Welcome USA Today Bestselling author Natalie Anderson to the Entangled blog! This is the first stop on her tour to promote the three novellas that make up the Flirting to Win anthology–Bargain in Bronze, Seduction in Silver, Gamble in Gold.

Check out what she had to say about her writing routine, what advice she offers aspiring authors, and find out about her Plotting Shed.

We are giving away an eBook copy of Flirting to Win at every blog stop!
Click HERE to see where Natalie will be!
Visit each stop to increase your chances of winning!

***Leave a comment below telling us if you’ve ever won a medal, and if so, what it was for. Natalie will review the entries and pick a lucky winner for this stop! Contest runs from September 6 – September 13.***

Thanks so much Natalie for stopping by!

When you are getting ready to start a new book, what’s the first thing you do?

Like so many writers (in fact, every writer I know) – I am a stationery addict. So if I have a new story brewing then I simply MUST have a new exercise book to jot ideas into for it! I end up with so many notebooks and exercise books but I still manage to have random bits of paper everywhere… and then of course there’s the pen, pencil and highlighter collection…

Once I have the shiny, new exercise book, then I really need to name the characters—for some reason I find it really easy to name my heroines, but heroes is far, FAR harder!

How do you celebrate when you finish writing a book?

I sleep!!! Usually I’m working round the clock to get the book just right and it’s all I’ve been thinking of for the past however long – so the one thing I really need once I hit send is some sleep. However actually GETTING to sleep is quite hard—it takes a bit to wind down after a full on prolonged period of concentration like that, so I’ll snuggle with the hubby or something!

If you could have dinner, coffee, or drinks with a fictional character, who would you choose and where would you go?

Do you usually begin a book with a character or a plot?

It varies—sometimes a character will pop into my head fully formed and talking nineteen to the dozen and I just blink and scramble to catch up. Other times it’ll be like a dream—I see something happening—usually an action scene. And then I have to figure out who’s involved and why. The imagination is a wonderful thing, right?! I have no idea how it works really—but I’m so glad it does. Dreaming up stories is a lot of fun—working to make them sustainable is where the hard work comes in!

How difficult is if for you to come up with a title for your books?

Sometimes titles come to me right at the very beginning when I first get the germ of the idea for the book. That’s very rare though! Mostly I struggle—and to be honest I haven’t chosen the titles for most of my published books! When I’m working on them I just use the characters names as the file name…

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

The simplest and best way to improve your writing is to read a lot (and read widely) and to write a lot. You have to keep writing, writing, writing to discover your voice. And keep reading and reading. I think writer’s organizations and conferences and the like can be wonderful and very useful, but nothing can beat those two core things: read and write—LOTS!

Where does the magic happen? Where do you write?

For the first five years as a professional writer I never had an office or anything. I wrote everywhere and anywhere – in bed, in the laundry, in the lounge, the local café… I used to drive to the beach or the Botanical Gardens and park up and write in the car… it got pretty uncomfortable actually and I really kinda got ‘over’ it. But late last year after a period away from our home town, hubby and the kids and I came back to our own place. It’s not a huge house or a huge yard, but we do have a small (very small) creek that bisects the front yard. The ‘far side’ is planted with native plants—so it’s a little patch of New Zealand bush. It’s very pretty. Anyway, I did some research on the Internet and found the cutest shed imaginable that a garden store in New Zealand imports (from Sweden!). So I ordered one and my wonderful hub and some mates put it up in that patch of bush. It’s just gorgeous—I have power but no Internet out there, so it’s perfect. I have my desk and chair, a beanbag and a bookcase. It’s MY space and it’s just heavenly. It’s called ‘The Plotting Shed’ 🙂

Aside from writing, what do you do in your free time?

I have four small children so there isn’t a lot of ‘free’ time – but they’re absolutely adorable and I love hanging out with them and my husband. We play with Lego, watch movies, swim, go out and about—just family stuff in the weekends—its very nice. Also, my BFF from school days (we’ve been besties since we were six) and I have a regular coffee date one afternoon a week. I wouldn’t give that up for anything!!!

Do you prefer print books or eBooks?

Ohhh, tough one – I love the convenience of eBooks – they’re so easy to obtain it’s dangerous!!!! But I still love the feel and smell of print books and all the tactile sensations to be had just from opening the cover! LOL. There’s definitely room in my life for both!

About Flirting to Win:

Bargain in Bronze

If you can’t take the heat…

Entrepreneur Libby Harris’s specialty is making her famous muesli. So when an Olympic hopeful invites her to his flat to make her delicious cereal, she’s bewildered when his brother Jack walks in, accusing her of trying to ruin his brother’s career. Libby has every intention of staying single, but with Jack around, no way can she suppress the personal pleasure she’s long denied herself.

Investment banker extraordinaire Jack Barnes’s attraction to Libby is instantaneous, but he’s raised his two siblings after their parents died in an accident, and it’s been all work and no play for as long as he can remember. He can’t let down his guard now—not when his brother is so close to the gold. But keeping Libby busy and out of his brother’s life challenges every ounce of his self-control.

Until now…

Neither wants a relationship, and though they can’t deny their incredible chemistry, Libby and Jack agree that what they have is temporary. So when things start to sizzle between them, will they be able to take the heat?

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?

Gamble in Gold

The one that got away…

Seven years have passed since shy Lexie Peterson had her heart trampled by her teenage crush. When she comes face to face with him in London, she vows to stay strong against his charms. But there’s something about the man who has always made the impossible seem possible.

When Luke Marchetti walks into his flat to find Lexie in a negligee, all he can think of is having a little flirt and fling. But sweet, caring Lexie is all grown up now, and her determination to keep him at a distance makes him realize she deserves more than he can offer.

One kiss when they were younger ignited a passion that lasted seven long years. But is it enough to entice the two to take a gamble on love?

Information:

Title: Flirting to Win (Anthology)
Author: Natalie Anderson
Genre: Category – Contemporary Romance
Length: 360 pages
Release Date: August 2012
Imprint: Indulgence

Read an excerpt