A freebie for the New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Back to "to be paid for" status now, alas...

To celebrate the New Year, I'm offering AN APPOINTMENT WITH HER MASTER, a brand new to digital short story, FREE for two days via Amazon.

So follow the links below between 12:00 am Pacific Standard Time, 1st January and 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time, 2nd January to snag this edgy story of a young woman's initiation into the darkly delicious world of erotic domination and punishment.

Here's the blurb:

Shy, but secretly sexy and imaginative, Mary-Anne Green fantasizes about having her bottom spanked by a stern and powerful master, the beautiful, cultured hero of her wildest dreams. She longs to feel the hand of a dominant man upon her, punishing her flesh, then caressing it to the heights of exquisite pleasure.

It seems that these wild scenarios are destined to remain solely in her imagination, until one day Mary-Anne meets her dream master online. Their chemistry is electric from the very first moment, and their fantasies and desires a perfect, sizzling match. In email after email they share everything. Dark urges, wicked wishes... painted pictures of fiery, passionate punishment.

But what happens when Mary-Anne and her Master decide to meet each other? Will the delicious, painful magic survive the transition to reality? Will their intimate bond be all they hope for, and perhaps more?

Approximately 5,000 words/11 pages.

A much shorter version of this story has originally appeared in print under the title "It Had to Happen".

Download from Amazon.com

Download from Amazon.co.uk

An Appointment with her Master is also free to borrow from Amazon.com for the next 90 days, if you're a US Amazon Prime member. 

As part of the scheme for authors that allows us to make our titles free for a number of days, and allows free borrowing by Prime members, Amazon does ask that we sell those titles only via their web sites for 90 days. If you don't have a Kindle reader, you can still read them via the Kindle Desktop application here, and please be assured that after 90 days, An Appointment with her Master will be available at other ebook outlets and in formats suitable for all other readers.

All the very best for 2012! 

A new release from my writing buddy Saskia!

My wonderful writing pal, Saskia Walker has a naughty new release today, entitled WINNER TAKES ALL!

Check out all the details here at Saskia's blog. There's a sizzling excerpt there too, so rush on over to sample this delicious slice of superb erotic writing.

ps. you simply can't go wrong with WINNER TAKES ALL, because it's published at a super value price too. :)

A Gentlewoman's Dalliance - the cover

Here's my latest Spice Briefs cover. It's for the fourth - and sadly last - of my Ladies' Sewing Circle Briefs, A GENTLEWOMAN'S DALLIANCE.

Here's the blurb:

London, 1890

Mary Brigstock and her husband have no difficulty maintaining the passion in their marriage, but even the most ardent lovers crave new experiences. When Mary tells the Ladies’ Sewing Circle that she wants her husband to spank her, their worldly hostess arranges exactly what she desires: the services of an expert disciplinarian who can teach the Brigstocks how to make their wicked fantasy a reality….

Part of Portia Da Costa’s Ladies’ Sewing Circle series.

It's out in March 2012 and you can read a naughty excerpt here!

FIRE AND ICE - officially out today

A couple of years ago, himself installed a new central heating system in our home. He did a mighty good job, and since then, in winter, we've been toasty and warm, with a boiler and radiators that perform efficiently, economically and are much 'greener' than the old system. But, for the period he was doing the installation, it was very, very cold in here, because it was also the dead of winter when he did it!

I was frozen, bundled up in layers and layers, wearing a woolly hat in the house, even. But somehow, this chilly condition was inspirational, and I got the idea for a story where the hero and heroine too had to contend with no central heating in the dead of winter. In fact, it was actually Christmas, and naturally, it being an erotic story, they found other ways of keeping warm, even though the hero had a bout of 24 hour flu for the first part of the proceedings. LOL

The result of these endeavor was FIRE AND ICE, my winter/Christmas extravaganza that originally appeared in the Mammoth Book of Hot Romance. You could say the very anthology title *really* seeded the story line, as I just knew I had to play with the concept of heat - and its opposite - in the tale.

And now, I'm self publishing FIRE AND ICE as an individual long story, with a few tweaks and polishes along the line, because we writers can't bear not to keep tinkering. As well as a seasonal story, it's also a boss and secretary, or in this case, boss and P.A. story, because heroine Cally also works for the deliciously hunky hero, Innes, in between completely adoring him.

Here's the blurb:

Surrender to sexual healing...

Super efficient P.A. Cally Hobbes is head over heels in love with her handsome boss, the urbane and delicious Innes McKenzie. Day after day, beneath her cool, businesslike exterior, she's simmering hot for him, and she knows he's not entirely immune to her either, despite their perfect, above board working relationship.

Icy weather, a broken central heating system, and a dose of 24 hour flu suddenly change everything. With Innes alone and laid low in his frozen flat, Cally's golden chance to get close finally arrives. Innes is freezing, and she's burning for his touch, so what else can a girl do but climb into her boss's bed to warm up his chilly limbs with a dose of body heat?

An overnight recovery quickly leads to a very different kind of therapy... making all Cally's dreams of passion flame into life. Sex with her beloved Innes is everything she's fantasized about, and more. Much, much more.

