Keir Graff

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Follow to get new release updates and improved recommendations
OK
About Keir Graff
Keir Graff writes thrillers and suspense novels for adults, both under his own name and with Linda Joffe Hull as Linda Keir. Their second novel together, DROWNING WITH OTHERS, is an Amazon First Reads Selection.
He edited the anthologies A MILLION ACRES: MONTANA WRITERS REFLECT ON LAND AND OPEN SPACE and (with James Grady) MONTANA NOIR, one of Parade's "Books We Love."
Graff is also the author of three middle-grade novels, including the THE PHANTOM TOWER, a fantasy/adventure named one of the Best Children's Books of 2018 by the Chicago Tribune. His previous book for young readers, THE MATCHSTICK CASTLE, was an official Illinois Reads 2018 selection.
An in-demand speaker at libraries, schools, and conferences, he is the co-host of Publishing Cocktails, a literary meetup in Chicago. You can find him on Twitter (@KeirGraff, @Editor_Keir), Facebook (Keir.Graff.Author), and at www.keirgraff.com.
He edited the anthologies A MILLION ACRES: MONTANA WRITERS REFLECT ON LAND AND OPEN SPACE and (with James Grady) MONTANA NOIR, one of Parade's "Books We Love."
Graff is also the author of three middle-grade novels, including the THE PHANTOM TOWER, a fantasy/adventure named one of the Best Children's Books of 2018 by the Chicago Tribune. His previous book for young readers, THE MATCHSTICK CASTLE, was an official Illinois Reads 2018 selection.
An in-demand speaker at libraries, schools, and conferences, he is the co-host of Publishing Cocktails, a literary meetup in Chicago. You can find him on Twitter (@KeirGraff, @Editor_Keir), Facebook (Keir.Graff.Author), and at www.keirgraff.com.
Customers Also Bought Items By
Are you an author?
Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography.
Author Updates
-
Blog postThis is an excerpt from issue #10 of Graff Paper, my monthly newsletter. Sign up now and I’ll send you a free book or audiobook—while supplies last! (U.S. addresses only, please.)
I’ve Got the Whole World in My Hands—I’d Better Not Drop the Ball “Why did you want to become a writer?”
Earlier this year, I announced my intention to begin a deep, soul-searching essay probing this question. As projects piled up and each month became busier than the last, I took2 months ago Read more -
Blog postJust this morning, I put the finishing touches on the layout of an amazing curriculum guide for The Matchstick Castle, my second guide written by the esteemed educator Christina Hoover Moorehead. If you are a teacher considering this paperback book for classroom use, I urge you to download the guide and take a look! Want …
Continue reading "Curriculum Guide for The Matchstick Castle"
The post Curriculum Guide for The Matchstick Castle appeared first on Keir Graff Aut3 months ago Read more -
Blog postThis is an excerpt from issue #9 of Graff Paper, my monthly newsletter. Sign up now and I’ll send you a free book or audiobook—while supplies last! (U.S. addresses only, please.)
One true joy of my writing life is visiting schools in person to share my middle-grade novels. Yes, school visits have a business purpose, but there’s more to it than that: as I explain how books work, I try to inspire kids to be brave writers and insatiable readers. Having learned over the years to hold the3 months ago Read more -
Blog postLast night, I celebrated the release of The Three Mrs. Wrights, the latest novel by “Linda Keir”—AKA the writing team of Linda Joffe Hull and Keir Graff. We were joined by the best-selling Victoria Helen Stone, a prolific and wonderful writer you probably know already! Technical difficulties forced a late start and a last-minute scramble …
Continue reading "Video: THE THREE MRS WRIGHTS Launch Event!"
The post Video: THE THREE MRS WRIGHTS Launch Event! appeared first4 months ago Read more -
Blog postJust this morning, I put the finishing touches on the layout of an amazing curriculum guide for The Tiny Mansion that was written by esteemed educator Christina Hoover Moorehead. If you are a teacher considering my new book for classroom use, I urge you to download the guide and take a look! Want to bring …
Continue reading "Curriculum Guide for The Tiny Mansion"
The post Curriculum Guide for The Tiny Mansion appeared first on Keir Graff Author Website.
