Jay's finally left home...

... and gone on to his HEA with his beloved Sandy!

The proof corrections have now left the building and I can move on to new projects! Glory Halleluia!!!

Today, I'm returning to a WIP that I originally worked on several years ago. It's fun and kinky story that I really enjoyed working on at the time, but boy do I see shortcomings in the writing now! I'm always raising the bar for myself, always expecting more of myself, and what satisfied me a few years ago, falls short today.

But returning to older work like this is extraordinarily satisfying. It's like a makeover show, and every change and improvement in the story is like... yes, I can do this, this is so much better!

So, a much pleasanter working day ahead for me... especially after the traumas of proof corrections! :)

Page proofs... spawn of the Devil!

I'm checking the page proofs of this mofo at the moment... and as usual it's driving me nuts!

I'm sure I'm not the only author who dislikes this stage of the publishing process. As a dear friend on Twitter just pointed out, manuscripts are like children, and when you've sent them off into the wild blue yonder, all growed up, you do not want them back again so soon, hanging around the house starting niggling arguments over relatively minor issues. Especially when the come back influenced by others, outside the home. ;)

I like this book. I really do... It's not great literature, but there are story elements in it that I've really enjoyed writing, employing themes of yearning and reunion that have always touched my heart. But going through it and having to pick nits in it, several times over, makes it hard for me to remember the magic of its creation and to anticipate the joy in sharing my little story with others...

Checking page proofs just slaps you in the face with things you suddenly feel you might not have got quite right... just when it's far to late to do a lot about them.

Obviously, it's a very necessary evil. It's quality control. It's making sure there are no typo snafus to spoil the reader's enjoyment of the book...

But boy does it drive me to distraction and back again!!!! Grrrr....

Guest blogging today @ We Write Romance

And my topic is:

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...

Why not nip over and take a look? :)

Some rather nice news!

Not actually about CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, although that still seems to be selling very nicely... No, the news is I've had two more ideas for SPICE BRIEFS accepted! :)

The first, ANOTHER CHANCE, is linked to Chance of a Lifetime, and is about Maud, an archivist who comes to Blaystock Manor to sort out the Marquis's rather valuable collection of documents and manuscripts. Expecting a quiet gig amongst the dusty papers, she doesn't bargain for becoming involved with William Graves, the hunky loner estate steward.

A GENTLEWOMAN'S RAVISHMENT is another linked story, this time to A Gentlewoman's Predicament. So, more naughty goings on in discreet Victorian society, and a married woman who dreams of been swept away by a sexy brigand.

No idea when these will appear, as I've only written about two thirds of Another Chance yet, but I would guess it'll probably be 2010 before they appear. But you never know... ;)

Daily Tweetage

My day in tweets:

00:21 Daily Tweetage: My day in tweets: 08:46 That's the last time I eat cheap chicken kiev. Woke up with raving indig.. tinyurl.com/b5ghbo

08:54 Yesterday was a wasted day. I did nothing. I *must* do better today!

09:18 Wah!Can find no Poirot in today's telly listings! What shall I do? Have 1 Poirot DVD, may watch that. Orig. bought for setting, not him.

09:21 Himself watching current affairs, but I'm tired of that. So much bad news, need escapism. Only way for people to cope, I think. World grim.

09:28 Bonuses for banking fatcats???? Fecking hell, a lot of them should be behind bars!!!!

10:24 Despite aching just as much as yesterday, my spirits are much better & feel quite cheery.

11:28 Win sexy PortiaDaCosta vamp novella in a prize draw today! BUDDIES DONT BITE in this antho! tinyurl.com/ce7hsm

11:46 Think I'm gonna dig out that Poirot DVD and do a bit of static cycling. Often find that loosens up the joints & whatnot and eases aching.

11:53 Ack, twitterspam people... am not interested in your nasty webcams or other porny things...

16:09 Have watched Evil Under the Sun. Now want to watch Ustinov version for comparison. Good movie, although do prefer Suchet's interpretation

16:21 Another Prize Draw today!: Random House have another Portia Da Costa title up for offer in their Valentine's pri.. tinyurl.com/azut9k

18:14 Stomach is better today. Himself suggests fish & chips. Am I ready to get back on the high fat horse?

19:59 Have had fish & chips... still alive. Stomach still normal. :)

21:03 Just watched Shrek 2 - such good fun! Love the Puss!

21:29 Still okay after greasefest... dare I risk a lager now? Oh, I really am a silly old bat, aren't I? LOL!

21:31 I think I've nearly finished my guest blog thing that I'm writing. Need to polish it, then back to my naughty cold weather spanking story :)

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Another Prize Draw today!