But will their mutual desire and tender feelings survive a return to office propriety? Working together as P.A. and boss again, can Cally and Innes share the lasting glow of love?

FIRE AND ICE is self published via the Walk on the Wild Side Books authors' collective and if you'd like to read an excerpt, you'll find one here, along with links to buy it at various online outlets. 

And this is a picture of me in that woolly hat! :)

Ooh look, covers!

Isn't this gorgeous? It's my next Spice Brief, A GENTLEWOMAN'S PLEASURE, due out in February 2012, and the story of Lucy Dawson, bespectacled spinster, who has a delicious adventure when she falls off her bicycle. And almost straight into the arms of a hunky and mysterious woodsman called Ethan...

Read an excerpt here.

This one's my own creation, the cover for my soon to be released Christmas/Winter story, FIRE AND ICE. It's a self published version of a story that was previously in an anthology, and it's all about super efficient P.A. Cally, who's head over heels in love with her gorgeous boss, Innes. Christmas, a dose of 48 hour flu, and a broken central heating system all conspire to bring the two of them together... and their working relationship will never be the same again!

Read an excerpt here.

Neither of these two choice items are available quite yet, but check back here for the latest news, or follow me on Twitter for updates.

My Dear Holmes: A Study in Sherlock - Gavin Brend

My Dear Holmes: A Study in Sherlock by Gavin Brend

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic little book. Written decades and decades ago, it's a fascinating example of the author's love for Sherlock Holmes and his adventures; extreme and intense scholarly study of the canon; and a tour de force of brain thrashing and text/date/fact wrangling in pursuit of 'The Great Game' ie. treating Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson as real historical figures, and presenting a coherent timeline of their cases.

That people play this game is a tribute the compelling and beloved characters that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created. They're so much larger than life, and fiction, that they seem real. But it does make me smile at, and at the same time deeply admire, the lengths to which Holmes scholars will go to 'make things fit'. Gavin Brend has done an outstanding and very readable job of assigning cases to years and filling in gaps between cases. It's a triumph of detective work in itself, picking through textual clues and cross referencing them. His own writing style is humorous and a little quaint in places, but this book is 60 years old, so his voice is bound to be different to that of someone approaching the topic now.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this small volume. But I'm left thinking how much easier life would have been - although far, far less challenging - for Holmes' students if Sir Arthur had worked with a rigorous content and continuity editor throughout the years he was writing about the Great Detective.

But maybe it's better this way, better that Sir Arthur often completely forgot what he'd written in an earlier story, and frequently perpetrated gaffes with dates, times, places... because playing The Great Game must have brought almost as much pleasure to people as reading the stories themselves does. :)

My Dearest Holmes - Rohase Piercy

My Dearest Holmes by Rohase Piercy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by this item, a gay interpretation of the great friendship between Holmes and Watson, and I wasn't quite sure what I was going to make of it when I first started reading. I've always thought there was a deep and powerful bond between the two men, but I wasn't sure I liked the idea of it being more than that.

However, when I got into the story, I was very pleasantly surprised. The writing is excellent, and despite the obvious differences from the canonical, the voice is believable and very much in the Watson style. The period detail, and the nods to the original stories are also very well done, and with a light hand rather than ladled on.

It's very much a romance between the two men, dealing with Watson's unrequited feelings for his brilliant friend as much as his desire for him. It's not a work of erotica, and love scenes are 'off camera', with the focus on the angst and yearning of Watson, and the heartache of being in love with a man who doesn't show emotion and has difficulty even feeling it. The author does a really good job of conveying Watson's anguish, and the result makes for a sincere and moving read.

The House of Silk

The House of Silk: The New Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyed this very much. I've only read the Sherlock Holmes canon once, and I must admit that most of my perception of Holmes and Watson comes from watching the wonderful television series starring Jeremy Brett, but based on that, The House of Silk felt 'right' to me as a Holmes story. The voice of Watson rang true for me, and the style, characterisation and construction of the story seemed similar to the original stories. The plot rattled along nicely, and even though I sussed out some of what was going on fairly early in the proceedings, there were still things that surprised me about the final denouement[s].

I've seen some reviews where the author is taken to task for some inconsistencies between House of Silk and the original Sherlock Holmes stories and timeline, but Sir Arthur himself sometimes mixed things up a bit, and was inconsistent, so I do wonder if the 'slip ups' in this new story are perhaps an affectionate nod to the occasional oddities in the original canon.

WOMEN IN LUST - out now

WOMEN IN LUST - EDITED BY RACHEL KRAMER BUSSEL

At its best, lust is intense, all-consuming, leaving you breathless, able only to focus on slaking that urgent need. The characters in Women in Lust give in to that pure, overpowering impulse for sex. Whether watching a lover playing guitar, using a webcam, going out for a smoke or simply embracing a chance encounter, these women seize the opportunities presented to them, and savor the lovers who teach them about themselves and help them open up to new sensual possibilities. These women embrace lust even when it makes them do things they might consider reckless. Sometimes the object of their lust is not the "right" person—a woman falls for her best friend's boyfriend, the ultimate taboo. Or desire itself may be maddening when it teases and taunts. Rachel Kramer Bussel has brought together top erotica authors who know exactly what to do with those burning desires.

