Keira Gillett Author

Fierce Middle Grade Fantasy Reads

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Zaria Fierce Fan Art by Lake, age 7

December 9, 2020 By Keira Gillett Leave a Comment

My favorite things to receive from fans are letters and art. These beautiful gems come from Zaria Fierce fan Lake (age 7) and are shared with permission for everyone’s enjoyment.

“So Lake was up until almost 2am devouring book 3. We remembered today that just the other day we actually saw some deer….WITH ANTLERS! So, we touched up this photo I took with effects so it could look like, Hart.”

“I love that this inspired Lake to draw and make art!”

Me too! I absolutely adore all these beautiful and creative pieces. They are so much fun to look at and I can recognize who he means for everyone to be. He’s drawn and sculpted some of my favorite characters from the series. Thank you so much for sharing with me ❤️

If anyone else would like to send fan mail and fan art you can share with me at hello@keiragillett.comi would love to see it and it would make my day!

Filed Under: Artwork, Dragon Keeper's Golden Shoes, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: fan art, fan mail, Hart, Hector Woodworth, Zaria Fierce

Fan Art: Aleks by Tommy

December 9, 2020 By Keira Gillett Leave a Comment

This fabulous rendition of Aleks from the Zaria Fierce is by Tommy. Thank you so much for sending to me and letting me share it with everyone. I admire it on my desk every time I sit down to write.

Filed Under: Artwork, Twice-Lost Fairy Well, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: Aleks Mickelsen, fan art, fan mail, Zaria Fierce

Blog Tour Stop: Head Hopping when Writing Stories

June 24, 2020 By Keira Gillett

Good morning everyone,

Come find me at Brenda’s Log Cab Library where I discuss writing a series that is broken down into trilogies and involves head hopping (also known as point of view switching).

What are your thought on the matter? Do you love seeing different characters weigh in on a story or do you prefer to stick with one protagonist/antagonist throughout?

Filed Under: Author, Return to Jötunheim, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: blog tour, Christoffer Johansen, inspiration, on writing, world-building, Zaria Fierce

Fan Art, Bonus Content, and Games

May 14, 2020 By Keira Gillett

I want to express how excited I am to have received new fan art for the series. This little gem was drawn by Lily, age 10 and is posted with permission.

Airi wakes Aleks for the first time

It’s so fierce! I love it! ugh is right haha 😁

If you make fan art for the series let me know! I will post to my website so everyone can enjoy together. Email me at hello@keiragillett.com

Bonus Content:

If you look on my website’s main menu you will find a new section called bonus content. Here you will find all sorts of goodies from polls and quizzes to coloring pages to puzzles and games.

What’s new to do:

You will find a new coloring page and two new games.

The coloring page is the line art from the cover for Aleks Mickelsen and the Eighth Fox Throne War. How will you color the dragon and the kids? I’m interested to see!

Seriously Fierce Scavenger Hunt – Hunt for coins from the Lost Well and see if you can collect them all.

Escape from Trolgar – in this virtual escape room you and your friends are captured by Jordken’s Wild Hunt. Can you escape and avoid being eaten?

I hope you enjoy these new experiences. Let me know how you did!

Filed Under: Artwork, Zaria Fierce

You’re Invited to the Launch Party for Book 7 in the Zaria Fierce Series!

April 29, 2020 By Keira Gillett

Join me for an evening to celebrate the book birthday of Christoffer Johansen and the Return to Jötunheim.

There will be games:

  • Seriously Fierce Scavenger “Wild” Hunt – You can start anytime on the quest as I’ve posted it in anticipation of the event. This gives everyone plenty of time to do it!
  • Seriously Fierce Live Trivia Event – Play from your phone, computer, or tablet. It’s super fun and easy to do. Be sure to use a name that I can recognize and is all ages friendly. The highest scoring individual wins a prize!
  • Seriously Fierce Book Bingo – Go ahead and grab your bingo card early. Print it out or play online. Make a note of the card number as it will be used to verify your card. The individual to call Bingo wins a prize!