Random House have another Portia Da Costa title up for offer in their Valentine's prize draw today!

LUST BITES contains my first ever vampire story, BUDDIES DON'T BITE, the story of a rather honourable vampire who's totally smitten with his best friend and housemate.

Go here - on 8th February only - to sign up for the prize draw and the chance to win LUST BITES.

Daily Tweetage

My day in tweets:

08:46 That's the last time I eat cheap chicken kiev. Woke up with raving indigestion... grr....

08:47 So much grim news around in the biz and elsewhere... Need to concentrate on my writing & just not think about it all.

08:47 Not snowing here today [yet] but looks v. cold out there.

08:49 Maybe some breakfast will settle my tum? Cereal seems an attractive option right now.

08:50 I think that for once, I made the right decision about something recently... judging by something that's now come to light.

09:36 Gah, I must get dressed soon & start day properly. Difficult with himself drifting around, getting in my way.

10:28 Loudtwitter isn't working again. It's useless. Suppose I ought to just blog instead, but am mostly too grumpy to write a proper post.

10:33 No chocolate for me today. Think mixing praline, chicken kiev & lager is what has done 4 my alimentary canal. Today I am mainly eating bland

13:39 Mmmm... Saturday afternoon Poirot... Gonna have to get some DVDs of my fave little Belgian sleuth.

15:26 So much for good intentions. Just ate two sea shells. No ill effects so far.

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This beaut came out yesterday!

SEDUCTION, the latest short story collection from Black Lace, came out yesterday in the UK. As the cover says, this is an anthology of naughty, sexy stories from a bunch of very talented writers... oh, and me. ;)

My contribution is IT'S GOT TO BE PERFECT, a story about a woman who plans an evening of perfect solo sensual indulgence only to have everything disrupted by an unexpected visitor who's come to fix her plumbing! Hee hee! Sounds a bit 70's porn 'is that a wrench in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?', doesn't it? I suppose it is a teeny tiny bit like that, but I like to think there are some finer feelings in there too...

Anyway, SEDUCTION is available from Amazon.co.uk now, and from Amazon.com on 14th April.

Here's a scene from my story, illustrated by the wonderful Donald McGill. Sort of...

Daily Tweetage

My day in tweets:

01:21 Daily Tweetage: My day in tweets: 07:38 No more snow overnight, but it looks cold out there. Glad I don't have t.. tinyurl.com/dnfmm5

07:57 Oh feckity fookles, it's bloody snowing again! Do not want!!!!

08:15 Can I repeat my good performance of yesterday and write another 1.7K or thereabouts? Would be nice, but the twonking snow is making me cross

08:16 Right, time for more tea and a doorstep of toast and marmalade. Not looking out of the window, praying for rain to wash the white crap away

08:52 Think am gonna try timed writing challenges v. myself again today. 20 mins @ a time seems 2 work. Tricks me into writing ie. just another 20

08:52 Need to write a guest bloggy thing too. Will trick myself into that by writing a little bit per day. :)

11:14 Agh, have just eaten half a chocolate reindeer! I am such a pig!

11:52 And I thought my lot were impatient and greedy...: Courtesy of the peerless ICanHasCheezburger tinyurl.com/deulw6

13:06 Bollox! There is no Poirot on today!

13:19 Am sick of our govt & their hairbrained schemes to help economy. Everything they do only follocks it up even more! They are useless dolts!

14:32 Yay, have done 1.2K words! The other half of that chocolate reindeer is looking v. good to me right now, esp. as have *earned* it! :)

15:12 Did not eat all the half reindeer, just a big piece of it. Have ears/antlers left for tomorrow.

16:43 1.8K words today. Very tidy sum. Pleased with that. Now need to catch up on some other stuff.

21:35 Check out my flock of followers at twittersheep.com/?PortiaDaCosta

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And I thought my lot were impatient and greedy...

Courtesy of the peerless ICanHasCheezburger

Daily Tweetage

My day in tweets:

07:38 No more snow overnight, but it looks cold out there. Glad I don't have to emerge from my burrow.

07:56 I fancy a NinDS so I can get that brain training thing. If it's good enough for Jean-Luc Picard it's good enough for me!

08:28 Had some weird, vivid & rather unsettling dreams last nite. Not nightmares as such, but would've preferred not to have them. Feel odd now.

08:59 Bones & joints aching this morning. Think I'm going to get one of those memory foam mattress toppers & see if that helps. Anybody got one?

10:38 Why am I more tired after more sleep? Must be the dreams...