With contributed stories by Portia Da Costa, Charlotte Stein, Aimee Pearl, Clancy Nacht, Elizabeth Coldwell, Lucy Hughes, Del Carmen, Jen Cross, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Brandy Fox, Amelia Thornton, Kin Fallon, Aimee Herman, Jacqueline Applebee, Kayar Silkenvoice, Olivia Archer, Justine Elyot, K.D. Grace, Shanna Germain, and Donna George Storey.

This saucy anthology is out now for your delectation, and includes my story NAUGHTY THOUGHTS, which seems to be gaining some favourable comments in some of the book's Amazon reviews.

You can read an excerpt from Naughty Thoughts here and check out the collection via Amazon links.

New from Sasha White

Here's a hot new release from my Walk on the Wild Side Books buddy, Sasha White. Super sexy science fiction... check it out!

Mavericks of Space Anthology

This is the re-release of the erotic science fiction short story ABDUCTION and it’s sequel TRANSPLANT. 

ABDUCTION

When Max Cooper, a “damaged” ex-Coast Guard officer, wakes up naked in a strange bed with no memory of how he got there, “alien abduction” is not what pops into his head.

It’s Captain Tyla Natori’s job to bring males from other worlds back to her own female-dominated planet to be put “on the market.” When she finds a perfect male speciman in the form of Max Cooper, however, she decides he’s the one for her…and he has no choice in the matter…

Or does he?

TRANSPLANT

Max made his choice to stick with Tyla and become a Transplant on Triton. Only things aren’t going too smoothly, right from the start. Max wants to be Tyla’s only lover, and for a Triton woman, monogamy is unheard of. Then there’s the fact that the queen’s ordered Tyla to marry a Durian prince in order to prevent a war.

Nothing brings two people closer together than facing a common foe, but can Max and Tyla stop the marriage and still prevent a war?

Abduction: 6,700 words Transplant: 6,591 words

Please note: These stories have been previously published, separately, and with a different cover. They contains explicit language, frequent graphic sex scenes.

Amazon.com * Smashwords * All Romance eBooks.

  For more information and a hot excerpt visit Walk on the Wild Side Books

Constance by Franny Moyle

Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde by Franny Moyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not sure what to think about this one. It's difficult to judge the quality of the writing etc because appreciation of the book is so intimately wound up in one's impression of the subject of the book, Constance Wilde and by association, Oscar.

I found it a compelling read, but it just made me realise how alien the life of these middle/upper class Victorians is to me. I feel sorry for Constance, for a lot of the things that happened to her, and the disaster Oscar inflicted on her... but she's also an infuriating character herself some of the time. She has good qualities, and some not so good ones, like anybody, and of course she's very much a product of her times and her class.

Leaves me wondering how her later life would have turned out if Bosie Douglas had been run over by a horse and cart, and Oscar had been, well, just a little bit less Oscar.

But we'll never know...

View all my reviews

The Science of Sherlock Holmes

The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases by E.J. Wagner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fascinating and informative read. Shines a light on the forensic background to the Sherlock Holmes stories, with examples from real cases that may have influenced Conan Doyle, and the insights and misapprehensions of investigators at the time. I some ways, the police and scientists of the late Victorian/Edwardian era naturally drew the same correct conclusions that their contemporary counterparts would... but in other cases they were blundering in the dark without benefit of modern technology and discoveries.

Very enjoyable and readable, frequently enhanced by the author's dry wit.

View all my reviews

Ooh la la it's... INTIMATE EXPOSURE

Wahey, here's the sexy cover for INTIMATE EXPOSURE, my first release with Carina Press! Super hawt, eh?

INTIMATE EXPOSURE is a BDSM novella about a Vicki, an executive gal with a hidden desire to explore naughty spanking games, and Red, a roguish freelance photographer, who drives her crazy with his wicked teasing ways... and at the same time promises to bring to life all her luscious forbidden dreams.

You can read more about INTIMATE EXPOSURE here and also read a chunky excerpt, in which Vicki and Red have one of their many little contretemps, and he first discovers her kinky secret interests.

An excellent read

Close to Holmes: A look at the connections between historical London, Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Alistair Duncan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book. A fascinating look at the London haunts of both Sherlock Holmes and his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The wealth of information makes me want to read the Holmes canon all over again, now I know more about the locales referenced.

Essential for Holmes fans and also extremely useful for authors writing about London in late Victorian/Edwardian era.

ANOTHER CHANCE - available at Amazon Kindle

Wahey, my latest Spice Brief is now available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk so you can now enjoy this naughty BDSM tale on your Kindle... maybe perhaps your new Kindle Fire when you get it? ;)

ANOTHER CHANCE is the sequel to my first ever Brief, CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, and Rose and the Marquis appear again as supporting characters -- although now lucky Rose has won her man and become his Marchioness. The titled twosome are still as daring as ever though, and inadvertently put on a sexy show for Maud and William, the protagonists in ANOTHER CHANCE.

