Tag: independent author

The Outlander War now available for presale!

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The Outlander War: Book 3 of the Forever Avalon Series is now available for presale! You can order your copy at Amazon UK! Here is a brief synopsis:

It is an island frozen in time and space. For more than 3,000 years, the island of Avalon remained hidden from the outside world; a place of eternal magic, where the descendants of King Arthur ruled over a land filled with magical creatures, Elves, Dwarves and dragons. The island was only accessible through a rift in the Bermuda Triangle, where mariners and aviators disappeared throughout history. No one believed Avalon was anything but a myth.

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in the heart of a naval exercise, Avalon suddenly reappeared, causing disruptions on both fronts. The US Navy, now circling the mysterious island, wants answers. On Avalon, they fear Outlanders would intrude on their home; and caught in the middle of it all is Lord Bryan MoonDrake, the Gil-Gamesh of Avalon, Knight Eternal and champion of the magical realm.

The Gil-Gamesh was once a US Navy sailor, lost at sea in a freak storm, who found his way to Avalon. After his family followed him to the island, they decided to stay and make this their home. Now they are torn between loyalty to their new home and compassion for their old one.The tensions build as modern technology faces off against ancient magic on an island where the laws of magic supersede the laws of science, causing mechanical weapons to falter and shut down. As military forces continue to surround the mysterious island, bringing both sides to the brink of war, an ancient evil arises from within, one that has been seeking the throne of New Camelot for three millennia.

UPDATE: The Outlander War is now available for pre-order on Amazon for your Kindle! It will be auto-delivered on 27 February to your device!

Thank you to everyone for the great support! Keep an eye out for a schedule of upcoming book signing and other events.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for presale and will be released on 28 February 2020 from Austin Macauley Publishing.

Now that your book is published, it’s time to market the Hell out of it

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The Outlander War: Book 3 of the Forever Avalon seriesI was happy to announce last week that my third novel, THE OUTLANDER WAR, is being published on 28 February 2020. Now comes the next daunting task… MARKETING! For an Independent Author, marketing is a dirty word. Why? Because, unlike authors signed to big publishing houses, we have to do it all ourselves.

From getting copies of your books for sale, paying for a booth for book signing events and festivals, buying marketing merchandise (i.e. bookmarks, flyers, banners, etc.) and sending out press releases to entice local media. It’s a daunting task, especially for someone working a full-time job while trying to become a full-time author. It can be exhausting.

To begin with, I already run my own social media on three platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) as well as this blog on WordPress. Thanks to a great FREE online and app, Hootsuite, I can easily schedule my posts. I try to plan for two a day, a week at a time, and then add additional posts as I need to. I try to include meaningful quotes from books, authors, anime and other media that interests me as well as the occasional writer’s meme. In addition, I push out images, reviews, and promotions for my books, in the hopes that people will buy it, read it, and review it.

I’ve been told, across more than one website, that you need reviews to build your presence, especially on Amazon, to gain more visibility. However, reviews cost (in some cases) and again, you’re spending money you haven’t even earned yet. I try to offer other authors a book exchange or a review for a review. It’s how we Independent Authors use our network to help each other. However, the unfortunate reality for most Independent Authors is that you spend more money than you make.

I spent close to $10,000 on a marketing campaign and attending a Hollywood marketing seminar during the release of my second book, The Dark Tides. I thought this would be my chance for a breakthrough so I spent the money. Unfortunately, it didn’t pay out. On top of that, there is a lot of scams out there trying to take advantage of desperate authors. I can’t tell you how many phone calls and emails I received about getting my book as a Netflix show, placed in international book fairs, etc. It’s mind blowing the corruption we face, just trying to make a name for ourselves.

I’ve already signed up for the Gaitherburg Book Festival, on Saturday, May 16, from 10am-6pm, at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, Maryland. I’ll be selling signed copies of all three of my books. It’s free and open to the public. If you’re in the Washington, DC, area, I hope you’ll come out and support me.

