I'm Christmas visiting today...

with my buddy Madelynne Ellis, who's running a fun Advent calendar at the moment. Behind today's door there's a saucy excerpt from A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT!

Advent Calender Day 19: Portia Da Costa

What's happening at the moment...

Gah, sorry for the long silence here. I'm the most hopeless blogger on the face of the earth. Even when I've got news to announce, I tend to blank on ways to convey it and blog about it. Shameful, when writing is my trade...

So what's the latest?

My most recent publication is a short story in the lovely Rachel Kramer Bussel's PASSION anthology.

This is a selection of hot but romantic stories from a variety of authors including Rachel herself, my brilliant critique partner and all round literary life support pal Saskia Walker, and other online buddies like Justine Elyot and Charlene Teglia, plus many more fabulous folk. My effort is THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT and features an unlikely hero, a hated and feared 'management consultant' who comes in to sort out the company where the heroine works. But when Susie meets Noah out of hours, in a bar, she discovers he's not quite the ogre she's made him out to be at work... in fact, he's a sexy hunk with a much more amenable side to his nature.

Here's a mini snippet of THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT, plus some links so you can buy PASSION!

In terms of what I'm writing at the moment... Well, I'm working on the early stages of a proposal for my second Spice novel. I have one or two different notions... I won't grace them with the word ideas as they're still so vague they hardly earn that title... but the strongest contender seems to be something I'm just calling Diamonds for the moment. It involves a Victorian inheritance, and a pair of distant cousins with issues - both between one another, and with other people and situations. Adela and Wilson Ruffington don't really like each other all that much, although they can't deny a mutual attraction. Both are somewhat spiky and difficult characters, and not what you'd classically call "beautiful people". I'm at the very early stages with Diamonds, though, and have only written half of a scene... and have very little plot to speak of, as yet.

Prior to working on Diamonds, I completed A Gentlewoman's Dalliance, which is #4 in my Victorian Ladies' Sewing Circle series for Harlequin Spice Briefs. In this one, naughty prime time lady, Mrs. Mary Brigstock indulges in kinky fun with her hubby... and a handsome young 'specialist'. Oooh, la, la! I'm hoping to post a teaser of that one soon on my web site, along with one from #3, A Gentlewoman's Rescue, in which lady bicyclist Lucy falls off her bike and almost straight into the arms of Ethan, a deliciously earthy hunk with a secluded country cottage.

These two stories won't be available until September 2012 and March 2013 respectively, alas. Sob, sob, sob... But in the meantime, you can still whet your appetite for my Victorian writing with my first two Ladies' Sewing Circle outings: A Gentlewoman's Predicament and A Gentlewoman's Ravishment, the risqué adventures of Circle members Sofia and Prudence respectively.

That's all for the moment, but I hope to post again tomorrow [yeah, right...] with news of what's in the pipeline for next year and beyond in terms of writing and book and story releases...

A Wonderful Review of my Ladies!

"The Ladies' Sewing Circle"

I just received the most wonderful review for my two Ladies' Sewing Circle stories, from Wendy the Superlibrarian, over at The Good, The Bad and The Unread. Wendy has always written thoughtful and positive reviews of my work, and even though she's used to me writing contemporary set stories, I seem to have hit the mark for her with my first historical offerings too. Wahey!

"I’m a fan of Portia Da Costa’s brand of erotica mostly because of her heroines. She writes really fun, strong heroines. The kind of girls I’d like to be friends with, have a drink at the local pub with, or watch chick flicks with while digging our way through a box of chocolates. I also like that she has a strong contemporary writing voice. So when I heard she was working on some Victorian-set erotic romances for Harlequin, I was immediately intrigued. Will her “voice” work as well in historical as it does in contemporary?" ~ Wendy the Superlibrarian

Why not nip on over and see what she has to say...

DDS Review: The Ladies’ Sewing Circle by Portia Da Costa

Thank you, SuperWendy! :)

Ebook fun!

I think this is so cool from my friends at Diesel Ebooks!

Earl of Diesel's Risque Parlor Bundle

Contains:

Devil's Pearl
A Gentlewoman's Predicament
A Gentlewoman's Ravishment
Her Dark Master

Sewing Circles, Sex Slaves, and Ravishment, all in a typical Regency/Victorian afternoon...

