Shannon's Law Book Launch Party

It's launch day. Shannon's Law is now an item of public discourse. It's the ball in a touchdown or the cake in a boulanger's window. The story is of a genteel English lord and a wild child street cop from the de-railed side of the urban tracks. Things start to get cosy when he invites her for tea. He serves sophisticated Earl Grey. She needs a full on proper brew from Yorkshire Gold. She loves his class. He adores her rich satisfying flavour. You kinda get that tingle that it'll be tea for two in bed some time soon. She's a strong willed woman. Guess what strength he gives her. 

How else to launch such a steamy tale but with a tea party. There's gonna be prizes. There's gonna be music and for sure there's gonna be tea and cakes. 

On the subject of cakes, I need your recipes. If we get enough, my own publisher - Gallo-Romano Media, will bring out a digital cookbook. All contributors will be credited. The proceeds will all go to the charity the Trussell Trust which organises food banks for needy folk. It is a non denominational Christian organisation which I respect although I have no personal religious faith. So dig out those donuts, roll out those roulades and bung me your buns.

The launch party begins on Facebook at 4pm London time (8am PST, 10am CST,11am EST.) It's on for four hours and coffee is available throughout too. 

If you can't make the party there's prizes to be had here. The draw is on the 7th March so everyone can have a go.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Emma Thinx: You can't have your cake and eat it. Always bake a spare.

What Links Shirley Bassey, Marilyn Monroe And The Beatles?

Now that's what a girl calls a bunch of carats

Nearly there now. It's coming up to 6pm on 27th February 2014 as I pin one of the last items on my Pinterest reveal tour. In six hours Shannon's Law will be out there. There's no news of queues anywhere. I'm grateful to chicklitpad for hosting my feature today. The subject is a fabulous necklace. It dates from the 1920's and is a mix of white and rose diamonds. Nothing too flash then! It's the sort of thing an earl might give to a countess. But why?And what could such an item stand for?

The word diamond unites so many themes and artists. At first rummage in my grey cells tips out Shirley Bassey singing "Diamonds Are Forever", Marilyn Monroe singing "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" and the Beatles singing "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds". 

There's plenty of gems in Shannon's Law and they won't cost the earth.

Emma thinx: Love mines diamonds in a heart of stone.

Shannon In Venice With Tiepolo

To Infinity and beyond. 

There was an old song "It's almost tomorrow". My father was a bit of a dancer and he used to waltz around to this song playing on the record player with me standing on his feet. And YES!!! It is almost tomorrow. The great ship Shannon stands on the slipway. Workmen are greasing the rails. The seagulls hold their breath. The Queen is choosing a frock....

My Pinterest reveal tour is nearly over. Today I'm grateful to harliesbooks for hosting my feature on painted ceilings. When Shannon gets to Venice she looks up at the ceiling of a fabulous palazzo on the Grand Canal. The art was painted by the famous Venetian painter, Tiepolo. I have tried to make all the settings of the book "real". Let's just say that fact is blended with fiction. The actual painting shown in the photo is from the throne room of the Royal Palace in Madrid. Maybe Tiepolo did an earlier study in Venice or maybe he didn't.....If he did it's in the Palazzo Coccolare. The only access is via Shannon's Law.

Emma thinx: Fiction exists and that's a fact.

Hatching A Plot

Dodgy focus from ultra long range. Fly my little ones.......

Only one whole day to go. Then Shannon's Law and Cop's Kitchen will be out there all alone. Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune will be released. 

There is another world away from books and the market place. Sometimes one is so close to one's own affairs that the beauty and continuance of this life and time seem no more than scenery. Deep down we know the depth of our human shallowness. We are helpless creatures, vainly bigging ourselves up to confront a universe that does no more than shrug. 

There is a blackbird nest in my hedge. It contains three miracles of beauty. Such eggs existed before there were words for yolk or albumen - or for that matter, any concept of love, vocabulary, gods or even Amazon.com. Nature will probably waste them all and the mother will lay again and again. The stronger ones will dominate the weaker. In fact, it's not that different from incubating a novel. 

Emma thinx: And the last will study the faces of winners. And the winners will see merely a crowd. There are no victories.

