Tag: 2nd Sundays Williamsburg

Come out to my last events of 2025, and get ready for steampunk excitement in 2026

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Come out for my last two book signing events of 2025 to get some great gifts for the holidays!

November kicks off the holiday season, and with it, my last book signing events for 2025! This is an excellent opportunity to find some unique steampunk and fantasy holiday gifts for the book lover in your life. On Saturday, November 8, I will be at Barnes & Noble in the Shops at Stonewall in Gainesville, VA, from 12:00-3:00 p.m. I will be signing The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart and Corsair and the Sky Pirates. Stop by, say hello, and pick up a book if you’re so inclined. On Sunday, November 9, I will be attending my last 2nd Sundays Williamsburg from 11am to 4pm on the streets of historic Williamsburg, VA. You will find a variety of artisans, crafters, musicians, and food vendors filling the streets with holiday fare. I will have all my steampunk and fantasy books available for sale, so please stop by my tent, located on the corner of N Boundary and Prince George Street.

Come out for some steampunk excitement in 2026!

Now, for some good news! Looking ahead to 2026, I have already been accepted to two steampunk festivals that I am excited to attend. First up is the Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival, taking on the theme of the wonderfully mad Lewis Carroll, April 17-19, 2026, at the Wyndam Garden York in York, PA.

Welcome to the 4h annual Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival, where clockwork alchemy meets magical curiosity in a world inspired by Alice in Wonderland! This year, we’re trading ravens for rabbits and madness for marvels as we debut our brand-new location in York, Pennsylvania. Join us for a weekend of fantastical frippery and marvelous mayhem!

Next up is my first visit to the Key City Steampunk Convention, taking place August 7-9, 2026, in Gettysburg, PA, at the Wyndham Gettysburg. I am so excited to be a part of a new convention for the very first time, and I will be debuting a new book

The Key City Steampunk Convention is the yearly gathering of Steampunk enthusiasts. Beginning in 2016 in Frederick, Maryland, the convention has continued to grow and evolve into one of the most prominent events on the East Coast, with attendees traveling from far and wide to join in the festivities. Currently hosted at the Wyndham Gettysburg, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the event continues to feature award-winning makers and panels, vetted and unique vendors, workshops, and most importantly, the opportunity for those in the community to interact and share their love of all things Steampunk.

I have a few more events I’ve applied for that I’m still waiting for confirmation on in 2026, so more dates are to come. However, these two are a significant start for me. I will have more news coming down the road, but in the meantime, I hope you can join me at my last two book signing events for 2025. I would love to see you, talk shop, or just say hello.

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.

The River of Souls nominated for two Next Generation Indie Books Awards

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This is turning out to be a great Christmas, and it’s not even December! My latest book, The River of Souls, was nominated for two Next Generation Indie Book Awards, for best novella and fantasy. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest International awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its sixteenth year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 80+ different categories, for the year, and is presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group  in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen Literary Agency.

First off, a big thank you to my poet, Ashley Valitutto, for adding her wonderful poetry to my story. Second, none of this would have been possible without the love and support from my publisher, Curious Corvid Publishing. Ravven White and her team made my dream of publishing with an actual publisher a reality, and The River of Souls is my first step into a new journey as a published author with plenty more to come.

As a bonus, The River of Souls picked up another FIVE STAR Amazon book review! And you can listen to an excerpt of my fantasy novella as read by voiceover artist Teri Schnaubelt on my new YouTube channel.

“This is not my usual genre…but maybe it should be! I absolutely loved this. Now I have a new author to follow and keep up with. I am a sucker for an authentic and genuine love story, and this delivered. I can tell I’m going to be thinking about this story for years to come. The morals and messages are timeless. A treasure.”

Aimee N Curran, Verified Amazon Review

If you want to get your hands on a signed copy of The River of Souls, hop over to the Curious Corvid shop for my novella and check out the other great books and merchandise from CCP. Or, if you’re in the Virginia area, I’ll be attending the last 2nd Sundays Williamsburg Art and Music Festival on Sunday, December 11, on North Boundary Street in historic Williamsburg, Va. So many great things happened at the end of 2022. I can’t wait to see what 2023 brings me!

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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.

