Some Words for Wednesday...

Anyone who'd like to read some naughty WEDNESDAY WORDS can nip over to my Portia's Prose blog for an excerpt from IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS.

http://portiasprose.blogspot.com/2012/02/in-sebastians-hands-excerpt.html

Rebecca - book review

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think this was probably my third time of reading Rebecca, and each reading has been a different experience. I'm sure I remember that in the first two readings I was very much 'on the side' of the Second Mrs de Winter... but this time around has been quite different.

On third reading, I suddenly find myself deeply impatient with the unnamed narrator, and have formed an active loathing for Maxim. I'm sure they're both accurate products of their time, their ages, and their classes... but still. I can't be doing with milksop women and arrogant, self-serving, insensitive men. I'm not one for brooding tragic heroes who take their woes out on those around them. And even though Mrs de Winter does grow a backbone in the end, it's only to support her husband, who suddenly seems to lose his. And there's something vaguely repellent about her smug anticipation of a future life with him at Manderley, even though she *knows* he's a murderer.

Having said all that... my strong responses to Rebecca only serve to show what an exceptional, indeed, what a truly great book it is. The writing is so strong and vivid and compelling, and to feel the way I do about it can only be because I'm perceiving it as *real*! And when writing/reading fiction you can't really get any better than that.

It's not a romance, as I once thought in my less seasoned younger days. It's barely even a romantic suspense. It's far more a dark, subversive and very unsettling psychological mystery and character study. And all the more for the great enigma at the very centre of it, Rebecca herself. Maxim says what a venal character she is... but then, he's biased, isn't he?

See, I'm talking about it as if it's real again... LOL

No doubt I will probably read Rebecca again some time. Wonder what I'll think of it then?

View all my reviews

A new release from my buddy, Saskia Walker!

If you're looking for a tasty menage romance, with a splash of paranormal, look no further than the latest release from my wonderful writing pal, Saskia Walker! Here's what she's got to say about her hot new title, FAYE'S SPIRIT...

Faye's story is the third and final instalment in the Erogenous Zones series, and it's out in ebook format from Total-E-Bound today. Here's the cover copy and an excerpt:

One outrageous weekend with two men, that's what Faye Evans dreams of, but when she meets Jai and Garth—and their live in ghost—she gets much more than she bargained for.

Faye Evans is a woman on a mission. Both her older sisters have had ménage à trois relationships and now Faye too harbours a desire to sample the pleasures of two men, if only for a single wild weekend. The opportunity arises when architect Garth Connor calls her in to investigate the ghostly presence in his business premises. Both Garth and his business partner, Jai Nilson, are gorgeous hunks, and Faye can't help being attracted to them.

Garth and Jai are friends and colleagues but their relationship is competitive. When the mischievous ghost medium walks into their life and shows interests in them both, the edge between them sharpens. While Jai often walks on the wild side, Garth has never shared a woman before, but his desire for Faye makes him rise to the challenge. Especially when Jai quickly picks up on Faye's secret wishes and pushes things along, orchestrating their interactions until the simmering eroticism between them demands hardcore action.

But Faye's fling isn't as straightforward as she'd anticipated. She soon worries that she's endangered Garth and Jai's friendship by getting involved, and even more so when the shadow of a secret, long held grudge between the two men falls over their threesome and their growing affection. To top it all, dealing with the resident ghost only adds to the emotional entanglement, making Faye feel she wants to end it and run. But are Garth and Jai about to let her get away?

Available now from Total-E-Bound, coming later from other e-retailers and in print. 

 Do yourself a big favour and check out this fantastic release from Saskia!

Three new releases... not all mine!

Well, the first isn't really a new release, but it is mine. Today I'm showcasing my recent BDSM title, IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS, a trio of three linked stories about Sebastian and Megan, a couple who love to play spanking games. Through the three tales, we see their relationship develop, beginning with their meeting at a party, moving through their growing love and passion for each other, and culminating in a snapshot of them on holiday as a happily married couple... who still love their naughty BDSM shenanigans!

You can find out more about IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS here, along with a frisky excerpt.

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

*** *** ***

EROTICA FANTASTICA is a hot new release from my writing buddy, Saskia Walker, featuring four sizzling stories with a decidedly fantastical flavor... "Love, Lust and Destiny, set in fantasy worlds"

Sound wonderful to me! You can find out more here at Saskia's blog:

http://saskiawalker.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-publication-erotica-fantastica.html

*** *** ***

The third release is from another of my writing pals, Madelynne Ellis. It's also a paranormal offering, BLOOD MOON, a delicious gothic urban fantasy of demons and the hunters who pursue them.

