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Liz Koetsier

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ink.lizard

✒ Christian Fantasy Author/ 36 (koot-seer)
👇FREE STORY below👇
🔱 Brave daughter of The King
🐈 Cat mama #jemmananigans
🐝 Hufflepuff from Rivendell

Liz Koetsier
I’m getting published! ✨ I'm still a little s I’m getting published! ✨ I'm still a little stunned myself and very excited to share that I have been accepted into the @twenty_hills Freedom Anthology (short story collection). Ah!  This is a totally unexpected blessing, and I'm so thrilled to see some hard work pay off.  While I have been asked not to share the title of this short story if possible, I can tell you that it is an underground Little Mermaid twist. The Freedom Anthology publishes July 4, 2024. (Such a long time away!) I am sure there will be more details in the future and aesthetics/ mood boards, and a playlist, but for now we celebrate! ✨
Not to be forgotten, it’s Revenge of the Fifth! ✨ ✨ Did you really think I could pass up a mention of Mara Jade on a Star Wars day? Although the Thrawn Trilogy has to be #classic Survivor’s Quest isn’t too bad either. After all, it’s the greatest enemies to lovers trope ever between Luke Skywalker and his very own personal assassin/ soon-to-be-wife. (laugh) What’s not to love here?  ✨ Do you have a favorite enemies to lovers story?
✨ May the Fourth be with you! It’s officially ✨ May the Fourth be with you! It’s officially Star Wars day, so here’s a nice stack of Young Jedi Knights books to mark the day. ✨ I have a sentimental attachment to this series. I think I was probably about 13 when I first watched the original trilogy of movies (4, 5, an 6) and I was hooked immediately. Once I discovered the books, it was a portal to even more adventures and Jaina, Jacen, Zekk, and Tenel Ka quickly became some of my favorite characters. I read all of the New Jedi Order series in college, and now it feels a little bit like I “grew up with” these 4 characters.   ✨ The new movies are fun in their own way, and Rey is cool, but honestly, I still prefer Jaina Solo to Rey any day. 😂 ✨ Do you have a series of books whose characters you feel like you “grew with”?
Sometimes writers say things in secret that feel s Sometimes writers say things in secret that feel so loud Sometimes writers say things so small that they hope will be big Sometimes writers want wings But sometimes writers want ice cream And sometimes, writers say nothing at all But that doesn't mean there are no words to say There you are, a random terrible poem I thought up [I am not a poet]. Just in a mood and wishing for a lovely, sunny, warm, peaceful, LONG morning. 😭
Happy cover reveal day, @brittanyedenauthor! Fo Happy cover reveal day, @brittanyedenauthor! For fans of Dearest Josephine by Caroline George and Dust by Kara Swanson, Hearts is a contemporary fairytale retelling that will appeal to any reader who enjoys swoonworthy romance and poetic prose. With a vintage, Jane Austen-esque aesthetic that feels like a British Classic with Hallmark Vibes, Hearts is a tribute to tea parties, art, and true love, releasing on June 6, 2023. If you pre-order any format of Hearts, as a gift you can chose to send a free copy of the ebook to a friend! On release day, they'll have a shiny new [swoony sweet] novel waiting for them! ***details at brittanyeden.com*** Additionally, you will have EXCLUSIVE ACCESS to a Hearts PLAYLIST on YouTube, and CUSTOM digital phone and desktop backgrounds.