5 months ago Read more -
Blog post(In my mind.) Recent tragedies have proven yet again that our country polices its citizens unequally, COVID-19 continues to spread, and cities are in turmoil as our wannabe strongman leader auditions for autocrat. It feels strange not to write about any of it this month, but the last thing anyone needs right now is another white guy …
Continue reading "Running across Montana"
The post Running across Montana appeared first on Keir Graff Author Website.
7 months ago Read more -
Blog postlife list: a record kept of all birds sighted and identified by a birder The world may have turned upside down, but spring is here and the birds are returning to Chicago. I love watching them, even though I can name precious few. (I’m too embarrassed to admit when I stopped calling sparrows “parking lot …
Continue reading "A Bookstore Life List"
The post A Bookstore Life List appeared first on Keir Graff Author Website.
9 months ago Read more -
Blog postGet Writing I Don’t Share Anywhere Else Because, apparently, I miss more frequent deadlines, I have launched a new monthly newsletter: Graff Paper. No, this will not be a regular excuse to indulge myself in blatant self-promotion by quoting from my reviews, touting my public appearances, and generally going on about how fascinating I am! …
Continue reading "Graff Paper: My New Monthly Newsletter"
The post Graff Paper: My New Monthly Newsletter appeared first on Keir11 months ago Read more -
Blog postWhat a way to start a Wednesday! The Phantom Tower has been named one of the best children’s books of 2018 by the Chicago Tribune. I’m beyond honored to find myself on a list with Jon Agee, Vera Brosgol, Kate DiCamillo, Laura Gehl, Daniel Haack, Wendy Mass, Patricia C. McKissack, Yuyi Morales, Brian Selznick, Rebecca …
Continue reading "THE PHANTOM TOWER is one of the Chicago Tribune’s Best Children’s Books of 2018!"
The post THE PHANTOM TOWER is one of the Chicago T2 years ago Read more -
Blog postExciting news! From the press release: “A statewide project promoting reading for Illinois citizens, ILLINOIS READS annually selects six books in each of six different age categories ranging from read-to books for infants to adult readers. A variety of topics and themes are chosen for each age group, with an emphasis on selections written by …
Continue reading "THE MATCHSTICK CASTLE Is an Official 2018 Illinois Reads Selection!"
The post THE MATCHSTICK CASTLE Is an O3 years ago Read more
There's a problem loading this menu right now.
Get free delivery with Amazon Prime
Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books.
Books By Keir Graff
The Tiny Mansion
Sep 8, 2020
by
Keir Graff
$10.99
In this pitch-perfect middle grade adventure, twelve-year-old Dagmar must endure a summer living off-the-grid with her family in a tiny home.
The last thing Dagmar wants is to spend her summer vacation squished into a tiny house with her dad, her stepmom, and her annoying five-year-old half brother. But after a sudden financial setback, her family is evicted from their Oakland apartment, and that's just where they end up, parked among the towering redwoods of Northern California.
As Dagmar explores the forest around their new and (hopefully) temporary home, she discovers they are living next door to an eccentric tech billionaire and his very unusual extended family. There's his brother, a woodsman who sets dangerous booby traps all over the place, and his sister, a New Age animal lover who meditates to whale songs in an isolation tank. And then there's the billionaire's son, Blake, who has everything he could ever wish for--except maybe a friend.
But when a wildfire engulfs the forest, everyone--rich and poor, kid and adult--will have to work together to escape. And with both families at risk of losing everything, it turns out it's not the size of the home but the people you share it with that matters.
The last thing Dagmar wants is to spend her summer vacation squished into a tiny house with her dad, her stepmom, and her annoying five-year-old half brother. But after a sudden financial setback, her family is evicted from their Oakland apartment, and that's just where they end up, parked among the towering redwoods of Northern California.
