Wende Dikec's Blog
April 5, 2016
Inkspell Cover Reveals
What a great way to start a new month - with cover reveals from two of my Inkspell Publishing peeps. These covers are absolutely gorgeous, and I can't wait to get my greedy little hands on these books!
The first is from M.S. Kaye:
Onceby M.S. KayeHer first and also her once.Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say.But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace.Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything.But are they able to forget and let go?Will be released 7/2/16 by Inkspell Publishing.
Author Bio
M. S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. She writes in genres ranging from contemporary romance, to romantic suspense, to paranormal young adult. As s 4thdegree black belt and certified instructor of Songahm Taekwondo, she enjoys bringing some of that kick-butt attitude to her stories. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, FL, where she does her best not to melt in the sun.Available for preorder on Amazon!
And from Susan V. Vaughn:
The Pixie Queenby Susan V. Vaughn
In the small town of Caseville strange things have occurred…
From the time Jane Hensley was little, she knew she was different. Instead of hanging out with friends, she was often in the woods, alone, chanting magical words that filled her with power and effected the environment around her. A sudden summer storm on a perfectly sunny day. Monster waves crashing into the shores of Lake Huron. Strange things happening in nature with no rhyme or reason. Residents are mystified by these occurrences, but would never dream they could come from Plain Jane Hensley, the girl that was so quiet, it was like she wasn’t there at all.
But David Reynolds, the town’s football star, has noticed Jane. In fact he has been secretly in love with the strange girl for years. And on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, he is determined to finally reveal his heart to her. Instead David discovers Jane’s powerful secret. A secret that has brought a magical stranger to their town. One who claims to be a Pixie King, and entices Jane on a quest.
Now David must choose whether to allow the girl of his dreams to disappear forever. Or follow her on a journey that defies logic.
About the Author:Romance Author, Susan V. Vaughn understood the meaning of sarcasm before she could walk. Her childhood in the suburbs of Detroit was spent mainly trying to outwit her six creative siblings. When she wasn’t working on the next soul crushing jab, she sharpened her imagination on romantic literature and day dreamed about her knight in shining armor.
It didn’t take long for Susan to take her passion for reading romances into writing her own unique love stories. Susan lives her life finding laughter in all situations, and delights in marrying sarcasm with romance to create realistic falling-in-love stories in the unlikeliest of scenarios.
Susan lives on the shores of Lake Huron with her real life knight in shining armor and enjoys watching their three children learn the art of sarcasm and wit.
Available for preorder on Amazon!
The first is from M.S. Kaye:
Onceby M.S. KayeHer first and also her once.Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say.But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace.Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything.But are they able to forget and let go?Will be released 7/2/16 by Inkspell Publishing.
Author Bio
M. S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. She writes in genres ranging from contemporary romance, to romantic suspense, to paranormal young adult. As s 4thdegree black belt and certified instructor of Songahm Taekwondo, she enjoys bringing some of that kick-butt attitude to her stories. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, FL, where she does her best not to melt in the sun.Available for preorder on Amazon!
And from Susan V. Vaughn:
The Pixie Queenby Susan V. Vaughn
In the small town of Caseville strange things have occurred…
From the time Jane Hensley was little, she knew she was different. Instead of hanging out with friends, she was often in the woods, alone, chanting magical words that filled her with power and effected the environment around her. A sudden summer storm on a perfectly sunny day. Monster waves crashing into the shores of Lake Huron. Strange things happening in nature with no rhyme or reason. Residents are mystified by these occurrences, but would never dream they could come from Plain Jane Hensley, the girl that was so quiet, it was like she wasn’t there at all.
But David Reynolds, the town’s football star, has noticed Jane. In fact he has been secretly in love with the strange girl for years. And on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, he is determined to finally reveal his heart to her. Instead David discovers Jane’s powerful secret. A secret that has brought a magical stranger to their town. One who claims to be a Pixie King, and entices Jane on a quest.
Now David must choose whether to allow the girl of his dreams to disappear forever. Or follow her on a journey that defies logic.
About the Author:Romance Author, Susan V. Vaughn understood the meaning of sarcasm before she could walk. Her childhood in the suburbs of Detroit was spent mainly trying to outwit her six creative siblings. When she wasn’t working on the next soul crushing jab, she sharpened her imagination on romantic literature and day dreamed about her knight in shining armor.
It didn’t take long for Susan to take her passion for reading romances into writing her own unique love stories. Susan lives her life finding laughter in all situations, and delights in marrying sarcasm with romance to create realistic falling-in-love stories in the unlikeliest of scenarios.
Susan lives on the shores of Lake Huron with her real life knight in shining armor and enjoys watching their three children learn the art of sarcasm and wit.
Available for preorder on Amazon!
March 16, 2016
Little Things Blog Hop
Hello, lovelies!
Welcome to the 6th stop on the Little Things Blog Hop. Make sure you visit each stop and enter the posted giveaway. Also, don't forget to enter the grand prize on Rafflecopter - a $50 amazon gift card grand prize and tons of other prizes, too. The info for this is posted below.My good friend Colleen Meyers put this together as a way to celebrate the little things in life. We all have big things that matter, like family and friends, but what are the little things? For me it's pretty easy, but I'll only name the top three.
