L.J. Higgins's Blog, page 2

Equinox Cover & Blurb Reveal

Equinox: Skywatchers, book two will be releasing very soon and I’m excited to reveal it’s blurb and cover to you! Ky has a lot of soul searching to do, while under the constant threat of being captured and brainwashed by Skywatchers and while she desperately wants to be reunited with her brother Tyson, she’s not sure he’ll forgive her for the horrible things she’s done.

Here’s the official blurb…

Ky thought she was killing the bad guys. Turns out, she was the bad guy.

Ky’s on the run from Skywatchers, the organisation she’d followed blindly since the aliens invaded and her brother disappeared. Reece, one of the aliens she’d been trained to hunt, is the only person left she can trust.

Struggling to reconcile the hunter who’d murdered too many aliens to count with the girl who’d fallen for Reece, an alien who’d revealed the truth about their visit to Earth, Ky battles with the guilt of her past as she and Reece make their way to her brother and the aliens he’s saved.

Just when her brother’s within reach, Skywatchers rips the chance of being reunited with him away.

Can her brother forgive the horrific things she’s done?

Or will Skywatchers convince her to re-join their organisation?

And here’s the cover!!!

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What happened when I stepped back…

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When someone you care about passes away, especially when they’re young and their life is cut short, it not only rocks you and the people who loved them, something shifts inside of you.

This happened to my family at the end of last year and everything we went through together has reshaped the way I think and feel about almost everything. I began looking at the people, situations, and things around me I’d thought were important and was no longer sure all of them were adding to my life.

You know how there are things you let slide? People who don’t seem to put the effort you do into friendships. People you don’t feel are genuine. Feeling like you’re expected to go here and there lest you disappoint people or let them down. Feeling as though you need to keep up with everyone around you.

Well, I got to a point where all of those little things had piled up so high my legs began to buckle and with my families loss being the final straw I collapsed and it all came crashing down around me. It felt as though the world waited with bated breath for me to lose it. Instead, I decided to take a step back from everything except my husband, children, and family.

And guess what happened…

The world didn’t end. Instead of feeling like a duck madly paddling underwater while keeping a calm cool façade on the surface I was able to stop and relax. I dropped commitments I hadn’t felt I could let go of before. I began saying no to the things that I knew deep in my heart wouldn’t enrich my life but make it more chaotic. I let go of friendships that were toxic or unbalanced. I stopped feeling like I owed everyone something and my life slowed and grew calmer.

As a result, my relationship with my husband became better than ever, my kids have a less stressed, more relaxed and fun-loving mother, and I began taking the time to do the things I love without the pressure or feeling as though I had to meet a certain standard.

It wasn’t all easy. Some friends drifted away. Friends I’d believed I had a good friendship with. People who didn’t understand the new me. But I focused on the people who understood and supported me and our friendships have grown even stronger.

It’s not easy to take a step back, slow down, and reassess life. Not in a world that makes us feel as though we need to constantly keep up, have this, and be a part of that. But I promise, if you start to declutter your life and slow down you’ll feel much better for it.

I’ve learned to love myself for the first time in my adult life, through meditation and NLP sessions. I’ve realised I’m stronger than I ever imagined, and that a real friend doesn’t drain you. I’ve learnt to let go of the guilt I attached to doing something for myself, and instead, look at it as me keeping myself happy and healthy so I can be the best version of me for my family and friends.

It’s not easy. I do fall off the wagon. But each time it gets easier to dust myself off and climb back on.

So do yourself a favour. Commit to a week of taking a step back from your life where you can. See what is serving you, your dreams and aspirations. And don’t be afraid to let go of the things that aren’t enriching your life.

 

 

20 Random Facts About Me

It’s been a long time since I posted a blog post because I’ve spent the beginning of this year focusing on my family, my writing, and most importantly myself. Like many of you, I always put myself last and put a lot of energy into supporting and caring for the people around me, so I decided 2019 is the year I’ll make sure I’m doing this for myself too. You can’t be the best mum, wife or friend when you’re running at 10%. As part of this I hope to be sharing more than writing and books on here. I’m going to start sharing more about me, my life, and the lessons I’m learning in this crazy world. So, to kick it off, here are 20 things you probably don’t know about me…

