L.J. Higgins's Blog

Over the weekend I had a few friends and family come together to help me celebrate the release of When Worlds Collide the first book in The Balloonist Chronicles. Due to current restrictions I could only have a small number of people but we still had a great time. I didn’t go too crazy this time around, instead we had a relaxed afternoon in my parents backyard and shed with a few drinks, finger food and a warm fire.

Here’s some photo’s from our afternoon:

Click to view slideshow.

When Worlds Collide is now available on Amazon HERE and is FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

When Worlds Collide, The Balloonist Chronicles #1 releases TODAY and I can’t wait for you to read about the adventures of Olivia in her magic time travelling hot air balloon! If you love pirates, fae, elves and time travelling balloons then this book is for you.

Here is a sneak peek:

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You can purchase your copy of When Worlds Collide on Amazon by clicking on the cover below and it’s also available for FREE in KU![image error]

Here’s another sneak peek of When Worlds Collide…

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I hope you enjoy reading this fantasy adventure as much as I loved writing it.

 

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In When Worlds Collide Lucy isn’t like the girls at school, and they do their best to remind her every chance they get. Then one night, in the middle of a horrific storm, a hot air balloon crashes on her property carrying an injured stranger who will change her life forever.

What’s your favourite part about growing up on a farm in Australia? The solitude. It’s just Dad and me out here and it’s my safe place.
If you had one day left on earth who would you want to spend it with? If they have to be alive I’d say Dad. We butt heads sometimes but he’s raised me on his own since I was five. If it can be someone who’s passed away I’d say my mum. I was only five when we lost her and I’d love to have a female to talk to about things going on in my life.
What is something people might not know about you? Secretly I do want to be a little more girly. I’m not about to start doing my hair and makeup everyday and wearing pretty dresses but I’d like to feel pretty sometimes. On the farm all I get to wear are boots, jeans and a button up shirt. Being girly isn’t practical.
Who is your greatest foe? Tracy Bloom. She seems to make it her life mission to make my days at school as miserable as possible.
If you could re-live one day which would it be? Any day spent with my mother and I’d make sure every moment sank into my memory so I wouldn’t forget any details.
What’s the meanest thing anyone’s ever said to you? I really don’t want to say. Tracy and her ‘herd of cows’ as Dad calls them are pretty mean.
Do you have a pet? Yes. My best friend is my cattle dog Skye. She makes me smile even on the worst days.
Describe your family. It’s only me and my dad. Dad’s a typical Aussie bloke who works hard to keep the farm running and bring in money for us to live. For the longest time we’ve only had each other.
What would you never leave the house without? Skye if I could. Most of the time I’d prefer not to leave the property at all.
If you could travel anywhere in the hot air balloon where would you go? Listening to Olivia’s stories I’d love to visit the elves and fae in the Elven Forest. It’d be amazing to meet the people who taught her so much about herself.

 

When Worlds Collide: The Balloonist Chronicles #1 releases June 19th 2020. Keep up to date with all release information by liking L. J. Higgins Facebook Page HERE!

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In When Worlds Collide Olivia’s time travelling hot air balloon crash lands during a storm on a property in Australia. While she’s nursed back to health, she tells tales of her adventures through different lands and times in the hot air balloon.

What does it meant to be a balloonist? It means to be at the whim and mercy of the magic of time and space. To never be fully in control of where you’re going or when you will get there. Once you climb into the magic hot air balloon, whether by choice or because you were tricked into doing so, it’s magic is the only thing that can get you home again. Only, you can’t trust it will get you there in a hurry.
What or who are you afraid of? I’m afraid I will never get to see Edith or my friends again. I’ve travelled to so many different worlds but all I’ve ever wanted was to return home to them. I fear by the time I arrive they will have forgotten me or grown old and passed away.
If you had one day left on earth who would you want to spend it with? Edith. I don’t think I ever fully appreciated all the things she did for me and the sacrifices she made even though I wasn’t her daughter by blood. She took me in and cared for me since I was a baby. She’s the closest thing to a mother I’ve ever had and I threw it all away.
What do your friends think is your greatest attribute? Narelle and Audrey would always say they were jealous of my wild red hair, but they also said it was a warning to the world that I had a fiery side.
What would you do with a million dollars? I would repair my balloon and hope that my next voyage would be my last and take me home. I would leave some for Lucy and her father to thank them for all they’ve done for me, and if I returned to Edith I would give her enough money that she would never have to sew another garment or bake another loaf of bread again.
Do you believe in fate? Sometimes I think it was fate that took me to visit the gypsy the night I left my home. I’ve learned so many things and met so many amazing people. But other times I think it was nothing more than a selfish choice and that my punishment is to live with the consequences.
Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yes. But I do not wish to say who it was.
What is your worst habit? Doubting myself. So many times I didn’t believe I could do what needed to be done.
Describe your family. Orphaned as a baby I never new my birth mother or father. But, Edith took me in as a child and is the only family I have ever known.
What would you never leave the house without? My satchel. It’s always packed with a canister of water, dried fruit and a compass.