1. I love a warm cup of coffee on a cool, rainy morning, especially if I have a soft chair to curl up on and books to read.
2. Cozy socks and a snoozing puppy on my feet. This is Capone the Wonder Dog. He has his own FB page (don't judge me), and he's kind of famous. Capone's Facebook page
3. Enjoying a glass of red wine on a Friday night, and watching a movie with the people I care about most.
What little things are important to you? If the answer is books, then you're in luck - the giveaway for this stop is an autographed or ebook copy of one of my three books.
Tiger Lily:
Lily Madison thought dying because of a bad manicure was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong.
Waking up in the hospital and realizing she’s being stalked by an entire herd of naughty little ghosts turns her entire world upside down. She begins to doubt her own sanity until she realizes she isn’t alone. A Goth girl, named Zoe, can see the ghosts, too.
Most of the ghosts look like fuzzy blobs, but one is not blobby at all. He’s a very hot, very annoying dead guy named Nick. Although they dislike each other on sight, Nick soon realizes Lily is his only hope. With the help of Zoe and Mr. Wan, the manicurist who almost killed her, she has only days to get Nick and the other ghosts back where they belong or the whole world will be in terrible danger.
But sending the ghosts back means saying goodbye to Nick forever, and Lily isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to let him go.
"First Wende Dikec grabs you with her fresh writing, then she keeps you in the throes of her story with an incredible voice and a gifted talent for spinning tales that will amaze and delight. I am stunned. Tiger Lily will consume you, and before you know it you are fighting for air yet begging for more. You've been warned!"
--NY Times Bestselling Author Darynda Jones
More about Tiger Lily
Starr Valentine:
What happens when the beautiful swan becomes the ugly duckling?
Starr Valentine has a perfect life in Middleton, Ohio. She was named captain of the cheer squad, her mother finally allowed her to get highlights, and the cutest boy in school asked her to homecoming. But everything comes crashing down when she finds out her parents are actually monarchs in exile from a mysterious planet called Vega. Starr doesn’t want to leave, but loves the idea of being a princess, and decides moving to an alien world might not be so bad. When she gets there, however, she discovers that something is terribly wrong.
Starr has always been the winner of the family, but now everyone is fawning over her chubby older sister, Astra. And everyone, even a handsome and annoying young duke named Julian, seems to hate her. That is when she realizes the awful truth. Astra is now the pretty one. Astra has all the friends. Astra gets all of the attention. And Starr Valentine, voted Miss Perfect, is now the ugly duckling. Her biggest fear is…will she be able to turn back into a swan, or is she doomed to be a loser forever?
More about Starr Valentine
Traveller:
Former Junior Miss Kentucky Emerson Shaw won pageants using martial arts as her talent and Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” as her guide, but a painful secret leads her to the University of York, and puts her in the path of tattooed and pierced bad boy, Michael Nightingale.
Michael is a Traveller, part of an ancient line of mercenary gypsies who protect the world from vicious monsters called the Moktar. When Emerson gets attacked, she has no choice but accept Michael’s offer of protection or face certain death.
Traveller society, full of outdated rules and ridiculous superstitions, isn’t a good fit for the headstrong Emerson. Traveller women aren’t allowed to fight. Traveller women aren’t allowed to win. Traveller women aren’t allowed to leave. But Emerson will do what she must, even if it means losing the one person who matters most.
More about Traveller
To Enter my giveaway➜ Subscribe to my newsletter. Sign up for my newsletter here!
➜ Like my facebook author pages, both My Wende Dikec Page and My Abigail Drake Page➜ Comment below letting me know you did the above and tell me what #littlethings inspire you.
The next stop on the hop: Ali Winters
And don't forget the Rafflecopter Link:Rafflecopter Giveaway
Join the Little Things Blog Hop Event for more fun and giveaways. We have had so many prizes that each day there will be several giveaways on the event page. Little Things Event Page
And you can find links to all of the hop spots here: Little Things Blog Hop Links
Thank you, and happy hopping!
Winner (s) will be chosen by Mr. Random and announced on this page and on the Little Things Event Page by April 6th.
March 4, 2016
Cover Reveal: The Warrior Prophet by Lisa Voisin
I'm very excited to reveal the cover for THE WARRIOR PROPHET, the third book in Lisa Voisin's The Watcher Saga, and to share an excerpt from the book.
Mia Crawford is a prophet.She can see angels. She also sees demons. Everywhere.She knows the angels are preparing for war to get her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael, back.A war that could take years.Haunted by visions of Michael’s soul being tortured, Mia can’t rest until she knows he’s safe.To save him, she must make an impossible journey through Hell. Her only guide is the one person she prayed she’d never see again.
Excerpt:
While the angels battled outside, a ghoulish female demon pounded a crack in the protective structure around Michael’s hospital room with her fist. Her long, stringy black hair whipped over her face with each blow. She struck and struck until she hit the perfect angle. The structure cracked.
