I’ve been working on a variety of frogs and other wetland critters this week as I’m getting ready for Earth Day Fort Wayne at Eagle Marsh. Earth Day is on Saturday, but the event is Sunday, April 23rd from 1pm-5pm at the Eagle Marsh Barn (6801 Engle Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804). I’ll be selling crochet critters, many of which are inspired by the wildlife that can be found at Eagle Marsh! As a bonus for this event, I’m partnering with a local photographer to sell nature-themed cards and magnets. Many of the photographs featured on these items were taken in the wetlands and other natural areas in the midwest!
The Earth Day Fort Wayne event will also have a native plant giveaway, education programs, hikes, food trucks, a variety of other vendors, and activities. It should be a fun day!
Muncie Comic Con Wrap-Up
There was a great turnout for the Muncie Comic Con last weekend! I was happy to see so many of my crochet critters find new homes–the dumbo octopuses were the top sellers of the day! If you post a picture of your new critter on social media, tag me (@DrBethPowers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). I’d like to see where they end up!
I enjoyed walking around the event, which had a nice variety of art, books, comics, collectibles, and more (and I even picked up a few prizes of my own!). It was fun chatting with everyone who stopped by the table, and to those who entered the giveaway for a copy of Sorcery & Widgets, check your email (and your junk folder, just in case!). We drew a name at the end of the event, and I’ve sent the email notification to the winner–congratulations and happy reading! I’m looking forward to next year in Muncie!
And I hope to see you next Sunday at Earth Day Fort Wayne!
Muncie Comic Con is this Saturday from 10am-5pm at the Delaware County Fairgrounds (Heartland Building, 1200 Wheeling Avenue, Muncie, IN 47303). I’ll have lots of fun items for sale this year (some of them pictured above!) including big and small crochet critters, magnets, keychains, stickers, pins, art prints, mousepads, and my book, Sorcery & Widgets! I’ll also have free stories and coloring pages to give away, along with a drawing for a paperback copy of the book. It should be a fun event, and I look forward to chatting with everyone who stops by my table!
Earth Day Fort Wayne at Eagle Marsh – April 23, 2023
On Sunday, April 23rd, I’ll be at Earth Day Fort Wayne at Eagle Marsh (6801 Engle Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804) for a different type of event, celebrating nature, wetlands, and the environment! I won’t be selling books, but I will be selling crochet critters, many of which are animals that can be found at Eagle Marsh, including the frog, eagle, and bee pictured above. Earth Day Fort Wayne is always an exciting event with a variety of vendors, food, activities, and a native plant giveaway. It’s also free and open to the public! I hope you’ll stop by one or both of these events in the next couple of weeks!
The Read an Ebook Week sale started yesterday at Smashwords, and I have several ebooks in the sale, which goes until March 11th. Continue reading to find out more about the stories on sale!
50% off:
Sorcery & Widgets: Collections 1 & 2
You’ll get the most for your money if you buy Sorcery & Widgetsat 50% because it contains 16 of my science fiction and fantasy stories, including all of the stories that are currently on sale for free and several that aren’t!
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.
Sorcery & Spaceships: Collection 1
Since all of the stories in collections 1 & 2 are contained in Sorcery & Widgets, they’re both 50% off as well (but Sorcery & Widgets is still the better deal!)
From pirates to dragons, these stories include spaceships and magic, covering a range of genres from fantasy to science fiction to romance. Containing debts and duels, family and friendships, loss and love, this collection is ideal for the reader that is interested in a little bit of everything.
Widgets & Wizardry
In this science fiction and fantasy collection, explore new worlds, where you will meet dragons, nightmare beasts, superheroes, shapeshifters, spies, and more. Encounter new tech and new communities filled with friendship, prophecy, rebellion, and revenge. This collection is ideal for the reader who enjoys a variety of sub-genres and lengths.
Free during the sale:
Inheritance of Nightmares
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
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.
H2O
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.
Changing Keys
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.
Captain Sable’s Crew
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.
Sparkles
Thomas was having a bad day. And that was before his ship started drifting toward a Molasses storm.
Trying to Fly
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.
Always Free!
These stories are always free on Smashwords, but don’t let that stop you from checking them out during the sale!
Dear Superhero
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.
Konstantin
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.
A Small Kindness
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?
The Day the Future Invaded
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?
Nothing Altered
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.
We had a nice turnout for the Winterval Warm Heart Market in January. Many of my crochet critters went to new homes, and I was able to try out my new display setup! I’m looking forward to a few more events this year, and you can find out the details below!
Book Sales
Paperback on Sale at Amazon
For awhile now, the paperback price of Sorcery & Widgets on Amazon has been dropping, and currently, it’s more than 50% off! I don’t usually post when the Amazon prices fluctuate because I don’t control how long the sale will last, but right now the paperback version is only $6.42 (regularly $14.99), which is nearly the same price as the ebook version. If your preferred reading material is a paperback, now is your chance to get a great deal on the book–and the 16 science fiction and fantasy stories contained in its pages! Because I didn’t set the sale price, I can’t predict how long it will stay this low, so get the deal while you can!
Read an Ebook Week Sale
The Read An Ebook Week Sale is coming up at Smashwords.com from March 5th to March 11th. There will be lots of discounted and free ebooks, including several of mine. I’ll post more details about which of my stories are on sale when the event starts. In the meantime, you can check out the ebooks that are available on my Smashwords page (but wait until the 5th to buy them because they might be discounted or even free!)
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for the following 2023 events! I might add more events later on, but these are the ones that are confirmed. You can always check the Events page for up-to-date info.
Muncie Comic Con – Muncie, Indiana – April 15, 2023
FantastiCon – Fort Wayne, Indiana – October 28-29, 2023
FantastiCon Saturday, October 28, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday, October 29, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Grand Wayne Convention Center 120 W. Jefferson Avenue Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
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.
Beth Powers 