For the Love of Luke by David C. Dawson
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: L.C. Chase
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host David C. Dawson here today on tour for his latest story For the Love of Luke. Welcome, David.
Thank you so much to Scattered Thoughts and Words for letting me stop by!
For the Love of Luke is a story of love, and has been a work of love for me. Not just the wonderful heroes Rupert and Luke, but also the British locations they visit in the book.
One of them is Middle Claydon, a village in Buckinghamshire where Rupert’s parents live. The village actually exists and I live about fifteen miles away from this beautiful spot. It’s a very romantic area to go walking, and there are three other Claydon hamlets nearby; Botolph Claydon, East Claydon and Steeple Claydon.
As described in the book, Claydon House was the ancestral home of the Verney family since 1620.
In the nineteenth century, Florence Nightingale’s sister Parthenope married the then Lord Verney and lived here. And that’s why Florence Nightingale often stayed at Claydon House. She wrote her seminal book Notes on Nursing here. Historians say she preferred the company of women to men, but lived a chaste life. According to her own writings, there were three women she loved dearly in her life. In the nineteenth century, there was no understanding or belief that a woman could be a lesbian.
If you ever get to visit Buckinghamshire, go find this beautiful spot. The surrounding countryside is lush and green, and the pretty church of All Saints is in the grounds of Claydon House.
About For the Love of Luke…
A handsome naked man. Unconscious on a bathroom floor.
He’s lost his memory, and someone’s out to kill him.
Who is the mysterious Luke?
British TV anchor and journalist Rupert Pendley-Evans doesn’t do long-term relationships. Nor does he do waifs and strays. But Luke is different. Luke is a talented American artist with a dark secret in his life.
When Rupert discovers Luke, he’s intrigued, and before he can stop himself, he’s in love. The aristocratic Rupert is an ambitious TV reporter with a nose for a story and a talent for uncovering the truth. As he falls deeper in love with Luke, he discovers the reason for Luke’s amnesia. And the explanation puts them both in mortal danger.
EXCERPT:
The leathers Rupert brought for Luke were a snug fit. They clung tight to almost every part of his body. Luke admired himself in the full-length mirror. He turned side on. They felt good. He had to admit it. They looked damn good. Tight, black leather jeans enhanced the bulk of his thighs and the narrowness of his waist. They sagged a bit in the ass, but Rupert explained that was necessary to allow Luke to sit comfortably on the motorbike. Luke turned up the collar of the black leather jacket and closed the zips on both sleeves. Kevlar protective panels in the back, sleeves, and shoulders of the jacket filled out the upper part of his torso, adding bulk to his hours of work in the gym. He crossed to the bed and sat to pull on the reinforced bike boots, fasten their zips and Velcro covers.
Luke smoothed his hands across the surface of the leather stretched tight across his thighs and grinned at a stirring in his groin. The sensation both surprised and pleased him. He stood, and the rigid shape of the boots forced him to lean forward, like a skier about to descend a black run. He attempted to stand straight, the upper part of his body compensating for the enforced bend in his knees. The jeans pulled tight against his crotch, and his cock rose to the stimulation of the leather hugging his body.
“Sexy man.” Rupert’s voice came from the doorway. Luke turned. Rupert wore a one-piece racing suit made of red leather. White leather panels stitched into it enhanced the shape of his torso and legs. He crossed the bedroom to stand behind Luke at the mirror and placed his hands on Luke’s thighs. “I’ve not worn those leathers for a long time.” He studied Luke’s reflection in the mirror with an admiring grin. “They fit you really well. How do they feel?”
Luke took Rupert’s hands in his and pulled them to wrap around his waist. “They’re making me horny,” replied Luke. “I was getting a hard-on just standing here, even before you came in.”
Rupert slipped his hand down and caressed the front of Luke’s leathers. “And now you’re rapidly outgrowing those jeans. By the second, it feels like.”
He placed both hands on Luke’s shoulders and pulled him gently forward. He bent his head and kissed the side of Luke’s neck, slowly and tenderly, his tongue warm and moist against Luke’s skin. “I want you right now, the way you look and feel,” breathed Rupert. “But we’ve got to get moving. It should take us only an hour and a half to get there. Come on.”
About the Author
DAVID C. DAWSON
David C. Dawson writes contemporary thrillers featuring gay heroes in love. His debut novel The Necessary Deaths is published by DSP Publications and was described as “a real page turner”. It won Bronze for Best Mystery & Suspense in the FAPA awards. Rainbow Reviews called it “an exciting read with complex characters”.
The Deadly Lies is the second book in the series and came out last December.
For the Love of Luke is David’s third book. His fourth comes out in 2019.
David lives near Oxford in the UK, with his ageing Triumph motorbike and two cats.
LINKS:
Website: www.davidcdawson.co.uk
Dreamspinner Press book: http://bit.ly/ForTheLoveOfLuke
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.c.dawson.5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/david_c_dawson
Giveaway
Answer this simple question and you’ll have the chance to win a digital copy of For the Love of Luke! Email your answer with your name to: david@davidcdawson.co.uk. Competition closes on midnight October 16, 2018. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Question: In For the Love of Luke, what’s the name of the English village where Rupert’s parents live?
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 