A Vespa Ride Through Paris At Midnight

Hey tough guy - d'ya think I'm kinda curvy?

A pivotal pinning today on my Pinterest reveal tour. The sound of a motorcycle mixed with church bells opens the book. If Shannon hadn't heard the sound of a Vespa engine, there would have been no Shannon's Law. I'm grateful to writerwonderland for hosting my feature. 

The machine in the picture and I came into this world at about the same time - 1962.  The Italian design motorcycle has gone on to be an icon of style and social identity. I'm not sure exactly what I have become but at least no one sits on me and kick starts my motor.  Looking at images of these bikes, you can see the attraction. They are a clean and androgynous.  A big thumping motorbike is oily and probably runs on testosterone. Perhaps I'm being a bit sexist. I'm sure that many a leather studded rocker is fully in touch with his feminine side. 

I have never ridden a scooter but the movie Quadrophenia fascinated me. A central element of Shannon's Law is how we relate to young people. (Don't tell anyone but it is a novel of sociological commentary). The era of the Mod and the scooter represent a different social universe. If you're interested in modern history here is a link to a short documentary on those times. I do wish I'd been a participant in the 60's. Or the twenties. Or some of the thirties. Or maybe ....If you really want to see a work of genius about nostalgia by Woody Allen, check out the movie Midnight in Paris. I adore this it. 

Emma thinx: There's already a silicone chip museum. 

Shannon's Juicy Little Devils

Juicy little devils

As the big day approaches there are only a few remaining items to add to my  Pinterest board. Today I'm appearing on the blog annelisplace. She's a fantastic editor I can recommend to any of you scribes out there. Also if you like those impossible photos you see in National Geographic  Magazine, check out her stuff here.

One of my lusts is food. I deal with this both in the text of the novel Shannon's Law and in the accompanying cookbook Cop's Kitchen. The feature today is about an hors d'oeuvre item served after a cricket match played at the stately home, Bloxington Manor. It's a really exotic flavour and also a bit of a glistening feast for the eyes. Shannon had never encountered such fancy offerings, but she was never shy about trying something new. 

Emma Thinx: The second bite is with your imagination.

1066 And All That

Coat of Arms for William the Conqueror.

Today the Pinterest reveal tour deals with the character Jasmine de Montfort. My thanks to Kim the Bookworm for hosting me. Jasmine is from an aristocratic family. She believes that a special type of person is bred to command the subservient social classes. That type of person is her. The subservient classes are everyone else. 

She was born to be a mortal enemy of Shannon. Right from the start there is a high tension risk of shocks. They are a match for each other. Even I don't know if there will ever be a winner. As I finished the book I kinda felt they'd be slugging it out even if I was no longer writing up the bout. 

Jasmine de Montfort acts as an indicator of social differences in England. She also provides an off handed humour and gets to join in some of the sharpest dialogue in the book. She tells everyone that her family arrived in 1066 with William the Conqueror. I'm sure her descendants will be firing out commands for at least another thousand years. 

Emma thinx:  You can't command a genuine smile

Venice, The City Lover's City Of Love

Stone to lighten any lover's heart

You can't do a tour of anything in this world without taking in Venice. My Pinterest reveal today is of that magical place. I'm grateful to Patricia Sands for hosting me today.In Shannon's Law a pivotal moment of the book unfolds out of the blue. A character comments that after Venice or Love, nothing is ever the same.Shannon has to cope with both at once.

So much has been said of Venice that I've always felt that a little scribbler like me can add nothing. In the full feature I tried by saying Venice is a city of love because, like love, it is very unlikely, impossibly fragile and impossibly strong. Many never find true love. I had to wait for the last third of my life to know it. I did not expect its weight  to float on the mud of life. I expected storms and floods to sweep it away. They might yet do so and indeed mortality will shuffle me off into the lagoon. To me, this is the essence of Venice. It rises above the impossible to proclaim beauty and passion. Like love it knows no common sense.

All the rest is photos and farfalle. 

Emma Thinx: Often you need mud to float a dream.

MADE IN NASHVILLE - @MandyBaggot likes to do it the American Way

Today I am delighted to welcome a wonderfully talented writer and performer to my blog - Mandy Baggot. 