Here's the blurb:

The Chance of a Lifetime… Again.

It’s been a long time since Maud Piper has had a lover, particularly one who can give her what she really wants: the masterful hand of a strong, powerful man. The sting of pain that turns into pleasure.

Only Maud’s late fiancé had been able to satisfy her. Not even watching her employers at Blaystock Manor, the Marquis and Marchioness, in their own rough love play brings her the release she longs for—until she is caught in the act by William Graves, the estate’s ruggedly handsome steward. Can he give Maud another chance to experience the pleasure she craves?

Here's a sexy excerpt

And here are the Amazon links:

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

A wonderful review!

I'm absolutely thrilled today by a wonderful review I've received for IN TOO DEEP. The reviewer is Vanessa Wu, whose blog is Intense Sensations. Strangely for someone who writes for a living, I'm almost at a loss for words to say how happy I am to read Vanessa's opinion on the book and on my writing. It's times like these that make all the fretting and struggling and hair-tearing involved in 'getting it right' worthwhile. :)

In Too Deep review at Intense Sensations

Vanessa was also kind enough to award me a Versatile Blogger award recently too. I must admit that my blogging has been a bit sparse lately, but I intend to do much better in future. When I've fulfilled some important writing commitments in the next few months, I'm going to try much harder to be a better blogger.

As I'm pressed for time at the moment, I won't be able to make a list of 15 blogs I recommend as Versatile Blogs, but there's a small selection of blogs and sites I visit and read in the right hand side navigation bar. I hope to add more soon.

More good stuff from Saskia!

My buddy Saskia Walker is putting out some great titles at the moment! Here's another goodie. A reissue of her wonderful early erotic novel ALONG FOR THE RIDE at a special price and with a lush new cover.

Here's the blurb:



Soon after her arrival in London, Georgina Montgomery finds herself modeling privately for one of her art college tutors, the Austrian artist Calvin Rolf. They become lovers and when Cal introduces her to his Fleet Street photographer sidekick, Jason Sutherland, a steamy ménage à trois affair follows. Georgie discovers that being involved with two gorgeous men is a heady intoxicant, and she quickly casts all her inhibitions aside. She’s in her element, but their idyll of sexual adventuring in London is interrupted because a paparazzi scandal threatens to erupt around them.

Jason has taken intimate photos of an old flame, Chloe Mac, now a pop star and media darling. His cousin is after the images to sell to the highest bidder, and Jason has to get to the photos in Scotland before his cousin does. Cal and Jason decide to hit the road, and Georgie comes along for the ride.

But the paparazzi hunt results in Georgie’s kidnap, and danger ups the emotional stakes for everybody involved. Georgie has to put her new found sexual power and confidence to good use, and territorial claims of the heart are about to be made.

Warnings: This title contains explicit scenes that some readers might find objectionable including m/f/m, m/m, anal play and some BDSM. 

You can find out more about this deliciously hot novel here, and enjoy a sizzling excerpt:

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

 Go on, give yourself a treat!

A free read from Saskia!

Here's a new Walk on the Wild Side Books publication from my friend and critique partner, Saskia Walker! Not only is this a fab story by a wonderful author... it's also free at a variety of ebook outlets! How great is that? 

The only place you can't get THE DEVIL YOU KNOW for nothing at the moment is Amazon, but a version suitable for easy sideloading to your Kindle is free as air everywhere else. The story is a contemporary erotic romance and it was originally published as part of THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF HOT ROMANCE. Here’s the summary:

 Leonie Carlton went to the other side of the world to avoid Mike Racine, because she loved him too much to stay. Their impetuous, fiery physical relationship was passionate and fulfilling, but Mike wasn’t the type to settle down.

After a year working on a coffee plantation in Queensland, Australia, Mike arrives on her doorstep. Despite her resolve to stay cool and distant Leonie is thrown into turmoil by her old lover from the moment he says hello. She knows she can’t afford to fall for him again. But Mike has traveled the world to win Leonie back. The question is, how far is he prepared to go to get her to hear him out?

7,000 words in length, contemporary erotic romance. Please note: this short story contains frank language and graphic m/f sexuality, including domination/submission and bondage.

You can read an excerpt here.

Available free from:
ARe
Barnes & Noble
Diesel
Smashwords

Also available from:
Kindle US
Kindle UK

Grab this gem and enjoy!

ANOTHER CHANCE - official publication day

It's the official release day for my newest Spice Brief - ANOTHER CHANCE. 

Another Chance is the sequel to my first ever Spice Brief CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, so fans of Rose and the Marquis will get the opportunity to see them again in the course of Maud and William's story. 

Official Blurb

The Chance of a Lifetime… Again.

It’s been a long time since Maud Piper has had a lover, particularly one who can give her what she really wants: the masterful hand of a strong, powerful man. The sting of pain that turns into pleasure.

