Thank you so much for having me! Here are three facts about me.
Number 1: I started writing when I was seven. I wrote a story for a BBC children’s TV competition – and I won!
Number 2: My son produced the video trailer for my first book. It was full of tension and drama and it wouldn’t have looked out of place on Netflix!
Number 3: I used to write news bulletins for BBC radio. That’s when I learned to read what I’d written out loud, to make sure there weren’t any unintended rhymes! And that did happen to me once when I was in a hurry…
So, if you had to use just three words to describe your writing style, what would they be?
Punchy, funny, wistful
Who are your three major literary influences?
Philip Kerr – he wrote a series called Berlin Noir. It features a private detective working in Berlin in the 1930s. Brilliant.
Marc Levy – he’s a brilliant French thriller writer, whose stories always have a hint of fantasy or sci-fi in them. I’ve not written any sci-fi yet but, watch this space!
Paul Burston – Paul is an hilarious British gay writer. His books include Shameless – one of my favourites, The Gay Divorcee which is hilarious, and Lovers and Losers which is very poignant.
But what would you say are your three all-time favourite books?
That’s a really hard one, as it changes the more I read! But as of today, I would say:
Any Human Heart by William Boyd. It’s full of humanity. The most heart-warming book I’ve ever read.
Maurice by E. M. Forster. Such a brave book to write in the early twentieth century England, even if it wasn’t published until long after his death.
Peter Pan – J. M. Barrie. I know. It’s a children’s book! But it’s beautifully written.
So what are your three essential writing tools?
Peace and quiet
At least one cat! Usually two.
Lots of water. I try to avoid coffee as it sends my brain all over the place.
Where are your favourite places to write?
If I’m really lucky I stay with a friend of ours who lives by the sea near Barcelona in Spain. It’s idyllic!
Otherwise I love to sit in the same room as my boyfriend, who’s a composer. He has his headphones on at his electronic keyboard, and I have my headphones on with Chopin playing. It’s lovely to have each other’s company, even though we don’t talk while we’re working.
If we can’t work together because one of us is on a meeting then I go to my writing shed in the garden. It’s very basic and has a few spiders in it! But there’s no phone reception and no internet. No distractions!
What are your top tips for aspiring writers?
Write! It doesn’t matter what to start with, but exercise that writing muscle.
Don’t edit in your head. You’ll never write anything. Get it all on the page even if you think it’s nonsense, and then edit it.
Read what you’ve written out loud. It completely changes how you perceive the rhythm of your writing.
Tell us your writing plans for 2022
I’m writing book two in the Simon Sampson series. That should be out in 2022.
I’m also working on a First World War romance, which I’ve already started. It’s based on real-life characters and a fascinating story of early twentieth century England.
I’m toying with the idea of having another a go at writing a musical. My boyfriend is a musical director, so I ought to be able to get some tips!
Tell us about your latest release
A Death in Bloomsbury is an historical thriller set in London in 1932. The hero is a newsreader for the BBC on the wireless. He stumbles across the body of a woman in an alleyway one night. His work colleague is a woman called Florence Miles who prefers to be called Bill. I think she’s one of the best characters I’ve written so far, but then I’m biased! She’s witty, cynical but at her core she has a good heart.
Everyone has secrets… but some are fatal.
1932, London. Late one December night Simon Sampson stumbles across the body of a woman in an alleyway. Her death is linked to a plot by right-wing extremists to assassinate the King on Christmas Day. Simon resolves to do his patriotic duty and unmask the traitors.
But Simon Sampson lives a double life. Not only is he a highly respected BBC radio announcer, but he’s also a man who loves men, and as such must live a secret life. His investigation risks revealing his other life and with that imprisonment under Britain’s draconian homophobic laws of the time. He faces a stark choice: his loyalty to the King or his freedom.
This is the first in a new series from award-winning author David C. Dawson. A richly atmospheric novel set in the shadowy world of 1930s London, where secrets are commonplace, and no one is quite who they seem.
About the Series
The Simon Sampson Mysteries start in London 1932 and continue through the 1930s across Europe. Set against the rise of fascism in the continent, the series features a man who does his patriotic duty to fight the enemy, even though as a gay man he’s an outlaw.
Amazon | Goodreads
David is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:
Simon arrived at Piccadilly Circus at ten minutes to eight that evening and waited to cross the road to the statue of Eros on its traffic island. This part of London always gave Simon a thrill of excitement. It buzzed with activity, like a giant beehive. There were swarms of people hurrying from work, or strolling towards a restaurant, theatre or bar. The metaphor was apt, because within fifty yards of where Simon stood there were so many queens.
Across the road was The Trocadero. Its Long Bar was always guaranteed to provide a gay evening for gentlemen in search of pleasure. A little farther on was the Empire Theatre in Leicester Square. Its Upper Gallery was popular with painted boys and men dressed in smart suits who spent an evening either exchanging acid-tongued witticisms or seeking a friend for the night.
Even at that time of the evening the traffic on Piccadilly Circus was almost stationary. Simon stepped off the pavement and wove his way between taxis and omnibuses queuing to drive up Shaftesbury Avenue or down the Haymarket. Cameron was waiting for him, and Simon was pleased to see he was once again soberly dressed in his immaculate black coat. This time with a grey scarf and black leather gloves. Young men of a similar age to Cameron were also standing on the steps of Eros, and they wore far more flamboyant clothing. Simon preferred to be inconspicuous when out with a gentleman friend. There was less chance that they might draw the attention of the police, or busys as his friends in the Fitzroy Tavern would call them.
“I do hope you’ve not been waiting long.” Simon took Cameron’s outstretched hand and squeezed it firmly. “It’s getting awfully cold. I think it might snow this Christmas.”
Cameron reached out his other hand and rested it on Simon’s hip. Simon pushed it away. “Best not here, old chap,” he whispered. “Awfully public you know.”
He released Cameron’s hand and pointed across the road. “We need to head towards Leicester Square. The Lily Pond is two roads up. And we can walk past the Trocadero on the way and see who’s out gadding tonight.”
“I’m glad I’m wi’ ye,” Cameron replied. “I’m still finding ma bearin’s in London. I’ve nae come down to this part of town since I moved to York House.”
“Oh, you should.” Simon led the way through the still stationary traffic to Coventry Street. “It’s frightfully exciting. And you can always be sure of meeting someone interesting.” He pointed to the corner of Glasshouse Street. “That’s the Regent Palace Hotel. Awfully good bar. Perfect place to meet gentlemen from overseas, and they can hire a room for you by the hour if that interests you.” He grabbed Cameron’s arm and pulled him to safety as a motor car attempted to circumvent the traffic jam and drove up onto the pavement.
“Try not to get yourself killed, my dear.”
His latest book The Foreign Affair was published in 2020. It’s the third in the Delingpole Mysteries series.
The first in the series: The Necessary Deaths, won an FAPA award in the best suspense/thriller category.
David’s also written two gay romances: For the Love of Luke and Heroes in Love.
He lives near Oxford, with his boyfriend and two cats. In his spare time, he tours Europe and sings with the London Gay Men’s Chorus.
Author Website: https://www.davidcdawson.co.uk
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