There will be a live reading from the book.

There will be time for questions and answers.

At some point it’s basically guaranteed that there will be a dog stealing the show. Oskar is a cutie. If you see him give a shout!

The event is hosted live on Facebook and will be posted to YouTube for replay for anyone who misses the evening. So pop the popcorn, grab a drink, wearing your fuzzy socks, and comfy pj’s and let’s have a party!

RSVP so you don’t miss out on the fun:

Date: May 1, 2020
Time: 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Where: Online, Zaria Fierce Facebook page

Filed Under: Author, Christoffer Johansen and the Return to Jötunheim, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: author event, author interview, author promotion, author reading, author talk, book event, book promotion, book reading, book release party, book talk, midnight book release party

Fan Art from Lizzy

June 16, 2019 By Keira Gillett

One of my favorite aspects of being an author is interacting with fans. With permission, I have the wonderful pleasure to showcase some great fan art from Lizzy about the Zaria Fierce Series. I hope you enjoy her pieces as much as I do! Thank you so much Lizzy for sharing them with me.

The first group, Lizzy made using an app and the book cover of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest. There are some really fun ones in here. Do you have a favorite? I think I like the red curly hair, the sunglasses, and the grinning one best!

Have you ever wondered what Aleks’ stargazer looks like? I love Lizzy’s depiction of it here. It’s fabulous!

Here Lizzy made a bookmark based on the book cover. Isn’t it just adorable? I love it!

Thank you again Lizzy for sharing these with me! xoxo

Filed Under: Artwork, Secret of Gloomwood Forest Tagged With: fan art, fan mail

Replay of Aleks Mickelsen and the Eighth Fox Throne War Midnight Release Party

June 16, 2019 By Keira Gillett

If you missed the midnight release party for Aleks Mickelsen and the Eighth Fox Throne War last month, you can watch the replay, which is now available on YouTube. Grab a friend and try your luck at some Seriously Fierce Trivia, and take a spin on book bingo.

Filed Under: Author, Eighth Fox Throne War Tagged With: book event, book release party, midnight book release party, midnight party

Blog Tour Stop: The Artwork of Aleks Mickelsen and the Eighth Fox Throne War

June 16, 2019 By Keira Gillett

One of the fun and new things about Aleks’ most recent adventure is that both Eoghan Kerrigan and I drew illustrations for it. Join me at Brenda’s blog, The Log Cabin Library, to learn more about my process and see examples. Drop a comment if there’s anything else you’d like to know about the books.

Filed Under: Artwork, Author, Eighth Fox Throne War Tagged With: blog tour, illustrator, illustrator interview, keira gillett

You’re Invited to Aleks’ Book Birthday!

May 21, 2019 By Keira Gillett

It is with great pleasure and joy that I tell you Aleks Mickelsen and the Eighth Fox Throne War releases on May 24, 2019. I hope you’re as excited as I am! Do you see this gorgeous cover? Isn’t it lovely?

What wonderful things can we we expect from Aleks and the rest of the gang? Plenty of action that’s for sure! But also history about the remaining undisclosed fox throne wars. You’ll meet a certain winterling’s general father and have an new/old friend pop by unexpectedly. Dragon machinations and powers heretofore hinted are seen in full force and our changeling hero must face destiny square in the face and decide which path he will choose. 

You can pre-order the ebook on Amazon:https://amzn.to/2WhGQee

The print book will also be available to purchase on Friday.

The audio book is in production and will be coming out within the next month or two and you’re going to love it.

Join me this Thursday evening at 10:30 PM EST on the Zaria Fierce Facebook page for a late night launch party event to celebrate the release of Aleks Mickelsen and the Eighth Fox Throne War. There will be trivia, bingo, prizes, readings from the book, and a question and answer session. It’s going to be so much fun!

Date: May 23, 2019
Time: 10:30 PM – 12 AM
Where: Online, Zaria Fierce Facebook page
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/607141663120810/

Save this link for playing trivia:

https://www.crowd.live/9ZKIW

Save this link for playing bingo:

https://mfbc.us/m/b5mrv6

Spread the word and I look forward to seeing you there!

