Category: Independent Author

Congratulations to The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel on its first book award

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And the award goes to . . . Congratulations to THE LAST MAGUS: DRAGONFIRE AND STEEL, winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Awards – 4th Quarter: 1st Place for Book Cover (congratulations to cover artist Anna Lena Spies), 3rd place for Fantasy, and 1st place for Steampunk! Thank you Patricia Rullo and Speak-Up Talk Radio for the support of Indie Authors like me! Thank you Ravven White and Curious Corvid Publishing for being an awesome publisher! Check out all the winners at SpeakUpTalkRadio.com.

The Magus were legendary magic casters/warriors, able to cast spells and wield powerful magical weapons. They were the guardians of magic in Attlain but were cast out and feared for their power. Marcus Gideon was trained by The Last Magus, destined to restore the dignity of the order.

After graduating from the Basilon Magical Academy, Gideon sets off for his master’s homeland. Plodoro was an isolated city in the far north of the Skjem-Tur mountains. Surrounded by giants and blanketed in an endless winter, Gideon traveled to the far-flung region to fulfill a final request of his master and return a sacred weapon to his people. He must finish this task to return to his true love, Wren.

The First Princess of Attlain fell in love with Gideon during their time at Basilon. Now, to win her parents’ approval, Gideon must win the Helios Arcanum Magical Arts Festival. This celebration showcases the best magic casters in Attlain, and Gideon is the first Magus to compete in over a hundred years. As he fights for his life and reputation, a dark shadow looms over him as the Ulbrecht Domo―the Shadow Lord of Ishtar―has other plans for The Last Magus.

THE LAST MAGUS: DRAGONFIRE AND STEEL is available from Curious Corvid Publishing on Amazon and other online booksellers and the Curious Corvid Shop.

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

AI-generated art is an excellent way for authors to express themselves and their characters

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I know this is a taboo subject, especially among artists and publishers. AI has always been that forbidden area you only think about when you watch “The Terminator” for the thousandth time. However, it has become a new reality, especially for writing and art. You can get a term paper, short story, or even a complete manuscript by AI nowadays. Even some book contests ask if your cover art was created by an artist or AI, and the latter can get you disqualified.

I am against forgoing creativity for something computer-generated, but I have found it a great way to bring my characters to life. I don’t think there’s an author out there who wouldn’t want to see their book on the big screen or television. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime that most independent authors will never get. So, using AI to bring my characters into a realistic look helps me create my stories and visualize them in a way I could never do.

My son introduced me to an AI generator called perchance.org. It takes a fundamental character description and turns it into AI-generated art. I wanted to see how good it was, so I started playing with it to recreate the characters from my award-winning steampunk novel Corsair and the Sky Pirates from Curious Corvid Publishing. It took many tries to get used to how the algorithm worked, but I finally got the hang of it, and these are the results.

Corsair and the crew of the airship Galeru appeared as I imagined them. The steampunk stylings of the AI were a bit redundant, but when appropriately coaxed, it came through. It also imagined a perfect Nikola Tesla in his brave new steampunk world. I will admit I kept it in an anime style because that is my favorite art style for anything fantasy-related.

Tesla’s other sky pirate captains came out with their own unique flair. They are a mix of actual historical figures (Betsy Coleman, Pancho Villa, and Colonel Sam Cody) with a few of my creations. However, adding the unmistakable steampunk twist is a fun take on these infamous sky pirates.

Lastly, the villains of the story. It was easy to create a Thomas Edison in all his glory. Even the villainous shade Penelope Putnam came out beautiful and deadly through the AI program. But I must admit, I love how the program designed Duke McTavish. The Irish brawler looks perfectly menacing, as he should be.

I will admit this was an experiment for me to see how good AI-generated art can be. It is fun to play with but not something I will use regularly. I have many artists that I rely on for the artwork in my books. That is something I will continue to do no matter what. The potential of what AI can do is there, but it still takes the human imagination to bring those characters to life.

You can read the award-winning adventures of Corsair and the Sky Pirates by downloading or ordering my book at  Amazon or the  Curious Corvid Shop.

