Inspired by Emily Brontë's classic novel, Wuthering Heights, and the subsequent movie starring Sir Laurence Oliver, Mr. Laurence tells a story of perpetual romance, torture, acceptance, and the power of forgiveness. Eighteen-year-old Joe has taken a serious bump to the head, and his beloved but unsteady girlfriend, Angie, has landed on the wrong side of the law. How's a young couple supposed to start a life together when one of them is behind bars and the other is seemingly too immature to cope? Enter Mr. Laurence, a WWII veteran and a charming philanthropist who brings magic and healing wherever he goes. Beloved in the Long Island enclave where he continues his in-laws' mission to support young victims of sexual abuse, Mr. Laurence, with guidance from his scintillating wife, Isabelle, takes Joe under his wing and helps the young man chart a new direction. The ripple effects of Mr. Laurence's generosity extend to everyone in Joe's circle, and offers Angie a path forward to freedom and away from the self-loathing that was instilled in her by a brutal upbringing.

Joseph Sciuto was born and raised in New York City where he spent his early years listening to his Italian-American grandmother's vivid stories about how their family was responsible for building much of the impressive Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building. The rich flavor of her stories works its way through his writing. Sciuto holds degrees from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Stony Brook University and a post-graduate certificate in Film Studies from New York University. After studying psychology, film, theatre, literature and English as an undergrad, Sciuto relocated to Southern California to attend graduate school at Loyola Marymount University where he studied writing and film."Mr. Lawrence, I Presume..." is the eighth novel by Mr. Sciuto, following the success of "Hollywood Riptide", "Targeted Demographics", "Per Verse Vengeance", "Sofia", "MIA", "The Parisian Professor", and "The Ninth Sphere". Visit Joe Sciuto on his blog, "A Curious View," at www.acuriousview.com.

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