I am an author and I’m going to continue to write and publish my books. I may not be the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, but I will continue to try and find my niche, even though it’ll cost me more than I make in return. That’s the price of being a writer.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series will be released on 28 February 2020 from Austin Macauley Publishing.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! “The Outlander War” book release date set for 28 February 2020

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I am happy to tell you that The Outlander War: Book Three of the Forever Avalon Series has an official release date! The conclusion of the first trilogy in the Forever Avalon series will be available as a book/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishers on 28 February 2020.

Here is a brief synopsis of the novel:

It is an island frozen in time and space. For more than 3,000 years, the island of Avalon remained hidden from the outside world; a place of eternal magic, where the descendants of King Arthur ruled over a land filled with magical creatures, Elves, Dwarves and dragons. The island was only accessible through a rift in the Bermuda Triangle, where mariners and aviators disappeared throughout history. No one believed Avalon was anything but a myth.

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in the heart of a naval exercise, Avalon suddenly reappeared, causing disruptions on both fronts. The US Navy, now circling the mysterious island, wants answers. On Avalon, they fear Outlanders would intrude on their home; and caught in the middle of it all is Lord Bryan MoonDrake, the Gil-Gamesh of Avalon, Knight Eternal and champion of the magical realm.

The Gil-Gamesh was once a US Navy sailor, lost at sea in a freak storm, who found his way to Avalon. After his family followed him to the island, they decided to stay and make this their home. Now they are torn between loyalty to their new home and compassion for their old one.

The tensions build as modern technology faces off against ancient magic on an island where the laws of magic supersede the laws of science, causing mechanical weapons to falter and shut down. As military forces continue to surround the mysterious island, bringing both sides to the brink of war, an ancient evil arises from within, one that has been seeking the throne of New Camelot for three millennia.

I will have more information on how you can get a copy of the book, as well as any dates and locations for book signings and other events I’ll be attending this spring and summer to promote The Outlander War. Thanks for all the great support, from my family and friends and other independent authors I network with.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.

 

Cover… Check! Interior Art… Check! Read through edits and proof manuscript… Double Check!

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Well, I’m happy to report a other hurdle completed to publishing my third book, The Outlander War. Over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday, I received the proof from my publisher to review. During that time, I spent my holiday vacation reviewing their edits, commenting on questions raised within my novel, and even suggested a few changes and edits myself. I find that reading it over for the hundredth time, and you still see different ways to tell the story.

The hard part is not over editing. You have to watch how much you change because it might affect the overall quality. I think, as a writer, we are consistently not satisfied with our work, and would continue to edit unless we stop ourselves. It’s the nature of the beast.

The biggest difference for me has been working with a publisher, Austin Macauley, in Great Britain. They use traditional, Old English, for certain words like honour, defence, realise, and artefact for example. It’s not a big deal, to me. The words still have the same meaning so it’s okay.

In fact, the one thing I will say is they gave me the best edit on one of my novels to date. It was clear, concise, and thoughtful. The biggest issue we had was on the term shield maiden. I had it capitalized throughout my novel, treating it as a proper name, but they thought that was excessive and should not be treated as such. In the end, we compromised. I made it lowercase in general references and capitalized it in titles.

Now I’m just waiting for the finished product, to see the final proof of everything together. This is the end of a journey that began more than 20 years ago. The story behind Forever Avalon has been incredible fun, any its not over yet. The first trilogy of this series may be complete, but the story goes on. More to follow as I get closer to its release. Thank you for all your support.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.

Vote for FOREVER AVALON for Cover of the Month

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Forever Avalon has been nominated for Cover of the Month by allauthor.com!

Click here to VOTE so we can kick off 2020 with a win! Thanks for your support!

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.

THE DARK TIDES “stands on its own” as a fantasy/adventure novel

The Dark Tides has been out for nearly four years, and every time I read a review, it warms my heart that I made the right choice in writing this novel. As the publication of the third book in the Forever Avalon series, The Outlander War, fast approaches, I thought I should share some of the great reviews of my second novel.

“This is the second book in this series and I did not read the first. But this Science Fiction/Fantasy easily stands on its’ own as long as you read the summary too. It has all the things I love in a good book – great characters, even if there are some trolls (literally). A strong morally centered main character, who is loyal to his wife even when separated (just did a little swoon there!) and creative minor story accessories! Those are things like the crossover of the two worlds and conversations about fast food and SpongeBob!

