I’m a bit behind on posting, but this weekend is Tabletop Adventure Con! The event takes place at the Warsaw Community High School (1 Tiger Lane, Warsaw, Indiana 46580) on October 19-20, but I’ll only be there on Saturday (10/19) during the vendor hall hours from 10am to 6pm. You can find out more details and purchase tickets here. I’ll be selling signed copies of my short story collections, art items that use the original art from my book covers, and of course, lots of quotable critters! I’ve been crocheting keychain-sized critters lately, mostly from yarn that I buy a local yarn shop, Simply Socks. Check out the ones I made from the second month of their sock yarn club. I’ll have these and more with me this Saturday–hope to see you there!
Next up – H3: Homemade, Handmade Holiday on November 23, 2024
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the H3: Homemade, Handmade Holiday Event in New Haven, Indiana on November 23, 2024 if you haven’t already. I really enjoyed this event last year, and I’m looking forward to returning this year!
These two are the only events I’m signed up for currently, but I’m in the process of applying to at least one more. I’ll post if I add it or any others, but you can always check the Events page of the website for my upcoming events or to get an idea of my past events. If there’s an event you want me to consider attending, feel free to send me a note through the contact page or comment on this post. Thanks!
Sci-Fi Central at Science Central – August 17, 2024
Buy your tickets now, and join the fun this Saturday at Science Central’s Sci-Fi Central event! I attended the first Sci-Fi Central in 2016 as a panelist, and this year, I’m returning as a vendor, where I’ll be selling signed copies of my books, a variety of art items, and of course, my quotable critters–including a larger variety of themed bee keychains and some critters made with new yarn!
The event is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Ghostbusters, and there will be cosplayers, Star Wars characters, foodtrucks, other vendors, and more! It sounds like a fun time, and I hope to see you there!
More Ebook Options
Recently, several of my stories and my largest collection have been distributed to Hoopla, which is a platform for ebooks, audiobooks, and videos that is used by many libraries. If you’ve never used it before, check and see if your library offers this service–you might be able to read my books (and more) for free! Currently, Hoopla has my collection, Sorcery & Widgets, which includes 16 sci-fi and fantasy stories, in addition to several individual stories:
Claimed by the Sea Changing Keys Trying to Fly Racing the Sand Inheritance of Nightmares Retirement A Prophecy and the People Running Into the Rain
They also have Sorcery & Spaceships (collection 1) and Widgets & Wizardry (collection 2), both of which are contained in Sorcery & Widgets. I’m not sure what their selection criteria is, but I’m hoping they will continue to add more, so if you don’t find what you want right away, check back later!
Mark your Calendars – Fall Events
I’ve added a few events to the list for this fall, and I’m working on lining up a couple more, so mark your calendars for these:
A mini tabletop game convention geared towards promoting mental health awareness and the importance of play. The vendor hall is open from 10am-6pm on Saturday, October 19th, and 10am-4pm on Sunday, October 20th. I only have a table for Saturday, but you should check it out either way!
H3: Homemade, Handmade Holiday Event – November 23, 2024
Just in time to pick out unique holiday gifts and treats, artisans, crafters, bakers, and makers will be set up to sell their homemade and handmade items! They don’t have the event page up for this one yet, but it will be from 9am-1pm at the New Haven Community Center. If you attended either of the H3 events last year, you know that this event always has a nice variety of vendors and creations!
This Saturday, stop by Half-Price Books in Fort Wayne (533 E Coliseum Blvd) from 1pm to 3pm to pick up some summer reads! I’ll be selling signed copies of my short story collections along with some art items, including stickers, magnets, prints, and buttons, and of course, my quotable critters!
This & That Market Days – July 17, 2024
Mark your calendars for This & That‘s Vendor Market Day–I’ll be back for the next market on July 17th from 6pm to 9pm. Check out the picture above to see my last table set up. Looking forward to it!
Summer Sale @ Smashwords – ends July 31, 2024
Smashwords is having a summer sale as usual in July, but they’ve changed some of their enrollment options, so I didn’t put my books in the sale this year. Instead, I’m having my own sale! From now until the end of July, you can get Sorcery & Widgets (or either of the smaller collections that it contains) for 50% off with the coupon code K6PVZ:
I made a banner for my table–here’s a picture of a recent event without the banner and one with it. I’m hoping that it will make it easier for you to spot my table at these upcoming events!