Her eyes glowed red and her skin was the color of black polished granite, wet with black slime. With a tearing sound, like ripping silk, the crevice grew. Her form as ragged and filmy as liquid smoke, she slipped into the crevice and poured herself through. I struggled to make a sigil of my own and managed to make the first cone. By the second, she was in my face. Her cold, dead stare mesmerized me and her shrieking pierced my eardrums. But when she reached a bony arm for Michael, I reconnected to the network and ignited the room, throwing her beyond my reach.
She picked herself up and circled the outer edges of my halo, inching closer to test it. I dropped Michael’s chart on the bedside table and flared my energy out further. My halo wasn’t as big or bright as when Michael and I had been connected, but I could hold her off. I had to.
Available April 13, 2016Pre-Order it now:Amazon: Kindle: http://amzn.to/1Rkq5RKAmazon Print: http://amzn.to/1QJEsi4Kobo (epub): https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo... and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-warrior-prophet-lisa-voisin/1123449947
Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29332802-the-warrior-prophet
Mia Crawford is a prophet.She can see angels. She also sees demons. Everywhere.She knows the angels are preparing for war to get her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael, back.A war that could take years.Haunted by visions of Michael’s soul being tortured, Mia can’t rest until she knows he’s safe.To save him, she must make an impossible journey through Hell. Her only guide is the one person she prayed she’d never see again.
Excerpt:
While the angels battled outside, a ghoulish female demon pounded a crack in the protective structure around Michael’s hospital room with her fist. Her long, stringy black hair whipped over her face with each blow. She struck and struck until she hit the perfect angle. The structure cracked.
Her eyes glowed red and her skin was the color of black polished granite, wet with black slime. With a tearing sound, like ripping silk, the crevice grew. Her form as ragged and filmy as liquid smoke, she slipped into the crevice and poured herself through. I struggled to make a sigil of my own and managed to make the first cone. By the second, she was in my face. Her cold, dead stare mesmerized me and her shrieking pierced my eardrums. But when she reached a bony arm for Michael, I reconnected to the network and ignited the room, throwing her beyond my reach.
She picked herself up and circled the outer edges of my halo, inching closer to test it. I dropped Michael’s chart on the bedside table and flared my energy out further. My halo wasn’t as big or bright as when Michael and I had been connected, but I could hold her off. I had to.
Available April 13, 2016Pre-Order it now:Amazon: Kindle: http://amzn.to/1Rkq5RKAmazon Print: http://amzn.to/1QJEsi4Kobo (epub): https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo... and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-warrior-prophet-lisa-voisin/1123449947
Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29332802-the-warrior-prophet
February 19, 2016
Cover Reveal for Kisses on a Paper Airplane
Today we're celebrating the cover reveal for Sarah Vance-Tompkins, a fellow Inkspell Author and all-around cool person. Isn't it gorgeous??
Drama student Hannah Evans isn't kissing any frogs on her path to find Prince Charming. She's determined to share the perfect first kiss -- with the perfect boy -- in the perfect place -- or she's not kissing at all. When Hannah meets a cute ginger-haired boy in first class lounge in the London airport, she knows he's 'The One.'
Pop star Theo Callahan is on the road to get as far away as possible from his back-stabbing best friend, and his supermodel girlfriend who broke his heart. Until one shy smile from Hannah has him rethinking all of his travel plans.
Theo is smitten, but he's worried she's just a groupie in search of the ultimate selfie. Can Theo learn to trust Hannah in time to share one perfect first kiss, or will Hannah be forced to kiss a frog?
~~~~~~~~An excerpt from Kisses on a Paper Airplane:
Let’s get real. I had never even kissed a boy. Should I really start with a pop star? I needed to get at least a little practice in first. Julia was right. I needed to kiss my way through a whole bunch of frogs before I attempted to kiss someone as close to perfect as Theo Callahan.
I took a deep breath and ducked out of sight behind a pillar, my fears too overwhelming to face talking to him again.
What if Theo Callahan was my first kiss? Then what would happen?
I closed my eyes and imagined Theo Callahan brushing his lips over mine. Just the thought of it made me jittery, as if I’d downed a triple shot of espresso. My eyes opened wide. My pulse was racing. My heart was in my throat.
There was no way I could kiss Theo Callahan. Not for reals. Not if I had to talk to him, too. Yes, T would be the perfect boy to share my first kiss, but if I had to carry on a coherent conversation with Theo Callahan before, during, and after, it just wasn’t going to happen. Especially when I was going to have to deal with all of “the feels” I was sure kissing would bring. I had enough on my plate dealing with school, my mom’s wedding, and another plane flight after my layover.
I’d seen enough movies to know what a great kiss looked like, but having never been kissed, I had no idea what it would feel like—not just to touch someone’s lips with mine, but I was even more curious about “the feels” Julia mentioned she always had when she kissed a cute boy she’d been crushing on.
I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t talk to Theo Callahan, let alone kiss him.
~~~~~~~~About the Author:Sarah Vance-Tompkins was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She received an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California, and went on to work in feature film development. Prior to film school, she wrote and produced radio and television commercials. A working writer, she has been paid to write everything from obituaries and press releases to breathless descriptions of engagement rings. She and her husband, The Handsomest Man Alive™, live in Southern California with three cats.
~~~~~~~Links to pre-order Sarah's book:
On Amazon
On Kobo
Congratulations, Sarah!
