Tag Archives: The Irresistible Summons

The Irresistible Summons – Out Now!

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It’s finally here! My new novel The Irresistible Summons is officially released today! Check it out here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

Also, don’t forget you are invited to the Facebook release party for this book, today at 5pm UK time to 9pm UK time (12pm to 4pm East Coast time). Just click here at the appropriate time to join in the fun, games, giveaways, and so on.

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I will be hosting between 8:00pm and 8:30pm UK time (3:00pm – 3:30pm East Coast time), but my publisher, Dragon Soul Press, has cunningly invited other talented authors to co-host as well, at different times, including Zoey Xolton, Galina Trefil, Stephen Herczeg, Kevin J Kennedy, Anna Sinjin, and Charles Reis.

Here’s the blurb from the back of The Irresistible Summons:

The nail-biting new novel from the author of Spectre of Springwell Forest…

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.

The Irresistible Summons – Out Tomorrow!

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Irresistible Summons mock up 1

My new novel The Irresistible Summons – my second to be published by Dragon Soul Press – is officially released tomorrow.

Supernatural conspiracy thriller. Horror mystery. Modern gothic ghost story. These are all genre terms that apply to The Irresistible Summons. If you love a gripping, page-turning, suspenseful, spine-tingling nail-biter, why not give it a go?

Paperbacks are already out, and Kindle downloads can be pre-ordered. Check it out here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

Here’s the blurb from the back of The Irresistible Summons:

The nail-biting new novel from the author of Spectre of Springwell Forest…

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.

The Irresistible Summons – out this week!

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Simon Dillon - Irresistible Summons full resMy new novel The Irresistible Summons is out this week! 27th July is the official release, although paperbacks are already available. Kindle versions can be pre-ordered here (in the UK) and here (in the US). The Irresistible Summons is published by Dragon Soul Press.

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

How far would you go to bring the one you love 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.

A nail-biting supernatural mystery, The Irresistible Summons is a page-turning must for anyone who loves a good modern-gothic thriller.

The Irresistible Summons Facebook Release Party – You are invited!

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My new novel The Irresistible Summons is officially launched on the 27th of July (even thought paperbacks are already available).

My publisher, Dragon Soul Press, have arranged a Facebook Release Party on the 27th at 5pm UK time to 9pm UK time (12pm to 4pm East Coast time). Just click here at the appropriate time on the 27th to join in the fun, games, giveaways, and so on.

I will be hosting between 8:00pm and 8:30pm UK time (3:00pm – 3:30pm East Coast time), but there will be other authors present co-hosting as well, which I will announce in due course. One confirmed author co-hosting is the excellent Galina Trefil. If you haven’t checked out her short stories in the First Love and Sea of Secrets anthologies, I highly recommend doing so.

Pre-order your Kindle download of The Irresistible Summons or get a paperback copy here (in the UK) or here (in the US).

The Irresistible Summons – An Introduction

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simon-dillon-irresistible-summons-full-resHere’s a more detailed introduction to my upcoming novel The Irresistible Summons, to whet your appetite.

In a brief prologue, teenager Naomi Levinson laments the death of her boyfriend, Toby Lane. Toby and his entire family perished in a mysterious house fire, which Naomi comes to believe may have been started deliberately.

Several years later, Naomi is now an accomplished television producer making documentaries debunking the supernatural. When a shoot interviewing a possibly possessed killer in prison goes terribly wrong, the production company Naomi works for faces a lawsuit and possible closure.

Offered what could be her last job, Naomi is initially reluctant to take on filming a promotional video for computer game company Persephone. She considers the task beneath her talents. However, after production gets underway at the Persephone office block on London’s Canary Wharf, strange things begin to happen.

One member of staff inexplicably disappears. Ghosts are sighted, one of whom appears to be Toby. This re-opens old emotional wounds for Naomi, bringing back bittersweet memories of her strictly religious messianic Jewish parents, who disapproved of her teenage romance with him.

As Naomi continues to investigate, she begins to believe she might have stumbled onto a genuine haunting, one with disturbing links to her past, and possibly her future.

A horrifying conspiracy is gradually revealed. Cutting edge technology and ancient evil meet, leading to the discovery of a shocking and terrifying secret – one that could change the nature of life and death as we know it.

Irresistible Summons mock up 1

The Irresistible Summons is published by Dragon Soul Press, and is officially released on the 27th of July. However, paperbacks are already out, and Kindle versions can be pre-ordered. Click here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

The Irresistible Summons: Cover Reveal and Pre-Order

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Check out this brilliant cover for my upcoming novel The Irresistible Summons, published by Dragon Soul Press.

Simon Dillon - Irresistible Summons full res

I’m absolutely thrilled by what the artist at Salvation Creations did with this. The imagery perfectly captures the sinister tone.

Here’s the blurb from the back of The Irresistible Summons:

The nail-biting new novel from the author of Spectre of Springwell Forest…

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.

The Irresistible Summons is available for pre-order now. Click here to pre-order in the UK and here to pre-order in the US.

STOP PRESS: Paperbacks are already available, so if like me you prefer dead tree versions to digital formats, you can order your copy today!

Title Announcement for my next novel (and other news)

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As well as promoting new releases Spectre of Springwell Forest and my short story Papercut (part of the First Love romantic fantasy anthology), I’ve made good use of the grim winter months writing another spooky mystery novel entitled (drumroll…) Phantom Audition.

St Johns Museum, Warwick

I struggled more than usual to find a title for this particular novel, even resorting to testing a few suggested titles on social media. But in the end, my closest friend suggested this title to me, and it stuck.

