Memories from the Spookiest Month of the Year – October 2024 Wrap
October was beyond good to me. I had so many things to celebrate both as a songwriter and author, from music awards to anthology acceptances. I’m excited to share my highlights from the spookiest month of the year.
Winning My First Josie Music Award
I still can’t believe I won my first Josie Music Award after being a nominee for three years in a row. I was unable to attend the awards in Nashville, but an artist I know who was there shared the news with me.
“Passive Aggressive” received the Songwriter Achievement Award at the pre-party that took place at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Out of thousands of songs submitted for this category, only a select few won this award. I seriously can’t believe “Passive Aggressive” made this list.
The Songwriter Achievement category solely recognizes the songwriting itself. I have always seen myself as a songwriter first and artist second, so winning this award with “Passive Aggressive” means the world to me. I can’t thank the JMAs enough for this incredible honor. Once I receive my plaque, I’ll put together a special blog post to celebrate winning my first Josie Music Award.
Receiving My ISSA Gold Record
Last month, my Butterflies voted me as the ISSA Country Pop Artist of the Month. Receiving this frame with my gold record and a photo of me was a special day.
I can’t thank my Butterflies enough for voting for me. Also, huge thank you to the International Singer Songwriters Association for sending me this award. I can’t wait to hang it in my room.
My Live Performance of “Quiet”
“Quiet” is a spooky song perfect for this time of year, so I shared a live performance of the song. I hope you enjoy watching it.
If you would like to hear the studio version, “Quiet” is the third track on my new pop album, Hear Me Out, which is available on all music platforms.
Heart of Indie Radio’s Halloween Special
I’m thrilled I got to produce and co-host Heart of Indie Radio’s Halloween Special again. This one was called “In The Haunted House,” and I had so much fun putting the script together and recording with Eddie.
If you would like to listen to the show, head over to MixCloud. I took a fresh approach to this one, so it’s unlike any other Halloween special out there.
My Alpha Sessions Interview
I’m so excited to share my new Alpha Sessions interview. I loved returning to the show and chatting with Ron all about Hear Me Out and what I’ve been up to recently. Also, the interview features live performances of “Passive Aggressive,” “Make Time,” and “Quiet.” You can watch the interview on YouTube.
I can’t thank Ron enough for having me back on the show. I always have the best time.
The Publication of UnCensored Ink
On October 29, UnCensored Ink: A Banned Book Inspired Anthology was published by Wild Ink Publishing. This is my third anthology. I’m so honored to be included in this amazing project.
I put together this blog post with all the details, including how I got invited to contribute to the anthology, a peek into my story, my unboxing video, and more. I’m so glad this one is finally on my bookshelf.
More Anthology News
In October, I received some anthology acceptances. These are ones I had been waiting to hear about, so I was beyond excited when I received the emails.
First, my Christmas love story, “Glitter Bows and Music Notes,” will appear in A Winter Kiss by Dragon Soul Press this December.
Next, I received two acceptances for Seasons of Romantasy by Quill & Flame Publishing House. The first story is a wintery new adult romantasy called “A Vow of Ice and Sapphires.” The second one is a young adult romantasy I co-authored with my best friend under our pen name, Sadie Lielle, called “A Slice of Fire and Apples.”
I can’t wait for these three stories to be published.
Along with these acceptances, I submitted two stories this month. One is a Hansel and Gretel sequel for a fairy tale anthology. The second is the horror short story I wrote a couple months ago that I sent for consideration to be published in a charity anthology for hurricane relief. I’m manifesting acceptances for both of these stories.
In November, I’m going to start writing a fantasy story for another charity anthology. I’m unsure if I’ll do any more because my focus will mainly be on writing the first draft of my new thriller.
My First 10 Queries Event for RevPit
In October, I participated in my first RevPit 10 Queries event as an editor. I had so much fun reading the submissions and sharing my feedback on Reddit. It’s still so wild to me that I’m a RevPit editor now. This event was a blast, and I’m already looking forward to the annual contest next year.
So, that’s a wrap on my fabulous October. Next month, I’m starting the first draft of the young adult locked room thriller I have been plotting for a year. I’m also releasing my two new Christmas singles. It’s wild that 2024 is almost over. This year has been magical so far, and I’m looking forward to what’s in store for me in November.