Be sure to stop by the Warm Heart Market at the Community Center (233 W. Main Street) between noon and 5pm, where I’ll have a table with my quotable critters, art items, and my short story collection. Here’s a preview of some of the items as I was putting together my displays:
I have a new display for my crochet critters, which will hopefully make them easier for shoppers to see all of the options I have available–because they’re all different! I’ve also developed a few new designs, including the jellyfish, the pigs, and the penguins for Winterval!
In addition to the crochet critters, I have several art items featuring cover art and quotes from my stories, including small magnets, keychains, pins, and several different designs of stickers. The art prints, mousepads, books, and free coloring pages didn’t even make it into my pictures! You’ll just have to visit the Warm Heart Market tomorrow to see everything and to take advantage of all of the other Winterval activities downtown as well!
This event will be a bit different from my previous events since it focuses on homemade and handcrafted items. I’ll have a table with lots of quotable critters (small crochet animals made by me) along with art items based on my cover art and quotes from my stories, including stickers, magnets, keychains, pins, mousepads, and more. If you don’t already have a copy of my science fiction and fantasy story collection Sorcery & Widgets, I’ll have signed paperback copies for sale as well.
The Warm Heart Market takes place on Saturday, January 28th from 12:00pm-5:00pm at the Community Center (233 W. Main Street) in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. While you’re visiting the Warm Heart Market, check out the other Winterval events as well:
Sale!
The paperback version of Sorcery & Widgets has been on sale at Amazon for several months, and lately it has been hovering at about 50% off! I don’t have control over when Amazon changes the sale price, so I can’t predict how long it will stay that way, but if you want to check it out, follow the QR Code or the link below:
There was a great turnout at the Last Thursday event at Hyde Brothers in October, where I read two stories from my collection Sorcery & Widgets, along with two local poets reading their work. I appreciate Hyde Brothers putting together the event and always supporting local authors!
Midnight Sale at Hyde Brothers – Tonight!
If you missed the reading, you can still pick up a signed copy of Sorcery & Widgets at Hyde Brothers, and check out their selection of other books as well. Tonight they are having a midnight sale from 10pm to 2am with discounts, deals, and holiday fun!
Hoosier Indie Authors Book Fair
I had a great time at the Hoosier Indie Authors Book Fair at the Honeywell Center in Wabash, Indiana, where I had a table with my book, art items, and a selection of crochet quotable critters. I enjoyed chatting with everyone who came by the table and seeing the variety of books and authors in attendance. It was a very nice event, and I look forward to many more!
Chiara’s parents were taken by the Guardians when she was a child, and she never felt like she belonged on her aunt and uncle’s farm. They fear the power she wields, but Chiara intends to marry a nice farmer and let them forget she even exists. Or, that was her plan until a stranger fell from the sky and disrupted all of their lives.
Love, betrayal, loss, and regret. She refuses to cry over the man she once loved. But he asked her to have one last drink for him, and at the very least, she owes him that.
On the run from the citymen, intergalactic spy Greg Meredith has one hope of figuring out who is responsible for blowing his cover. He needs to escape his enemies and review the data on his neurochip. Running toward the ranchlands in the rain, he will encounter unexpected allies and enemies before he uncovers the truth.
The sea does not relinquish treasures. The mender understands and has no intention of saving the water-logged woman until he notices the islands on her arm. She is a Guardian. Guardians protect the islands. Guardians call dragons from the sky.
Itziar knows this island needs a Guardian–children are being snatched under the cover of storm and darkness–but can she save them without losing herself?
When the Bard’s tale is interrupted by soldiers from the fire king’s army, she must try to escape the town without letting her unpredictable magic destroy it. But the question is, have the townspeople been listening to her tale of prophecy and action? Will they aid her, or turn her over to the soldiers? Each person must decide for themselves.
With the intergalactic war over, they were supposed to be enjoying retirement. Instead, Mona learns that her husband has died in a gravcar accident, leaving her to hunt his killers. But the couple has too many enemies, and she doesn’t know where to start. She’ll have to untangle this new threat before she can retire in peace.
Everyone thinks Niall is dead, which leads him to believe he can finally get his life back on track. But when his old enemies return with a plan that involves a dangerous magical update, Niall must choose between the safety of those closest to him and the woman he loved and lost.
75% off:
Explore new worlds—both magical and those among the stars—in this collection of science fiction and fantasy stories.
From novelettes to flash fiction, this collection features sixteen exciting stories. Mages, new tech, prophecies, superheroes, intersecting timelines, pirates, shapeshifters, dragons, spaceships, and more await within the pages of Sorcery & Widgets.