Light shines brightest in dark places… A selfis Light shines brightest in dark places… A selfish empress slowly turns to gold. A highschooler's hallucinations reveal a dangerous new world of Faerie. An outcast battles shadow demons to save her people from the plague. ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ This charity collection of YA fantasy stories celebrates the light found in dark places, just as Lani Forbes once embodied having hope in difficult times. Her spirit shines on through these beautiful, bittersweet tales full of fallen stars and fae princes, werewolves and magic wielders, samurai and smoky skies. What a beautiful day for a cover reveal! (80's predicted today in the Mitten State! 😮) I'm so honored to share with you this lovely cover for The Sun Still Rises Anthology, a collection of YA short stories all with the theme "bringing light into dark places" or keeping hope in troubled circumstances. The book releases on June 20, 2023 and is comprised of YA fantasy stories donated by the following authors:  ☀️Ronie Kendig, Jill Williamson, Julie Hall, Carrie Anne Noble, S.D. Grimm, Cassandra Hamm, AJ Skelly, Ellen McGinty, Lauren Hildebrand, C.M. Banschbach, A.C. Williams, Tanager Haemmerle, R.M. Scott, Callie Thomas, Crystal Grant, Nicole Wheeler, Laura L. Zimmerman, Jamie Foley, Elizabeth Van Tassel, and Jessica Noelle.☀️ All proceeds for this anthology will go towards Lani's family: her husband and three children. Lani Forbes, author of the award-winning Age of the Seventh Sun trilogy, passed away last year after an eight-month battle with a rare type of cancer. @kendigronie @jill_williamson_author @s.d.grimm @julie.hall.author @jamiesfoley @cmbanschbach @lauralzimmauthor @acwilliams.author @laughterandlonging @crystalgrantauthor @authorcalliethomas @cassandrahammwrites (The rest are tagged in the comments.)
Hello friends old and friends new! I’m Liz. 👋 Hello friends old and friends new! I’m Liz. 👋 Cat & plant mom and perpetually cold fantasy #bookdragon. (80 F is my ideal temp, btw, does this make me half-reptile?)⁠ ⁠ I haven’t really sat down and had a check-in with you all in a very long time, and I feel re-introductions are in order. Since moving last June/ July I just haven’t had the energy or time for posting as often, and would rather be writing these days. (Definitely not a bad trade off, honestly!)⁠ ⁠ But tell me about you! What have you been up to this last few months? Writing, reading, editing, or hot drink guzzling? ⁠ ⁠ I write YA fantasy with Christian themes in imaginative worlds. I like heroes who change from fearful to brave, themes of freedom, found family tropes, and that feeling you get during summer’s golden hour after a long, hot day. ~A moment of invincibility, freedom, and hope.~ Michigan summer nights are magical.⁠ ⁠ My current WIP (which you get to hear more about in my newsletter, going out mid/late April!) is an Egyptian-inspired fantasy with dragons, and some very light steampunk elements.⁠ ⁠ Your turn! Tell me about yourself below by typing in emojis or sharing your favorite hero(ine) in the comments below.⁠ ⁠ Genre: Fantasy 🦄, Sci fi 🚀, Romance 💕, Historical 📕⁠ Season: Summer 🍃, winter ❄️, spring 🌷, fall 🍁⁠ Dessert: Cake 🎂 or ice cream 🍦⁠ Weapon: sword ⚔️, bow & arrow 🏹, lightsaber 🔦, poison 🍷⁠ ⁠ Here's mine! ⁠ 🦄 🚀 (both!) 🍃🎂 🍷or 🏹 (can't decide)⁠ ⁠ *Also of note, I'm holding World Diver by @therealhayliehanson in this photo and I highly recommend this trilogy. I'm reading #3 Shadow Ender right now and dying of equal parts laughter and suspense!
👍 Would probably place among the top 3 in USA C 👍 Would probably place among the top 3 in USA Cat Olympics in the Loaf Tournament. 🍞 Wouldn't you think? Vote for Jemma, everyone.