Check out an early preview of The River of Souls next weekend at 2nd Sundays Williamsburg

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Stop by my booth at 2nd Sundays Williamsburg Art and Music Festival on Sunday, August 14, from 11am to 5pm to check out the debut of my fantasy novella The River of Souls from Curious Corvid Publishing

In case you missed it, I did an unboxing video of the arrival of my fantasy novella, The River of Souls, on TikTok. I’m taking copies of my latest novel from Curious Corvid Publishing to the 2nd Sundays Williamsburg Art and Music Festival on Sunday, August 14, on North Boundary Street in historic Williamsburg, Va., for the last festival of the summer. This will be your opportunity to get your hands on this new fantasy book a week before its planned release.

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 begins their new life together—a human magi-gunner and Dragonkin oracle—in a world filled with distrust, bigotry, and hatred between races. Can two people from different worlds find love and peace to show what truly lies beyond . . .

The River of Souls by Mark Piggott, poetry by Ashley Valitutto, from Curious Corvid Publishing

2nd Sundays Williamsburg Arts and Music Festival on North Boundary Street in historic Williamsburg, Va., is Virginia’s only ALMOST Year ‘Round Arts & Street Festival! This Street Fair of over 115 unique artisans, musicians, street performers and food vendors in six blocks 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. You can usually find me on the corner of N Boundary Street and Prince George Street.

Come to Colonial Williamsburg for the sun, fun, music, arts and crafts, and plenty of books right near the College of William & Mary. I’ll have all of my award-winning fantasy and steampunk novels for sale, and I will personalize and sign it for you. This is my last event of summer 2022 so I hope to see you there!

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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.

Get ready for The River of Souls fantasy novella, coming soon from Curious Corvid Publishing, along with the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates. The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series and The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel are future installments of his current fantasy book series, plus so much more new fantastic stories coming soon.

July is going to be hot in more ways than one

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Sorry to be AWOL for a while, but its been a busy start to my summer, and its not over yet. I traveled from Virginia to Manchester, Connecticut, for the Book Fiends Readers Festival, June 25. It was a long weekend but I met so many wonderful steampunk writers, artists, crafters and performers. It was a great experience (thank you Oddball Newt)!

Now, we’re in July and I have two new events coming up for this award-winning steampunk fantasy author. If you are in the area, please stop by and pick up some great books to take to the beach or read in bed during a stormy night. Either way, I’d be honored to be included on your bookshelf.

Every second Sunday, from July through December, you’ll find me at 2nd Sundays Williamsburg Arts and Music Festival on North Boundary Street in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. My first one is this Sunday, July 10, from 11am to 5pm. Williamsburg, Virginia’s only ALMOST Year ‘Round Arts & Street Festival! This Street Fair of over 115 unique artisans, musicians, street performers and food vendors in six blocks 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. This festival is a great time for family and friends alike so I hope you’ll stop by! Visit 2ndSundayswilliamsburg.com for more information.

Next, I’ll be at the Historic Moravian Book Shop in “the Christmas City” of Bethlehem, PA, signing copies of my novels The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart and The Outlander War: Book 3 of the Forever Avalon Series on Sunday, July 17, from 1-3pm. Founded in 1745, the Moravian Book Shop is the oldest bookstore in America, the oldest continuously operating bookstore in the world and home to the Moravian University student bookstore. For nearly three centuries, booklovers near and far have looked to the Moravian Book Shop for its curated selection of books and iconic Moravian- and Bethlehem-themed gifts. This is my second visit to the Moravian Book Store and I appreciate their continued support for independent, self-published authors like me.

The River of Souls by Mark Piggott, poetry by Ashley Valitutto, from Curious Corvid Publishing.

I also want to mention my upcoming release from Curious Corvid Publishing. The River of Souls is my first PUBLISHED novel (not self-published) through my new publisher, coming out on August 21! 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 begins their new life together in a world filled with distrust, bigotry, and hatred between races. Can two people from different worlds find love and peace to show what truly lies beyond THE RIVER OF SOULS. This fantasy novella includes poetry by Ashley Valitutto, a great collaboration between author and poet. I hope you pick up my new fantasy read on AUGUST 21 from Curious Corvid Publishing.

