Keira Gillett Author

Fierce Middle Grade Fantasy Reads

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4 Reasons Every Fiction Author Should Go On Escape Room Adventures

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Escape room games are a new source of entertainment sweeping the nation and gaining in popularity. I didn’t know much about them, other than my hubby saying the idea for them is based off the Saw franchise. I’m not into horror so I put the idea of doing one on the back burner. I didn’t really think the rooms were all designed for cheap horror thrills, like a haunted house, but I didn’t know what to expect either. It wasn’t until seeing Geek and Sundry’s Escape Room web series that I got super excited. It was the catalyst for me to jump in head first and try one out.

Having now completed two different scenarios (technically escaping only one, and missing the other by a one-to-two minute margin), I fully recommend trying them out for all, and feel that every fiction author should do one to improve their writing, and not just for mystery writers, but for any genre. Here’s how:

  1. Finding Clues: Escape rooms are all about observation. It teaches gamers about what’s worth noticing. When it comes to sprinkling legitimate clues and red herrings, escape rooms are a great way to sort through possible clues in your writing. For instance, if you see a locked door, obviously you want to open it. In a recent room I did, the locked door was a red herring. If you focused too much of your time on opening it, you’d never complete the scenario. What sort of clues can you sprinkle in your writing that draw your characters’ and readers’ attention while also planting the real clues more subtly?
  2. Solving Puzzles: Escape rooms will chain together puzzles. Not in every case, but in enough to be mindful that not everything is one and done. Sometimes clues are doubly important. Solving them takes creative thinking, matching several observations together, deduction, and other skills to put it all together. These will help you as an author, figure out how to get your characters to arrive at the solution, and bring your readers along with you in a way that makes sense and doesn’t feel half-baked.
  3. Teamwork: Escape rooms are not a single person effort. It requires many people, communicating and noodling their way through the scenario. As fun as the Sherlock Holmes archetype is, your main character shouldn’t always be the one with the solution or the observation that leads to winning the day. Sometimes puzzles are unsolvable alone, someone else has part of your puzzle. How can you get your characters involved with other people to find the crucial missing pieces? Do they talk to an authority? A witness? A neighbor?
  4. Immersive: Escape rooms are an experience, as oppose to playing a puzzle game on your computer, which is not immersive. In an escape room there’s sounds, lights, props, sets, and more. Everything you do in one involves your senses. Everything is chosen specifically and with purpose. They draw you in. Your writing should do the same. When you build a scene, start with your theme and go from there. Add your touches to pull in your readers’ imagination. Play to their expectations when creating atmosphere and scenery. Then surprise them. Delight them! Make them want to dig deeper. Your choice in words and storytelling should be evocative.

Escape rooms are a wonderful tool in author’s toolkit, and plus it’s so much fun to do. Your readers will also thrill in solving puzzles, chaining together a series of clues, and completing a set of challenges. Good luck and may you have a great escape! 🙂

Thinking of other books, which feature fun immersive games/challenges, off the top of my head, I enjoyed the Triwizard Tournament from Harry Potter, the 74th and 75th Hunger Games from the trilogy with the same name, the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, Nancy Drew mysteries, the Testing in the trilogy with the same name, and the Selection in the trilogy with the same name.

In the Zaria Fierce Series there are two such sequences a few books apart. The first in book two involving the fey in Niffleheim. Zaria and her friends must win two of three challenges. The stakes are high and they can’t afford to be outmatched. Now the next trials they’ll face is in a future book, also with the fairies. If you recall from book two, I said fairies love games. You’ll see what I mean when the gang reaches Niffleheim again.

What are your favorite tests/challenges/puzzles/trials/tournaments in books?

YA SCAVENGER HUNT 2017

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Hello to all you lovely readers! My name is Keira Gillett, and I write upper middle grade, young adult books. If you love fantasy books that take you all over Norway on quests for trolls, feature an adopted, magic-wielding princess, and strong friendships that withstand the snapping jaws of dragons, then I have a book series for you! Each story features 16 gorgeous illustrations by the talented Eoghan Kerrigan. The Zaria Fierce Trilogy has been compared to Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Chronicles of Narnia, and even a kid’s version of the Lord of the Rings.

Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest (Book 1):

“Come here Princess, and let me eat you.”

