Tag Archives: Uncle Flynn

My brain needs a break

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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.

FREE Children’s Books Month: Uncle Flynn

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This month is Free Children’s Books Month at Simon Dillon Books. Check back every Thursday for a new free novel. Each book will be available free between Thursday and Monday.

Kicking things off, for five days only, my debut novel Uncle Flynn is available to download FREE from Amazon Kindle, between the 1st and 5th of March.

Uncle Flynn_Cover

Uncle Flynn was received very positively. On the surface it is an old-fashioned treasure hunt adventure, but it contains underlying themes about overcoming fear and the dangers of mollycoddling. The book is dedicated to my eldest son, and was largely inspired by our many excursions over Dartmoor, as well as a bit of local history.

Here is the blurb from the back of Uncle Flynn:

When timid eleven year old Max Bradley embarks on a hunt for buried treasure on Dartmoor with his mysterious Uncle Flynn, he discovers he is braver than he thought.

Together they decipher clues, find a hidden map and explore secret tunnels in their search. But with both police and rival treasure hunters on their tail, Max begins to wonder if his uncle is all he seems…

Here are a few reviews from various readers:

“Harking back to the wonderful adventure stories of Arthur Ransome, Uncle Flynn is a welcome return to the excitement of outdoor exploits in wild surroundings. Excitement, tension and peril combine in a well-written tale where The Goonies meets Swallows and Amazons. The evocative descriptions of treasure seeking on Dartmoor will have you longing to visit and explore for yourselves. Action-packed puzzle-solving pleasure for children and adults alike, with a neat twist in the tale to keep you guessing.”

Mrs Alice R Brewer, Amazon.co.uk

“A treasure for all ages. Kids and teenagers would love this fast-paced adventure story. Most adults would also find it a light and enjoyable read.”

B Fraley, Amazon.com

“Don’t pass this one by. I have been burning through the free NOOKbooks and this is the absolute BEST. Doesn’t matter what type of fiction you like to read, I can imagine this would capture just about anyone’s attention – and heart.”

willreadanything, Barnes and Noble.

“Could not put the book down, so enjoyed the journey. Recommended it to my 12 year old grandson who now wants me to be his book reading adviser. Loved by three generations.”

Brinney, Barnes and Noble.

“What a wonderful book for young readers and anyone else who loves a book with a great twist on an amazing story of courage over fear.”

Beansie47, Barnes and Noble.

“I’m an 83 year old woman. Your book was a joy to me. I felt I was having all the adventures myself at this ripe old age. Your book was like a cold drink of water on a hot day. Thank you.”

Joan McLaughlin, commenting on the Uncle Flynn blog.

“I downloaded the book for my boys to read, and thought I’d just read the first few lines… Needless to say I read to the end! Well written and most enjoyable – great adventure with life lessons woven into the story.”

Cecile Weyers, commenting on the Uncle Flynn blog.

Uncle Flynn is available to download FREE here.

Christmas Present Ideas Part One – Books for Children

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

Here, in the first of a two-part series, is a quick look at what I have written primarily for children, though I must emphasise these stories are not just for children. Amid the humour, thrills and scares are themes many adults will appreciate too – from the dangers of mollycoddling to overcoming fear, difficult parent/child relationships, murderous religious fundamentalism, sexual equality, civil rights, slavery, political corruption, the metaphysical and more…

My most recent novel, 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)

Here is the blurb from the back of Echo and the White Howl:

When a wolf pack discovers humans lurking near their territory, Echo senses dark times ahead.

Despite the warnings and omens, Aatag, the pack Alpha, refuses to flee… leading to a cruel turn of events that forces Echo into exile, and a quest for revenge that will change the pack forever.

Dr Gribbles and the Beast of Blackthorn Lodge is a gripping and scary tale involving spies, monsters, haunted houses, mad scientists and lots more besides, with action and thrills to spare. It was inspired by the nightmares of my youngest son, and the book is duly dedicated to him.

DrGibbles_1600x2400_front cover

Here is the blurb from the back of Dr Gribbles and the Beast of Blackthorn Lodge:

September 1987.

Curiosity lands Tim Rawling in a world of secrets, spies and a desperate race against time.

The haunted house, the monster and the mad scientist are only the beginning of a terrifying adventure.

Uncle Flynn, my debut novel, was received very positively. A properly old-fashioned treasure hunt adventure with a big twist, this book is dedicated to my eldest son. and was largely inspired by our many excursions over Dartmoor, as well as a bit of local history.

Uncle Flynn_Cover_600px

Here is the blurb from the back of Uncle Flynn:

When timid eleven year old Max Bradley embarks on a hunt for buried treasure on Dartmoor with his mysterious Uncle Flynn, he discovers he is braver than he thought.

