retooled GH cover

Here's the new, slightly reworked trade paperback sized cover of GOTHIC HEAT. Much the same as before, although I must say I preferred it when you could actually see the kiss. But, I can't complain at the size of my name... it's gigantic. The print, that is, not my name as in my rep as a writer! LOL

In other news it's a v. slow start today. For one reason or another I was up until 1am this morning, surfing the web and watching stupid television, and now I'm knackered. Not conducive to clear thinking and story telling, no way... And something has dawned on me about IN TOO DEEP in the last day or so. I'm approaching the half way mark and there hasn't been an actual shag yet!!! Loads of looking, teasing, fiddling about, erotic challenging, fantasising and exchanging of rude letters and sexy IMs... and even a blow job. But no full on how's yer father.

Some kind of weird erotic romance novel, eh?

--
Telly: nothing yet today
Choc/Yummy: soon
Mood: okay
Writing: thinking about ITD
Reading: WebUser
RSI/FMS: tired, achy, so what's new?


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

bribes v. threats

The Prof is trying a different tactic with me, as opposed to the threats I endure from Mr Blue and Kuffer! Will it work? We'll see...

Yesterday was tough going. As usual, I got sidetracked by something, as I mostly do and didn't do any writing during the actual day time... I spent most of my time trying to find out about standard book sizes, as it now looks like my Black Lace novels will be published in a trade paperback size from next April onwards. Gothic Heat will be the first one in this new format, so watch this space for the slightly revised cover. Quite similar to the first version, only my name is freaking enormous!

Any road up, tortured by guilt I was driven to start writing in the evening, and actually managed a fairly presentable 1.1K. As usual the value of said words remains debatable, but at least it's something to edit. I do often wonder if I should try and get more action into my writing [no, not that kind of action...]. A lot of writers have their characters racing around fighting villains or supernatural beings or going to places and generally being energetic, whereas most of my writing seems to feature just two people sitting in a smallish room playing games of psychological and erotic oneupmanship with each other... and as often as not, it's not even actual shagging! I suppose this is because I'm sadly depleted in the plotting gene...

So, what's your preference... Loads of fights and actions scenes and derring do? Or enigmatic smiles and staring each other out while the inner arousal level climbs to critical mass?

--
Telly: not yet
Choc/Yummy: not yet
Mood: okay
Writing: not yet
Reading: Along for the Ride - Michelle Pillow
RSI/FMS: bit sore, tired


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Kuffer has something to say...

Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

flippin hawt....

Got a fabulous mention over the weekend at Bella Michelle's wonderful Romance B[u]y the Blog. I just swung by as I usually do, to see what was cooking... and found this wonderful post featuring me along with a couple of other erotic romance authors and a fascinating discussion of the sub genre.

It was a lovely surprise to find this... as I'd no idea it was going to appear! :)

Flippin' Hawt

--
Telly: various
Choc/Yummy: mini choc brioche
Mood: mixed
Writing: nothing yet
Reading: ComputerActive
RSI/FMS: bit achey and all that


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

It lives!

After three days of downtime due to stress and crap IN TOO DEEP is finally moving slowly forward again! Have just done a thousand words... thank God for that!


--
Telly: Numb3rs extras
Choc/Yummy: various
Mood: better
Writing: 1K In Too Deep
Reading: nothing much
RSI/FMS: sore and tired


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

so tired...

Not one of mine but very cute... and the graphic says it all.

--
Telly: not yet
Choc/Yummy: not yet
Mood: dull
Writing: none
Reading: none
RSI/FMS: see above


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Lost in Space

Drifting aimlessly, lost my tether, knocked off trajectory by crap and stess... letting down my 'boys'...

--
Telly: Numb3rs
Choc/Yummy: various
Mood: dispirited
Writing: not a bloody thing
Reading: not a bloody thing
RSI/FMS: tired, run down, aching


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

BUDDIES at LUSTBITES

I'm posting at the Lustbites blog today with a fun Q&A [questions posed by my chum Janine Ashbless!] a hot excerpt and a prize draw for people who comment on the post there.

So go here: BUDDIES DON'T BITE

And don't forget to leave a comment so you get a chance of the prize... it's a copy of the Lustbites vamp anthology and a copy of Gothic Blue!!!

