At I Heart Lesfic, we believe the world could use a bit more kindness after one of the hardest and longest of years. Many authors have signed up to help IHL spread kindness in the world.

Today, the wonderful L. J. Hachmeister is here to share a story. Also, L. J. is giving away 1 ecopy of Laws of Attraction. Below the guest post, you’ll find more details about the giveaway.

Take it away, L. J.

Help is Coming

Being there for patients when they are vulnerable is part of being a good nurse. We will hold your hand when you’re scared, coach you through tough procedures or difficult medical situations – we will do whatever it takes to protect you and keep you safe, even at our own expense.

But sometimes we need help, too.

I was diagnosed with a chronic medical condition in 2018. It was as surprising as a grand piano dropping out of the sky. Prior to that grand piano crashing down on me, I was a healthy, active person. I worked as a nurse, author, small business owner, taught Filipino stick-fighting, practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and was the drummer in a band. But after coming down with gastroparesis, I felt reduced to just two things: pain and nausea.

If I can’t be a good nurse, I’m nothing.

This thought circulated through my head as I lay on the bathroom floor in a fetal position, hoping this latest “flare” would pass in less than the usual ten-day odyssey.

By the fall of 2018, seventeen months after the onset of symptoms, and many—many—frustrating and misdiagnosis’ later, I was facing a radical surgery to help stop the vomiting. At this point, all logic was out the window. I didn’t care what anybody did, even if it entailed howling at the moon, as long as there was something done to try to stop the suffering.

And behind that urgency and desperation, a darker side had been brewing. Seventeen months of hell whittled me down to an incredibly depressed and hopeless person. If this surgery didn’t work, I was done.

But kindness—and perhaps something else—intervened.

My mom was out in her front garden, weeding the flowers to get her mind off what was going on with me, when two strangers approached her. She said they had the kindest faces she’d ever seen.

“Do not worry,” one of them said with a gentle smile. “Everything will be okay. Help is coming.”

My mother, utterly stunned, muttered, “thank you,” and talked with them awhile longer. She said nothing else stood out in the conversation other than their aura of kindness and serenity.

That conversation prompted her to call an old friend, one who had retired from formal practice, but was still active in the medical community. One whom, very serendipitously, used to be a director in the gastroenterology department at the Mayo Clinic.

That friend called me right away. Within ten minutes he had convinced me to try a simple and painless procedure to diagnosis something that had already been “thrown out” as a possibility. That thrown-out diagnosis turned out to be right – and it saved my life. The surgery, only days away, would have worsened my symptoms, and it would have inevitably driven me over the edge.

The random – and somewhat supernatural – kindness of strangers. The kindness of old friends reaching out to a family member in need. These seemingly small things meant so much.

Now, I’ve returned in full to nursing, writing, martial arts, and I’ve found peace and acceptance with my medical condition. I’m back to holding patients’ hands and comforting them, but with a new understanding of suffering, and what it means to hit rock-bottom. But I also know that when things are at their most unbearable, even the smallest act of kindness – words of comfort from a stranger, an inquisitive phone call, an offer to help – can shine light in the darkest of places, and help us see a new path back to ourselves.

Laws of Attraction is a queer and spicy space adventure, but it also includes my experiences feeling down, desperate for relief, and in both physical and mental pain. But don’t worry – there’s help around every corner, and sometimes from the person you’d least likely suspect. And did I mention it’s really spicy? Hope you give it a shot and happy reading!

GIVEAWAY

LAWS OF ATTRACTION

by L. J. Hachmeister

Available in Kindle Unlimited

An uptight nurse. An outlaw telepath. When war erupts, will their accidental psychic bond tear them apart – or unleash true desires?

Nikkia “Niks” Rison thinks she has it all: A great career as a nurse, a steady boyfriend, and a life traveling the stars. That is until a medical experiment goes wrong and she’s tethered to the mind of Rex, a gorgeous – and dangerous – telepath who uses her unusual talents to unleash her clients’ desires. Caught in the middle of the intergalactic war against the telepaths, Niks faces her greatest fears as Rex is captured by the military and sentenced to a fate worse than death. Will Niks abandon everything she knows to save the one she loves?

“50 Shades of Grey” meets “Sense 8” in this sweeping, futuristic tale.

Trigger warning: Contains a slow burn lesbian romance, with some scenes of consensual M/F, M/M/F, and kink. Happy ending for the lesbian couple and supportive exes.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Amazon bestselling author L.J. Hachmeister writes and fights — although she tries not to do them at the same time. L. J. is a world champion stick-fighter, a black belt in Doce Pares Eskrima and Taekwondo, and is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, but maintains that no opponent is as daunting as the last 30% of a manuscript.

L. J. is a cross-genre author under the umbrella of science fiction/fantasy. Her Cuban roots and LGBTQA+ ties greatly impact her writing, as well as her career as a registered nurse. However, her love for rescuing puppies and working with other animal charity organizations drives her passion to succeed as an author so she can continue to give to animals in need. L. J. is an avid sponsor for “Lifeline Puppy Rescue.”

CONNECT WITH L. J. HACHMEISTER

Twitter / Website

Thanks so much for stopping by today.