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I love documentaries and grow frustrated when I can’t find anything new and exciting to watch on Netflix. (I’m always looking for recommendations). I don’t generally watch nature doco’s but love everything else!
I married my husband in 2009 on the beautiful Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays. We then honeymooned on Daydream Island.
L.J. stands for Linda Jane.
I have two awesome kids. A nine-year-old son who loves the PS4, his remote control truck and boat, riding his bike and scooter, and anything galaxy print. And a seven-year-old daughter who says her spirit animal is a fox, has a pet rat, love’s her collection of TY Beanie Boo’s, and does musical theatre once a week.
In 2016 I broke my little finger on my right hand playing ‘stuck in the mud’ at boot camp. I now have a 5mm screw permanently in the side of it.
I love to turn up music and dance around my house. It makes me happy and clears my mind.
Anytime you see me I can almost guarantee I’ll have some sort of crystal on me. I have black tourmaline and selenite in front of my computer screen and some of my favourites to carry or wear are tigers eye, green aventurine, and amethyst.
I currently have six tattoo’s. A heart locket and key on my left shoulder blade with my husband and kids names. A heart with happiness written in it’s centre on my right wrist to remind me no matter where people are in their journey we are all looking for love and happiness. A vine, frangipani’s, and dragonflies on the top of my right foot (this was my first tattoo). A watercolour dream catcher on the side of my left leg. A lotus on my left wrist and a feather quill on the inside of my left ankle, both of which I had done when I was in New Zealand.
When my son was born I decided it was time to work out who I was now I was a mother. A New Earth by Eckart Tolle changed my life during that period and set me on the path I’ve been on ever since.
I have a strange fascination with cults. I love reading articles about them and watching documentaries about them. I think it’s understanding how people can be persuaded to do things they wouldn’t normally do and believe in someones word so wholeheartedly that keeps me curious.
Until I was nineteen-years-old I hadn’t even left the state of Queensland. My first holiday was to visit my best friend in Sydney, New South Wales. Since then I’ve been on a cruise to Noumea, Lifou and Port Villa, I’ve spent ten days driving around the south island of New Zealand, and I’ve been on a cruise with my husband which took us to both Melbourne and Tasmania. In September this year I’m excited to be travelling to the USA to meet up with some of the amazing authors I’ve met over the past five years.
I’m a Taurus, which means I can be stubborn, but I’m loyal, reliable, and can see through peoples facades.
I’m a creative through and through. As well as writing I love to paint, draw and pretty much doing anything crafty.
I can be a scaredy cat. I’m scared of the dark (what’s in it that I can’t see to be more precise), scary rides, and heights.
Although I can come across as quietly confident and social, I’m an introvert at heart. I enjoy my time alone and need ‘me time’ to recharge and rejuvenate. I’m much more comfortable with a small group of people than with a crowd.
Every night I put some sort of oil in a diffuser in my room and also the kids. I also burn incense regularly. Right now I’m burning patchouli.
My Myer-Briggs personality type is an INFJ-A which means I’m empathetic, reserved, creative, value close relationships, enjoy thinking about the meaning of life and am idealistic. It also means I can be hard to get to know and can be quite stubborn.
One of the other subjects I love to read about and watch documentaries on is conspiracy theories. Doesn’t matter how crazy they sound I love learning about them.
I don’t wear skirts. There’s no particular reason for this, I just don’t. I don’t even own one.
I only wear make-up when I’m going somewhere special or have to look professional. Otherwise I don’t wear it at all.

So there you have it. 20 random facts about me. Would any of these appear on your list? I’d love to hear from you if they do, or if you have any recommendations for great documentaries!

APHELION is here!

[image error]Today is Aphelion‘s release day and I couldn’t be more excited to bring you the first book in the Skywatchers series. Main character Ky was so much fun to write with her sassy, sarcastic attitude and I hope you love her and new recruit Reece as they hunt the aliens who invaded Earth two years before.

Here’s a sneak peak!

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More about the book:



Ky isn’t your typical seventeen-year-old girl. She’s an alien hunter.

Ky is one of the youngest and most skilled alien hunters Skywatchers has ever recruited. Lethal and focused, nothing can distract her from riding the world of the vermin who murdered her brother.

When she’s assigned a new recruit, Reece, she assumes he’ll be just like the others. All she needs to do is tolerate his existence until he’s paired with another hunter. Just another job. But it’s a little hard when he’s as stealthy as a drunk elephant.

When he screws up their first assignment, the Skywatchers Commander insists they both be taken out of the field. He wants Ky to learn to work in a team. Maybe make a friend. That’s not so easy when everyone she’s ever cared about is dead.

Skywatchers is what held her together when her world fell apart. Could Reece be the reason her life unravels once again?

You can grab Aphelion on Amazon HERE! 

 

 

Capricon 2019

On Saturday I spent the day with a bunch of awesome writers in Authors Alley at Rockhamptons Capricon! It was a great day of meeting readers and writers, and seeing people dressed up in some of the most amazing costumes. Fingers crossed I get the opportunity to do it all over again in 2020. Here are some photo’s from the day…

[image error]My Author Alley neighbours Sue-Ellen Pashley, Cassie Laelyn & Shelley Nolan
[image error]“You belong in… Hufflepuff!!!”
[image error]My booth in Author Alley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[image error]All the new covers finally together.

Utopia’s NEW cover!

