Tag: writing

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.

Summertime Blues sometimes equals Writers Block

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When the sun is high in the sky, the days are longer and the air is thick with humidity. All the while, the cool waters of the beach or swimming pool are calling you, what is a writer supposed to do? Sure, I can sit inside my air conditioned apartment and bang away at my keyboard, ignoring the possibilities of fun in the sun, but why? The oppressive heat and constant “air quality alerts” make going outside next to impossible. Still, it also makes it impossible to concentrate on writing.

Writer’s block is real! I’ve written maybe ten pages or less in the past month. It’s been hard to be inspired right now, especially after back surgery. It’s bad enough to sit behind my desk for my regular job, trying to keep moving to relieve pain in my back and legs. Then, sitting at night or on the weekends and writing is even harder. Plus, the heavy pain medications they have me on don’t help, either.

I’ve experienced writer’s block on more than one occasion. We are old friends and adversaries. We have dueled on the battlefield repeatedly, trading barbs and deleting poorly written sentences. Our conflicts have been bitter, nasty, and sometimes lasting for months or years. The struggle for The Dark Tides of 2012 still haunts me to this very day.

I still don’t have a cure for the evil of writer’s block. I’ve never been able to put it entirely behind me. All I can do is work through it or wait it out. Writer’s block is as unforgiving as a glacier moving through a chasm . . . slow and unrelenting. If you think about banging your head repeatedly into the wall, and never stop no matter how painful, that’s writer’s block.

All I can do is take it slow and work through the problems. I always say, “Writing a few sentences daily is progress in the right direction.” Keep doing that, and by the fall, I’ll have finished the chapter. Then, when cooler weather kicks in, and I’m feeling more like myself, with a pumpkin spice latte in hand, the words will start to flow again.

In the meantime, stay inside, and check out my Events page for upcoming book sales and conventions you can find me at.

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.

Indie Authors need to check out The Segilola Salami Show for marketing needs

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I’ve had the great opportunity to work with blogger, podcaster, and all around bookworm Segilola Salami. She is a great supporter of independent authors, helping them talk about their books, WIPs, or just about their career as a writer and author. Please check out the links below to see the range of services (both paid services and FREE) that she offers that might be suitable for your needs:

Business Services

  1. Click here to submit a guest post for FREE. I prefer educational posts that educate the reader. This service is suitable if you are trying to build links to your website.
  2. Click here now to book any content writing and online marketing services. I can write a press release for your business and distribute it. I can also write articles for your blog or your website copy.
  3. Click here to book your slot to appear as a guest on The Segilola Salami Show. I offer a range of marketing services to ensure that your appearance on my podcast gives you tangible results (depending on your needs).

Author Services

  1. Click here to submit an interview featuring a character from your book of fiction for FREE. Honestly, I love reading interviews featuring the characters in a book and my blog followers do too. A link to your book page on Amazon will be included in the post
  2. Click here to submit an excerpt from your fiction or non-fiction book for FREE. I normally recommend about 300 – 500 words from your most engaging chapter to pique the interest of the reader. A link to your book page on Amazon will be included in the post

As both services are free, you have nothing to lose. I for one submitted my steampunk novel Corsair and the Sky Pirates for these author services. I can’t wait! Visit her website or follow her on Facebook to find out more about Segilola Salami! You can listen and subscribe to her podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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 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.

My interview on The Gary Gulluh Radio Show

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I was honored to be interviewed on The Gary Gulluh Radio Show via It’s Gorgeous Radio tonight. Gary was a great host, totally down to earth and such a joy to talk to. We talked about my life growing up, my naval career, and my work as a writer-editor, and my books as an independent author.

We talked about the pitfalls of self-publishing, what inspires me as a writer, my favorite authors, and even got into it about how Hollywood remakes old movies and television shows instead of tapping into the unlimited potential of independent authors.

Gary has a foothold in the entertainment industry and understands the ups and downs of bringing new material to life. I have to admit, he was very interested in learning more about steampunk through my books The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart and Corsair and the Sky Pirates. I even got to read an excerpt of Corsair on the show. Click on the link below to watch the show in its entirety. Don’t miss the opening segment with actor Keith Gaffney and his new movie, “Say Less” coming out on April 2.

I gave Gary signed copies of all my books to thank him for inviting me to his show. I highly recommend subscribing to the channel on YouTube and Facebook to keep up on future episodes.

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 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.

The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart in Times Square

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Something amazing happened on January 20, 2023! My steampunk fantasy novel The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart appeared on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square as one of the 2022 The BookFest award-winning independent books! I am humbled and thrilled to be up there with the other award winners!

