Tag Archives: The Irresistible Summons

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.

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.

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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).

Suspenseful Reads Giveaway: Spectre of Springwell Forest and The Irresistible Summons

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You can claim my two most recent novels, Spectre of Springwell Forest and The Irresistible Summons, along with other thrilling books, by entering the Suspenseful Reads giveaway over next three days from Prolific Works Group Giveaway. Click here for more information.

Both novels are nail-biting, spooky, supernatural tales guaranteed to keep you turning the pages. Spectre of Springwell Forest concerns a young mother who comes to believe her daughter is cursed when she uncovers an eerie painting in her attic containing a sinister figure emerging from an abandoned railway tunnel that only she can see. The Irresistible Summons asks how far you would go to bring your loved one back from the dead, as a television producer who makes documentaries debunking the supernatural stumbles across a genuine haunting and dark conspiracy in the secretive office block of a London computer games company.

This is a limited offer that expires on the 31st of August, so don’t delay. Click here to enter.

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).

The Irresistible Summons: Deleted Scenes

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In the process of writing and rewriting my latest horror/supernatural conspiracy thriller novel The Irresistible Summons I cut or rewrote a substantial amount of material from draft to draft.

Irresistible Summons promo 1

The initial draft weighed in at around 109,000 words, with the final version pared down to just over 93,000. The polishing of this novel proved a particularly interesting process this time, in that whilst the mechanics of the main plot didn’t change, key scenes, subplots, and sometimes entire characters were removed. The epilogue was also entirely rewritten. Here’s a brief rundown on some of the more interesting elements of what was cut or changed (I shall skirt around spoilers).

Naomi’s ex-fiancee – During the opening act, after the disastrous prison interview but before Naomi’s visit to her parents and her brother, we are introduced to Naomi’s depressed alcoholic ex-fiancee Richard. He features in two chapters where he turns up in her flat, attempts to commit suicide, and is saved at the last moment by an apparently supernatural premonition. This spooky incident is subsequently linked to what is going on in the top secret Persephone corporation experiments. It also turns out Richard’s mother Hilary has links to the coven which comes into the story later on.

Originally I wanted the character of Richard to suggest that Naomi had a compassionate side that was drawn to “broken” people that she thought she could fix. However, this compassion was a mask for her own grief resulting from losing her teenage lover Toby, whom she couldn’t “fix”. In the end, I decided this character development was unnecessary so deleted Richard, Hilary, and the entire subplot.

Murders in Persephone – I have to skirt around spoilers a bit here, but there are certain characters that come to a sticky end that did so much earlier in the story, precipitating murder investigations that complicated the main plot. In the end, I felt the police aspect of the story cluttered the narrative, so I removed these murders, and instead restricted police involvement to the first mysterious disappearance.

The Left Luggage Official – This funny scene I was very reluctant to delete, since it was inspired by something that once happened to me in Paddington station. Naomi loses a vital piece of luggage on her return from the West Country, which is important to the plot. In the finished version of the novel, the interactions with the left luggage official are brief and to the point. However, in earlier drafts, a lengthy comic sequence ensued, in which Naomi gets into a hair-clutching, Basil Fawlty-esque argument with an imbecilic, those-are-the-rules, officious jobsworth. Although amusing, the scene belongs in a much more comedic narrative, and not in this novel.

The Dove Society – In earlier drafts, those from Persephone investigating the mysterious disappearances and apparitions have formed themselves into a secret society of sorts. They use a few peculiar “dove” gestures to greet one another, which a baffled Naomi witnesses. Eventually I decided these people didn’t need to be in a secret society. They just needed to be concerned individuals with a shared goal, and there was no need for superfluous mystery where plenty already existed.

Romantic subplot – The chemistry between Naomi and Eric was much more fully explored in the original draft, with several more conventionally romantic scenes. However, this all felt out of place, especially given Naomi’s ongoing obsession with the departed Toby. I ended up cutting these scenes, and instead having more of an undertone that Eric might be someone with whom Naomi could ultimately strike up a romantic relationship – if she ever gets past what happened with Toby.

Return to Paranorm Productions – I need to skirt around plot details here for fear of spoilers, but after Naomi obtains footage of a certain shocking incident towards the end of the story, instead of immediately heading into the basement and forbidden levels, tunnels, etc, she returned to Paranorm Productions. Here she showed Paul (her boss) the footage, and he is understandably appalled and terrified. But Paul then receives a mysterious phone call – which Naomi overhears his side of – indicating that mysterious forces are about to come down on him like a ton of bricks and hush everything up. Before that can happen, Naomi rushes out again, returning to the Persephone building with the footage. The entire incident seemed pointless in the end, just over-egging the pudding, when really it made more sense to move directly to the finale.

The Finale – Again, I have to be careful what I reveal here, but in earlier drafts, the finale involved a great deal more detailed explanations that screamed “Look, I’ve done my research”, along with more getting lost in dark tunnels and corridors, and generally gruesome mayhem. Even full-on thrills and scares can get a bit tiresome and repetitive, plus I didn’t want to overwhelm the reader with my research credentials, so I eventually cut these chapters down a great deal.

The Epilogue – On reflection, the epilogue in earlier drafts was absurdly optimistic, and tonally felt like it belonged more in a romantic novel. For the final version, this was replaced entirely, closing on a much more melancholy note that brought the novel full circle.

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: Settings and Research

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Simon Dillon - Irresistible Summons full resWhilst writing my latest supernatural horror/conspiracy thriller novel The Irresistible Summons, I researched a number of paranormal, religious, and scientific subjects, as well as locations that were crucial to the narrative. However, in this article I’m going to skirt around some of what I delved into, for fear of spoilers.