Check it out here:

http://madelynne-ellis.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-release-blood-moon.html

Yikes, another guest blog!

Today I'm a guest on the Carina authors' blog, and the topic is A LITTLE BIT OF GLAMOR.

Now then, those of you who've met me in person, stop laughing. Yes, I know that 'glamour' and me aren't two things you would normally associate with each other, but at least my characters have a glamorous life. ;)

Why not nip over there and see what I'm yattering on about?

Oh, and please do visit my Manic Authors blog too, on The Lure of Temptation. Comments are a bit sparse as yet... and there's a prize, or prizes, depending on how many people answer. So please consider being tempted.

Guest blogging again!

Hey, I'm guest blogging again!

Today I'm at the wonderful MANIC READERS BLOG, and my discussion topic is THE LURE OF TEMPTATION, THEN AND NOW. I'm reflecting on how the two heroines in my current releases each handle the lure of a gorgeous and somewhat perilous man.

In INTIMATE EXPOSURE, Vicki is tempted by Red Webster, and in A GENTLEWOMAN'S PLEASURE, it's Ethan Oakley who Lucy finds so very alluring.

Please, please, nip over to Manic Readers and leave comment there... everyone who does, goes into a prize draw to win books from my Black Lace backlist.

INTIMATE EXPOSURE - out today & chance to win it

INTIMATE EXPOSURE, my first release from Carina Press, is out today!

Here's the lowdown:

Middle management executive Victoria Renard works for a large insurance firm that has just been bought out by the mysterious and reclusive business tycoon F.W. Shanley the Third. Vicki and her colleagues are all concerned about their future, in the wake of the takeover, and into this tension fraught situation, walks devilishly attractive freelance photographer Red Webster on assignment to take photos for a new company profile.

Vicki finds Red attractive but his sexy teasing rubs her the wrong way. Red in turn is turned on by Vicki's feisty, challenging personality and her undeniable beauty. He also senses a kindred spirit, a woman who shares his sexual preference for BDSM pleasure, and his hopes are confirmed when he discovers her reading a copy of "The Story of O" on her Kindle.

Unknown to Vicki and her fellow employees, though, Red Webster and Frederick Webster Shanley are one and the same person, as the unconventional businessman likes to investigate his new acquisitions from the inside, and get to know his workforce without them knowing it's him. Free of the boss/employee dynamic, Red is able to woo and seduce Vicki on equal terms, first in a kinky encounter in the company gym, and later during a long, hedonistic weekend at a very beautiful, luxurious and risqué hotel. He dares her to take him on, and share a wild sexual adventure with him, no strings, no repercussions afterwards.

But the luxurious getaway exceeds the expectations of both Vicki and Red, and in a sensuous, hothouse atmosphere they find themselves falling in love. The widowed Red has reservations about entering another relationship and Vicki is still uneasy about Red's cavalier and somewhat underhand courtship techniques, but they challenge each other to overcome these, and - when Red finally reveals his true identity - to commit to a loving future of erotic games, mutual respect and emotional fulfillment.

Here's the Carina buy link

And here's a page with a sexy teaser excerpt and more buy links! 

NB. Join my mailing list for a chance to win INTIMATE EXPOSURE!!!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planetportia/

Visit the Smutketeers... and find me there!

Visit the Smutketeers Blog today and hear about my latest releases! Leave a comment there, and there's a chance you might win a Portia Prize... :)

A Gentlewoman's Pleasure - out today!

My latest "Ladies' Sewing Circle" Spice Brief, A GENTLEWOMAN'S PLEASURE is out today at  Barnes and Noble Nook, eHarlequin, All Romance eBooks, and Diesel eBooks. Alas it's not yet available for Amazon Kindle, but it should be out there on 1st March.

Here's the blurb:

London, 1890

Miss Lucy Dawson always thought she was dull compared to the other women in the Ladies' Sewing Circle, who never hesitate to share stories of their naughty exploits and fantasies. As a plain, eccentric spinster with spectacles and a bicycle, Lucy hasn't enjoyed a man's touch for years—though she yearns to experience the full pleasure of lovemaking.

