(This story takes place ten years before the events of The Witching Pen.)
Fifteen-year-old Elena hides her magical abilities from everyone, except her best friend, Karl. Inseparable since they were very young, they've always shared everything together, including the darkest parts of their lives.
Elena's beginning to realise that her feelings for Karl are growing into something more. But her mother's about to drop a bombshell on her – one that will change the course of her life, and heart, forever.
PUBLISHER'S NOTES: For fans of the series, this story includes two parts of Elena's past that were made reference to in The Witching Pen: 1) The moment that Karl turns up on Elena's doorstep having been beaten and 'jumped on' by his father and 2) "The Sex Talk" between Elena and her mother.
Dianna Hardy is an international bestselling author of (cross-genre) fantasy fiction, most notable for her dark (often explicit) paranormal fantasy and the raw, intense Eye of the Storm series. But her heart-warming Once Times Thrice series proves she thrives in the light as much as the dark.
Whatever your poison, what she loves most is to bring you stories that are action-packed, fast-paced and not short of heat, with the focus on character development, relationship dynamics, and the plot.
She writes full-length novels and short fiction.
First published in 1997 with poetry, and then in 1999 with her first short story; The Witching Pen was released in 2011 and she hasn't looked back.
Dianna lives in Hampshire, UK, with her partner and their daughter, where she writes full time.
From 2025, Dianna revived her old pen name, and is also writing as Elysa Summers.
As a huge fan of The Witching Pen novellas, I had high expectations of this short. I was far from disappointed I must say. Wilted is the beginning of Elena and Karl's story while they were still kids. Here we see Karl battling his father's wicked abuse and Elena distancing her self from her mom. While these two drift further and further away from their families their personal relationship grows stronger and both feel an inner pull to each other. When Elena's mom runs down the responsibilities of a thirteenth generation witch, it leaves Elena devastated. Anger consumes her toward dear old mom. A division starts between the two that may never be healted..... Loved it!!!! It is one of the most poignant short reads I have ever layed my hands on!!!!
I received the opportunity to read Wilted (A witching Pen novella prequel) as a FREE read on Amazon, and so glad that Author Dianna Hardy graced us with this chance. Thank you so much!!!
I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, (it‘s on my TBR list) but I feel I have a good insight of it from reading this novella. I absolutely love this short story….
Blurb: 15 year old Elena hides her magical powers from everyone, except her best friend Karl. Inseparable since they were very young, they’ve always shared everything together, including the darkest parts of their lives. Elena’s beginning to realize that her feelings for Karl are growing into something more. But her mother’s about to drop a bombshell on her-- one that will change the course of her life, and heart forever.
Wilted is set 10 yrs prior to “The Witching Pen”… wow where do I begin and what can I say!! This short novella certainly had me riveted and glued to the pages as soon as I started to read it… For a short read it was most definitely jammed packed of a FULL story with so much, and a glimpse into the earlier relationships, and the monumental part of Elena’s life. Awesome
Elena’s mother doesn’t particularly care for Karl, but when I learned what the bombshell secret she tells Elena at the end of this novella concerning her future.. It had me saying “now wait a minute, is she just saying this because of her dislike of Karl?” ummmm Karl and Elena’s relationship is in jeopardy, and Elena is dumbstruck, devastated and then completely embarrassed when her mother speaks of the secret. Part of this secret being that if Elena ever becomes intimate with a man, she will lose something very precious and dear to her…. *are you scratching her head too*?
But this is not the only cliffhanger for me/us, it’s also got me hurrying to quickly get my hands on The Witching Pen!!!!
Summary: A short story prequel to The Witching Pen Novellas. (This story takes place ten years before the events of The Witching Pen Novellas.) Fifteen-year-old Elena hides her magical abilities from everyone, except her best friend, Karl. Inseparable since they were very young, they've always shared everything together, including the darkest parts of their lives. Elena's beginning to realise that her feelings for Karl are growing into something more. But her mother's about to drop a bombshell on her – one that will change the course of her life, and heart, forever.
PUBLISHERS NOTES: This UK-based story is suitable for YA readers, but it should be noted that The Witching Pen Novellas series is aimed at adult readers. For fans of the series, this story includes two parts of Elena's past that were made reference to in The Witching Pen: 1) The moment that Karl turns up on Elena's doorstep having been beaten and 'jumped on' by his father and 2) "The Sex Talk" between Elena and her mother.
