We’re 10! (and a #giveaway)

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by Barb, somewhere on the drive home from Malice Domestic

And there’s a giveaway! To celebrate our tenth anniversary, we’ll be doing a giveaway to a lucky commenter almost every day this month, with a super-big giveaway at the end of the month. Today is my day to give away. There’s more info at the end of the blog.

Yes, the Wicked Authors Blog is ten years old today! Our first post, Wicked Wednesday–How Did We Meet? was published on this date in 2013.

The idea was Sherry’s. I can’t figure out where or how it came up. I was convinced it was at our annual retreat, but I looked it up and the retreat wasn’t until June that year. However it happened, I do remember it was March and when I heard the idea and I thought, “Why not?” But then someone said, “Can we do it by May?” (I don’t remember who it was, but it wasn’t cautious, conservative me.) Liz and Edith both had first in series books coming out in May, 2013, Kneading to Die on May 7, and A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die, on May 28, respectively and we wanted to launch in time to celebrate them.

And we did it.

At our Wickeds, Retreat in June of 2013 at Jessie’s house in Old Orchard Beach

Wickeds by the Numbers

At the time we launched, we had three books published among us: Edith’s Speaking of Murder, Jessie’s Live Free or Die, and my The Death of an Ambitious Woman, all published by small presses. (Though some are available now from other sources.)

To date, we have traditionally-published 93 books, with 10 more available for pre-order on the various retail sites, including Jessie/Jessica’s Murder on the Home Front, which releases tomorrow. (And several other manuscripts completed and turned in but not yet available for pre-order.)

When we began, we had seven names: Jessie Crockett, Sherry Harris, Julie Hennrikus, Edith Maxwell, Liz Mugavero, and Barbara Ross. Edith was already Tace Baker as well, due to the publication of Speaking of Murder.

Now we’ve had thirteen names: Jessie Crockett/Jessica Estevao/Jessica Ellicott, Sherry Harris, J. A. Hennrikus/Julianne Holmes/Julia Henry, Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day (Tace Baker is on semi-permanent sabbatical), Liz Mugavero/Cate Conte, and Barbara Ross. I can’t tell whether Sherry and me having only one name represents a stroke of luck, or a lack of ambition. A little of both, I think.

Despite all the names, we’ve had a remarkable, and I think unusual, stability in the group over time.

For a while, we had three Wicked Accomplices, people who posted on a monthly basis, but who weren’t involved in the running of the blog. They were Kim Gray (The Detective’s Daughter), Jane Haertel, and the late Sheila Connolly. They are no longer with the blog, but are not forgotten.

At Malice Domestic in May 2013. Liz is on a stick!

We began as the Wicked Cozy Authors, claiming the occasionally pejorative (at least in those days) “cozy” as our own. We changed our name in 2018 to embrace the full range of what we were writing by then: cozies still, but also historical, paranormal, and traditional mysteries.

The number of views of that first post has scrolled off into the maw of WordPress statistical history, but we do know that first month of our existence we had 1500.

To date we’ve racked up

  • 785,000 views
  • 300,000 visitors
  • 2,700 posts
  • 87,500 comments

Our all-time top posts by views are

At Bouchercon in September 2013. This time Sherry’s on a stick.

Thank you!

Doing any of this wouldn’t make sense if it weren’t for you, dear readers. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Whether you’re a regular commenter, or a quiet lurker, or anything in between, we embrace you and we adore you.

We’ll be celebrating all month with lots of giveaways and other opportunities!

To celebrate this momentous occasion, I’m giving away two books. Comment below to win a hardcover copy of the collection Irish Coffee Murder with novellas by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and me, and an Advance Reader Copy of Hidden Beneath, the eleventh Maine Clambake Mystery, coming on June 27.

PS–Friend of the Wickeds and frequent commenter Liz Milliron has some Very Important Meetings this week. We are sending her our very best wishes! Please send your best her way.

Readers: Why do you read the blog? What brings you here? Do you have a particular post that you remember?

Published by Barbara Ross

Barbara Ross is the author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries. 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

122 Thoughts

  1. Congratulations on 10 years serving us with your books, ideas and commentary with your topics.

    I love this blog. It keeps me up-to-date with your books and what you are doing.