 

When Worlds Collide: The Balloonist Chronicles #1 releases June 19th 2020. Keep up to date with all release information by liking L. J. Higgins Facebook Page HERE!

As an author I often get asked, ‘how did you come up with the idea for your story,’ or, ‘what was your inspiration?’ Inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere. An experience you’ve had, a place you’ve visited, a song, an image, or a conversation. Id you train yourself to be in the moment and notice the little things you’ll discover inspiration is all around you.

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The inspiration for When Worlds Collide came when my husband decided to tick an item off my bucket list and booked us a ride in a hot air balloon for our tenth wedding anniversary.

Climbing into the basket of the hot air balloon was both nerve-racking and exciting. I was dizzy with anticipation, and worried my immense dislike of heights would have me gripping the side tightly and squeezing my eyes shut throughout the entire ride. But, as the roar of flame had us floating into the air, a strange sense of calm and quiet fell over me. It was one of the most beautiful, tranquil, and magical experiences I’ve had in my life. I was so happy I was able to share it with my amazing husband and it is a day neither of us will forget.

It was on the drive back to our cabin that a story began forming in my mind. I loved the idea of never being completely in control of a hot air balloon just as we are never fully in control of our lives. And I wondered what it would be like if a hot air balloon were able to travel through different times and worlds. Olivia and Lucy’s story was born.

Olivia visits many different worlds and times on her adventure but Lucy lives in rural Australia on a property much like the one I reside on with my family. Many of the descriptions are derived from the scenery looking out from my small verandah from which I’ve experienced some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. We also have cattle and chickens and a long dirt driveway that leads down a hill to where my kids catch their school bus. But while it was fun to write about somewhere familiar, creating the worlds Olivia visits channels into my imagination, research, tv shows and movies, and images I’ve found on the internet for inspiration.

Here are some pictures of the property we live on:

Click to view slideshow.

When Worlds Collide: The Balloonist Chronicles #1 is available June 19th 2020.

It’s GIVEAWAY TIME!

To celebrate the upcoming launch of When Worlds Collide: The Balloonist Chronicles, Book One, I’ve teamed up with a group of very talented authors to bring you the When Worlds Collide Fantasy Giveaway! I’ve read, loved, and highly recommend each of these books, so I wanted to give you the chance to fall in love with them too.

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How can you enter to win this amazing collection of fantasy eBooks?

Head on over and like my Facebook page by clicking HERE, tag two friends you feel deserve to win this amazing bundle, and like and share the post.

It’s that simple!

The winner will be drawn on the release date of When Worlds Collide, June 19th 2020 at 12pm AEST.

Want to find out more about these talented authors? You can follow them by clicking on their names below.

M. Lynn, Michelle Bryan, Melissa A. Craven, Sue-Ellen Pashley, Patrick Hodges.

When Worlds Collide will be the first book in The Balloonist Chronicles and it will be released June 19th 2020! It’s a mash-up of fantasy, contemporary and time-travel and if you love pirates, fae and elves you will love following Olivia’s adventures in a magic hot air balloon.

To keep up with all release information and giveaways make sure you head over and like L. J. Higgins on Facebook.

You can see the cover reveal HERE!

I’m so excited for you to read it, and to give you a taste here is the blurb for When Worlds Collide: The Balloonist Chronicles, Book One.

 

Olivia’s fate is bound to a magical time travelling hot air balloon.

Lucy just wants to make it through the school day alive.

Olivia is willing to trade everything for the chance to be worthy of William’s hand in marriage. As the son of a nobleman, he could never marry an orphan girl. Desperate for the love she didn’t receive from her parents, she embarks on an adventure in an enchanted hot air balloon. But with no control over what world or time it will take her to next, will she realise too late that she’s left behind those who loved her most?