Then Lucy encounters Ethan Oakley, a tantalizing stranger who reawakens her desires. And the Ladies' Sewing Circle will never believe what happens next....

You can read a naughty excerpt here

 And if you're in the mood for more risqué Spice Briefs fun, why not also check out GABRIEL'S NAUGHTY GAME by my release day pal, Madelynne Ellis.

"I want to see you with another guy.".

When Gabriel tells me his fantasy, I want to laugh it off, pretend it's a joke. But I know it isn't--he's serious. I'm all for a little daring in the bedroom, but this is too risky. It gets even worse when Gabriel reveals who he wants me to sleep with: Nye, the only other man who's ever tempted me.

I soon realize there's more to Gabriel's game than simple voyeurism. But whatever Gabriel wants, Gabriel gets...

Find out more here

Purchase Links: eHarlequin | All Romance ebooks

I've been tinkering with Photoshop Elements

Because I can't resist fiddling with graphics software, I decided to give POWER OF THREE, my menage novella, a fresh new look. Instead of trying to wrangle three people onto the cover, and not really doing any of them justice, I decided to just show the lushly muscular chest of one of the delicious men... ;)

Read the blurb and a naughty excerpt of POWER OF THREE here.

Best laid plans and all that...

Well, so much for my post about goals. So far, this week, I'm failing magnificently at achieving anything! Have half written one blog post, but for the rest of it, am not getting very far...

Sadly it doesn't look as if I'll be publishing IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS this week, due to a technical hitch. Basically, I forgot, when I got my all new all singing all dancing Win7 64 bit laptopamabob, that some older programs might not work on it. Most things are fine, but dear old Mobipocket Creator just won't play. It worked well on my old system, but because it's a fairly elderly program, it's just not compatible with 64 bit technology. So I've been faffing for hours on end, wrangling various workarounds using online converters and whatnot, but not finding anything completely satisfactory. However...

Just yesterday, I downloaded a program called Jutoh, which I think shows a good deal of promise. I'm still in the early stages with it and cocking things up a lot, but I can see that once I've learned it, it could be a much better way of creating Kindle ebooks and epubs, and lead to me producing a slicker, more aesthetically pleasing job. I'm pretty proud of the books I did with Mobipocket and various online converters, but I think I can do even better with Jutoh. But, I need to put in the hours learning how to get the best from it.

Hence the delay with SEBASTIAN.

So, looks like I need to get my finger out and get on with my goal tasks. The freebie I mentioned will probably be next week now too, but hopefully worth the wait, for those who didn't pick it up before...

Goals for the week - sort of...

Inspired by a chum from Twitter, Maria Smith, I'm going to try and make a goal list for the new week ahead.

First up is to assemble, format and publish a new mini novella. It's called IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS, and it's what I call a BDSM love story in three acts. In the first story Megan and Sebastian meet at a party and discover that they share a deep seated need to play games of pain and pleasure. In the second story, the two have been together some time, and their relationship is growing richer and more fulfilling... and kinkier than ever with each day that passes. In the third story, Sebastian and Megan are a committed couple, happily looking forward to a long and happy life together, with lots of love, laughs... and spanking.

I'm also planning to set up a super freebie giveaway at Amazon for three days, another story of spanking and BDSM games, for those who enjoy a slice of romantic super perviness. Watch for that mid week. :)

I have three guest blog posts to write by the end of the week. I've done a rough draft of one, and have ideas for two more. So that's a start. Sort of...

Months ago, before I got caught up in work on my second Victorian opus, I stared writing a fun menage a trois romance about a girl who takes a holiday in a sleepy country village, and gets involved with not one gorgeous hunk but two! It's called TEMPTED BY TWO, I'd like to return to that, and write lots more of it. I'm at 20K so far, but it would be nice to make it to 30K at least, although probably not all next week.

I need to plan a bit of promo for my next Spice Brief. A GENTLEWOMAN'S PLEASURE is out on 1st February, the same day as GABRIEL'S NAUGHTY GAME, from one of my writing pals, Madelynne Ellis.

Speaking of Spice Briefs, I'd like to start making some notes for two more of them. THE RED CHAIR and THE WHITE ROOM are #2 and #3 in my Three Colors Sexy trio. The first of these THE BLUE BOOK, comes out in October 2012.

Yikes, I'm going to need to get busy and not mess about too much!