A u t h o r  I n t e r v i e w with Victoria Lynn A u t h o r  I n t e r v i e w with Victoria Lynn 🥀 I'm so thrilled to share with you this mini-interview with @victorialynnauthor in celebration of release day for This Life of Mine with @theglorywriterspress! It's been a blessing to get to know her, and I know she has put her heart & soul into her newest book baby.  🥀 Which POV did you enjoy writing the most? Who surprised you the most? ~ It's always so hard to pick between book children.... LOL! but I think I 'enjoyed' Dilara more only from the standpoint that her story is one that challenged me. It's one that felt like a discovery the entire way and her's while not necessarily surprising me in a large way, really surprised me in the sense that I was finding out more about her on every page that I wrote. Her character and voice was strong from the get-go and it wasn't through my doing. It was like she was talking to me and my heart felt undone in new ways of compassion for women in her situations.  🥀 What places inspired the world of Elira?  ~ Oof... Honestly, it's very vivid in my head. Lots of the mountainous rainforests in the PNW really inspire me. The two times I've gone I've been looking around in wonder feeling like I stepped foot into this magical world of nature that reminds me of Elira. It also is hugely inspired by European culture and landscape as well. Think Scotland, the british coast and isles etc.  🥀 What do you want readers to take away from this story? ~ I hope they find hope but are also moved to action. The fight for life and freedom is simply getting started and there is so much we can be DOING for women in Dilara's position and their babies. I hope that readers see these women the way God does, with so much compassion and heart to serve and heal and restore them to hope and a life fulfilled in Christ. I also hope that it encourages them to greater trust and surrender to the Lord and inspires them to know that God can use them, no matter how broken, weak, or ashamed they are.  Thank you for taking the time to share @victorialynnauthor! 🥀 Short synopsis is in the comments & links will be added to my stories. 🥀
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I have no idea if I have Happy St. Patrick's Day! I have no idea if I have even a smidgeon of Irish in me (doubtful) but my heart feels Irish sometimes. Can that count? As a child, one of my grade school assignments was to pick a country and write an essay about it. I chose Ireland for no particular reason and ended up falling in love with the pictures of the green, rolling hills, and the fuzzy, hardy ponies. Later, my grandma would take me to "Travelogues" at a local high school, and one of them was of a trip in Ireland. These core memories rooted themselves into my memory and shaped a deeper interest into anything Irish, mostly music and mythology. I was spellbound by the charming magic of this emerald country, and I don't think I ever woke up from that dream. In 2017, a part of that dream became reality on a 5-day trip to Ireland (so short!) with the sophisticatedly charming @shan_josephinemathai . I was scared to pieces to leave the USA for the first time but she was a pro and soothed my anxiety with her adventurous, zealous love for people and culture. I want to go back someday so, so much. [If you scroll back in my feed I have posted a few other photos here & there of us on the trip together.] Here is a gnarled, mystical tree covered in moss today, where perhaps an impish faerie might be hiding. Have you ever done something so magical and wonderful, something you had dreamed of doing for a long time? (Even if it was a small thing, it counts!) What was it?
So this is 36. I'm a different person than me at So this is 36. I'm a different person than me at 26. You wouldn't have recognized me. I couldn't imagine the changes that were about to happen in my life, from learning to step outside of my cozy Michigan bubble, to realizing I had an different trail to blaze and books were going to be a part of my life, and to gaining so much more than I ever dreamed God could have for me. It was good, but it was hard. If you look back on a person's Instagram account and think it looks like picturesque journey, just remember that beauty is born from trials. Have you ever seen what a dancer's feet look like under the glossy satin shoes? They're twisted, brown, and bruised. Scars build us up and give us more empathy, the ability to see wider and further and be stronger and braver. This gives me hope that, whatever comes this next year of my life, there is light ahead and I won't be alone. There's something great in store. I'm excited to live it.