On her birthday, Zaria Fierce finds her usual path to school blocked by an ugly river-troll. At first she’s surprised and curious, but then Olaf threatens to eat her, which is an act Zaria could not in good conscience consent to, so Zaria counteroffers. A deal is struck and she goes to school, but Zaria is about to learn the hard way that one does not trick a river-troll and expect to win.

Watch the Book Trailer:

FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME

I made my first book free this week to coincide with the scavenger hunt. You can grab it on Amazon between 6/1/17 – 6/5/17 at this price. Go here.

Now for the scavenger hunt!

In June, the Alliance of Young Adult Authors is sponsoring a massive young adult scavenger hunt. This is a chance to meet some new authors, grab a bunch of free books, and sign up to win a whole bunch of epic prizes! In addition to the $500 grand prize, each of the authors will be offering free books and other prizes.

 RULES

Each author will be given a special keyword, which will be bolded and all caps like this: BUTTERFLIES.

All you have to do is visit all the author’s sites in this order, write down the special keywords to discover the short story, then enter the giveaway with the completed secret legend here:

>>Enter Secret Legend to Win the Grand Prize<<

There will be one main giveaway for the main prize, but most of the participating authors will also have smaller giveaways for free books, amazon credit and author swag, so make sure you read their post carefully to see what else they’re offering while you’re on their site for the keyword.

OPEN JUNE 1ST ~ JUNE 7TH

Just go through the “treasure map” below to find the keywords and reconstruct the secret legend. Once you’ve got it, enter for the grand prize HERE. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for other giveaways or free books as you search for the keywords, most authors will be offering their own prizes as well.

I’m #86 – EYES

Good luck!

On the Road to Success – Book Marketing Wins

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This post is part of my goal to document how I got to where I am today as a self-published author. I’m always learning in this self-publishing journey. I’ll share successes and failures, in hopes that it inspires others who are in the midst of similar journeys or starting one. I don’t claim to have all the answers, or to even be right. I’m simply sharing my experiences in an effort to show that success isn’t instant, it’s being willing to try something, to learn from it, and having the guts to try again. It’s about adjustment and growth, and a willingness to fall flat on your face, but to get back up again.

Marketing and promotion isn’t always about advertising and budgets. Away from algorithms and in front of people I’ve had some major wins. Sometimes thinking outside the box (in some cases the box is the computer) is exactly what you need to do. Now, I totally get it. Reaching out for opportunities online is way easier than reaching for opportunities offline. The computer is a safety net. You only have to worry about an e-mail or 140 characters, or whatever. Offline you have to see people face-to-face and risk rejection. You have to call them – most often a cold call where they don’t know you from the next bloke down the street. You might even have to talk aloud about yourself and your books for a long time. Don’t panic. It’s worth the risk. Trust me.

Here are a few things I’ve done that have really helped me in my writing career, and what I call marketing wins. Not every author will have these under their tool belt, so if you can snag them, you’re that much more ahead of the game.

  • Local Paper: I’ve been listed in local paper for new book releases. This is probably the easiest of the ones to attempt to do because you can generally reach the right person at the newspaper without having to make that phone call or see them face-to-face. The power of e-mail! Be sure to have your press release handy with as much information as possible. You basically want to give them everything they could need at the tip of their fingers.
  • Local and Out-of-State Book Signings: Author readings and book signings are a great way to get word out about your book and sell a few copies while you’re at it. One hour of reading, holding a Q&A, and signing books (maybe add half an hour more for the signing), plus an hour set-up/tear-down, is well worth it. I generally make enough sales to cover my time and costs. Even if it didn’t, I’d still do book readings because the exposure is fantastic and you can reuse it on the web by filming your sessions. The best part of book signings? I get to take part in the joy of sharing my books with interested and interesting readers and fans. I love meeting kids who are fans of the series. They are adorable and absolutely make my day with their comments and questions. You can check out videos from my book signings here.
  • Local Television Shows: I’ve been interviewed on a local television show several times. You can see the videos here. This was a unique opportunity that I got to do because I was talking to a local librarian and he had recently been interviewed by the show for an event the library was doing. This is the power of your network! I made a cold call and sent an e-mail. I got a spot on the show and they had me back twice more. How wonderful is that?
  • Book Business Cards: I’ve purchased book business cards for each novel. I use them when people say something, “You write books? About what?” I whip out a card or set of them (one for each book) and say back, something like, “I write an upper middle grade fantasy series set in modern-day Norway featuring a biracial heroine who’s adopted. Also lots of trolls.” I’m a chatty Kathy and if you sit by me on a plane, train, bus or at the theater, local playhouse, or restaurant, I’ll gladly talk to you about my books. I give extras to my mom and friends so they can leave them around town or pass them along to others they might bump into.
  • Book Blog Tours: I coordinate a series of reviews and guest posts with the release of my books. Gaining reviews is the toughest aspect. Like the newspaper and any other offline pitch, you should never approach a blogger without knowing their name. It’s common courtesy. Now, I won’t say online pitching is easy. It’s extremely difficult. I’ve pitched over 400 times and my response rate is pretty low, which I totally get. Don’t take it personally if they can’t read your book, just say thanks for considering me, and move on. I used to book blog 24/7 and it takes a huge amount of dedication, effort, and love to read and review books. With that in mind, each blogger who takes a chance on me and my books is priceless and worth their weight in gold. I use quotes from their reviews in the front matter of my books. I try to repay them for their kindnesses with exposure, by doing my best to keep up with what they do across multiple social networks, liking, sharing, and commenting on their posts. To find new bloggers, I ask the ones who took a chance on me if there’s anyone they know who might like my books. I also keep track of everyone I’ve written, so I don’t swamp a blogger unintentionally and become a spammer to them. Book blog tours are all about relationship-building. It takes time and patience.

