I’m a novelist writing Michigan-based romantasy focused on community, healing, and happily-ever-afters.

I’m Wendee—born and raised in mid-Michigan—and I write Michigan-centric small-town romantasy with a little spice, a lot of heart, and an unshakable belief in hard-won happy endings. Writing as Deelylah Mullin, I create paranormal romantic suspense rooted in place: in snow-heavy winters, a close-knit town, back roads, lighthouses, and the quiet ways communities protect their own. The Teachers’ Lounge series centers educators—people who give endlessly, rarely take center stage, and deserve stories where they are seen, desired, and powerful.

My writing practice is both communal and deeply personal. I often write alongside co-working friends across the globe, but the work itself is no longer about impressing anyone. A blunt, beloved music professor once framed critique with a question that guides me still: How do you feel about it? I’ve been trained in the “right” ways to write—and I’ve taught them—but I treat rules as tools, not laws. I write what feels true in the moment and what best communicates the emotional core of a scene.

The Teachers’ Lounge series blends magical realism with actual magic because the extraordinary already exists inside ordinary lives. These stories explore burnout, desire, fear, and love through characters whose carefully balanced worlds crack open when the supernatural demands honesty. I approach character the way Frida Kahlo approached her self-portraits—by opening wounds with intention and trusting that vulnerability creates connection.

Place matters deeply to me. I want readers to feel the roar of Tahquamenon Falls, the crash of Lake Superior against rock, and the steady promise of a lighthouse guiding ships—and people—home. Michigan is not just a setting; it’s a collaborator, shaping the stories as much as the people who inhabit them.

At the heart of my work is representation and hope. I write stories where people like us survive, choose happiness, and win—where diverse characters are centered, loved, and joyful without apology.

You can find me on Instagram @vampbard. Keep up with new publications, deals, and periodic promo via Deelylah's newsletter.