Drama student Hannah Evans isn't kissing any frogs on her path to find Prince Charming. She's determined to share the perfect first kiss -- with the perfect boy -- in the perfect place -- or she's not kissing at all. When Hannah meets a cute ginger-haired boy in first class lounge in the London airport, she knows he's 'The One.'
Pop star Theo Callahan is on the road to get as far away as possible from his back-stabbing best friend, and his supermodel girlfriend who broke his heart. Until one shy smile from Hannah has him rethinking all of his travel plans.
Theo is smitten, but he's worried she's just a groupie in search of the ultimate selfie. Can Theo learn to trust Hannah in time to share one perfect first kiss, or will Hannah be forced to kiss a frog?
~~~~~~~~An excerpt from Kisses on a Paper Airplane:
Let’s get real. I had never even kissed a boy. Should I really start with a pop star? I needed to get at least a little practice in first. Julia was right. I needed to kiss my way through a whole bunch of frogs before I attempted to kiss someone as close to perfect as Theo Callahan.
I took a deep breath and ducked out of sight behind a pillar, my fears too overwhelming to face talking to him again.
What if Theo Callahan was my first kiss? Then what would happen?
I closed my eyes and imagined Theo Callahan brushing his lips over mine. Just the thought of it made me jittery, as if I’d downed a triple shot of espresso. My eyes opened wide. My pulse was racing. My heart was in my throat.
There was no way I could kiss Theo Callahan. Not for reals. Not if I had to talk to him, too. Yes, T would be the perfect boy to share my first kiss, but if I had to carry on a coherent conversation with Theo Callahan before, during, and after, it just wasn’t going to happen. Especially when I was going to have to deal with all of “the feels” I was sure kissing would bring. I had enough on my plate dealing with school, my mom’s wedding, and another plane flight after my layover.
I’d seen enough movies to know what a great kiss looked like, but having never been kissed, I had no idea what it would feel like—not just to touch someone’s lips with mine, but I was even more curious about “the feels” Julia mentioned she always had when she kissed a cute boy she’d been crushing on.
I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t talk to Theo Callahan, let alone kiss him.
~~~~~~~~About the Author:Sarah Vance-Tompkins was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She received an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California, and went on to work in feature film development. Prior to film school, she wrote and produced radio and television commercials. A working writer, she has been paid to write everything from obituaries and press releases to breathless descriptions of engagement rings. She and her husband, The Handsomest Man Alive™, live in Southern California with three cats.
~~~~~~~Links to pre-order Sarah's book:
On Amazon
On Kobo
Congratulations, Sarah!
February 15, 2016
Cover Reveal for Bridie Hall
Today is the cover reveal day for my fellow Inkspell author, Bridie Hall. Isn't it gorgeous? And since my boys are off on a ski trip today, it's quite appropriate!
Here is a bit about the book:
Snowboarding means everything to Charlise, but she hasn’t met Sam Miller yet.
Charlise is a snowboarder with a promising career ahead of her. Despite the fact that her father hates her risking her life on the slopes that had taken the life of Charlise’s mother she is determined not to give up her career the way her mother did when she fell pregnant. Charlise wants to win medals, lots of them.
The last distraction Charlise needs is the American freestyle champion, Sam Miller, who utterly enthrals her with his wit and friendliness. Refusing to risk her career for a relationship, Charlise returns home for Christmas, determined to sort things out with her father. But the holidays culminate in an epic fight, and with a repeat of the painful breakup with Sam. However, new discoveries from her family’s past might change Charlise’s mind about Sam …
And here is an excerpt - just to tempt you a bit further:
“Can you drive stick?” Once the rain let up in the afternoon, Sam needed to go into town. It was his turn to buy groceries.
“Sure.” Charlise grabbed at the chance to get out of the house because so much testosterone was doing her head in. “Why?”
Sam let out a breath. “You’re driving, then. I don’t get these European cars. Why can’t they be automatic?”
She chuckled, thrilled to be better at this than one of the boys.
Sam and Todd were from the US, while Thor was German. Most of the film crew was American, hired by their American sponsor. She was the only French on the team.
“Aren’t men supposed to be tech savvy?” she teased him as she started the car and turned up the heater. The temperatures had dropped to around zero, and snow had been forecast for the evening.
“Not being able to drive stick is not a gender thing, it’s cultural,” he said indignantly.She snickered. “Freud would have a field day with you mentioning stick and gender in the same sentence.”
“Har fucking har,” Sam said, but, despite his grumpy tone, a smile curved his lips.
“It’s a good thing, anyway,” she said smugly. “You not being able to drive around at least means you can’t kick me out because you need me.”
“I’m sure there are others on the team who can drive stick,” he said, challenging her.
She glanced at him with a grin. “I’m sure.” After a pause, she added, “But none of the boys are as cute as me.”He chuckled, but it annoyed her that he didn’t agree. He always liked to flirt with all the girls at snowboarding competitions, but he never flirted with her. She didn’t feel comfortable being singled out this way. She liked it when boys flirted with her. It made her feel powerful, and it was a big letdown Sam wouldn’t grant her the power.
And last, but not least, the links to preorder her book:
Buy it on Kobo
Buy it on Amazon
Congratulations to Bridie on your beautiful new book!
