Doctor Sleep - my mini review

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this!

Danny Torrance is a wonderful character grown up, with many of his father's qualities, both good and bad. But despite his ups and downs, he's a much stronger and more likeable man than Jack. I like the references to The Shining, but Doctor Sleep could standalone, if you hadn't read the first book. I wouldn't say this is the very greatest of King, but it's a good one, fairly high up there. A very satisfying read. The baddies are particularly creepy, and yet in places, you almost feel sympathy for them. Not much, but because Stephen King is so good a writer, it's there.

And there's one master touch, right at the end, that brought a tear to my eye. A character that I thought had almost been forgotten about, but who's used beautifully to show the tremendous growth and evolution of Dan Torrance throughout the story.

Doctor Sleep has put me back on a Stephen King reading binge, the kind I used to go on donkey's years ago. I've just bought three more of his for my Kindle! :)

View all my reviews

 

A Doubly Auspicious Day!

Just sweeping in for a quick blog post to mark a doubly auspicious day!

The first happening is the publication day of THE ACCIDENTAL MISTRESS, the second novel in my 'Accidental' trilogy about bold, impulsive Lizzie Aitchison and John Smith, the gorgeous multi-millionaire she first met when he mistook her for a high class escort in THE ACCIDENTAL CALL GIRL.

MISTRESS is about John and Lizzie trying to negotiate a proper relationship, rather than just what seemed like a lovely, but temporary fling, in CALL GIRL. It's a very sexy story, naturally, but it's all about the two of them working out other issues too, and balancing two lives that are very, very different.

You can find out more information about THE ACCIDENTAL MISTRESS and read an excerpt HERE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The other exciting thing going on at the moment is the arrival of yet another cat at Casa Da Costa!

This is Prince a cat we've adopted all the way from France! Himself went down to the Loire Valley, on a motor cycling holiday, to stay with some friends, and while he was there, he struck up a relationship with a stray cat who'd... well... just been abandoned by his owners. One day Prince had a home, and someone to feed him etc, then next, they upped sticks and went, leaving him behind to forage for himself. I find this unbelievable, but some people are like that. Prince had been on his own since April, eating lizards and whatever else he could catch, but once himself started feeding him and paying him attention, he instantly became friendly and appreciative. Cat and man formed a bond, and himself knew he couldn't just up sticks and leave Prince!

Of course himself couldn't bring him back there and then, not only because of being on the motorbike, but because of animal import formalities, but he's just been back in the car, a month later, and has brought Prince home to live here with us. He's currently confined to the living room, with Mork, Mindy and Felix shut out of that room, so we can effect a gradual and diplomatic introduction when Prince has had time to recover from the journey. He's already settled well, has been eating lots, and has shown instant affection to me. He's a real sweetie!

Semi Hibernation

I'm sorry that this blog isn't amounting to much these days. Deadlines, health issues, you name it, mean that I don't have much time for blogging and have to focus on writing or micro blogging on Twitter or Facebook.

So, for the moment, I'm putting the blog into semi hibernation, and leaving you with a cute pic of our latest cat, FELIX. He's a former housemate of Mork and Mindy, but not related. When we took them, we believed Felix was going to be properly cared for... but it turned out he was neglected, so we took him too, and reunited him with Mork and Mindy. They're not great friends, but have a workable relationship, and Felix seems enormously contented to have found a proper home at last.

As I say, even though I'm not blogging here, I'm reasonably active on Twitter and Facebook, so follow me there! :)

http://twitter.com/PortiaDaCosta

http://www.facebook.com/portiadacosta

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portia-Da-Costa-Author/17924191491

Diamonds in the Rough... out everywhere!

Well, sort of everywhere... 

Even though friends report seeing DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH in UK shops like W H Smith, the print version seems tricky to get hold of online thus far, although the Mills and Boon web site has copies available. There are tons of places to get a digital version though.

Anyway... DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH is here, and it's the second full length novel in my Victorian set Ladies' Sewing Circle series, and pretty much my big self indulgent Sherlock Holmes fantasy. The handsome hero Wilson Ruffington is a 'consulting scientist' rather than a consulting detective, but he shares many of Sherlock Holmes' eccentricities, although with one significant exception. Whereas The Great Detective was canonically portrayed as asexual, Wilson is very sexual indeed! Especially when it comes to his dealings with his distant cousin Adela, who he can't seem to keep his elegant scientific hands off. 

Feisty, independent Adela Ruffington is similarly drawn to Wilson. She finds him physically irresistible, even though otherwise, there's nothing but antipathy between them. Wilson can be self absorbed and thoughtless, his mind full of his science, and that means he doesn't always employ much in the way of tact and delicacy, even though his heart is very much in the right place. 

These two fiery and pugnacious lovers have a lot of issues to contend with. Due to a complicated will, Wilson inherits all of Adela's grandfather's enormous wealth, leaving her, and her mother and her sisters as good as penniless... and that's not all of it. Wilson is also the lover who took her virginity, back when they were both young and infatuated with each other, and adding injury to insult, he then he caused her to break her nose, when she fled from him after an almighty argument!

So, many obstacles stand between these two. It almost seems impossible for them ever to get along as friends, never mind as sweethearts... and yet, somehow, they're drawn together again, to face their own demons, and as a team, a couple, and even as husband and wife, they join forces to banish the problems of other people that they both care about.

For a flavour of their relationship, read an excerpt here:

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

And if that whets your appetite, you can purchase Diamonds in the Rough from one of these outlets:

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH - links

Digital Kindle US Kindle UK Nook UK Kobo Diesel Ebooks All Romance Ebooks Harlequin

Print Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com W H Smith Harlequin Waterstones

Digital and Print Barnes and Noble Mills and Boon

Here it is on the shelves of W H Smith, piccie courtesy of my author buddy Saskia Walker!

