Yippee - not only is it nearly Christmas, it's also release day for my first Entangled Publishing Indulgence contemporary romance, THE RELUCTANT WIFE.

 It's exciting because it is my first contemporary, but it's also terrifying for the same reason.  I hope you like the book, but don't worry, I don't plan to stop writing Regency historical romances. I do plan to write a few more contemporaries though (touch wood).

 THE RELUCTANT WIFE is dear to me (read the story and try to work out why - can’t say too much more or spoiler alert), and I've set it in one of my favorite countries, Italy. You should all know by now that I love tall, dark and handsome... It's my catch phrase. Who could be more tall, dark and handsome than the Italian, Conte Dante Lombardi?

 Match the sauve Italian with a young English rose called Abby Taylor and sparks fly. Reserved and a little unsure of herself, she has a core of strength superman would envy and Dante finds frustrating, captivating and tantalizing...

...an intense, passionate rollercoaster of a love story—just perfect!
- USA TODAY bestselling author Natalie Anderson

Here's the blurb:-

Abby Taylor walked out on her husband three years ago, but now she is desperate and has no choice in returning to Italy to ask him for a favor. When she begs her estranged millionaire husband for money to save her grandmother, it comes with strings attached.

Conte Dante Lombardi has it all—Italian villa, successful family business—but he needs a child to carry on his legacy and time is running out. Dante wants Abby back in their marriage bed to give him an heir, and to satisfy the urges she rouses in him.

As Abby puzzles out why he’s in such a hurry for a child, she begins to fall in love with Dante again … just as she realizes how impossible it will be to keep their new agreement.

Here's an excerpt

 So, why are you here? May I hope that you’ve come to your senses and returned to fulfill your obligation? It was one we undertook before God.”

 Abby sighed inwardly. She should have expected Dante to start railroading her into compliance. Hadn’t that been the basis of their marriage from the start? He’d set the terms and expected her complete acquiescence.

 They should have really talked more and bedded less.

 “I’m not here to stay. I came for a favor that has nothing to do with our matrimonial situation.”

 “You need money. Your little business not thriving?”

 “My business is fine, thank you for asking.”

 “I think you’ve found running a bookstore is not the fun you thought it would be.”

 She should have guessed he’d know what she’d been up to. She’d naively thought that when she’d walked out and heard nothing from him he’d wiped her from his mind.

 “Don’t look so surprised. Did you think I’d let a woman who still carries my name out into the world without keeping an eye on her? You of all people know how I safeguard the Lombardi name. I repeat, is your visit about money?”

 “What else could it be about?”

 He swept his gaze over her body, making her wish she’d worn another layer of clothes. He took a step closer. “Some women find me attractive enough to want to share my bed.”

 “Been there, done that. The sex was good, but it wasn’t enough.”

 His face flushed with anger. “But my name comes in handy, especially when you want a bank loan.”

 How could he know about that? “I didn’t volunteer the connection. The bank assumed.”

 “So, the divorce will take time, you don’t want to warm my bed once more, and the bank gave you the money for your store. Why are you here, then?”

 “I need a lot more money for something else.”

 “You are not making sense, mio fiore.”

 “Don’t call me that.”

 “Touchy. You were my little flower.” He reached and stroked a finger down her bare arm. “Like jasmine, you bloomed at night in my bed.”

 She fought the urge to close her eyes and block the images of his mind-blowing lovemaking. He’d been such a fabulous lover—yet a terrible husband.

 She swallowed her denial. She’d be a liar and he knew it. When they’d first married, he only had to look at her and she grew wet with desire. A single touch had her begging for him to take her. It would appear nothing had changed...

To help celebrate, I'm offering a Kindle Fire or Kindle Touch (your choice). Open internationally until 15 January 2013. Follow the instructions  at Romance Wrangler blog site.

http://bit.ly/T6w84D