Filed Under: Eighth Fox Throne War, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: book event, book promotion, book release party, book talk

Ask Me Anything, Part 1

November 17, 2018 By Keira Gillett

Hi Fiercelings,

Thanks for joining me today, I’m delighted to share with you the start of a new series of blog posts here on my author website.

In these Ask Me Anything posts I will answer questions you have submitted about Zaria, about myself, about writing, etc. The following questions were submitted by Tommy, Nate, Lizzy, and Michele.

Let’s dive in!

Q: Have you ever dreamed about your characters or their world?

A: I day dream about them all the time. I try to be good and write down these snippets as they come to me. I don’t always use them, but I like keeping a record of them. A lot of great ideas come when I am sitting down quietly somewhere and mull over the characters, world, and plots.

Q: If you could meet one of your characters, any one at all, which would you most like to meet and why?

A: I’m such an author when I say this – I’d love to meet any and all of them! If you’re going to force me to choose, I would say Zaria, Aleks, and Christoffer because they’re the leads in the different trilogies which make up the Zaria Fierce Series. I’d like the chance to hug them and tell them I’m not always a mean author. For pure fun: I’d pick Hector. For a pet: I would choose Norwick.

Q: If an evil Fey cast a spell on you that caused you to be able to say only one phrase for the rest of your life, what phrase would you choose? Would you be able to outsmart the evil fey with your phrase?

A: Since I can pick the phrase – I would pick, “I love you.” I think that phrase alone would eventually be able to break such a curse, if the person under its spell truly felt the words for everyone, even towards the curser.

Q: What was your favorite book when you were a kid?

A: So many! I read a bunch of the Sunshine State Award books, which is how I found Ella Enchanted (one of my all time favorite Cinderella stories) and a bunch of series. I read Nancy Drew, Animorphs, Harry Potter, and Encyclopedia Brown when I was younger and Twilight, Mrs. Murphy, Cat Who, Bernie Rhodenbarr, and Stephanie Plum when I was older. I love reading and I am very grateful that I can add my own worlds to those that I grew up on.

Q: Which of your book characters do you think you’re most like and why?

A: It’s a funny thing, being an author. I could pick any character and probably say – this or this about them is me. Zaria is my bookworm happy self. I always carry a book on me. She’s also many things I strive to be – kind, caring, warm, tenderhearted. Aleks is my more practical side that tries to see the big picture and look for the best route to proceed. Christoffer shares a lot of my humor and that of my husband’s as well. Hector is more how I see myself as an adult. Nori is how I think my younger sisters felt about me at times growing up (siblings always seem to pick on each other, don’t they?).

Q: What’s your typical day like?

A: Filled with work during the day, and lots of things in the evenings depending on the day of the week. Tuesdays and Saturdays I do ballet. Wednesdays I eat dinner with the folks and go to church. Thursdays and Fridays tend to be date nights with the hubby. Weekends I spend doing chores and errands. Sundays is church again, lunch with the folks, and evenings spent with friends playing board games. In between all that I slice out time each day to write. I have several word goals that are always active, which keep me motivated and help me track how far along I am in a book.

Q: What’s your biggest challenge while writing a book?

A: The beginning of a trilogy always seems to be the hardest for me, and while a trilogy ending isn’t necessarily a challenge to write down the first time, I always have to go back and think it through slowly as I strive to ensure it covers all the points necessary to wrap up and also leave readers satisfied.

Q: If you were president and could institute a system to help kids be better educated, what would you institute?

A: I think reading and literacy is key for a child – it’s creative, it’s informative, and it’s good to have the comprehension skills which are built from reading as an adult. I would probably build on existing intuitions which support these activities for kids. It’s not always about something new, but adapting what’s in place for the current needs.

Q: Who’s your biggest role model?

A: There’s a lot of people I admire in life. I tend to connect well with older women who fill roles of friend, mentor, aunt, mom, and/or grandma. I find these women to be some of the kindest, most generous people I know and they motivate and inspire me.

