Tag: Thanksgiving

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.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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As we take time to eat tons of food we only eat once a year, spend time watching parades, football, and relatives dozing off after too much turkey, I just want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! I leave you with these two quotes from two very influential Americans to get you through the holiday. I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” — President John F. Kennedy

“Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often.” – Johnny Carson

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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.

Is it too early for Christmas decorations? You would think so…

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This is what I came home to last night. Not pumpkins, skeletons, or witches flying through the night, like you would expect on Halloween. No, not me. I come home to find my Christmas tree set up already. According to my wife, she needs time to let the branches fall into place so it’ll be “just right” for the holiday. This revelation coincides with the fact that most stores spent this past week taking down the autumn colors of fall for Christmas red and green (and Hanukkah blue and silver).

It always seems like the holidays get here earlier and earlier every year. Television shopping channels like QVC have been air since July (halfway point, i.e. “Christmas in July”) selling Christmas gifts, foods, and decorations. Of course, Hallmark Channel started its non-stop bombardment of holiday movies since the beginning of October. It’s utter madness.

Look, I love Christmas. It is my favorite time of the year. I love the lights, the movies and music, the annual TV Christmas specials (Rudolph and Charlie Brown especially)., and giving back to family, friends, and your community. It’s best represented by Scrooge’s nephew Fred’s speech in the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol”…

“There are many things from which I might have derived good by which I have not profited, I dare say,” returned the nephew, “Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas-time, when it has come round-apart from… the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that-as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”

That’s what I love about Christmas, I just wish it wasn’t thrust “in your face” so quickly. I live with a woman who embodies the Christmas spirit all year long. I mean, the full nine yards (music, movies, 24/7, 365 days a year, with a Christmas Countdown as her smartphone wallpaper) which is something I love about her… But it’s not for me. I long for the old days when we eased into the holidays, one after the other.

Related imageToday, it is about the almighty dollar and retailers try to get as much “bang for their buck” in the short amount of time during the holidays. When I watch movies like “A Christmas Story” and “The Homecoming”, you see the simple life of what Christmas was about. From Thanksgiving to Christmas Day, you slowed down and took the time to enjoy the holiday. Now, we’re rushing around so much, before you know it, Christmas is over.

Let’s all take a breath, step back, feel “Jack Frost nipping at your nose” and listen for the sound of jingle bells. Let’s enjoy the holiday season with family and friends, good food and  plenty of libations (remember, be safe with a designated driver) and all the love and happiness it brings. So Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa. Let the continuous bombardment of Christmas commercials, movies, music and TV specials commence.

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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.

Happy Turkey Day! Now go watch some football, eat turkey and be with your family!

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all take the time to be with family and friends, eat way too much food and watch hours of parades and football. It’s what this day is all about, right!?

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In any case, I’m taking the week off from blogging but I will take the time to recharge my batteries and have some great stuff leading up to Christmas, including a spoiler-free review of Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them.

Until next week, Gobble Gobble! Happy Thanksgiving!

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51nd6H6sATL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_SKU-000941753Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The Dark Tides is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse. The Outlander War can be previewed at Inkitt.

Happy Christmahannukwanzadan! I think that covers everybody …

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ef04f779cd7f475526a590fe1593b047This may be a tired subject to some people, but I really need to vent. We are getting to the point that there is no holiday season, it’s just three months of continuous holidays! Every year, it gets to be earlier and earlier and its driving me crazy. There’s even a definition for it.

Christmahannukwanzadan is defined in the Urban Dictionary as “a combination of the main holiday terms; Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, and Ramadan. To be used in this age of correctness where people may be offended by wishing one person a seasonal greeting but leaving another person out, thereby offending their race or creed.” Really? There is now a definition for this condition and it’s getting worse each and every year.

I saw the first signs of Fall in JULY when our local Wal-Mart starting putting out Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer. Then came the Fall decorations and the Halloween candy and costumes in Costco in AUGUST. Now, this past weekend, right next to said Halloween costumes and decorations, there are Christmas trees and lights being put on display … in SEPTEMBER!

I know that, for some people, Christmas is a mindset that lasts all year long. I married one of those fanatics so I know what I’m talking about. I spend my year watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music on a regular basis, so I’m immune to these dastardly effects, and please, don’t think I’m a “Grinch” either.

Call me old fashion, but I remember a time when there were three distinct holidays. October was the start of Fall and then Halloween. The day after Halloween, you started planning for Thanksgiving, parades, and football, and then into Christmas. You didn’t decorate your house until mid-December. I mean, look at some of the classic movies like “A Christmas Story” or “Miracle on 34th Street” or “The Waltons Homecoming” and you’ll see what it was like.

To paraphrase a line from the classic “Miracle on 34th Street,” there’s a lot of “isms” out there and commercialism is the worst. I mean, just look at what we eat and drink. Everything is pumpkin flavored this time of year, from coffee and beer to donuts and pasta. It’s out of control! I’ve even already started seeing ads for the “Countdown to Christmas” on the Hallmark Channel.

132452_1693116215144_6008395_o-1Look, I love the holidays. I am a master of lights and displays this time of year and I love to show it off, but can we please concentrate on one holiday at a time so we can enjoy the fun of each and everyone. You lose some of that holiday spirit when you run things together like this, then you skip over the true meanings that they bring to all of us. So let’s try to enjoy this holiday season without having everything run together to where it ruins those special days. Happy Christmahannukwanzadan to everyone!

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51nd6H6sATL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_SKU-000941753Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The Dark Tides is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse. The Outlander War can be previewed at Inkitt.