I first met her at a literary event where she was not only promoting her novels but was entertaining the crowds at lunch with her microphone and PA system belting out Amy Winehouse's "Rehab". She is a total star.

She has a brand new book out called MADE IN NASHVILLE ... for a good ol' dose of country-style romance. 

Without further ado - Mandy, I've noticed a number of your books are set in the US. Why is this? 

Mandy:  To be really honest I’m not entirely sure how this happened!

When I started writing I had in mind using my cool British humour and knowledge of UK popular culture in my novels. My first four books had British heroines and three of those were set predominantly in England but two had ‘foreign’ heroes – American heartthrob actor Nicholas Kaden and ice-dance sensation Jimmy Lloyd.

By the time I got to novel number five I was writing about an American-born heroine travelling back to her homeland. There were diners, hockey, my words had Zs in them and one less ‘l’. I was talking pants instead of trousers and clutching purses instead of bags.

I think having my dad living in the US is an influence. He’s a constant source of inspiration, keeps me in touch with American culture and all things Michigan.

But another reason is my obsession with US TV shows. British drama for me has got a little too British. I want escapism. I want action, talk of bodegas and a sexy drawl on my hero.

Made in Nashville was born out of my love for country music and the American lifestyle. Writing about things you’re passionate about always makes for a great story and I really hope that passion shines through on the page.

Although the book is set in Nashville, in the middle of the music scene, you don’t have to be a fan of bluegrass to enjoy Honor and Jared’s story. Their relationship is the focus and it’s their feelings that drive the plot forward. But, before you know it, you’ll be listening to Tim McGraw and wearing plaid!

So there you have it! I’m a girl who loves writing over the pond but I also like to keep everyone on their toes. My next hero’s a Bulgarian!

Mandy Baggot is a romantic fiction author. In 2012 she won the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance. Her self-published title, Strings Attached was also short-listed for the Best Author Published Read award.

Also in 2012 she signed with American publishing house, Sapphire Star Publishing, who produced her novels, Taking Charge and romantic suspense, Security.

In June 2013 she signed a two book deal with Harper Collins' digital first romance imprint, Harper Impulse.

She is a regular contributor to writing blogs and on-line magazine, Loveahappyending Lifestyle http://www.loveahappyending.com/.

Mandy loves mashed potato, white wine, country music, World’s Strongest Man, travel and handbags. She has appeared on ITV1’s Who Dares Sings and auditioned for The X-Factor.

Mandy is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband, two daughters and cats, Kravitz and Springsteen.

Website: www.mandybaggot.com

Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/sjq4v

Amazon US: http://ow.ly/sjqbM

Twitter: http://twitter.com/mandybaggot

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mandybaggotauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2968625.Mandy_Baggot

Loveahappyending Bookshelf: http://loveahappyending.org/mandy-baggot/

Sapphire Star Publishing: http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/mandybaggot

Harper Impulse: http://ow.ly/mAQBP

Latest release: Made in Nashville – Amazon UK http://ow.ly/sMOIG

Amazon US http://ow.ly/sMOC9

Shannon At Scotland Yard

Shannon Aguerri on her way to see the boss

Only a week to go! Only a few more items for my Pinterest reveal tour.  Thankfully I'm not an actress or singer who has to face the public everyday. Just to think in  seven days millions and millions of potential critics will be reading my book........ Perhaps I could perform as a stand up comedienne. Or a street cop?  
Today I'm on the site of cluereview featuring the actual heroine of Shannon's Law, Shannon Aguerri. 

Born on a tough south London estate with a West Indian father and an Irish mother she had to fight just to stay afloat. She has a big heart but doesn't do sentimentality. She likes her cup of tea and her man to be strong with a generous portion of sugar. Her wit is as sharp as the knives she has faced. Cross her and you've got an ice cool enemy. If she loves you - watch out for the heat.

I was very lucky to have a beautiful and patient model for my cover photo. Readers will draw their own picture of her. There's a look of daring in her eye that captures her character for me.

Emma Thinx: Who dares slims.

