Present Time Already?! by Natalie Anderson

Christmas Bauble byJannoon028, freedigitalimages.net

I don't know about your part of the world, but where I am the Christmas stuff is already everywhere in the stores. The advent calendars have been in the supermarkets for a while (that chocolate is going to be OLD come December, right?). Now I'm a Christmas fan - I love the decorations and the festive atmosphere and every year I tell myself I'm going to get organised. But every year it happens the same--frantic trips to an insanely chaotic mall on Christmas Eve for those last minute, mad purchases.
But still, I'm going to TRY again this year to make it that bit smoother. I've already got a Christmas card list going (aiming to send them by the end of November) and I'm planning the kid's things - but really, it's slow going.
In New Zealand it is Spring and that means it's A&P season (Agricultural and Pastoral fairs) - we're talking sheep and cow judging and horse events, Highland Dancing, Ghost Train rides and Ferris Wheels. Not to mention Candy Floss (I think you guys might call that 'cotton candy'). It's a lot of fun. I've been to two shows in the last week - one a traditional A&P show and one a 'Christmas Country Fete' - it was pretty posh and the purpose of the fete is to enable you to 'do all your Christmas shopping in one day' - it's on a school day so there are no kids hanging about and there isn't a Ferris Wheel. It was a gorgeous Fete - fabulous produce and artisan products. I found myself a lovely skirt and some delicious Turkish Delight--but I didn't buy any Christmas presents for anyone else! I think I'm going to have to try a little harder really!!!

So what about you - have you started writing Christmas cards already? Are you one of those incredibly organised people who got all the Christmas presents in the mid-year sales!? If you have any great tips on getting ready for the fun season - please do share them!

And don't forget to pick up a present for yourself from Amazon right now - my novella BARGAIN IN BRONZE (the first of the FLIRTING TO WIN trilogy) is available for free there right now!

Happy Christmas planning!!!

Best wishes,
Natalie

Winning the Gold - with Natalie Anderson

FLIRTING TO WIN is my novella anthology that released last week with Entangled publishing. This trilogy was such fun to write.  It’s all about the game of love—how we can meet the ‘one’ when and where we least expect it (or perhaps even want it!).

There are three stories in the collection—Bargain in Bronze, Seduction in Silver and Gamble in Gold.

As you can see, the trilogy titles are a play on prize medals—bronze, silver and gold. I once read somewhere that a study had been done and researchers discovered that bronze medallists were actually happier with their medals than silver medallists—that the silver medallists had that ‘if only I’d pushed that bit harder I could have gotten gold’ feeling, whereas the bronze medallists were more ‘I’m so glad I came third and actually got a medal, because I could have gotten fourth!’

Really, winning a medal of any colour is an amazing achievement. And the heroines in my three stories are most definitely winners! Because Jack, Eduardo and Luke—the three heroes, are all very fit, fine and fun!

Here’s the blurb to Seduction in Silver…

A limited engagement...

For two weeks Nina Breslin had passed an enticing stranger when catching the Baker Street Tube to go to work. So utterly sexy, and enticingly foreign, she figures he's eons out of her league--until the day he makes an outrageous proposal.

Dr. Eduardo Ruiz needs a break from the heart-breaking reality of his job. So when he finally introduces himself to the vivacious woman he's been admiring, he quickly realizes they could help each other with their sticky situations...and have great fun in the process.

They agree to an outrageous plan. For one night only, she'll masquerade as his girlfriend to appease his overzealous family members, and he'll accompany her to meet with her ex-fiancé's friends, pretending to be her attentive lover. Can they play by their own rules, or will they succumb to the pull of seduction?

 Bargain in Bronze is available separately for only 99c, or you can scoop up all three novellas in the one FLIRTING TO WIN anthology for 2.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

I’d love to give away a copy of the full anthology to one commenter today—just let me know, have you ever won any kind of medal? If so, for what? And yes, medals awarded in kindergarten definitely count!

(Entries are open to anyone in the world, the prize is an ebook via Amazon and will be drawn on Friday August 31. Please check back to this post to see if you won!)

EDITED TO ADD: The giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much for all your comments - the winner drawn is yadkny - please email me, natalie(at)natalie-anderson(dot) com so I can send you your prize!

With very best wishes!

~Natalie