Only Maud’s late fiancé had been able to satisfy her. Not even watching her employers at Blaystock Manor, the Marquis and Marchioness, in their own rough love play, brings her the release she longs for—until she is caught in the act by William Graves, the estate’s ruggedly handsome steward. Can he give Maud another chance to experience the pleasure she craves?

The highly anticipated sequel to Portia Da Costa’s Chance of a Lifetime.

Read an excerpt here

Available from:

eHarlequin [epub]
Diesel Ebooks [mobi/not UK]
Amazon.co.uk [kindle/UK only]
Mills & Boon [epub]
All Romance Ebooks [epub]
Barnes & Noble [nook]

Mammoth Book of Hot Romance

Pleased to announce that this beauty is now available in print in the USA! More info and a naughty excerpt of my contribution - FIRE AND ICE - available here:

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

If you prefer to read digital [like me!] FIRE AND ICE will be available as a single from major ebook outlets in the not too distant future.

PLAY FOR TODAY - Saskia Walker

My fantastic writing buddy SASKIA WALKER has a new release out today. It's a sexy short novella called PLAY FOR TODAY, about two talented but very naughty thespians and what they get up to on a transatlantic ocean voyage. Their delicious antics bring a new meaning to the term "method acting"!

Here's the blurb:

Acting out their parts has never been so sexy…

Two upcoming British actors—Toni and Max—choose to take the slow boat to New York so they can learn their lines along the way. In the midst of a stormy sea, Max suggests they pass the time with a bit of sexy role play. As the rough seas take most of the passengers to their cabins, Toni and Max get into character for some erotic acting of the intimate kind. Soon their mutual desire collides with the forbidden affair of their characters—an inexperienced young woman and a wily seducer—with scintillating results.


You can find out more about PLAY FOR TODAY, and read a steamy excerpt at:

http://saskiawalker.blogspot.com/2011/08/publication-day-play-for-today.html

RIP Mulder 1997 [?] - 2011

Desperately sad to report the death of Mulder, our tiny but mighty cat of approximately 15 years of age. She was the sweetest girl, with a superb personality - a real fun cat, and absolutely adorable and goodnatured.

Goodnight, sweet princess. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

FIGHTING FAIR - a new WotWS release from Anne Calhoun

There's a new release today from WALK ON THE WILD SIDE BOOKS, from the fabulous Anne Calhoun!

Check out the details:

FIGHTING FAIR

With a marriage in trouble, there’s no such thing as fighting fair…

Jersey girl Natalie Copeland is ready to give up on a decade of marriage. Her husband Shane disappeared into the long, stressful hours necessary to make partner at his investment firm, and now their once-hot sex life has gone ice cold. She knows fighting for the man she loves against the adrenaline rush of deals and dollars is a fight she can’t win.

The fast-track to partner came a high price, but Shane’s not going to lose Natalie over his work. He knows winning back his headstrong, passionate wife won’t be easy. Proving he’s in their marriage forever will take everything he’s got…and on Wall Street and in love, there’s no such thing as a fair fight.

Find out more about FIGHTING FAIR here - there's a sizzling excerpt too!

A Heavenly Review

I've just received the most gorgeous review of A TOUCH OF HEAVEN at The Long and the Short of It [LASR] review site. Reviewer Lavender said some lovely things about the book which have made me smile and brightened my day no end.

"Miranda and Patrick make an odd couple. A really odd couple. But…they’re great together."

"From the start, he’s adorable and likeable, and she’s understandable and relatable. It’s an interesting, unexpected combination."

"This tale takes a reader on a supernatural adventure, touching the heart as it delves into tender feelings and creates suspense along the way."

You can read the full review here. Many thanks, Lavender.

Quickie!

Just a quick fly-by post to announce that FORBIDDEN TREASURES is for sale at a special price at ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS for the next two weeks. Check it out here.

There's a naughty excerpt here on my web site, if you're not sure whether you'll like it or not. :)

Social Media for Social Good

My friend Limecello has set up an initiative to raise money to aid those in desperate need during the current Horn of Africa famine. All you have to do is leave a comment here:

http://limecello.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/crisis/

Please consider leaving a comment on Lime's blog post to ensure that a rapidly growing list of donations are sent to the charity Save the Children for the benefit of those in peril from starvation and disease.

BDSM, and Zombies, and Menage... Oh My!

Yay, check out my first ever self published anthology!

A Walk on the Wild Side Books presentation

Blurb:

Portia Da Costa presents five short, sexy works that have also been published as standalones, all bundled together in a naughty medley offering over 40,500 steamy words at a super value price, half the cost of buying all the individual items separately!

This frisky erotic potpourri includes tales of BDSM, exhibitionism, m/m, m/f/m, an office lust/hate relationship... and zombies! Obviously not all those elements are in one story... but who knows, one day that might be one helluva project to tackle!

Here's the lineup:

The Efficiency Expert - erotic short story

Still stinging from a stringent management review at her workplace, office girl Susie encounters the very last man she wants to meet when she hits her favorite bar to relax and unwind. Gorgeous Noah Stevens is the ruthless company troubleshooter who's been making her life hell for the past three weeks, but after hours, he soon proves that his dedication to "efficiency" can work wonders in the bedroom.

