Thursday 1 October 2020

The Widow of Red Lion Row

 

In the slums of London, she’ll do almost anything to survive …



It has been a long time coming, but landing on virtual shelves in January 2021 is 
"The Widow Of Red Lion Row."

London, 1810. Margaret Forsythe never expected to become a condom maker. But she is a widow, and due to her late husband, she has lost everything. Now she has been exiled to the filth of Southwark, with no money or means of survival. Never again will she be beholden to a man.

But when her situation becomes dire, she has little choice but to throw herself on the mercy of the dangerously handsome brothel owner, Charles Grimsby. 

Charles’s prostitutes need condoms to avoid venereal disease – and so, torn between morality and poverty, Margaret begins to manufacture them, using animal gut and ribbons. Will this new enterprise be her salvation, or her ultimate ruin?

Set in the grimy vice ridden streets of Southwark, London in 1810 - "The Widow of Red Lion Row" is a full length romance like no other. Gone are the glittering diamonds and gowns of upper echelon society, replaced with filthy hems and worn out boots. 

"The Widow of Red Lion Row" gives a raw insider's look into the darker side of Regency England. I hope the fans of my Regency Diaries will enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it...

Thursday 21 June 2018

A Christmas Bride



A CHRISTMAS BRIDE



'Tis the season for Christmas reading! 

A hot, historical Christmas romance about a respectable school teacher about to dedicate her life to her students, and the advent season of adventure.


London 1813

Miss Smith is dreading the festive season. With her students gone, long cold days and endless dreary nights are a glum and lonely prospect. So when she comes across a beautiful gown left behind by one of her students, she can’t help but try it on. And perhaps a walk down the street as a little Christmas gift to lift her spirits. And a small, warm drink at a local pub. No one will recognise her, and what harm could it do?

Lonely and worried about raising a daughter by himself, handsome widower Robert Carring knows he must find another wife. But having already endured one passionless marriage, he refuses to enter another. He will only marry when he finds the intelligent, spirited woman of his dreams. And then he sees her, making merry on a cold winter night.

For the first time, finding herself admired in the eyes of handsome man, Miss Smith is more determined  than ever not to resign her self to a life as a spinster school matron, and makes a daring decision that will change all her Christmases forever.



Thursday 2 April 2015

The Journal of a Vicar's Wife


OUT NOW.



~Excerpt from the diary of Mrs Maria Reeves~
Monday, May 3rd 1813
The Vicarage, Stanton, England

 "For all that my husband spoke of abstinence and betterment through suffering and self denial, I could not agree. I had come to feel that if my husband did not wish for intimate discourse, then in lieu of him, Henry Goddard could oblige me.  I know it is a sin, I know it a betrayal, but in those moments when I am alone with Mr Goddard, I can think of nothing else.

‘Hush now Henry,’ I chided again. ‘You’re positively soaking,’ I began to unbutton his shirt.
His light blue eyes darkened.

‘Mrs Reeves,’ Henry was about to offer another excuse, but as the door closed I pressed my lips to his to silence any further discussion.

I kissed Mr Goddard, pressing my lips into his cool damp ones. My body loosened beneath my skirts and longing surged through my flesh. For just a moment, he played reluctantly seduced.

It was our familiar dance. It was only a matter of time until I did with him what I may.

 My kiss deepened and in another moment he yielded completely, his mouth opened and I swept my tongue inside. He tasted sweet and wholesome.

 Not breaking our kiss, I continued unbuttoning his shirt and waistcoat until the damp cloth was gone and nothing separated my eager hands from his hot golden flesh.
He was beautifully made, a true angel, sent from the Heaven’s to offer me bodily satisfaction where my husband wouldn’t. " 

The Journal of a Vicar's Wife, is the fifth and final instalment in the Regency Diaries Series.




Sunday 1 March 2015

Australian Romance Readers Convention 2015


Viveka will be attending the ARRC in Canberra 6th March - 8th March 2015







Australian Romance Readers Awards

The Private Affairs of Lady Jane Fielding

Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner 7th March.






Viveka will also be signing and a panellist in Concurrent session 4B
-Sex in the subgenre-

We’re throwing the bedroom doors wide open in this session as we talk about the many different positions ways in which sex scenes spice up a romance. We’ll bust through the stigma and stereotypes surrounding steamy novels, explore what happens when sex becomes part of worldbuilding, and persuade our authors to give us snippets of the most intense sex scenes they’ve ever written.

Whether you prefer your fictional sex in the bedroom or in outer space, missionary or doggy-style (literally, for the shapeshifter fans!), with or without accessories, and in any combination of participants, you won’t want to miss this sexy session with Delwyn Jenkins, Donna Gallagher, Viola Grace, and Viveka Portman.

(P.S. Make sure you grab a Smutty Buzzword Bingo card at the door—potty mouths will be rewarded!)

Tuesday 23 December 2014

Wicked Confessions: Print Edition

Three deliciously erotic stories to indulge the senses and incite the imagination....

OUT NOW!