Elvis - The King

When you're this big a crown is just a silly hat

My Pinterest reveal today is one of the most famous persons ever to have lived. It is estimated that there are 35,000 impersonators of this man in the USA and maybe up to 85,000 in the world. He is the ninth most known man according
towhoismorefamous.com. Ladies and Gentlemen, for those who believe, Elvis has never left the building. 

A true fan and music writer Mandy Baggot has hosted my post today. The great man plays a big part in Shannon's Law. I can't give away too much of the story. He has to rely on others to provide physical manifestations of his presence. This does not mean that the King is not still here. Wherever there is a blue suede shoe there is a footprint. Wherever there is a heartbreak hotel there is a tear stained sheet bearing his scent. Wherever some helpless human can't help falling love there is a man in a white suit who understands. If you believe like me you should read my book and feel the presence of the great man.

While researching the book I splashed out on a new Elvis DVD to help me soak myself in the flavour. It is a show to commemorate the 25 years since his death. Footage of Elvis is mixed with his old backing musicians playing live. It's very skilfully done and you can catch it here. 

Writing books allows me many forms of self indulgence. It was a joy to include Elvis. Somehow he arrived on Earth and brought his own era with him. He was a fabulous performer who brought a charisma and a belief that will never fade. 


Emma Thinx: When you're OTT, you're feeling the real thing.

French Letters

In the heat of battle, she was his hottest thought. 

Today I'm revealing Josephine, Empress of France on my  Pinterest board. I'm grateful to the site Queen of the Night Reviews for hosting me. In Shannon's Law, our heroine seems to walk in the footsteps of this famous femme fatale. 

For sure she was something of a handful even for  an emperor. My impression is that she was the boss in their relationship. In my story Shannon certainly sets the tone and her earl is happy to follow. My full feature is here. The picture above is a copy of a book of Napoleon's letters to Josephine. This book was given to me by the poet Oscar Sparrow at the beginning of our relationship. He'd bought it from one of those booksellers by the Seine in Paris. Loitering in Paris is his favourite occupation. Poets don't do deadlines and book launches. They die and get discovered.

Emma Thinx:   Dip Cupid's arrow in ink. 

Let Them Eat Cake Soaked In Wine

A little sherry Cheri?

The Pinterest reveal goes on with the exposure of that wonderful dish of sherry trifle from Cop's Kitchen. I'm grateful to the site Sharing Links and Wisdom for hosting me.

Purely by chance I prepared this very dessert from Shannon's Law last night for some French friends. All the plates were clean at the end. The Brits keep groaning about Europe and threatening to leave. At least a little slice of England will remain if we do pull out.

Emma Thinx:  Je t'aime mon Sherry.

Shannon Climbs to Ecstasy On Purgatory Hill

There's no let up now in that Pinterest reveal countdown to the launch of Shannon's Law. My host today is Cometbabesbooks who has the subject of Shannon's taste in music. She's a fit girl who trains hard on her mountain bike. On her headphones she listens to Purgatory Hill. The cigar box guitar sound is just so raw and exciting. I could throw a lot of words at but it's best to click the link and give yourself a treat. 

Emma Thinx: You gotta dig deep for the purest dirt.

Meaty And Hot From The Cop's Kitchen

If you've got it - flaunt it! Power nosh for sexy cops. Just add HP sauce and chips

The Pinterest reveal today is that fine English dish of Sausage Toad. I'm grateful to Lisa Haselton for hosting me today. The full feature and the recipe from Cop's Kitchen is here.

The life of a cooking novelist calls for a complete re-think of kitchen design. What I need is a hob with a built in wipe off keyboard. I could be boiling my beans and pouring out some passion at the same time. I'll be cooking up a dish from Shannon's Law tomorrow for some French guests. I'll let you know how it goes.

Emma Thinx; Michelin chefs never tire or deflate.

On the Horns of an Emma.

How now brown cow?

It's back to the pre launch Pinterest reveal tour today. I'm grateful to crooksonbooks for hosting my feature on the animals in Shannon's Law. When researching the story at an early stage I went to Bloxington Manor (in real life Avington Park) to get a feel for the place. As I relaxed looking at the view a snort behind me made me turn suddenly. There were the beasts. Being a city girl I've had little experience of prehistoric creatures. I'd read enough Thomas Hardy as a kid to have ruled out milk maid as a career. My first thought was woolly mammoth but Oscar pointed out the absence of a trunk. 

