Auction for Jo Leigh

Author Jo Leigh, a buddy from the Seventy Days of Sweat challenge, lost her husband earlier this year to cancer. As if losing the love of her life wasn't terrible and heartbreaking enough, Jo has also been left saddled with enormous medical bills too, so people in the romance community are getting together in a grand auction to raise some money to help Jo out.

Items on offer include bundles of books, critiques by authors, agents and editors, author mentoring, and all sorts of other highly desirable goodies. I'm offering a collection of four signed books from my backlist, and the winner can choose which ones they want, as long as I have copies available. :)

Click the button below to visit a page with full details of all the auction items...



Happy bidding!

Bits and bats...

First of all...

READ A HOT EXCERPT OF 'CHANCE OF A LIFETIME' AT LUSTBITES!

Well, I've finished writing KISS IT BETTER and the manuscript file has gone off to the editor now. After quite a wrangle with this mutha throughout the months I've been writing it, I did end up liking the story and the characters very much. It's very sexy, in a playful sort of way, and has a rather touching [hopefully] romantic storyline at the heart of it. It's also a Stoneworld story, although characters from previous books only appear in a peripheral sort of way, and then only one or two of them. I didn't want to shoehorn everyone into it, and it seem too contrived in consequence. ;)

I've also just sent off a story for the Black Lace 'Misbehaviour' anthology. This isn't a commissioned piece, so fingers crossed everyone that the editor likes it and wants to include it. 'The Distraction' is a rather naughty BDSM type story, and another of my older woman/younger man tales... although not cougarish, as it's definitely the guy who's the hunter in this case!

With those two projects off my desk, I now have to decide what to do next. I've been working on the second of my Risque Reunions novelettes for Spice Briefs, and have a first draft of SECOND TIME AROUND. That's currently sitting and 'fermenting', ready for me to go back to it and edit and polish it with a fresh eye in a little while. I have the third of the Risque Reunions to write, but I need to give that some serious thought, as it's going to be the most emotional of the three and will need careful handling.

Aside from that, I'd like to sub to two more Black Lace anthos, The Affair and Sexy Little Numbers, although I must admit I don't have the foggiest clue what to write for either of those as yet.

What else? Who knows... I don't seem to be the most efficient of career planners, as there's nothing commissioned in the hopper after Risque Reunions. :(

I've got some ideas, but there's nothing 'big' enough somehow... no high concepts, no storylines that grab me by the throat and demand that I write them. It's hard... I feel I should be stretching myself and pushing myself, but I'm not quite sure in what direction.

Anybody out there got any suggestions? What would you like to see ol' PDC write?

Normal service...

will be resumed eventually! I've been hard at work finishing and polishing KISS IT BETTER, and thinking about new stories and ideas. :)

Numero Uno in the charts!

Wahey, CHANCE OF A LIFETIME is currently the best selling Harlequin ebook at Fictionwise!

I'm sure this won't last long, but Saskia suggested I preserve the moment with a screen grab. :)

Shock! Horror!

I thought my cats adored me... but it seems it may be an evil deception...



Link sent to me by my friend Ruth from the naughty LoveHoney site, where IN TOO DEEP has received some rave reviews from readers.

Keep it up, Portia!

Well, I've had a really good firs week on the Seventy Days of Sweat challenge. Yesterday, in spite of already having reached my weekly goal total, and thus being subject to the temptation to take a day off, I managed to clock up a tidy 1K words and maintain my output. Now, that means I could have a day off today... The total on the right shows that I've already 'done' today's writing, but I'm determined not to succumb to slacking this time round, so hopefully I'll be working.

The other big news is that crit partner Saskia has read all of KISS IT BETTER now and she really likes it and thinks it works! Wahey! Feel *so* much better now... I was so incredibly worried about this one. There are some tweaks and bits to do to it, but nothing radical, so it looks as if it's going to be ready nicely in time for the deadline. I also have to read through and polish a short story for a Black Lace anthology for around the same date, although that's not a commissioned piece, so crossed fingers will be required that it meets with approval.

My other ongoing projects are my two remaining Spice Briefs to finish [first of those is well on the way] and a couple more stories I'd like to write for subbing to two other Black Lace anthos. After that, who knows...

Readers, what would you like ol' PDC to tackle next?

Busy Week!

It's been a busy week this week!