Muncie Comic Con – May 11, 2024
In less than two weeks on May 11th, I’ll be at the Muncie Comic Con at the Delaware County Fairgrounds (Heartland Building, 1200 Wheeling Avenue, Muncie, Indiana 47303). The event is from 10am (9:30am for VIPs) to 5pm, and you can buy tickets online now for a discount. They have been announcing vendors and guests on their Facebook page, and it looks like there will be a nice variety.
I’ll have books, art items, including stickers, magnets, pins, keychains, mousepads, and prints, and of course, lots of my quotable crochet critters! I have some new items–tiny buttons!–and I’ve made some new critters, including some variations on previous patterns. I hope you’ll come see them in person on May 11th!
This & That Market Days – May 15, 2024
I’ve added a new event just a few days after the Muncie Comic Con! I signed up for the first This & That Vendor Market Day on May 15, 2024 from 4pm to 8pm–it will be at the This & That store (3426 North Anthony Blvd, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46805), and also connected to The Garden’s Night Market. There will be vendors, art, music, and food trucks, and I’ll be there with books, art, and crochet! It should be a fun time!
Mark Your Calendars:
Book Signing @ Half Price Books – June 22, 2024
In June, I’ll be at Half Price Books in Fort Wayne (533 E Coliseaum Blvd). Along with signing and selling my books, I’ll have my book-related items, including art based on my covers and my quotable critters! Stop by the store and pick up some new books to read too!
Tabletop Adventure Con – October 19, 2024
This one isn’t until the fall, but in case you want to get it on your calendar, I’ll be at the Tabletop Adventure Con in Warsaw, Indiana (at the Warsaw Community High School, 1 Tiger Lane) on October 19th, 2024. You can buy your badges now to be ready for this board game mini convention. I’ll see you in October (if not before)!
Read an Ebook Week at Smashwords – Now through March 9, 2024
The Read an Ebook Week Sale is happening now at Smashwords! For the sale, I’ve made the stories that share characters or worlds with my more recent stories free:
If you’d rather get the whole collection together along with ten other stories, Sorcery & Widgets is 25% off during the sale as well. All of my Smashwords sale stories can be found on my author page. The sale ends in a few days on March 9, 2024, so be sure to check it out soon!
Runes & Rivets on Sale at Amazon – March 11-18, 2024
Following the Smashwords sale, my newest collection Runes & Rivets will be on sale in its Kindle version on Amazon from March 11th to March 18th for 99¢! If you read my free stories in the Smashwords sale, you’ll be able to continue the adventures of Captain Sable, Sonja, and the Bard, along with reading some new stories, including sci-fi, urban fantasy, and more!
H3: Spring Shopping Event – March 16, 2024
If you’d rather shop in person, I’ll be at H3: Homemade Handmade Holiday Spring Event on Saturday, March 16th from 9am to 1pm at the New Haven Community Center (7500 SR 930 E, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46803 – located behind McDonald’s). I’ll have my books, stickers, other art items, and of course, my crochet critters:
Having acquired new yarn from the local yarn shop, Simply Socks Yarn Company, I’ve been making a lot of little critter keychains lately, which means I’ll need a bigger display for them! This is my work-in-progress keychain tree to make them easier for everyone to see at the event!
Mark Your Calendars – Muncie Comic Con: May 11, 2024
If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for the Muncie Comic Con on May 11, 2024! They don’t have their website up yet, but it’s scheduled, and I’ll be there with books, art, critters, and more!
January Events Wrap-Up
Last Thursday @ Hyde Brothers
I had a great time reading during the Last Thursday Event at Hyde Brothers in January, and it was fun listening to new works by other local authors as well. The bookstore is continuing its the “new year, new books” theme for the next couple of events, so if you missed the last few months, you can still catch the next one at the end of March!
Winterval’s Warm Heart Market
There was a good turnout at Winterval’s Warm Heart Market in January–thanks to everyone who stopped by my table! You can check out my new display case and the first version of my keychain tree in the picture. I have a new banner to put on the front of the table next weekend, which will make it even easier to find me at H3 on March 16th–see you then!
