, which is the next book I intend to publish.

Here are five classic gothic mysteries that I return to endlessly, that have proved a huge inspiration and influence. NOTE: Although undoubted gothic classics, for this list I have deliberately ignored Dracula and Frankenstein, since those are less mysteries and more full-throttle horror.

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Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier) – I adore Daphne Du Maurier, and this one remains top of my gothic influences list. For instance, how many other novels have their own variations on the manipulative, vindictive, psychopathic housekeeper Danvers? The central narrative is great too, with the famously unnamed, tormented protagonist living in the shadow of her husband’s dead wife. It also has one of the greatest gothic mystery plot twists of all time, and an appropriately fiery climax.

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Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) – This moody, brooding romance features one of the most iconic gothic subplots in the history of English literature (ie the classic, oft-imitated mad-woman-in-the-attic). A rich, melancholy, menacing work, brimming with vivid description, dangerous passions, and many other gothic touchstones (like Rebecca, this one ends in purging flames).

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Arthur Conan Doyle) – I tend to think of this Sherlock Holmes story as a spinoff into gothic horror, rather than belonging in the main Holmes crime fiction canon. The quality of the suspenseful prose remains unsurpassed, not just in obviously scary sections, but in little moments, such as Watson’s unsettling first night in Baskerville Hall. The oozing dread and menace drips from every page.

The Woman in Black (Susan Hill) – Despite the popularity of the long-running stage show and a successful film adaptation, the source novel is still one of the finest, most bone-chilling ghost stories ever written. The superbly abrupt, genuinely shattering ending (significantly different from the film) has lost none of its ability to shock.

Coma (Film) – I’m referring here to Michael Crichton’s superb film version of Robin Cook’s novel, rather than the novel itself. The premise – a possible conspiracy in a Boston hospital whereby patients are being deliberately placed in irreplaceable comas – is a masterclass in escalating unease and paranoia, building to full blown suspense set pieces that are pure modern gothic. Genevieve Bujold makes a fantastic imperiled heroine, and Michael Douglas is also good as her is-he-or-isn’t-he-in-on-it boyfriend. A real nail-biter.

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

Posted on April 30, 2018 by simondillon

I love a good, satisfying, emotionally resonant twist ending in a thriller, especially one that you immediately realise ought to have been obvious all along, yet somehow you didn’t see it coming.

My mystery thriller The Birds Began to Sing has such an ending (don’t just take my word for it, check out the five star reviews here). It’s the story of Alice Darnell, an aspiring novelist who enters a mysterious writing competition at a remote mansion. She and other writers pen their own endings for an incomplete, unpublished manuscript written by a very famous deceased author. The winner of the competition will have their ending published, along with their own novel.

However, once Alice arrives at the mansion, weird stuff starts to happen…

Download your copy of The Birds Began to Sing FREE from Amazon Kindle here, for the next five days only.

Christmas Present Ideas Part Two – Books for Grown-Ups

Posted on December 15, 2017 by simondillon

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

In this second of a two-part series, I take a quick look at what I have written primarily for adults (and in one case, for teenagers and adults).

This year I released The Thistlewood Curse; a gripping, page-turning tale that begins as a whodunit, becomes a supernatural thriller and finally escalates into full blown horror.

Here is the blurb from the back of The Thistlewood Curse:

Lawrence Crane’s powers of astral projection are put to the ultimate test when he and his lifelong friend Detective Laura Buchan investigate a mysterious death on Lundy Island.

Sensing a dark power at work, they attempt to identify a human assassin under the control of supernatural evil.

But can they escape a terrifying, centuries-old curse?

In a similar vein to the above, The Birds Began to Sing is a supernaturally tinged psychological thriller.

Here is the blurb from the back of The Birds Began to Sing:

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.

My most “personal” novel to date, Children of the Folded Valley, is a coming of age memoir mingled with science fiction mystery.

Here is the blurb from the back of Children of the Folded Valley:

During a journey to visit his estranged sister, James Harper recalls his childhood in a mysterious valley cut off from the outside world, where he grew up as part of a cult called the Folded Valley Fellowship.

In this seemingly idyllic world, the charismatic Benjamin Smiley claimed to be protecting his followers from an impending nuclear apocalypse.

But the valley concealed a terrifying secret.

A secret that would change Smiley’s followers forever.

Finally, Love vs Honour represented something of a departure for me, in that it is a teenage romantic drama. But many of the themes present in my other novels – religious oppression, abuse of power and so on – are present and correct here, and this is a much darker tale than it first appears.

Here is the blurb from the back of Love vs Honour:

Two Religions. Two Deceptions. One Love.

When Johnny meets and falls in love with Sabina, their bond proves stronger than a teenage holiday fling.

Fearing the disapproval of their strict Christian and Islamic families, they undertake an elaborate deception to continue seeing one another. Johnny pretends to convert to Islam whilst Sabina pretends to covert to Christianity to appease their parents.

But how long can this deception last before it unravels?

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

(Note to self: I think I might use the word “terrifying” too much in blurbs…)

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

Posted on November 17, 2017 by simondillon

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:

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

Posted on November 10, 2017 by simondillon

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.

The Birds Began to Sing FREE from Amazon Kindle – for five days only!

Posted on August 9, 2017 by simondillon

Since it’s summer, here is the first in a series of giveaways on most of my presently published novels.

Beginning today, for just five days, you can download The Birds Began to Sing absolutely FREE from Amazon Kindle.

The Birds Began to Sing is a mystery novel with shades of Agatha Christie, Daphne Du Maurier and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a dash of Susan Hill, a pinch of the Bronte Sisters and sprinkling of Michael Crichton. Actually, it isn’t really any of those things, but it is a damn good and highly original thriller in its own right, even though I say so myself.