A jolly collection of saucy historical rompage, containing 2 of mine and 2 more hot stories by other authors.

Buy here from Diesel eBooks!

And here's news of another vintage Portia title now in Kindle format...

THE TUTOR

Rosalind Howard takes a job as personal librarian to the enigmatic and handsome Julian Hadey. Employed to catalogue his vast archive of erotica, she soon finds herself presented with a still more intriguing challenge.

The Tutor is one of my older titles, first published around 1995, and I'm thrilled that it's finally available again in a new format. 

Buy from Kindle Store UK

Listed at  Kindle Store US- check back for availability

Read a naughty excerpt - Julian has sexy thoughts and takes action ;)

News, reviews, links

Well, not all that much news, really. The main thing is that I've heard back from my agent about In The Flesh and she thinks it's "excellent"! She's also very pleased that I've completed it in time to submit it to the editor a full two months before my stated deadline.

I've also received a couple of lovely reviews for my Ladies' Sewing Circle titles, A Gentlewoman's Predicament and A Gentlewoman's Ravishment, both from author, editor and reviewer Lucy Felthouse. Lucy has long been a supporter of my work, and I'm delighted that she's enjoyed my latest offerings.

Here's what she has to say about A Gentlewoman's Predicament...

I’ve read lots of Portia Da Costa’s work in the past, but this is the first historical erotica of hers that I’ve read. And I have to say that although it’s a huge departure from her contemporary stuff, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s been so brilliantly written that you forget that you’re actually in modern times, as opposed to Victorian England. The tone, the language and the dialogue are perfectly crafted and it makes for a fab read!

Read the full review here!

And now, her thoughts on A Gentlewoman's Ravishment...

This is a fabulous story in this series from Portia Da Costa. I actually preferred this to the first, and based on these two, can’t wait to see what’s going to happen to the Victorian ladies next. Recommended.

Read the full review here!

I'd also like to point my visitors in the direction of a fantastic new web site set up by Lucy...

EROTICA FOR ALL

This is a fast growing hub of information for authors and readers of erotica and erotic romance, and features author bios, excerpts, and competitions and giveaways. There's also a forum where readers and authors can interact. Why not surf along there now and check it out! 

Belated release day for A GENTLEWOMAN'S RAVISHMENT

"I'd love to be abducted and ravished by some handsome brigand or pirate..."

When the women of the Ladies' Sewing Circle share their private fantasies, some are shocked by Mrs. Prudence Enderby's secret desire. But Prudence cannot imagine life without such exotic daydreams—especially since they arouse her husband, too!

Yet Prudence never imagined she would actually be whisked off the street by a mysterious masked man who has his wicked way with her in a carriage. Taking her back to a boudoir appointed for pleasure, he continues to bring every one of her fantasies to life. But nothing could be more surprising than when Prudence finally learns who is behind this gentlewoman's ravishment...

A GENTLEWOMAN'S RAVISHMENT was actually published on Tuesday, 1st June, but alas I've been a bit poorly with some kind of horrible stomach flu lurgy and wasn't able to announce it on time. But never mind, here it is, complete with its adorable cover, and I hope you'll all enjoy it! If you enjoyed A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT you'll be pleased to meet an old friend from that story too. 

Here's a naughty excerpt and some links to various ebook stores to buy it.

New sales!

I'm thrilled to announce that Harlequin have accepted another of my short stories for the Spice Briefs line! This one is called A VERY PERSONAL ASSISTANT and is about what happens when the relationship between a dynamic female executive and her handsome and sexy P.A. takes an unexpected turn down the path towards pervy eroticism. I'm particularly delighted that this story will see the light of publishing day, because it's my first sale inspired by my latest muse, Patrick Jane from the The Mentalist. Of course *my* Patrick isn't a police consultant with almost supernatural powers of observation... but he certainly does bear a startling resemblance to a certain Mr. Jane. In my mind at least. He might appear quite different to someone else reading the story... :)

 
But that's not the end of the good news. The editors at Harlequin not only accepted this particular story, but they asked if I would write two additional ones for the line too. These stories aren't specified or written yet, but this is the ideal opportunity to pen a couple more tales in the LADIES' SEWING CIRCLE series, and I already have several ideas that I'd like to flesh out for these commissions. So hopefully in the future, you'll be able to read about new heroines who are the friends of Sofia [A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT] and Prudence [A GENTLEWOMAN'S RAVISHMENT] and discover what naughty escapades they get up to!