Hyde Brothers is kicking off the new year of their Last Thursday reading event on January 25, 2024 at 7 p.m. by highlighting local authors that have recently published a new book. I’ll be joining M.A. Koontz and Christopher Guerin to read from my new collection Runes & Rivets. You can purchase it, along with my first collection Sorcery & Widgets and many other excellent reads in the local author section at the bookstore–support your local authors and your local bookstore at the same time! I’ve included a picture from my last reading to give you an idea of the fun setup they have–you get to listen to authors read surrounded by books and bookstore cats (not in the picture, sorry!). The bookstore is located at 1428 Wells Street in Fort Wayne, and you should check it out sometime even if you can’t make it to the reading–it’s a great place, and there are so many books, you’re sure to find something to read 🙂
Winterval’s Warm Heart Market
Looking for something to do on a cold winter day? Stop by Winterval’s Warm Heart Market at the Community Center (233 W. Main Street) in downtown Fort Wayne between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on January 27, 2024 and check out a variety of handcrafted items from the local community. I’ll be there with my crochet critters–look for a preview of some of my new ones near the bottom of this post! I’ll also have art items, including stickers, mousepads, keychains, and art prints, and of course, you can buy signed copies of my books that inspired all of the handmade art!
Here’s a picture from Winterval last year to give you an idea of what to look forward to:
Free ebook from now until January 19th!
Starting today through Friday, January 19th, you can get the ebook of Runes & Rivets for free on Amazon! If you enjoyed Sorcery & Widgets, continue the adventures with this collection, which includes pirates, dragons, mysteries, heroes, spaceports, assassins, mages, and more!
If you could leave a review after reading, I would appreciate it! Also, did you know that you can review books on Amazon that you didn’t purchase there? If you bought one of my books at an event, you can review it there along with places like Goodreads, or just tell your friends about it!
New Yarn, New Crochet
In December, I visited a local shop, Simply Socks Yarn Company, which has an excellent variety of yarn, especially very light weight yarn, and the lighter the weight, the smaller the critters! I bought several different sizes and colors, and here are a few of the critters that I’ve made from them in the last few weeks. I’ve also developed a couple of new designs, including axolotls, cardinals, and bears. You’ll have to stop by one of my events to see what I come up with next!
Mark Your Calendars
New Haven is having another H3: Homemade, Handmade, Holiday event on March 16, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the New Haven Community Center (7500 SR 930 E, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46803). It’s still a few months away, but I wanted to mention it so that you can mark your calendars!
I have at least one more spring event in the works, and I might add one more later on, so keep an eye on my events page for the details.
H3: Homemade, Handmade Holiday – November 18, 2023
I signed up for a new event this year–H3: Homemade, Handmade Holiday! It takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on November 18th (only about a week and a half from now!) at the New Haven Community Center (7500 SR 930 E, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46803), which is located behind McDonald’s.
I’m a fan of the event promo picture–it makes me want to crochet a sloth and stick it in a mug 🙂 At the event, I’ll have my quotable critters, including a few new ones (no sloths…yet), as well as my art items and books. I hope to see you there!
FantastiCon – Event Wrap-up
I had a fun time at FantastiCon Fort Wayne last weekend! I chatted with a lot of people about books, crochet, cats, and art, and saw some fantastic cosplays. I only briefly walked around the rest of the event, but I saw plenty of interesting things to look at–I wish I had more time to explore!
I haven’t scheduled any events for 2024 yet, but keep an eye on my events page because I will add them there when I do. Until then, happy reading!
Since I already included the back cover description of Runes & Rivets in my Fall Events post, I thought I would do something a little different here. Most of the seven stories in Runes & Rivets have connections to at least one story in my first collection, Sorcery & Widgets, so I thought I would highlight some of those connections and make a few recommendations on reading order:
Captain Sable’s Cats This one will be easy to guess since there was a story called “Captain Sable’s Crew” in Sorcery & Widgets. “Captain Sable’s Cats” is another of the pirate captain’s adventures when he once again crosses paths with a cat (or two or three). If you want to read them in order, you should read “Captain Sable’s Crew” first.
Brimstone and Brine This was the first of the Carving Bard’s tales that I wrote, but confusingly, “A Prophecy and the People”, which is last chronologically, was the first one published. You can find it in Sorcery & Widgets. The Bard tales can be read in any order, but you can see the Bard become more and more engaged in her stories if you start with this one and end with “A Prophecy and the People”
Recipe for a Mage Technically, this one goes between “H2O” and “Changing Keys” (both of which are in Sorcery & Widgets), but as long as you read “H2O” first, you’ll have the backstory for Sonja’s adventure in this story.
Fish and Fools “Fish and Fools” is another Bard tale, and although it falls between “Brimstone and Brine” and “A Prophecy and the People”, you could read it in any order without spoiling what happens in the main story.
The Bodyguard and the Heir Without giving too much away, I can’t tell you a lot about the connections in this one, but you will see that it connects to the world of the Carving Bard tales–the fire king looms in the background of both. Because there is only a loose connection, you don’t have to read this one in any particular order.