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 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, along with his first YA fantasy, Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle. Stay tuned for new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.

You can end 2023 and Win Signed Copies of The Last Magus books, just in time for the holidays

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The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart and The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel book covers by Anna Lena Spies.

For the 2023 holiday season, in celebration of the launch of my latest steampunk and fantasy novel The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel, I am offering a special contest to everyone out there to WIN signed copies of both books for the awesome readers out there.

Starting tomorrow, November 15, through the launch day of December 15, you can sign up to WIN signed copes of both Last Magus books. This is my holiday gift to you, my loyal readers. It’s simple and easy to enter. Just click on THIS LINK and fill out the form. The more of my social media you follow/subscribe to, the more chances you have to win.

The winner will be notified by email and asked to provide a mailing address to receive the books. This a great chance for you to end 2023 with some new books for your TBR pile.

Follow the adventures of Marcus Gideon, The Last Magus of Attlain, as he journeys across this strange yet wonderful world of magic and machines. Left for dead at a crossroads, Gideon survived thanks to a clockwork heart powered by his own magic. He becomes an apprentice Magus, legendary warrior/wizards who once thrived as the guardians of magic but now live as outcasts. His journey takes him from the magical forest of Ponshu to the city of Le’Arun and the Basilon Magical Academy. Now, he travels to the frozen north to the forgotten city of Plodoro to fulfill his master’s last request before heading to the capital of Celestrium. Gideon plans to enter the prestigious Helios Arcanum Magical Arts Competition in hopes of winning the hand of his true love, Wren, first princess of Attlain. However, the Ulbrecht Domo, Shadow Lord of Ishtar, has dark plans for the Last Magus in hopes of conquering Attlain.

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

This is my Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Christmas gift to all the wonderful readers out there who support me and my stories. CLICK HERE to sign up for your chance to win! You can also pre-order your copy TODAY at the Curious Corvid Shop! Thank you for your continued love and support of this indie author.

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 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, along with his first YA fantasy, Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle. Stay tuned for new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.

Your Halloween “Treat” is the Cover Reveal for The Last Magus: Dragonfire & Steel

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Happy Halloween! Instead of a trick, you get a treat! Here’s the COVER REVEAL for the sequel to The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, ready for its December 2023 release. Get ready to experience Dragonfire and Steel!

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.

The saga of Marcus Gideon, The Last Magus of Attlain, continues in Dragonfire and Steel. The Magus were legendary magic casters/warriors, able to cast spells and wield powerful magical weapons. They were the guardians of magic in Attlain but were cast out and feared for their power. Marcus Gideon was trained by The Last Magus, destined to restore the dignity of the order. 

 After graduating from the Basilon Magical Academy, Gideon sets off for his master’s homeland. Plodoro is an isolated city in the far north of the Skjem-Tur mountains. Surrounded by giants and blanketed in an endless winter, Gideon travels to the far-flung region to fulfill a final request of his master and return a sacred weapon to his people. He must finish this task to return to his true love, Wren.

 The First Princess of Attlain fell in love with Gideon during their time at Basilon. Now, to win her parents’ approval, Gideon must win the Helios Arcanum Magical Arts Festival. This celebration showcases the best magic casters in Attlain, and Gideon is the first Magus to compete in over a hundred years. As he fights for his life and reputation, the dark shadow looms over him as the Ulbrecht Domo―the Shadow Lord of Ishtar―has other plans for The Last Magus.

Stay tuned for more details on my upcoming book signing Events and future book releases in 2024 from Curious Corvid Publishing. Thanks for your continued support.

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.

Adding Short Stories and Fan Fiction to the menu

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I’ve had my Fan Fiction page up and running for some time now, but I decided to finally include some of my short stories in there. There are stories for contest that I’ve entered, some won, others did not, but I wanted to be able to share them with all of you.

These are stories that mean a lot to me and come from both my imagination and my heart. They were not just written for competition but rather inspired by a heartfelt twang. For example, I wrote The Clock Tower after my sister passed away two years ago. My niece took her death very hard, so I wanted to immortalize her in my writing. My sister loved Disney World so I turned her into a princess in her own magical kingdom. It’s an adventure in itself.

