Month: April 2024

What a beautiful cover for my first YA fantasy

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Gwen Iver & Pendragon’s Puzzle, coming soon from Curious Corvid Publishing.

All I can say is WOW! This cover took my breath away. It is exactly as I imagined it. Special bug THANK YOU to Emily’s World of Design for creating an awesome book cover for my first YA fantasy, Gwen Iver & Pendragon’s Puzzle.

It captures the essence of the story, from the teenage heroine to the small Michigan town on the shores of Lake Superior to the magic of the Pendragon itself. It is enthralling to look at it and not wonder about the story within the pages.

Camelot Cove is a quiet village on the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Most people know it as a fishing town, but this sleepy little community has a secret. Camelot Cove is the home of the Fae—magical beings from myth and legend. From mermaids, dryads, and centaurs to ogres, elves, and dwarves, the community is a mixture of humans and Fae. They were brought together in this out-of-the-way place by the wizard Merlin and the mysterious Lady of the Lake under the protection of the Pendragon. The power of the Pendragon has passed from generation to generation through the descendants of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. That power now waits to be passed to the next descendant to continue the legacy as the protector of the Fae.

Gwen Iver is a fifteen-year-old girl starting her first day of high school. Surrounded by friends and facing off against her rivals, including Morgan Moor and her infamous Dreadmoor Gang, Gwen’s idyllic life is about to be turned upside-down. She begins a journey into a magical world of infinite possibilities when she attempts to unlock Pendragon’s Puzzle.

Check back here for more updates on the release of Gwen Iver & Pendragon’s Puzzle. And to my fellow authors, check out Emily’s World of Design if you’re looking for your next book cover design!

Check out Buy My Books to pick out your next binge read!

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 fantastic worlds as he weaves through a myriad of 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, take flight in the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates, and the saga continues in The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel from Curious Corvid Publishing. His first YA fantasy, Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle, 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.

Cover Reveal for YA Fantasy Next Week

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I have some great news to announce! I am another step closer toward the release of my first YA fantasy novel, Gwen Iver & Pendragon’s Puzzle. I submitted my last manuscript edits to my publisher, all the interior art, and the approved the cover design. I have to admit, its a great cover and I hate to hide it but the cover reveal will have to wait until next week. Keep watching here for the upcoming announcement and reveal.

Camelot Cove is a quiet village on the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Most people know it as a fishing town, but this sleepy little community has a secret. Camelot Cove is the home of the Fae—magical beings from myth and legend. From mermaids to dryads, centaurs to ogres, and elves to dwarves, the community is a mixture of humans and Fae. They were brought together in this out-of-the-way place by the wizard Merlin and the mysterious Lady of the Lake under the protection of the Pendragon. The power of the Pendragon has passed from generation to generation through the descendants of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. That power now waits to be passed to the next descendant to continue the legacy as the protector of the Fae.

Gwen Iver is a fifteen-year-old girl starting her first day of high school. Surrounded by friends and facing off against her rivals, including Morgan Moor and her infamous Dreadmoor Gang, Gwen’s idyllic life is about to be turned upside-down. She begins a journey into a magical world of infinite possibilities when she attempts to unlock Pendragon’s Puzzle.

As always, I hope you will take the opportunity to dive into my fantastic imagination and read my carefully woven stories of fantasy and steampunk adventures. Head over to Buy My Books if you want to read more or visit my Events page to meet me at an upcoming festival or convention, including the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 18, and the Moravian Book Shop, June 1! I hope to see you there!

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 fantastic worlds as he weaves through a myriad of 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, take flight in the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates, and the saga continues in The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel from Curious Corvid Publishing. His first YA fantasy, Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle, 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.

Chalk Up Another Book Award for The Last Magus and Corsair!

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It’s been a great month for my brand. I know I’m committing one of the seven deadly sins, maybe two, but it is such a chest thumper when you get recognized by your peers. Getting a good review is one thing, but having other authors and publishers say your writing is that good, it gives me reason to smile.

My latest novel, The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel, won a Gold Medal in The Bookfest Spring 2024 Awards for Fantasy – Magic, Myths, and Legends. I have entered my novels in The BookFest awards over the past few years, but this is my first gold medal. It really is an honor for an independent author like me. I know I keep saying that but it’s true.

This is why I keep writing, keep publishing, even though I’m still a no-name independent author. I know that sounds harsh, but for many of us, this is the road we’re on. I will continue to fight and work to tell my stories, and being recognized by peers helps motivate me even more.

The other award goes to my steampunk adventure Corsair and the Sky Pirates, a finalist in the 2024 Book Excellence Awards! The Book Excellence Awards program is an international book awards competition dedicated to helping authors and publishers increase their credibility, visibility and book sales. Being named a finalist in this year’s awards was another gear added to the unwavering engine behind my first steampunk adventure. This is an amazing ride and I hope it keeps going.

None of this would have been possible without the continued support of my family and my publisher, Ravven White and Curious Corvid Publishing.

As always, I hope you will take the opportunity to dive into my fantastic imagination and read my carefully woven stories of fantasy and steampunk adventures. Head over to Buy My Books if you want to read more or visit my Events page to meet me at an upcoming festival or convention, including 2nd Sundays Williamsburg on April 14 and the Gaithersburg Book Festival, May 18! I hope to see you there!

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 fantastic worlds as he weaves through a myriad of 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, take flight in the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates, and the saga continues in The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel from Curious Corvid Publishing. His first YA fantasy, Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle, 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.