Together they decipher clues, find a hidden map and explore secret tunnels in their search. But with both police and rival treasure hunters on their tail, Max begins to wonder if his uncle is all he seems…

The George Hughes trilogy (comprising, in reading order, George goes to Mars, George goes to Titan and George goes to Neptune) is a thrilling, action-packed space tale set just over a hundred years in the future. Each story is a stand-alone adventure, but I recommend reading the novels in order nonetheless.

Here is the blurb from the back of George goes to Mars:

When George Hughes discovers he has inherited the planet Mars, he goes from poverty to becoming the richest boy on Earth overnight.

Accompanied by his new guardian, a mysterious secret agent and a crew of astronauts, George voyages to Mars to sell land to celebrities wanting to build interplanetary holiday homes. But sabotage, assassination attempts and the possibility of an alien threat plunge him into a deadly adventure…

Here is the blurb from the back of George goes to Titan:

The thrilling sequel to George goes to Mars…

A year on from his adventures on Mars, George Hughes faces an even deadlier peril as he travels to Titan on an urgent rescue mission. The mysterious Giles returns to help him, but assassins are once again on his tail, and a new, far greater alien menace lurks in the shadows waiting to strike.

Here is the blurb from the back of George goes to Neptune (my personal favourite of the three):

In this spectacular sequel to George goes to Mars and George goes to Titan, George Hughes faces his most dangerous adventure yet.

Following the Titanian invasion, a deadly and very personal threat forces George to undertake a voyage to a top secret Martian research base on Neptune.

On this remote outpost, he uncovers a diabolical plot. But George is too late to prevent the catastrophe.

A catastrophe that will change his life forever…

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

 

All my novels now available as paperbacks from Amazon

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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.

Inspiration: Uncle Flynn

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Continuing my series on inspiration and influences for my books, here’s a look at texts that informed my debut novel, Uncle Flynn.

uncle-flynn_cover

A thrilling treasure hunt inspired by local history and walks on Dartmoor with my oldest son, Uncle Flynn is a good old-fashioned adventure story for young and old alike, with a surprising twist in the tale. It delves into themes of overcoming fear and the dangers of mollycoddling, but the heart of the story concerns the restoration of a relationship between father and son. Here are five key influential texts:

Five on a Treasure Island (Enid Blyton) – Not my favourite Famous Five novel (that would be Five go to Smuggler’s Top) but certainly the biggest influence on Uncle Flynn in that it features a map, treasure and villainous rival treasure hunters. Like all good treasure hunt stories, the real prize is not the gold but something greater – in this case, lonely George gaining lifelong friends in her cousins. In the case of Uncle Flynn, the afore-mentioned restored relationship between Max and his father is the real prize.

Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) – I could hardly exclude this. As well as obvious treasure hunt iconography (maps, gold, etc), there are elements of Long John Silver in the darker side of Uncle Flynn. My book doesn’t have pirates though.

Swallows and Amazons (Arthur Ransome) – Another obvious touchstone, and a classic of children having adventures out of doors. The inspiration here is more tonal, though other Ransome novels contain elements that perhaps proved a more direct influence on the plot (for example Peter Duck and Pigeon Post, which are both treasure hunt stories).

The Goonies (Film) – Childhood nostalgia plays a big part in my affection for this film, a treasure hunt adventure packed with secret tunnels, maps, boobie traps, villainous treasure hunters and so forth. Obviously there are also treacherous secret tunnels and treasure chambers in Uncle Flynn, so the influence is obvious.

Mary Poppins (PL Travers) – To be fair, the film provided much of the inspiration here, since the character arc of Mr Banks isn’t really present in the novels. Uncle Flynn shares a certain amount in common with Mary Poppins, in that he enters the story at a point when Max really needs him. They go on great adventures, like Mary Poppins with the Banks children, so in that sense both the books and the film are an influence. But it is the film that features the restoration of the relationship between Jane and Michael and their parents. Just as Mary Poppins leaves “when the wind changes” so Flynn leaves once Max’s relationship with his father is restored.

You can download or buy print copies of Uncle Flynn from Amazon here.

Download Uncle Flynn FREE – for five days only!

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For five days only, my debut novel Uncle Flynn is available to download FREE from Amazon Kindle.

Uncle Flynn was received very positively. On the surface it is a properly old-fashioned treasure hunt adventure, but it contains underlying themes about overcoming fear and the dangers of mollycoddling. The book is dedicated to my eldest son, and was largely inspired by our many excursions over Dartmoor, as well as a bit of local history.

Here is the blurb from the back of Uncle Flynn:

When timid eleven year old Max Bradley embarks on a hunt for buried treasure on Dartmoor with his mysterious Uncle Flynn, he discovers he is braver than he thought.

Together they decipher clues, find a hidden map and explore secret tunnels in their search. But with both police and rival treasure hunters on their tail, Max begins to wonder if his uncle is all he seems…

Here are a few reviews from various readers:

“Harking back to the wonderful adventure stories of Arthur Ransome, Uncle Flynn is a welcome return to the excitement of outdoor exploits in wild surroundings. Excitement, tension and peril combine in a well-written tale where The Goonies meets Swallows and Amazons. The evocative descriptions of treasure seeking on Dartmoor will have you longing to visit and explore for yourselves. Action-packed puzzle-solving pleasure for children and adults alike, with a neat twist in the tale to keep you guessing.”

