A new addition to the collection...

Black & White Spiral Heart by Ntwowe
http://www,freedigitalart.net

A while back I talked about my black and white flower collection over at LoveCats and just recently I got a new one to add to the collection. Strictly it's not black but a deep reddish brown. The reason I love it so much and am letting it under the net is it's scent - Coco Chanel is a kind of chocolate Cosmos daisy - and yes, it actually smells of chocolate - yum!!! It's in a pot at the moment and when my new writing shed is built (more on that later) I'm going to put it under my window so the delicious chocolate scent will waft in to torment me - bliss! It has bright yellow pollen which is a bit of a giveaway as one of my five year olds discovered. I found her the other morning wandering round with a distinct yellow smudge on the tip of her nose.
"Have you been smelling the chocolate daisy?" I asked. She giggled and asked how I knew - total no brainer!

One Coco Chanel, chocolate cosmos daisy,
with the white geranium behind.

I've always loved these daisies - we used to have one when I was growing up and when I wrote the book His Mistress by Arrangement (Bedded by Arrangement in UK/Oz) I had an artist heroine who specialised in botanical drawings. She was illustrating a book that explained Floriography (the language of flowers) and referred to herself as a chocolate cosmos daisy (as she had a chocolate addiction!). It was such fun to add it in to the story :)

I do think it's amazing that there's a flower that smells just like chocolate!!! Nature is marvellous.

November Party Prize

Here we are heading into party season and it is beyond time to have a giveaway! It’s been forever since I last did one and as we’re all heading into the festive chaos, wouldn’t it be nice to have a treat land on your doorstep just for you?

My November prize pack includes: signed copies of my duo – CAUGHT ON CAMERA WITH THE CEO and UNBUTTONED BY HER MAVERICK BOSS (which is being released in the US as REBEL WITH A CAUSE in February), plus a Harlequin bookmark, some chocolate from a very famous-in-New-Zealand company and a set of pewter wine glass charms. The charms are pure Kiwiana – based on New Zealand flora including fern, kowhai, flax plus pretty beads and baubles, so you’ll have pretty decorations for your wine glasses at party time!

The competition is super easy to enter – all you have to do is be a newsletter subscriber (fill in the box on the right there) OR a ‘liker’ on my Facebook page. If you're both a subscriber and a liker then you've double the chance to win :) I’ll draw the winner on November 30!

I’m flat tack getting my next book finished before Christmas and very much looking forward to holding my first ‘Riva’ – this is the new branding of our books in the UK and they’re very glam – I’ll put a cover pic up as soon as I can.

But for now I’ll leave you with a little teaser from CAUGHT ON CAMERA WITH THE CEO (out in the US in December) – because there’s nothing like a first kiss, even just a little one…
Poor claustrophobic Dani is stuck in a lift and freaking out – maybe a little distraction would help calm her fears? What if distraction comes in the form of her gorgeous new boss…


'We never have trouble with these lifts.'
Oh,yeah? Well, they were now.
'You probably confused it by making it wait so long with its doors open,' she said. The spark of anger pushed the bile back down.
'It's a machine. Machines don't get confused. Only people do that.'
She was confused now—her body wanting to run, her brain wanting to shut down altogether, her stomach wanting to hurl its contents.
'You're new here,' he said. 'I've seen you in the office.'
Distraction. Excellent.
'Yes,' she said, barely controlling the wobble in her voice. And after another stumbling beat she looked from the doors to him.
His eyes were very wide and very green and filled with a painfully gentle concern.
He took a step towards her. 'My name is—'
'I know who you are,' she cut him off. She couldn't think enough for conversation.
'You do?' His eyes narrowed and his smile twisted, bitterness thinning his sensual lips. 'Then you're one up on me.' He took the last step closing the gap between them. 'I have no idea who I am.'
The bitterness surprised her, blasted the smothering fog from her head. She looked closer at him. 'You're Alex. And you're stuck in a l-lift.'
She glanced at the walls; they were nearing her again. The fear crept back up. She gulped in air. Were they running out of oxygen already? And had she just whimpered?
'There's no need to be afraid.'
Wasn't there? Didn't she know exactly how frightening it was to be stuck in a small place for too long
'Hey.' He put his hands on her shoulders. 'It's going to be fine.'
At his touch she looked back into his face. Green eyes gazed at her, deepened by the dark lashes that framed them. Everything else in the world receded again. Yes, she'd look at him, focus on him, forget everything but green eyes. The colour swirled, the black centre spread. His gaze flickered, dropped to her mouth. Made her realise it was dry. She touched her tongue to the corner of it and then she found she was looking at his. It was extraordinarily fine, with lips that were currently curved up in a smile.
'You OK?'
She couldn't take her eyes off him. She couldn't answer.
'Sweetheart?'
Funny how just one word, said in just the right way, could change everything.
She gazed at him, feeling that restlessness inside roar, and her chin lifted.
His hands moved, dropping to circle round her waist.
'It's going to be just fine,' he said. And then slowly, so slowly, giving her all the time to turn away, he lowered his head.
But she didn't turn.
His lips were warm, firm but not forceful, not invasive, just gentle.
He lifted his head a millimetre and his green eyes searched hers. 'See?'


Excerpt from CAUGHT ON CAMERA WITH THE CEO by Natalie Anderson. Harlequin Mills & Boon, Presents Extra, December 2010
(ISBN-13:978-0-373-52796-0)