Glint - short story of exhibitionism and voyeurism

While enjoying a lazy day at the beach, sexy holidaymakers Suzy and Gavin see a sudden glint of light flash from the headland overlooking their patch of sand, and realize that somebody's watching them through a pair of binoculars! Far from being alarmed, hedonistic Suzy finds the forbidden scrutiny deliciously exciting, and turned on by her own latent exhibitionism, she and Gavin decide to put on a titillating performance… and really give the distant voyeur something to watch!

Wesley and the Sex Zombies - erotic horror short story

Computer wizard Wesley Greensward is having a terrible day. His girlfriend is cheating, his best friend has let him down and he hates his job. Then, in a grungy motorway service café, a vision of unearthly loveliness walks into his life. It's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen... and the most beautiful man.

But while Wesley weaves an erotic fantasy about these two mysterious and delectable strangers, Luciferia and Maximillian are plotting and planning too... and their arcane scheme might mean the end of Wesley's life!

Forbidden Treasures - BDSM novelette

When Alice Porter finds a chest full of vintage curiosa at an antique market, she little realizes how her discovery of the forgotten treasures of an Edwardian disciplinarian will change her life. The sexy hoard includes a punishment ledger and a well used rattan cane, and the bygone items intrigue her husband Julian too. Sharing and experimenting with the writings and the wicked implement, the lovers begin a voyage of forbidden sensuality that shocks and thrills them both, revealing dark secrets from Julian's past and bringing the two of them closer together than they've ever been before.

Power of Three - romantic/erotic menage novella

Sun-drenched days and lush steamy nights stir strange desires in singleton Laurie Jones. She's been betrayed by her philandering fiancé, but that doesn't mean her libido is dead, no way. In fact the rampant hedonism of the lovers' resort where she's spending her solo honeymoon only makes her feel hornier than ever; especially when she watches her raunchy neighbors cavorting in a blatant threesome.

But relief is at hand for Laurie in the form of Ed and Denny, two gorgeous hunks sharing another nearby cabana. Golden boy Denny, and dark, enigmatic Ed are red hot for each other, but they also adore women too, and the sexy, generous pair quickly draw Laurie into a sizzling erotic ménage that not only expands her sexual horizons in a way that blows her mind, but also heals the pain inflicted upon her by her lost fiancé.

Author's note:

These stories contain explicit scenes of erotic activity and experimentation, including sex with multiple partners, spanking, caning, exhibitionistic sex and voyeurism and male/male lovemaking.

Excerpts of the individual stories are available at:  www.portiadacosta.com/selfpublished.html

Available from Smashwords, All Romance eBooks, Amazon Kindle US, Diesel eBooks and Amazon Kindle UK. Other vendors to follow.

FORBIDDEN - new release from fabulous Saskia Walker

My writing buddy Saskia Walker has a fantastic new release today  via the Walk on the Wild Side Books author collective. Here's the info on this super story. I've read it and it's hot, hot, hot!

Emmanuelle Forsythe is the daughter of a lord, but she’s embarking on a secret, forbidden affair with her father’s estate manager, Jacob Finch. Jacob is as much a slave to their mutual desire as she is, even though he has been warned off.

On the night of her twenty-first birthday party, while the banker who her parents want her to marry is ensconced with her father, Emmanuelle defies her family’s expectations by escaping to make love with Jacob in the gardens. Her behavior is decadent and passionate, a brief taste of something magical that she believes she can never truly own. But Jacob wants more than one night and asks her to keep seeing him, whatever the consequences.

Please note: this short story contains frank language and graphic m/f sex scenes.

You can find an excerpt here.

Available from Amazon, Amazon UK, ARe, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Kobo and Smashwords.

Also available for iBooks, and will come to the Sony store soon.

A different kind of angel

Today sees the publication of my second work for Samhain Publishing, an erotic paranormal novella entitled A TOUCH OF HEAVEN.

TOUCH is an unusual little story. It's comparatively short [18K words] but I think it packs quite a punch because there are a lot of different elements to it. While I was writing it, I certainly had to think long and hard about a variety of issues, including a woman's perception of her own ageing process and even some aspects of mysticism and theology. All sounds a bit heavy for a short erotic romance, doesn't it?

The story is about an angel, something that I haven't touched on before in my fiction. I originally wrote it in answer to a publisher call at Samhain Publishing, but because I was busy with other deadlines, I didn't manage to complete it in the time required, so I never actually subbed it. However, an editor saw me mention the story in discussion on a message board, and she urged me to submit it anyway when it was finished. Luckily for me, it was eventually accepted.

Patrick, my angel, is a different kind of angel. Not the kind that quite often appears in romance and urban fantasy books and stories. He isn't a warrior angel with a flaming sword, engaged in a never ending battle between good and evil, smiting demons right left and center, and sporting a name ending in 'riel'. No, my Patrick is a gentler sort of fellow. He's kind and nurturing, and humane if you can call a non human creature that. His mission isn't to participate in a holy war, but to heal and bring comfort to those mortals who need him. This might all make him sound very much like a mild, very Beta hero, but in his own way he's also strong and powerful. He simply wields his power in a quiet non-flashy style.