--
Telly: Numb3rs S.3
Choc/Yummy: Lindor Dark
Mood: foul/chainsaw
Writing: nothing yet
Reading: nothing yet
RSI/FMS: tired, achy


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

scraping by...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, Professor H, I should be trying to do a tad more than my basic 1K... but it's been a struggle these last few days, to be honest. It's 11.13pm now, and I've just scraped by my goal wordcount. And I'm not sure that the actual words themselves are any good... the text feels a bit dead at the moment.

Thing is, I'm allowing myself to get stressed about things that I really shouldn't get stressed about. Stuff that's just not worth it... meaningless in the grander scale of things. But anyone who visits here regularly will know how I am... I fret over things that I ought to laugh off because they're stupid.

Any road up, crap words or no crap words, I've now officially done a third of In Too Deep! So even if it is total horse plop, there'll be time when the first draft's done to fix it.

And that's a comfort...

--
Telly: Moto GP, Top Gear
Choc/Yummy: Lindor
Mood: fed up with various stuff
Writing: 1K In Too Deep
Reading: nothing much today
RSI/FMS: very sore generally, plus wrists


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

thanks to Saskia!!!

And the delicious skinniccinos and toasties at BB's... I'm in a much, much better mood today!

Writing is a bloody lonely business and while online friendships and associations can be enriching and rewarding, there is nothing, but nothing to beat a face to face with a like-minded chum who's really on the same wavelength. I think the lunches I share every month or two with the wonderful Saskia Walker really help to keep me sane in a world that's sometimes utterly crazy and perplexing.

As usual we were in 'frightening the natives mode', and pretty soon an exclusion zone established itself around us as punters with delicate sensibilities swiftly moved away to tables out of earshot of our frank and occasionally even so slightly raucous [me] talk about writing, erotic romance, publicity, blogging, other authors, promo, editing... and the general bonkersness of the romance author's life. Safely away from the internet and being eavesdropped on by any actual authors/bloggers/online personalities, we can dish the dirt with a delicious lack of inhibition. I would imagine by the time we're finished there are quite a lot of furiously burning ears dotted all around the globe. Saskia, of course, is wiser, kinder and far more generous-spirited than I am, but she tolerantly smiles and listens to my repeated and extended tirades of venting!


--
Telly: nothing much
Choc/Yummy: cheese and ham toastie
Mood: good
Writing: not yet
Reading: ARC
RSI/FMS: tired and achy, but not too bad


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

my mood today

There are so many people annoying me today that I don't even want to begin to list them. I'm in one of my moods of general poisonous resentfulness and ill humour... but fortunately I have one or two nice things that will lift me out of it presently...

• out to lunch tomorrow with fabulous buddy Saskia Walker!
• hair looking splendidly blonde now, due to the ministrations of Anne, my hairdresser supreme
  
• I still have 20 Eppesodes of Season Three of Numb3rs to watch... mmm Charlie goodness!
  
• mmm too for mini choc chip brioches

Not sure if I'll achieve my writing goal today, or tomorrow, but I'm nicely in hand and hey, writing isn't everything in life.

--
Telly: see above
Choc/Yummy: see above
Mood: see above
Writing: not yet
Reading: not in the mood
RSI/FMS: sore and tired


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

HOTBED - out now in the US!

This was not what Natalie had expected. The angry thing she held in her hand didn't seem to belong to the mild, shy man she'd believed she was sitting next to. He felt powerful. Primal. Dominant in a way that bypassed all words. She wanted to get down on her knees and...

Pride comes before a fall... but what if the descent becomes the wildest ride of your life? Two sisters - Natalie and Patti - become rivals when they challenge each other's daring on a dark, downward spiral where nobody is quite who or what they seem, and where transgressing sexual boundaries is the norm.

"Hotbed is a perfect showcase for Portia Da Costa’s inestimable talent." ~ Ashley Lister, Erotica Readers and Writers Association

Read Excerpt

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

--
Telly: Numb3rs Season 3
Choc/Yummy: Lindor Dark
Mood: harassed
Writing: IN TOO DEEP 350 words so far
Reading: in between books
RSI/FMS: very tired and achy


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!