I’m so happy to be able to say I’m officially 100% self published again and am equally as excited to share the new cover for Utopia: Secrets of Aurora, book one which re-launches today at just $0.99! You can grab it FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Leaving my publisher and taking my rights back has been a massive process, but I wanted to make sure I did this properly and gave my stories the covers they needed. I will be re-releasing a new book from the series every week from today until all books are out, and all books will be released at $0.99!

So here it is, Utopia’s brand new cover!

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The floating city of Utopia is all sixteen-year-old Aurora has ever known.

Home to the last survivors of cataclysmic events that ended life on Earth years ago, Utopia is a safe haven for Aurora… or so she believes. But after witnessing her mother’s death, she has to run from the very people who are meant to protect her.

With the help of her best friend Fletcher, Aurora must find the reason behind her mother’s death – and discover why she is being hunted. While someone wants the facts to remain hidden, Aurora won’t stop until each hurtful truth is revealed.

But in a world built on lies, will the truth set her free?



Praise from readers:

★★★★★ – “A great read for dystopian fans.”

★★★★★ – “An action-packed tale of secrets and preservation of the human race, when life on Earth enters a new age.”

★★★★★ – “Utopia is one of those books that grabs hold of you within the first few pages and never lets you go.”

Grab your copy HERE!

I’d love to hear your thoughts about Utopia’s new cover in the comments, and look forward to sharing the new covers of the rest of the series soon!

There’s no better time than now…

Some of you may have noticed it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted. I promise I haven’t disappeared or given up on writing, I’m working hard to catch up on lost time to bring you my next series asap.

I’ve taken the past six weeks off to focus on my family at a time where they needed me most. We lost a family member to cancer a few days before Christmas, and it’s been an incredibly sad, heart breaking, and hard to comprehend time for all of the people who loved her. But this post isn’t supposed to make you feel sorry for me or my family, I want this post to serve as a reminder that as Aurora says in the Secrets of Aurora Series, “life is unpredictable.”

You never know what’s around the corner, good or bad. So take some time out of your busy life to tell the people you care about how much they mean to you. Stop putting off that apology or phone call. Look after your health, both mentally and physically, and remember to take time out to do the things you enjoy. Don’t wait for the perfect time to pursue your dreams, there’s no better time to start achieving them than now.

Let 2019 be the year of being mindful, taking time to simply be in the moment, and being grateful for all of the amazing things you have in your life.

Keep reading,

L J Higgins

New Release: Fall of the Dreamer

Fall of the Dreamer is here! I’m so happy to finally have all three book’s of the Dreamer Trilogy re-released. It’s been a massive project re-writing, editing and re-designing covers but I think the end result is well worth it. You can grab your copy of Fall of the Dreamer for $0.99 for a limited time only on Amazon HERE!

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Will Amelia ever escape the manipulation of the MultiMind Corporation? Or is she fighting a losing battle?

The Cambiar Virus is killing Dreamers and turning everyone else into mindless zombies.

Grieving for the loss of Cameron, surrounded by people she doesn’t trust, and an outsider from the new lives her friends have built together, Amelia’s unsure who she is or where she belongs.

Desperate to find purpose in the horrors she endured, she stands on the precipice of committing the unthinkable. Then a chance meeting with someone she thought she’d never see again shakes her to the core, forcing her to face her demons, and embrace her truth.

With the fate of Dreamers in her hands, can Amelia remember why she’s fighting before it’s too late? Or will the MultiMind Corporation succeed in controlling the human race?

Cover Reveal: Rise of the Dreamer

Here is the cover for the final book in the Dreamer Trilogy, Rise of the Dreamer! Re-working this series has been a massive project and I’m so happy to announce the final book will release November 20th. 

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Will Amelia ever escape the manipulation of the MultiMind Corporation? Or is she fighting a losing battle?

The Cambiar Virus is killing Dreamers and turning everyone else into mindless zombies.

Grieving for the loss of Cameron, surrounded by people she doesn’t trust, and an outsider from the new lives her friends have built together, Amelia’s unsure who she is or where she belongs.

Desperate to find purpose in the horrors she endured, she stands on the precipice of committing the unthinkable. Then a chance meeting with someone she thought she’d never see again shakes her to the core, forcing her to face her demons, and embrace her truth.

With the fate of Dreamers in her hands, can Amelia remember why she’s fighting before it’s too late? Or will the MultiMind Corporation succeed in controlling the human race?

New Release & Cover Reveal

Dawn of the Dreamer is here! And you can grab your copy for just $0.99 on Amazon for a limited time only by clicking on the cover below. It’s also available in Kindle Unlimited!

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To celebrate Dawn of the Dreamer‘s re-release, I’m revealing the brand new cover for the next book in the series Fall of the Dreamer, which will re-release November 6. Here it is:

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I am so happy with how the new covers turned out and hope you love them as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments