The Wickeds Get a Makeover!

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Hi All–

You may have noticed a difference in the Wickeds’ blog post today. We’re rolling out a new look and feel, along with some new branding.

At the Wickeds’ retreat this spring, we decided it was time to refresh the blog site. It’s been more than five years since we put the original site together–thirty-five years in Internet years, which everyone knows are equivalent to dog years. We wanted to clean up, paint up, fix up. To update and renew.

At the same time, we wanted to slightly change our branding. In the beginning, we chose Wicked Cozy Authors because we were all writing cozy mysteries set in New England.  Since then, here at Wicked Authors Partners, Ltd, LLC, New England, United States, Earth, the Universe, etc., we’ve continued to grow and expand. We’re writing books set in southern Indiana, England between the wars, and (soon to come) the Emerald Coast of Florida. We’ve authored historical mysteries, paranormal historical mysteries, and mysteries that edge toward traditional. Three upcoming series have been announced, (by Edith here, Sherry here, and Julie here) and there are more announcements in the offing.

We believe all our books, published and in the pipeline, are comfortable reads for ninety-nine percent of people who read cozy mysteries. Nonetheless, our branding had begun to chafe a little, like a much-loved and much-worn pair of shoes that begins to pinch.

So now we are “The Wickeds.” We kept that part of the name because that’s what everyone calls us and it’s how we refer to ourselves–and because it’s such a wicked awesome New England term for “really great.” We’ve updated our tagline to “Wicked Good Mysteries,” to describe who we are and what we do.

We kept the purple color that has been a part of our branding from the beginning, but updated it. Did you know Pantone Ultra Violet is the color of the year for 2018? We didn’t either, but let’s face it, we are so trendy. We’ve added a couple of other highlighting colors because in the past we’ve often wished we had more options for designing things. We kept the photo of the six of us, clowning around, because it makes us happy.

You can still see our sidebar by clicking the three dots at the top right. And you can get to our About page through the menu at the top left.

We decided we wanted to roll our updated look out in time to have newly branded swag for Bouchercon, the big mystery convention where Sherry, Julie, and Barb will be hanging out next week.

wicked bags and bookmarks
Swag, ready for Bouchercon.

So that’s what’s up with us. We hope you like the new design and find it easy to navigate.

[Edith chiming in for the rest of us with a huge Thank You to Barb for doing all the makeover work! She spent a lot of time to redesign the blog and then tweak it to make it work. We owe ya, Barb.]

Readers: Let us know what you think! The good thing about digital stuff is we can still tweak even though it’s been rolled out.  We’re happy to get feedback from the most important part of the blog–all of you.

Published by Barbara Ross

Barbara Ross is the author of twelve Maine Clambake Mystery novels and six novellas. Her books have been nominated for multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and have won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. She lives in Portland, Maine. Readers can visit her website at www.maineclambakemysteries.com

78 Thoughts

  2. I love the new look and name! And can’t wait to see you all at Bouchercon!

  6. Great move! So impressed that you are keeping the Wicked brand fresh. One would almost think someone(s) on the team had some experience with this branding stuff in a previous life. Good job!

  8. Looking good! But I actually had trouble figuring out how to comment. Lots of extra info between end of blog and the comments- maybe could be clarified?

  9. I am so glad you kept the picture of you all! It is by far the best picture on any blog! The purple color is gorgeous! I need to find the paint now 😊
    You all do an amazing job with your books. They bring endless hours of enjoyment for me. Thank you so much!

  10. Love it! We recently updated the logo and colors at Mysteristas, too – and added a tag line.

    One tiny thing – your lovely faces are chopped in half in the header on my browser. I don’t know if it’s me or if everyone sees it that way. And I’m glad you kept the picture.

    See those of you who will be there a Bouchercon next week!

  11. Love the new blog design and how it represents the diversity of writing now being done by the Wickeds. This must be the time of updating blogs. From a comment above, I see the Mysteristas have updated like the Wickeds and The Stiletto Gang updated its shoe and logo in the last day or so (lots to be said about that in the next few weeks). Here’s to the future … may it be a wonderful one for the Wickeds. See those of you who will be at Bouchercon. Debra

  15. I love the new name–sometimes the short ones are remembered!! The photo is great too! Wonderful job.

  16. I adore the cape cod cover😊 & pruning the dead sounds interesting😊

  17. Love your new look! You all look great too!☺️ I enjoy so much reading about guys and the great information you share! Have a great day!!!!

  18. It looks really nice but, I agree with Liz Milliron. At the very top, your heads are cropped.

  19. Love your look! Congrats on all those new series – keep them coming!

  20. I love it! Yes, I was hoping the cropped heads would come into view — and they did — with the great picture of y’all!

  21. Looks good. I like The Wickeds and of course you are trend setters with the PMS purple color of the year. Would love to interview some of you for my blog MapYourMystery.com

  23. The new look is fab! Wish I was joining those of you going to Bouchercon. Loved it in Toronto last year.

  26. You’d mentioned changes back in the spring, and I’ve been wondering when we’d start seeing them roll out. It will take a bit to get used to them, but I will adjust. I always do.

    (But dies this mean I need to refresh my own site? Please say no!)

    2. Does this mean! Stupid auto correct on my phone.

      And when someone mentions in a post retreat blog entry that there will be some changes coming, that’s hardly a secret. 🙂

  29. The updates are great!! I have enjoyed your blog since it began and hope to keep up with everyone this way and more.
    You are all Wicked Good authors and I want to wish you all continued success and happiness in your writing and in life in general.

    Sincerely.
    Cynthia (A lifelong Wicked New Englander)

  31. I think this change is beautiful and well-thought out. Congratulations! (And I love the new swag)

  33. Exciting and wonderful! Congratulations! I had a little trouble with the updated site on my cell phone, but it’s working beautifully on my laptop.

  34. Any revamps you ladies do is grand, ( as I believe you all have great taste), but I am totally so happy y’all kept the “clowning around” photo of all of y’all!! That is a favorite thing on here of mine!!! <3

  35. Purple is my favorite color, so of course I love the purple! And the new look is easier on the eyes. It was easier for me to access the Response area via the emailed version of your new site than from doing it directly from the Internet.

    My cell phone updated itself overnight. Getting used to navigating your updated website has been much easier than trying to figure out what my updated phone is up to!

    DebRo

  40. Just letting the Wickeds know I finally apparently got rid of my psychotic troll, and the new troll-free blog is now up for business and has a new post, about cows, and collars, and satellites, and the Fugitive and…

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