As Dagmar explores the forest around their new and (hopefully) temporary home, she discovers they are living next door to an eccentric tech billionaire and his very unusual extended family. There's his brother, a woodsman who sets dangerous booby traps all over the place, and his sister, a New Age animal lover who meditates to whale songs in an isolation tank. And then there's the billionaire's son, Blake, who has everything he could ever wish for--except maybe a friend.
But when a wildfire engulfs the forest, everyone--rich and poor, kid and adult--will have to work together to escape. And with both families at risk of losing everything, it turns out it's not the size of the home but the people you share it with that matters.
The Matchstick Castle
Jan 10, 2017
by
Keir Graff
$8.99
A wild and whimsical adventure story, perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
Brian can think of a few places he'd rather spend his summer than with his aunt and uncle in Boring, Illinois. Jail, for example. Or an earplug factory. Anything would be better than doing summer school on a computer while his scientist dad is stationed at the South Pole.
Boring lives up to its name until Brian and his cousin Nora have a fight, get lost, and discover a huge, wooden house in the forest. With balconies, turrets, and windows seemingly stuck on at random, it looks ready to fall over in the next stiff breeze. To the madcap, eccentric family that lives inside, it’s not just a home—it’s a castle.
Suddenly, summer gets a lot more exciting. With their new friends, Brian and Nora tangle with giant wasps, sharp-tusked wild boars, and a crazed bureaucrat intent on bringing the dangerously dilapidated old house down with a wrecking ball.
This funny, fantastical story will resonate with any reader who’s ever wished a little adventure would find them.
"For boys and girls alike, this story sings.”—Blue Balliett, award-winning author of Chasing Vermeer
Brian can think of a few places he'd rather spend his summer than with his aunt and uncle in Boring, Illinois. Jail, for example. Or an earplug factory. Anything would be better than doing summer school on a computer while his scientist dad is stationed at the South Pole.
Boring lives up to its name until Brian and his cousin Nora have a fight, get lost, and discover a huge, wooden house in the forest. With balconies, turrets, and windows seemingly stuck on at random, it looks ready to fall over in the next stiff breeze. To the madcap, eccentric family that lives inside, it’s not just a home—it’s a castle.
Suddenly, summer gets a lot more exciting. With their new friends, Brian and Nora tangle with giant wasps, sharp-tusked wild boars, and a crazed bureaucrat intent on bringing the dangerously dilapidated old house down with a wrecking ball.
This funny, fantastical story will resonate with any reader who’s ever wished a little adventure would find them.
"For boys and girls alike, this story sings.”—Blue Balliett, award-winning author of Chasing Vermeer
The Phantom Tower
Aug 21, 2018
by
Keir Graff
$9.99
Twin brothers discover their new home is also a portal--for an hour a day--to a parallel dimension in this spine-chilling middle-grade adventure, perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society
Colm and Mal are twins so identical their own mom can't tell them apart, but they're different in just about every other way. Mal's a pragmatist while Colm's a dreamer, and they bicker and battle constantly. Neither brother is excited to be moving to Chicago for a fresh start with their mom just after their dad's death. But nothing cures homesickness like intrigue--and their new home, Brunhild Tower, has plenty of it: mysterious elderly neighbors who warn against wandering the building at midday, strange sounds in the walls, and an elevator missing a button for the thirteenth floor.
One day, that button appears--and when the doors open on the missing floor, the boys are greeted by the strangest puzzle yet: a twin building that is stuck in time and bustling with activity. All of Brunhild Tower's former residents live on in this phantom tower, where the rules of the real world don't apply. But when the brothers and their newfound friends discover they're all trapped by an ancient curse, they must band together to set everyone free before it's too late.
Colm and Mal are twins so identical their own mom can't tell them apart, but they're different in just about every other way. Mal's a pragmatist while Colm's a dreamer, and they bicker and battle constantly. Neither brother is excited to be moving to Chicago for a fresh start with their mom just after their dad's death. But nothing cures homesickness like intrigue--and their new home, Brunhild Tower, has plenty of it: mysterious elderly neighbors who warn against wandering the building at midday, strange sounds in the walls, and an elevator missing a button for the thirteenth floor.