Here is a bit about the book:
Snowboarding means everything to Charlise, but she hasn’t met Sam Miller yet.
Charlise is a snowboarder with a promising career ahead of her. Despite the fact that her father hates her risking her life on the slopes that had taken the life of Charlise’s mother she is determined not to give up her career the way her mother did when she fell pregnant. Charlise wants to win medals, lots of them.
The last distraction Charlise needs is the American freestyle champion, Sam Miller, who utterly enthrals her with his wit and friendliness. Refusing to risk her career for a relationship, Charlise returns home for Christmas, determined to sort things out with her father. But the holidays culminate in an epic fight, and with a repeat of the painful breakup with Sam. However, new discoveries from her family’s past might change Charlise’s mind about Sam …
And here is an excerpt - just to tempt you a bit further:
“Can you drive stick?” Once the rain let up in the afternoon, Sam needed to go into town. It was his turn to buy groceries.
“Sure.” Charlise grabbed at the chance to get out of the house because so much testosterone was doing her head in. “Why?”
Sam let out a breath. “You’re driving, then. I don’t get these European cars. Why can’t they be automatic?”
She chuckled, thrilled to be better at this than one of the boys.
Sam and Todd were from the US, while Thor was German. Most of the film crew was American, hired by their American sponsor. She was the only French on the team.
“Aren’t men supposed to be tech savvy?” she teased him as she started the car and turned up the heater. The temperatures had dropped to around zero, and snow had been forecast for the evening.
“Not being able to drive stick is not a gender thing, it’s cultural,” he said indignantly.She snickered. “Freud would have a field day with you mentioning stick and gender in the same sentence.”
“Har fucking har,” Sam said, but, despite his grumpy tone, a smile curved his lips.
“It’s a good thing, anyway,” she said smugly. “You not being able to drive around at least means you can’t kick me out because you need me.”
“I’m sure there are others on the team who can drive stick,” he said, challenging her.
She glanced at him with a grin. “I’m sure.” After a pause, she added, “But none of the boys are as cute as me.”He chuckled, but it annoyed her that he didn’t agree. He always liked to flirt with all the girls at snowboarding competitions, but he never flirted with her. She didn’t feel comfortable being singled out this way. She liked it when boys flirted with her. It made her feel powerful, and it was a big letdown Sam wouldn’t grant her the power.
And last, but not least, the links to preorder her book:
Buy it on Kobo
Buy it on Amazon
Congratulations to Bridie on your beautiful new book!
January 28, 2016
My (not so) Secret Identity
Several people have asked why I have two names as an author. There are many reasons, but I think I can explain it best if I ask you to imagine each of my writing personae as two very different people.
Wende Dikec is my real name. As an author, she is appropriate for all audiences. The kind of person your mother would love and you would trust to babysit your kids. She doesn’t swear. She isn’t inappropriate. Her books are light and funny, but with some sad moments and a powerful message, too.
Abigail Drake is my pen name. Abigail is more of a drinking buddy, the person who is a lot of fun, but not necessarily someone you want your kids to hang out with until they get a little older. She can be a inappropriate at times. Not “Fifty Shades” inappropriate, but her books do have sexual content and they are really best for an older audience. Although Abigail’s debut novel is rated “PG 13 – spicy, sexy”, I personally would not want a 13 year old to read her books. An 18 year old would be fine, and possibly even a 17 year old (although my middle son is 17 and I can’t imagine him ever reading them).
I have teenagers. I teach writing to children. I want to be as careful as possible not to expose anyone to Abigail Drake until they are ready. I don’t hide the fact that I’m both Wende and Abigail, but I wouldn’t want someone to pick up one of Abigail’s books and think it might be similar to Wende’s.
That's why I have two separate websites. Abigail's website has a link to Wende's website, but not vice-versa. I have two of everything now - including Facebook pages, email addresses, and even Pinterest accounts. It can be a pain, and I feel like one of my personalities is sometimes neglected, but it works better this way.
And now I have to worry about giving each of my personalities equal love and attention. Geesh. You can see exactly how ridiculous this can be sometimes.
The easiest way to sum it up is to say my mother reads all of my Wende Dikec books, but so far I’ve kept her away from Abigail. There are some things she really doesn’t want to know, but soon I'll have no control over it. TRAVELLER will be released on February 26, 2016, and my mom has her own Amazon account. She can buy whatever she wants, so it’s out of my hands. I guess I’m doomed.
Can you still be grounded if you’re over forty? Wende is an angel, but Abigail might get a time out.
To buy Traveller on Amazon
To buy Tiger Lily on Amazon
Wende Dikec is my real name. As an author, she is appropriate for all audiences. The kind of person your mother would love and you would trust to babysit your kids. She doesn’t swear. She isn’t inappropriate. Her books are light and funny, but with some sad moments and a powerful message, too.
Abigail Drake is my pen name. Abigail is more of a drinking buddy, the person who is a lot of fun, but not necessarily someone you want your kids to hang out with until they get a little older. She can be a inappropriate at times. Not “Fifty Shades” inappropriate, but her books do have sexual content and they are really best for an older audience. Although Abigail’s debut novel is rated “PG 13 – spicy, sexy”, I personally would not want a 13 year old to read her books. An 18 year old would be fine, and possibly even a 17 year old (although my middle son is 17 and I can’t imagine him ever reading them).
