Category Archives: Competition

Shannon’s Law: New Emma Calin Romance

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Gurus differ about titles. Some say you should have one right from the start. Rival gurus think it should be designed as part of the cover. I can’t recall the names of any books by gurus. My new novel is called “Shannon’s Law”. It was born at a healthy weight of 94,000 words and is so much alive it even has its own Facebook  page for you to “like”: https://www.facebook.com/ShannonsLaw

Now, during the long incubation period, I had to make a rather serious decision. A wonderful publisher actually wanted it. This is what I had looked for all my life. At last I could become a member of the Romantic Novelists Association. So, perversely,  I turned them down. Professional acceptance will have to wait. The industry has changed so much and since I published “Knockout” I have learned a lot. I’ve even set up Gallo-Romano Media, my own publishing business that now handles third party books.  With breathtaking arrogance I have decided to go it alone again. “Knockout” was always intended as the first in a series of hardcore modern police romance stories. The flavour is very much girl cop on top. They’re tough but not rough. There’s handbags, toe-rags, sandbags and glad rags. It’s Passion Patrol.

A view with a room (or two)

If you check out the Facebook page you’ll find a cool competition  http://tinyurl.com/qy6rxvp to win a signed pre-release printed copy or tickets to the live launch event in the UK. Yes – a live stately home launch. I can’t reveal the story but here is a full frontal view of our launch venue, complete with hard upright pillars at the entrance. Much of the action takes place here. 

I am a woman with a plan. The countdown has begun. The Facebook page is up. The cover reveal will be on 6th January 2014. A Pinterest board has developed in parallel with the book, featuring nearly everything from venue to menu. Teaser silhouettes will proceed a Pinterest reveal International blog tour. The book will launch on February 28th  with a virtual tea party. The live launch event will be on 2nd March 2014. Only Nostradamus can take us beyond that date. 

Emma Thinx: Pillar talk -it’s what architects do in bed.







Love a Happy Knockout

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A quick Hi to anyone coming to my blog from Love a Happy Ending. com who are featuring “Knockout” today. 


If you are trying to answer the question to have a go at winning a copy of “Knockout” here are a couple of clues. Recently I had to go to a hospital with my sick knee. By chance I saw an anagram of the answer on one of those notice boards that convince you that you have about ten diseases. It read “No More TB”.


Alternately you can look up my Kreativ Blogger Award post and learn a few other secrets as well. 


Answers by e-mail please to emmacalin @ hotmail . com


The draw will be on 5th August. Good luck.


Emma thinx: Luck is a cat. Love is a dog. Both can bite.



When the Saints go Marching Up

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On you Reds

I bet some of you thought I had gone into a convent. It would certainly be a challenge to write a Romance in that setting – but by no means impossible. I’ll never forget seeing “The Nun’s Story” starring Audrey Hepburn. I’m not sure I’m allowed to say this – but I’ve always liked those sexy priest type stories – you know, broken hearted hunk turns his back on love and celebrates the celibate by performing some kinda priestease. Oooh – all the ladies want him but no one can admit it or make a move. But there’s always one isn’t there!


My guess is that hobbling about on one leg is not likely to attract any kind of hunk. Until my meeting with the wet deck of the Brittany ferry “Bretagne”, the words medial collateral ligament were unknown to me. Now, I trot them out all the time. On Friday I made it back to the steering wheel of the bus. I was just in time to share in the public mood surrounding one of the greatest moments of all historical time. A great unity between religion and legs gelled into a synthesis. The Saints have been promoted to the Premier Division of English football. For anyone not familiar with the “Saints” this is the popular name for the Southampton football club.


The kids on the bus are hardly the most advantaged or ambitious in our society. On Friday, a rare unity gripped the city. The following day, Saints had to win or draw to gain the greatest prize in many lives. As I dropped them off we exchanged tense glances and repeated the magic formula “On You Reds”. Fists were clenched but there were few smiles. We all knew that the next time we met, the world would be a different place.


Now, in fact I’m not any kind of football fan – but I do not entirely mind the odd muscular leg. (By the way, I think they shave them – does anyone know about this?). Football stands as a metaphor for many things that real community used to be. It offers shared aims and equality of voice. We know that in a merciless money driven society the greedy and the selfish get the most, but no supporter is more or less than the other. Many poorer fans could not afford to see the matches very often and yet their tribal passion is no less. Last week Gilles and I had dinner with a local University Professor. In all seriousness he told me that they were watching the league tables intently because as a Premiership football town, many more students would apply. 

And here is the world business news: My book “Knockout” is now available on Amazon USA in paperback, priced at $9.99 +P&P.   The UK is slightly more complicated as the book has to be shipped from the USA so it costs a bit more on Amazon UK £12.41 + £ 2.80 P&P.  I will be holding stock in the UK too and this will be available for £10 per copy, including 3-5 day shipping.  Just email me if you would like to buy a copy by this method.

COMPETITION…
In addition I am giving away two signed paperback copies to winners of a draw on Goodreads. To register your chance to win, click this link before May 21st. The prizes will be mailed to the winners,  anywhere in the world. 

In total now there are 28,000 Kindle copies of “Knockout” somewhere out there thank you to all the kind folks who have purchased or downloaded for free – will you be one of the first to grab the paperback?




Emma thinx: Struggling writers – Enjoy your posthumous success on credit today.