Tag: book festivals

Two weeks to my first 2026 book festivals

Leave a comment
Two upcoming book festivals in March: the Williamsburg Book Festival on March 7 and the Suffolk Authors Festival on March 14.

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold.” — Charles Dickens

March is roaring in for Indie Authors in the state of Virginia with two book festivals to kick off springtime. I’ll be heading down to Hampton Roads for these two events with all my award-winning fantasy and steampunk books in tow, available for new readers. From the shores of Forever Avalon to the halls of Camelot Cove with Gwen Iver, into the magical dystopia of The Last Magus, and flying through the skies with Corsair and the Sky Pirates, you’ll find your next adventure within the pages of my books.

Williamsburg is where history and literature intersect. The town’s charming colonial ambiance provides the perfect backdrop for the Festival. Experience an energizing event in a place that inspires creativity and honors tradition. At the Williamsburg Book Festival, our mission is to celebrate and support the art of literary composition while connecting authors with the reading public. Join us on March 7th for our annual family-friendly event that brings together a dynamic mix of authors, poets, speakers, illustrators, and publishers from Virginia and beyond. The 2026 festival will be held from 10 am to 4 pm at the William & Mary School of Education, offering a full day of literary discovery and connection. Visit www.williamsburgbookfestival.org for more information.

The 12th Annual Suffolk Virginia Authors Festival will take place at the Suffolk Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront (100 E Constance Road, Suffolk, Virginia) ​on ​Saturday, March 14, from 1-4pm! Whether you are an avid or casual reader, aspiring writer, or published author, you will find something entertaining and intriguing at the Suffolk Authors Festival. This one-day FREE festival showcases best-selling authors from all featured genres. Highlights of the event include author meet-and-greets, book signings, panel discussions, and sales. Visit suffolkvaauthorsfestival.com for a list of featured authors, festival headerliner, activities, and more.

This is just the start of my 2026 event season. Visit my Events page to check out all my upcoming events, including the new steampunk festivals I’ll be attending this year. It’s going to be a great year with some new books heading your way. Stay tuned!

Things are Starting to Look Up for 2026!

Leave a comment
Happy New Year! 2026 is already filling up with a slew of book festivals and steampunk conventions!

2026 is approaching, and I am slowly scheduling my book signing events for the year. You can find me and my steampunk and fantasy books from Curious Corvid Publishing, plus some new releases!

Here’s a quick calendar of events for the new year! First up is Daydrift Books & Cafe in Crystal City, Arlington, VA, on January 3, 2026, from 12-3pm. Grab some great coffee and a new book for your TBR for the New Year.

In March, I have two book festivals scheduled. The Williamsburg Book Festival is moving to the College of William & Mary School of Education on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Williamsburg, VA, from 10am to 4pm. That’s followed by the 12th Annual Suffolk VA Authors Festival at the Hilton Garden Inn, March 14, 2026, in Suffolk, VA.

I have two Steampunk Conventions on the books for 2026, starting off with a trip down the rabbit hole and my return to the Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival at the Wyndham Garden York in York, PA, April 17-19, 2026. The 4th annual Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival, where clockwork alchemy meets magical curiosity in a world inspired by Alice in Wonderland, join us for a weekend of fantastical frippery and marvelous mayhem!

 If that’s not enough steampunk mayhem for you, come back to the Keystone State in August for the Key City Steampunk Convention at the Wyndham Gettysburg in historic Gettysburg, VA, August 7-9, 2026. Key City Steampunk has evolved into one of the most prominent steampunk conventions on the East Coast.

Click the Event link in the menu to stay up to date on all my 2026 events as I add more book-signing dates to the calendar in the year ahead.

Follow Me on TikTok (While You Can) for book videos!

Leave a comment

If you are an avid TikToker, do me a favor and follow me on TikTok at @authormarkpiggott. I don’t do many live videos (I’m still working on that), but you can find great representations of my books and announcements of upcoming book festivals, conventions, and events. I don’t get into the conspiracy theories on TikTok, but if China wants to know about my books, they’re welcome to order some. (They have to pay full price and shipping, though!)

I have tried to do a few LIVE videos that I called “Track Talk” as these were recorded on the metro train platforms in Washington, D.C. However, these videos were far and few in between, especially during COVID when I didn’t go into work every day so it didn’t make sense to continue the trend. I am thinking about reading some of my books. I have, what I called in my military service on the Armed Forces Network, a “face for radio” as it were. My wife thinks I’m handsome, but that’s another story. What do you think? Should I? Let me know in the comments.

I hope you will check out all my social media links to learn more about my books, WIPs, and new releases. I have links in the side column to all my social media! Please check them out!

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, the saga continues in The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel, his first YA fantasy, Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle, and the epic fantasy The Prometheus Engine: Book Four of the Forever Avalon Series from Curious Corvid Publishing. A Dance of Darklings and Demons is coming in 2025 from Curious Corvid. Stay tuned for new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.

2024 Book Tour is underway and I am psyched to meet more readers this year

Leave a comment

I am excited to kick off my 2024 book tour with my first event, the Williamsburg Book Festival in Historic Williamsburg, VA. This event was great, and I would highly recommend it to any authors living in or near Hampton Roads. We had a great reception, myriad genres for people to choose from, and a chance to network with other authors and publishers for future events. We’re talking about potential author events at festivals, new brewery and distillery events, and new book festivals. This is a great time to be an independent author trying to make a name for themselves. The opportunities are endless. You must find them and get your feet wet in the river of possibilities!

So, what’s next for me? Well, you can find all my upcoming events listed on my Events page, but if you decide not to follow the link, let me tell you about it. Next is Awesome-Con, the biggest comic-con for Washington, D.C. (next to the clowns in Congress) March 8-10. First, the guest line-up is impressive (Hayden Christensen, Rosario Dawson, and Charlie Cox, to name a few). Then, it’s three days of pure, unadulterated geekdom, cosplayers, celebrities, and vendors. You can find me on Author’s Lane, B-24, to pick up one of my many fantasy and steampunk books, signed, of course. Visit awesome-con.com for more information.

We kick off April with two events, including the Annapolis Comic-Con at the Byzantium Center on Saturday, April 6, from 10am to 4pm. This is my first time attending this event, but I have had a great experience with the Southern Maryland Comic-Cons. I love these small cons for their intimate surroundings and small-town vibe. Plus, as a Navy Veteran, I can’t help but love the idea of going into the home of the U.S. Naval Academy. Visit mdcomiccons.com for more information.

My other April event is the kick-off to spring at 2nd Sundays Williamsburg, on Sunday, April 14, from 11am to 5pm, celebrating 20 years of bringing arts and music to Historic Williamsburg, Va. This is my first date for the 2024 season on North Beauregard Street, but the people of Williamsburg and the many visitors to this colonial town never disappoint. This is the first of several 2nd Sunday events I will be participating in this year. Visit 2ndSundaysWilliamsburg.com for a list of all the vendors and more information.

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!

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.