Category: The River of Souls

Happy Holidays from the Imagination of Mark Piggott

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The Forever Avalon saga continues with The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series.

Happy holidays to one and all! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy Kwanzaa this December! If you are looking for a gift for family or friends, I would like to recommend the gift of fantasy and steam!

The Forever Avalon fantasy book series takes you to the world after Camelot ended to Avalon, an island of immortal magic where the descendants of King Arthur reign. From award-winning Indie Author Mark Piggott, experience the Arthurian legend through the eyes of a modern family stranded on Forever Avalon. Wade into The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series as the deadly resurrection of Morgana le Fay wreaks havoc on Avalon. Unleash the fury of modern warfare vs. medieval magic in The Outlander War: Book 3 of the Forever Avalon Series when Avalon returns to the outside world! Now, the saga continues in The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series from Curious Corvid Publishing. It’s been five years since Mordred the Immortal took control over Avalon as the rebellion fights back to end his evil reign.

The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart and The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel.

The Last Magus saga takes you on a journey of self discovery and adventure in the world of Attlain. Left for dead at a crossroads, Marcus Gideon wakes up with a clockwork heart in his chest and no memory of his past. He becomes an apprentice to the Last Magus, an outlaw sect of magic casters capable of summoning magical weapons. He strives to unlock his lost memories while forging his own destiny. The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart takes you on a journey from his beginnings as an apprentice to the magical forest of Ponshu to completing his training at the Basilon Magical Academy. In The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel, Gideon travels to the far off city of Plodoro to complete a final task for his master before ending his journey in the capital of Celestrium to enter the prestigious Helios Arcanum Magical Arts Festival. However, the Ulbrecht Domo – The Shadow Lord of Ishtar – has other plans for the Last Magus.

From left to right, Corsair and the Sky Pirates, Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle, and The River of Souls from Curious Corvid Publishing.

These award-winning books take you into the clouds and across the stars. Corsair and the Sky Pirates imagines a world powered by steam through the genius of Nikola Tesla and the imagination of Jules Verne. Take to the skies with Corsair and his crew of sky pirates as they set out for adventure. Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle is a YA fantasy where a young girl discover the secret of the Fae living within her small Michigan town. The descendants of King Arthur and Guinevere protect the magic through the power of the Pendragon. Journey across The River of Souls as one man’s death leads to rebirth in another world. It’s a story of love and redemption in a world fraught with war and racism.

Check out the links to Buy My Books online or come out to 2nd Sundays Williamsburg Arts and Music Festival on Sunday, December 15, for a SIGNED copy by the author. Happy ChristmaHanaKwanzika!

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, and his first YA fantasy, Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle from Curious Corvid Publishing. The Prometheus Engine: Book Four of the Forever Avalon Series and A Dance of Darklings and Demons are coming soon from Curious Corvid. Stay tuned for new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.

Continue with the Tales from Across the River of Souls in a Dirge for the Lord Marshal

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It is strange how a simple story can carry you beyond what you first imagined. When I wrote The River of Souls, it was a simple story, a novella, that inspired me to combine a fantasy story with poetry. It was a novel idea, especially for someone like me, and it got my foot in the door with Curious Corvid Publishing. For that I will forever be grateful. I have not dabbled in poetry since high school, and I can honestly say I was not very good at it. Thank goodness for the poets I work with today to add to my fantasy writings.

But this story would not let me go. I loved the romance between Malcolm and Alyssa. Their love affair touched me more than the couples I created through my writings. I consider them soulmates, two people brought together from across the universe, a love in perfect harmony. I find myself akin to it, having been married to my beautiful wife for 40 years. She is my soulmate and gives me consistent inspiration within my writings.

My first journey into Tales from Across the River of Souls was A Mother’s Love—A River of Souls Story, and now the story continues in Dirge for the Lord Marshal—A River of Souls Story. This next foray includes a poem from my fellow Curious Corvid author, Aimee Nicole. The story revolves around the death of Sir Aleister Cornwall, Lord Marshal of Fairhaven, and the search for a replacement. It also introduces a terrorist group within Fawleen trying to rekindle the Endless War.

Click on my Short Stories link and follow it to read all the Tales from Across the River of Souls. And yes, there will be more to come.

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.

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.

Come out to my Book Signing Saturday at the Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem, PA

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Get ready for some daunting sky pirate adventures and a journey across the stars! Come out to my next book signing at Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem, PA, THIS Saturday, June 3, from 1-3pm with my award-winning steampunk books THE RIVER OF SOULS and CORSAIR AND THE SKY PIRATES from Curious Corvid Publishing!

Cross over THE RIVER OF SOULS where hope survives endless war as love blossoms between a human of Fawleen and a dagonkin of Drogon! Can they survive the bitter hatred and racism that started this war?