He's also human, at least in a temporary, quazi sort of way. To visit earth and do what he has to do, he has to take a human form, because his real state isn't something a mortal can comprehend. Everything about him, in his angelic form, is beyond our understanding, as are his 'home' and his 'boss'... The people he encounters on his mission, especially Miranda, the heroine, can only deal in approximations and representations of his mystical reality.

If all this sounds a bit airy fairy, don't be put off. Patrick, my golden angel, is actually a very down to earth guy. His mission completed, he has a little holiday time in hand... and he likes to spend it in a very human way. He enjoys lying in the sun - naked! He loves eating junk food and drinking pop. He listens to music on an iPod and reads romantic novels. And he also likes flirting with beautiful women, in the form of Miranda, who lives next door to the residence that he's apparently 'house sitting'.

Miranda, for her part, quickly falls head over heals in lust and love with the beautiful but mysterious young man next door. He's utterly gorgeous, and most miraculous of all, he seems to be genuinely attracted to her, even though she's well into her forties, and she suffers from twinges of arthritis. With Patrick she feels young and vibrant again, in a very literal sense. His magic touch with massage actually relieves her pain, and his gorgeous body and heavenly face revive her libido and send it in to overdrive. She feels sexy and attractive again because of him.

But of course, that's not all the story... despite their fast growing love for each other, and the idyllic pleasure that Miranda receives at Patrick's hands, there are terrifying difficulties in their path and agonizing choices they have to make. No sooner have they found each other than they face being wrenched apart again, and worse than that, the specter of extinction looms over Patrick...

So, if all that sounds intriguing, you might like to give A TOUCH OF HEAVEN a whirl. It's available now from Samhain Publishing and a variety of other ebook outlets, and you can read a taster excerpt of it here at my web site.

Oh, and lest he doesn't sound particularly angelic in the traditional sense... Patrick does have wings. They're big and white-feathered and very powerful... and sometimes he actually flies!

Check out an excerpt of A TOUCH OF HEAVEN here

Check out A TOUCH OF HEAVEN here at Samhain Publishing, along with another excerpt

ps. here's a pic of how Patrick might look with his clothes on... ;)

SWEET CONFESSIONS out now!

"22 superbly written erotic stories for couples looking to spice up their bedtime reading. Violet Blue is quite simply the best in the business when it comes to erotica for couples. She edits with both a sharp eye and a knack for what lovers are looking for, with scenarios ranging from the sweet to the surprising and the tantalisingly forbidden. In SWEET CONFESSIONS, the inciting fantasies explored include spanking, exhibitionism, role-playing, three-ways and sexy adventures that arouse and inspire couples to reach new heights of passion."


I'm very proud to say that I have a short story in this exciting new collection, edited by the legendary Violet Blue. In Silver Screen, an unnamed girl gets herself into a crazy, erotic scrape in a sleazy 'adult' cinema whilst playing a daring power game with her wickedly dominant boyfriend. Even when he's not around, she can't resist his outrageous challenges...


Click here to read a hot excerpt of Silver Screen, with links to buy the collection

I could not resist this!

see more Lol Celebs

I love this... but in the UK, of course, it would be "I'm on yer ITV3..."

Two excerpts today at Lime's place!

If you want to read exclusive excerpts of my forthcoming Samhain Publishing title A TOUCH OF HEAVEN, and my self published menage novella POWER OF THREE, nip over to the online home of my fabulous Twitter buddy Limecello!

http://limecello.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/ttportiadacosta/

It's POWER OF THREE day!

It's 'official' release day today for my naughty new erotic menage novella, POWER OF THREE, a new title from Walk on the Wild Side Books.

Here's the blurb:

Sun-drenched days and lush steamy nights stir strange desires in singleton Laurie Jones. She's been betrayed by her philandering fiancé, but that doesn't mean her libido is dead, no way. In fact the rampant hedonism of the lovers' resort where she's spending her solo honeymoon only makes her feel hornier than ever. Especially when she watches her raunchy neighbours cavorting in a blatant threesome.

But relief is at hand for Laurie in the form of Ed and Denny, two gorgeous hunks sharing another nearby cabana. Golden boy Denny, and dark, enigmatic Ed are red hot for each other, but they also adore women too, and the sexy, generous pair quickly draw Laurie into a sizzling erotic ménage that not only expands her sexual horizons in a way that blows her mind, but also heals the pain inflicted upon her by her lost fiancé.

As the holiday progresses, the three explore each other's bodies in a feast of sensual pleasure and experimentation, forming a close bond that's as emotional as it is physical.

But only too soon, it's time to go back home...

Can Laurie's simmering Caribbean idyll become something much deeper when she returns to the cooler shores of England? Can her holiday fling become the love of a lifetime... with two men?

17000 words/approx 43 pages

Click here for a super steamy excerpt and some links to buy POWER OF THREE

Another frisky, but gorgeous cover!

