Portia Da Costa - October 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
All about Portia Da Costa
 I didn't always want to be a writer. In fact it never occurred to me that I could be one until I was in my thirties and a friend said I ought to try my hand at it. She was an artist who wanted stories to illustrate and she thought because I was always reading, and I was a librarian working with books every day, it automatically followed that I could write too. I wasn't so sure, but I had a go at writing a story, and enjoyed it so much that I knew I wanted to write more. For a long while, I just scribbled for fun, but eventually I decided to try and get something published. After quite a few false starts and rejections from Mills and Boon, I switched to erotic writing and fairly quickly got my first book accepted by Virgin Publishing's Nexus imprint. This was ADVENTURES IN THE PLEASUREZONE, and it came out in 1991. At the same time, I was also successful in getting stories accepted by FORUM magazine and a variety of other UK magazines.
Since then, as well as my titles for Total-E-Bound, I've written erotica for women and erotic romance for Black Lace and a variety of UK and US publishers, including Ellora's Cave. I've also written sweeter romance for Robinson Scarlet and Heartline.
Married for over thirty years, I live in West Yorkshire in the UK, with my husband and my three adorable cats, Kuffer, Alice and Mulder. I'd love to be able to say that I write diligently from nine to five, but unfortunately, I'm the world's greatest time waster and procrastinator, so I spend a lot of time watching the television, surfing the Web and chilling with my cats when I should be working! How Portia Da Costa got into Erotic Romance?
I was in it from the very start, before it 'officially' existed as a genre. The very first short stories I wrote, that were never published, were tragic love stories with explicit sex scenes. I wrote them in the early 1980's and I've been writing stories and novels in much the same vein ever since... only far less tragic. I prefer feel-good erotic romance these days. The Scoop!
I'm currently writing another Black Lace novel, KISS IT BETTER, my fifteenth if you count novellas. I've also got a couple of commissioned Spice Briefs short novellas to write before the end of February next year as part of a trilogy called Risqu Reunions. No plans to do any signing, touring or anything like that for the foreseeable future. The next time I'll be 'on show' is probably going to be RWA 09, in Washington, at the Literacy Signing.
Publications-wise, my fourteenth Black Lace, IN TOO DEEP is just out in the UK, and out in November in the US. I'm also in one or two Black Lace anthologies, with LUST AT FIRST BITE [vampire stories] coming up soon. What Portia Da Costa likes to read...
The Hannibal Lecter books of Thomas Harris, classic Steven King, Ian Fleming, J R Ward sometimes, Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels. Anything by Jeremy Clarkson, he's hilarious. In my own genre, I love the work of Saskia Walker and Madelynne Ellis. They're both my friends, but that doesn't stop me rating them honestly as first class writers.
INTERVIEWThe Sensible Questions:- 1. How have your life experiences affected your writing?
- Not a great deal, to be honest. Writing is something I do whatever is going on in my life. It's not affected by it. I have used my own background on a couple of occasions for settings. I was a librarian once, and also worked in local government, as a clerical officer, and I've used both these worlds in my novels. I just wrote about what I speculated *might* have been going on at the time I was in these jobs, not what actually happened.
- 2. Which of your characters is your favourite, and why?
- My favourite character is Robert Stone, from my 2006 Black Lace novel Entertaining Mr Stone. I wrote him when I was in the first fine throes of a crush on Detective Robert Goren as played by the amazing Vincent D'Onofrio. The character's personality and background were completely my own - I made him into a local government Director of Finance with a penchant for kinky sex - but he looked and moved and sounded exactly like Clever Bobby Goren. It was total self indulgence, but it seemed to work as Robert Stone is one of the characters all my readers like best too.
- 3. What heat level do you enjoy writing most, and why?
- All levels really. I've written a couple of relatively sweet romances under a different pseudonym, where the sex scenes weren't very explicit at all, and I really enjoyed that sensuality level. Hot sex is fun to write and I think I'm quite good writing at those scenes, but I love writing the *non* sex scenes in my books just as much. I really relish exploring the characters' emotions, whether they're engaged in erotic pursuits or otherwise.
- 4. What authors have influenced you most (not necessarily in the romance genre)?
- Mainly the authors I quoted above, because they all write well and that's what I aspire to. The best erotic author I ever read was a Virgin Nexus author called Cyrian Amberlake. He is or was the gold standard as far as I'm concerned, quite literary [which I'm not, by the way] but totally absorbing and readable.
- 5. Which comes to you first when you write, the basic premise of the plot, or the characters?
- Characters, always characters. I'm hopeless at plotting and if I depended on that to get me started, I'd never write anything!
- 6. What is the biggest lesson that you've learned since you began writing?
- You can edit something that seems like rubbish, and make it into a decent piece of writing... but you can't make anything out of a blank page. So just get the words down, and then polish and refine later.
- 7. Describe your writing space.