I have teenagers. I teach writing to children. I want to be as careful as possible not to expose anyone to Abigail Drake until they are ready. I don’t hide the fact that I’m both Wende and Abigail, but I wouldn’t want someone to pick up one of Abigail’s books and think it might be similar to Wende’s.
That's why I have two separate websites. Abigail's website has a link to Wende's website, but not vice-versa. I have two of everything now - including Facebook pages, email addresses, and even Pinterest accounts. It can be a pain, and I feel like one of my personalities is sometimes neglected, but it works better this way.
And now I have to worry about giving each of my personalities equal love and attention. Geesh. You can see exactly how ridiculous this can be sometimes.
The easiest way to sum it up is to say my mother reads all of my Wende Dikec books, but so far I’ve kept her away from Abigail. There are some things she really doesn’t want to know, but soon I'll have no control over it. TRAVELLER will be released on February 26, 2016, and my mom has her own Amazon account. She can buy whatever she wants, so it’s out of my hands. I guess I’m doomed.
Can you still be grounded if you’re over forty? Wende is an angel, but Abigail might get a time out.
To buy Traveller on Amazon
To buy Tiger Lily on Amazon
January 5, 2016
Questions for my Editor
I was lucky enough to have the wonderful Vicky Burkholder edit two of my books, TIGER LILY (which comes out on January 13, 2016) and STARR VALENTINE (which will be released in March of 2016). She’s an absolute pleasure to work with, but I couldn’t help being a bit curious. How does a writer become an editor? It seems like wearing two very different hats. Vicky was kind enough to answer several of my questions.
1. How did you become an editor?
I've always been good with grammar, I guess. So when a writing friend asked me to look over her manuscript (a very long time ago!), I did. She was an editor with a now-gone publisher and recommended me for an opening they had and the rest, as they say, is history. Over they years, I've done novels (in every genre you can think of), policy and procedures manuals for businesses and organizations, college-level textbooks in several subjects and more.
2. What do you like most about your job?
I like being able to help authors hone their work to its best. Plus, I get such a variety of things to work on from fiction to non-fiction and every genre and subject you can think of. It's all good. :)
3. Does being an editor affect your own writing?
Unfortunately, yes, but in both good ways and bad. The good is that I rarely turn in a manuscript that needs a lot of work. The bad is that by the end of a day spent fine-tuning another author's work, I'm often too brain dead to work on my own. So it has slowed down my productivity.
4. What is your pet peeve?
In editing? Authors who think they're too good to learn the basics. Yes, everyone makes mistakes. But if your editor tells you a dozen times that you need to learn the difference between there, their, and they're - you really should learn the difference.
5. What was the best piece of writing advice you ever had?
Grow a thick skin. This is not a business for those who are weak of spirit. You get a lot of rejection and negativity and you need to be able to take it. Yes, you can wallow for a day or two, but you can't let the negatives get to you. You have to keep going. I know a lot of authors who made it... on the next book. The one after the one they got dissed on. You may never get published even if you keep writing, but if you stop, you certainly won't be published.
More about Vicky:
Vicky Burkholder resides in Pennsylvania near the area where her ancestors settled in 1741. She lives in a three-generation home and is lucky enough to have two other writers in residence. At various times in her life, she has been a journalist, writer, editor, teacher, short-order cook, computer specialist, DJ, and librarian. Her writing spans the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal and romance lines from YA to adult. No matter the age or genre, all of her books have a touch of romance in them and have to have a happily ever after ending. In addition to writing her own books, she currently edits for two publishers as well as private clients.
More about TIGER LILY:
Lily Madison thought dying because of a bad manicure was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong.
Waking up in the hospital and realizing she’s being stalked by an entire herd of naughty little ghosts turns her entire world upside down. She begins to doubt her own sanity until she realizes she isn’t alone. A Goth girl named Zoe can see the ghosts, too.
Most of the ghosts look like fuzzy blobs, but one is not blobby at all. He’s a very hot, very annoying dead guy named Nick. Although they dislike each other on sight, Nick soon realizes Lily is his only hope. With the help of Zoe and Mr. Wan, the manicurist who almost killed her, she has only days to get Nick and the other ghosts back where they belong or the whole world will be in terrible danger.
But sending the ghosts back means saying goodbye to Nick forever, and Lily isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to let him go.
TIGER LILY comes out January 13, 2016, and is available on Amazon and on Kobo.
1. How did you become an editor?
I've always been good with grammar, I guess. So when a writing friend asked me to look over her manuscript (a very long time ago!), I did. She was an editor with a now-gone publisher and recommended me for an opening they had and the rest, as they say, is history. Over they years, I've done novels (in every genre you can think of), policy and procedures manuals for businesses and organizations, college-level textbooks in several subjects and more.
2. What do you like most about your job?
I like being able to help authors hone their work to its best. Plus, I get such a variety of things to work on from fiction to non-fiction and every genre and subject you can think of. It's all good. :)
3. Does being an editor affect your own writing?
Unfortunately, yes, but in both good ways and bad. The good is that I rarely turn in a manuscript that needs a lot of work. The bad is that by the end of a day spent fine-tuning another author's work, I'm often too brain dead to work on my own. So it has slowed down my productivity.
