Keira Gillett Author

Fierce Middle Grade Fantasy Reads

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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

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

Podcast Alert: Bookin’ Around Town hosted by Jocqueline Protho, featuring Keira Gillett

March 13, 2018 By Keira Gillett

Hello Fiercelings!

I’m excited to share with you my first ever podcast interview. I had a blast hanging out with Jocqueline Protho of The Audio Flow for her podcast Bookin’ Around Town. Join us as we discuss the Zaria Fierce Series -> naming Zaria Fierce, diversity in the series, Aleks Mickelsen’s changeling status, illustrations, audio book creation, and more. Listen, like, and share!

Listen to “Bookin’ Around Town with Keira Gillett”

Until next time – happy readings/listenings!

Filed Under: Author, Call of the White Raven, Secret of Gloomwood Forest, Twice-Lost Fairy Well, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: Aleks Mickelsen, audio, author interview, author promotion, author talk, book promotion, book talk, Bookin' Around Town, Jocqueline Protho, podcast, Zaria Fierce

Video Response: Answering Nathan’s Questions about the Zaria Fierce Series

January 21, 2018 By Keira Gillett

Hi my fiercelings!

I got a fun video the other day from Nathan, in which he asked me questions about the Zaria Fierce Series. It’s been a blast to answer them! I hope you enjoy. 😀

P.S. – The dragon names are on page 291 of book 3: Zaria Fierce and the Dragon Keeper’s Golden Shoes.

If you have questions of your own that you’d like to submit, feel free to e-mail them to me at hello@keiragillett.com I would love to hear from you!

Filed Under: Author, Dragon Keeper's Golden Shoes, Enchanted Drakeland Sword, Secret of Gloomwood Forest, Twice-Lost Fairy Well, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: Aleks Mickelsen, author interview, dragons, ellefolken, fan mail, FAQ, Hart, Stag Lord, stargazer, Zaria Fierce

Blog Tour Stop: Author Interview at The Novelty of Life + Giveaway

July 31, 2017 By Keira Gillett

In case you missed it, I did an author interview with book blogger Kathy of The Novelty of Life.

Here’s a sneak peek of what we talked about:

Kathy: Why did you decide to switch the main character from Zaria to Aleks?

Keira: Zaria fought her dragon. Plus, I knew there was a story to tell in Niffleheim, which brings me to Aleks. His character arc always intrigued me and I wanted to explore it more…

Read the rest of the interview here, be sure to leave a comment on her site because someone is going to win a Fierce Scale Necklace. The winner gets to choose their color – will you pick one that reminds you a dragon in the series like Koll, a winter-wyvern like Norwick, or a river-troll like Olaf?

Filed Under: Author, Twice-Lost Fairy Well, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: Aleks Mickelsen, author interview, blog tour

Video + Recap: Midnight Release Party for Aleks Mickelsen and the Twice-Lost Fairy Well

July 9, 2017 By Keira Gillett

Michele Carpenter and I had an absolute blast hosting the live event midnight release party on Facebook for Aleks Mickelsen and the Twice-Lost Fairy Well. We had lots of comments as we went which was so much fun! Thank you guys for making it so special. If you missed it you can watch the replay here:

There’s still some time to enter the scavenger hunt contest. Be sure you take the time to do so! The winner gets a signed copy of Aleks Mickelsen and the Twice-Lost Fairy Well. Contest closes 7/9/17 at 10 PM EST. This contest is open internationally, and your entry can be posted to Instagram or the Zaria Fierce FB page with the hashtag #zariafierceparty

It should look something like this:

Good luck! As for the other prize, the Zaria Fierce necklace, congratulations again to Megan for winning the Zaria Fierce book bingo!

The book is now available in e-book and print with the audio book soon to follow. Thank you again everyone who came out and joined Michele and I. We were so excited and thrilled to celebrate Aleks with you. I look forward to your thoughts on Aleks. Enjoy and happy readings!

Filed Under: Author, Giveaway, Twice-Lost Fairy Well, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: Aleks Mickelsen, author event, author interview, author promotion, book event, book reading, book release party, Michele Carpenter, midnight book release party, midnight party, narrator, Narrator interview, narrator reading

Blog Tour Stop: Author Interview and Audio Book Giveaway

July 28, 2016 By Keira Gillett

Good day! I’m excited to share an interview I just did with Susan of Dab of Darkness. We go all over the map talking about jobs, writing, quests, book covers, artwork, and more. I hope you’ll join us. There’s also a giveaway at the end of the interview for those who would love to try the Zaria Fierce audio books.

Susan has also reviewed the first two books in audio format from the Zaria Fierce Trilogy. I’m thrilled! Here’s what she had to say:

Book One:

This was quite a fun children’s book that I think will appeal to many adults as well. First, I really like the set up. We’re in Norway so we have the great frozen forests and water ways. Then there’s Zaria, a female non-Caucasian lead in a fantasy story. Lastly, Zaria made a mistake in choosing to break her deal with the river troll Olaf, which sets this whole adventure in motion.

She also has some fantastic things to say about Michele Carpenter’s performance in both books.

Book Two:

Once again, Michele Carpenter did a great job. She has the perfect voice for Zaria and I love how she gives light Norwegian accents to the all the boys. There’s even one song that is actually sung (though I believe another voice actress came in and performed it). Still, it was nice to have that little addition to the book and it was well edited in – the volume was the same, etc.

So with that said, be sure to check out the interview I did with Susan and enter the giveaway.

Happy Listening!

Filed Under: Author, Dragon Keeper's Golden Shoes Tagged With: author interview, blog tour

Brevard Notes Interview 07-05-16

July 13, 2016 By Keira Gillett

I got a chance to be on Brevard Notes again for my books. I was interviewed by Joe Crews regarding the third book in my Zaria Fierce Trilogy. We talked about the folklore in the series, the artwork, the narration, and more. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for watching!

Filed Under: Author, Dragon Keeper's Golden Shoes, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: author interview, Brevard Notes, Joe Crews

Blog Tour Stop: Author Interview at Mom Read It

January 25, 2016 By Keira Gillett

Hi everyone! I’m over at Mom Read It with Rosemary doing a fun author interview. We talk about fantasy books, Norwegian mythology, and folklore. Please join us!

Rosemary also had a chance to review the first two Zaria Fierce books. Here’s a sneak peek of what she said:

The stories are written and illustrated in a manner that recalls fantasy and adventure stories I read as a kid. The black and white fantasy sketches are beautiful and creepy – I love the white stag and the deliciously creepy Olaf – and brings a lot of imagination to the page.

Filed Under: Author, Enchanted Drakeland Sword, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: author interview, blog tour

Blog Tour Stop: Author Q&A at The Booklandia

January 1, 2016 By Keira Gillett

Join me at Danissa’s blog, The Booklandia, for an author Q&A with yours truly. We talk about reading, writing, and Zaria Fierce – three of my favorite subjects! 🙂

Filed Under: Author, Enchanted Drakeland Sword, Zaria Fierce Tagged With: author interview, blog tour

Blog Tour Stop: Author Interview for Zaria Fierce Book Two Part 3

December 3, 2015 By Keira Gillett

Hi guys! I’m back at Liberty Falls Down book blog where she interviews me. We talk about what drew me to Norwegian folklore, a funny thing someone said to me about the first book in Zaria Fierce, beta readers, writing, and moving past discouragement. Join us!

Filed Under: Author, Enchanted Drakeland Sword Tagged With: author interview, blog tour

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Christoffer Johansen and the Gyllenhammar FlameDecember 3, 2021
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