L.J. Higgins's Blog, page 11

Giveaway Winners!

The time has come to draw the winners of the On Delicate Wings Giveaway, but before I announce who they are I want to thank those who donated prizes to make this giveaway extra special!

A huge thank you to Luminiques Boutique for donating a tank for the first prize! The winner gets to chose the design they prefer best. Another thank you goes out to Intuitive Creations by Nicole, who has donated the second prize, a dream catcher up to the value of $60 of the winners choice. The beautiful vinyl butterfly stickers that come with each prize pack were donated by Blackdog Stickers and Signs! Thank you to all of these amazing people who helped support the release of On Delicate Wings. I urge you to go check out there Facebook pages to see their amazing ranges.

I also want to thank all of you for entering the giveaway, with entries from all over the world it is great to see that not just my name but the names of the donating businesses getting more exposure. I know you all have busy lives and I appreciate the time you took to enter.

So, without keeping you in suspense any longer,

The winner of Prize Three is…. Ashley Martinez from USA!!!

The winner of Prize Two is…. Mandy from Australia!!!

And the winner of Prize One is…. Prentice_Henry from USA!!! 

CONGRATULATIONS! to all of the winners. I will be in contact with you all very soon. And thanks again to everyone who entered

On Delicate Wings Release Day!

Today is the official release day of On Delicate Wings, and I am incredibly happy that you are finally able to read it! This is a book I’ve been wanting to write since I was in my teens, and it feels like a great achievement that I’ve been able to fulfill one of my dreams.

Teens seem to have more pressure than ever to not only do well, get good grades and know what they want to be when they grow up, but they also have the pressure of fitting in with their peers. Most teens don’t want to be different or stand out. They just want to feel ‘normal’ or what their perceived idea of normal is. After a dream, that became the opening chapter of the book, I found I had the beginnings of a story where I could explore just this, while also touching on other situations teens can be faced with. My hope with this book is that it opens the conversations between teens and their parents/guardians so they feel they have someone to talk to no matter what is happening in their lives. I am incredibly proud of the end product and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Of course, without honest BETA readers (Jane, Kayla, Kylie, Michelle L, and Bethany) this story wouldn’t make half the impact I wanted it to, and I have to thank my fellow BB’s for their continued support, guidance and laughs to get me through this crazy world of writing. Sometimes only a fellow writer can truly understand what it’s like to have a character that just wont do as their told. Thank you to Patrick Hodges for editing my manuscript. I might have the ideas and write the words, but Patrick made sure you could understand and follow every one of them.

I welcome you to throw out the old saying and judge On Delicate Wings by its cover. My cover designer Ann-Maree has exceeded herself yet again and I couldn’t be happier with the end product.

To my family. Thank you for continually supporting and encouraging me to pursue my dreams. I hope that my two children grow up with the strength and courage to be themselves, and not succumb to the pressures that come with being a teen.

Make sure you keep an eye on my Facebook page so you don’t miss out on any of the celebrations over the next couple of days, and you can now order your copy of On Delicate Wings HERE on Amazon!

I look forward to reading your reviews and hearing your thoughts!

On Delicate Wings Launch Week!

It’s finally here! On Delicate Wings launch week starts TODAY! I have so much happening to celebrate I wanted to put it all into one post so you don’t miss out.

First thing first, don’t forget to grab your entries in the major On Delicate Wings Giveaway. Click on the link below to enter for the chance to win ONE of THREE awesome prizes.

https://gleam.io/xlJ7r/on-delicate-wings-giveaway

After you’ve grabbed your entries to the giveaway make sure you check out the event page for the On Delicate Wings Online Launch Party. Join myself and host Leslie for some fun games and giveaways. Here is the page link: https://www.facebook.com/events/331798017177784/

Last, but certainly not least, I will be having an Author Meet and Greet at Our Tiny Emporium, Gladstone, Queensland on Friday 25th November where you will have the opportunity to win even more prizes. I will be giving away ONE of TWO hamper packs donated by local Gladstone businesses, and all you have to do is drop past and say hi to gain an entry. Buy a copy of On Delicate Wings for a bonus entry. Find out more on the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1282880465069110/

I look forward to a week of giveaways, fun and games and look forward to releasing On Delicate Wings out into the world for you to read.

Don’t forget to Pre-Order your copy of On Delicate Wings on Amazon HERE!

Attention Lovers of Dystopian & Sci Fi

Along with authors Michelle Bryan and T D Shields, I have an exciting announcement to make, and we want YOU to be the first to hear about it!