Q: What’s your favorite color?

A: Purple! Almost any shade. It’s hard to find a purple I don’t like.

Q: If Zaria were going to make a YouTube channel, what would it be about?

A: Zaria would have a booktube channel and a magic channel, although on her magic channel people wouldn’t realize it was actual magic.

Q: Have you ever seen a real deer or elk up close?

A: I have pet a doe in a zoo. I have seen elk and moose at national parks. I have yet to see them as close as the deer from the petting zoo though.

Q: From your experiences travelling the world, what’s your favorite food from any part of the world?

A: I remember these amazing raspberry popsicles from a trip to Finland when I was eleven. I wanted one every day. I remember dining on red chicken curry in France at the same age (and today it’s one of my all time favorite foods). I remember eating something like egg foo young/quiche in China at fifteen, but I couldn’t tell you what it was, only that I loved it. As I have gotten older, I’ve learned to try more things and over time my palette has expanded and I like a lot of things you couldn’t have paid me to eat as a kid – asparagus, macaroni, sushi, bacon, cheese (that isn’t cheddar), beans, fries, just to name a few.

Q: If you could do anything at all, job wise, what would it be?

A: Write books full time!

Q: What did you like about school, growing up?

A: I enjoyed learning a lot and making friends. Lunch time was always spent reconnecting with everyone from various periods. Favorite classes probably were English, French, and art, but I liked all the science and history and math ones too. I made the honor roll often.

Q: Can you name all the names of all the characters in your book without looking?

A: I’d come pretty close. The side characters that haven’t had a second appearance yet in the series, might be a touch problematic. If you asked me to name everyone who I’ve thought up but haven’t put in the books yet, that would almost be impossible. Luckily, I have an immense spreadsheet with all this detail, and another one with all their physical and personality descriptors. In between books, I generally read or listen to the whole series again so I don’t miss anything or anyone, and I look at all my notes to remind myself where I want to go next.

If you have a question that you would like to ask me, submit it to hello@keiragillett.com or leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

Filed Under: Author, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: author interview, on writing, Zaria Fierce

Watch: Aleks Mickelsen and the Call of the White Raven Midnight Party

April 14, 2018 By Keira Gillett

Hi Fiercelings,

Did you miss the midnight party for Aleks Mickelsen and the Call of the White Raven? Now you can watch the replay. Thank you so much to everybody who came and participated and to my lovely and talented cohosts – Tommy and Michele Carpenter. You are all amazing and made my night. Happy book birthday to Aleks (again 😉)

Games are also posted here for your enjoyment. How many can you complete? They’re tough but doable! Good luck!!

Word Scramble:

Word Search:

Crossword:

Congratulations to Davita, Nate, Tommy, Gus for winning at book bingo. Thanks everyone for playing.

I can’t wait to meet up with everyone again at the next release. It is tentatively scheduled for late December 2018. What would you like to do or talk about? Let me know in the comments.

Don’t forget to leave reviews on the books! They help so much and mean the world.

Filed Under: Author, Call of the White Raven, Twice-Lost Fairy Well Tagged With: Aleks Mickelsen, author interview, book event, book reading, book release party, book trailer, midnight book release party, midnight party, narrator, Narrator interview, narrator reading

Blog Tour Stop: 10 Reasons Why Being an Author is Better than Being a Fairy Overlord

April 14, 2018 By Keira Gillett

Greetings Fiercelings!

Come find me at Brenda’s website, Log Cabin Library, to get the score on why it is better to be an author than a fairy overlord in the Zaria Fierce Series. It’s a fun post and I can tell you that Grimkell, Ytorm, and Cornelia don’t agree with me.

What say you? Would you rather be an author or a fairy overlord?

Filed Under: Call of the White Raven Tagged With: Aleks Mickelsen, blog tour

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Release Day

Christoffer Johansen and the Return to JötunheimMay 1, 2020
Grab your copy of Christoffer Johansen and the Return to Jötunheim today!

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