One day, that button appears--and when the doors open on the missing floor, the boys are greeted by the strangest puzzle yet: a twin building that is stuck in time and bustling with activity. All of Brunhild Tower's former residents live on in this phantom tower, where the rules of the real world don't apply. But when the brothers and their newfound friends discover they're all trapped by an ancient curse, they must band together to set everyone free before it's too late.
Montana Noir (Akashic Noir)
Aug 21, 2017
by
James Grady ,
Keir Graff ,
Thomas McGuane ,
Gwen Florio ,
Walter Kirn ,
Jamie Ford ,
Janet Skeslien Charles ,
David Abrams
$9.99
“Thoroughly entertaining . . . from desperate writing students in Missoula to a van of itinerant strippers working the Hi-Line paralleling the Canadian border.” —Publishers Weekly
A Parade Magazine “Books We Love” Pick
The Big Sky State may seem to lack the shadowy urban mazes traditional to the noir genre. But in Montana, darkness is found in the regions of the heart, driving the desperate and deadly to commit the most heinous of crimes. Here, James Grady and Keir Graff, both Montana natives, masterfully curate this collection of hard-edged Western tales.
Montana Noir includes Eric Heidle’s “Ace in the Hole,” an Edgar Award nominee for Best Short Story, and impressive contributions by David Abrams, Caroline Patterson, Thomas McGuane, Janet Skeslien Charles, Sidner Larson, Yvonne Seng, James Grady, Jamie Ford, Carrie La Seur, Walter Kirn, Gwen Florio, Debra Magpie Earling, and Keir Graff.
“Terrific . . . Montana Noir is one of the high points in Akashic’s long-running and justly celebrated Noir series . . . varying landscapes reflect the darkness within the people who walk the streets or drive the country roads.” —Booklist
“Montana may not have the back alleys so common to noir but it has western justice which can be quick, brutal and final and that is as satisfying as anything found in the urban streets that typically attract the dark beauty of the noir genre.” —New York Journal of Books
“Certain noir standbys prove both malleable and fertile in these 14 new stories . . . If Montana has a dark side, is anywhere safe from noir?” —Kirkus Reviews
A Parade Magazine “Books We Love” Pick
The Big Sky State may seem to lack the shadowy urban mazes traditional to the noir genre. But in Montana, darkness is found in the regions of the heart, driving the desperate and deadly to commit the most heinous of crimes. Here, James Grady and Keir Graff, both Montana natives, masterfully curate this collection of hard-edged Western tales.
Montana Noir includes Eric Heidle’s “Ace in the Hole,” an Edgar Award nominee for Best Short Story, and impressive contributions by David Abrams, Caroline Patterson, Thomas McGuane, Janet Skeslien Charles, Sidner Larson, Yvonne Seng, James Grady, Jamie Ford, Carrie La Seur, Walter Kirn, Gwen Florio, Debra Magpie Earling, and Keir Graff.
“Terrific . . . Montana Noir is one of the high points in Akashic’s long-running and justly celebrated Noir series . . . varying landscapes reflect the darkness within the people who walk the streets or drive the country roads.” —Booklist
“Montana may not have the back alleys so common to noir but it has western justice which can be quick, brutal and final and that is as satisfying as anything found in the urban streets that typically attract the dark beauty of the noir genre.” —New York Journal of Books
“Certain noir standbys prove both malleable and fertile in these 14 new stories . . . If Montana has a dark side, is anywhere safe from noir?” —Kirkus Reviews
Other Formats:
Paperback
One Nation, Under God
Dec 10, 2010
by
Keir Graff
$2.99
For God and country - or simply for God?
The United States is holding an election whose results will determine how it wages the war on terror. With the presidency seeming certain to go to the challenger, control of the country may come down to a single Senate seat and a hotly contested race in the "Buckle of the Bible Belt": Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In Tulsa, recovering methamphetamine addict Seth Stevens is trying to hold his fragile life together. He attends church faithfully, plays in a Christian rock band, and wonders if he's falling in love with the pastor's niece. But his decision to campaign for the church-supported candidate has unexpected consequences. He soon finds himself forced to answer an age-old question: what do you do when following your faith means breaking the law?
