Gosh, I'm sorry...

... that there's been this gap. I haven't been really ill or anything, and nothing particularly drastic has happened. It's just that the Easter Holidays and this occasional 'disconnect' thing of mine has really shaken me out of my usual routine of writing and posting and whatnot. I think all that promo stuff really freaked me out... I've done some of it, and prepped some of the rest of it, but it really really drags me out of my writing 'place' and I'm finding it bloody tough trying to get back into it!

Well, a lot of Easter was spent watching Agatha Christie stuff on ITV3... lots of Poirot, Marple and stuff about Christie herself. I'm not a crime writer, and I never shall be, but some of the insights into what makes her writing so compelling were quite interesting, with possible applications to other kinds of writing.


I haven't read any Christie recently, in fact I probably only read one or two way back when I was in my early teens, but I'm tempted to try some, just to see how they read nowadays... I have a copy of Evil Under The Sun somewhere in my TBR pile, which I bought because I was interested in its setting The Burgh Island Hotel, but so far I haven't really dipped into it.

On the subject of investigations and crime fiction... I enjoyed the last ever Life On Mars last night, and have even found myself snivelling a bit today over the ending. Of course, it's still open to interpretation, but I thought it was beautiful how Sam finally realised exactly where/when he really felt happiest and most alive... and made his choice.


LOM has been a very rare and unusual television event, and I think it will be a while before somebody comes up with something as novel again. Puts me in awe of the creative mind that can have such an audacious fiction idea and then flesh it out in such a coherent yet enigmatic way.

Amongst many of the virtuoso procrastination techniques I've been employing is fiddling with Blogger again... Please note the new header for this blog! It's just a first attempt, but at least I've worked out how to do it, with the help of the Testing Blogger Beta Blog, which has lots and lots of useful information! If you're wanting to fiddle with Blogger and 'do stuff' to it, check it out!

--
Telly: watching Animal Park, thinking about Life On Mars
Chocolate: Hotel Chocolat Happy Face Egg
Mood: unsettled
Writing: nothing
Reading: Madelynne Ellis - Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: achy, disorientated, weepy


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

Agh! B*llocks! Promo activities messing with my head!

For the last few days, I have mainly been doing promo wotsit type stuff to do with Gothic Blue...

Promo is a necessary thing when you're a writer, and can be enormous fun... but sometimes when you get involved with a fair bit of it, all at the same time, you get this disquieting feeling that it's sort of taken over your writing life and expelled all your writing mojo from your grey matter! There must be a harmonious balance between the two... because some authors do manage to be both prolific *and* entertaining and effective at promo as well! Me, I think I have a bit of work to do yet in order to find that equilibrium. At the moment, I have this list of jobs:

• select extract and write accompanying piece for promo blog #1
• answer some questions, compose a short bio and select a promo piece for blog #2
• write short contribution for blog #3
• send out books to various prizewinners
• think about promo angles for Suite Seventeen

And on top of this, I've to come up with some plot outlines/proposals for new books as well as firm up the plot for Smalltown and actually write a bit more of the sucka!!!

So, I'd better stop foofing about and get on with something... no Easter Holiday Break for me!

--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: not yet, but I think that egg is gonna get raided before tomorrow
Mood: slightly desperate
Writing: wot is writing?
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: very, very achey, probably stress related


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

Happy Easter!

--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: guess what?
Mood: okay
Writing: not yet
Reading: not yet
RSI/FMS: so so


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

And the winners are....

lisa f

and

readingissomuchfun

Congratulations! Can you two lovely ladies contact me via the email link on the left with your snail mail addresses and let me know which of my books you've already read, so I can send you something different!

And sorry to everybody the pin on the page didn't hit... :( But it's not all that long until June, when Suite Seventeen comes out in the UK, and I'll be running another blog draw then. And who knows, there may even be other reasons to celebrate before then... so keep dropping in and watching this space!!!

Out and about... plus something to make you giggle!

Nip over to Lustbites today and read a v. naughty encounter between two of the boys from Gothic Blue...

There's another giveaway too... :)

But before you go, just take a butchers at this... It was brought to my attention by the wonderful Diva Lisa over at Romance Divas. Don't you just love Bernard's healthy reaction to being rejected?




NB. You can also still comment on yesterday's post in order to be in for the chance of a prize!

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

Gothic Blue reprint out today in the US!!!

Well, US chums, it's out today, so I hope you're racing to the shops to get it!

It's a long time since I wrote it [1995] but I do remember that Gothic Blue was huge fun to write and the first time I'd forayed into a full length paranormal erotic novel. I'm not sure what else was around at the time, but my editor reckons this was a book ahead of its time, considering how popular paranormal romance is now... And it's definitely a romance. There are two main love relationships in it, and one's so enormous that it spans centuries! There're are also plenty of spooky goings on at mysterious Sedgewick Priory and loads and loads of sex of all persuasions! So I'm really hoping you'll take a visit there and meet sexy Count Andre, Belinda and Jonathan, and quite a cast - for me - of other fairly libidinous characters!

If you wanna try before you buy, there're excerpts here and here and tomorrow there'll be another one over at LustBites.

To celebrate US Gothic Blue Day, I'm going to do a prize draw here today. Just leave a comment on this post - doesn't have to be about GB... can just be a hello - and on Thursday, I'll pick a name at random and announce the winner here! The prize will be a couple of books from my backlist.


--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: not yet
Mood: good
Writing: thinking about Smalltown
Reading: Passion of Isis - Madelynne Ellis
RSI/FMS: not bad


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

where did the day go?

