The Homecoming by Dougie McHale

It only takes a second to change a life…

Louis Satriani, a successful architect, has the perfect life – or so he thought, until he finds out his partner is having an affair. Distraught, he abandons his life and embarks on a journey that will take him through the landscapes of Greece and into a family’s hidden past…

Maria Nasiakos, a young attractive tour guide, living on the Greek island of Zakynthos, feels that life is passing her by. When she meets Louis, a decision is made that will change both their lives forever…

Forced to confront past love and betrayal, Louis has to choose between his heart and head. As he unravels the truth about the extraordinary past of Maria’s mother, can their love survive life changing events and the unfolding of a secret that can only be resolved by a homecoming?

SKU: B0144BKLH2 Category: Romance Tag: #woman's fiction #romance

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About the author:

In a past life Dougie has been a dockyard worker, student, musician and song writer, playing in several bands, performing live and recording music. He has a degree in Learning Disability nursing and a post graduate diploma in autism. Dougie lives in Dunfermline, Fife, with his wife, teenage daughter, older son and hyper active golden retriever. He is interested in identifying with a physical place and the feeling of belonging therefore Edinburgh and especially Greece are prominent in his writing. The Homecoming is his first novel, inspired by a love of all things Greek, her islands, people, landscapes, sea, light and ambience all of which are important themes and symbols in his writing.

What inspired you to write your book?

It was the novel I was always going to write. I wrote it over a period of a few years and during that time my writing developed and improved and it grew with me. Many years ago when I wrote my first ever song I thought it was good at the time, however, as I learned the art of song writing I realized that as a process it takes time and a lot of practice before you finally get it right. Writing the novel was the same. I revisited the plot and prose which involved lots of drafts and with each visit it was like getting acquainted with an old friend again. Initially its flaws and weakness were all too evident but with time its strengths and potential matured into a story that I really cared about as eventually my writing improved and I felt competent with my style. It became a potent part of my life. As my writing progressed, the characters developed into intricate individuals with private and personal sides, their hopes, motivation, dreams and conflicts drove the plot forward. They became like real people to me who I empathized with and who I had watched grow and develop.

Here is a short sample from the book:

Avoiding the unwanted attention of Anna was of paramount importance so to evade a conspicuous confrontation they moved silently amongst the protection of the shadows. Above them, a luminous moon carved a subtle path of light leading them through the dark to the small two storey apartment block.
Louis’ room was bathed in a soft illumination that splayed an entire wall. Abandoning caution their lips met in a frenzied hunger. He cradled her head in both hands, running his fingers through her hair. Their lips parted reluctantly, they stared searchingly into each other’s eyes and a delicate purpose seized them with its intimate revelation. There remained a silence in the space between them, the spoken word inadequate, redundant even, and the sensitivity of touch prioritized itself. He could feel her warm breath on his lips and it encouraged him to draw closer. A controlled tenderness established itself as their lips met, a venturesome urge producing an assertiveness that found a moist and warm return. He attributed this exultant contact as an unguarded sign of encouragement that sent salacious currents pulsing through his chest. He began to pepper her cheeks with kisses and seek out the skin of her neck with his lips, which she accommodated by raising her head, submissively.
He ran his hand over her slender back, which arched slightly to the touch. His lips caressed her collar bone, then, daringly brushed the exposed flesh of her shoulder. Instinctively he immersed his face in her hair, inhaling deeply, filling his senses with its scent, as if the essence of it was imperative to sustaining life itself. His hand moved to her shoulder, it slipped under the strap of her dress and tentatively let it fall from its support.
He sensed her breathing grow more rapid as she settled a hand on the nape of his neck. An arousal seized him, excitement and passion gripped him in its clasp. His hands glided over the soft fabric of her dress, descending the curvature of her back and delighting his senses. He did not remove his hands as he gently lowered himself into a sitting position on the bed, which submitted to his weight with a tired creak. He looked upwards, over the curves of her body and fixing his gaze on her face he slid the remaining strap from its support. Maria assisted its progress by easing it over her skin until it fell from her body effortlessly. Louis struggled to breathe as he gazed upon this most intimate of gestures, which the moonlight tantalizingly shaded. His enraptured eyes traced the round curve of her breasts and rib cage that heaved with the rhythmical movement of her breathing.
He laid his hands over the curvature of her hips and drew his face towards her skin, kissing her abdomen with light, quick teasing motions. Below her belly button, he discovered a small birthmark, dark in colour. He traced its shape with the tip of his finger and gently brushed it with his lips. Maria gripped his hair, she closed her eyes and slightly parted her lips as the light from the hanging moon reflected and seductively outlined their fullness.
He grazed her inner thigh with a delicate touch, Maria bit her bottom lip. She threw her head backwards and whispered his name, the sound of her voice driving a feeling through him, like hot melting liquid as he kissed and licked her glistening skin.
They were cocooned in their world of touching, sensing, tasting, and exploring as the physical world around them ceased to exist. The only relevance was the meeting of skin on skin and the stroking of hair and flesh. They had become insulated in a union that their passions fused together with every new and profound sensation that they instinctively submitted too, imploring to be bathed in its intimacy and it’s reassurance of unselfish giving and acceptance.
Maria shuddered, feeling his warm breath upon her as a small spasm crackled deep inside her stomach. She lowered her head to his and consumed his warm lips. She kissed him deeply and slowly, gently stroking his hair. She reached down and stroked the front of his trousers with her palm. Louis responded with a soft whispering moan. Their lips parted and she moved so that she knelt between his thighs. She fanned her hands over his chest, a perceptible look of intent glazing her eyes. Louis found himself astonished by their depths and when she fumbled with his trouser button, a determination passed over her face that transpired into a smile as the button was eventually released.
They both stood and hastily slipped from the remainder of their burdensome clothes and once naked they instinctively embraced. Louis became enthralled with the sensation that their closeness educed. He was inflamed by the delicious pleasure that every curve gave, he shuddered with the sliding feeling of skin on skin, the softness of her breasts against him. His hands roamed her shoulders, seeking out the firmness of her back and the roundness of her thighs. The sweetest scent rose from her skin, surrounding him, like a burst of petals.
Effortlessly, they lay on the bed. The moon accentuated their bodies in a silver halo of light. Maria glided her hands over Louis body, slowly and gently, touching him with delicate strokes that educed slight moans from his lips. She rested her head against his chest and tantalizingly brushed his skin with light kisses and suggestive flicks of her tongue. Louis ran his fingers down her back with a feather light touch and with his free hand he clutched the sheet and in his mind he absorbed the heat from her body as it brushed against his.
Instantaneously, she rolled over and straddled him, delicately guiding him inside her. Galvanized by this intimacy Louis felt as if an intangible transaction had passed between them, entranced, they remained motionless, immersed in their closeness. She leaned towards him; he lifted his head and accepted her breast with his mouth as she moved her weight upon him. She could feel him pulse inside her as she submitted to the contracting that swelled within her. She pressed herself against him; he drew his lips over her mouth and became overwhelmed. He swelled inside her, causing undulating warmth that proliferated, like crashing waves deep within him. Maria’s muscles tensed, she began to shudder, as the heat rose through her body. She pulled her mouth to his as a flow of spasms surged
through her, she cried out, a muffled sound against his lips. He could no longer suppress the surge that demanded to be released, a sigh exhaled from his mouth as his body shuddered against her skin, she cried out again, submissively, and collapsed into his arms that impulsively folded around her. She felt his heart pound with dull thuds inside his chest, it rose and fell against her cheek, and she closed her eyes and slept without dreaming.