The collection includes 16 science fiction and fantasy stories: Claimed by the Sea, Konstantin, Dear Superhero, Racing the Sand, Retirement, A Small Kindness, H2O, Inheritance of Nightmares, Sparkles, Changing Keys, Nothing Altered, The Day the Future Invaded, Trying to Fly, Running Into the Rain, Captain Sable’s Crew, and A Prophecy and the People.
I’ve been busy getting ready for my next event, and I almost forgot to post about it!
It’s only a few days away–this Saturday, November 26th, I’ll be at the Hoosier Indie Authors Book Fair at the Honeywell Center (275 W. Market Street, Wabash, Indiana) from 9am to 1pm. You can meet authors from the Indiana area while you shop for the readers and writers in your life (or for yourself!).
I’ll have signed copies of my collection, Sorcery & Widgets, which includes 16 science fiction and fantasy stories in one book. I’ve also expanded my selection to include items that combine my cover art with quotes from my stories as well as tiny crochet reading buddies that connect to the themes of my work. I haven’t pinned down all of the details, but I’ll have some coloring pages and free stories to give away at my table, so I hope you can stop by and say hi!
Join me and two other local authors for a reading at Hyde Brothers Booksellers next Thursday, October 27th at 7pm!
As part of an ongoing reading series at Hyde Brothers, I’ll be reading at least one, possibly two, stories from my collection, Sorcery & Widgets. And signed copies of the book are available for purchase at the store if you can’t wait to start reading!
If you’ve never been to Hyde Brothers, you should go even if you can’t make it on Thursday (they have bookstore cats!). The store is located at 1428 Wells Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the event takes place from 7pm to 9:30pm on October 27th with each author reading for 15-20 minutes with a brief intermission between readers. You can find more information on the bookstore’s website and Facebook page.
I’ll leave you with a preview of the local authors that will be reading their work at the event, and I hope to see you there!
50% Discount on a Collection of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Stories:
The Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale is almost over, and I haven’t even posted to let you know it is happening! You have until the end of the day on July 31st to get the deals! You can find all of my ebooks here, and the ones on sale will be marked until it is over.
During the sale, you can purchase the ebook of my collection, Sorcery & Widgets for 50% off. That’s 16 science fiction and fantasy stories for $2.99!
Sorcery & Widgets: Science Fiction and Fantasy Collections 1 & 2
Explore new worlds—both magical and those among the stars—in this collection of science fiction and fantasy stories. From novelettes to flash fiction, this collection features sixteen exciting stories. Mages, new tech, prophecies, superheroes, intersecting timelines, pirates, shapeshifters, dragons, spaceships, and more await within the pages of Sorcery & Widgets.
Free Stories:
If you’d rather try out some of the stories first, I’m offering seven of my stories for free during the sale:
Fish and Fools: A Fantasy Short Story
Inspired by the howling wind of the wildlands, the Bard carves a tale of misfits, monsters, and what it means to be a hero.
A Prophecy and the People: A Fantasy Short Story
When the Bard’s tale is interrupted by soldiers from the fire king’s army, she must try to escape the town without letting her unpredictable magic destroy it. But the question is, have the townspeople been listening to her tale of prophecy and action? Will they aid her, or turn her over to the soldiers? Each person must decide for themselves.
Inheritance of Nightmares: A Fantasy Novelette
Even dragons could not defeat the nightmare beast that pursues Sian and her unique blend of magic. With nowhere else to go, she returns to the foothills she once called home. She knows it will track her there. It always does. Having escaped his own nightmares, Dagr lives a quiet existence in a mountain cave until his path crosses with Sian’s–and that of her nightmare beastie.
Running Into the Rain: A Science Fiction Short Story
On the run from the citymen, intergalactic spy Greg Meredith has one hope of figuring out who is responsible for blowing his cover. He needs to escape his enemies and review the data on his neurochip. Running toward the ranchlands in the rain, he will encounter unexpected allies and enemies before he uncovers the truth.
Retirement: A Science Fiction Short Story
With the intergalactic war over, they were supposed to be enjoying retirement. Instead, Mona learns that her husband has died in a gravcar accident, leaving her to hunt his killers. But the couple has too many enemies, and she doesn’t know where to start. She’ll have to untangle this new threat before she can retire in peace.
Captain Sable’s Crew: A Fantasy Short Story
Some would call him a pirate, but Captain Devlin Sable tries not to call himself much of anything. He’s more concerned with putting together a reliable crew. However, the Empire has other ideas–it wants him dead, and it’s willing to pay in gold.
H2O: A Short Story
Love, betrayal, loss, and regret. She refuses to cry over the man she once loved. But he asked her to have one last drink for him, and at the very least, she owes him that.
