Month: August 2023

60 years and this author is still going strong

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I turn 60 years old next week . . . SIX ZERO. I am, by all accounts, a “boomer” born in 1963. I have lived through the Vietnam War, the Moon Landing, Watergate, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, MTV, the Cold War, the end of the Cold War, and so much more. As a U.S. Navy sailor, I’ve been hounded by Russians, crossed “the line of death” near Libya, fought through Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, 9/11, and NATO intervention in Bosnia.

I’ve seen the original Star Wars trilogy in theaters for the first time, saw Journey, Bryan Adams, and Kiss in concert, met Bob Hope, Charlie Daniels, and President Bill Clinton, gotten married, had three children, been to Disney World, Hawaii, and practically all around the world. All in all, it’s been an eventful life for this boomer. I have lived through a lot of ups and downs.

I have been a writer since high school in the 1970s, but I didn’t write my first full novel until 2001 and that wasn’t published until 2009. Since then, I have written and published several more books, signed with my first publisher (thank you Curious Corvid Publishing) and I have more books coming down the line. It has been a a roller coaster of a journey as an independent author and I want to celebrate my birthday with all of you by giving you a gift.

Thanks to my wonderful publisher Ravven White, Curious Corvid is offering a special deal on Monday, August 21. My two books, The River of Souls and Corsair and the Sky Pirates, have special deals all day long. On Amazon, you can buy the Kindle ebook for .99 cents. At the Curious Corvid Shop online, you can get 20% OFF a book (hardcover or paperback) or an ebook using the code RIVER or PIRATES, depending on which book you order. These special discounts are for ONE DAY ONLY so make it count.

And if you don’t take advantage of these incredible deals, don’t worry. You can catch me at the Fairfax Comic-Con, August 26-27, at the Dulles Expo Center in Fairfax, VA. It will be a great weekend for fans in the Northern Virginia/DMV area. Besides authors, artists, and vendors, there will be special guests including John Wesley Shipp (The Flash TV series) and WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter. Visit www.fairfaxcomiccon.com for tickets and information.

And last but certainly not least, a WIP UPDATE . . . I am working on the edits to The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel as we speak. thanks to the graceful talents of book editor Anna Corbeaux (check out her website if you need a strong editor) I’ll have the sequel to The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart ready for its December release. Plus, you will get the full COVER REVEAL in the next issue of the Magpie Messenger literary magazine from Curious Corvid Publishing. Once again, the cover was done by Anna Lena Spies and she really captured the true essence of Marcus Gideon and his journey as The Last Magus of Attlain. This cover will blow you away!

I hope you take advantage of my birthday deals and get yourself a copy of one of my amazing award-winning books. I hope you like them and, please remember, be kind to independent authors and leave a review. Good or bad, we need the support and feedback if we are to continue on this journey of writing. Thank you.

Mark Piggott is an award-winning independent author of several fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. A 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, his stories will take you from the shores of eternal Avalon to a dystopian steampunk future and other worlds as he weaves flights of fancy in his tales.

The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—are available online at Amazon and other booksellers. His fantasy steampunk novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Lulu and other booksellers.

Cross over The River of Souls in a fantasy novella and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates from Curious Corvid Publishing. The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel and The Prometheus Engine: Book Four of the Forever Avalon Series, are coming soon from Curious Corvid. Stay tuned for new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.

Last days of summer for an indie author, plus a new short story contest from Ravens and Roses

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Check out my Events page for updates on festivals and conventions I’ll be attending!

As the last days of Summer ebb into the blustery Autumn, the Corsair and the Sky Pirates book tour will be coming to an end. It has been a great year for my first steampunk historical fiction adventure! Corsair has won with multiple awards from BookFest and Speak-Up Talk Radio, and recognized by my peers from BBYNA and Publishers Weekly BookLife for my novel. This marks a great end to 2023 with a few more Events lined up before the release of my next novel from Curious Corvid Publishing, The Last Magus: Dragonfire & Steel, coming this December.

First and foremost, you can find me in historic Williamsburg, VA, at 2nd Sundays – Arts and Music Festival through the end of 2023. These dates include August 13, September 10, and October 8. 2nd Sundays is a street fair of over 150 unique artisans, musicians, street performers and food vendors in six blocks of downtown Williamsburg along N Boundary Street from Richmond Rd to Lafayette Street, along Scotland from Armistead to N. Henry and in the 400 block of Prince George Street in Williamsburg, VA, on the 2nd Sunday of each Month (March- December)! Visit www.2ndsundayswilliamsburg.com for information about this monthly festival.

I also will be attending three comic-cons in the next two months, locally here in NORVA but also back in my hometown. The Fairfax Comic-Con is a two-day extravaganza, August 26-27, at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly VA. Besides exhibitors like yours truly, there will be an assortment of special guests including John Wesley Shipp (The Flash TV series), Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman in Justice League Animated Series) and more. Visit www.fairfaxcomiccon.com for tickets and information. The Phillipsburg Comic-Con is not a huge convention, but it is on my hometown of Phillipsburg, NJ, on Saturday, September 23. It supports my alma mater (Phillipsburg High School) arts programs through their Comic Club, Anime & Manga Club, and Club Unify. I am proud to be a part of this convention. Visit www.phillipsburgcomiccon.com for more information. Lastly, we round out September with the Southern Maryland Comic-Con on Saturday, September 30, at the Capital Clubhouse in Waldorf, MD. Southern Maryland Comic-Con is a celebration of comics, toys, TV, film, art, cosplay, games, and all things nerdy, which includes yours truly. Visit www.mdcomiccons.com for tickets and information.

Finally, I wanted to make my fellow independent authors aware of a short story contest from Ravens and Roses Publishing. Last year, I entered their contest and my story, The Emissary, was selected for their anthology Tales Untold: Mythos Around the World. This year, their anthology theme this year is Underdogs of Society. They are accepting submissions for the anthology from July 1, 2023 – September 30, 2023. Unleash your creativity and do your best, but be original and creative in the story you deliver!

The maximum allowed word count per story is 8,000 words with a sweet spot between 5000-6,000 words. The short story must have a minimum word count of 3000 words. Visit the Anthology Guidelines page to learn more about submission criteria.

So, quick recap, plenty of chances to get a signed copy of my steampunk and fantasy books at conventions and festivals over the next few months. Check out my Events page for details. Plus, for indie authors and aspiring writers, check out the submission call for Ravens and Roses Publishing new anthology. Not much time left, so get writing!

Mark Piggott is an award-winning independent author of several fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. A 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, his stories will take you from the shores of eternal Avalon to a dystopian steampunk future and other worlds as he weaves flights of fancy in his tales.

The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—are available online at Amazon and other booksellers. His fantasy steampunk novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Lulu and other booksellers.

Cross over The River of Souls in a fantasy novella and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates from Curious Corvid Publishing. The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel and The Prometheus Engine: Book Four of the Forever Avalon Series, are coming soon from Curious Corvid. Stay tuned for new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.