12:52 Wahey, have done 1K words and it's not yet lunch! Am I back in the zone? Hope so... just feels good to be absorbed in a story again. :)

14:22 A rare and unusual sight...: This is a very rare sight at Casa Da Costa... a cat actually sitting in a *cat* bas.. tinyurl.com/d42l4o

16:07 Am well pleased with myself today. Have done 1.7K words. Naughty voyeurism & a hunky, all muscle hero who also has finesse.

16:40 I so want to buy some Poirot DVDs, but should economise. Also The Pretender. Someone blogged about it today & reminded me how I loved it.

20:31 I have lager. 4%, 2.5% or 0%... which is it to be? Don't want to into the habit of alcohol every night, but the 4% is so tasty...

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A rare and unusual sight...

This is a very rare sight at Casa Da Costa... a cat actually sitting in a *cat* basket! The clowder usually prefer to find other sleeping spots, such as the airing cupboard, the human bed, the settee, piles of clothing, both freshly laundered or recently taken off... It's very, very unusual to see one of them, such as Mulder, in the basket purchased specially for them.

She even appears to have switched on her eye-lasers to alert me to this unexpected occurence. LOL

Daily Tweetage

My day in tweets:

08:51 No further snow overnight here. Sun out now. We might get snowfalls later 'tho apparently. #uksnow

08:53 Whitechapel was good last night. Loved Rupert Penry-Jones as rather prim, OCDish Detective Inspector. Very cute indeed.

08:54 My email seems to be out of whack again at the mo'. Mails getting lost altogether, arriving days late... It's so bloody frustrating!

08:57 Beginning to think, the amount of cop shows I watch, I should write crime or suspense. But I'm no good on complex plots, alas.

09:20 Jeezum, it's 9.20am and I'm not dressed. What the hell am I playing at? I should be up and clothed and working by now!

10:39 Think I'm going to eat some chocolate coins with my coffee break. I feel like a treat, and I've done my static cycling for the day.

11:01 Just had choc, strong coffee & big gun painkillers. I feel so degenerate! LOL

17:42 Hurrah! Finally started on a new story! I'm writing crap at the moment, but at least I'm writing something...

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Daily Tweetage

My day in tweets:

08:38 Plenty snow here in Yorkshire. Himself set out bravely for work. Me, I'm glad I work from home! :)

08:38 Have just dug 'Groundhog Day' out from my DVD stack. Just gotta watch it today!

09:26 It's Groundhog Day!!!!: Today, according to my Harlequin Calendar, is GROUNDHOG DAY!Groundhog Day is one of my f.. tinyurl.com/bam5c8

10:43 Have watched the first bit of Groundhog Day. Must ration myself to watching in coffee breaks & at lunchtime. I need to work! It's great 'tho

11:43 Himself sent home from work! Not recession, thankfully, just a snow day. Other folk can't get in, means he can't do *his* job.

12:09 Flakes still lightly fluttering down here in West Yorkshire. Won't be able to get on with work as I'd hoped with himself home... #uksnow

14:26 Finished watching Groundhog Day... I love that movie! Some places even make my sob a bit, amongst the laughs...

15:33 Feb now, so not likely to need reserve Xmas gifts. Means I can eat the chocolate myself! Started with a couple of chocolate coins. Yum yum!

17:01 Just edited story I wrote a few weeks ago. Seemed surprisingly good! :)

18:04 Wahey, Queen Bella Michelle is back on blogger! www.romancebuythebook.com/

20:57 About to watch 'Whitechapel' - modern serial killer copycating Jack the Ripper... could be a good thriller. :)

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It's Groundhog Day!!!!

Today, according to my Harlequin Calendar, is GROUNDHOG DAY!

Groundhog Day is one of my favourite films. So funny, but in it's way, sort of deep too, showing how Bill Murray's character grows and changes throughout the many, many replays of the same wintry day. It's like a journey film too, with that sweet, happy hit at the end where he finally reaches his destination ie. the 3rd of February, after he's been lost in the world of 2nd of February for heaven alone knows how long. You never actually find out how many times Groundhog Day repeats for Phil the cynical weatherman but to learn some of the skills he acquires along the way, it must be hundreds of times, and many years and years in time for him.

I'll be watching the movie myself today, to celebrate...

Daily Tweetage

My day in tweets:

16:51 Daily Tweetage: My day in tweets: 09:47 Slow start today. Feeling achey. It's either yet another virusy thing, o.. tinyurl.com/df8vo9

19:38 It's been a day of brain fuzziness. Hard to concentrate. Hard to string words together.

11:45 Feeling tired & muzzy this am. Despite early night & only one can of beer. Does not compute.

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