Mrs Alice R Brewer, Amazon.co.uk

“A treasure for all ages. Kids and teenagers would love this fast-paced adventure story. Most adults would also find it a light and enjoyable read.”

B Fraley, Amazon.com

“Don’t pass this one by. I have been burning through the free NOOKbooks and this is the absolute BEST. Doesn’t matter what type of fiction you like to read, I can imagine this would capture just about anyone’s attention – and heart.”

willreadanything, Barnes and Noble.

“Could not put the book down, so enjoyed the journey. Recommended it to my 12 year old grandson who now wants me to be his book reading adviser. Loved by three generations.”

Brinney, Barnes and Noble.

“What a wonderful book for young readers and anyone else who loves a book with a great twist on an amazing story of courage over fear.”

Beansie47, Barnes and Noble.

“I’m an 83 year old woman. Your book was a joy to me. I felt I was having all the adventures myself at this ripe old age. Your book was like a cold drink of water on a hot day. Thank you.”

Joan McLaughlin, commenting on the Uncle Flynn blog.

“I downloaded the book for my boys to read, and thought I’d just read the first few lines… Needless to say I read to the end! Well written and most enjoyable – great adventure with life lessons woven into the story.”

Cecile Weyers, commenting on the Uncle Flynn blog.

Uncle Flynn is available to download FREE here. Print copies are also available (not free) here.

Managing Metaphors

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Sometimes metaphors in novels can seem crass and unwieldy. Other times they can be sublime. But what is the difference between good and bad use?

Folded Valley cover

My general rule of thumb is that deliberate metaphors should only be included if they are also a vital part of the narrative. For example, in my novel Uncle Flynn, when Max is stalked by the panther, it is an essential ongoing element of the story, without which the plot would fall apart. But the panther is also a metaphor for Max’s fears, and his responses to the panther illustrate his progress in this respect.

In Children of the Folded Valley, the trains form an equally essential part of the story. Without them the plot would simply cease to exist. And yet, the trains take on an increasingly metaphorical role as the novel progresses; lost childhood, the passing of time, the end of an era and so on.

There are a number of excellent metaphors in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series that adhere to my above principle. For example, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Dementors are essential to the plot, but are also a metaphor for depression. In the same novel, the hippogriff Buckbeak, unjustly sentenced to death, is a metaphor for another character who has also suffered a miscarriage of justice. Again, Buckbeak is pivotal in the climax. In the final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, one character’s silver doe patronus symbolises their ongoing love for a deceased character – a very poignant metaphor. Patronuses are, of course, an ongoing and vital part of the series.

There are exceptions to the above rule from time to time, but generally I get irritated when a metaphor takes me out of the story and draws attention to itself when the plot could exist perfectly well without it. When that happens, I feel as though the author is deliberately popping up in the middle of the narrative to announce how clever they are. I have had many an eye-roll for this reason, often when reading critically acclaimed high-brow literature.

Are my novels one big existential crisis?

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The other day, my wife made an observation about my body of work; namely that virtually all my novels, either peripherally or directly, concern an existential crisis. I thought about this, and have come to the conclusion that she is correct.

Notions of identity, delusion and not being able to trust reality are definitely a running theme in my work, along with other mainstays such as abuse of power, religious oppression and so forth. Here are some examples from the novels I have published thus far (avoiding major spoilers): 

George goes to Neptune – Admittedly the first two novels don’t deal with an existential crisis, but the third in the George Hughes trilogy definitely does. George’s highly unusual battle with his dark side is what inspired me to write this third novel and complete the trilogy.

Uncle Flynn – The question of who is Uncle Flynn runs throughout the entire novel, particularly during the hunt for the hidden treasure. Throughout much of the story, police pursue him and his nephew Max across Dartmoor, for mysterious unknown reasons.

Dr Gribbles and the Beast of Blackthorn Lodge – An identity crisis of sorts lies at the heart of this story, involving Dr Gribbles’s daughter Emily and the Beast itself.

Children of the Folded Valley – Quantum physics and the nature of reality are a theme behind this story, still my most successful novel to date.

The Birds Began to Sing – From the very first chapter, it is clear that Alice’s perceptions of reality should be questioned. The suspense in many of the events that follow hinges on the question of whether or not what Alice is seeing is real or a delusion.

Love vs Honour – Spiritual identity crises form the heart of my attempt at teenage romantic drama.

Most recently, my supernatural thriller cum horror story The Thistlewood Curse pulls the rug out from the reader in a variety of existential crises involving ghosts, astral projection and more. You can download or buy a print copy of The Thistlewood Curse here.

Existential crisis remains a theme in virtually all my (as yet) unpublished novels, and this will no doubt continue to be the case.