For one day only!!!!!

OFFER EXPIRED NOW...

IN THE FLESH is Mills and Boon's Bank Holiday Special today! Only 99p!

It's always hot, but grab it while it's cheap! :)

Click the graphic for all the buying stuff... 

Gorgeous!

Isn't this gorgeous? It's the UK cover of Diamonds in the Rough, available now in epub from the Mills & Boon site, with print version to follow. Should be on Amazon UK in June.

The US cover is pretty fabulous too...

This US version is available on Amazon.com on 28th June!

Go to Portia's Prose for a hot excerpt!

Hot excerpt of THE ACCIDENTAL MISTRESS - click here!

Another REVEAL excerpt!

There's another hot excerpt of THE ACCIDENTAL CALL GIRL available on the Reveal Magazine site!

Check it out here:

The Accidental Call Girl - our second scorching extract!

The Accidental Call Girl... Revealed!

REVEAL magazine is currently featuring a very hot excerpt of THE ACCIDENTAL CALL GIRL in their online edition! 

It's a scene where Lizzie first realises that the gorgeous older man she's met in a bar is into BDSM, and seductive enigmatic John reveals his true, kinky colours...

Why not check it out if you've not delved into the Accidental world of John and Lizzie yet?

The Accidental Call Girl - Sexy New Fiction in Reveal

Mork and Mindy update

It's about three months now, since Mork and Mindy came to live with us... and here's a shot of Mindy asleep on my best dressing gown, on the bed, as an example of just how relaxed they are. :)

These two adorable cats have really settled in now, and we can tell that they're happy with us. They've bloomed now they live in a catcentric home, and are becoming more and more confident with every day that passes. In the last few days, they've passed another milestone, and have begun to go outside, via the cat flap and explore the area of the garden and its surroundings. They don't tend to stay out long, or go far, but I think the fact that they are free to come and go now has only added to their self assurance.

Surprisingly, Mindy is the bolder of the two. At first it seemed as if Mork, the big lad, was the most daring, but now it's become apparent that his smaller, daintier sister has got more 'bottle'. But Mork is following her lead... and sometimes he likes to assert himself by chasing her around a bit. She takes no notice though, or just chases him back if he gets too uppity. At most times they're simply devoted to each other, and to see them snuggled up and grooming each other just melts our hearts.

Cheap and Cheerful @ Amazon!

I've reduced the Amazon price on the following titles to only .99c or whatever the equivalent is in your local currency!

These are quick reads, short and hot but long on spicy sex! :)

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?

5,000 words

 Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk

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?

10,000 words

Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk 

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.

9,800 words

Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk

 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!

5,700 words

Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk

Vickie and Terrence both have sexual secrets, and neither one quite knows what's going on in the other's head when they're making love. But one day, Vickie reveals her "Naughty Thoughts", her dark and dangerous fantasies about being punished and dominated... and discovers a brand new, thrilling side to Terrence, and a powerful man who likes to play spanking games. The Dom of Vickie's dreams is the familiar lover who's already in her bed.

3,400 words

Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk

So, as they say where I live... fill your boots now!

IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS has a new cover!

I love designing covers for my self published work... and here's the result of my latest efforts. A brand new cover for my little collection of three linked romantic BDSM stories, IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS. I'm really pleased with it, and even though it's not a 'in your face' sexually as the previous version, I think it's far more erotic, because of that tricky, provocative smile on handsome Sebastian's face. You just know that a man with a smile like that is going to blow your mind!

With this latest round of covers I'm doing, I'm trying to create a uniform look that harmonises with, and connects to, the kind of utterly fabulous covers I've had lately for my Black Lace novels. It's a form of branding, if you will, although I'm not sure I like that term.

But the thing is... I work just as hard on my self published titles as I do on my traditionally published ones. I push for the same high standard, and create the same kind of characters and settings and storylines. Self published Portia is just the same as traditionally published Portia, and if you like the stuff I write for Black Lace and for Harlequin, you'll like the self published stories too. Some are shorter works, but hopefully, you'll find that they're tasty snacks, while the novels are full on dinners with several courses.

You'll find a list of my self published titles here, if you want to see what's on the menu:

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

And if you want to know more about Sebastian, here's the blurb:

When Megan meets Sebastian Holmwood at a fancy dress party, she little realizes how her life is going to change. Sebastian is a beautiful and unusual man with an irresistible dark mystique about him. The glint in his silver blue eyes, and the velvet rasp of his deep baritone voice make her want to do crazy things. Suddenly she finds herself longing to play perverse erotic games almost beyond her imagination. She wants Sebastian to spank her, touch her, dominate her, take her over in every way possible... and she knows that with him, the pleasure she earns will blow her mind.

Sebastian Holmwood is a dominant master who's never quite found his perfect submissive... until he meets Megan, dressed as Little Bo Peep, and carrying a crook that looks suspiciously like a punishment cane. Something about Megan's blend of naivety and mischief, and her bold willingness to follow his lead, speak to his dominant soul as a never before, and he knows he won't rest until he's spanked her and much, much more.

There's an excerpt and some background, as well as buying links here:

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

And if you want to plunge straight in and treat yourself, here are those links:

Available from All Romance eBooks, Smashwords, Diesel Ebooks, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony, Amazon Kindle UK and Amazon Kindle US

iTunes links here

Also available in the Delicious Pain anthology - click for info