“This is an intense read, long and detailed, but in all the positive ways. The author does a really nice job transferring between worlds and time periods. I would also say that I would be comfortable with high school or above reading this book. If you want to get lost in a book for a while – this is one to jump into.”

— Jennie Rosenblum, 4 Stars (Goodreads)

Not everything was perfect, and I love the constructive criticism I find in reviews. It makes me a better author.

“This is an epic fantasy adventure that can be read as a stand alone book, even though it is a follow on book. This book goes into full detail about everything that happens in book one. This story is like reading two different books at the same time. In part we learn about Bryan’s life in medieval Avalon when he was separated from his family. We also then have the modern day story about how Bryan’s family are now doing since joining him in Avalon.

“With a mixture of magic, fantasy and lots of imagination, we see the dark forces rising in Avalon to fulfill a prophecy. They want to bring back and resurrect Morgana le Fay, a very powerful sorceress from the past. If they succeed, she will be able to unleash the Dark Tides to cause destruction so big. It would change the whole of Avalon forever.”

— Nikki Bywater, 3 Stars (Goodreads)

I will admit, though… When you get a 5 STAR review, it does warm the heart and make me feel good about what I’ve written.

“What a brilliant and fresh idea, bringing the Bermuda Triangle into a land of fantasy! I love the characters, especially the Gil-Gamesh, The invention of this whole new world is just amazing, My only fault really is that it’s a bit too long, it would have been a bit better if it was in two parts. It’s a book for children and adults alike, anyone who enjoys fantasy, with goblins, elves and dwarve, etc…. especially if you like ‘Lord of the Rings’, you will love this!”

— Caroline Jenkins, 5 Stars (Goodreads)

“The Dark Tides is the first fantasy book I have ever read, and I will certainly be reading more. The author sets out the scene for the upcoming conflict very well and creates a very rich and interesting lore filled with customs and traditions. It is fascinating to hear the history of Avalon and it’s characters, and each one is well developed with great personalities. I found this book immersive and exciting. Brilliant.”

— Christopher Pullin, 5 Stars (Goodreads)

So, my point of all of this is a shout out to people who read books, especially those by independent authors like myself. Leave a review and help up and coming authors like myself. Just writing a couple of sentences and clicking on a however many stars you want to leave helps. Good or bad, it’s the kind of feedback we need to help us in our journey as an author. Thanks for your support!

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.

I have a long way to go as a storyteller and a writer

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Sorry I’ve been absent from the blog for a while. I’ve had some personal issues to deal with, which I’m sure we’ve all had. So now, I’m ready to jump back into it.

In recent months, I’ve read over 15 books and binge watched several hours of anime. In that time, I’ve written maybe 20 pages in my current novel. I don’t know if it’s simple writer’s block or a lack of inspiration. I mean, I have my story outlined, I know what I want to say, but I just can’t put it down on paper (or the computer screen in my case). So what do I do, I read and I watch anime to motivate me; but instead, I find myself lacking… Lacking as a storyteller, as a writer, just lacking in general.

I find that my stories are, sometimes, less than. I find missing pieces, repeated words or sentences, and blatant plot holes. It’s a mess, and quite ddemoralizing.

I know it sounds kind of like a defeatist attitude, but it’s really just a reality check. I thought I was pretty good, very proud of my imagination and the stories I’ve been able to weave together. But, as I read other people’s work and watch the sometimes in depth story arcs you find in anime, I got a sense of humility, a longing that what I was doing just wasn’t enough. I still have a long way to go.

We all have our own shortcomings, and I aspire to be better, but at 56, it’s hard to find myself ever getting there. I know there are those authors who didnt get published til they were older, but I could never begin to compare myself to them.

I have to find my own voice, and to be honest, I thought I did. When I first wrote Forever Avalon, I thought I did a great job. The story was, to me, a perfect story. Then my mom read it, and gave me two pages worth of spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and othere corrections. That was a humbling experience to say the least.

