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!
If you haven’t read the summer sales announcement, check that out first: Summer Sales!
I’ve put together an order form to make ordering signed paperbacks of Sorcery & Widgets more efficient. Click the link above or the button below to reach the order form. If you’d prefer an ebook, check out the Smashwords sale. Both sales are through the end of July.
I have a handful of paperback copies of my story collection, Sorcery & Widgets, which I had intended to have for sale at in-person events last year. Since none of those events happened, I still have the books, and I don’t need this many copies of my own book! Instead, I’m going to sell them at my event price plus shipping, which makes them $13 each. We won’t get to chat in person like we would at an event, but you’ll still get a cheaper price than elsewhere, and I’m happy to sign and personalize the book before I send it your way.
***EDIT: I made an order form to make the ordering process easier. You can still send a message through the contact form if you prefer (the info is sent to me either way), but the order form will be more efficient.***
If you’re interested in a copy, send a message through the contact form on my website. I’ll write back to get the details about how you want the book personalized and send you an invoice, so that I can get it mailed to you as soon as possible, and you can start reading! I’m not familiar with international shipping, so I’m limiting it to U.S. only for now, but if you’re elsewhere and interested in a book, send me a message.
This sale will coincide with the Smashwords sale (see below), ending on July 31st. I only have a dozen or so copies on hand, so if there is an overwhelming interest, I’ll have to order more before I can send them out, but if you contact me to request a book before August 1st, I’ll make sure you get one at the sale price even if it takes a little longer.
July Summer/Winter Sale at Smashwords:
It’s time for the Summer/Winter Sale at Smashwords! During the month of July, you can get two of my ebooks at discounted prices: Sorcery & Widgets (which contains 16 of my stories) for 50% off, and my short story “Fish and Fools” (the only one not in the collection) for free!
Sorcery & Widgets
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.
Are you looking for some variety in your reading this summer? Perhaps you like a mix of science fiction and fantasy with both traditional and urban settings, or you might be in the mood for short flash fiction that fits with your busy schedule, but when you have some time to relax, you want to delve into a longer novelette-length tale. If so, Sorcery & Widgets is the book for you, and you can get it on sale as an ebook or paperback during the month of July!
Fish and Fools
Inspired by the howling wind of the wildlands, the Bard carves a tale of misfits, monsters, and what it means to be a hero.
You can find another Bard story, “Brimstone and Brine,” in Stupefying Stories #23, which was released earlier this year. For more information on how these stories are connected and a recommended reading order, see my piece “On Writing” on the Stupefying Stories blog–and as a bonus you get to see the full-color version of the interior art that accompanies the story along with the article. If you took advantage of either of the sales to get a copy of Sorcery & Widgets, you can find a third connected story, “A Prophecy and the People,” within its pages as well.
My story, “Brimstone and Brine,” is out in Stupefying Stories #23. It’s available in paperback and ebook versions, and the issue includes interior illustrations (in color in the ebook!) in addition to this fantastic cover art:
In “Brimstone and Brine,” the Bard carves a tale filled with adventure, sacrifice, and a demanding dragon. Along with my story, the issue includes eleven other stories of different lengths and genres. Check them out for yourself!
Smashwords Sale: Happening Now!
I’m late with my announcement, but Read an Ebook Week is happening this week at Smashwords–it ends Saturday, March 13th. I have two ebooks in the sale this year:
(And I’m happy to have reached the point where I have enough published stories that I can draw connections between the characters in them…)
If you enjoy “Brimstone and Brine” in Stupefying Stories #23, you can get another of the Bard’s tales, “Fish and Fools” for free during the sale (I think the sale coupons are automatic now, but just in case, the code is EW100). “Fish and Fools” was originally published in a now out-of-print issue of Stupefying Stories, but it lives on as an ebook.
Sticking with my theme, the Bard also makes an appearance in “A Prophecy and the People,” which can be found in my story collection, Sorcery & Widgets. During the Smashwords sale, Sorcery & Widgets is 75% off, making it only $1.49 (with the code EBW75). The collection includes a range of sixteen science fiction and fantasy stories from novelettes to flash fiction–something for every reader!
I didn’t realize the End of the Year Sale at Smashwords was starting early this year, and I’m behind on my announcements!
This year, you can get Sorcery & Widgets, my collection of 16 science fiction and fantasy stories, for 50% off with the coupon code SEY50. Only one of my stories on Smashwords, Fish and Fools, is not included in this collection, and you can get it for free with the coupon code SW100. The coupons are good through January 1, 2021.
Enjoy, and ring in the new year with some reading material!
Beth Powers 