The BookFest Awards honors authors who create outstanding works of fiction and nonfiction. Books are judged in categories based on genre, theme, and aesthetics.  Entries will be vetted by an initial team, then the final places will be determined by an elite team of experts in the literary and entertainment world.

To put this in perspective, at 9,300 square feet, this larger than life digital billboard located in the heart of the Times Square commands attention. I mean, to use a Donald Trump-ism, it’s HUGE!!!!

This is the third award for The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart and I am so humbled by the honor. My novel won 3rd place for Fantasy-Magic, Myths, and Legends with The BookFest, 2022 AMG Indie Book Awards Grand Prize for Fiction, and 1st place for Steampunk, 2021 Firebird Book Awards.

I’m not trying to make an Oscar-like speech, but I want to thank a few people for helping me earn this achievement. First, Anna-Lena Spies for designing a spectacular book cover. Second, my editor Ali Soleil, who did a great job refining my manuscript. And last, but definitely not least, my wife Georgiene who also read and edited my book but she has supported me throughout my writing journey. I wouldn’t have accomplished this if not for her.

Mark your calendar to pick up a SIGNED copy of The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart or any of my other books at my first events of 2023 . . . The Williamsburg Book Festival in Williamsburg, VA, on February 4 and the Tell-Tale Steampunk Convention in Baltimore, MD, on April 1-2. I hope you’ll joining me on this adventure into steampunk and fantasy!

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 and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates, coming in January 2023. 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.

Support your indie author by leaving a book review

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The River of Souls, Forever Avalon, and The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart by award-winning author Mark Piggott.

Book reviews are the “bread and butter” for any independent or self-published author. Good or bad, book reviews are great feedback for an author to work on their craft and make them a better author. I can remember the first “honest” review I received on Forever Avalon shortly after it was published in 2009. It’s my one and only 2 STAR review.

“Nice try, but the book seems to be the effort of someone truly not gifted in the art of writing. Skip this one and save your money.”

Carl W. Alvers (Verified Purchase)

Ouch! I can honestly say this one hurt, but it also made me take a closer look at my writing and editing. The “vanity” publisher I worked with pushed my book out with no real edit or comments. I think they just wanted to get my money (lesson learned) and I just wanted to be able to call myself published. When they went out of business and I republished Forever Avalon on Amazon, I did a good edit on my manuscript. In the time between my first publication and this one, I took the criticism to heart and worked to improve my writing style, grammar, point-of-view, tense, etc.

That’s what I like about book reviews. Most reviewers love my storytelling, its the mechanics of my writing that they criticize, and I understand that completely. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started working with professional editors to clean up my work. Their insight has made me a better writer.

Book reviews also help with promoting your book with Amazon. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it in searches. Book reviews are important for all books, but especially for self-published books, because most of their sales are online. When it comes to selling books online, Amazon customer reviews can make or break a shoppers interest in a book.

“Authors rely on reviews to build credibility and word of mouth marketing, while readers rely on them to decide whether or not to purchase a book. The more positive reviews an author has, the more books he or she is likely to sell.”

Author Learning Center

The problem is that people are not very reliable in leaving reviews. That leads to other problems, as in how to get reviews. I will admit that I have paid for some of my book reviews, but I no longer do that. It leads to spam email and unwanted followers offering reviews for cash. I prefer working with my fellow indie authors. We swap books and provide reviews for each other. Feedback from my peers is priceless.

I get a lot of my reviews that way, but also from people I meet at book fairs and festivals I attend. I like the honest reviews I get from them. They’re not always frequent and not always positive, but it helps me grow. By reading these reviews, I know what my faults are and what I need to work on as I continue in my career as an author.

So, my one piece of advice to everyone out there . . . Help and Author and LEAVE A REVIEW! We can take the criticism and we need the attention, so please help out. It may sound like I’m begging (well, maybe just a little) but its a few minutes out of your day and it helps more than you know.

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.

I’m not much of a TikToker, but I’m trying to be one

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If you haven’t already noticed in my social media links, I now have a TikTok account. I will be the first one to admit that I’m not very good at it and I doubt the Chinese have any interest in the metadata of a independent author of fantasy and steampunk novels. It was the next logical step in further promotion and marketing as an author. I am nowhere near the expertise and zaniness of some of the people on TikTok. I primarily use it to promote my books, events, special announcements, and even some personal holiday fun. Beyond that, it’s difficult to wrap my head around this social media giant.