- I have an office, but due to some home renovations and zero time to reorganize afterwards, it's currently uninhabitable. I mostly write on my laptop, sitting up on the bed, with a cat or two sleeping beside me and all my books, papers, magazines etc for research spread out across the duvet.
- 7.
- Alice
Kuffer
 Mulder
The Naughty Questions:
- How many toys do you have in your toy-box? (and we don't mean Barbie dolls!)
- I don't have a toy-box. Why would I want to hide a collection of teddy bears and a small selection of Star Trek and Star Wars action figures? ;)
- What or who does your ideal man look like?
- I don't have one ideal of male pulchritude. I like all sorts of men, older, younger, handsome, quirky, you name it. I usually have one big crush at any one time, and here are some photos of some of my recent ones.
Ben Chambers
Daniel Brewster
 Jay Bentley
Robert Stone
3 Are any of the sexy scenes in your books based on real life?My dears, I'm afraid I really couldn't possibly comment. A girl has to preserve some mystery.4 What kind of clothing do you like to wear in order to feel sexy?Feeling sexy is a state of mind, it doesn't depend on clothing for me. I like to dress smart, elegant and slightly off-beat.
6 What is the most outrageously naughty thing you've ever done?Sorry, I'm afraid that information is classified. I prefer to be discreet.
ReleasesPortia Da Costa's ReleasesWild in the Country - Genre: Contemporary
- Rating: Total-e-Melting
- e-Book: Super Novel
- ISBN: 978-1-906328-19-1
- Total-E-Bound
There's something in the air...
Flora Swain is a newcomer to the village of Marwick Magna, renowned for the inspiration it provides to painters and poets. Impetuous and strong-minded, Flora is no artist - yet. But there are creative urges within her, she is convinced, and she has come to the country to give them life.
The strange thing is that Flora's urges turn out to be almost entirely sensual. Is it the undoubted physical allure of her new neighbour, Declan McKenna, that's driving her wild? Or the explicitly sexual messages which appear daily in her post? Or could it be that country life has revealed to her an insatiable, highly erotic new self? What the reviewers are saying"sexy, lusty, juicy, and splendid with color" ~ Dee, Night Owl Romance Reviews
...when you start a Portia Da Costa book you better clear some time as you will find yourself getting not wanting to put the book down till the last page. Wild in the Country had me loving every moment of it ~ Cheryl, Cheryl's Book Nook Read An Excerpt:[Click here to expand/collapse]EXCERPT:Good God, she'd been right! Somebody had been watching... And they'd watched her with Ian-taking notes, by the sound of it. They'd seen her clutching at Ian like a mad thing, touching him and fondling him while his cock was buried deep inside her.
But even as she seethed, a subversive inner voice spoke up clearly. And pointed out her own irrationality.
You enjoyed it, the devil's advocate said. It was that sense of being watched that got you off, made it special. You ought to be thankful, not angry, you ungrateful little fool. Whoever this 'Scribe' is, he wants you, and in your heart of hearts, you want him to want you!
Flora glanced toward the window and the flowering hedge that divided her land from McKenna's. Her first impulse had been to storm round there and have it all out with him, but that combative urge was now changing.
And what if she were wrong? There were two windows in her bedroom, and consequently two directions from which to watch. What if it were someone strolling in the meadow who'd seen her? Someone who just happened to have a pair of field glasses? It wasn't unknown to carry binoculars in the country.
Declan McKenna was a handsome man, a gifted man who she'd tentatively hoped, well, perhaps more accurately day-dreamed, might help her. It would be silly to start out by picking a fight with him. Looking down at the letter, she re-read its sensual message more positively, then realised that she now had just the entre she needed.
Especially now it was more than his artistic guidance she was hoping for.
With the letter in her pocket, she made her way down her path, out into the lane, then along it 'til she reached the next gate. A moment of doubt assailed her as she reached for the latch, but she quashed it and passed through into Declan McKenna's garden, then walked as quietly as she could towards the rear of the house.
Rounding the corner, she found him sunbathing, his magnificent gilded body moist and gleaming. She could smell a strong but not unpleasant odour coming off him, and saw an uncapped, unlabeled bottle on the tartan rug at his side, containing a fluid that looked thin and rather milky. She supposed it was a sun lotion of some kind.
He was still completely naked, and his glasses lay abandoned by the bottle.
-Good morning, Flora,- said a deep American voice that went well with the solid, God-like body.
Completely thrown, Flora dithered. How on earth did he know who she was? He hadn't even looked up at her yet, much less been introduced.
-I... I...- she stammered, her eyes locked on Declan McKenna's firm, hard buttocks, -Hello, Mr McKenna-- She froze again. He was turning over... -I'm sorry...but how the devil do you know who I am?-
-Word travels fast in Marwick Magna,- said the nude man before her, stretching luxuriantly, his musculature flexing and rippling, -I didn't think it'd be all that long before we met... Would you like some coffee?- He nodded towards his empty mug, -I've got a potful on the hob inside.-
-N... No, thank you.-
It would choke her, she was sure. She couldn't think about drinking; she wasn't even sure she remembered why she'd come here; she could only stare at Declan McKenna's naked body. And the beautiful penis that nestled between his thighs.