Nikola Tesla and Jules Verne kickstarts the Industrial Revolution into the age of CORSAIR AND THE SKY PIRATES! Corsair and his crew of sky pirates circle the globe to stop Thomas Edison and his ERP Corporation from global domination and the threat of war.

I will be on hand to sign and personalize both books at this book signing event. If you’re in or near the Lehigh Valley, I hope you come out to the Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem for this special occasion.

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.

The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—is 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. Stay tuned for more new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.

Updated: Check out the dates for the 2023 “Corsair and the Sky Pirates” book tour

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With the launch of Corsair and the Sky Pirates on January 31, the official book tour is underway. We kicked it off at the Williamsburg Book Festival, February 4, and now more dates have been added. Over the next few months, I will be taking my steampunk historical fiction to a variety of venues, from steampunk festivals to book stores and book festivals. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to pick up a signed copy. They include:

2nd Sundays Williamsburg Art & Music Festival on Sunday, March 12 and May 14, from 11am to 5pm on North Boundary Street in historic Williamsburg, Va. You can stroll the streets of Colonial Williamsburg and take in unique arts, handcrafts and live music in a fun, family friendly atmosphere. Visit 2ndSundayswilliamsburg.com for more information.

Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival on April 1-2 at the Delta Hotels Baltimore Hunt Valley, Baltimore, MD. Tell-Tale Steampunk is Baltimore’s first Steampunk Convention. It is a weekend long event and will feature workshops, vendors, entertainment, music, and educational panels. This years theme is based on the writings of Baltimore’s own Edgar Allan Poe’s. Tickets and information are available at telltalesteampunk.com.

Ocean Renaissance 2023 on April 14-16 at the Carousel Oceanfront Hotel in Ocean City, Md. Steampunk, pirates, and mermaids converge with over 70 artisans and makers collected from all over the country during our many travels will converge to provide some of the most beautiful and unique handmade goods , clothing, accessories, art, and much more. Tickets and information are available at Tides and Tempest Ocean Renaissance.

Founded in 1745, the Moravian Book Shop is the oldest bookstore in America and home to the Moravian University student bookstore. I’ll be doing a book signing on Saturday, June 3, from 1pm to 3pm with both Corsair and the Sky Pirates and The River of Souls from Curious Corvid Publishing.

Awesome-Con in Washington, D.C., is the big summer convention in the nation’s capital, June 16-18. Awesome-Con is a celebration of geek culture, bringing over 70,000 fans together with their favorite stars from across comics, movies, television, toys, games, and more! You can find me on Author’s Lane during the three day epic weekend.

I also want to add that I’ll be at Books-A-Million at Potomac Mills, Woodbridge, VA, on Saturday, March 4, from 12pm-3pm. This will be my first Northern Virginia event. I will have more dates to follow if any additional events come to light, including additional 2nd Sundays Williamsburg over the spring and summer. More to follow so stay tuned!

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.

The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—is 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. Stay tuned for more new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.

Happy New Year! Start your 2023 TBR with a novella

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Happy 2023 everyone! I’ll make this short and sweet as I know many are still recovering from their New Year’s Eve festivities and today is actually MONDAY for many people. To celebrate the upcoming release of my steampunk novel Corsair and the Sky Pirates, Curious Corvid Publishing is having a sale. Download an ebook for only .99 cents, through January 7!

Malcolm Seger, a human Magi-Gunner, and his wife Alyssa, a dragonkin of the Oracles of Delphis Kai, moved to the parish of Fairhaven to begin a new life together. But just when they settled in, Malcolm succumbs to deadly “dragon dust” and lies near death. Grief-stricken, Alyssa uses her magic to save her true love through the spell of restoration, powerful magic combining two souls into one.

Across the river of souls, the boundless cosmic lifestream that connects all worlds, a young man lay dying underneath a crumpled automobile. He hears a voice crying out for help, begging not to be left alone. Desperate to make something of his life, he offers himself to God to cross the river of souls to be there for her.

Now their new life together begins in a world filled with distrust, bigotry, and hatred between humans and the dragonkin races. Can two people from different worlds find love and peace to show what lies beyond The River of Souls? From award-winning author Mark Piggott with original poetry by Ashley Valitutto and Curious Corvid Publishing!

Visit the Curious Corvid Shop to get your copy of The River of Souls today! Be sure to check out all the great swag at CCP as well as flights of fancy into scifi, horror, the paranormal, and fantasy from all the great authors that are part of the “murder of crows” at Curious Corvid Publishing.

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.

The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—is 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 my first fantasy novella from Curious Corvid Publishing. Coming in 2023 from Curious Corvid—the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates, and The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel. Stay tuned for more new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.