Stay tuned here at authormarkpiggott.com (make note of the NEW website address) for more information on upcoming events and releases. I will be at 2nd Sundays for the rest of the year ( August 14, September 11, October 9, and November 13) and I have two major book signing events in October. More to come!

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Mark Piggott is an independent author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series and other fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon and as an audiobook from Audible and iTunes. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available as a paperback/ebook at iUniverse Publishing,  Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series, is available as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing and at Amazon and other booksellers. His latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Lulu and other booksellers.

Get ready for The River of Souls fantasy novella, coming soon from Curious Corvid Publishing along with the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates. The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series and The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel are future installments of his current fantasy book series, plus so much more coming soon.

Two more book signing events added to my calendar for 2022

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I am geared up for the Watch City Steampunk Festival next weekend (May 7 at Waltham Commons, Waltham, Mass.) but I have a couple more book signing events on my calendar I wanted to mention.

First off is the Imaginarium Book Festival on Saturday, May 21, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. This is a local event for me and to be in such a prestigious building is an honor. The Imaginarium Book Festival was founded in 2018 “by two authors who seek to spotlight books and writers in the SFF, speculative fiction, and paranormal genres — realms of escapism. We welcome readers of all kinds to join us in the celebration of fantastical storytelling.” I have been waiting to be a part of this festival for two years, but due to the COVID pandemic, it was postponed as a “live, in-person” event. My wait is finally over! Tickets are FREE but you must register online to get them.

Next, I’ve just signed up for the Williamsburg Book Festival on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Stryker Center in Williamsburg, Va. The Williamsburg Book Festival’s mission is “to promote and support the art of literary composition in the Williamsburg area and expose writers to the reading public. Our free event includes authors from various genres, speakers, illustrators, and publishers from Virginia and beyond.” I was supposed to attend this event last year, but due to scheduling conflicts with a previously rescheduled event in Fredericksburg, I was unable to attend. That won’t be happening this year. I’ll be there, and by that time, with my new book from Curious Corvid Publishing, The River of Souls.

I am looking to add some more over the summer, specifically the 2nd Sundays Williamsburg Music and Arts Festival (which happens every 2nd Sunday of the month) and hopefully some other book signings. Keep it tuned here or across my social media and I’ll keep you posted.

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Mark Piggott is an independent author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series and other fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon and as an audiobook from Audible and iTunes. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers. His latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart is available through Lulu and other booksellers.

Get ready for the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates, coming soon from Revolutionary Press; and The River of Souls novella, coming soon from Curious Corvid Publishing. The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series and The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel are future installments of my current fantasy book series, coming soon.

As a writer, this has been my best month ever

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The headline says it all. As a writer, this has been my best month EVER! I had three book signing events, where I did better than expected with sales, meeting people, and more! Then, I signed two book deals with Curious Corvid Publishing and Revolutionary Press to publish two of my latest manuscripts, The River of Souls and Corsair and the Sky Pirates respectfully. Like I said, BEST MONTH EVER!

Between the Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival, Southern Maryland Comic-Con, and 2nd Sundays Williamsburg Art and Music Festival, I’ve been meeting and talking to more people than ever before. After such a disappointing 2020, it’s such a thrill to actually being able to meet people in person than over a video chat.

It has been a long road since 2001 when I started writing my first novel, Forever Avalon, and then it wasn’t first published until 2009. To be able to not only talk about my books with people, face-to-face, but to see the interest on their faces when they pick up my book and read the synopsis was worth the long weekends away, the money invested into my second career, and the hours spent toiling away at these novels.

I really just want to thank my wife and my family for their love and support of my extended career. I wouldn’t be here without them. They are, and always will be, my inspirations as a writer. I have more stories I’m working on and I hope to have them out in short order, but that’s down the road. For now, I’, going to continue going out to these festivals and conventions to spread the word.

And if I don’t get to say it, I hope all of you have a very Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends!

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Mark Piggott is an independent author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series and other fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon and as an audiobook from Audible and iTunes. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers. His latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart is available through Lulu and other booksellers.

Get ready for the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates, coming soon from Revolutionary Press; and The River of Souls novella, coming soon from Curious Corvid Publishing. The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series and The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel are future installments of my current fantasy book series, coming soon.