It took that experience to help me develop my writing, the storytelling process, and even how I edit to further my style and capabilities. However, I still find myself staring at that computer screen from time to time. I know the story, I know how its supposed to go, but it’s just sitting there.
I think it’s a form of self doubt. My books are self published, I’ve put in more money into them than I’ve made, and with my latest book (The Outlander War) looming, I worry how it will do.

That comes with the territory for any artist, whether you be a writer, a musician, a filmmaker, etc. Frustration in your work spurs lack of inspiration, self doubt, and stress like you cannot believe. I’m trying to find the motivation for me to write these stories and not to doubt myself as a storyteller. It’s just a matter of time, and patience.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniversepublishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.

Shout out for a great tool for independent, self-published authors… Book Brush!

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I want to give a shout-out to a new tool I discovered that helps an independent, self-published author like me to create imagery for advertising and social media posts. I recently discovered Book Brush, an online tool for creating digital ads for books.

According to their website, “Book Brush was created specifically for authors. We offer options for ad sizes that authors need to help you create marketing images with just a few clicks of your mouse. We focused on developing options to help authors create professional-looking images quickly while keeping things simple and easy for authors to use!”

I found the program relatively easy to use and it gives me a variety of options for size, backgrounds, different patterns for your books, text tools and even some stamps for various book-related websites. They’re specifically designed to support authors.

“Book Brush has been custom designed so authors find it easy to use and speedy, too. Because our focus is the author community, you will find features that you need & want! That means, our ad sizes include options for things like BookBub, FaceBook and Amazon ads and our stamp options focus on what authors use to advertise like kindle unlimited, nook and audible to name a few! We developed steps to keep your time spent on image creation to a minimum – you can create your marketing images and get right back to writing!”

The cost of using Book Brush is also relatively low. For $8 per month, you can create as many images as you need to create a campaign. That’s a boon for any self-published author. There are a lot of services out there offering to promote independent authors that can cost anywhere from $30-$50 for a year or even just a few months. Those kind of expenses add up with little to no result.

A lot of times, you are forced to do things on your own. I run my own social media, so being able to design my own versatile posts promoting my books. It gives you the option to use your own art or theirs. Once you use their Custom Creator a few times, you get the hang of it really fast. I’ve used PowerPoint to create my ads before, but this has everything right there, easy to use, and more options for the author. I haven’t tried the video creator yet, but that’s my next step.

Book Brush is a great tool for any independent author looking to establish themselves and find an audience. Be creative, be quirky, but make a statement! I highly recommend you check out Book Brush!

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniversepublishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.

I cry when I write, okay? It doesn’t make me any less of a man, but it does make me a better writer!

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Like most authors, I consider the characters in my novels like they are part of my family. I live, laugh, and love them with every word I write. And yes, when I have to kill someone off to move the story along, I cry. It has happened to me on numerous occasions, when I write, edit, and even when I read that part of my story again. The emotion is still with me, even after all that time.

I don’t cry over the villains. I mean, they’re villains… They need to die. But sometimes, the villains win and that’s when it gets hard. These wonderful characters you cultivate and grow through you words also have to die by your hand. It’s not easy.

I know what you’re thinking… “They’re not real! You’re such a wuss! Why do you care about imaginary people?” Well, they are real to me. I breathed life into those characters with every word typed or written down. I’m not going to compare it to motherhood, or giving birth, because that’s an insult to women. It’s not like that. I just see it as a parent-child relationship between a writer and its characters.

But when you think about it, it’s all about the story. You don’t just kill someone or hurt someone for no reason. It has to go with the flow of the story and make sense. Think about the “Red Wedding” in the Game of Thrones series. That was a horrific death scene for a number of characters, but when you think about it, it moved the story along. It gave a purpose, resolve and motivation to characters like Arya and others. As bad as it was, as unexpected as it was, it was necessary.

Crying when I write makes me feel my humanity. It bridges that fine line of fantasy and reality, of what’s real and imaginary as it relates to my characters, but I’ve dealt with that all my life. I played Role Playing Games (RPGs) my whole life. Characters could easily live, or die, in these games. When you’ve played a character for so long, you form an emotional connection. It’s especially strong when said character dies because of a stupid mistake or bad decision.

Here’s an excerpt from THE DARK TIDES to make my point. I can’t read this page, even now, without a tear welling up in my eye. I guess I am an old softie at heart.