Lucy isn’t like the girls at school, and they do their best to remind her every chance they get. Then one night, in the middle of a horrific storm, a hot air balloon crashes on her property carrying an injured stranger who will change her life forever.

Olivia knows her stories of time travel, magic, elves, and pirates are hard for Lucy to believe. But each of them holds one of the many lessons she’s learned on her incredible adventure.

Their fates are intertwined, but what happens when two worlds collide?

Don’t forget to check out When Worlds Collides cover HERE! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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I’ve avoided posting about the current situation because, a) You’re already being bombarded with it 24/7 from the news, social media, and no doubt every conversation you’re having inevitably drifts to the virus. And b) As someone who has had depression and anxiety in the past I’m doing my best to not overload myself with information and get lost in the fear and panic. I’m doing my best to stay grounded, level-headed, and in the moment, not just for me but so my two kids feels safe. While many people are scared of what this virus means for their health and finances, I worry about the effects isolation might have on people (myself included) mentally. So, I’ve put together a list of things I’m doing to keep my sanity in the hope at least one helps you get through this.

10 Ways to Keep Your Sanity

Get outdoors. If you can’t, sit by a window with the sun streaming in for an hour or so. I find soaking up vitamin D has always helped ground me and makes me feel a little lighter. As well as the sun, if you can, stand out on the grass with your shoes off and take a few long deep breaths. It’s grounding and can help tame a racing mind.
Watch a funny movie. Feeling like you’re in a bit of a slump? Watch a funny movie or a favourite comedian to get you smiling again. (If you want something that might make your world seem a little less crazy jump on the ‘Tiger King’ bandwagon and watch it on Netflix. It’s not a comedy but will have you shaking your head.)
Dance. Another way to lift your mood is to crank your favourite tune and dance like no-one is watching, because chances are they aren’t. Research shows dancing can improve your mental health and boost your overall happiness. Not to mention it’s getting you moving if you’ve been watching Netflix all day and can help keep you fit and healthy.
Join Tik Tok. If you haven’t already that is. Over thirties seem to be taking over this app that was mostly for teens and the results can be both hilarious and tragic. But be warned, you can lose hours scrolling through the millions of videos. I’ve created a few with my kids and it’s not only filled in some of the day while we practised, picked the right outfit, and recorded until it was perfect, but it also meant we were spending time together laughing and having fun. You can check out our videos by searching @lj_higgins .
Pamper yourself. You can either ask others in your house to give you half an hour or more to yourself or even better, have a pamper party and enjoy this all together. If you don’t want to head out and buy face masks and foot soak you can find lots of recipes online to make your own.
Start a gratitude journal or list. In a time when it is easy to feel like everything is going wrong in the world sometimes it helps to either keep a daily journal of the things in your life you’re grateful for. Friends, family, your health, a roof over your head, food in your cupboard, are some of the things you might be grateful for. Struggling to think of something? Reach out to someone you care about to help you, sometimes it’s easier for others to see the good in your life. If you’re like me and are terrible at keeping a journal, write yourself a list and put it on the fridge. Every time you see it it’ll remind you what you still have in your life, even if there’s plenty of things you don’t. Studies have suggested that feelings of gratitude may boost your mental and physical health.
Video Chat. Organise a one-on-one or even a group video chat on Facebook Messenger or apps like Zoom to stay in contact with family and friends. I jumped on last night with three authors and it definitely boosted my mood talking and laughing with other adults who had similar interests to me. My mum has called the kids and I few times via video and it’s much nicer seeing someones face and expressions as they talk. I’ve got a bunch of online video chats organised for the next week and it gives me something to look forward to.
Write a letter. When was the last time you actually sat down and wrote someone a letter? I don’t know about you, but when I get a small gift or card in the mail it makes my day so why not send letters out to the people your missing and let them know how much they mean to you?
Get Creative. You know that project you never had time for? Well, now’s the time to do it. Paint, draw, sew, build, write, whatever it is, why not take this opportunity to give it a go? You could even learn something knew. Not sure what to create? Pinterest has plenty of awesome ideas!
Read a book, or listen to one. If you’re like me and have a long TBR (to be read) list then this is the perfect time to get comfy with a cup of tea (or coffee) and catch up on your reading. If you feel like you don’t have the time to sit and read you could try an audio book and listen while you’re doing your daily chores. Books are a great way to slow your mind and immerse yourself in a different world. Because I think reading is the perfect way to relax and escape, I’d love for you to have an eBook copy of Utopia: Secrets of Aurora #1 , for FREE ! All you need to do is click on this link: https://BookHip.com/BQWDJS and follow the instructions. If you have any issues please email me at [email protected].