    1. Big time congratulations on your 10 year mark, ladies! That’s a huge accomplishment. I started following you in 2017, when I began writing cozies. It was a wonderful way to get to know folks writing in the genre and hear about great books. And it still is! Here’s to another 10 years, ladies! Cheers!

  3. I like to read this blog for a few reasons. It makes me feel like I’m hanging out with book loving friends in a book group. I like hearing about the writing abs publishing process. Last but not least, I like your books!

    2. That is such a lovely thing to say! We have always wanted the blog to feel like a place to hang out with friends and to chat. I am so pleased to hear it feels like that to you!

  5. Ten years is a wonderful accomplishment. Congratulations! I come here via Edith and always enjoy everyone’s book news and views. Thank you.

  6. Congratulations and Hooray for 10 years of The Wickeds!

    I originally came to reading the blog because of my fandom for Edith Maxwell and stayed because I’m pretty much always either entertained or informed by the posts.

    It’s been nice to be introduced so many new-to-me authors and to win a few books from the giveaways too.

    One of the more memorable posts for me was one of those “Caption This Photo” entries. It was the one with all the pink clothing. I wrote a caption for it and Edith said it gave her chills. I felt like that was kind of a badge of honor for me.

    As for Liz, don’t know what the VERY IMPORTANT MEETINGS are about but definitely sending my best wishes along to her.

  7. Congratulations on 10 years!! I read the blog to find out about your new books as well as to read about other authors. And I like to hear about what you all have been up to 🙂

  8. Wow, what a phenomenal accomplishment for all of you. Congratulations collectively and individually! I check in to hear the news, check out guest authors, who I then may read, and generally get to hear your voices between adventures.

  9. Wow!! Congratulations to a great group of writers!! I read the blog everyday and find everything fascinating. I enjoy reading about the writing technique, new authors and the lives of the Wickeds. I’m also a huge fan of mysteries and am so glad I found this blog!! I also lived the map blog since the pictures I have in my mind are often the complete opposite of what the author was thinking. Here’s to another 10 years of the Wickeds!

    1. Thank you so much. We’re happy when the picture in your head is different. Once the book is in your hands, the story belongs to you!

  10. I love this blog because I love all of your books! I love reading about what you’re all doing, meeting all the guest bloggers, finding even more books/e-books to add to an already full e-reader and tottering piles!
    Congrats for the first 10 years, keep up the good work, and as my grandson would say, bestest wishes!

  11. Woot! Congratulations on 10 years. I’m a daily reader, although I don’t always comment. A visit with Wickeds over morning coffee is like a visit with good friends. A perfect and positive way to start the day. And a great way to meet new authors. Keep it up, ladies.

  12. Congratulations! Wow, ten years that is amazing! I love reading your blog. It keeps me up to date on what’s happening. Prayers for Liz in the important meetings today.
    Would love to win a copy of one of the books especially Hidden Beneath!!

  13. Congratulations on 10 years! I read your blog every day though I don’t comment too much.

    1. You comment often enough that I accidentally named a character in Hidden Beneath Kitty Rodgers. I caught it in time. She’s still Kitty, but now she has a different last name (or two–a maiden name and a married name.) Whew!

  14. I first learned of the blog through Cate Conte’s page on FB. Since then I’ve had fun following you ladies and learning of new reads! I’ve always enjoyed a good mystery and funny enough it was Covid that brought me back to ready cozy mysteries. I was thrilled with the vast number that I could now read even when our libraries had shut down and I only had my kindle to rely on to borrow books. And thanks to this blog I’ve learned of a good many more new authors. My “to be read” list keeps growing! Keep it up ladies! I look forward to the next 10 years!

  15. Bravo, bravo, bravo!!!! I came to the blog because of my longstanding friendship with Barbara and my new friendship with Sherry. I stay because of wonderful posts by the core six and your welcoming posts by other authors you want to feature. The books are fantastic, the blog entries are thoughtful, funny, and engaging. My very warmest congratulations! What a phenomenal decade!

  16. Love, Love, LOVE the WICKEDS!

    This blog is the first one I visit every morning. Even now with limited computer time, Wicked is one I make time for. If I do miss, I make sure to go back and bring myself up to speed.

    Love the authors, love cozies of all kinds, and learning about past, present and future books. I can honestly say, I’ve not read any book by this group of authors that I haven’t loved and I enjoy promoting those books as well.