The Review This is a short story or novella, but it was extremely well written, my favourite bit was the part about the photo of Karl as an angel, awesome picture in my mind, I thought the relationship these two have was just so sweet, it was a shame that they couldn’t fall in love like they are destined to do, you could easily read this as a stand alone, there is nothing to stop you from doing that, although you would understand more of what was going on in this novella, if you read the rest of the series, I have only read one other one and this was so easy to follow, highly recommend, 4.5/5
As a big fan of the Witching Pen Novellas, I really enjoyed this little snippet from Elena and Karl's past. It has a lovely insight into their earlier relationship, and also it is a pivotal moment in Elena's life, which is nice to get to experience. If you haven't read at least the first book in the series, "The Witching Pen", I would recommend waiting before you read "Wilted", otherwise you won't really appreciate this lovely short story. Favourite moment has to be the end, the scene with Elena's mum,Katherine. I found it really pulled at my heartstrings, and though I won't go into more detail, let's just say it has a depth and an emotion which normally would be difficult to achieve in such a short paragraph. Again, if you haven't read the books, "Wilted" might not make for a riveting read on its own, so pick up "The Witching Pen" and then read "Wilted". It is a bonus short story that might not give away incredible plot points, but that will definitely add to the reading experience of the books :)
Wilted is actually set ten year prior to The Witching Pen. we see the early rumblings and stirrings of adolescent feelings between Karl and Elena. We also learn that Elena's mother has a dislike for Karl, though when you learn the secret she tells Elena about her future you wonder if its Karl she dislikes or just his relationship and its future possibilities with Elena that she finds irritating. Elena is devastated, mortified, and embarrassed all rolled into one when her mother reveals the secret. Part of the secret being she would lose something precious that she holds dear should she ever have sex with a man. This bonus story could be read before to "set the scene" as a prequel or as I read it after The Witching Pen.
Quick read. Got me hooked. Elena is 15 & getting a crush on her 17 year old best friend Karl. They've been friends forever. He was there the day her powers manifested as she brought to life a butterfly on the playground. She's always been there for him because his homelife is rough, drunk dad beating on him & his mom. He's always had a crush on her. Today is the day Elena's mom drops a horrible catch on Elena regarding her powers.
Since this is a prequel...I'm now hooked into at least book 1... hopefully it's just as good & i'm hoping, seeing as book 1 is 10 yrs later, that Elena & Karl are still friends & life has worked out.
Having read the Witching Pen Novellas, I wanted to read this prequel to have a peak into the lives of the characters prior to the first Witching Pen story. It really helps to develop the characters as we see their lives prior to Karl and Elena's relationship. We find out how Elena's mother is able to deceive her and the price she paid within herself to lie to her daughter. It helps to explain and clarify a bit more of the history and relationship that Elena has with not only her mother but her blossoming feelings with Karl that are crushed within seconds of her mother's lie. A definite must read and Don't want to miss for Witching Pen Fans!
This was a great 30 minute short read for me. Wilted pretty much gives you some inside information about Karl and Elena and what she is told by her mother. Which if you read the novella The Witching Pen you get told in that one what happens if Elena has sex.
You don't have to read this book first before The Witching Pen, but Wilted is a wonderful little story about the two main characters that are in the other book.
This book is a little insight on Karl and Elena's relationship, and back when they were teenagers. You can just read the story and see that they love each other.
This is a short prequel to The Witching Pen Novellas and takes place ten years before the events in book one. I read it after reading book one and two and felt that is gave me more information about Elena and her mothers relationship. It also gave me an idea of how Elena and Karl were growing up. A must read for fans of The Witching Pen Novellas. Young adults could read this one, but it does contain adult language and the other books in the series are Adult Paranormal Romances.
Originally posted on The Mystical World of Book Reviews.
Wilted gives us an introduction into the early lives of Elena and Karl. Elena's mother tells her a secret that will not only affect her life but Karl's as well. Wilted takes place ten years before The Witching Pen Novellas. Karl and Elena have always been best friends since before either one can remember. But Elena is beginning to discover that what she feels for Karl may be more than just friendship. She is falling in love with Karl, much to her mothers dismay.
It is rare for me to attach to characters soon. Too much information and I am turned off the story, not enough and I feel as if I am a voyeur. This short prequel got me interested and invested in a few pages. Quite a remarkable feat, if you ask me. This novella proved a nice appetizer with promise of great things to come. I can’t wait to read the first in this novella. I give this short prequel a flying 5 * review.
A short story prequel to The Witching Pen Novellas.
A quick read introducing you to Elena and Karl, and gives the reader an insight into an important moment of their past.
Having read this prequel after finishing all three of the novellas, my heart went out to Katherine, Elena’s mum. Due to Dianna Hardy’s amazing writing style, the reader can feel the pain of both Elena and Katherine, and felt like an extra piece of the puzzle.
I loved this short prequel to the Witching Pen Novels. I went ahead and read this first and am now starting on The Witching Pen. I got quickly attached to Karl and Elena. You get the background of what you need to jump into the series. The end of the prequel is an excellent cliffhanger that leaves you thirsty for more!! Love it! Can't wait to read more!
When I read that the heroine of THE WITCHING PEN series was a 25 year old virgin who could bring anything into existence through her writing, I decided to go ahead and give this prequel a try. It was another Amazon freebie -- and you can't really go wrong with free, right?