Cover reveal + Giveaway! Happiest of cover reveal Cover reveal + Giveaway! Happiest of cover reveal days, Haylie! (@therealhayliehanson)! Luminaut #3 Shadow Ender closes this shining trilogy with a powerful, suspenseful ending. Shadow Ender releases on April 20, 2023. Giveaway entry info is below the blurb & details. (Spoiler warning for books 1 & 2 in this blurb) Callie’s Light Cores are gone. She’s imprisoned in a desert world. Her Seer Toran blames her for the death of his sister. Oh, and the Queen Beyond the Stars is one step closer to destroying the multiverse. So, things are just great. To make things more fun, formerly evil, mostly undead (and still smoking hot) Nate Ormandi arrives to help Callie and her friends. And he’s got Toran’s very much alive sister with him. Surprise! However, as Nate and Callie work to conquer the death maze, Toran keeps leading them into traps. Is Callie’s grumpy Seer trying to get them killed, or is someone else pulling the strings? Time is running out. The Darkness is stronger than ever. As the line between enemy and ally blurs, the last Luminaut will face a terrible choice, one that will change the whole multiverse forever. Comp Titles: Maze Runner (James Dashner) To Best The Boys (Mary Weber); Star Wars and Pacific Rim films. Steam Level: 2 - Romance but no sex Trigger Warnings: Off-page parental death prior to events in the story, PG-13 level sci-fi/fantasy violence. To Enter the Giveaway: 🌟 Follow me, @ink.lizard, @therealhayliehanson, and @hiddenhollowbooktours 🌟 Like this post & comment which country you're in! 🌟 Tag a Bookstagram friend Extra Entry: 🌟 Share in your stories for 24hrs tagging @therealhayliehanson & @hiddenhollowbooktours 🌟 Find the other tour hosts using #HHBTShadowEnderReveal and enter on their posts as well Rules: *US Only *Ends at midnight EST on 3/2/23 *Must be willing to give your mailing address to Hidden Hollow Book Tours and Haylie Hanson *Don't follow to unfollow. You will be banned from all future Hidden Hollow book tours *Must be a public Instagram account to verify entry *No Giveaway accounts allowed *Not affiliated with IG *All prizes will be sent by the author, not HHBT
February is Fantasy month! I know, I'm kind of lat February is Fantasy month! I know, I'm kind of late to the game since the month is half over, but it has been a waaay busier month than I predicted. I am currently ready Stormdance by the vivacious Michelle M. Bruhn (@michellembruhn) which *technically* isn't released until February 28 but I signed up for ninja status on cover reveal day and got my copy early, mwahaha. It is fabulous and wonderful and so cute just as I knew it would be. I have high praises for all these pretty books. Do you see any that you have read? ⚔️ Elven Alliance #1 Fierce Heart, Tara Grayce ⚔️ The Dragon Singer Chronicles # Stormdance, Michelle M. Bruhn ⚔️ The Chronicles of Ilyon #1 Resistance, Jaye L. Knight ⚔️ The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, Gerald Morris
🐈️ I have a little shadow that goes in and ou 🐈️ I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,⁠ And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.⁠ He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;⁠ And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.⁠ ⁠ ☀️ One morning, very early, before the sun was up,⁠ I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;⁠ But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,⁠ Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.⁠ ⁠ -verses 1 & 4 from a poem called My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson⁠ ⁠ Happy birthday, fur friend! Jemma is full of spice but she brings comfort and joy into my home. My roommate introduced me to this poem when she noticed that Jemma follows me from room to room. It's so cute.⁠ ⁠ Do you have a fur friend who follows you like a shadow? 🐈️
As Valentine's Day inches closer, my social media As Valentine's Day inches closer, my social media feeds are filled with an overabundance of Singles Awareness Day posts, and some fluffy happy ones from those in my life who have significant others. This, plus a post by Rae Graham @writerraesbooknook, and a conversation with a friend have led me to reflect on this whole idea that singleness is the “not yet” of life, that we’ve trained our minds to think of life in two parts: before marriage, and after marriage. It's the idea that living doesn’t actually happen until Part 2: After Marriage. You are crowned with a ring on your finger, and somehow this gives you the purpose to live you have been waiting for.⁠ ⁠ Several years ago, I was about to leave a weekly Bible study when a friend followed me out, stopped me, and asked to talk. She was frustrated with being dealt the single card, and tired of waiting for life to begin. What she wanted to know from me was how I went on, seemingly so content and happy. My answer was a single word: purpose.⁠ ⁠ The truth was that I had not always been content. (And, just so we are clear, being content is not the same thing as no longer wanting, but that is a separate topic.) There was a time when I was very unhappy that I didn’t get “my turn” to experience certain things. The more I thought about when it was going to be my turn, the more I understood that I did not have any control over what was going to happen to me. I was wasting time not living when I was already alive. ⁠ ⁠ Then the personal question for me became: what am I going to do about this? Obviously, live. But how? With purpose. Fine, but what is my purpose? ⁠ ⁠ (continued in comments)⁠ ⁠ *P.S. The photo features the A Wind From the Wilderness by Suzannah Rowntree @suzzannahsnaps which has nothing to do with the post but it's an awesome read and it was pretty cover and photo.
