Shannon's Law Cover Reveal - romance, danger, adventure and passion from Emma Calin.

 Cover-reveal for "SHANNON'S LAW" the new action-adventure-romance novel from Emma Calin.

Blurb

Wild child inner city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, after yet another maverick mission, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. When she encounters signs of people and drug trafficking she homes in on serious millionaire criminals. As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. When she meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington, there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need. Already in the mix is an upper class female rival – who has long plotted her way into the Earl's bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet. Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her. All the same, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission, their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.

Shannon’s Law USA        Shannon's Law UK

(Pre-order paperback only at this stage)

We will be revealing snippets from the story, photos of places and people that inspired the venues and characters on Pinterest during the pre-launch book tour. There are already some scrap-book cuttings posted:

http://www.pinterest.com/emmacalin/shannons-law-launch-reveal-on-pinterest/

There is also news about the book on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShannonsLaw

(‘Likes’ are always appreciated.....)

There are two launch parties themed around “Afternoon Tea At Bloxington Manor”. The first is online on the 28th February on Facebook and the second is LIVE at the English country house that inspired the home of the hero of the book, on Sunday 2nd March. A local favourite venue for Emma,  Avington Park in Hampshire, UK, is steeped in history and tradition. (Think genuine Palladian style rather than Downton Abbey neo-Jacobean). The private owners have kindly agreed to open up with a tour of the house and then tea and cake – oh and launch the book of course!

Shannon’s Law Cover Reveal Draw

$30/£20 Amazon voucher
A pair of tickets to Avington Park Launch Party 2nd March (UK only)
3 Advanced Review Copies of Shannon’s Law

EVERY entrant will receive a FREE gift of an audiobook of Emma Calin's short story Escape to Love.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/Mjg1OTEwYzI5YjYwMjA3ZWY2Y2EzZDEzODljNmNjOjE4/

Last excerpt from Maid of the Midlands

I had an agent refuse to represent this book because the
hero wasn't a knight or lord and the heroine a lady. But I found the working
class characters more colorful to write about and much more appealing. I hope
the readers will also. And for those readers who like this book, there is a sequel already written about Matilda's and Jondalar's three children, set in the time of the Gunpowder Plot, and Guy Fawkes is my historical character in that one.

Excerpt:

Unmindful that she wore no
gown, the maid ran headlong down the stairs and flung herself upon the
prostrate guard. Her hands feverishly
examined his muscular chest, seeking the source of his wound, and touched the
leather thong about his neck. And when she saw the medal hanging from it in the
fold of his tunic, she knew at once he loved her still.

“Jondalar,” she wept
profusely, “speak to me. Please do not
die. I would not want to live without
you.”

Willy Douglas shook his head
in bewilderment. Then, seeing the maid
was in a state of undress, he placed his cloak upon her shoulders to spare her
further shame.

Jondalar groaned weakly.

“He lives,” Matilda said
joyously. “We must tend his wounds at
once before all his blood is drained.”

She tore a strip from her
clean white underskirt and sought to staunch the copious flow from his
side. Another shot had grazed his head
and sticky crimson mingled with his copper-colored hair making it impossible to
separate the two.

“My dearest,” she
crooned. “I will take care of you. All will be well.”

“Huh?” the guard opened his
eyes and seeing Matilda so close to his face, blinked as if to verify the
vision.

“Jondalar, please speak to
me,” she entreated once more.

“Me luv,” he whispered, “. .
. save the . . . queen.”

A significant event relegated to insignificance

On another National Holiday tour, our coach stopped at a site where the castle of Fotheringhay had stood.
This was the place where Queen Mary was beheaded but only a small sign on a
weed-covered field marked the spot of that historic event. It seemed as if the
country who kept her prisoner for years had chosen to ignore the fact forever.

Leave your comments for a
chance to win one of the four digital copies of Maid of the Midlands that I'll
be giving away today.

Blurb:

When Mary Queen of Scots is sent to Hafton Castle in the
Midlands, Matilda becomes her waiting-lady. The comely maid loves Jondalar, a
stalwart castle guard who returns her affection but places his greed to succeed
above all else. After Matilda nurses the queen through a fever, she rewards the
maid with a valuable ruby. Jondalar plots with the young lord of the castle to
rid the Crown of the captive queen in return for a promotion in the guard.But
when Matilda learns of the guard's
betrayal of the queen she must chose between loyalty and love.

Excerpt:Matilda shrank back against
the wall, horrified at what she had heard.
She cringed with every sure step taken by the guard as he retreated from
the lord's chamber.

For a time, Matilda was
unable to sort her thoughts. Then she
began to speak aloud, as if the sound of her voice could bring order to the
jumble of conflicting emotions roiling in her mind.

“Jondalar has betrayed
me. And worse still, has betrayed the
Scottish queen. Instead of guarding the
monarch as she traveled, he has made plans to kill her. And Lord Hafton is a party to the devious
crime.”

“How could the valiant guard
who has pledged his devotion and promised to wed me be guilty of such a vile
act? How could he plot against Queen
Mary who holds him in such high esteem that she has left a bag of coins for his
service to her?”