It’s so much easier in Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to just post a photo and write-up. With TikTok, I have to create a video, add music, stickers, effects, and text. It’s such a process to post a simple thirty second video. I think why I am struggling with TikTok. It’s too much work for one simple person. I mean, I use Hootsuite to publish to my other social media sites (highly recommend it to burgeoning indie authors). It’s FREE for up to three social media accounts and you can schedule up to ten times. There is a paid version but the free works well enough for me to stay ahead of the game.

TikTok, on the other hand, takes time and patience. There are a lot of great people that are fun to watch and they make it look so easy. Maybe its the old man in me. I am nearly 60 but I’ve stayed up on technology since I first typed on a TRS-80 (look it up if you don’t know what one is). I just can’t get into the videos of repeating voice overs of comics or famous movie and television scenes. Even the weird filters aren’t me. I just want to talk about my books, show videos from the events I attend, and that’s it.

There are a lot of great connections on TikTok. I met Teri Schnaubelt (@terischnaubelt on TikTok) a voice over artist who read a section of my book The River of Souls. It was great having a professional do something like that for FREE to hear my words come to life. Pop over to her TikTok page to hear more great books being read by a true professional and great lady. The other authors on there are supportive as well, promoting your books to readers and even giving ideas. Someone posted a video of using mini-candy bars as giveaways by wrapping them in book covers to look like little books. I did that and they came out great. You can really find a lot of good ideas on TikTok.

So, if you are on TikTok, come find me, follow and I will follow back, and hopefully I can get the hang of this new social media and make some fun and interesting content. I’m always open to suggestions.

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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 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.

My thoughts on the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, an inspiration to us all

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Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms (6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022)

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, thus ended the reign of the longest reigning monarch of the modern era. For 70 years, we have only known one queen and her name was Elizabeth. She was not only the queen, but she was also a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother. I am not a subject of Her Majesty, but I respect and want to honor her service to her country and the world. When she was only 21 years old, she pledged, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” She lived up to that pledge until the day she died.

As a fantasy author, monarchs are a part of my genre. I have loved the idea of a monarch since I first read the stories of King Arthur and Camelot, something I based my first novel, Forever Avalon, around. Britain and the monarchy are the stuff of legends, and Elizabeth II was no exception. She led Great Britain and the commonwealth by example in pursuit of nothing but the best for her people. She served in World War II at the tender age of 18 in the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a driver and a mechanic. Can you imagine, the future Queen of England driving an ambulance and performing tune ups on vehicles?

The world was a different place when she became queen. Women did not lead in many roles in our society in the 1950s and yet, she did it with steadfast determination. That’s the kind of inspiration a writer like me looks for in creating monarchs for my fantasy stories. Throughout my life, I have been surrounded by strong women, whether in my family or my military service, and Queen Elizabeth was a part of that. You can’t fake that kind of character when writing, you have to see it and experience it to believe it.

So now, we have a king, King Charles III. He has enormous shoes to fill to live up to the legacy his mother laid out for him, but at the same time, he had her as the best teacher possible. I hope and pray he will continue the great service of her life. These are trying times and leadership is desperately needed. Even as a writer, that continued inspiration is needed. In all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the eventual coronation of King Charles III, it fuels the fantasy stories within me. We live in an age where kings and queens, princes and princesses, and other royal titles are mostly found in storybooks.

Queen Elizabeth II was the true representation of what it meant to be a monarch. May she rest in peace. Thank you, ma’am, for your service to us all. God bless the Queen. God save the King.

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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 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.

First reviews for The River of Souls are in, plus my review of sci-fi novel Raq by T.K. Toppin

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The River of Souls fantasy novella from award-winning author Mark Piggott featuring poetry by Ashley Valitutto from Curious Corvid Publishing

The first book reviews for my new fantasy novella The River of Souls are in and it’s a great start for me under the wing of Curious Corvid Publishing. The first comes from author T.K. Toppin, and its always good to get feedback from your peers. We often support each other with ARC reads to give insight into each other’s work. T.K. has a new book out, which I’ll talk about in a minute.

“This was a delightful and heart-warming novella about the power of love, and how it can stretch and endure through different worlds – even death. A cleverly woven tale mixing fantasy and steampunk, and reflecting on topics that are all too current, from hatred to bigotry and life after war. I thoroughly enjoyed this moving, fast-paced book. Magic, swords, crossing different realms and mystical beings – what more do you need for an engaging read.”

Author T.K. Toppin review of The River of Souls

The next review came from Instagram bibliophile scifiladygj, Geo VanJar. She has previously read my books and reads a multitude of genres. I love when readers who come out to my events continue to support me as an independent author.