One of the primary reasons I wrote the novel was because I wanted a haunted house story that wasn’t set in a traditional gothic house, but instead in a modern office building. The seeds of this idea came as far back as my university days. One particular building where I attended lectures had been designed in such a way that when lights were mostly switched off, the lobby, corridors, and staircases looked very sinister indeed. I even partially shot my dissertation film – a vampire short – in that building. The late, great Ken Russell himself saw a rough cut of the film, and rather liked it. But I am digressing (and showing off)…

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When it came to write this novel, setting it in London became a no-brainer, because I wanted the climax of the film to take place in the labyrinth of abandoned and disused London underground railway tunnels. I often joke that the only thing I need to write a good story is an imperilled heroine and a sinister labyrinth. To that end, The Irresistible Summons features a haunted office block on Canary Wharf, where a software company and various other businesses are based. Underneath this building are secret lower levels where nefarious top secret experiments are taking place, which in turn connect with the passages that lead into the old railway tunnels, and even darker ancient secrets.

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It’s not all set in the city. Some locations in the south-west are important to the story too, especially Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoor. This ancient and atmospheric forest of stunted dwarf oaks has now featured in several of my novels, and one short story. However, this novel features, in my view, my most vivid, memorable, and emotionally resonant use of the location.

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As to the scientific fields I researched for the novel, I must remain tight-lipped so as not to spoil the surprise, but let me just say that one major theme of the story is far less outlandish than it sounds. Indeed, experiments and research into this particular field are being conducted and have advanced to an alarming degree. That’s all I’ll say, in the hope that it arouses curiosity about the novel.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the main protagonist in the novel, Naomi Levinson, is from a messianic Jewish background (although she is certainly what you might call “lapsed”). A minority religious group often derided by both Christians and Orthodox Jewish communities (especially in the Middle East), this proved an interesting subject to delve into, as I personally know a number of people in these groups. I used my own background in television as a knowledge base for the characters involved in documentary productions, but other obscure subjects touched on in the novel required more detailed research (Kabbalah exorcism, for instance).

In short, as ever, the research process for this novel proved fascinating and illuminating.

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: Influences and Inspirations

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Which books and films influenced The Irresistible Summons?

Irresistible Summons mock up 1

Here are five key texts that informed the telling of my latest ghostly mystery novel.

StephenKingPetSematary

Pet Sematary – Stephen King’s bleakest novel is also concerned with how far people are prepared to go to bring back their loved ones from the dead, regardless of the cost. His novel is very different to mine, but the themes – desperately grieving individuals who lose sight of reality in the pursuit of their macabre goals – definitely share DNA with my story.

indexFatherland – The Irresistible Summons isn’t just a modern gothic horror but also a conspiracy thriller. In fact, I’d argue the tone throughout is more conspiracy thriller than horror. For that reason, I’ve included this novel, by Robert Harris, in my list of influential stories. The plot – set in a parallel universe where the Nazis won the war – has no bearing whatsoever on my novel. However, the tone of investigation into a gradually uncovered conspiracy was certainly something I strove to emulate in my telling.

220px-Robin_Cook_-_ComaComa – Both Robin Cook’s novel and Michael Crichton’s film adaptation are key inspirations. 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. The film in particular is terrific, with Genevieve Bujold making a fantastic imperilled heroine. Michael Douglas is also good as her is-he-or-isn’t-he-in-on-it boyfriend. A real nail-biter, and a major tonal influence on my work (not just this novel either).

51PC4TRP1VL._SY445_Riget (The Kingdom) – This Danish TV miniseries, partly directed by Lars Von Trier, was edited together for an epic cinema release in the UK, which I caught sometime in the mid-1990s. I’ve never forgotten it. Think Casualty/ER meets Ghostbusters/The Exorcist, with a healthy dose of Twin Peaks thrown into the mix. Quirky, mysterious, funny and frightening, I cite this as an influence mainly for the notorious segment where a woman’s pregnancy is gradually revealed to have a disturbingly supernatural origin.

MV5BMjA5NzQ1NTgwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjUxMzUzMw@@._V1_The Descent – This brilliant Neil Marshall directed horror film, about a bereaved woman and her friends discovering more than they bargained for on a pot-holing expedition, was considered so disturbing that the ending was actually censored in the US, ending a few minutes before the version we see in the UK, and thus blunting the true horror of what has occurred. Said censored ending was certainly a key influence on one moment during the finale of my story.

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

Recent Interviews with yours truly 3 – The Tangent Tree

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Here is the third of a recent batch of interviews given around the subject of my newly released modern gothic mystery/supernatural conspiracy thriller novel The Irresistible Summons. This time, the interview was conducted by Samantha Stephen, as a spin-off mini-episode of our film podcast The Tangent Tree. She asks some very thoughtful questions, including why the protagonists in my thriller/horror stories tend to be female. Listen on Spotify, Podcast Addict, or iTunes, or simply click here.

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The Irresistible Summons is out now on Kindle or in paperback. Click here (for the UK) and here (for the US).

Recent Interviews with yours truly 2 – Dragon Soul Press

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In the second of my recent interviews promoting my newly released novel The Irresistible Summons, I spoke with my publisher, Dragon Soul Press, about various things, including the writing process, avoiding predictability when working within genre formulas, what books make me cry, and my “writing kryptonite”. Click here to read the full interview.

Recent Interviews with yours truly 1 – Galina Trefil

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Over the next three days, I’ll be posting links to recent interviews conducted with me about my writing. These are mostly about my new novel The Irresistible Summons, but in this case, the interview was conducted by the excellent Galina Trefil, regarding my short story Papercut, written for romantic fantasy anthology First Love.

Galina asks incisive questions about fascinating subjects including literary symbolism, religious cults, loss of faith, and dream interpretation. I have to be honest and admit I was a lot more forthcoming about one or two rather personal subjects than usual. Check out the interview here.