The spirit of Simon Dillon took human form in 1975, in accordance with The Prophecy. He kept a low profile during his formative years, living the first twenty or so of them in Oxford, before attending University in Southampton, and shortly afterwards hiding undercover in a television job. In the intervening years, he honed his writing skills and has now been unleashed on the world, deploying various short stories and novels to deliberately and ruthlessly entertain his readers. He presently lives in the South-West of England with his wife and two children, busily brainwashing the latter with the books he loved growing up.
website & Social links
Website:
https://simondillonbooks.wordpress.com/
Blog:
https://simondillonbooks.wordpress.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/UncleFlynn
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/simondillonbooks/
About the Book
Small-time actress Mia Yardley, recently widowed wife of renowned actor Steven Yardley, discovers her late husband’s secret acting diary. The diary details appointments made with a psychic medium, who advised Steven on which roles to take. It also raises questions about his mysterious and inexplicable suicide. Seeking answers, Mia speaks to the medium, but in doing so is drawn into an ever- deepening mystery about what happened to her husband during the final days of his life. Eventually, she is forced to ask the terrible question: was Steven Yardley murdered by a vengeful evil from beyond the grave?
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Interview:
Would you call yourself a born writer?
Let’s put it this way: I can’t remember when I first started inventing stories or putting them on paper, but I’ve always done it. In the end, I decided to try and do it professionally, and now here we are. Of course, I couldn’t have done it without the voices in my head that won’t shut up, but these days I’m getting better at forcing them to form an orderly queue and speak to me one at a time.
What was your inspiration for Phantom Audition?
There were two main sources of inspiration for Phantom Audition. Firstly, the idea of an actor taking advice on roles from a medium comes from the late, great Peter Sellers, who did exactly that in real life. In the novel, protagonist Mia Yardley’s late husband Steven, a famous actor, took a film role playing famous abstract artist Edward Bingley, who like Steven committed suicide in mysterious circumstances. When Mia discovers Steven took this role on the advice of a medium, she comes to suspect her husband may have buried himself in the role a little too much, to the point where supernatural forces were involved.
The second source of inspiration for Phantom Audition is A Fantastic Woman. This Chilean film, which won Best Foreign Film at the 2018 Oscars, might at first appear an odd choice as an influence on Phantom Audition. Nonetheless, it actually provided the initial spark that launched the idea for the novel. The story concerns a transgender woman dealing with the death of her partner, finding herself isolated and ostracised by his family. The film has a dreamlike, magical realist quality to it, and even at times becomes a bit like a thriller (there’s a mysterious key which her partner left, for example). Moreover, there is something of a descent into the underworld/death and rebirth metaphor in the film, a story arc which is very much echoed in my novel. One image particularly leapt out at me – that of a ghostly vision of the dead partner staring out at her from a crowded nightclub dance floor amid strobe lights. It’s an image I actually nicked, sorry, “paid homage” to.
How long did it take you to complete the novel?
In terms of the actual writing, this is the fastest novel I’ve ever written. It took two (very intensive) months to write the first draft. Add another month or so on top of that for the outlines, character profiles, and other research.
Are you disciplined? Describe a typical writing day.
Yes, I am very disciplined. Whilst writing a novel or short story I try to write at least 1,000 words per day on Mondays to Fridays, and 2,000 words per day at weekends. This is whilst juggling a full-time job (lunch hours are fiercely ring-fenced for writing), family commitments, reading, and cinema-going. As a result, I’m not very sociable, but sacrifices always have to be made, if you’re serious about writing.
What did you find most challenging about writing this book?
The greatest challenge is always my own self-doubt. Somewhere during the writing process, George McFly Syndrome hits (“What if people think I’m no good? I just can’t take that kind of rejection!”). Learning to battle past that is key. I had a major George McFly moment on Phantom Audition regarding the ending, which originally had been the thing that made me want to write the novel. I outlined six alternatives, before finally settling on what I had envisaged all along. Judging by the way readers are responding, I’m glad I had the nerve to go with my original instinct.
What do you love most about being an author?
I find writing comforting, challenging, and cathartic. There is also no better feeling in the world than knowing you’ve delivered a gripping, thrilling, scary, surprising, satisfying, moving, and transcendent narrative to a reader.
Did you go with a traditional publisher, small press, or did you self publish? What was the process like and are you happy with your decision?
I went with a small traditional publisher, Dragon Soul Press, for this novel. I came to the attention of Dragon Soul Press last year, and they rapidly published three of my gothic mysteries – Spectre of Springwell Forest, The Irresistible Summons, and most recently Phantom Audition. It’s been great to have a proper editor, as well as someone with an eye on publicity opportunities (such as this one), and the covers they’ve designed have been amazing. If you’ll forgive my use of an obscenity, it really is a “team” effort. I’ve also been very pleased with the reviews I’ve had for all three of the afore-mentioned novels.
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