All assurances that they only eat grass were wasted. I was so moved by the incident that I wrote a bestial encounter into the story. Shannon is a big brave cop but even she was scared . Many of my characters are very like me.

Emma Thinx: You can't make love or war without the beast within

Winter Postcard From Saint Savinien Sur Charente

Thank you, thank you - I am alive and I can see.

I'm home in France. My dear dear Charente Maritime - I love you. You are always here waiting for me. The neighbours kiss me. Your beauty washes down through stone into river and sky. I am so lucky in my life to be here with eyes to see and a mind to abandon to you. Truly I am in awe of this place. It is a watercolour picture of the heart with a smile of church bells.

Winter sun , your fine pen of stark beauty draws a summer in my heart

To infinity and beyond those French films of avenues and kisses.

I am pausing today from the ding dong of Shannon's Law and  blog tours. I took my camera for a walk to try to fix the atmospheric light of this winter's day. Spring is nibbling at the edges now.The bare trees still expose that truth of  Nature's skeleton. As any of my readers will know, I never hold back in talking openly about love and its worldly hit-man, sex. In a way, Winter is the truth of enduring love. It is the true uncompromising hardcore when all the dressing up, tease, promise and make-up is done.  If I'm being OTT Emma let me know. Here are a few shots I wanted to share.

Beauty on this scale is emotional. I'm not one of those posh Wordsworth guys who can express the intellectual power of Nature's beauty. Even so, I'm a human bean planted in this soil to grow.

Emma thinx:  Life grows. You are life. Life is you.

Elementary My Dear Watson

My DNA. No wonder I can't think straight

My Pinterest reveal tour rolls on into Missouri USA via the site Full Moon Dreaming. Today deals with police forensics. My police consultant Oscar tells me that in the 1970's the cops immediately rounded up likely suspects when there was a crime. Forensics were for scientists.  In earlier fictional times Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson shuffled about over the crime scene shedding fibres and tobacco ash from pipes. 

These days the whole police business is far more professional. All officers are very aware of the need to preserve evidence at all costs. A footprint in mud will not last long on a rainy day. Bigger and bigger databases of DNA and fingerprints provide more chances of a forensic answer to that whodunnit question. In Shannon's Law both DNA and prints play significant silent roles.

Dr Edmond Locard (1877-1966) is not a household name like Sherlock Holmes, even though he really existed. He was essentially the Sherlock of France. To me he is the philosophical inventor of forensics. His principle was that "Every contact leaves a trace". 

It's amazing what you stumble across as you research a novel. I was fascinated to find that in Mark Twain's 1883 story "Life on the Mississippi" a suspect was identified by fingerprints.

Emma Thinx: Love needs no contact to leave a permanent trace

Why don't you call me some time?

You can call me Icon

The Pinterest reveal goes on and on. There's been a glitch with my host blogger but I've got a little slice of English village life that I wanted to share in any case. OK - what do you see in every postcard from the UK along with the black taxi cab and the double decker bus? You got it. It's the red telephone box. 
In Shannon's Law the parish council of Fleetworth-Green agree to install a second red box but without a phone. Everyone has a mobile device. The phone box forms the perfect privacy and shelter where you can pull out your electronics without fear of rain damage. It's a classic British compromise.

Love on the phone. It's easy as A B - See.

If you want to know the full history of the phone box - it is here. To this day, they remain an iconic element of tradition and continuance. My own memories are of standing outside while other lovers poured their boring sweet nothings into the heavy handset. By the time I got in my own passion had cooled but I still loved the old fashioned rotary dial. 

Before I go I do want to share with you a video trailer for a book by the Harper Impulse author Mandy Baggot. Her story, "Made In Nashville" launched recently. It's a page turner and I'm turning them. The book is about a singer and you can tell the authenticity in the way Mandy writes. She just loves the music.She's a trouper. She doesn't hold back. She gives you full music power straight out of her generous talented heart. That's a star. She'll be a guest on my blog in the next week.

