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Elizabeth Van Tassel

From Diamonds to Wildfires,
Stories and Life Lessons from the Ashes

Elizabeth Van Tassel

Middle Grade Fantasy Author, Public Speaker

I write Middle Grade Fantasy. You might find a gem or two. You’ll definitely find legend and adventure.

Elizabeth Van Tassel writes compelling middle-grade fantasy. She brings her knowledge and expertise in the field of gemology to the page and infuses her love of folklore into modern adventures filled with mystery.

A wildfire survivor, Elizabeth also understands both the power of loss and the power of hope. She shares her story of resilience, and provides tools for rebuilding at public speaking events and on her blog. Elizabeth currently resides in the Bay Area with her husband, John, and two sons. She can be found wandering the gardens of Filoli House, haunting her favorite coffee shops, and engaging with other writers.

On her Thorn & Vine blog, she blogs about Life 101: living well and intentionally, A Beautiful Life: exploring creativity and beauty, and Life Stories: stories of resilience, inspiring interviews, and book reviews.

About ElizabethWriting Wildfire Story
Elizabeth Van Tassel
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Recent Thorn & Vine Posts

Author Elizabeth Van Tassel holding Warriors Against The Storm Anthology

Warriors Against The Storm Anthology

October 9, 2020

I wanted to share some good news and thank you all for your prayers and support the last several months especially! As some of you know, I’ve been working on fundraisers for a dear author friend who lost her home and wellness to mold poisoning. As a wildfire survivor who’s had to rebuild her own life, I couldn’t just sit by and watch as Mary Weber and her family dealt with so much (more background HERE). So, I reached out to friends and over time we built a big team—and the team has just done something AMAZING. It has been… 

Read More

Dust Blog Tour Stop #12 and Interview

June 11, 2020

Hey Lost Boys and Girls welcome to the Dust Blog Tour which features my friend author Kara Swanson with her amazing Peter Pan retelling called Dust. It will debut on July 21, 2020 and I would highly recommend a pre-order. By participating in the whole blog tour, you can read many interviews with her and also win gorgeous swag. But watch out for Captain Hook along the way! To get in the mood, I brought all my treasures together with Peter Pan and Wendy and the family – including this map and teapot and mug. And pixie dust. So, without… 

Read More
A Walk In The Gardens With An Author's Eye with author Elizabeth Van Tassel garden house and flowers in background at Filoli Gardens.

A Walk In The Garden With An Author’s Eye

May 15, 2020

A Moment of Beauty at Filoli Gardens I received the most wonderful email last week saying, with precautions in place, a local historic garden I love to visit (and want to write about some day) was opening this week. You can bet I was there the day and moment they opened with my mask (that makes me look like a gangster) and took a walk through their beautiful paths that twist around the historic home. In case you also need a moment of beauty while on lockdown or as things ease and open in your area (we are at over… 