The Chalice came from a nightmare I had. I woke up one night after dreaming of being attacked by a witch in a dark alleyway. This was my first venture into horror, not something I’m used to writing, but I needed to do this to purge myself of this nightmare.

The last one, The Moonlit Black Cat Tavern, came from not only a dream but an idea. What if there were a place where monsters, humans, and demi-humans could come together and work out their differences? I worked from that idea into a fun like any Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

There’s also a link to all the fun Log Horizon anime fan fiction I wrote last year. I binged on the third season of that anime and it inspired me to write my own fan fiction based on the characters and story.

I will be adding new short stories as they come along so please take a look and read them. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them.

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.

How much is too much for an indie author to spend on marketing? Beware of scammers!

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One of the major hurdles an indie author must overcome is marketing. As an independent author, you don’t have the “Mad Men” at your beckon call to promote the heck out of your new book release. So, the question remains, how much is too much or is it not enough?

My inbox is filled with offers of marketing opportunities at reasonable prices to thousands of readers. Seems easy enough, but looks can be deceiving. A lot of these sites look the same and offer similar marketing schemes. I can’t say for sure whether or not they’re legitimate, but most of them find their way into my junk mail folder.

Social media is the easiest and cheapest way to garner a simple form of marketing. Ads on Facebook, IG, Twitter (or “X”) and other platforms can help but they still cost for clicks and link follows. And you need followers to monetize your posts. Mind you, there are scammers there too. “Gain 15,000+ followers!” Sorry, but never pay for what people claim is a sure thing. You’re bound to get trapped.

There are some easy ways to market, primarily through social media, but “BookTokkers” are a rising faction on TikTok. They read and review your books, sometimes just by sending them a copy. Others, like some “bookstagrammers” on IG want to be paid for reviews. I have done that initially but not anymore. I don’t mind sending a FREE copy of my book to someone who wants to read and review it, but I won’t pay for reviews. Sometimes, it seems like some of the reviewers are cutting and pasting comments from other reviews, not really reading the book. I don’t mind if a review is good or bad. Feedback helps me grow as an author.

I know that marketing is a subject I’ve talked about frequently, but it really does a number on indie authors. We are constantly taken advantage of by scammers trying to make an easy buck on desperate writers trying to make a name for themselves. I fell for more than one scammer in my 20+ years as an independent author. I am speaking from experience here. Don’t waste your money.

I’ve grown a simple following, a little over 5,000 on some platforms. I know some of those are probably “bots” but its nice to see people joining in the conversation. Mind you, it’s nothing to brag about but I’m still plugging away at it with daily posts and doing book signings, festivals and conventions. I could hire a marketing specialist to really plug away my books but that’s money I don’t have. I’m sure you don’t either.

Check out my Events link to keep track of all my book signing events or, if you can’t make it, head over to Buy My Books link to find the best deals online. You can follow me on all my social media for updates too! Thanks for your continued support!

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.

Cover Reveal for The Last Magus: Dragonfire & Steel Coming Soon in the Magpie Messenger

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I am in the midst of a massive editing cycle as I am on a deadline. Last month, I received edits and comments from my book editor Anna Corbeaux (I definitely recommend her if you need a firm yet understanding editor). Now, I am in full edit mode to finish the sequel to The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart ready for its December release. Get ready to experience Dragonfire and Steel!

And bonus, 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 story started with a simple premise . . . a man with no memories left for dead at a crossroads finds purpose when he’s given a second chance at life thanks to a clockwork heart. The Last Magus defines my love of steampunk and fantasy, as magic and machines come together in my story. This is not some mega-series spanning decades. I have four books planned to tell the story of Marcus Gideon, Dragonfire and Steel, will be released in December 2023.

The saga of Marcus Gideon, The Last Magus of Attlain, continues in Dragonfire and Steel. The Magus were legendary magic casters/warriors, able to cast spells and wield powerful magical weapons. They were the guardians of magic in Attlain but were cast out and feared for their power. Marcus Gideon was trained by The Last Magus, destined to restore the dignity of the order. 