Emma Thinx: Big up the tip. Mortality will snatch your change. 

Life in Venice

Gustav Mahler

And onward to the Pinerest reveal of the music of Mahler.
 Today I'm on Books and Other Spells.The owner is out there in California. It's a cool site which has introduced me to the books of Kelsie Leverich (it looks like we have the same views about laundry) and the music of Colbie Caillat.  

The thing about blog tours is that this world is just so wonderful and diverse. From that U.S. country music sound to European me talking about Gustav Mahler, a Bohemian born late Romantic composer. Luckily my musical education as a trombone player cleared me of any prejudices. That glissando slides you into anything.  In Shannon's Law, Shannon listens to classical music for the first time in the back of a plush limo. The Mahler piece is the theme to the Luchino Visconti film master piece "Death In Venice". 

My  wobbly tourist shot of  the Grand Canal.

I first saw this movie when my partner, Oscar the poet, bought the DVD from a street market stall in Paris. It is a truly beautiful piece of photography with Mahler's music just twining inside your soul as if poetry were your DNA. You can hear the full orchestral performance of his Adagietto from the Symphony No 5 here. 

Emma Thinx: Music is the wordless DNA of poetry.

Flesh And Blue Blood

A hunk, a trunk, a burning love

Today my pinterest reveal tour is hosted on the treasure trove site Reviews by Crystal. Take a look, there's all sorts on there. The subject is the male lead in Shannon's Law, Spencer Chamberlain-Knightsmith, 11th Earl of Bloxington. 

He's an aristofantastic hero - but a gentle one. The weight of tradition and duty anchor him seriously to his position in life. While writing about him I was reflecting upon the great inequalities of wealth and opportunity that divide our communities throughout the world. It is tempting to take a hard line position. The fact is that much of our visible history and tradition exist only because of our aristocrats. Spencer is no snob. Never once does he consider the social differences between himself and Shannon. Prince or pauper, men are good or bad in equal measure. Oooh - just as long as they're sexy!

Emma Thinx:  Friend is the noblest title.

Meet Ben - wayward teenager and pivotal character in Shannon's Law featured on @SherylBrowne 's blog #character #study

Boy of the hood

Today's Pinterest reveal  features that most enigmatic of human phenomena - the teenager. We've all been one but somehow once you leave its discarded skin behind, you can never quite remember how it was. Your own adoescent skin will be an unfashionable object of derision hidden under an outdated alternative vocabulary. Interrogating current teens often creates more heat than light. Benjamin Chamberlain-Knightsmith is destined to be the 12th Earl of Bloxington. With his mother dead and a great injustice on his shoulders he has good reasons to pull up his hood. In Shannon's Law one of the quests is to resolve his issues. It's a bumpy road.

The full feature on our hoodie hunk appears on the lovely blog of  Sheryl Browne.  As a young sprog of a novelist doing poetry cold turkey I met Sheryl when she led a workshop on how to romcom. Check her out her books and see just how much I don't know.

I was lucky to have a cooperative model to be Ben. He also wrote the music for my video poem "You are my love" and designed the book cover for the poetry anthology "Freeze Frame". Such talent - it makes you weep. 

Emma Thinx: Youth - from where the  desire to escape equals the desire to return. 

My Valentine Poem To The One I Love

My favourite things...

I need to break away from the Shannon's Law nerves and think a little about Valentine's day. I know, I know - all the shops are hyped up in full sales target hue and cry. Its lace in your face and blooms down your bloomers all the way to the tills. For all that, it is a festival of love and passion. Someone singles you out from the billions of the world. 

For some, they don't. When this has been my fate I've always kinda smiled at my freedom and all the possibilities ahead. In lonely times there really is a chance to know love by its longing and absence. A writer has to know the power of tears uncried. A lonely love builds and builds towards that someone who is there ahead. 

I'll be quite honest with you and tell you that the little poem I wrote for Valentine's day a few years ago was just for me in a lonely time. I know it's OTT and has all that commercial splurge. All the same that is the world we walk through. I wasn't trying to be posh. I was trying to express the love I had inside myself to give or that someone had in their heart for me. Hey - they turned up!

