AUTHOR

Vibe of the Lizzard: Behold a Sparkly Horse Special Edition

Behold A Sparkly Horse: A Briar’s End Tale

Hi everyone! Since I am so distracted, this week’s newsletter is going to be a bit different, and there’s really only one update I want to share (like I haven’t already, haha).

Behold a Sparkly Horse: A Briar’s End Tale (Book 1) launches in less than a week! I was proud of Penumbra (released earlier this year), sure, but I feel like I’ve really found my voice with the Briar’s End Tales series. I am really proud of Sparkly Horse, and if you’re hearing about it for the first time, allow me to pique your interest perhaps?

Welcome to Briar’s End! We Put the “Fun” in Fundamental Collapse.

When Briar’s End offers Ana a fresh start, it seems like the answer to every dead-end year behind her. But once she arrives, the town feels wrong in all the ways she can’t explain: the residents wear human faces a little too poorly, the diner serves meat no one will identify, and the inn’s receptionist never seems to touch a single object with her hands.

Then she discovers the truth.

She wasn’t hired for a normal job.

She was chosen to become Death, the long-missing Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse.

But inheriting cosmic responsibilities is the least of her problems. Someone has been watching her. Someone who knows exactly why she was chosen. Someone who wants to ensure the new Horseman never survives.

Blending cozy small-town charm with supernatural horror, dark humor, and a twist-filled mystery, Behold a Sparkly Horse is perfect for readers who love Good Omens, Beetlejuice, and The Thursday Murder Club with a healthy dose of existential dread.

And, because I can’t help myself, here’s a snippet of what readers think on Goodreads thus far (and yes, before you say it, five reviews so close to launch is nothing really, but I’m proud of it, so meeeehhhhhh): 

The paperback goes on sale June 21, 2026, and the ebook on June 24, 2026. I hope if you’re reading this, you check it out, because out of all the books I’ve written, I truly believe there is a lot of fun to be had with this story (and I am just in love with skeletal horse Gerald with his sparkly pastel-colored mane and tail. He is the apocalypse’s goodest boy!)

Thanks for indulging me. Back to writing.

Latest
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what readers are saying

★★★★★

I liked the way it was written…made you think.

★★★★

This was a very interesting and fast paced read.

★★★★★

This was a fast paced read, I was hooked from the first page and tore through this book super quickly.

Now Writing

Penumbra

When tragedy strikes, a woman’s world unravels in the most unexpected way.

After the sudden death of her brother, Kodi, an influential chocolatier, is thrust into the role of guardian to her young niece, Devon. What begins as a typical childhood fear of the dark soon transforms into something far more terrifying. As Kodi’s once-perfect life starts to crumble, she finds herself facing a sinister presence that haunts her niece, one that Kodi has known before.

As Kodi digs deeper, she uncovers chilling secrets about her family’s past and a disturbing pattern that suggests Devon’s hallucinations might be more than just figments of a child’s imagination. But as the line between paranoia and truth blurs, one question remains – what really lurks in the dark, and will she survive it?

An addictive psychological thriller that explores the dark corners of the mind, Penumbra will leave you questioning every flicker of light – and every whisper in the night.

Now Reading

Last Days: Fiction’s Answer to Found Footage Horror?

Month

April, 2026

Author and date

Adam Nevill, 2012

In Adam Nevill’s thriller, Last Days, a routine documentary about a Satanic cult gives way to uncanny events that plague the shoot, the demise of interviewees, and the discovery of ghastly artifacts. This is no ordinary documentary, the main character has awakened something that is after his blood.

about the author

Elizabeth Hartl is an experimental novelist with a unique artistic perspective. A graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, IL, she specializes in fiction, creative nonfiction, and journalism, blending these genres to create innovative and thought-provoking works. Her writing pushes boundaries and challenges traditional storytelling conventions, captivating readers with her imaginative and unconventional approach to literature.