Isn't this luscious?

Here's the sumptuous cover for my June Spice Brief, A GENTLEWOMAN'S RAVISHMENT.

Isn't it divine?

If you want to learn more about this naughty story from the Ladies' Sewing Circle, there's a blurb and excerpt here.

And you can also pre-order if you so wish here at eHarlequin.

For maximum enjoyment, remember to read A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT first!

Ooh, look, featured ebook at eHarlequin today!

Ooh, look whose Spice Brief is the featured ebook at eHarlequin today! Check it out!

Fun with ebooks!

I think ebooks are brilliant, and I'm starting to build up quite a collection of them on my Sony Reader, but the problem for a writer is that with an ebook, you don't get the thrill of holding the individual volume in your hands when the crisp, immaculate author copies arrive... or do you? ;)

LOL! Yes, I've been playing with Photoshop again instead of getting on with my writing! Nifty, though, eh?

A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT has been out four days now, and it's received its first four star review on Goodreads from Tracyene, who loved it and can't wait for the next in the series. Wonderfully heartening to hear her good opinion! :)

"Predicament" is also starting to appear at a variety of different digital outlets and can now be purchased from eHarlequin, Kindle, Sony eBook Store, Mills and Boon, Books on Board, Fictionwise and Diesel eBook Store. So if you haven't yet indulged, why not give "Madame" Chamfleur and "her" naughty stable of hot Victorian studs a whirl, eh?

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."

Oooh, A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT goes live!

Am very excited today, as A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT has just gone live at eHarlequin for pre-order!

This is a big thrill for me, as I'm sort of officially a historical romance author now, and this is a first peek into the overall 'world' of IN THE FLESH, too, although the characters from the novel don't actually appear in this short. Sofia Harewood, the heroine of Gentlewoman, does however go on to appear not only in the sequel, A GENTLEWOMAN'S RAVISHMENT, but also as a supporting character - under her new married name - in IN THE FLESH.

Something fun, on the Harlequin page, that I hadn't expected, is that the two Gentlewoman books also have a series title - THE LADIES' SEWING CIRCLE! At the moment, there are only the two Briefs, and a reference to the Circle in the novel, but now I'm fancying writing some more short stories about the Ladies who gather, not so much to embroider but to sew seeds of mischief amongst one another. Maybe they could even feature in longer works, such as another novel, or novellas?

Writing more Victorians would be lots of fun for me to do, and also, more stories set in that era would justify my extravagance on books and magazines about those times! Only this morning, I received a copy of The Times from 1889... fascinating stuff!

A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT - available at eHarlequin

ps. as the Brief becomes available at other outlets, I'll post info here and on its page at my site.

First sighting - A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT

Wahey! Here's the delicious cover for my first historical Spice Brief, a Victorian set story called A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT.

Isn't it smashing? Super sexy, but in a subtle and tasteful way. I love it that he's got his clothes *on*!

"Predicament" is due out on the 1st May '10, with it's linked story A GENTLEWOMAN'S RAVISHMENT to follow in June.

Here's a brief excerpt of A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT. Hope you like it!

Exciting News!!!!

I'm thrilled to announce that I've been offered a two book contract to write erotic romance novels for Harlequin Spice, the big sister of Spice Briefs, the line of short erotic fiction I've been writing for since last November.

I don't have full details of publication and delivery as yet, but the first book will be the critter I've been calling Victorianoid, which is actually an erotic romance set in the late 1880s, provisionally entitled IN THE FLESH. It's a kind of Victorian 'Indecent Proposal', with a feisty heroine, determined to make the best of a tricky situation she's got herself into, and a hot, sexually voracious, very alpha Victorian gentlemen who takes a fancy to her. I think it's going to be lots of fun!