FYI to anyone reading this excerpt who hasn’t read my novel yet… Yes, I named the Shield Maidens after Disney Princesses. I have two daughters, it was inevitable.

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Sarafina and her Shield Maidens fought their way down through the keep toward the dungeon. Lord Baldrid was happy to loan her an airship and company of Elves to rescue the Gil-Gamesh. Even Usage was with them, showing the quickest route to the dungeon, bashing a few goblin
heads along the way.

Merida led the way, clearing a path with her bow. Sarafina and Aurora followed close behind, slashing at the ones still standing with their swords. Usage directed them where to go while Ariel and Snow covered them from behind, keeping the Brood at bay with their pole arms. The Elves, led by Eonis, scattered the remaining Brood and goblins outside the keep from their airship Aerdrie Faenya. The airship rained down explosive volleys from their cannons, sending goblins flying off the keep’s defenses. Archers brought down the ones still standing in an
attempt to make the keep safe for landing.

Within minutes, Sarafina and her Shield Maidens made their way to the dungeon. They found the Gil-Gamesh hanging by the chains while Caleb Guoyle lay prone on the ground. Sarafina rushed to Bryan, checking if he’s still alive.

“Ariel, get him down!” Sarafina ordered as she and Merida held him up. Ariel pointed her trident at the locks around his wrists.

“Excido Portas!” she chanted as magical energy sparks from the tips of her weapon, opening the locks. Bryan’s body went limp as they eased him down to the ground.

“This one’s dead,” Snow exclaimed after checking on Caleb Guoyle, “though I doubt the Gil-Gamesh was able to do it.”

“It doesn’t matter who killed him. The Gil-Gamesh is dying,” Sarafina said as she checked his wounds. “We need to get him to the healers quickly.”

Bryan began to stir at the sound of Sarafina’s voice. He opened his eyes and saw her hovering over him as he smiled. “Hey you …” he moaned. “I knew you’d be the one to find me.”

“Of course I would,” Sarafina said, tears welling in his eyes. “You wouldn’t stop looking for me; I wasn’t going to stop until I found you.” Bryan smiled again as he closed his eyes and fell unconscious. “Father!” Sarafina screamed, trying to wake him up. “Father! Don’t leave me… Father!”

“Come on,” Aurora said motioning for Merida to help. “We have to get him back to the ship now.” Sarafina didn’t move, she just stared at the Gil-Gamesh.

“Sarafina! We’ve got to go now!” Merida shouted at her. Sarafina nodded her head, then stepped back as the two Shield Maidens lifted the Gil-Gamesh and started moving up the stairs. Snow and Ariel followed close behind.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniversepublishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.

Seeing your words come to life tells you… Yes, I’m a writer!

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Can you see the words in your head as you write? Do you watch the action play out like an episode of “Game of Thrones” as you write them down? Do you wake up in the middle of the night because a new idea popped in your head and you can’t go back to sleep? Congratulations… You’re a writer!

Sleepless nights, check! Frustrating time staring at your computer screen, check! Searching Google for baby names, not for your own kids but for your characters, double check! This is just part of the fascinating life that awaits you as a writer.

Then there’s the garbled thoughts as you confuse real life with the fantasy world as you try to do your job or eat a simple meal. You can’t even enjoy a vacation without using it to scout out locations for a scene in your novel. The same goes for meeting new people. Just remember, never “piss off” an author or you may wind up as a character earning a swift death in their next novel.

Then there’s the never ending expenses. Like any artist, starving is the appropriate word. As a self-published author, you spend money on editing, artwork, inventory, marketing, etc. And, unlike an author with a literary agent or publishing house, you spend more money than you receive from sales. It is a constant drain on your pocketbook until you get recognized or find your audience.

So, after all that, what’s the reward? The reward, for any author, is telling your stories. Instead of you living in them, all by yourself, you get to share them with others. I think that, like other artists, getting to share your creativity is a reward all in itself. It makes us who we are, fulfills that inner spark, and gives all of a chance to let loose and be who we are.

We all want to be successful, as in any career, but this is our passion. Writing makes us who we are as writers, no matter what the obstacles before us.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.