I am thrilled to announce i the first three Regency Diaries have been released as a print edition through Harlequin SPICE.



Tuesday 28 October 2014

The Observations of A Curious Governess


Coming 22nd January 2015...

  From the erotic pen of Viveka Portman comes the latest instalment in the sexiest set of diaries you have ever read…

 When Miss Martha Swan enters the fine home of Lord and Lady Stanton to become a governess, she is full of lofty ideals. Yet something is amiss in the hallowed halls of Stanton: whispers, laughter, and something darker and more wicked echoes from behind closed doors, and Martha is determined to find out what.

She soon discovers that all is not what it seems in this stately home. The lord and lady have secrets - lustful, carnal, shameful secrets that could spell ruination for all. Martha wants to be appalled, but she finds herself intrigued, and when her long time friend Mr Jonathan Reeves comes to visit, Martha conceives a daring plan to assuage her curiosity.

Thing are not so simple however, as neither Martha nor Jonathan have the money to marry. Nothing can come from this relationship - nothing but the experience of ecstasy. 

In such a situation, what is a curious governess to do?

 ~Excerpt~



Meet Miss Martha Swan, a curious governess with a very light step...


I like to think I have a good eye for the finer things, and had paused before marvellous marble statue of Achilles battling the Amazon Penthesilea. As a woman who wishes for independence, I have a place in my heart for the Greek heroic tales of Penthesilea and her sisters. Such strong women, with lives cut so brutally short by the men so eager to dominate them. Was the fate of the Amazons not echoed countless times after, even today? Were not men still forcing women to submit to them, whether it be their daughters or their wives? Were not countless ladies, many of my own peers in fact, pushed into arranged marriages to serve men and bear children? I knew the truth of it even if others seemed blind.

I stared at the marble Penthesilea, her beautiful face contorted in eternal agony by a futile battle. Her breast had fallen from her dress, as she collapsed before Achilles beaten but defiant. I glanced up at Achille’s face, so stern, enraged.

Was every woman a Penthesilea, Hippolyta or Melanippe?

As I pondered this profound notion I heard a most peculiar sound.

A giggle, a grunt and sounds of whispers. I frowned, the very skin my arms prickled beneath my shawl. I stood still once more, looking from the agonised face of Penthesilea down the corridor towards the sound’s origin.

More grunting - undeniably masculine grunting.

A gentle feminine cry.

Something tightened in my belly at the sound. I found myself abandoning the statue of the suffering Amazon and begin to walk down the corridor.

I confess my interest in the epic battles of the statues and the delights of the magnificent portraits that decorated the walls had all but diminished. I felt a peculiar sense of urgency lead me forwards towards the mysterious and strangely exciting sounds.

~

The character of Miss Martha Swan is one of my favourites in the Regency Diaries. She desperately wants to be an intellectual and independent woman, but in her naive attempts to be that paragon, she ends up sexually frustrated, disillusioned and terribly lonely. 

Martha's story is one of self-discovery and acceptance, and was an utter pleasure to write. Her studies of Mrs Hester Chapone became my studies and I'm grateful to have enriched my knowledge on the righteous Georgian beliefs because of it. 

I hope my readers enjoy this one as much as I have!

~VP~

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Secret Confessions: Sydney Housewives


Eleven amazing Erotic Romance Writers including myself, have been working together to produce Escape Publishing's new and exciting series, Secret Confessions: Sydney Housewives.

NOW AVAILABLE IN PRINT!





 Emma, is my first foray into writing Contemporary Erotic Romance.
Each book focuses on the life and loves of one Sydney socialite housewife  and you won't believe what happens behind closed doors in these wealthy households.


Emma
Travel, money, a gorgeous pro-surfer husband, healthy son, and a new house overlooking the ocean – it looks like Emma Ross has it all, but inside she’s torn apart by insecurities and her failure to have another child. She knows that she’s putting her relationship in jeopardy, so to make up for their difficulties, Emma gives Rosco carte blanche in the bedroom. But is explosive sex enough to save a marriage that is falling apart from the inside?

  

Comments on EMMA:

On the surface of it all, Emma’s life is one that anyone would envy, however it only takes a moment to realise that underneath the veneer, she struggles with issues that face many women. I understood her, and how her insecurities about her marriage and infertility have led her to become who she has. Viveka has given Emma’s actions and reactions to situations throughout the story a real air of truth.

It is as plain as day to see the intensity of Emma and Rosco’s relationship, and the deep love and attraction that they share. Rosco understands that his wife is suffering, and he gives her the space to work through it – without abandoning her to the problems or forcing her into a situation she can’t handle. The strain that the treatments and endless travel has put on their relationship isn’t ignored, and it manifests itself in some really intense moments.

The intimate moments between Emma and Rosco reflect their relationship, and all their frustrations and emotions boil over into some really freaking hot sexytimes.

I loved how the resolution came, and I am super-glad that Viveka avoided making it all saccharine-sweet.

Eight from eight, and the hits just keep on coming. It’s time to work through the Viveka Portman backlist now, I think!

Review: My Written Romance