IN THE FLESH is loosely linked to A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT and A GENTLEWOMAN'S RAVISHMENT which come out back to back as Spice Briefs next Spring!

Not sure yet what the second book of the deal will be... but I'll worry about that when the time comes! :)



------------------------------------------------------
Eating: potato snacks
Watching: Airforce Afghanistan
Reading: various
Writing: nothing today
Feeling: excited!!!!

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... ;)

A strange and wonderful day!

First of all, here are my newly dyed eyelashes, ready for RWA. They might not look anything special, but believe me, they look twice as long as they did before, due to the pale tips now being a beautiful shade of blue-black. :) Note also the tidy brows as opposed to the previous Neanderthal Babe look...

Today's big news broke, however, just as I was setting off for the La Femme Beauty Rooms. Got a phone call from my agent, with various bits of news... and the big kicker of me having sold four short stories/mini novellas to Spice Briefs!!!

I can barely believe this. In fact I keep waiting to wake up. I was very, very cautiously hopeful about these stories, but the reality of selling them still seems amazing. I've actually only written two of them. One is A Gentlewoman's Predicament, my naughty Victorian thingie, and the other is Twice the Pleasure, a menage a trois story, which is the first in a trio of shorts entitled Risque Reunions, all based around a ten year school reunion. I just have outlines for stories #2 and #3, but they're pretty clear in my mind, and shortish, of course, so I can't wait to get my teeth into them and polish them off too.

The timing of this news is fantastic too, and will help no end with my confidence levels at RWA! At the moment I feel as if I could almost float across to San Francisco, no jet required!

More news as and when it breaks...

an insane orgy of widgets

That's what my blog is turning into!

I'm especially fond of countdowns, and you'll see a new one on the left, already counting down to the end of the new Sweat with Sven Challenge that starts on Saturday! I'm sponsoring again, and I'll be trying to set a good, industrious example, but awkwardly, for the first couple of weeks, I'll probably be editing In Too Deep rather than adding new words to a WIP! But even if I'm not racking up the wordcount, I'll still be cheering everyone on and hopefully motivating everyone with words of wisdom. Not mine, 'cos I have no wisdom to speak of, but bon mots from the great and the good of the writing world!

Talking of the great and the good, check out the list of Sweatmates... there are some pretty big names amongst the throng!

Today, I sent my Victorian extravaganza to my lovely and long suffering critique partner and... she loved it! Yippee! I sort of knew it had a certain je ne sais quoi myself, but with me not being a regular historical writer, I really wasn't confident to judge. Any road up, Mrs. Sofia Harewood and her naughty 'educational' chums have been lobbed off to my agent, who will read their story, sigh at it's magnifience, then lob it off to the lovely editor, who will also sigh, think 'this woman is awesome... I need to give her a huge contract... for she is the next big thing'... and I will be in Tesco buying champagne instead of bottled water and alcohol free lager!

victorian frolics... and a fun new board

Yesterday and today, I've been working on a long short story/short novella that's set in Victorian times. It's about this rich widow who decides that next time around, she wants her sex life to be a bit more exciting, so seeks advice from a mysterious therapist called 'Madame Chamfort' and gets rather more than she bargained for...

I'm not a historical author as a rule. [Hysterical, yes, but not historical]. So A GENTLEWOMAN'S PREDICAMENT is probably wildly anachronistic and a bit mental into the bargain, but it's been surprisingly entertaining to write. It's originally inspired by a short I wrote sometime back in the actual Victorian age, but I've twisted it and mauled it and improved it and generally shoved a lot more blokes into it. Here's one of them, the whiskery, sturdy, but very naughty/sexy Ambrose... vaguely familiar, you'll note. ;)

I've finished the first draft of this bunch of nonsense, and now it's to go off to my critique partner, and then my agent, then to a nice editor who will hopefully say, 'Portia, you're a genius! I'll take it!'

More nonsensical fantasy there...

And here's something new for fans of Black Lace, whether they be readers, authors, or prospective authors. The fabulous Madelynne Ellis, with a tiny bit of foofery from me, has set up a fandabidosy new Black Lace Chat Board!

Click the ugly logo that I designed in order to visit us and say hello!