Together we have combined our love for the Dystopian and Science Fiction genres and have begun creating a team of fans to join our secret group LODAS (Lovers Of Dystopian And SciFi). We want you to have the chance to sign up first, as members will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Think you’d be interested? Here’s how it works.

As a member of the LODAS Team, you’ll get:

▪ A free eBook copy of Dawn of the Dreamer by L J Higgins, Into Shadow by T D Shields and Awaken by Michelle Bryan

▪ Access to a private Facebook group where we’ll share behind-the-scenes sneak peaks of our upcoming books

▪ The opportunity to give feedback on certain aspects of our books during the production process

▪ The chance to win prizes, free eBooks and more by completing challenges

▪ The chance to meet other lovers of these genres from around the world

In return, we’ll ask for:

▪ Honest reviews on Amazon or another retailer site

▪ Any promotional ideas you might have to help get any of our novels in front of as many readers as possible

▪ Your help spreading the word about our books and the genres that we love

Interested in joining? Simply respond to this post below with an “I’m in!” and we’ll send you a link to join the team.

 

Not sure if the Launch Team is a good fit for you?

Here are some questions you might have – and our answers:

“Do I have to be a blogger or have a large social following to join the launch team?” No! There are a lot of valuable ways to help get the word out. Maybe you’ll email the members of your favourite online book lovers group to let them know about our books, or tell your family and friends on Facebook. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to help an idea spread.

“I’m not a marketing mastermind. Is my input valuable?” Absolutely! If you’re a reader, you are exactly the person whose opinions we need to help me make our books the best they can be.

“I’m not on Facebook. Can I still join the Launch Team?” To keep everything streamlined we really need to run the Launch Team via a private Facebook group. It’s where the majority of people already hang out, so it keeps everything easiest for the most members. But even if you don’t join the actual launch team, there will be other opportunities to help spread the word about our books, so keep an eye out for updates!

“What is the time commitment to join the Launch Team?” As busy ladies ourselves we understand that finding the time to participate isn’t always easy. We will do our best to take up as little of your time as possible. It would be of great benefit if you could read and review the free eBooks you receive so that you know who we are and what we write, but other than reading (which we all love to do anyway, right?) you will be asked to answer a few of our questions in the private group and participate in bi-weekly challenges (these may be weekly if a book is due for release), but keep in mind this will give you the chance to win a prize. If at any time you feel like you don’t have the time to commit or we are asking too much of you please email us.

Have a question that’s not answered above? Feel free to respond to this email and ask away. We’re here to answer and as always, we appreciate your help and support.

Thankfully,

L J Higgins

Michelle Bryan

T D Shields

Review and Rating Myths

The book review. Something every author needs and wants. They can simultaneously drive them crazy and make them want to cry and have them smiling from ear to ear. But while reviews are important to authors, I don’t think readers realise how vital they are to not only authors but also themselves. Reading reviews and ratings can help you gauge if a book is worth your money and time, and if it’s the right book for you.

Reasons you should leave a review:

For your fellow readers – Reviews are a way for readers to help other readers. By reading through them or glancing over a books star rating you can decide if it is a book you are interested in or not. If every reader gave a quick star rating and review of each book they read, then it would make it much easier for others to find their next favourite book.
Meet other book lovers – Through sites such as Goodreads, reviewing books and sharing your love for them can help you meet readers and authors who enjoy the same books you do.
To thank the Author who wrote it – Authors not only need reviews, they love hearing what you honestly thought about the story they put so many hours, weeks, months, even years into.

Myths about Reviews:

They have to be long and detailed – No they don’t. The only thing they NEED to be is honest. Even one to two lines can be enough to let people know what you thought of a book. Yes, you are more than welcome to write a review that breaks down characters, plot etc. But you don’t have to. It’s your choice.
Reviews have to be nice – Reviews are the one time you can ignore the saying ‘if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.’ Reviews are there to not only help readers decide if it is the book for them, but also to help authors learn what their audience loves and dislikes about their books. This helps them grow and learn as writers, so really your HONEST review is helping your favourite authors become the best they can be.
You can be mean in reviews – Okay, now I have to take back my words and remind you of the saying, ‘if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.’ Reviews are meant to be honest, not mean. There is no need to personally attack the author or the morals you don’t agree with in the story. Remember, just because the author wrote it, doesn’t mean it is their opinion. Stories are made up, as are the characters, and sometimes characters do or say things that we don’t necessarily approve of as an author, but feel it helps the story in some way.
3 Stars mean a book is bad – For many authors, anything over 2 stars is great. Accompanied with an honest review a 3 star rating can show an author that although you liked their book there were a few things that could be worked on. Here is a rough idea of what star ratings mean on Amazon.