4. What is your pet peeve?
In editing? Authors who think they're too good to learn the basics. Yes, everyone makes mistakes. But if your editor tells you a dozen times that you need to learn the difference between there, their, and they're - you really should learn the difference.
5. What was the best piece of writing advice you ever had?
Grow a thick skin. This is not a business for those who are weak of spirit. You get a lot of rejection and negativity and you need to be able to take it. Yes, you can wallow for a day or two, but you can't let the negatives get to you. You have to keep going. I know a lot of authors who made it... on the next book. The one after the one they got dissed on. You may never get published even if you keep writing, but if you stop, you certainly won't be published.
More about Vicky:
Vicky Burkholder resides in Pennsylvania near the area where her ancestors settled in 1741. She lives in a three-generation home and is lucky enough to have two other writers in residence. At various times in her life, she has been a journalist, writer, editor, teacher, short-order cook, computer specialist, DJ, and librarian. Her writing spans the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal and romance lines from YA to adult. No matter the age or genre, all of her books have a touch of romance in them and have to have a happily ever after ending. In addition to writing her own books, she currently edits for two publishers as well as private clients.
More about TIGER LILY:
Lily Madison thought dying because of a bad manicure was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong.
Waking up in the hospital and realizing she’s being stalked by an entire herd of naughty little ghosts turns her entire world upside down. She begins to doubt her own sanity until she realizes she isn’t alone. A Goth girl named Zoe can see the ghosts, too.
Most of the ghosts look like fuzzy blobs, but one is not blobby at all. He’s a very hot, very annoying dead guy named Nick. Although they dislike each other on sight, Nick soon realizes Lily is his only hope. With the help of Zoe and Mr. Wan, the manicurist who almost killed her, she has only days to get Nick and the other ghosts back where they belong or the whole world will be in terrible danger.
But sending the ghosts back means saying goodbye to Nick forever, and Lily isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to let him go.
TIGER LILY comes out January 13, 2016, and is available on Amazon and on Kobo.
December 15, 2015
Interview with my Cover Artist Najla Qamber
Today I'm interviewing my fabulous cover artist, Naj Qamber. Naj does all the covers at Inkspell Publishing, and we're very lucky to have her. I sat down with her to ask her a few question.
1. What made you decide to become a graphic artist? Did you study it in college?
I think I was 16 when I decided to become a graphics designer. I used to manipulate photos together when I was about 13 and I managed to build a big enough portfolio that it caught the eye of a local Creative Director and he sort of took me under his wing. He gave me an internship at a local design studio and I was usually working on corporate design.
My time at the studio made me realise what I wanted to do with my life. And I loved reading YA books back in the day (I read historical romance mostly now), and I would always look at the beautiful covers and say "One day, Naj. You'll get to design book covers too!".
Inkspell was my very first client! And nope! I did not study it in college. But I do have a bachelors degree in Business Informatics to help me run the business and handle clients the best way a business could.
2. How long have you been designing book covers? How many have you created?
I think since I was 18, so that's about 6 years (8 years for graphics design as a whole). I might have designed about 500 covers by now, if we're counting pre made covers as well. Wow! I didn't realise I've designed that many!
3. Does it take a lot of time to design a book cover? What is the process involved?
It actually depends on the project really. If the cover involves a lot of detail and elements, it could take me about 3 hours to put together. But on average it takes me an hour and a half to put together something. There are times when it doesn't take more than 30 minutes. The toughest part of the design process is the feedback stage. That's where a lot of time is put in. We're talking about an extra 4 to 8 hours all together.
The process, put simply, is like the following:
Inquiry stage - I give the client my prices, and if they're okay with it, I give them two dates. One for the brainstorm and one for for the first draft of the design.
Brainstorm stage - iron out details, talk about what we'd like done, etc.
Feedback stage - the client gives me their feedback after I show them the preliminary.
Finalising stage - I send over the clients book cover and any other swag designs she/he ordered with it.
4. Do you have any covers that are your favorites (other than Tiger Lily, of course!), or any work that you are especially proud of?
Hmmm, that's a very good question! Now that I think about it. I actually don't have a favorite cover. But here is some of the work I'm proud of:
◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556699370718/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556699297925/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556699218541/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556699104657/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556698233022/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556700863653/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556700733135/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556700272342/
Thank you, Naj! And thanks for the wonderful cover.
Tiger Lily is available for pre-order on:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018A6N548/?tag=wendedikeccom-20
And on Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/tiger-lily-10
For more information about Naj and the fantastic work she does, check out her website:http://www.najlaqamberdesigns.com
1. What made you decide to become a graphic artist? Did you study it in college?
I think I was 16 when I decided to become a graphics designer. I used to manipulate photos together when I was about 13 and I managed to build a big enough portfolio that it caught the eye of a local Creative Director and he sort of took me under his wing. He gave me an internship at a local design studio and I was usually working on corporate design.
My time at the studio made me realise what I wanted to do with my life. And I loved reading YA books back in the day (I read historical romance mostly now), and I would always look at the beautiful covers and say "One day, Naj. You'll get to design book covers too!".