Matilda sank to the floor and
wept bitterly. After a time, when her
tears had subsided, she tried to piece her thoughts together. She could not tell her mistress what she had
learned for the young lord might deny it and send her away. And it was too late to persuade the guard to
stop the murderers, even should he be willing to do so for her sake. As if he might.

The maid sprang to her feet. “There is none to tell save the queen! I must warn Queen Mary of her perilous
plight.”

Win a digital copy of Maid of the Midlands

In 1999-2000 my husband and I
lived in Kingston-upon-Hull in East Yorkshire. Our second floor flat overlooked
the River Humber which flowed into the North Sea. It was an experience I will
never forget. I immediately learned that I didn't speak English; I spoke
American and Southern American at that! My newest release, Maid of the
Midlands, was an indirect result of that time in my life.

Correlating with the fourth
day of March, I'll be giving away 4
digital copies of Maid of the Midlands today. Please comment and check back for
the winners.

Blurb:

Matilda is honored to be chosen to serve the captive queen
of Scotland when she is brought to Hafton Castle in the Midlands. Her devoted
service soon earns Queen Mary's affection. The lovely maid's innocent heart is
captured by Jondalar, a handsome, stalwart castle guard and they hope to wed.
But when Matilda learns of the guard's
betrayal of the queen she must chose between loyalty and love.

Excerpt:

All evening, Jondalar had
watched Matilda as she wove gracefully in and out among the dancing figures. He
made a valiant effort to curb his jealousy of her eager partners, but his
control was strained almost to breaking point by the one who claimed her now.
Seeing their sudden approach, the guard was caught in a dilemma. He had recognized the young Lord Hafton as
the one half-dragging the helpless Matilda toward the darkness and his first
impulse was to run his sword through the blackguard. But common sense curbed his violent thought,
and he merely put a well-placed foot in the lord's path causing him to fall
headfirst onto the stone floor. A brief
commotion ensued while valets rushed to aid the fallen lord and carry him to
his chamber to be tended.

Matilda looked into the eyes
of the man who had rescued her and smiled gratefully. Her cheeks were infused with a rosy glow as
she gasped quick breaths that caused her bosom to rise and fall seductively in
her low-cut gown. Suddenly overcome by
his desire for the beguiling maid who stood before him, Jondalar pulled her
into the shadows of the courtyard. There
on the cobblestones he swept her into his strong arms and swung her about in
time to the music.

At last he stopped but did
not remove his arms that encircled her.
“I have wanted to do that with ye meself all of this night,” he said
softly. “And this.”

He slowly lifted her dainty
white mask and kissed her thoroughly.
“There,” he said with a satisfied sigh.
“Was that not the best dance of the ball, I ask ye?”

“Yes, oh yes,” she said fervently,
then added reluctantly, “but I fear I must go back now.”

“And meself as well, before
we both are missed,”

RAISE A CUPPA for jolly old ENGLAND! To ENGLAND!!

This post is too late for the "Raise A Cuppa at 8:00" since it was London time, but better late than never. Oh my..... I've been in a virtual fog lately. I just heard about the rioting today. What is going on??? I still don't know the whole story. I promise to find out -- for my own knowledge, and to pray for the poor people who are probably scared out of their biscuit tins.

 After all, this is ENGLAND! People are civilized! They drink tea and eat biscuits and crumpets and scones. They give traveling Americans dimes, since they can't use them (happened to me in York, and I didn't speak a word. The lady just handed it over with a cheery, "Here you go, dear! You can use this back home.") Brits have stiff upper lips (probably from drinking so much tea) and they carry on.

But not rioting. That's NOT the carrying on they ought to be doing. So, here's a CUPPA for you, England!! I'll be posting a bunch of tea cups and pots, pretty and quirky. Here's one, in fact.

Check out the resale shop where I found this cheeky pot. I'll keep posting great pics while we all raise our cups to England! To ENGLAND!!

Now THIS cup and double saucer set screams TRADITION!! Isn't it lovely? Raise another cup for England!

This lovely pot is in honor of a good friend, Old Tim. Here's looking at you, and let's raise another cuppa for England! And for India, since the Brits spent a lot of time there and finally went home.

This bone china beauty was manufactured in Japan. Lovely, isn't it? And thanks to China (and India) where tea is grown. Without England, though, would we be drinking it today? TO ENGLAND!!!

Here's a dragon mug with a covered lid. Perfect for those chilly days when you really want to keep the tea HOT and your fingers warm. Raise another CUPPA FOR ENGLAND!! For England! Where the roses bloom in the gardens, where the the musty smell of London's British Museum's Reading Room is wonderful. Aaaaaah. Much better than flames and smashing windows. Shame on you nasty peeps. TO ENGLAND!!

Besides, you might break the antique tea cups! So go home, and brew a CUPPA!! Raise it to ENGLAND!

This one's for my Sweet Pea! And grandkitty, Lucy. :-)  TO ENGLAND!!!

May it be a peaceful land of green fields, forests, roundabouts and tea at elevenses and four.