My Tinsel Heart Is Full – November 2023 Wrap
Wow, November couldn’t have gone more perfectly. From signing with my literary agent and drafting a new book for NaNoWriMo to releasing my fourth original Christmas single, this month has left me feeling beyond happy and hopeful for what’s to come for both my songwriting and publishing journeys.
Becoming an Agented Author
My author dreams are starting to come true. After querying since July 5, 2022 and pitching three manuscripts, I’m so lucky to now be represented by Michelle Jackson at LCS Literary. I officially signed with her on November 10. All my hard work has paid off, and I truly can’t wait for the next chapter of my publishing adventure as an agented author.
It’s tradition for authors to share their journeys to literary representation, so I wrote my obligatory How I Got My Agent post. I unveiled my whole experience, from preparing to query to signing with Michelle. If you’d like to read how one of my biggest dreams became a reality, check out the post here.
Now that I’m agented, I can’t wait to dive back into the story that landed me representation, my Little Red Riding Hood reimagining with Greek mythology. My next step will be chatting with Michelle about any edits I should make before doing another revision. After this, I’ll go on submission, which means Michelle will pitch my book to editors at publishing houses. I’m already wishing upon all my lucky stars for this story to find a home.
Winning My Second NaNoWriMo
This month, I took the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge for the second year in a row. I’m so excited to share that I completed the first draft of my new young adult fantasy after writing for thirty days straight. My final word count is 72,766 words. I love this story and can’t wait to revise it soon.
I celebrated winning the challenge with a delicious cake.
Since taking the challenge this year was an adventure, I wrote a blog post all about it, highlighting my book’s concept, preparing for the challenge, obstacles I faced, reaching the end of my draft, and more. I discovered a lot about myself as an author during NaNoWriMo this year, so I enjoyed writing this post. You can read it here.
After revising my other three manuscripts from January to October, I loved getting the chance to bring a new story to life this November. Once I get my Little Red Riding Hood reimagining ready for submission, I’ll return to this story and dive headfirst into revisions.
The Release of “Tinsel Heart”
On November 24, I released my fourth original Christmas single, “Tinsel Heart.” This song explores my love for Christmas and how I keep the magic of the holiday season with me all year round.
You can download and stream “Tinsel Heart” on the major platforms here.
Also, I did a release talk for COOL TOP20, where I shared what the lyrics mean to me, what I hope to achieve with this release, and the emotions that come with releasing a new song. I loved doing this interview, and you can read it here.
“Tinsel Heart” is a very special song to me, so I hope it brings extra magic to your holiday season.
Speaking of Christmas, my calendar is already full of holiday opportunities, from hosting Christmas specials to participating in an indie artist Christmas concert. I enjoy spreading love and holiday cheer through music, so December is going to be special.
I can’t believe there’s only one month left of 2023. So many of my dreams came true this year. I’m going to embrace the opportunities December brings and do a lot of reflecting on how 2023 unfolded for me. Before I know it, I’ll be ringing in 2024. Until then, I’m looking forward to ending this year on a high note and making more magical memories.