He wasn't erect, but he wasn't completely flaccid either, and even as she watched his flesh twitched and seemed to thicken.
-Does my nakedness bother you?- he enquired with a grin. -I can get dressed if you prefer... but it seems a shame on a glorious day like this.-
-No, it's fine. Stay as you are,- replied Flora, managing to claw back a little of her composure despite an awareness of her own body's responses, -It's just that where I used to live, people don't go in much for nude sunbathing... The gardens aren't as secluded as yours.-
-I can imagine,- he murmured, shifting to one side of his rug, -You're a city girl, aren't you? Come to the country to escape all the madness... Why don't you sit down--
He patted the tartan cloth a couple of feet from where he lay, --and tell me all about yourself and why you're in Marwick.-
Trying not to look at Declan McKenna's cock, Flora sat down at the extreme edge of the rug and folded her skirt protectively around her legs. The RetreatBound Brits Anthology - Genre: Bondage BDSM/ Contemporary
- Rating: Total-e-Melting
- e-Book: Short Story
- ISBN: 978-1-906328-92-4
- Total-E-Bound
Ben Chambers is the perfect boyfriend, the perfect lover, the perfect man.
Sarah adores him, but she knows that despite the deliciousness of their lovemaking, their shared interests, and the fun they have together, there's a certain special something missing in their relationship.
And then, arriving for a hedonistic weekend of luxury at an English country house hotel, something happens that changes everything between them. A momentary, inconsequential pat on the bottom opens the door to a breathtaking world of daring and transgressive sexual pleasure...and forges a bond that's both profoundly physical and a melding of their souls. What the reviewers are sayingPortia Da Costa has a deserved reputation for blending erotica and romance into stories that are subtly sensitive and seriously sexy. THE RETREAT is another shining example of her ability to combine sensitivity and sexual excitement with a narrative that is superbly compelling. ~ Ashley Lister, Erotica Readers and Writers Association
"THE RETREAT is a wonderful story of blossoming desires." ~ Melissa Kammer, NovelTalk Read An Excerpt:[Click here to expand/collapse]EXCERPT:Smiling, Ben slipped off his long, dark coat and whirled it over a chintz-upholstered armchair with a flourish. Then he came towards her, lean and elegant in his dark waistcoat and tailored trousers, the sober formality of his white shirt and dark tie perversely sexy.
My lover.
Every time she thought of him that way, it sent a little silvery frisson along her nerves, right to her sex. And it seemed particularly appropriate to call him that, here in this quietly hedonistic hideaway in the country, where the word 'boyfriend' seemed inconsequential, trivial. The exclusivity-and cost-of a stay here at The Retreat seemed to suggest a leap to a new level of their relationship.
Oh how she hoped...oh how she hoped that were true.
Especially when Ben came towards her, took her in his arms, and kissed her.
His mouth was as teasing and tender as usual, but in the heart of the kiss there was that special quality.
His power.
Her eyes flew open as his tongue pushed between her lips, and she saw a bright, gleaming fire in his expression. A glitter, a fervour she'd never seen before.
He'd felt it too. He had! He had!
That little tap on the rump was no accident...not at all. It was all part of his carefully crafted plan.
Her body was all a-riot. Her pussy clenched and fluttered spontaneously, excited in a way she'd never experienced before. She'd never been this hot, this fast. The pat on the bottom had been a catalyst, a swift, psychic jolt that had inexplicably changed things. Winding her arms around Ben's strong back, she pressed forward against him, moving wantonly.
When he responded, pressing back, and laying her down on the bed, so he could move half over her, she discovered he was hard.
She could almost feel every cell in her body squeal, oh goody! Might they have sex straight away? It was still barely more than late afternoon, and they'd just driven down here from London, but were they going to go to bed immediately?
But after a few moments more of deep kissing, and the mastery of his tongue, Ben put her from him. Then he sat up, adjusting the knot of his dark tie back to perfection.
-I...um...- she stuttered, not quite able to ask if they were going to get undressed.
His eyes were still shining, alight with an odd quality of amusement, and something almost arch that she'd never seen before. If she'd thought him controlling before, it was nothing compared to the dominion he seemed to hold over her now.
He knows everything and I know nothing.
Object of Desire - Genre: Contemporary
- Rating: Total-e-Burning
- e-Book: Mini Story
- ISBN: 978-1-906328-17-7
- Total-E-Bound
When Sylvia sees her new upstairs neighbour doing Tai Chi in the communal garden of their apartment building, she immediately knows she wants to do far more than borrow a cup of sugar from him. Nathaniel Gowen is everything she wants in a man and more-handsome, sexy, mature and mysterious-and she's trying desperately to think of a casual way to introduce herself to the man who haunts her erotic dreams and fantasies.
But then one day, he comes knocking at her door... Read An Excerpt:[Click here to expand/collapse]
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