BIG NEWS & BIG SAVINGS!

Published on September 9, 2022 by Micheline RyckmanLeave a comment

On a daily basis, I receive messages about shipping costs, and it’s always been disheartening to know there are those who would buy from the shop if shipping costs were more affordable. Living in such a rural area of Canada, my shipping options are severely limited and I offer everything I can, but the costs to send my products to the US and international customers are extremely expensive. Until now, there hasn’t been anything within my control that I could do about shipping.

But now….

I am now able to offer significantly reduced shipping costs (with tracking!) for all international customers, US included!

Not long ago, I introduced you to my assistant Christina. I’m delighted to announce that she will be my distributor for ALL international orders!

What does this mean? It means your orders will get to you faster AND will be much more affordable! If you have questions, please check the FAQs below, and if your question isn’t answered, please reply to this email! I hope you’re all as excited by this as we are!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is it?
Pricing will still vary depending on what products you order and where they will be shipped, but I can guarantee shipping is now significantly less expensive for any customer outside Canada!
Remember that even though we have new shipping rates for international and US customers, ALL shipping costs are displayed in CAD, not USD, but because the CAD is much lower than US and euro, you will see savings when the exchange is process via Paypal.

Does this include tracking?
Yes! All international (including US) orders will include tracking now. The only untracked shipping option will be for orders within Canada.

US has media mail shipping – what’s that?
Media mail is a specialty shipping rate exclusively for things like books, DVDs, newsprint, etc. It is drastically discounted from regular mail costs, but it can ONLY be used for books! If you’re ordering other items in addition to the books, it’s more cost-effective for you to order the book(s) with media mail and order the other items using first-class shipping. You’re also welcome to order everything together – just select Priority Mail at checkout.

What about the pretty tissue paper and other personal touches?
Not to worry! Even though I now have a distributor, it’s not a warehouse. Christina will be packing all US & international orders with care. Books will still be wrapped, signed bookplates will still be included, and all the extras you’ve come to expect from my shop.

July Wrap UP!

Published on July 31, 2022July 31, 2022 by Micheline RyckmanLeave a comment

What’s been going on at Whimsical:
Writing

If you follow me on social media, you may have seen my teasers about my current work in progress – a spin-off story about Toff Parley from The Maiden Ship trilogy. This story will focus on all the wild adventures Toff had in his younger years!

Illustrating

With my backlog of commissions being finished, I’ve been able to make some progress on more fun pieces! I recently shared a piece from Curious Beginnings by Deanna Raybourn, a book recommended to me by my dear friend Caryn.

Publishing

Whimsical Publishing has signed its third author! We are delighted to welcome Hayley Reese Chow to our family of indie authors! I can’t give many details about her book just yet, but I can tell you it’s SUCH a fun engaging read. It’s a story that I think will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games and The Scorpio Races. Hayley’s Instagram is a great place to check out what she’s up to and what she has published before!

New Author!

Join me in welcoming our newest author:
Hayley Reese Chow!
We are so, so, so excited to welcome Hayley into our Whimsical family. I’m absolutely bursting at the seams because I want to share more about her book, but all in good time! Until then, check out Hayley at the link below to learn more about her and give her a warm Whimsie welcome!

New Admin Assistant!
I’m delighted to introduce you to my new admin assistant, Christina! She helps keep my business organized and has been a tremendous help with a lot of behind-the-scenes work. You may get a reply from her if you email us, so I wanted to make sure you had a face to put with a name! The adorable dog next to her is an illustration I did of her furbaby, Goose.

Have you joined our Facebook group yet?

That’s right! We now have an exclusive Facebook group just for my Whimsies!
As a Facebook Whimsie, you’ll occasionally get exclusive early sneak peeks at works in progress, new art, or snippets from upcoming books.
We will occasionally host giveaways and offer exclusive discount codes for group members, so click HERE to join now!

Remember this WIP from last month?? Well, for those who guessed Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson novels, you were right! I can’t sell this design, but for a limited time, it will be included as a FREE postcard with all orders $10 and over. There are a limited number available, so hurry hurry! SHOP HERE!

Also, if ya missed it on socials, there is new artwork up in the shop!
This Veronica Speedwell fanart and this Legend depiction from Caraval are now available!

Low Stock Alert!
Unplugged Book Box has a very limited supply left of the exclusive edition of A Daughter of the Trolls by McKenzie Catron. These won’t last long so if you haven’t gotten yours yet, hurry over and grab one HERE!

HAPPENING NOW!

Whimsical Summer Sale!
USE the coupon code: ‘summer’ in our shop at checkout for 20% off!

Charting Stars is getting a re-brand!

Charting Stars, book one of the Nine Realms Tales, is being re-released this autumn! We are looking for active, enthusiastic people to join our Street Team to help promote the book’s re-release and hype it up as much as possible! If you’re interested, please complete this Google Forms questionnaire.

If you haven’t read it yet, now is the perfect opportunity! All street team members will receive a Kindle edition of the book for free!

Seen above is the old cover of Charting Stars. This cover will only be available until the end of October, so if you don’t have this one and you want it, act now because soon it will be gone forever!

COVER REVEAL! The Rightful Bearer!

Published on January 17, 2022 by Micheline RyckmanLeave a comment

The adventure concludes with The Rightful Bearer!

Join Dain, Sable, Elden, and the rest of the Maiden Ship crew

in this final seafaring adventure.

Make peace with your past, lest it ruin your future.

Dain Alloway has been tasked with finding the rightful bearer and stopping the oncoming invasion of the four kingdoms. But as he begins the journey, self-doubt invades first, and he finds his confidence waning—Dain is no longer sure he’s the right person for this job. Who is he to challenge an emperor and his monstrous creations? Who is he to stop a war?

Meanwhile, Sable Cortham’s talent has grown, and every new lesson brings her another step closer to becoming one of the most powerful adept in history. But wielding this kind of magic makes Sable a target. She’s begun to wonder, even if they can find the rightful bearer and stop the emperor, how many more villains will come for her power? Will the four kingdoms ever be safe for the adept?

Elden Grayspire has recently been rescued from a centuries-old prison of stone, and while he rejoices in his newfound freedom, he laments the fact that his beloved remains a prisoner still. Mourning the loss of so many things past, feeling lonely and helpless, Elden struggles to find a place in this new time and era. As he embarks on a secret mission against the very man who cursed him long ago, will he finally discover a purpose and a way to belong?

You can preorder the signed paperback edition which includes ALL the preorder incentives pictured here on WHIMSICAL, including a bonus scene from Sable’s POV, in the future, that you cannot get anywhere else!

You can preorder the EXCLUSIVE hardcover edition of TRB on Faecrate.com. (You definitely don’t want to miss this!)

Or you can preorder the kindle ebook version on AMAZON.

(Preorder incentives are only available her on Whimsical and are not included through Faecrate or Amazon.)