So there you have it. Writing reviews and rating books isn’t as scary as many people think. You don’t need to be a writer yourself to leave one that is helpful, and you are not only helping an author when you leave one, your helping other readers like yourself. So next time you read a book take ten minutes to head to Amazon or Goodreads to let them know what you honestly thought about their book. You will make an authors and possibly a readers day!

 

On Delicate Wings GIVEAWAY!

On Delicate Wings will be released November 25th, 2016, and what does that mean? That means another amazing GIVEAWAY!

With prizes donated by Luminique’s Boutique (your choice of tank), Intuitive Creations by Nicole (beautiful dreamcatcher) and Blackdog Stickers & Signs (vinyl butterfly stickers) the 3 Prize Packs up for grabs will be sure to put a smile on the winners faces.

You can enter here —-> On Delicate Wings Giveaway

Be sure to share the Giveaway with your friends and family and I wish you all the best of luck. 3 winners will be drawn midnight, November 30th 2016.

Which Prize Pack would you like to win? Let me know in the comments below.

FREE First Chapter of On Delicate Wings

I’m so excited about my next release On Delicate Wings, that I can’t wait to share it with you. That’s why, if you sign up to my Readers Group by the end of October 2016, I will send the First Chapter to you for FREE! Signing up also means you will have access to exclusive offers, be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways and events and much more.

Sign up below so you don’t miss out.

http://eepurl.com/bfk2fj

Online Launch Party: On Delicate Wings

The official online launch party for On Delicate Wings will take place as a Facebook event on Saturday, November 26th, 11am – 1pm in AEST (Friday, Novembeer 25th, 5 PM – 7 PM in PST).

Hosted by the amazing Leslie, there will be fun, games to play and prizes to win so make sure you head over to the event page HERE and mark yourself as GOING so you don’t miss out!

 

Cover Reveal: On Delicate Wings

I’m excited to finally share the cover of my next release, On Delicate Wings, with you. Once again my cover designer Ann-Maree from Create the Occassion, has exceeded all of my expectations and created a beautiful cover that truly reflects the story of Mia Walters.

Mia Walters, is optimistic that her final year of high school will be different. She’s tired of watching the cool girls from afar, and is sick of being a stereotypical loser.

When new girl, Chelsea Saint, arrives at school with her sassy and confident persona, she offers Mia the very thing she wanted. The chance to be one of the cool girls.

Alcohol, boys, sex and drugs tear Mia in two. Caught between the good girl she used to be and the illusion of the person she wanted to be, Mia needs to be careful she doesn’t lose herself in the new world Chelsea has introduced her to.

Is it too late for her to go back to the girl she was before?

Here it is!

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming Giveaways and release parties as the launch draws closer as I am aiming for release in late November 2016!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on my latest cover below.

Contemporary vs Dystopian/Futuristic

After writing the Dreamer Trilogy, which is a futuristic novel, some people might find it strange that my next release is going to be a contemporary story. So I thought I’d write a quick post about why I love writing and reading both of these genres.

Contemporary

To be honest I find writing this genre much easier. I use my imagination to an extent, but having gone through high school (doesn’t matter how long ago right?) I have many of not only my own experiences to pull from but also the experiences of friends. If you got through high school without being called a ‘name’ or feeling as though you just didn’t fit in sometimes, I applaud you, because I’m sure your case is rare indeed.

Through my teenage years I loved reading about teens going through the same things I was going through. I also learnt about teen pregnancy, drugs, sex, how to deal with bullies and how not to treat my friends by reading the words of stories. It was always a dream of mine to be able to do the same, to open conversation between friends or teens and their parents/guardians so that they always felt like they had someone they could talk to and know that they aren’t alone.

Dystopian/Futuristic

This is the genre I write where I can unleash my vivid imagination. From building futuristic worlds that could exist many years from now, to posing the thought that some of our advances in science and technology may be our undoing, the dystopian/futuristic theme lets me get across many of the thoughts and worries I have about our future on earth.

Inspired by books such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Divergent by Veronica Roth and The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancy, I feel this is a genre where you can still relate to the characters while wondering how you would fair in a post-apocalyptic world. Would you survive an alien invasion? Would you do what you are told and stay in line or fight for your right to be a free thinking individual?

So, for now, I’ll continue writing in both of these genres. But who knows, I could even wander into the world of Fantasy somewhere down the line