There's a link to YouTube and you can print out the words  if you like them. 
Emma x

Emma Thinx: Without your special love, everyone else has one. When you have it, all those others have nothing.

Shannon's Law - Bright Star Of The Zodiac

Dagenham Stallion.

The road to blast off edges nearer to the launch tower. The missile is in sight. I'm pulling myself along in my heat proof suit waiting for that shock-wave of searing gas as the first public eyes fall on my sexually abandoned syntax in Shannon's Law. There's gonna be trouble, I just know it. I wake up with sweats. 

Nerves? Me?

Today my Pinterest striptease takes me to Venture Galleries which is a classy writer's resource site where you can pick up all kinds of insight into the business. I've been discussing the use of Pinterest as a writer's tool. The pinned item is nothing less than a beautifully restored Ford Zodiac from the 1960's. My father had an old one. I've waited many years to pay it literary homage. Shakespeare had his Phoebus's chariot. I have my my stallion of Dagenham. (A famous British Ford car plant). 



Emma Thinx: The nearer you get to something big, the less you see.

Hash Tags For Hash Cakes

A weed by any other name would be a plant

The tour rolls on. Today I'm on ever after romance book blog as day by day the Pinterest striptease reveals more about Shannon's Law. 

The subject is that controversial subject of cannabis sativa - a plant grown to produce rope. It also is a source of Tetrahydrocannabinol. This is a kinda dreamy weed man that lets you tune in by tuning out if - you know - you kinda get my sexy vibe bro and sis. Of course I have no personal experience of such a vile substance. I believe it does not mix with fine red wine. 

Whether it leads on to other stronger drugs I do not know. Oscar, my pet ex London street cop believes that one of the problems is that users have to go to criminals to buy their weed. This creates a pathway into a criminal sub culture that regular folks do not encounter when they buy codeine phosphate at the pharmacy, a pack of cigarettes at the corner store or a litre of vodka at Walmart. A cheaply grown plant with a high criminalized price tag will create massive business. What do we want our cops to do? There's no easy answer. 

Emma Thinx: All creation grew in the Garden of Eden.

Ring For A Belle - Historic Jewellery on Tour with @RobertsoKing

Gems for an Empress

Today's Pinterest reveal is a most wonderful piece of jewellery. You can see my full post on Celtic Connections. The site is owned by Melanie Robertson-King. She's a silver medalist sword dancer from the 1000 Island highland games. That's a big Wow from me. There's just gotta be a story to write around that. She also writes fiction where the sword of authenticity enhances the drama. Check out her novel A Shadow in the Past. 



Emma Thinx: If he means to give you a ring he'll know your number.

Bicycle Belle - Shannon Aguerri

As the grand Pinterest reveal all tour strips off for action, today we get down to old fashioned English bobbies on bikes. At one point Shannon has to climb a nine feet wall using a bike. I know my readers expect accuracy so I sent my man out to prove his manhood. He did. He hasn't been quite the same since.

Today I'm on Books to Light Your Fire. I've found a couple of books on there that have sparked my interest.



Emma Thinx: Do police spokespersons mend bikes?

I'm In The Hands Of Goddess

As my virtual book tour continues, perhaps this a good time to give a plug to Goddess Fish Promotions who organize the event. If you are looking to promo your stuff I can recommend their service. They are very professional and very acceptably priced. 

The days are slipping by now. Soon Shannon's Law will be out there. I'm flat out at the moment putting the final touches to Cop's Kitchen. All this time in front of the computer screen means the need to diet. Working on a cook book when you're hungry is a most singular torture. 

The tour today has taken me to readingintwilight .It's a cool site featuring some great books.

Emma Thinx: I can resist everything except a higher resistance.

Blenheim Palace inspires Shannon's Law

The actual birth place of Winston Churchill is just round the corner.

Today's subject on my Pinterest reveal virtual book tour is Blenheim Palace. As I researched the book I visited several "stately homes". This place is probably one of the most magnificent in Britain. My full feature appears here.


Find out about Shannon's Law here.



Emma Thinx: Stately means little to the homeless.