Busy busy busy... networking, networking, networking... as well as walking up into little town and running errands. Quite a bit achieved, really, for me...

And I've even managed to do a bit of writing, and have produced the princely amount of 1.2K words on Smalltown. I decided that I needed to go back and write a bit of a prologue... bringing Jay to the table first, so to speak. I'm not sure how this'll work in a romantic sense, because maybe I should have stuck with Sandy opening the show... but it just feels right to introduce my hero in the first scene, and he is actually thinking about Sandy. Well, more than thinking, if you get my drift... tee hee... It's all gonna haveta be pretty stringently edited though, 'cos not only have I missed out an angsty plot point that I was going to develop... I've also managed to swap the hero and heroine's surnames round! Doh!

While I'm here... Gothic Blue is out in the States again tomorrow! And if you drop by here, you might find something to your advantage... ;)

--
Telly: UK History
Chocolate: cake
Mood: okay
Writing: 1.2K Smalltown
Reading: Romantic Times
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad


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

bloody good movie... and a mixed day...

Watched Master and Commander again last night when we got home from the pub... what a bloody good film that is, with a rip roaring full blooded performance from Mr Crowe. Must admit I like him, and he's pretty tasty as Lucky Jack Aubrey in his tight breeches! Wahey! It's a good film all round though - terrific cinematography, and a wonderful recreation of another time and another world. Very touching in places too.

It's been a weird day today. I seem to have been busy all day, but achieved very little. I've certainly done no writing at all... so far. Himself might be going out to meet his biker buddies a little later on, so I may try and do a tiny bit then. If I'm not too tired. I've mainly been doing promo bits and bobs, and grappling with various things that won't work properly. Have been trying to reformat the MS of Gothic Blue, but it's all out of shape somehow, as if there are Word codes under the bonnet that are cocking things up. Might have to export it to another program, but it's all a pain in the @rse to grapple with, and I've got fed up of it for the day. I've also been trying to work out why - on a Googlegroup I'm on - I never get back the messages I've sent to it. It's not a major problem, but stuff like this bugs me when I can't work out the reason for it. It niggles me, and I spend hours trying to work out the reason... when if I just accepted that certain things just can't be done... I'd have a lot more time at my disposal!

Have watched very little telly today, apart from the World Superbikes. Enjoyed that very much, especially the second race, when I was rooting for Nitro Nori Haga and he won! The first race was won by James Toseland, who's a Brit, and who I should support... but somehow, I'm just not sympatico with him... I don't know why.

--
Telly: WSB
Chocolate: cherry cake
Mood: okay
Writing: none yet
Reading: none
RSI/FMS: not too bad


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

New GOTHIC BLUE review!

At the Erotica Readers and Writers Association site! It's another great one by author, journalist and reviewer Ashley Lister who always writes a review that's witty and entertaining in its own right as well as a great introduction to the book he's been reading.

The wonderful thing for me about Ash is that he completely 'gets' my writing. We're on the same wavelength about what we want to read in erotic fiction. I think this must be rare, because I'm sure no two people's reading can ever be exactly alike, but I think that Ash's and my taste in erotic writing must be very, very close.

Anyway, see what you think... here's the link!

GOTHIC BLUE by Portia Da Costa - review by Ashley Lister


--
Telly: Bette Davis bio
Chocolate: cake
Mood: good
Writing: 1K Smalltown
Reading: nothing much
RSI/FMS: achy


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

running about, waving my arms

Because I've got too much on my 'to do' list... and I slept in! It's after noon, and I'm actually only just finishing my breakfast... *and* I have to do my static cycling before I start on any jobs from my list! Woe is me!

Luckily, I'm feeling reasonably perky and as energetic as it's ever possible for me to be. Things are fairly positive on the writing front just now, although it's never wise to take the good stuff for granted in this business, as someone can always tip that veritable cartfull of manure on your head at any moment, with no warning. [and no, I don't have a piccie of manure!]

So, will keep this supershort, and maybe come back later...

--
Telly: nothing yet
Chocolate: breakfast cereal
Mood: goodish
Writing: not yet
Reading: my long to do list
RSI/FMS: fairly achey


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

quite a good day

Quite a good day today... wasted a bit of time, naturally, but actually managed to do some writing too! Managed to do about 1K of Smalltown, dipping into the first meeting between Sandy and Jay. Things are a bit spiky between them... Sandy is definitely not sure whether she actually likes him very much, because he's a bit high-handed, a bit wary and combative. But also devilishly attractive in a contrary, raw sort of way. At the moment, I'm not going for anything particularly high concept with this story... just two people, attracted to each other and doing the dance of 'I don't know you yet, but I'd still like to get it on!'

Have also had a few little bits of good news in the last couple of days. Nothing I can 'announce' yet, for fear of nixing it, but hopefully before long there'll be some modestly positive developments.

I've also just begun another little blog... Portia's Promos is for promos and mini reviews of both my own books and those of my friends and fellow authors. It's a modest start... just me and another author, Cassidy Kent, at the moment, but I'm hopeful that it'll develop and produce some mutually beneficial 'exposure' for me and other authors who I do swapsies with!

Oh, and don't forget to check out my rude little excerpt from Gothic Blue.

--

Telly: UK History mostly
Chocolate: Walnut Cake
Mood: good
Writing: 1.2K Smalltown
Reading: Jeremy Clarkson - Born to be Riled
RSI/FMS: generally achey


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

Roll up, roll up, excerpt ahoy!

Naughty excerpt of Gothic Blue - click here!!!