All About Wendee

The 101 version

  • — Fiction editor since 2012
    — Has worked with 3 authors since 2014, one since 2017
    — Experience editing most romance subgenres
    — Extensive work editing LGBTQ+ stories
    — Editor for a daily nonfiction web publication
    — Edited a few journal articles for publication, web articles, and book chapters

  • — Former teacher: 27 years, mostly secondary ELA
    — Two years as collegiate composition instructor
    — BA: English & music
    — MAT: special education
    — Lifelong learner—always taking courses or reading

  • — Best-selling romance author
    — Both fiction and nonfiction bylines
    — Published first romance novel in 2016
    — Deelylah Mullin = romance pen name
    — Two novels, several novellas
    — Current project: rebranding as a paranormal romance author

  • My business name came from my students—I taught for 27 years—because I marked their papers in purple ink, and rough-draft correction were “attacked by the purple pen.”

A woman with gray hair, wearing a purple top and a decorative necklace, smiling outdoors near a body of water with trees in the background.

What’s the Buzz?

Explore my portfolios and testimonials from clients.

Education & Memberships

Degrees Conferred

  • Bachelor of Arts, Music & English

  • Master of the Art of Teaching—6-12 Music & English, K-12 Special Education

Certificates Earned

  • Poynter ACES Editing, Poynter (2021)

  • DEI In the Workplace, University of South Florida, Muma College of Business (2021)

  • Kaizen Facilitator, Management & Strategy Institute (2020)

  • ScreenPal Level I certified

Certificate from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business awarded to Wendee Mullikin for completing a program on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace, dated May 5, 2021.
Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing awarded to Wendee Mullikin, dated June 16, 2021.

Memberships

  • ACES

  • Editorial Freelancers Association

  • Editors Tea Club (Membership Coordinator)

  • LGBTQ+ Editors Association

Courses Completed

  • Essential Science Conversations: APA Apology to Communities of Color: Implications for the Future of Psychological Science (2022)

  • ScreenPal Level I certified

Logo of the LGBTQ+ Editors Association with black text and a rainbow-colored stripe at the bottom.
Celebration graphic with a party popper and confetti, text stating "I earned my ScreenPal badge!" and certification details.
Certificate with the text 'CERTIFICATE PROUDLY PRESENTED TO Wendee Mullikin' and mention of a webinar titled 'Essential Science Conversations: APA Apology to Communities of Color' with date December 9, 2021, and logos of the American Psychological Association and the APA Webinars.

  • Personal Bio

History & Other Fun Facts

Family

Hobbies

Tawas Point Light Station historical marker.
Tawas Point lighthouse. A white cylindrical tower with a catwalk at the top and a black roof stands to the left of a red brick building with a red roof that is less than half the height of the tower. There are some ominous clouds in the sky.

I’ve had a lot of life experiences through work in the past!

  • During college, I bartended at a nightclub and regularly hopped up on the bar to dance. Not like Coyote Ugly or anything, though. I also managed a bar while still going to school full time. I wasn’t even old enough to drink.

  • I worked for a matchmaking service! It’s no surprise I ended up writing and editing romance.

  • My first job was tole paining—I did a lot of sanding, priming, and base coating while my boss did the finish work. I’m still crafty.

  • I was a teacher for 27 years! I loved the “teaching” part of the profession and miss working with students.

I have been married to my knight in shining armor since 2010. Love is definitely better the second time around!

  • Between us, we have six kids. It was a little like The Brady Bunch when they were younger, but there was no Alice.

  • The Spawn (our adult children) are grown & flown. They make good decisions and have good lives. We’re very proud and even have a couple grandsons, several grandpups, and a grandkitty!

  • We have two black cats—Puck and Loki. Now, before you say anything, we know we deserve whatever shenanigans we get out of those two with the names we chose. Puck has definite feelings about mornings in my office (they are HIS time to sit on my lap) and Loki is like a crotchety old man who constantly sasses back.

I have a lot of hobbies, but it seems like I never have time to get to them all!

  • Hubby and I travel Michigan (where we live) hunting historical markers in our spare time. We discover them by county and it’s a whole production. We’ve covered the entire Upper Peninsula and some of the northern Lower Peninsula. During our travels, we also look for waterfalls and lighthouses. We hike a lot while we’re out & about.

  • I walk every day. During warmer months, it’s outside—even if it’s too hot & I have to wait until later, like after sundown. We have a treadmill & a gym membership (with a walking track) for inclement weather.

  • I crochet! Right now, I’m working & frogging (ripping out) a death moth tapestry. It’s my first attempt at something with a pattern and I need to take more time to focus while I’m working it. I’ve made an afghan for Oldest Spawn. It has cats and was super tedious and super heavy. I loved every minute of making it.

  • Home improvement is another passion project. I have to get busy with a saw and put up some trim, but then I’ve got an office project brewing. Painting and re-arranging furniture feeds this need without having to get out power tools.

  • I’m just starting to get into video games a little. I mean, besides Tetris or other games requiring visual-perceptual skills. First game: Diablo IV. I’m still a HUGE newbie, but Hubs plays and is patient with me.

Black cat laying on his fish toy. he has yellow eyes and a white spot on his belly.
A white woman wearing black sunglasses stands on the left and a white man with dark glasses and a beard stand on the right of the image. Behind them is a waterfall. Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan.
Crochet project using square blocks that have two shades of green and two shades of gray. Small crocheted cats are stitched on and they have black beads for eyes and a pink stitched nose.