Local author publishes third book

For Boulder City author Lisa Hallett, writing a book is like a recipe. A little of this, a little of that, a dash of family, and a pinch of friends and in the end, something she hopes people will enjoy.

Hallett recently finished her third book entitled, “Saving 7727,” which is geared toward kids ages 10-12 and is about two aliens who come to Earth, take on human lifeforms and is their take on life as middle-school students. One alien is a female “brainiac” and the other is a laid-back boy. She said there’s plenty of humor as the two make their way through school and adolescence.

Hallett said her goal is to complete a book every two years. Her previous two works included “In Ryland’s Pocket” and its sequel, “Summertime &Secrets.” All three books have been geared toward that same age group with a slightly younger audience in mind for her first two.

As to why she writes, Hallett said the roots go back to her own childhood.

“It’s my way of speaking and communicating,” she said. “I grew up with the strict ‘kids are to be seen, not heard’ environment, and it has honestly taken a long time for me to be comfortable speaking. I loved the book ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ when I was growing up, and still do, because Harold drew where he wanted to be, what he wanted to do and what he needed to do to get himself into and out of situations. He created his world with his crayon. Words are my crayon. This could be why I love going to schools. It’s so nice to hear kids speak, interact, and share their creative side without being intimidated.”

As a little girl, Hallett began writing poetry but stopped any kind of writing for several years. She started writing her first book about 15 years ago. In 2021 she self-published the book, as she has done with two subsequent books.

“I just decided that every two years I’d get a book out,” she said. “I had planned to write the first one as a picture book (for young children) but as I began writing, it got longer and longer. For me, the characters come to me and then the story and I start writing for them. It’s like acting but you’re creating your own story.”

And while she didn’t use the above recipe analogy, Hallett used another to describe her writing style.

“I get most of my inspiration from family and friends,” she said. “I take little bits and pieces of people, places, personalities, etc., and then embellish what I’ve collected so I can weave a story connecting the threads. It’s kind of like making a quilt. I imagine most writers do the same.”

As mentioned, Hallett has self-published her three books, which have become very popular these days. According to selfpublishing.com, “Self-publishing is the act of publishing media yourself without the use of a publishing house or company. Self-publishing is commonly referred to in the author and book publishing industry, but people can self-publish other works of art, such as music and visual art.

“In terms of self-publishing a book, an author writes a book and completes the entire publishing process themselves, such as editing, designing, and formatting the book without the aid of a traditional publishing company. An author who learns how to self-publish a book typically has complete creative control, higher book royalty rates, and full autonomy over the publishing process.”

Hallett said while there are cons associated with self-publishing, she likes the freedom of doing it herself.

“I wasn’t writing to what the publishers wanted,” she said of her decision. “It wasn’t discouraging at all.”

When asked what it’s like having someone spend their money on one of her books, Hallett said it’s very special.

“It isn’t the monetary purchase that I value, it’s knowing that they’re holding my books and reading them that is priceless to me,” she said. “And, I hope all readers can relate to my books in some way.”

Hallett’s books can be found on Amazon as well as at lisakhallett.com.