I hope at least one of these idea’s help you keep your sanity during the current situation and if you have any ideas that weren’t on my list I would love to hear them.

 

There were honestly times I wasn’t sure if I’d ever finish writing this book, but something about the story never left my mind and yesterday I wrote ‘The End’ on the first book in my brand new fantasy series tentatively called ‘The Balloonist.’ The number of characters and world building were at times fun and exciting but at other times overwhelming, but here I am with a complete manuscript and I’m very proud of what I’ve written.

In February last year my husband and I had a ride in a hot air balloon to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. It was an incredible experience I’ll never forget and it sparked the original concept of my story. On the same holiday we went on walks through rain forests and explored some beautiful places all of which added something to the story forming in my mind.

Now begins the fun of getting the story ready for publishing and I can’t wait to share it with you all. I thank you for being patient while my writing had to take a backseat for much longer than I would’ve liked. Last year it was important for me to focus on my family and then of course the life changing move we made at the end of last year. But we are settled in and my family are all happy and healthy which means I plan on writing more books in this series as well as working on other projects, one of which involves a very talented author friend of mine.

Keep an eye on my Facebook page to make sure you don’t miss any updates on what I’m doing and new releases.

 

 

 

If you follow me on Instagram you would’ve probably noticed my family have gone through some big changes in the past few months. My husband and I made the big decision last year to move to his home town onto a property. As if that wasn’t a big enough change, we also decided to minimalize our life by selling many of our possessions, only keeping what we needed and the few things we just couldn’t part with. The reason we had to get rid of so many of your things? We’ve moved out of our four bedroom, two living area home, into two 3 x 6m demountable buildings.

But why???

Why would we make such a drastic change in not only our lives but our children’s?

Moving to a property is something that’s been on the cards ever since my husband and I had our first conversation about what we saw in our future fourteen years ago, before kids and mortgages.

My husband grew up on a property in Central Queensland, Australia, and always loved living out on a farm where he was free to get dirty, go on adventure and just be a kid. I however, grew up in an industrial, coastal town in Central Queensland, with an average sized backyard. But as a kid I was always drawn to the nearby bush land making cubby houses, swimming in creeks and climbing trees.  So, when we got together we decided that one day we would live on a property so our future children could roam as he did.

Then real life started, marriage, our first child, and we bought our first home in town because that was what you were supposed to do right? When our second child came along we decided we needed more room, because, you know, babies take up so much room, and so we moved into a bigger house with a bigger mortgage. Part of us always knew we were moving further and further away from the life we’d always dreamed of for ourselves but we kept moving forward feeling the pressure of doing what we were ‘supposed’ to do.

Most of you who have a mortgage (and some of those of you who don’t) will understand the struggle of living week to week and your life seeming to be about paying off your home instead of living and enjoying life. My husband was stressed by the pressure of having to pay our bills. I was stressed trying to help my husband in any way I could while still being a stay at home mother. And cleaning our big house consumed so much of my time.

One night we sat down and realised that our dream of raising our kids on a property was slowly slipping away. Our son is now aged 9, our daughter 7 and if we kept letting the years pass us by as we had we would lose the opportunity.

So we took it. We bit the bullet and decided we would move to my husband’s hometown and give the kids the upbringing we always wanted them to have. But to do it, we needed to downsize. Thanks to my passion for living simply without all of the ‘stuff’ we seem to accumulate but don’t need and my obsession with Tiny House Nation on Netflix we decided the only affordable way to do it was to move into two 3m x 6m demountable buildings.

It’s been a lot of work, and I’m incredibly thankful my husband and brother-in-law are both handy on the tools, but now we are settled into our new home living the life we’ve always dreamt of.

It’s blown my mind how easily the kids and I have settled into tiny living. My son barely touches technology, instead opting to ride his bike, scooter, or the quad bike. My daughter sits out on the grass to do her colouring in and has come home a number of times covered head to toe in mud. We spend so much more time outdoors together, and I feel less stressed and more energised than I have in a very long time.

Its early days, and I’m sure there’ll be some bumps along the way. But I truly feel like going tiny was the greatest thing my family has ever done.

Do you think you could go tiny? Or have you? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Here’s a few photos of our new home.

Click to view slideshow.