Inkspell was my very first client! And nope! I did not study it in college. But I do have a bachelors degree in Business Informatics to help me run the business and handle clients the best way a business could.
2. How long have you been designing book covers? How many have you created?
I think since I was 18, so that's about 6 years (8 years for graphics design as a whole). I might have designed about 500 covers by now, if we're counting pre made covers as well. Wow! I didn't realise I've designed that many!
3. Does it take a lot of time to design a book cover? What is the process involved?
It actually depends on the project really. If the cover involves a lot of detail and elements, it could take me about 3 hours to put together. But on average it takes me an hour and a half to put together something. There are times when it doesn't take more than 30 minutes. The toughest part of the design process is the feedback stage. That's where a lot of time is put in. We're talking about an extra 4 to 8 hours all together.
The process, put simply, is like the following:
Inquiry stage - I give the client my prices, and if they're okay with it, I give them two dates. One for the brainstorm and one for for the first draft of the design.
Brainstorm stage - iron out details, talk about what we'd like done, etc.
Feedback stage - the client gives me their feedback after I show them the preliminary.
Finalising stage - I send over the clients book cover and any other swag designs she/he ordered with it.
4. Do you have any covers that are your favorites (other than Tiger Lily, of course!), or any work that you are especially proud of?
Hmmm, that's a very good question! Now that I think about it. I actually don't have a favorite cover. But here is some of the work I'm proud of:
◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556699370718/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556699297925/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556699218541/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556699104657/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556698233022/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556700863653/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556700733135/◦ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220887556700272342/
Thank you, Naj! And thanks for the wonderful cover.
Tiger Lily is available for pre-order on:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018A6N548/?tag=wendedikeccom-20
And on Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/tiger-lily-10
For more information about Naj and the fantastic work she does, check out her website:http://www.najlaqamberdesigns.com
November 22, 2015
Cover Reveal for TIGER LILY
After revealing a bunch of beautiful covers for my friends and colleagues, I finally have the chance to reveal my own.
TIGER LILY, a work of young adult fiction, is available for pre-order now on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018A6N548/?tag=wendedikeccom-20 and on Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/tiger-lily-10.
Lily Madison thought dying because of a bad manicure was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong.
Waking up in the hospital and realizing she’s being stalked by an entire herd of naughty little ghosts turns her entire world upside down. She begins to doubt her own sanity until she realizes she isn’t alone. A Goth girl, named Zoe, can see the ghosts, too.
Most of the ghosts look like fuzzy blobs, but one is not blobby at all. He’s a very hot, very annoying dead guy named Nick. Although they dislike each other on sight, Nick soon realizes Lily is his only hope. With the help of Zoe and Mr. Wan, the manicurist who almost killed her, she has only days to get Nick and the other ghosts back where they belong or the whole world will be in terrible danger.
But sending the ghosts back means saying goodbye to Nick forever, and Lily isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to let him go.
TIGER LILY will be released January 13, 2016.
TIGER LILY, a work of young adult fiction, is available for pre-order now on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018A6N548/?tag=wendedikeccom-20 and on Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/tiger-lily-10.
Lily Madison thought dying because of a bad manicure was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong.
Waking up in the hospital and realizing she’s being stalked by an entire herd of naughty little ghosts turns her entire world upside down. She begins to doubt her own sanity until she realizes she isn’t alone. A Goth girl, named Zoe, can see the ghosts, too.
Most of the ghosts look like fuzzy blobs, but one is not blobby at all. He’s a very hot, very annoying dead guy named Nick. Although they dislike each other on sight, Nick soon realizes Lily is his only hope. With the help of Zoe and Mr. Wan, the manicurist who almost killed her, she has only days to get Nick and the other ghosts back where they belong or the whole world will be in terrible danger.
But sending the ghosts back means saying goodbye to Nick forever, and Lily isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to let him go.
TIGER LILY will be released January 13, 2016.
November 18, 2015
Happy Book Birthday to Sheridan Jeane and Casey Clipper
I have two friends who released new books yesterday. Both are fabulous!
The first, ONCE UPON A SPY, is the third book in the "Secrets and Seduction Series" by Sheridan Jeane.
http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Spy-Secrets-Seduction-ebook/dp/B017GAHVDA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1447877959&sr=8-3&keywords=sheridan+jeane
The second, HEIST, is the first in the new "The Men of the Law" series by Casey Clipper.
http://www.amazon.com/Heist-Men-Law-Book-1-ebook/dp/B017FI1ITQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1447878032&sr=8-2&keywords=casey+clipper
Congratulations, ladies! So proud of both of you.
The first, ONCE UPON A SPY, is the third book in the "Secrets and Seduction Series" by Sheridan Jeane.
http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Spy-Secrets-Seduction-ebook/dp/B017GAHVDA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1447877959&sr=8-3&keywords=sheridan+jeaneThe second, HEIST, is the first in the new "The Men of the Law" series by Casey Clipper.
http://www.amazon.com/Heist-Men-Law-Book-1-ebook/dp/B017FI1ITQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1447878032&sr=8-2&keywords=casey+clipper
Congratulations, ladies! So proud of both of you.