    Liz sending good wishes and prayers that what comes out of your meetings this week leads you in the right direction and leaves you with a smile on your face.

    Congratulations WICKED on 10 fabulous years! We all wish you many more years to come because that will mean we can enjoy you for many more years as well. Keep giving some of us a start to a fresh new day full of smiles, reminders of past book, looks at new releases and fabulous books to come and giving us the opportunity to get to know each of you a little better. So my advice – Just keep doing what you do so well!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

  17. Congratulations on 10 years, what a testament to all of you. I recently suggested a cozy mystery book club at our library and we are going on our third month. We have even added an afternoon tea along with it. I read your blog because I like to keep up with what you wickeds are up to. I enjoy the small escape I get from reading the cozy books. They are just the right fit in our busy schedules.

  18. Such a wonderful anniversary! Thank you all for the worlds you have shared with us! They provide a nice respite from the din of everyday!

  20. I have read almost all of y’all’s books, own most of them! It’s fun to read and I do feel like y’all are friends that I am catching up with. I was so sad when Sheila Connolly died as I read most of hers and especially loved the Irish ones. Please keep your books coming! Thank you very much!

  21. Congratulations on your 10 year Anniversary. I really enjoy reading your blog every day.

  22. Can it possibly be ten years already? What an achievement, dear Wickeds. Here’s to more successful years together! Cheers! And from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the many hours of entertainment, with all your many books, plus the blog, plus friendship with some of you.

  23. Happy anniversary, ladies!

    Barb, thank you. It was wonderful to see all of you this weekend – I saw Liz/Cate flying by, but didn’t get a chance to talk to her. And Julie, what a great job moderating that panel on Sunday – and you were a last-second volunteer! I appreciate the support. It was so much easier to be positive surrounded by friends. This morning was tougher, but I shall persevere!

    I come back to the blog for friendship and camaraderie. It was so nice this weekend to have readers walk up and say, “I know you from JRW” or “I read your comments on Wicked Authors.”

  24. CONGRATULATIONS dear friends. I consider you friends, because I read your daily blogs with gusto, and comment whenever appropriate, plus I feel close to you by letting you and your stories get into my head as I read your cozy series. I also consider your characters as my friends, and there is much discussion at book club and also with my wife about the plots and goings on in your books. I invest so many fun hours into getting swept off my reality to enter your fantasy, and I feel my life is better for it. The bonus of reading more from you each day here at The Wickeds is a much-anticipated activity while I am doing something healthy for me: exercising on my elliptical for an hour. My most heartfelt thank you for all the joy you spread to all of us. I wish for all of you to be inspired more and more each day to come up with gripping and engaging cozy plots for your books, and for this blog. Happy blogiversary to you !!! luis at ole dot travel

    2. You have truly warmed my heart! I’m even a bit teary-eyed! Thanks so much for letting us know that our books are an important part of your life!

  25. I first looked at The Wickeds when I reconnected with Edith about 2014. We attended the same high school in California. I was a year ahead. I enjoy learning about the ins and outs or writing and the stories and insights about other things from all of you. I anxiously await the coming book releases.

  27. Congratulations, WICKEDS on your 10th anniversary!
    I first started reading Edith’s and Barb’s books when I met them during the 2013 Albany Bouchercon Kensington giveaway. I have since branched out to read books by all the Wickeds. Thanks for the blog posts and your wonderful books!!

  28. Happy 10th Anniversary! I am usually one of the lurkers but I wanted to let all of you know how much I enjoy your blog. I can’t remember if I started with the Jungle Red writers and that led me to the Wickeds, or vice versa. But I follow both and read every single post! So thanks for brightening my mornings!

  29. Congratulations, Wickeds, on your tenth anniversary! What a marvelous achievement! May your next decade be as enjoyable and productive as the first. It was wonderful seeing several of you this past weekend at Malice!

  30. Congratulations. I enjoy reading your blog for the updates on meeting new authors. I do wish you had more vegan recipes though.

  31. I come for updates on coming books and insights into the books and how they are created . . . and also just to socialize a bit. Happy 10 years . . . and many more. <3

  32. Congratulations! Love all of you authors in this group. I remember the Shelia Connolly remembered post, as well as Lea Waite, both authors that I loved reading. I always like hearing whay you are up to and your latest books! Hope you keep on blogging!