 After graduating from the Basilon Magical Academy, Gideon sets off for his master’s homeland. Plodoro is an isolated city in the far north of the Skjem-Tur mountains. Surrounded by giants and blanketed in an endless winter, Gideon travels to the far-flung region to fulfill a final request of his master and return a sacred weapon to his people. He must finish this task to return to his true love, Wren.

 The First Princess of Attlain fell in love with Gideon during their time at Basilon. Now, to win her parents’ approval, Gideon must win the Helios Arcanum Magical Arts Festival. This celebration showcases the best magic casters in Attlain, and Gideon is the first Magus to compete in over a hundred years. As he fights for his life and reputation, the dark shadow looms over him as the Ulbrecht Domo―the Shadow Lord of Ishtar―has other plans for The Last Magus.

To be honest, this is one of those funny stories of how writers change their minds. When I first wrote The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, it was a massive manuscript, nearly 200,000 words. I wrote to much, so I decided to split it in half and tell two stories. The hard part was finding a dividing point and adding a bit more to the story so it carried over from one book to the next.

As for the cover, there was not a single doubt in my mind that I would continue using Anna Lena Spies to express the story within the pages in a single cover. I really want all the books in this series to feel like they belong together and her dynamic book covers help that. I am looking forward to the book cover reveal in the Halloween issue of the Magpie Messenger literary magazine from Curious Corvid Publishing. You can subscribe or purchase a single issue but its a great magazine full of independent authors like me, plus puzzles, poems, and spooky holiday fun. Visit www.curiouscorvidpublishing/magpiemessenger for details.

Stay tuned for more details on my upcoming book signing Events and future book releases in 2024 from Curious Corvid Publishing. Thanks for your continued support.

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.

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.

Independent authors seem to be a magnet for scams

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Do I have sucker written across my face? It seems that way when my email inbox and DMs on many of my social media accounts are full of offers for more followers, better sales, and dazzling artwork. On top of that, I get regular phone calls for book marketing, pitches for Netflix and other streaming services (from the Philippines no less) and discounts on book publishing services.

Since I became a published author, I have found that we (as a community) are subjected to numerous scam artists. They see independent authors as easy pickings for these vultures. From marketing to artwork, beta readers, book publishers and editors, people are trying to make a quick buck on false promises of sales, followers, etc. I spend more time blocking people, reporting spam and junk mail, and cleaning out unnecessary emails to start my day. It’s a nightmare to contend with.

It’s a regular thing on Instagram. Instead of feedback or other comments on my posts, I get “PROMOTE IT ON” messages, pushing me to another marketing scam. Now, I’m getting follows from people with AUTHOR in their name but they promote marketing instead of talking about books. These scammers are changing their methods to make it easier to get at us.

Even artists are being used for scams. I have hired plenty of artists in my time, using their brilliant artwork to help promote my books on social media. I hired an artist to do work for my new book, Corsair and the Sky Pirates. I won’t mention their name because I am currently fighting them for a refund via PayPal Resolution. I asked them to do a drawing based on the images she provided as examples of her art. However, the final result was something akin to a middle school art project. Then, following a reverse Google search on the artwork she provided as “examples” to me, I discovered they belonged to someone else. That’s called fraud. It’s disingenuous and disgusting.

The emails are the worse. My inbox gets clogged with thousands of offers from what seems to be an endless stream of book promotion websites. It’s crazy as to how many different venues are being created on a daily basis to hoodwink independent authors desperate to generate sales. Some are trustworthy and worth it (BookBrush, AllAuthor, and IndieBookVault to name some I am involved with) but not most. It is a constant barrage of offers that’s insane.

I especially hate the phone calls. Someone from overseas with an unusual dialect wants to talk about promoting your book to Netflix producers and yet they don’t know a thing about you or your book. Plus, it’s always a “paid promotion” service, money up front, like Vanity Publishing. Never a good thing to grasp onto, and yet some desperate authors will fall for it.

So listen. If you find yourself being scammed, let the community know. We all need to support each other in stopping these fraudsters from using us to increase the size of their wallet. We have enough struggles with deadlines, writer’s block, editing and writing our stories. We don’t need any further aggravation.

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—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. Stay tuned for more new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.