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“Today was the day a thousand dreams would die a “Today was the day a thousand dreams would die and a single dream would be born.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The wind knew. It was the first of June, but cold gusts bit at the hilltop citadelle as fiercely as deepest winter, shaking the windows with curses and winding through drafty halls with warning whispers. There was no escaping what was to come.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
― Mary E. Pearson, The Kiss of Deception⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Books I need to re-read! I got to meet @maryepearson at a SCBWI event in San Diego years ago, and she dazzled me with her discussion of how this wonderful book came to life. And her words of wisdom for authors have helped me in my journey as well. This is one of the epic opening scenes, and I need to go visit those villages and feel the story unfold anew, once more. Have you read it? Want to meet me in the village?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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About the book:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#booklove #bookstagram #yalovin #booknerd #booknerdigans #bookstagrammer #bookish #booklover #writingcommunity #yalove #youngadultbooks #amwriting #amreading #totalbooknerd #beautifulbooks #bookrecommendation #trbpile #tbrlist #ilovebooks #marypearson
“I know there is a true and scientific explanati “I know there is a true and scientific explanation of where he wind comes from. But I like to think it happens when clouds shrug their shoulders. When stars spin hard enough for a few lucky people on earth to get caught up in their cosmic whirl. Sometimes wind just feels like weather. But sometimes it feels special, like it's carrying something with it"
― Natalie Lloyd, The Key to Extraordinary
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Have you ever been in a church that’s a coffee house? I have. (Flip to see next photo). There’s a wonderful one with big pretty windows in my new town, and it’s enchanting. It reminds me of this wonderful book, set in a similar small town with a church turned into a cafe that took over my week while we were dealing with movers and all kinds of changes.
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#TheKeyToExtraordinary opened a window for a fresh breeze of hope to blow in, right when I needed it the most. I was listening to it on audible (highly recommend) and dealing with boxes and going to the gym. I have to thank you so much @natalielloydbooks for creating not only a wonderful, page-turning story, and also +somehow+ doing the impossible and making a cemetery a place of beauty and intrigue, taking me on a journey with these three wonderful young friends in peril trying to help their loved ones. One of the children has suffered trauma from a natural disaster and as a wildfire survivor, I could RELATE. I was so connected to their journeys and then you used your key to unlock that precious place - one where it mysteriously feels “thin” between here and the hereafter, where you can feel God’s kindness in a very personal way. Wow. Just, wow. In my book, you’re one of the most extraordinary author’s I’ve encountered and I can’t wait to listen again…and savor the flowers and petals and aroma of the fields that shine like magic lightning bugs. You take darkness and turn it into joy in this story. All in a fun mystery-adventure with lyrical writing. It is, indeed, extraordinary.
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Have you read this? If not, please do. And you will find a new smile in your heart, too.
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#bookphoto #booknerdigan #bookaesthetic #biblio #bibliophiles #bibliolife #bookworms #bookshelf #bookshelfie #bookinstagram #coffeeandbooks
"The greatest treasures are those invisible to the "The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart." - Judy Garland⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"If love is the treasure, laughter is the key." -Yakov Smirnoff⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What do you consider your treasure? Friends. Family. Kindness. The laughter of children (even big ones :). A sense of home and place. Dreams. New beginnings.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I love these quotes - and each have a nugget of truth. Judy Garland captures the value of family and love with greater meaning. I agree with Disney about books having more treasure, especially when we aren't traveling or exploring yet can nurture our creativity and hope in the pages. And I agree with Smiroff, as humor can carry you through a dark time or season. Or even unpacking numerous boxes (will it end??).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Today our PODS arrived. I was thinking how neat that it's all here, ready to be grafted in. We've already noticed changes, saying, "It's pretty warm outside" (when it's 34 or 44 instead of 18 or 24 degrees) and finding our way. Last time we moved, they lost HALF our belongings - and part of our couch landed in Colorado! This time, it's better (PODS rock!) yet I'm reminded to hold things loosely - if a few are cracked or broken, to be grateful it all even arrived. I've moved 25 times, 16 since I married - the real treasure is the story you create with your family and loved ones along the way. Faith that carries you through bumps and losses. The promise of each day being "fresh with no mistakes in it" like Anne of Green Gables said.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#treasureoftheheart #inspiration #writerslife #writingwithmeaning #wildfiresurvivor #movingon #Boise #Idaho #authorlife #bookphoto #booknerdigan #prettybooks #bookaesthetic #biblio #bibliophiles #bibliolife #bookworms #bookinstagram #booksofinsta #readersofig #readersofinsta #igreaders #bookishlove #bookhoarder #bookcommunity
Congrats to @mcgintytokyo ! #TheWaterChild is offi Congrats to @mcgintytokyo ! #TheWaterChild is officially out in the world today! Happy book birthday 🎉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There’s more than one wave in a tsunami…and more than one way to save a life. THE WATER CHILD is a YA historical fiction inspired by the events of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and following the courageous journey of teenage ama diver, Tora, as she fights to survive in a world where the ocean she loves is now bent on destroying her.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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"McGinty's mesmerizing debut proves her place among the vast sea of storytellers. This imaginative tale calls on every emotion, bringing to light a deeply tragic moment in Japan's history. So very well done!" -Laura Frances, author of the Slave Series.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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"A remarkable and heartbreaking debut full of depth, treasure, and hope. Beautifully written with themes as deep as the ocean." - Nova McBee, author of Calculated Series.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#booklove #bookstagram #yalovin #booknerd #booknerdigans #bookstagrammer #bookish #booklover #writingcommunity #yalove #mglit #youngadultbooks #amwriting #amreading #totalbooknerd #beautifulbooks #bookrecommendation #newbook #trbpile #tbrlist #ilovebooks #yalit #bookbirthday #EllenMcGinty
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Testimonials

