Shining Bright as the Sun – July 2026 Wrap
July was packed with music and publishing magic, from music awards nominations and a fun studio day to anthology news and more. So, head out into the sunshine and read on for my July highlights.
My Three Nominations for the 12th Annual Josie Music Awards
In July, I became an official nominee for the 12th Annual Josie Music Awards in three categories!
I’m nominated for Artist of the Year (Multi-Genre), Musician of the Year (Piano), and Songwriter Achievement for “Ember in the Dark.”
This year, there were over 101,000 submissions, which is truly bananas. If you would like to read about what my nominations mean to me, check out this blog post.
Huge thank you to the JMAs for this recognition. My fingers are crossed to win an award this fall.
Christmas in July and Pop Vibes at the Vault
On July 19, I went back to the Vault for a ten-hour session. I had a blast recording my new Christmas song, “My Own Little Snow Globe,” and getting more work done on “Breaking Promises.”
I wrote all about my session in this blog post.
Studio days are honestly the best.
Performing at the Murrysville Farmers Market
On July 23, I played a two-hour set at the Murrysville Farmers Market. I loved being back again.
You can watch my set highlights video on YouTube.
I’m looking forward to performing again in September.
A Progress Update for My Young Adult Gothic Thriller
This month, I spent lots of time drafting my young adult gothic thriller. I’m delighted to share that my current word count is 68,141. The book is drafted through chapter twenty-five. My goal is to finish by August 17, and I’m definitely on track for that. I seriously can’t believe I’ll have a completed first draft of this dark and twisted story so soon.
Celebrating Five Anthology Publications
In July, I celebrated five anthology publications.
The first three were published in June, and I got my paperbacks this month.
First, my young adult supernatural horror, “Crick Crack Crow,” featuring a dark game of Tic-Tac-Toe against the Devil, is out in High Stakes Horror by WATG Press. I wrote all about High Stakes Horror in this blog post.
Second, my young adult summer meet-cute, “Shorely Yours,” featuring a photographer protagonist, songwriter love interest, and romantic twist on a message in a bottle, is out in Dream A Little Dream With Me by KissMet Quarterly. I wrote all about Dream A Little Dream With Me in this blog post.
Third, my young adult dark fantasy, “When Petals Fall,” featuring an ancient forest and original flower folklore, is out in Roots & Rivers: A Collection of Myth and Folklore by Lowell & Benson Publishing. I wrote all about Roots & Rivers in this blog post.
On top of celebrating these publications, two other anthologies came out in July. They’re both poetry collections.
First, my poem, “Stardust,” exploring the magic of art, inspiration, and surrendering to the muse, is out in Dissolution: Poems at the Edge of Disappearance by La Rotonde Review. This is my first ever poetry publication, so it’s a special one.
Second, my haiku series, “Lonely’s Just a Phase,” comprising four haiku, is out in the inaugural issue of The Haikuist by Micromance Magazine. This was my first poetry acceptance, so The Haikuist holds a special place in my heart, too.
So, I’m officially a published poet now. I’ll share photos, unboxing videos, and blog posts for Dissolution and The Haikuist in August.
I’m so happy these five anthologies are out in the world.
More Anthology News
Along with my publications, I have more anthology news to share.
First, I’m delighted to share that I’ll have two pieces published in Euterpe’s Eternally Exciting Playlist by Wild Ink Publishing. Euterpe is the Muse of Music from Greek mythology, so I’m over the moon to be included in this collection with my prose poem, “The Monologue of Clair de Lune,” and my middle grade historical fantasy, “Lysandra and the Rose of Silence.”
Along with drafting my book, I found time for a new short story. I wrote and submitted a young adult gothic horror inspired by “A Dream Within a Dream” by Edgar Allan Poe for a dream-themed horror anthology. I should find out about this one in August.
Finally, I wrote another haiku series for the next issue of The Haikuist, which I’ll submit in August.
That’s a wrap on my July. I can’t wait to make more music and publishing memories in August.