Shattered Webs “Shattered Webs” is the only story without any connections to my previously published stories. However, it is the longest story in this collection, so it has room to develop the world and the characters all by itself. This one might connect to a future project because the main character, Spider, originated as a side character in an unpublished urban fantasy novel that I’ve been writing off and on for several years.
New Purchase Options for Runes & Rivets
In addition to purchasing the paperback from Amazon or buying a signed copy from me in person at an event, you now have a few more options for acquiring your own copy of Runes & Rivets:
Ebook Version
I put together the ebook version of Runes & Rivets this past weekend, and it’s now available on Amazon. For the first time, I’m experimenting with Kindle Unlimited. I believe that means you can read it for free as long as you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. The initial period to enroll a book in Kindle Unlimited is 90 days, and since it requires exclusivity, I’m not sure I’ll leave it there beyond that time frame, so take advantage of it while it’s there!
Shop Local – Hyde Brothers
If you prefer to get your books by shopping local (I often do, and in this case, there are bookstore cats!), I just resupplied Hyde Brothers with Sorcery & Widgets and added several copies of Runes & Rivets to their bookshelves as well. You can find both books in the Local Authors section (on the left shortly after you walk in the door), but make sure you check out the whole place (sci-fi and fantasy books are in the basement) because you’re sure to find something else you want to read too!
Regardless of what format you read it in, I would love to hear what you think, either through my contact form or as a review!
FantastiCon – this weekend!
FantastiCon Fort Wayne is this weekend from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday (10/28) and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday (10/29) at the Grand Wayne Center (120 W. Jefferson Avenue, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802). You can find the schedule in my previous post or on the show website, and there is a discount on tickets if you buy them in advance. Also, check out their Facebook page where they’ve posted a free ticket giveaway–you can win tickets to attend the Fort Wayne show!
I’m working on my table set up now, but I’ll have books (including the new one!), keychains, mousepads, art prints, magnets, stickers, and of course, tiny crochet animals (more on that below). I’ll also be giving away a copy of Runes & Rivets, so be sure to stop by my table to enter to win!
New Crochet
I’m always working on new crochet items–and I have lots of ideas that I haven’t even tried yet!–but when I realized that this event is close to Halloween, I decided to make some seasonal items, including ghosts, pumpkins, black cats, candy corn, and my own invention–the bumblebat! I’ll have these and more at FantastiCon this weekend:
Podcast Version of Page Turners Now Available
If you missed the Page Turners episode in which I chatted with Cam and TC about writing, books, and crochet, you’re in luck! They released the podcast version of the episode, so you can still listen–enjoy!
Don’t forget to listen to Page Turners Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. where I’ll be chatting with Cam and TC about writing and books! You can find the show on WMUN 92.5 FM / 1340 AM or listen live on their website. They’ll post it on their website and Facebook afterward, so if you miss it, just check back later to catch up!
Author Feature in the Indie Author Insider
If you can’t wait until Saturday to read what I have to say about books (ha!), check out the Indie Author Insider newsletter, which includes a Q&A put together by Kathy, the organizer of the Hoosier Indie Authors Book Fair. Subscribe to her newsletter for more author conversations, event info, and other tips!
Upcoming Event – FantastiCon Fort Wayne
Remember to mark your calendars for FantastiCon Fort Wayne, which takes place October 28th and 29th at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne. Check out the website for more details on the special guests, hotel info, and to purchase your tickets! They recently posted the schedule for the weekend as well:
Saturday, October 28
11:00am General Public Entry
12:30pm Nerd Trivia Test your knowledge of Superheroes, Star Wars, Star Trek, Walking Dead, Comic Books, and other Pop Culture stuff against other fellow nerds for a chance to win cash and prizes
1:00pm Musical Chairs Participate in the fun and exciting “GEEK” version of musical chairs for cash and prizes.
2:00pm Panel – The Lost in Space Experience Listen to stories from Marta Kristen, the original Judy Robinson from the original Lost in Space TV show, about her time on the iconic TV show. Also, meet the people behind the B9 Robot Builders Club and other major collectors of the TV shows original props that are on display at the show.
4:00pm Kids Cosplay Contest Kids 15 & under participate in a costume contest with cash prizes going to the top three costumes
6:00pm Exhibit Hall Closes
Sunday, October 29
11:00am General Public Entry
12:30pm Nerd Trivia Test your knowledge of Superheroes, Star Wars, Star Trek, Walking Dead, Comic Books, and other Pop Culture stuff against other fellow nerds for a chance to win cash and prizes
1:00pm Musical Chairs Participate in the fun and exciting “GEEK” version of musical chairs for cash and prizes.
