Thank you so much for letting me showcase my forthcoming steamy action-romance novel SHANNON’S LAW. It’s the second in my PASSION PATROL series – stories where sassy female cops lock up the criminals and always get their man.
February marks the start of my “Pinterest Reveal Virtual Book Tour” in the run-up to the launch on the 28th February 2014.
Every day there are feature posts on topics relating to SHANNON’S LAW on blogs all around the world. They’re all linked together on one big Pinterest Board. Each post replaces a ‘mystery’ silhouette that was posted in January. I saved all my notes and photos as I was writing, on a private Pinterest Board and now I can share them with you.
Today’s subject is: Historical houses and artistic inspirations
If I had massive personal wealth I’m not sure how much of it I would spend on having my ceiling painted. In researching for Shannon’s Law I began to form the view that the true nobility of a person was reflected in their ceilings.
Avington Park, the English stately home which modeled for “Bloxington Manor,” has a fabulous painted ballroom.
At Blenheim Palace there are some more modern enigmatic painted eyes looking down as you arrive at the front entrance. For my story I was anxious to create a genuine ambiance for the palazzo in Venice where my characters spend some time. That meant a painted ceiling for the magnificent Palazzo Coccolare.
There were may painters who could have done the ceiling. Tiepolo offered himself as an obvious choice because I had seen his work at the Residenz of Wurzburg in Germany. My partner’s teenage daughter had dumped university run off to marry an American soldier stationed out there. We visited and discovered that the main threat to her was the loss of her already shaky grasp of English spelling. After a visit to the army base commissary it was evident she would never starve or go without cakes. Her young husband then drove us to see the art of Tiepolo. Clearly he was the right kind of guy for me. They are still together and he’s still a soldier. She went to university in the USA and all is well, except for her spelling and strange accent.
I chose to make the Venetian ceiling a smaller version which later ended up adorning the throne room of the royal palace in Madrid much later in Tiepolo’s career. So, in the book the young guy received a commission from the Duchesse Feronese in the year 1720. A short while later he set out from Venice to achieve international fame. By the time I’d finished researching and writing about his work I really wasn’t sure what I’d made up and what was true. Maybe I am a novelist after all?
Tiepolo ceiling painting in Spencer’s apartment in Palazzo Coccolare, Venice
The wood paneled art deco lift juddered to a stop. He drew back the lattice gate and pushed open the door. She gasped at the sight before her. The floor was a burnished dark wood. A splendorous chandelier hung from a ceiling painted with cherubs, horses and people in magnificent robes. She stood staring up. The illusion was of a dome almost rising for ever.
Book 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 slave 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 issues are set aside, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission. Their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.
SHANNON’S LAW comes out on February 28th 2014 in print and digital formats for all e-readers.
Amazon are offering some great discounts for pre-orders of the paperback version
(29% off in USA, 12% off in the UK).
You can pre-order the digital version at a pre-launch special price from Nook, Kobo, and iTunes. It will also be available in all digital formats on Smashwords
See this post and others from my tour as they go live on Pinterest or click the Goddess Fish panel below to visit the other blogs in the tour.
Follow Shannon’s Law on Facebook
Visit the Shannon’s Law Website for book details and pre-order information.
About.me page: http://about.me/emmacalin
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4915751.Emma_Calin
RAFFLECOPTER DRAW
Win Amazon vouchers, copies of the book PLUS a free gift for every entrant (see prizes below).
The draw will be made at random, by Rafflecopter on the 7th March 2013.
Companion Cook-Book
In addition to SHANNON’S LAW, I’m launching a companion digital cook-book with illustrated recipes for all the meals from the novel.
It’s called COP’S KTICHEN – Read the love story and taste the romance!
To celebrate the launch of SHANNON’S LAW, there is a special FREE gift for you in my RAFFLECOPTER draw. As well as great, unique prizes to win, EVERY ENTRANT will get their own digital copy of – COP’S KITCHEN. There are many ways to get bonus chances – by commenting on this post, liking Facebook Pages etc.
Main Prizes in the Draw:
$30/£20/€25 Amazon Gift Voucher, 2 paperback copies of Shannon’s Law, 3 digital copies of Shannon’s Law.
Happy Release Day! I love all the research you did on this book and that you so graciously shared it with your readers!
I can see myself lying on the floor looking at the ceilings.
Gorgeous pictures! I’d love to see those locations in RL.
Sounds like a great series… and the cookbook is a great addition, especially for someone like me who loves to cook 🙂
Sounds like a fascinating and sexy story. Glad it is a series.
Hi Guys, Thanks for having me aboard today. I love doing research for books, so much so that I get distracted by detail. Hopefully the ambiance of these great house filters through into the story. As for my own spelling – well, the book is spelled in USA English!
Thanks for hosting!
Sounds like a wonderful book and I like that you get a cookbook along side. Thank you for the blurb.
The inspiration pictures are beautiful! Ok, I’m sorry but I had to chuckle a the “loss of her already shaky grasp of English spelling” comment. But at least her new husband knew the best place to take you site seeing. 😉 Thanks for the giveaway!