Authors – what have been some of your book marketing successes? Any tips you’d like to share to help others follow in your footsteps?

Write Ahead of Your Publishing Schedule

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I’m a huge advocate of writing ahead of your publishing schedule. Whether it is self-imposed, or a deadline set upon you by your publisher, the quicker you can crush that deadline, the better off you’ll be. Getting ahead of the game provides great benefits for you and for your writing, such as freeing up your time and your energies for other tasks and activities.  When you’re ahead in your writing, you’re not stressed or pressed for time, and you can step back, think, and make adjustments to the story line. It’s a great position to be in, and you can be right there with me, if you aren’t already.

When I started publishing Zaria Fierce, I cut my timeline short between writing and publishing by two months, because I was so excited to get the book out and become a published author. I wrote the book and published it within a six month time span instead of an eight to 12 month time span, which hampered me in some respects. I wasn’t as prepared for book one or book two as I could have been. This is especially apparent to me from a marketing standpoint. I’m still figuring this whole marketing thing out, so I don’t beat myself up too badly about the abbreviated timeline. And happily, I built back into my timeline those missing months and even more time besides.

So how far along am I? I’m about a one-fifth to one-quarter of the way through the newest story and conclusion to Aleks Mickelsen’s trilogy. No, you didn’t read that wrong. Today, as I am nearing the publication of the fourth book in the Zaria Fierce series, which is the first in Aleks’ trilogy, I’m writing book six. This is fantastic, because I can make changes to book five if something comes to me as I’m writing book six that requires foreshadowing or prior-knowledge from one or more of the characters.

I have done this before with previous books. Something has nearly cropped up in all of my books that requires planting it’s seeds in an earlier one. An example I can give that doesn’t spoil readers (at least for the upcoming books in Aleks’ trilogy) is the time I went and added the term “Golden Kings” to book one due to developments in book two. This type of detail fleshes out a world and gives it more depth, a common history/knowledge/vernacular, and vividness. If you’re not giving yourself the space and time to be able to add these nuggets into your writing, you could potentially miss out on chaining and building really great story-telling elements into your books.

Being as far ahead as I am in my own writing schedule, I am able to research more for future books, and work on my marketing for the books which are already published (something I really need to do!) I can also use this free time to build my newsletter list, write blog posts, or hold a book reading/signing event. I can use the time to plan a vacation or attend a friend’s wedding. The only true thing I have to worry about now is not spoiling for readers what happens next, because I know so much more than they do or will even after the Twice-Lost Fairy Well comes out.

I hope I’ve sold you on my writing style and its benefits. If you want to be in a similar position I have a few tips for you, which will get you there.