“@foreveravalon.author is quite the love storyteller. This novella is packed with memories of war and war. But what makes it encouraging is the author’s way of bringing to fore a future out of strife, pain and love. The story tells of the love of human and Dragonkin, which is taboo for most of those filled with prejudice after a 300 year war. But in the end, as it should, love conquers all. The author brought our own world into the fantasy world of Drogon vs human through the River of Souls, which brings home our own reactions to some. This novella is insightful, a bit of steampunk along with a healthy dose of true love. Well worth the read.”

Geo VanJar (scifiladygj) review of The River of Souls

Lastly, I want to give a shout out in my review of T.K. Toppin‘s latest sci-fi novel, Raq, available now in paperback and releasing September 16, 2022, on Amazon Kindle. I was captured after the first chapter. This book reads like an episode of original “Star Trek” written by Gene Roddenberry himself. It had the feel of classic science fiction but still modern to today. I loved the way it switched between the alien to the human perspective throughout. You understood both sides of the story, even though you may disagree with one or the other. It presented all the challenges of a first encounter with a world ending reality. T.K. is one of the great new voices in science fiction writing today. She has an array of novels from sci-fi crime noir to aliens and outer space. T.K. has got you covered. Stop by her Amazon Authors Page and check out all the great books she has to offer!

That’s the thing you have to understand about authors and readers. We look out for each other, we support each other, because we love our stories and what they represent. I know what it means to struggle with writing, editing, publishing, and marketing as an independent author. It’s not an easy path for any of us. Luckily, there’s a great support system out there to encourage our efforts every step of the way. Bonus, readers and bibliophiles LOVE to read and want to dive into your stories. To me, as a writer, that’s a “win/win” situation.

The River of Souls from Curious Corvid Publishing is available at Amazon and other online booksellers. Pick up your copy or download the ebook today! Or, come by my booth at the next 2nd Sundays Williamsburg – Art and Music Festival on Sunday, September 11, in Williamsburg, VA, and pick up a signed copy!

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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 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.

Working on multiple WIPs at the same time can be quite maddening for any writer

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Frustrated? Overworked? Help is one the way . . .

So, I’m in the middle of a crisis at the moment. I have multiple ideas for stories, both ones I’m working on, new ones, and ones I haven’t even put down notes on yet. They’re all rattling through my head, begging for life. I try to work on what I can, but then my mind drifts elsewhere. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up at 3am with one of these stories nagging at me. Like I said, maddening. I wish I could get committed to an asylum just so I could sit quietly and write. I would take a vacation to work on them, but then I probably wouldn’t have a wife to come home to anymore. I mean, she puts up with me dragging her to conventions, art festivals, and book signings.

This is a dilemma, one every writer runs into from time to time. I know I’m not alone in this madness. The difference for me is that I am not looking through multiple storylines in one genre or story. I have a multitude of ideas streaming through my head like a Netflix playlist. From steampunk sky pirates to mercenary demon hunters, a wayward Magus, and knights of Avalon, I don’t know where to begin. Add to that the short stories I’m constantly plugging away at to ply my trade within the many opportunities available to the writing community.

Curious Corvid Publishing . . . Publishing a variety of gothic works that bring a voice to the darker side of life.

The one good thing I can say about these shenanigans is that I feel a sense of relief within this madness because I have a publisher now. Being one of the myriad of talented authors under Curious Corvid Publishing has given me pause in my madness . . . Well, partly. Having a publisher that supports me as a writer takes away the worry of frantically searching for someone to publish my stories. I have that support system under me so I can focus on writing and no worry about who’s going to publish my next fantasy trope. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be a part of this up-and-coming publishing house. Thank you Ravven!

I’ve been self-published for more than ten-plus years. As a side job, I know I’m still operating in the red. I spend more money on publishing, marketing, etc., than I earn from selling books. That’s the rub for any independent, self-published author. We do this because we love it, no matter what the cost. Not saying that I want to go bankrupt being a writer, I just want to tell my stories the easiest way I can. Just reading a good review or hearing someone say they liked my story is reward enough for me. The problem is getting the damn things out of my head.

For now, I need a calm mind and a cool head. That will get me through my writing dilemma. One thing at a time, maintaining my focus, and this will all work itself out. But maybe, just maybe, I do need to take a small vacation to push through all this frustration. Maybe I can talk my wife into a nice spot on the beach where she can catch some rays while I sit under the umbrella, tapping away on my laptop. There’s a compromise in there somewhere.

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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.