Portia Da Costa's Blog, page 9

New cover for NAUGHTY THOUGHTS!

How do you like this brand new cover for my super hot, super quick read, NAUGHTY THOUGHTS? Doesn't she just look like she's having a really, really naughty thought right now? :)

Here's the blurb for this sexy short story:

Dare Vickie reveal her secret fantasies?

Vickie and Terrence have a delicious sex life, even though neither one knows quite what's going on in the other's head when they're making passionate love. But one night, in the heat of the moment, Vickie confesses her dark, dangerous fantasies about being punished and dominated... and discovers a brand new, thrilling side to her beloved Terrence. He's a powerful dominant who likes to play spanking games, and it turns out that the Master of Vickie's dreams and the familiar lover who's already in her bed are one and the same man.

You can check out a mini teaser excerpt of NAUGHTY THOUGHTS here:

http://www.portiadacosta.com/naughtythoughts2.html

I've been nominated

Or should I say THE ACCIDENTAL CALL GIRL has been nominated. I'm up for Erotic Book of the month, for October, over at LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS. Call Girl received a glowing five star review from Gardenia there, and she also gave a 4.5 to THE ACCIDENTAL MISTRESS, which is pretty good going, eh?

The voting for the award is here:

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/uncategorized/october-erotic-book-of-the-month-poll/

 So, needless to say, I would be immensely and incredibly grateful if you could slide on over there and cast your vote for me, on the strength of Gardenia's glowing write-up of John and Lizzie's first steamy outing. :)

Look at these two beauties!

Here are the covers for my two latest books from Black Lace, out within a month of each other. Aren't they gorgeous?

THE ACCIDENTAL BRIDE is the concluding installment of the Accidental Trilogy, and the clue is in the title as to the direction of Lizzie and John's relationship takes in the story. Yes, they're heading towards marriage, but there are plenty of bumps and pitfalls along the way for them, especially in the form of a powerful figure from John's emotional past, who could scupper all their plans completely...

THE GIFT is my winter/Christmas reimagining of my 2009 title Kiss It Better, complete with a new erotic/romantic epilogue that spicily rounds off the story of Sandy and Jay's complicated relationship, with it's sexy secrets and poignant echoes from the past...

More details, with excerpts, here:

The Accidental Bride [UK release - 21st November]

The Gift [UK release - 5th December]

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!!!!!

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!