Elin Gregory

I’m delighted today to be playing host to the lovely David Dawson whose latest release – The Deadly Lies – is now available!

This is the second in the Dominic Delingpole mysteries, the first of which, The Necessary Deaths, is a cracking read.

Welcome, David.

~*~*~

When you aren’t writing, is there any other creative activity you enjoy? Have you ever written about it?

I sing bass with the London Gay Men’s Chorus. You could say some of my dance moves are pretty creative! I’ve been with them for five years, and it’s been a riot. This year we went on tour to New York and Chicago, and sang with the gay choruses in those two cities. It was exhilarating and very moving. The high point was singing in a Chicago school. We sang to both the lower school and the upper school, and did a workshop with their school choir. Ten years ago it would have been almost unthinkable for a gay choir to sing in a school. We must never forget how far we’ve advanced. Next year we’re off to mainland Europe.

What are you reading? Can you recommend something that you wished you’d written yourself?

Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty is a wonderful book – and I wish I’d written it! It’s set in 1980’s London, and recalls a brutal time in Britain’s history. But Hollinghurst writes it with great wit and pace. It’s not just a damn good plot, it’s also a great piece of social history. His novel The Stranger’s Child is also a very good piece of social observation, and a very complex structure, set in multiple historical periods. Hollinghurst handles the switch between periods deftly and with great lightness of writing.

Do you find there to be a lot of structural differences between a relationship driven story and one where the romance is a sub plot?

This is a great question for me, because I’ve just finished my first romantic suspense novel for Dreamspinner Press. The two Dominic Delingpole Mysteries are primarily thrillers, with strong love interest woven in. Dreamspinner asked if I could write a romance for my next novel, and I said yes! It’s been a steep learning curve for me, and involved reading lots of Dreamspinner’s great authors, to get the feel of structure. Yes, there are some structural differences. In a thriller or mystery, the jeopardy moments are usually to do with physical harm, or threat of physical harm. In a romance, the jeopardy moments are to do with heartbreak, or disappointment. Which means that for the romance I’ve drawn on a lot of personal experience! (Cue violins and tears).

When writing series, what measures do you take to keep track of those annoying little details – eye colour, car type, name of ex-spouse’s dog – that are so easy to drop into text and so easy to forget about?

I have a very detailed spreadsheet, with information about all the characters. However, the physical details of my characters are less significant. It’s what they do that’s important. This hit home to me after I spoke to a number of readers about my first book: The Necessary Deaths. I had spent time trawling the Internet for gorgeous looking men (well someone’s got to do it) that represented my vision of a particular character. Then I would describe them in the book. The reality is, readers have their own image of what a character looks like. It’s based on what the character does, coupled with the reader’s own experiences of people they’ve met. I think it’s better I allow readers to paint their own pictures. I can guarantee every one will be different.

What are you working on at the moment? Can you discuss it or do you prefer to keep it a secret until it’s finished.

I’ve just sent Dreamspinner Press the manuscript for a new romantic suspense. It features two new characters; an American living in London called Luke Diamond who falls in love with an Englishman called The honourable Rupert Pendley-Evans. It’s got a very tense plot, and there’s lots of jeopardy on the way to true love!
The project I’ve now got my teeth into is a gripping tale based on a true story I was told this year. It’s my hardest project yet, because I got far too close to the real story, and I’ve had to distance myself to allow the drama to be told properly.

An Excerpt of The Deadly Lies

Dominic and Jonathan stood side by side on the sand, sharing the beauty of
the moonlight dappling the surface of the sea. The air was warm and still; the hubbub
of Sitges nightlife sounded muted and distant. Dominic slipped his fingers through
Jonathan’s, squeezed his hand tight, and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you, Jonathan.”
“What for?” he asked. “I haven’t done anything yet. I may yet need to protect
you from the perils of the night. I anticipate we will imminently be attacked by
international drug smugglers or carried off by white-slave traders to be sold in the
markets of Morocco as the playthings of Arab oligarchs.”
Dominic laughed, rested his head on Jonathan’s shoulder, and watched the
moon-silvered waves lap the shore.
“I think I want to say thank you for so many things. You make me very happy.
And I feel guilty I wasn’t honest with you about this evening, or the meeting
earlier—”
“What meeting earlier?” Jonathan turned to look at Dominic. “So your visit to
the antiques shop was just a cover story, was it?” His face appeared severe, but
Dominic was certain it was mock anger. He knew Jonathan too well.
“No, not entirely. I did go to the antiques shop, and I did find the gift for you I
was looking for. But the reason I didn’t tell you about the meeting—”
“Dominic, stop.” Jonathan kissed him gently on the lips. “We all have
convenient lies to tell from time to time. I am confident—no, more than that—I know
you love me enough not to want to hurt me. I know there’s some good reason for your
secrecy. I love you and I trust you. You don’t have to say any more.” He looked into
Dominic’s eyes. “But if I find it’s another man—”

~*~*~

Published: December 5th 2017
Genre: Mystery & suspense
Publisher: DSP Publications
Available in: paperback and ebook
67,000 words

The Deadly Lies is the second in the Dominic Delingpole Mysteries series. The first The Necessary Deaths was published a year ago, and won an FAPA award for mystery and suspense.

BLURB:
Dominic and Jonathan are on their romantic Spanish honeymoon, and things are perfect… except Dominic has kept a secret from his husband. He’s failed to tell Jonathan that he plans to meet his former lover, Bernhardt, who is speeding on his way from Germany to present Dominic with a mysterious gift.
But Bernhardt is killed in a suspicious car accident. Shortly before he dies, he sends Dominic a bizarre text message that will take the newlyweds on a hair-raising adventure.
Lies upon lies plunge Dominic and Jonathan into an internet crime that could destroy the lives of millions of people. What is the mysterious Charter Ninety-Nine group? And will their planned internet assault force Dominic to choose between the fate of the world and the life of his lover?

BUY LINKS:

Dreamspinner | Amazon US Kindle | Amazon US Paperback
Amazon UK Kindle | Amaon UK Paperback | Apple iBooks | B&N | Kobo

Links to The Necessary Deaths
Blurb:
A young journalism student lies unconscious in a hospital bed in Brighton, England. His life hangs in the balance after a drug overdose. But was it attempted suicide or attempted murder? The student’s mother persuades British lawyer Dominic Delingpole to investigate, and Dominic enlists the aid of his outspoken opera singer partner, Jonathan McFadden.

The student’s boyfriend discovers compromising photographs hidden in his lover’s room. The photographs not only feature senior politicians and business chiefs, but the young journalist himself. Is he being blackmailed, or is he the blackmailer?

As Dominic and Jonathan investigate further, their lives are threatened and three people are murdered. They uncover a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of government and powerful corporations. The people behind it are ruthless, and no one can be trusted. The bond between Dominic and Jonathan deepens as they struggle not only for answers, but for their very survival.

Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Apple iBooks

BIOG:
David C. Dawson is an award-winning author, journalist and documentary
maker. He lives near Oxford in the UK with two cats and his beloved Triumph
motorbike.
He writes mystery & suspense, with men in love at the heart of each story. His
books have been described as “real page-turners” and “un-put-downable”. His debut novel The Necessary Deaths, won a FAPA award for Mystery & Suspense.
One reviewer for his latest book The Deadly Lies described it as “very sexy”.
He campaigns hard for equal rights, and sings with the London Gay Men’s
Chorus.

SOCIAL LINKS

Website http://www.davidcdawson.co.uk
Blog http://blog.davidcdawson.co.uk/#home
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/david.c.dawson.5
Twitter https://twitter.com/david_c_dawson
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/DavidCDawson

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