Always Free:
If you see this after the sale ends (or you just want more stories to read!), I have five of my stories set to permanently free on Smashwords:
The Day the Future Invaded: A Flash Fiction Story
The future invades in the middle of winter, bringing people, buildings, and technology. The scientists are stumped, but how will the average person react to all of these changes?
Dear Superhero: A Flash Fiction Story
The solitary superhero must walk her path alone, concealing her identity and pushing all of her loved ones away. This is the way the superhero before her acted, but is this the way it has to be? A masked vigilante ponders these questions of connections to others and comes to her own conclusion.
A Small Kindness: A Fantasy Short Story
The potter-mage down the lane seems intent on putting Bram out of business, but when Bram offers a small kindness to a stranger, will it help or hurt his efforts to thwart his rival’s plan?
Nothing Altered: A Fantasy Short Story
With the southern portion of the kingdom in rebellion, the Crown has begun accepting commoners as candidates for its elite fighting force, the Prince’s Legion. Tyna decides to ask if they are also willing to take a woman.
Konstantin: A Science Fiction Short Story
When his brother falls for a pretty face and unwittingly lets a threat on board, it is up to Konstantin to stop the hacker before it is too late. There’s just one problem—Konstantin is the ship, with his brain hardwired to its systems. By attacking the ship’s computer, the hacker is attacking him, and in order to gain complete control, she just might have to shut him down for good.
I had fun at Muncie Comic Con last Saturday! I enjoyed chatting with everyone at my table, as well as seeing the different cosplayers and vendors. Since I had an “artist” table, I brought some items featuring the cover art (which I make) from my ebooks. I think this added an extra dynamic to my table so I will likely be developing more of these in the future, but the tiny crochet “reading buddies” (my most recent hobby) certainly stole the show–I sold out of them entirely! Thanks to everyone who attended the event and stopped by my table!
Redeem your free story samples by July 1st
If you picked up one of my story samples, be sure to redeem it before the coupon expires July 1, 2022. To redeem it, go to my author page on Smashwords and find the cover that matches the cover of your tiny book sample. Go to the page for that book and click the Buy button–it looks like it does require you to make a Smashwords account if you don’t already have one (but it’s free!), and then you’ll have the opportunity to put in the coupon code (found on the inside of your tiny book sample) at checkout. If you run into any issues redeeming your story sample, let me know through the contact page and I’ll get it sorted out. Once you’ve checked out, you can download the story in whatever your preferred ebook format is and start reading!
Winner of the signed paperback
At the end of the event, I drew a winner from the box to receive a signed copy of Sorcery & Widgets! I sent the notification email to the winner on Sunday, so if you entered to win the book, check your email (and your junk folder). If you didn’t win and you didn’t get a copy of the book this weekend, it is available to purchase as a paperback through Amazon and as an ebook through all of the major ebookstores–you can find all of the links here.
Upcoming Events
I don’t have any more upcoming events scheduled at the moment (but I do have one in the works), so keep an eye on the events page–I plan to add more in the future!
After being postponed for two years, the Muncie Comic Con is happening this Saturday, May 21st from 10:30am to 4:30pm!
They have announced several special guests, including:
Timothy Zahn (New York Times Bestselling author / Star Wars) Christina Blanch (Tales from the Crypt / Good Boy) Ethan Sacks (Star Wars / Old Man Hawkeye) Gavin Smith (Star Trek: The Mirror War / Dead Legends) Kyle Starks (Rick and Morty / Mars Attacks) Stuart Sayger (Army of Darkness / Shiver in the Dark) Matthew Hansel (Underdog / Marty and Spud) and more!
Check out their website for a full list of guests and vendors.
I restocked my supply of books–they are just waiting to be read!
I have an author table at the event where I’ll be selling signed copies of Sorcery & Widgets at a special event price, along with a few other book-related items. Sorcery & Widgets is my collection of sixteen science fiction and fantasy stories, ranging in length from novelette to flash fiction and containing adventures with different characters in different worlds. If you like something new with each story, this is the collection for you!
You can purchase passes for the Muncie Comic Con on the event website, and the location is:
Heartland Building Delaware County Fairgrounds 2010 Wheeling Avenue Muncie, Indiana 47303
My story “Captain Sable’s Cats” has been accepted by MYTHIC magazine, and will appear in issue #19! While you’re waiting, you can check out the recently released issue #17–happy reading!
Free Story – This Week Only!
To celebrate the upcoming publication of “Captain Sable’s Cats,” I’ve made “Captain Sable’s Crew,” which is another adventure with some of the same characters, free on Smashwords through November 6th–enjoy!
Beth Powers 