Here's the deliciously risque cover for my next Spice Brief, ANOTHER CHANCE, which comes out in September. It's linked to an earlier story CHANCE OF A LIFETIME. It's set at Blaystock Manor again and has the same BDSM theme, but a different couple.

Check out an excerpt here.

It's showcase day for FORBIDDEN TREASURES

Forbidden Treasures is showcased today at the Walk on the Wild Side Books blog!

Why not click on over and find out about my naughty BDSM novelette. :)

Showcasing Forbidden Treasures

More delicious fiction from Saskia!

It's showcase day at Walk on the Wild Side Books today for DOUBLE DARE, a super erotic romance by my best buddy, Saskia Walker! DOUBLE DARE is a backlist title, released by Saskia as an ebook at the much lower price of $3.99/£2.80. Fantastic value, as I read this yummy novel when it was originally released and I can vouch its deliciousness. Zac is a particularly intriguing and scrumptious hero. DOUBLE DARE won the Passionate Plume award for the best contemporary erotic romance of 2006.

Here's the blurb:

Two hearts entangled in a steamy affair and a truth or dare game brought about by a mutual desire for erotic discovery...

Investment broker Abigail Douglas has got it all, but Abby—the woman—longs for a secret affair, a playmate who knows nothing about her high-powered business world, and Zac Bordino might just be the man. He’s mysterious and sexy—just right for Abby’s walk on the wild side—but very soon she finds that she wants more, and his mysterious, evasive nature makes her curious. Is there more to this sexy, entrepreneurial club owner than meets the eye? And why does she suddenly feel as if her every move is being watched?

Zac Bordino is perplexed when he realizes that the woman managing his business investments is the same woman he’s having an affair with. She’s pretending to be a little nobody out for a good time, and because she’s a red hot number he plays along, cautiously observing her to get to the truth. From high-powered offices in London to pulse-pounding nightclubs in Paris, they find an insatiably perfect match in business and in pleasure. But when Zac begins to fall for Abby, he has to decide whether to reveal the secret link between them, or try to win her heart first.

DOUBLE DARE is 79,000 words in length, a hot contemporary erotic romance. As I said, it has been published before, but now has a gorgeous new cover. It contains graphic m/f sex scenes - super steamy!

You can read an excerpt here. The book is now available for download from Kindle US,Kindle UK, Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, and Diesel Books. Do check it out!

Double the goodness!

It's a most auspicious day! My friend and critique partner, the wonderful Saskia Walker, has not one but two fantastic reads published today. THE HARLOT is a big, lusty, full blooded romp of a historical erotic novel - with a paranormal twist. It's set in eighteenth century Scotland and features one of the best heroines I've read in a long time, the bold and bawdy Jessie Taskill, who's the harlot of the title. And if you love Jessie and her world, you'll also enjoy THEIR PRIVATE ARRANGEMENT, a shorter work, which features supporting characters from THE HARLOT, who come out to play in their own saucy story.

Here are the summaries and some advance reviews...

It is a Dark Era, one when a lusty lass will do what she must to survive. Even if it means bartering flesh for a palmful of coins… 


Forced to watch her mother burned at the stake and separated from her siblings in the aftermath, Jessie Taskill is similarly gifted, ripe with a powerful magic that must stay hidden. Until one night when she's accused by a rival, and Jessie finds herself behind prison walls with a roguish priest unlike any man of the cloth she has known. 


In reality, Gregor Ramsay is as far from holy as the devil himself, but his promise of freedom in return for her services may be her salvation. Locked into a dubious agreement, Jessie resents his plan to have her seduce and ruin his lifelong enemy. But toying with Gregor's lust for her is enjoyable, and she agrees to be his pawn while secretly intending to use him just as he is using her.

"Take one gorgeous rogue seeking vengeance and a desperate woman charged with witchcraft, toss them together with a healthy dose of lust and you've got an enticing tale of revenge, justice and magic." RT Book Reviews magazine

"This is a very erotic read and one that gradually engages the heart and pulls the reader into the story. This is one of those books where I was so strongly tempted to go to the end and find out what happened to these two. It is historically accurate and within that context is an accurate reflection of that culture. I highly recommend it and feel it is really a very fine read." Judith, Good Reads reader.

"The Harlot is about finding redemption unexpectedly, being able to trust and love again, as well as moving forward. I feel many historical romance readers and fans of Ms. Walker's will not be disappointed in this new work." Ali, Nocturne Romance reads

You can read more and find buy links here.

Scotland, 1715 


Duggan Moore has always stirred maidservant Morag's womanly desires. Even though Duggan is in a clandestine relationship with James Grant, he wants Morag as well -- and James doesn't want to deny him any pleasure. Soon, all three are exploring their mutual passion ... together. 


But officials have come to town to hunt an accused witch ... putting the threesome at risk. Can they find a way to keep their private arrangement safe?

Go here to read an excerpt and/or download the story.

If you love beautiful writing and cracking good storytelling, do yourself a great big favour and check out these two super stories!  :)