3 Things You Can Do Now to Crush Writing the First Draft for Your Current WIP

  1. Set goals like a crazy person. The more writing goals you can set the better. When I set writing goals, I ensure that they chain together, and help motivate me to reach the next goal, and the next, and the next. Each one acts like a springboard to push myself to the next level. I do this by setting word count goals (off-set from 500/1000 to 200/700, so even my non-goals of 500/1000 act like goals). I set chapter goals (big picture items, plotting, pacing, and planning for a certain number of chapters). I set micro goals – e.g. finish the scene. I set macro goals – e.g. link these two areas of the story together. The more goals I have across the various levels the better off I am, because it keeps me constantly moving and writing and before I even know it, I’ve written thousands of words and finished my first draft.
  2. Make writing a habit. Not only should you be setting writing goals to churn out word count, you should be making your writing a long-term habit. Write on a schedule. If you want to write every day, set aside time to do so. If you only want to write Monday through Friday, plan for it. Set aside a place to write and a time. You can even take it a step further by securing the clothes you’ll wear, the food you’ll need, your drink of choice, your writing music playlist, shutting off your phone, unplugging your modem, whatever it is. Minimize interruptions and distractions. Stick to your plans and your butt-in-chair time will equal progress on your current draft.
  3. Do not edit. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Do not waste time editing now. Don’t look up stuff now. This time is for writing the book. Got a question? Can’t remember a character’s hair color? Don’t know who did what or said what in what scene from before? Write down what you think you know. Highlight it. When you come back for your second draft, do the research then. It’s not worth losing a train of thought to fix something immediately that you can fix later. Your train of thought is the most precious thing your book has got going for it. Don’t screw it up by focusing on the nitty gritty. Write. Write. Write. It’s okay to be thin on facts and details as long as you get the ideas out there. You can always edit until your blue in the face later, fixing what you got incorrect and fleshing out sequences that are missing their “potatoes.”

As a self-published author, being ahead of schedule is huge for me. I work hard (and play hard) to get the first draft out. Afterward, because I have built-in time, I can set aside the draft, instead of racing into editing. I can wait on notes from beta readers and trusted persons, to learn what worked and what didn’t. And while I wait for those notes, I can start the next book. See? Always chaining those goals together even across WIPs.

I hope these writing tips have helped you, and fired you up to tackle your WIP. Good luck my friend and happy writing!

On the Road to Success – Book Marketing Fails

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This post is part of my goal to document how I got to where I am today as a self-published author. I’m always learning in this self-publishing journey. I’ll share successes and failures, in hopes that it inspires others who are in the midst of similar journeys or starting one. I don’t claim to have all the answers, or to even be right. I’m simply sharing my experiences in an effort to show that success isn’t instant, it’s being willing to try something, to learn from it, and having the guts to try again. It’s about adjustment and growth, and a willingness to fall flat on your face, but to get back up again.

I believe in my books and I believe in myself, so I thought I would try my hand at online marketing. Now it’s been two years since I started my self-publishing adventure, and I can honestly say that I have yet to figure out this whole book marketing thing.

I’ve dabbled, and I should probably concentrate my efforts in one spot, and keep at it until I have a breakthrough, but I keep trying many platforms in hopes of finding something that clicks – either with me or with readers.

I am not yet the master over any of these avenues, and maybe never will be. What successes I’ve had with these platforms has been relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, and on the surface it’s really disheartening. On the other hand, I know every little bit is helping – I’m learning, I am getting a little exposure, etc.

I often wonder if paying someone to do my ads and ad targeting would help me. I bet it would, but I’m a little gun-shy now after so many failed attempts on my own, and reading and seeing many people offer up “magic solutions” to “boost sales.” Whether you’re writing, or marketing, or anything else in life, the “magic bullet” isn’t a cure-all for success.

Facebook Ads

I’ve attempted them multiple times, usually after an author has shared that a key part of their success in sales is attributed to Facebook Ads. I read about what worked for them, and try to adapt it for my books. I create a campaign and I tweak, but so far I haven’t been able to duplicate their success.

Key takeaways: Boosting a post never works, and creating an ad sort of works. It might work better if I knew what interests to target. As a middle grade/young adult author, I want kids and adults to read and enjoy my books. Adults are the gatekeepers, and the ones with money. So how to reach them? How to get them interested? I have tried to maximize the number of people who’d see the ad by focusing on broader interests, and I have tried to target a key group of people by narrowing my targeted interests to specifics. Results in both cases are blah and Facebook loves to say it’ll reach a certain number of people and never come close to their own numbers, but hey I can boost and add more money to the campaign to reach the original number of readers they had told me I would!