  33. Congratulations on 10 years! I read the blog for updates on new books and new authors. I also enjoy reading the comments!

  34. What an interesting history! I did not know that you have been around for ten years. I cannot recall exactly when I began subscribing to your blog, but it was either two or three years ago that I heard about you for the first time. I was an avid mystery reader, and somehow I found you while looking for mystery options. Yes, I was definitely looking, and now I am hooked on the Wickeds. Way to go!

  35. I must have found you in 2014 right before your first anniversary. I was between jobs and had more time to read blogs then, or at least explore what blogs might be out there. (I just looked, and I read my first books by Barbara and Edith that spring, so that confirms it for me.)

    A highlight has been getting to meet you all at my first Malice.

    I keep coming back because I enjoy the looks at books coming out, the authors you introduce us to, and the looks behind the scenes in publishing. It’s definitely a highlight of my day.

  38. The first part of your question is very easy to answer – I read the blog because it’s always interesting! At my second Malice Domestic I sat with Edith at the banquet and she gifted us copies of a Qualer Midwife book. I loved the book and read the entire series, yhe new short story collection is on my coffee table waiting to be read. I’ve also read a lot of Jessica Ellicott’s books, still have more of the Wickeds to read. I live reading h reading about your books, and those of the guests who visit your blog. Congratulations on your 10th anniversary, may you continue for many years to come!

  39. Fantastic accomplishment. I don’t remember when or where I learned of the Wickeds, but I’m SO glad I did. I love having the sense of “insider” information. I’ve learned so much about writing and publishing. It makes me appreciate what you all do all the more.

    I enjoy all the entries for the Caption this Photo. A lot of good writers out there!

    Aaron’s Bookstore in Lititz, PA loves you folks because I keep pre-ordering and buying more and more books from them because of learn of them through your blog. Thank you for making my life even more interesting.

  40. Wow 10 years! I think I only ran across this within the last 4 or 5 years but I’m so glad I did. I like hearing the “behind the scenes” of the writing process with each book and when they’re coming out, plus discovering new books and authors that I may have otherwise missed with the guest posts. I read every day’s post whether I comment or not.

  41. Congratulations! 10 years of sticking with anything is an act of love and as a reader of both the blog and all of your books, I am beyond grateful for your dedication! I hope you enjoy many more years together! CELEBRATE!!!

  42. Congratulations on 10 years! That’s quiet an accomplishment. I love reading your blog and your books. I also like reading about your new books and whatever else you are up to.

  43. Ten years is quite a feat! Congrats. I enjoy your blog because it’s lively and offers a wide range of reading material.

  44. I love all of these blogs. I can’t wait to get them and read them. You all give such good information and you all have great answers and comments. I do miss Sheila Connelly. I loved her books. Congrats on ten years on the blog. I wish that I had been there from the beginning. I also love that you all read the comments and comment back. I just preordered Hidden Beneath Barbara. but would love the other book Irish Coffee Murder as I buy those anthologies. Thank you so much.

  45. I scan the blogs. If there is something that catches my eye, I read through it. I enjoy all the authors and all the information you share. I love cozy mysteries. You give so much insight into your writing, the events you are involved in as well as the friendship you all share. There is not a particular post that jumps out to me at this moment. Thank you for all you do. God bless you.

  46. Congratulations! I recently started on the Clambake series and have fallen in love! Stumbled upon this blog as a result, and found so many more things to love!

  47. Congratulations on 10 years…that’s a great accomplishment! This is one of my favorite blogs and, although I don’t comment every day, I do try to read it every day. I started reading it because all of you are among my favorite authors. I have read most of your books. I love hearing about new books, new authors, and what’s going on in your lives. I am looking forward to many more years of the blog and of your books.

  48. Congratulations on 10 years! I love reading the blog to find out about upcoming books you all have coming out. I also love all the guest bloggers you have which helps me to learn about new to me authors and their books.

  49. Hi, I’m new to the blog but met several of you ladies at a Cozy Con last October. I’m loving the blog, I love how all of you share with us readers and treat us to getting to know each of you as a person as well as a writer.

  50. Congratulations on 10 years!
    I read your blog, because I enjoy reading about what some of my favorite authors are doing on and off the pages of a book.

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