I Came Up Stairs: A Victorian Courtesan's Memoirs, 1867 to 1871 [Paperback]

MC Halliday (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2010

The erotic adventures of an enchanting seductress Blurb: Led from filth and poverty by a gentleman in the hopes of gaining coin for his purse, Mae is shaped into a lady and tutored in the arts of pleasure. With raw sensuality, she creates a seductive dance that entices the peerage in puritanical England, and she quickly becomes favored courtesan to Prince of Wales. Her renown and riches ever rising, she continues to romp with gamely men and women of both the nobility and the lower classes. Eventually, Mae's bohemian ways cause suffering for those she loves and her own heartbreak. Must she conform to Victorian mores, or can she remain true to her sensual desires? These intimate memoirs reveal a young woman's journey from the slums of Whitechapel to celebrated dancer of the Victorian music hall, and courtesan to the highest peers of the British realm. From the years 1867 to 1871, Mae recounts her varied lovers and false loves, and her heartbreaking losses in a quest for happiness.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

British born, MC Halliday lives on an island, in a cottage at the edge of a forest, nestled in a mountain valley. In tranquil surroundings with her dogs at her feet, she pens tales of women through the ages, from contemporary dark mystery to medieval fantasy. No matter the genre, vivid characterizations, surprising revelations and depth-charged plot twists abound in her novels.

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Eternal Press (March 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1770650504
• ISBN-13: 978-1770650503
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,395,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Fantastic Read, May 10, 2010

By 

Carole Ann Moleti (New York City) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: I Came Up Stairs: A Victorian Courtesan's Memoirs, 1867 to 1871 (Paperback)

The power in I Came Upstairs in its simplicity. It's a tale of survival, and of the costs. MC Halliday writes historical material with authority, her prose is smooth, and the erotica tasteful, even if some of the characters are reprehensible. I fell in love with Marissa.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Miss Out onThis One, May 5, 2010

By 

Ginger Simpson "mizging" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Came Up Stairs: A Victorian Courtesan's Memoirs, 1867 to 1871 (Paperback)

The opening quote,

"I came up stairs into the world, for I was born in a cellar." Love for Love - William Congreve (1670-1729)

says it all about the memoirs of a Victorian courtesan's life.

Mabel Gray climbs from the bowels of poverty to become Marisa Montague, a temptress who dares do a dance of seduction before the earls, princes, and common men of society London during 1867-1871. You may have heard the saying "sow's ear into a silk purse," and that's exactly what happens when Roger Vickers discovers a filthy young woman huddling against the rain in an alcove outside a butcher shop. Mabel Gray ceases to exist, begins a life she never expected to live, and finds appreciation she's never known.

Although this book may be considered highly erotic, with vivid sexual descriptions and reality, the writing is done with such flawlessness, you'll be unable to stop reading until the end. The internal conflict drives the plot and spurs Mabel/Marisa to fill the needs never met during childhood. One of a family of seven, living in squalor, and a home infested with rats, Mabel would sooner die of cholera than continue her horrid existence. Roger Vickers has an ulterior motive when he lures her away, but his creation exceeds even his own expectations.

MC Halliday will pull you in from the first page and hold you hostage. Even if you've found sexual stories distasteful, this one, written as a memoir, allows you to peek into someone's diary and you won't want to miss a page. This book comes with a highest recommendation and an expression of surprise that a big-name publisher hasn't snapped up this awesome author.

I Came Up Stairs is available now at Eternal Press in download format or at Amazon.com in print. The book is also available for Kindle users.

This is the entire review I posted on my examiner.com column at [...]

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Came up the Stairs, April 25, 2010

By 

Lorrie Struiff "Author" (Pittsburgh, Pa. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Came Up Stairs: A Victorian Courtesan's Memoirs, 1867 to 1871 (Paperback)

MC Halliday writes with conviction. Peeking into the diary of Mae and reading about her rise in the social strata from the filthiest slums to become a renown courtesan is both chilling and admirable. The inner struggle of her day to day life is a gripping read. Ms. Halliday knows her time period and brings readers into the settings, dress, and modes of the historical 1800's.
The memoir is a must read for the erotica historical fiction fans.
I am eagerly awaiting the next thrilling novel from MC Halliday.