2:00pm Panel – Hollywood Special Effects Makeup Demonstration Watch Emmy Award Winning Special Effects Makeup Artist, Daniel Phillips transform a real person into a monster right before your eyes
3:30pm Adult Cosplay Contest Cosplayers 16 & over participate in a costume contest with cash prizes going to the top three costumes
The 2nd Annual Hoosier Indie Authors Book Fair is next weekend! The event will take place on September 21-23, 2023 from 8am to dusk and September 24 from 8am-2pm at Beaner Linn Park (718 South Broadway, Gas City, Indiana 46933 – Behind Hontz Hall). I’ll have my table set up on Friday (9/22) and Saturday (9/23) from 10am to 6pm, where I’ll be selling special event-priced books, art items, and tiny crochet animals! Keep reading below for more details on my new items, including a new book!
I’ll be sharing a space with another local Fort Wayne author, M.A. Koontz, and you can check out all of the authors that will be in attendance on the Hoosier Indie Authors Book Fair site. They have a Facebook group that you can join for updates and discussions as well. You might consider going early because they’re having a free giveaway for the first 25 shoppers along with door prizes, a raffle, and of course, lots of books! There’s no cost to attend, so why not check it out?
Interview – Page Turners
In mid-October, I’ll be talking books with the hosts of Page Turners, a Muncie radio show, which airs on Saturdays from 8am to 8:30am on WMUN. My interview episode will most likely air on October 14, 2023. You can also stream live through their website or listen afterward on Podbean. In the meantime, you can check out the interviews that have already aired on their website.
FantastiCon Fort Wayne – October 28-29, 2023
Mark your calendars and buy your tickets now! On October 28 (11am-6pm) and October 29 (11am-5pm), 2023, I’ll be at FantastiCon Fort Wayne, which takes place in the Grand Wayne Convention Center (120 W. Jefferson Avenue, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46802). I’ll be selling my science fiction and fantasy collections at special event prices as well as art items inspired by my writing, and of course, my quotable crochet critters! I’m working on some new sci-fi/fantasy themed crochet items for this event too! There is a discount if you purchase your tickets in advance, so don’t delay, and I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
New Items:
Crochet
At both of my upcoming events, I’ll have new crochet items! I’ve acquired new and interesting yarn and tried some new patterns–along with coming up with a few more of my own! This picture is just a selection of the variety of critters that I make. You’ll have to come to one of the events to see all of them that are available now!
New Book: Runes & Rivets!
Last but not least, I put together another collection of short stories just in time for my fall events! I’ll write a more detailed post on the book later on, but for now, I wanted to give you a brief preview of Runes & Rivets! This is collection 3 because my other book, Sorcery & Widgets, contains both collection 1 (Sorcery & Spaceships) and collection 2 (Widgets & Wizardry). It’s currently only available as a print book on Amazon, but I’ll be releasing it as an ebook soon!
Runes & Rivets includes seven stories–three of them have been previously published, while the other four are brand new! Most of them have connections, either in terms of characters or worlds, to some of my other stories. I’m still waiting for my copies to arrive, but assuming they make it on time, I’ll have Runes & Rivets for sale, along with Sorcery & Widgets, at both of my fall events. I’ll leave you with the back cover (text below the image) to tell you a little about the stories:
Join the adventures—fantastical and far from home—in these science fiction and fantasy stories.
Captain Sable’s Cats: A pirate captain with a price on his head, Devlin Sable doesn’t need more problems, but a visitor calls in an old debt, and he finds himself in trouble again.
Brimstone and Brine: The bard carves a tale of friendship, sacrifice, and unexpected endings…even when you think you already know the tale.
Recipe for a Mage: Having recently received a promotion and lost the man she loved, Sonja must now deal with a new partner and a new case that centers on unusual magic.
Fish and Fools: The bard returns to carve another tale, this time of ordinary—and not so ordinary—folk as they explore what it means to be a hero.
Employable Skills: While dreaming of finding a new job, Lu learns a generous stranger’s gift comes with a price.
The Bodyguard and the Heir: Hired to protect a noblewoman who doesn’t want protecting, Rasmus gets more than he bargained for as they dodge dangers.
Shattered Webs: With her sister in trouble, Spider is drawn into a mysterious web that leads back to a past she has been running from for years. She has no choice but to face it.
From urban fantasy to space opera, this collection features seven exciting stories. Pirates, dragons, mystery, heroes, spaceports, assassins, mages, and more await discovery within Runes & Rivets!
Beth Powers 