Surprise! The Elven Alliance is getting some beaut Surprise! The Elven Alliance is getting some beautiful new covers. @taragrayceauthor author, I am stunned at how breathtaking these are. In celebration of the new covers, you'll want to read this whole post so you won't miss out on anything. I adore this elven-steampunk series (even though I am not typically a romance reader.) They are stuffed with just the most fun fight scenes, and very fluffy clean romance that is so light on the kissiness so it's just perfect for my preferred level of romance, lol. Also, who on #bookstagram doesn't want an arranged marriage into an Elven family? Seriously. The designer for these new covers is @saramorelloart, and typography is by@derangeddoctordesign Personally, I think they did a fabulous job. *round of applause The extra special news you may want to know is that Tara is launching a Kickstarter campaign next week to help her fund these new covers. You can find a link to the Kickstarter on Tara's account, under her bio. Kickstarter rewards will include~ 🗡️ signed copies of the Elven Alliance series in the new covers 🗡️ signed copies of the old covers (both paperback and hardcover) 🗡️ LOTS of sweet swag 🗡️ AND exclusive hardcovers which will *not* be available on Amazon For the first 4 days of the Kickstarter, all the swag pack add ons will be on an Early Bird special.
I am so honored to share with the cover for This L I am so honored to share with the cover for This Life of Mine by Victoria Lynn! (@victorialynnauthor) Isn't it lovely? TLoM is book 2 of The Chronicles of Elira, a non-magical fantasy series published by @theglorywriters. The release date is March 22, 2023. ⁠ ⁠ Personally, I am looking forward to hearing more of Marcus's story. He was my favorite character in book 1 and Victoria promises us he gets more attention this time around. ⁠ ⁠ ⚔️⁠ The mountain king of Rusalka unleashes his anger on his people after the downfall of his treaty with the bordering country of Elira, and refugees are fighting for their life to escape his abuse. ⁠ ⁠ Marcus is compelled to join a convoy and lend his medical skills to those in need at the Eliran border, but fighting his own illness and doubt shakes his faith in new and trying ways. ⁠ ⁠ When a young woman with a painful past finds herself in his care, can he be the hands and feet of Christ to her? Or will her past claim her soul forever? With political tension, a battle in the making, his own chronic illness and needy refugees in abundance, Marcus finds himself fighting for his life… and the lives of others.⁠ ⚔️⁠ ⁠ Pre-orders are available in Ebook, paperback, and special edition hardcover formats!⁠ ⁠ Also, the pre-order BOXES are brimming with goodies, but there are a limited number of boxes. Boxes include an illustrated hardcover edition with bonus scenes and an Eliran map, a custom Edenmade Co. candle inspired by the book, 2 custom stickers, 4 main character art cards, 4 landscape/ scene artwork cards, 5 servings of book-inspired specialty tea blend, an aesthetic bookmark with an inspirational quote. FREE US shipping! For the paperback, hardcover, book box & merch, visit: www.victorialynnblog.com/shop
Goodbye story of 2022, welcome story of 2023. What Goodbye story of 2022, welcome story of 2023. What stories will you create in 2023?   “Let us not grow weary of life.” Twice this year I had the honor of beta reading for @mrs.carter_theauthor and this line from these novels has followed me across 2022, tracing my steps. This beautiful story unravels the experience of loss, aching for joy, and finding it even amidst pain. Would any character’s victory matter without first experiencing a struggle? And the same is true for us. So you made it to 2023. Every inch may have been fought for, and because of that, it means something precious to you. That’s wonderful. It means you have an opportunity to build upon this small spark a wild fire of new things, experiences, better habits, stronger relationships. It made you stronger, more courageous.  In 2022, I left behind a good-but-a-little-bit-cramped life, and stepped into open space and new opportunities. I’m looking forward to seeing what story God is unfolding in my story in 2023. *Special thanks to Kaitlyn for her permission to post a quote from her book baby, soon to be in your hands.