Started out by reading through and editing my main WiP, KISS IT BETTER. Was worried about this book, but as I read it, I discovered that I didn't think it was quite as crappy as I'd feared, and ended up really enjoying certain bits of it. Even though I'd written it... It's a fairly frisky and sexy story, but there's also sort of reunited lovers angle in there too, that tends to make me go 'ah' a bit, even though I wrote it. Whether it'll induce that reaction in my readers remains to be seen, but preliminary news from crit partner Saskia is very encouraging. The first half at least gets a thumbs up from her, although I'm rather afraid that, thanks to me, she might never be able to put Lurpak spreadable butter on her jacket potatoes ever again! LOL

At the same time as all this KIB activity, I've also been participating in the Seventy Days of Sweat challenge... and trying to rack up *new* words on a different project entirely. This is unusual for me, as I'm the world's worst multi tasker, but actually, I've managed much better than I expected, and I've written about 5.5K words on SECOND TIME AROUND, which is a commissioned Spice Briefs novella, and the second story in my Risque Reunions trilogy. STA is about a couple who were married then divorced, but who meet up again at a school reunion. In the meantime, both have grown up, and learnt a lot about themselves. They discover a new perspective on their relationship, their sensual needs... and their love. I'm enjoying writing this, especially as Mr Daniel Craig has kindly agreed to star in the role of James. [honestly, I'd chosen the name and the storyline first... before I even cast 007 in the part!]

Lusting with Sven

SEVENTY DAYS OF SWEAT starts today! Click on Sven to visit the gym for last minute sign up!

Short, sweet but super hawt excerpt from IN TOO DEEP at Lust Bites today!

Click here to see what Gwendolynne does to take Daniel's mind off his troubles... ;)

I have another tough coach on my case!

This blog thing is total BS!

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm. Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Yeah, I'm artistic, and I care about my friends and loved ones and people in general if they are decent and kind to others... but peaceful? Calm? Don't make me laugh! I'm mostly a seething cauldron of disgruntled rage... and that's on a good day! LOL

Found this one courtesy of my buddy Nadia, via Twitter.

Mini Review - Caught in the Act - Saskia Walker

Here's a delightful pocket sized reading treat for you! CAUGHT IN THE ACT, by my writing buddy Saskia Walker... a short novella about wild sexy shenanigans in the pursuit of office espionage. Hunky but deliciously devious Liam and fiesty Chrissie burn up the cyberpages in this fast paced story, but share moments of tenderness too. Saskia's writing is warm and vivid, as always, and even in this short format, her story people are strong characters who quickly make you like them. Bravo!

You can read a hot taster of this ebook at:

http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk/caughtintheact.html

And it's available from:

eHarlequin

Amazon Kindle

Fictionwise

Plus various other ebook outlets

Do you like bargains?

Well, nip over to eHarlequin's AFTEROON DELIGHTS between Noon and 3pm today, 3rd November, and you can get CHANCE OF A LIFETIME for the super duper bargain price of only 89 cents!

What's more you can also get Saskia Walker's delicious CAUGHT IN THE ACT at this unbeatable price, and a variety of other tempting short ebooks from Harlequin, including the exciting new HISTORICAL UNDONE line!

The Afternoon Delights promotion is running throughout all this working week, from 3rd November to 7th November, with a different selection of titles every day.

Dig in folks! At these prices, you can't lose!

HARLEQUIN AFTERNOON DELIGHTS

At last, I'm a Harlequin Author!

Let joy be unconfined! A twenty year old dream comes true today... I'm a Harlequin author at last!

Yes, today sees the publication of my first Spice Brief ebook title CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, the story of Rose who finds unexpected perks to the temporary job she takes at Blaystock Manor while waiting to pursue her dream career in the Caribbean. These unforeseen employment benefits take the form of her tall, dark, delicious and very perverse employer, the mysterious Marquis.

You can meet the Marquis here in a tantalising excerpt, and buy his and Rose's sexy story from eHarlequin, Fictionwise, Books on Board and Amazon Kindle.

And don't forget that today is also the publication day of HOT ON HER TAIL by my writing buddy Saskia Walker.

Visit Saskia's Blog today for a yummy excerpt of this delicious third instalment of her Loving on the Edge trilogy!

Oh, and don't forget to enter our Twice as Spicey contest for a chance to win print books from both of us. :)