One day in the recent past, I myself was a target of a Facebook ad (aren’t we all?), but this one in particular caught my eye. I had seen a lot of Kindle Unlimited ads, but this was more specific. It was for a totally free book. I used the button to the right of the ad to see why I was targeted and thought I could perhaps replicate that. So I created a graphic and targeted people interested in free ebooks/Kindle books, with an added focus of children’s literature. Result? My share to my Facebook friends resulted in an organic reach equal to the paid reach. Bust. (And yes, my book was actually free during the promotion.) No visible uptick in sales; sales stayed about the same as the previous free book promotion I had run.

One thing I haven’t tried, but will try, will be for my next local book reading. I plan to create an event on my page and then promote the event, targeting a radius around the event location. I will let you know if that works or not.

Amazon Ads

Who better to sell a Kindle book to someone shopping on Amazon or reading their Kindle than Amazon? Sounds like a marvelous idea! Results – meager would be stretching it.

Key takeaways: These ads don’t work nearly as well as I thought they would. Again the fault could be with me, but I haven’t really heard of an author using the Amazon ad network and gaining a lot of sales. It’s probably been done. I’ll have to try again after more research. My attempts weren’t that stellar, and it’s costlier to promote on Amazon than on Facebook. I also attempted once to advertise during a free book promotion. As far as I can tell I didn’t get any more sales with the Amazon promotion than I would if I had left it alone. At the moment, I’m more inclined to keep trying with Facebook, so I’ll focus my efforts there.

What has Worked

I saw a big boost in sales when I pitched to websites promoting free books to their subscriber lists. It took a little legwork, but it wasn’t difficult to do. I need to try a few of these again, especially the ones that turned me down the first time, like Bookbub, and to research around and find others to pitch. I had a very good experience with Reading Deals. I will reach out to them again when I am ready to do another round of free book promotion.

Last thing of note: My advice with any free/discounted book sales, no matter the marketing around it, keep them short, because the majority of your sales happen in the first two days and sharply, dramatically fizzle out after those two days.

As an author do you have any favorite promotional websites? How have you used Facebook to reach potential readers? What have been your biggest successes and fails in book marketing?

Good Gracious! Are Those Actual Parents?

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When writing Zaria Fierce I made the conscious decision to go against the typical relationships found in middle grade and young adult novels between parents or guardians, and the kids in their care. Absent/neglectful/cruel adults make it easier to send kids on adventures in books, but I wanted to see a bond between parents and their progeny that drew from my siblings’ and mine experiences in my family growing up.

So Zaria is adopted, an only child, has lovely parents, and is well adjusted. Queue the *horror.*

What will you write about without all that teen drama?!?!? Wait! Adopted?

Adoptive parents can be absolutely wonderful people. They’re not all mean. Just like step-parents aren’t all nasty despite the rampant evil stepmothers throughout fairy tales and literature… or aunts, uncles, grandparents, foster parents, and other guardians… take your pick. Fictional kids can be like real kids and come from happy homes. I wanted my heroine to experience the same.

As for the relationships, I modeled Merry Fierce and Zaria’s relationship off of my relationship with my mom. Mom Gillett is a cool mom if I do say so myself. If I wanted to play hooky, she’d play hooky with me. If I wanted to be checked out for a lunch date, we’d do that. If I wanted to desperately attend a midnight premiere for Harry Potter while on a family road trip she somehow made it work. In high school, she let my best friend stay with us while her dad was out of the country. We traveled the world together and are the best of friends. (Love you mom!)

When it came time to write, I poured that love into Merry’s and Zaria’s relationship.

And I don’t stop there.

  • Colonel Fierce is hard-working, attentive, loving, strict, and obliging.
  • Emma Johansen (Christoffer’s mum) is kind, concerned, intelligent, and loving.
  • Samuel and Naia Mickelsen (Aleks’ parents) are attentive, supportive, and kind.
  • Aleks also has a good relationship with his  grandparents. Ava on one side and Remigus on the other.
  • Mrs. Storstrand (Filip’s mom) is strict, fair, and loving.

The adults are all good people and yet the kids still get to go on adventures all over Norway to reach Gloomwood Forest. See parents don’t ruin all the fun! So how do the kids do it? Aha! Good question. Discover the answer in Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest. It has to do with a mysterious egg-shaped object.

What other books have you read where the adults are good people and have good relationships with their kids or wards?