Friday 29 March 2013

IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS has a new cover!


I love designing covers for my self published work... and here's the result of my latest efforts. A brand new cover for my little collection of three linked romantic BDSM stories, IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS. I'm really pleased with it, and even though it's not a 'in your face' sexually as the previous version, I think it's far more erotic, because of that tricky, provocative smile on handsome Sebastian's face. You just know that a man with a smile like that is going to blow your mind!

With this latest round of covers I'm doing, I'm trying to create a uniform look that harmonises with, and connects to, the kind of utterly fabulous covers I've had lately for my Black Lace novels. It's a form of branding, if you will, although I'm not sure I like that term.

But the thing is... I work just as hard on my self published titles as I do on my traditionally published ones. I push for the same high standard, and create the same kind of characters and settings and storylines. Self published Portia is just the same as traditionally published Portia, and if you like the stuff I write for Black Lace and for Harlequin, you'll like the self published stories too. Some are shorter works, but hopefully, you'll find that they're tasty snacks, while the novels are full on dinners with several courses.

You'll find a list of my self published titles here, if you want to see what's on the menu:

http://www.portiadacosta.com/selfpublished.html

And if you want to know more about Sebastian, here's the blurb:

When Megan meets Sebastian Holmwood at a fancy dress party, she little realizes how her life is going to change. Sebastian is a beautiful and unusual man with an irresistible dark mystique about him. The glint in his silver blue eyes, and the velvet rasp of his deep baritone voice make her want to do crazy things. Suddenly she finds herself longing to play perverse erotic games almost beyond her imagination. She wants Sebastian to spank her, touch her, dominate her, take her over in every way possible... and she knows that with him, the pleasure she earns will blow her mind.

Sebastian Holmwood is a dominant master who's never quite found his perfect submissive... until he meets Megan, dressed as Little Bo Peep, and carrying a crook that looks suspiciously like a punishment cane. Something about Megan's blend of naivety and mischief, and her bold willingness to follow his lead, speak to his dominant soul as a never before, and he knows he won't rest until he's spanked her and much, much more.


There's an excerpt and some background, as well as buying links here:

http://www.portiadacosta.com/sebastian.html

And if you want to plunge straight in and treat yourself, here are those links:




Friday 22 March 2013

An interview... with Lucy

Slip over to Lucy Felthouse's  blog today to read an interview with me!

http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/guest-bloggers/interview-with-portia-da-costa/

I'd love it if you left a comment or a question there, so I look like a popular gal! :)

Wednesday 20 March 2013

LESSONS AND LOVERS - redux


I've just self published a new book. Well, it's an old book, really, one I had published by an epublisher nearly a decade ago... but for which I got back the publishing rights last year.

LESSONS AND LOVERS is a fairly crazy book, with a highly unlikely storyline, and not really set in the actual world as we know it. It's a sort of slightly archaic romantic erotic fantasy. Not 'fantasy' fantasy, just absurdly escapist and fun, with tons of hot explicit sex, and a complicated and super-angsty central relationship. It also has a gorgeous hero, though I say it myself. He's a cool, composed alpha who's tortured by what he thinks is unrequited love and is only able to act on his feelings by supplying rampant sexual services to his beloved.

Here's the blurb:


What happens when a perfectly civilized sexual arrangement turns into a minefield of turbulent emotion?

Wealthy widow Hettie Miller misses her dead husband terribly, but is still beset by a gnawing physical desire. Lonely and confused, she turns to Starr, her late husband’s personal assistant, who discreetly supplies an after dark solution. At night, he comes to her bed and thrills her with intense, breath-taking sex, even though by day, their employer/employee relationship is scrupulously formal and hands off.

But Starr loves Hettie. He’s loved her since the first time he ever met her, but until now, he’s always managed to conceal it beneath a mask of immaculate manners and rigidly controlled reserve.

During a summer getaway at her secluded country mansion, it finally dawns on Hettie that her feelings for Starr are far more than simply carnal, and the parameters of their relationship start to change…

More info and an excerpt here:


LESSONS AND LOVERS is available for Kindle/Kindle Apps from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

It's also available in Epub format from All Romance Ebooks, and I'm hoping to make it available at as many other outlets as I can in the near future. 

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Join my mailing list!


Today, I'm announcing a little prize draw on my mailing list!

I'm asking a simple question, just a sort of poll really, rather than a right or wrong test... and in a week's time,  on Tuesday 26th March, I'll be randomly picking a winner from amongst the mailing list members who've responded. The prize will be a copy of THE ACCIDENTAL CALL GIRL, or an alternative title if the lucky winner has already got that one.

The question is:

Tall, dark and handsome... or gorgeous golden haired god? Which do you prefer? And if the entrants include why they prefer the type they prefer, and name a prime example, all the better!

Remember, this is a competition on the Mailing List... NOT here. I'm really trying to coax more people to join, so I can keep them up to date with my releases, and maybe offer exclusive excerpts and engage in a bit of debate on erotica and romance etc. :)

Join my Mailing List... I'd love to see you there!

ps. I'll be posting the question on the list again, perhaps a couple of times, for people who've joined up later in the week.

Thursday 7 March 2013

A Gentlewoman's Quartet - cover reveal


Isn't this pretty? The book, A GENTLEWOMAN'S QUARTET, is published by HQN as a digital only title, and will be available to buy on 15th March

It's an anthology of all four of my Ladies' Sewing Circle short novellas for Harlequin Spice Briefs.