Welcome to Women Writing

Empowering women writers to discover their sisu (strength and determination).

Thank you for joining me here in Women Writing. I’m Liisa Kovala, a Finnish Canadian author and an Author Accelerator certified fiction and memoir book coach. I’m also a former teacher, host of Women Writing Podcast and co-host of Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat. I work with writers 1:1 and in small group session to help them develop their manuscripts.

My mission is to empower women writers to discover their sisu (strength, courage, and determination) in their writing and in their lives.

I am the author of two historical novels: Like Water for Weary Souls (House of Karhu, 2025) and Sisu’s Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022). My first publication is Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017). I’m also the author of the Hygge House Cozy Mysteries under my pen name A. L. Jensen.

I’m currently the president of the Toronto Chapter of Sisters in Crime. I’m also a a member of Book Coaches Canada, The Writers’ Union of Canada, Canadian Authors Association, Historical Authors’ Association, Historical Novel Society, and past president of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild, as well as a board member for the Wordstock Literary Festival.

A nearly empty-nester, I live in Northern Ontario with my husband Michael, a music teacher, and our energetic puppy Emmy.

In Women Writing, I feature women finding time and space to write and sharing their best (and worst) writing advice. I love celebrating our writing community.

In Book Coach Writes a Book, I’m sharing my personal writing journey about writing historical fiction with the hopes others can learn a little from my experiences. Readers interested in how a book comes into their hands, or are interested in some Finnish history, will also find something of interest.

In A. L. Jensen, Hygge House Cozy Mysteries, I’m sharing my journey as I pivot from writing historical fiction to a cozy mystery series with a Nordic twist. I’m learning all the things, reading lots of cozies, and speaking to experienced folks who will guide the way. If you love cozy mysteries as much as I do, consider joining the Cozy Mystery Book Club.

In the Women Writing podcast, we’re having a coffee break with folks in the publishing industry, including authors, book coaches, publishers, publicists, agents, and others. As a Finn, I love my coffee. As a Canadian, I love chatting. Perfect combo.

Join my Women Writing Circle to get accountability, support, encouragement, and community. We meet biweekly on the second and fourth Mondays of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST via Zoom.

So lovely to have you here. You can read the newsletters or listen to the podcast from your email inbox, or you can download the app and turn on notifications to read there. Welcome to this lovely community of writers and readers. Sending love and gratitude.

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