Everyone whose career is also their passion will reach milestones. November 5th – December 3rd, 2015 is one of those special moments for me. In the UK, Falling: Angels Among Us The complete series will be on the shelves in some of the WHSmith rail/airport/outlets for a four-week promotion.

What better way to celebrate, than for Ceri – the star of Falling – to sprinkle a little ‘festive’ love?

Launching the Rafflecopter #FallingComp

1st prize – one lucky winner can choose a gift of their choice, valued at £100/$150* (International)
2nd prize – two lucky winners will each receive one signed paperback of A Cottage in the Country – released 23 Sept 2015 (UK only; non-UK ecopy)
3rd prize – six lucky winners will each receive an ebook of their choice from any of my titles (International)

*(gift to be chosen from across the Amazon stores, or full cash prize via Paypal if you prefer to shop locally)

Take part here, or via participating blogs (see links below) – there are lots of different ways to join in the fun and grab your chance to be a winner!

What would YOU choose?

A special something just for YOU?

Or use the CASH to pamper yourself – or  even to help out with those holiday expenses!

*** Click and enter! ***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*** A month-long competition – enter as many times as you want***

Ceri thinks she sees angels … everywhere. She struggles to keep separate what feels like two very different sides to her life. As a manager in an advertising company she’s been working with the gorgeous Alex for two years. The have a friendship based upon the image she portrays whilst she’s at work and it helps to keep her sane. One mad, crazy night spent sharing their secrets and a lot of wine result in them ending up in bed together, and their relationship changes. When Alex explains that the reason he doesn’t date is because someone broke his heart, how can Ceri admit that she feels a deep connection to him?

Ceri knows she’s different. What she doesn’t fully appreciate, is that her task in life is to correct a series of incidents that affect some of the people’s lives with whom she comes into contact. She’s simply putting right little errors that could ripple outwards and change the course of their destiny. When she finds herself getting pulled into things that happen around her, how can she prove that she really has made a difference? Is it all in her head?

She’s alone for a reason; she’s not meant to fall in love in her earthly life. Alex is supposed to cross paths with her and help Ceri, during a phase where she begins to question the signs she’s being given. It’s meant to be a turning point for them both—but in opposite directions. They are destined to travel very different paths … but Ceri doesn’t know that and neither does Alex …

and it could be YOU!

A huge ‘thank you’ to every who has supported me in my writing career so far and my wonderful team at HarperImpulse!

It’s also available to download from Amazon on special promotion for a select period!

Mega thanks to the lovely bloggers who are joining in at various points in the month to share the competition:

http://bookyramblingsofaneuroticmom.blogspot.com/2015/11/giveaway-from-linn-b-halton.html
http://joandisalovebooks.blogspot.com/2015/10/falling-angels-among-us-by-linn-b.html
http://vernadene.blogspot.com/2015/10/falling-angels-among-us-by-linn-b.html
http://tometender.blogspot.com/2015/11/falling-angels-among-us-by-linn-b.html
http://susanhorsnell.com/?p=2717
http://lilianflesher.blogspot.com/2015/10/author-linn-b-halton-is-celebrating.html
http://wp.me/p5O6iu-2l1

 

Entrants must be over 18 years of age. A gift (or gifts) to the value of £100/$150 may be chosen by the designated winner from Amazon, OR funds to that value will be transferred into the winner’s PayPal account upon receipt of details.

Proof of entry requirements must be met before the prizes are awarded.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Twitter. We hereby release Facebook and Twitter of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email within 5 workings after the giveaway ends.

 

Risks? This is LOVE we are talking about here, isn’t it? Yes.

I think young Sam in the film Love Actually (2003 – Richard Curtis – see the quote in context here) – put it very succinctly when he was explaining to his step-father, Daniel, about the girl he worshipped from afar. Daniel’s response (to Sam’s odd behaviour following the death of his mum) was:

“Oh, OK, right. Well, I’m a little relieved.  I thought it might be something worse.”  

 “Worse than the total agony of being in love?”

Is it agony? Yes, it can be, and even when things go well, the effects on the brain and body from hormones, adrenaline and pheromones is a lethal cocktail. I came across this article by Andrew Koltonow that informs us that ‘Twelve to 18 months into a relationship, both serotonin and the stress molecules are restored to normal levels’ … and it gives way to calm and joy’.