The United States is holding an election whose results will determine how it wages the war on terror. With the presidency seeming certain to go to the challenger, control of the country may come down to a single Senate seat and a hotly contested race in the "Buckle of the Bible Belt": Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In Tulsa, recovering methamphetamine addict Seth Stevens is trying to hold his fragile life together. He attends church faithfully, plays in a Christian rock band, and wonders if he's falling in love with the pastor's niece. But his decision to campaign for the church-supported candidate has unexpected consequences. He soon finds himself forced to answer an age-old question: what do you do when following your faith means breaking the law?
The Price of Liberty
Jul 16, 2011
by
Keir Graff
$2.99
It's a new day in America--but old contracts must still be paid.
Jack McEnroe is a construction worker with an unusual job: building a prison for terrorists. Like his neighbors in Red Rock, Wyoming, Jack isn't particularly concerned about politics. In a depressed rural economy, he's just grateful to have a job.
Jack's boss, Dave Fetters, is grateful, too: he has a no-bid, cost-plus contract issued by the previous administration. It's his last chance to get rich, and he's making the most of it.
But Dave is cooking the books, passing inflated costs along to defense contractor Halcyon Corporation--and Jack's ex-wife, Kyla, plans to blow the whistle. Suddenly, everyone Jack cares about, including his two young children, is in danger.
As the first winter snows fall in the rugged mountains, Jack must navigate a razor-wire labyrinth to rescue those he loves. And the true price of liberty, he discovers, is paid not in dollars, but human life.
Jack McEnroe is a construction worker with an unusual job: building a prison for terrorists. Like his neighbors in Red Rock, Wyoming, Jack isn't particularly concerned about politics. In a depressed rural economy, he's just grateful to have a job.
Jack's boss, Dave Fetters, is grateful, too: he has a no-bid, cost-plus contract issued by the previous administration. It's his last chance to get rich, and he's making the most of it.
But Dave is cooking the books, passing inflated costs along to defense contractor Halcyon Corporation--and Jack's ex-wife, Kyla, plans to blow the whistle. Suddenly, everyone Jack cares about, including his two young children, is in danger.
As the first winter snows fall in the rugged mountains, Jack must navigate a razor-wire labyrinth to rescue those he loves. And the true price of liberty, he discovers, is paid not in dollars, but human life.
My Fellow Americans
Nov 10, 2010
by
Keir Graff
$2.99
The United States in Crisis
In the near future, America simmers in suspicion and fear. The president expands the global front of the war on terror, then declares martial law and sits, unelected, for a third term.
In Chicago, Jason Walker, amateur photographer and architecture enthusiast, inadvertently arouses the suspicions of Homeland Security. Detained, interrogated, and tortured, he's finally able to convince his captors of his innocence. But his freedom comes at a price. There's a terrorist group operating out of a Lebanese cultural center, they say. They need a man inside. And Jason Walker's mother was Lebanese, wasn't she?
Caught between an arrogant government agent and a charismatic Lebanese immigrant who calls himself a patriot—and a girlfriend who chooses an awkward time to become a political activist—Jason Walker struggles to decide who deserves his loyalty. And the stakes couldn't be higher . . .
In the near future, America simmers in suspicion and fear. The president expands the global front of the war on terror, then declares martial law and sits, unelected, for a third term.
In Chicago, Jason Walker, amateur photographer and architecture enthusiast, inadvertently arouses the suspicions of Homeland Security. Detained, interrogated, and tortured, he's finally able to convince his captors of his innocence. But his freedom comes at a price. There's a terrorist group operating out of a Lebanese cultural center, they say. They need a man inside. And Jason Walker's mother was Lebanese, wasn't she?
Caught between an arrogant government agent and a charismatic Lebanese immigrant who calls himself a patriot—and a girlfriend who chooses an awkward time to become a political activist—Jason Walker struggles to decide who deserves his loyalty. And the stakes couldn't be higher . . .
More Information
Anything else? Provide feedback about this page