Hear what others are saying about Elizabeth Van Tassel

—Pam Farrel, author of 47 books including bestselling Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti

“Elizabeth’s life is a testimony and tribute to her wisely walked words of wisdom. She IS RESILIENT in every sense of the word.”

Pam Farrel, author of 47 books
including bestselling Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti

—Kathleen Freeman, Northwest Christian Writers Association Program Coordinator

“Our NCWA group had the pleasure this week of hearing Elizabeth Van Tassel speak. She was professional, fun, and a delightful speaker.
In her talk, she took us through disaster, story-telling skills drawing us in, and fabulous pictures holding us. She pulled our hearts… Read more “—Kathleen Freeman, Northwest Christian Writers Association Program Coordinator”

Kathleen Freeman,
Northwest Christian Writers Association Program Coordinator

—Soncee Partida, Director of Development, Maranatha Christian Schools

“Elizabeth exudes infectious enthusiasm! There is no smell of smoke, no after effect of ash, no char from the flames that claimed all her worldly possessions.
Hers is a joy genuinely journeyed. Her remarkable story of resilience will leave you forever changed.”

Soncee Partida,
Director of Development, Maranatha Christian Schools

– Debbie Hamer, Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) mentor director

“During her children’s young years, Elizabeth was a compassionate leader and sought to help other MOPS moms by sharing her stories of endurance and miracles. When she spoke to our group, her hope to rise above difficult circumstances encouraged many.”

Debbie Hamer,
Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) mentor director

-Sara Ella, young adult author for Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson

“As a mom, I’m always seeking clean adventure reads for my girls. Elizabeth’s storytelling can only be described as magical. Her passion for the Word shines through her writing. Tweens (and adults) will be swept away by Elizabeth’s imaginative story-world.”

Sara Ella,
young adult author for Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson

-Sally John, novelist, Family of the Heart Series, Side Roads Series, and others

“From being my cohort in surviving a wildfire, to using her perspective of resilience to inspire others, Elizabeth’s enthusiasm helps her audience and friends find fresh hope.”

Sally John, novelist,
Family of the Heart Series, Side Roads Series, and others

– Nadine Brandes, young adult author for Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson

“Elizabeth’s passion for the life story God’s given her helps youth and parents alike to rise above the weight of this world.”

Nadine Brandes,
young adult author for Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson

– Bob Hamer, former undercover FBI agent. Author of American Heroes of the Homefront

“Elizabeth and her family have faced great challenges and refused to let their light dim. We’ve walked in their home’s ashes and witnessed their medical miracles first-hand. What Elizabeth has crafted helps others live with more resilience whatever they’ve faced and will help this generation… Read more “– Bob Hamer, former undercover FBI agent. Author of American Heroes of the Homefront“

Bob Hamer, former undercover FBI agent.
Author of American Heroes of the Homefront

– Sandra H. Esch, President, San Diego American Christian Fiction Writers, author of the Amber Leaf Trilogy

“Elizabeth has an uncanny ability to see a broader picture and the energy and generosity of heart to share it with wit and wisdom. To say she lit up our audience is an understatement.”

Sandra H. Esch, President,
San Diego American Christian Fiction Writers, author of the Amber Leaf Trilogy

– Tina Radcliffe, Harlequin Love Inspired author and Seekerville Blog

“Elizabeth is the real thing. She radiates joy inside and out. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and it’s evidenced by joy. That’s the message she lives and delivers.”

Tina Radcliffe,
Harlequin Love Inspired author and Seekerville Blog

Great Gems

Mysteries, Intrigues & Inspirations

 

Resilient Book Reviews

Good Reads to Inspire Adventures

 

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