Redeemed!

Why was I researching the physiological symptoms of falling in love? Well, I’m a novelist and writing love stories is what I do! But the tremendous excitement of falling in love with ‘the one’ has never, ever left me – even though those feelings are now lovingly wrapped in emotions that run much, much deeper.

So I’m going to be celebrating February, the ‘the month of love’ on my AuthorLinnBHalton Facebook page with love quotes that resonate with me and also with my favourite quotes from my own novels.

What’s the most powerful thing I’ve written so far, to sum up the devastation when love ends? In Falling: Angels Among Us The Complete Series, Ceri is forced to walk away from the person she believes is her soul mate:

Ceri 

I knew each step towards building my new life was going to be mercilessly straightforward. I would have welcomed a battle, if only to have an excuse to let rip the horrible mix of emotion within me. The path mapped out before me is clear. The plan was merely to disconnect myself from Alex completely, so that he would realise it was over between us. Alicia is his future, but it’s too soon for him to understand that. The circumstances have yet to unfold.

I threw my SIM card away and purchased a new number as soon as I’d found a place to rent. It was on the other side of town, so there was little likelihood of bumping into Alex and it meant I could still keep my day job. It is all happening so instinctively now I’m really listening to what my core vibes are telling me, that I hardly have to tune in. This isn’t about starting over again, only correcting one painful mistake: sleeping with Alex, oh, and falling in love with him.

I try to accept the inevitable, simply because I – of all people – should know better. Alex’s pain wears more heavily upon me than my own. He emails me dozens of times each day.

I will never stop loving you until my last breath…

I need you, I can breathe without you. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat…

I know you would not do this to us unless you had no choice…

I forgive you, but I cannot believe in a divine power who would think of our love as anything other than something extraordinary and meaningful. I go on because I’m too cowardly to take the easy way out…

I lie in bed at night and my hands remember your body, my mouth longs to kiss you just one more time…

Nothing matters to me now, without you by my side. I will accept it because I know how much you love me. You can’t hide that from me. We belong to each other no matter what…

There has to be something we can do, Ceri, I can’t accept this. I don’t care if I go to hell, if that’s the price I have to pay…

His emails are long, his mood swings reflect the emotional roller-coaster he’s on, one moment desperate and the next forgiving. Each one tears another hole in what’s left of my heart.

Yes, love is TOTAL agony at times – but it’s also delicious, thrilling and reminds us we are ALIVE!

Until next time …

I was so excited when the cover for Falling was released by the fabulous HarperImpulse team, but I was also given a sneak preview of Forever and Forbidden. Here is the series collection of covers and I think cover designer Alexandra Allden has done one amazing job!

A cover has to capture the reader’s imagination and convey the ‘heart’ of the story that lies within. The model chosen to reflect Ceri, really does convey the qualities of this young woman who seems to be able to change the course of some people’s lives.  Ceri finds herself doing small things that, without much effort, can radically change the course of someone’s path.  Altering just one, single moment in time has an impact that ripples outwards… It might be stopping a runaway dog, but unchecked who knows what accident might have occurred as he runs into traffic and vehicles take avoiding action? Did she save the cyclist she saw in her ‘deja vu’ moment, merely seconds before she managed to stop the dog in his tracks? Her action is meaningful, but how can she ever be sure that she really is making a difference?

And then there is Alex. Is he a complication, or will he simply pass through her life  and, in time, they both move on in different directions? Are they merely a few threads of colour in each other’s tapestry of life? But what if they fall in love, and what if fate has a different destiny mapped out for them? Can true love change the course of destiny?

This series of three novellas, each around 30,000 words, gives you ‘read-in-one-sitting’ episodes of the story.

If you love romance, then it will have your heart pounding as these two people try to make something impossible happen.

If you are interested in angels, is this how it might work?

A story for lovers of true love – a feel-good story of struggle, passion and what might lie beyond this life … Falling is available on pre-order now (coming on October 3rd, 2013). Forbidden and Forever are coming soon …

Join in the launch fun for Falling – there’s  month-long competition in October and the details are on the special promotion page.