Yay, I'm a historical author now!

I'm thrilled to announce that A Gentlewoman's Predicament is published today! Although most people who visit here will know that because I've been battering on about my first historical Spice Brief and it's imminent arrival for long enough... :)

Have got to admit that I'm a bit nervous about this one. Though I experimented with some historical scenes in Gothic Blue, this is the first entirely historical work I've released and it's a definite challenge to create a period 'voice' when all I've ever really done until now is work with modern characters and settings. I hope it works. I think it works. My editor certainly seems to like it. But now it's up to the readers to judge whether I've pulled it off. Eek!

Still, writing stories set in the Victorian era is a gamble I'm totally committed to now, given that my first ever full length Harlequin novel is set in that time period too. I'm loving the research, and I was fascinated by everything Victorian long before it ever occurred to me to write about those times... so I'm hoping for the best and trying my utmost to get In The Flesh right so that it'll be a worthy contribution to the Spice erotic list.

Anyway, back to A Gentlewoman's Predicament. It's already available from eHarlequin and Kindle, and by the time you read this it might also be live at Diesel Ebooks. It's also listed at the Mills & Boon ebook store, but I'm not sure whether you can buy it there yet, as it's listed as a June title. I'm sure it'll pop up at other outlets soon too, so check at your favourites.

Here's the official Harlequin blurb for 'Predicament'. I must admit, it contains a little bit of a spoiler, but it's not really a problem as Mme. Chamfleur's naughty secret is very quickly revealed in the story. ;)

"Sofia Harewood's problem: finding a partner who can please her in the bedroom better than her disappointing first husband! She senses there should be so much more to lovemaking—and she's determined to discover what she's been missing.

Sofia's mission takes her to A. Chamfleur, purveyor of "Intimate Advice to the Gentlewoman"...but the encounter is not at all what she had imagined. For A. Chamfleur turns out to be Monsieur Chamfleur—and he and his associates are more than willing to introduce Sofia to a new world of sensual delights....

And look for Portia Da Costa's next story of Victorian sensuality, A Gentlewoman's Ravishment, the second installment of the Ladies' Sewing Circle series."