I am SO excited to share this book cover with you! I am SO excited to share this book cover with you! I am stunned by this work of art by the incomparable Kirk DuPonce. I am a huge fan of these stories. They are beautifully written and have a heartfelt message if bravery and finding your voice, featuring the most adorable, witty dragons in existence. Highly recommend! Stormdance (book 2) releases on February 28, 2023. Pre-orders are open now (even for paperbacks!) And the first 50 to purchase and fill out the preorder form here are eligible for swag (physical prints of the cover art, a piece of character art with Alísa & Sesína, and a quote bookmark, plus a digital expanded teaser for the book): https://www.michellembruhn.com/buy-links Also, if you're interested in join the street team to help with the launch, visit @michellembruhn's account. ⚔️ The dragons have answered Alísa’s call. Now, in order to unite the races and end the war, she must find slayers willing to do the same. But humanity’s long-engrained fear and hatred of dragonkind are far louder than any argument she possesses, and when a rival dragon clan encroaches on Me’ran, it’s all she can do to keep the people from calling the largest slayer clan in the east to eradicate all draconic presence. Leading dragons is one thing—leading humans is another. With the voices and fears of her past rising up against her, Alísa wonders how she ever thought she could be the one to unite the races. As storms within and without threaten to drown all she holds dear, Alísa must decide—run for cover to protect herself and her dragons, or stay in the only place she has a chance to bring peace. But how can she make peace between humans and dragons when she can’t even make peace with herself? ⚔️
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?🕯️ What is your favorite Christmas tradition?🕯️ My family has so many special, memorable traditions that we enjoy repeating, year after year. As my family expands and we grow older, some of these favorite things have changed. I will miss the day of cooking and preparation for our Christmas Eve dinner by candlelight. In recent years, this has looked a little different as we try to fit it around everyone’s comfort level, but I still think so affectionately on the past. When my siblings and I were young, my parents let us choose the menu- which was always tacos and sparkling grape juice (I don’t care what you say, my grown-up tastebuds still think it is way more delicious than any wine)- and afterwards we would attend a local nativity, invite my grandma over to open some stockings or gifts with us, and eat lots of cookies. Now, dinner by candlelight has looked more like lunch with dimmed lights and drawn shades to “fake” the magical evening effect, and our adult palettes choose a variety of dishes instead of just tacos. The neighborhood children who put together the darling live nativity we used to attend have grown up and the event has dissolved. My grandma celebrates the Lord every day in Heaven. But one special, favorite tradition has remained, and it’s sweet and good. Every year, a box is placed under the tree marked “From: Jesus” and we all act surprised about it. (The kids love the surprise, just as I did when I was young!) My dad opens it, and it contains letters and a Bible. Each letter is addressed to each child, and has a few iconic pictures of them and Psalm 139:14 inside letting them know they are a gift from above. Then, we open the Bible which is marked to Luke 2, and read the true Christmas account. God's marvelous gift to us. I love how simple, memorable, and impressionable this tradition is. May your Christmas be filled with joy and peace,and may your hearts, not just your arms, be filled with blessings. 🎁
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Scarlet Moon
Scarlet Moon
by S.D. Grimm
tagged: currently-reading
Reclaiming Shilo Snow
it was amazing
Reclaiming Shilo Snow
by Mary Weber
tagged: currently-reading

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