Basically, this story takes place 10 years before the events of the first story, where Elena is exploring her magical abilities (which her mother for some reason seems to heavily discourage despite being a witch herself) and her feelings for best friend Karl. Elena knows that Karl wants to be more than friends with her, and she's only now discovering that she might actually see him as boyfriend material -- but she's not quite ready to take the plunge. Not yet, at least.
Then Elena's mother reveals that she cannot EVER have sex because the act of sexual intercourse will transfer all of her magical legacy and abilities to her partner and she will never again be able to retrieve them. Although she may love Karl, does she love him enough to give up everything for him? And what secret is her mother hiding?
Although the writing style was a bit awkward and clunky at places, I think the author did a decent job setting up an interesting premise. I think my curiosity is piqued enough to give at least the first book a try, so look for that review coming soon!
“Wilted” is the heart wrenching prequel to the “Witching Pen” series. This story takes place 10 years prior to the first book in the series. We are introduced to the teenage, Elena who is a thirteenth generation witch and has the ability to heal and brings things back to life. Her mother is very strike and frowns upon her close relationship with her childhood friend and neighbor, Karl. Karl is two years Elena’s senior and lives at home with his drunk and abusive father. After stopping his father from attacking his mother, Karl finds himself seeking the healing power of Elena. During the healing, they discover an unmistakable attraction for one another. Unfortunately, Elena discovers from her mother that she can never have a relationship with Karl or any man because she would then transfer her power and ruin their lives. However, there is definitely more going on that what Elena’s mother is telling her and in order to find out what it is we will have to read the first book in the series. I am intrigued and ready!
I got this book in a free day on Amazon. “Wilted” is a short,quick and nice novellas. I read it in less then an hour and I really enjoyed. Even if this is a short story, I could tell that Dianna Hardy it’s a talented author and she obviously knows how to write. Something in her writing-style is so elegant that you can’t not like her books. I definitely want to read the whole series. The story it’s sad, yet beautiful. I’m curious to see what will happen between Elena and Karl, how the things will turn out in the end. “Wilted” did its job and engaged me in the series so I want to read the rest of the series. If I liked “Wilted” so much I can’t imagine how much I will like the first ook in the series. “The Witching Pen” it’s definitely not a series to be missed. I highly recommend you to read this short story and then the whole series.
(Source: downloaded for free from Amazon.co.uk) This is a short story about a young witch called Elena, her best friend Karl, who she secretly has feelings for, and some bad news that she receives from her mother.
This book is surprisingly well written, and gives a great feel for the characters and what trials they are likely to face in the following books of the series. I really liked Elena, and her strength in the face of adversary, and I'm interested to find out how she will deal with the challenges facing her.
This story is short and sweet, and definitely leaves you wanting more! 8 out of 10
So this was really cute, short and sweet. It felt better developed than The Sands Of Time, which I read shortly after this. I also liked the return of focus to Karl and Elena, even though it was to their youth. A nice look into the past, better than expected.
I was given this book in return for an honest review. Wilted is the prequel to the Witching Pen novella. It will give you a brief background on the main characters from the book. Elena and Karl who are best friends and share Elena's secret. She is a 13th generation witch and possible the most powerful witch ever. Her mother also holds a secret, one that could shatter everything and everyone. Super easy read.
This short story is set as the prequel to The Witching Pen and as such I read it first. I would have to say that it is best read AFTER you have read The Witching Pen as, although the timeline of it is before, it actually makes more sense and adds more the story if you already understand the relationship between Karl, Elena and her mum, Katherine.
A lovely little story that just adds more depth and character to the main storyline.
A sweet, innocent short story and the perfect kind of prequel.
Even though it is only 20 pages long, Wilted hooks you straight away. You quickly learn a lot about Elena and Karl, and their relationship, as well as the relationships Elena has with her mother. Sweet and teasing, this short prequel leaves you curious to find out what happens next.
I was given this book by the author in return for an honest review.
I found this short story brilliant. As it gives a real insight into Karl and Elena's history from when they were first friends when they were 5 year's old. It also allow's a small insight into Katherine (Elena's mum). I found this to be a great read and a MUST for anyone that has read the witching pen novella's.
This was a nice little addition to The Witching Pen. It covers a short, but very important, period of time in Elena and Karl's past. The events are referenced several times in book one and it was fun to see how and why they became so important to both of them.
Such a beautiful novella to start a very good series. Two younglings (Emma 15 and Karl 17) who developed their affection for one another through friendship, but they could never be an official couple for Elena would lose her witching power if she slept with Karl or any man. A problem that would probably unravel in the next installment, The Witching Pen. I love it!
After reading "The Witching Pen" I immediately wanted more. "Wilted" gave me more than I had hoped for. For a short story it really gives you an understanding of the relationship between Elena and Karl and her mother. I am looking forward to reading the next book.