Phantom Audition revolves around Mia Yardley, a recently widowed bit-part actress grieving for her much more successful actor husband in his ancestral family mansion (like the one pictured above). Cryptic runes, a strange diary, a mysterious medium, and ghostly visions gradually lead to the unravelling of a sinister mystery. Is Mia being given a message from beyond the grave?

This novel sits more at the supernatural/psychological thriller end of my gothic thriller/horror spectrum, though there are still plenty of suspenseful, skin-crawling moments. I intend to beta test it very soon, and once that’s happened (and it’s been through various publisher hurdles), it should be available this October.

Before then I have another scary novel to unleash, called The Irresistible Summons. This is a haunted house story of a very different kind about which I will say no more at present, other than you can expect to have it in your hands in July.

In between those two releases, I might just release another short story. It all depends whether my somewhat offbeat submission to my publisher’s upcoming Coffins and Dragons anthology is accepted. Watch this space.

Happy New Year 2019!

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Happy New Year!

2019

Last year was a hugely significant year for my writing, not least because my first novel to be published by a traditional publisher, Spectre of Springwell Forest, has now been released. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, what are you waiting for? Click here (for the UK) and here (for the US) and dive into a nail-biting ghostly mystery that will brighten up your January with page-turning suspense.

So what are my writing plans for 2019?

For a start, I have submitted a short story entitled Paper Cut for inclusion in the upcoming Dragon Soul Press romantic fantasy anthology First Love. More to be announced on that front in due course.

Aside from that, I have started writing my first novel for 2019 – an as yet untitled ghostly tale which is lighter on the terror than Spectre of Springwell Forest and The Thistlewood Curse, yet still falls neatly within the psychological/supernatural thriller/horror spectrum in which I greatly enjoy writing. I will keep my lips sealed on details so far… suffice to say it involves a famous dead actor, his rather less famous actress widow, a large sinister house, a medium, and a big mystery.

Also this year, I intend to finally stop procrastinating and write the science fiction novellas I have put off since mid-2017 (when I opted to write Echo and the White Howl instead). Those I really will say nothing about for now.

On top of that, I hope to have at least one other novel released this year, possibly horror mystery The Irresistible Summons which I wrote back in 2015, depending on what my publisher makes of it. Watch this space for more updates on that and other writing related matters throughout the year. Here’s hoping it’s a good one.

Coming soon, later and perhaps never…

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Here’s an update on all the unpublished novels I have written, and when you can expect to read them.

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The Spectre of Springwell Forest – This 1970s set ghostly and gothic nail-biter for grown-ups will be my next release, one way (mainstream publication) or the other (self-publishing). All I will say at this point is that it involves a sinister painting and an equally sinister abandoned railway tunnel. Expect an announcement soon.

The Faerie Gate – A long delayed “horror story for children”  that will hopefully appear at the back end of this year. It’s the scariest novel I’ve written that is primarily aimed at children, and I really push the envelope in that respect. But this dark fairy tale is also a very compassionate story, about a young adolescent coming to terms with the separation of her parents.

The Deviant Prophet – Another dark fairy tale, but this time for adults. Fantasy and reality clash in a disturbing tale of religious oppression amid a vivid and surreal world parallel to our own. Incidentally, the initial inspiration for this came from a close friend’s extraordinary dreams. My projected release for this is early 2019.

Ravenseed – And the title is out of the bag… Yes, this is the Dark Ages set fantasy novel I have just finished (the first draft, at any rate). It’s a brooding, melancholy tale of knights, sorcerers and enchantment, simmering with love, lust, betrayal and revenge. Alongside the Dark Ages story is a parallel framing story set in the present. I think it’s rather good, and I hope to have it under your noses sometime in 2019.

The Irresistible Summons – Another spooky novel for grown-ups, this one set mostly in a haunted office building in London. Ghostly mystery meets digital horror as a shocking secret is uncovered by a television producer commissioned to make a corporate video for a software company. Projected release date? Late 2019 at the earliest.

The Wormcutter – I wrote this detective thriller/horror hybrid in 2007 (based on an idea I had researched and prepared on and off since 1996). What begins as an apparently open and shut murder investigation escalates into a humdinger of a conspiracy involving the Freemasons and much more… until it ends up in the most disturbing territory I have ever explored in a novel. Definitely 18 certificate stuff, if it ever gets made into a film. Projected release date? Possibly 2020, if not sooner.

The Balliol Conspiracy – This old fashioned, Hitchcockian romantic thriller is a conspiracy story of a different kind (much more PG territory, unlike The Wormcutter), and something of a change of pace for me when I wrote it. A strong, suspenseful central mystery results in an historic fact based treasure hunt, leading to a new lease of life for the bereaved protagonist. Projected release date? Depends if I think it’s any good when I re-read it, but possibly 2020.

Goldeweed – This is an epic, three volume fantasy saga I have been shaping on and off for almost eighteen years. Set in a vast imagined realm on many different planes of reality, it details three love stories that play out against an apocalyptic backdrop at the end of an era. Currently longer than War and Peace, it’s a tale I have rewritten and tinkered with for some time, and I’m still not entirely happy with. Projected release date? When I honestly think it can stand alongside The Lord of the Rings (so possibly never).

A Statement of Disbelief – A satirical novel set in the dubious world of Christian television fundraising. Projected release date? Probably never, but it was very fun and cathartic to write.

I’m presently working on my next novel, a dystopian tale set slightly in the future entitled… No, I’m hanging onto that title for now. Watch this space.