Thanksgiving this year is November 27. I’ll be busy with family for almost the entire week, so I thought I should write a holiday post a little bit early since I won’t have much time at the end of November.

I’ve written Thanksgiving posts before (they got nuked when I transferred from Wix to WordPress), but I’ve never written one from the perspective of being a writer. This blog is largely about my writing, after all…so why don’t I give it a go?

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I am thankful for…

Family.
I am lucky because I grew up with a tight-knit family of readers. We love books. And because of the love of books, I’ve gotten so much support over the years for writing them (although I got support for my shows, too). And…I know you’re not supposed to share your work with your family due to the possibility of a bias being there, but…my family knows how to be critical of an artistic work. They are all excellent writers, too. So I have no trouble asking them opinions on things as I write or randomly calling them up for advice. I’ve asked my brother (who is by far has the most discerning eye), my sister, my mother…I am so lucky to have such a helpful, supportive family when I am in the process of writing, and then having published, my books.

Friends.
When Son of the Siren came out, it was a huge deal as it was my debut novel and nothing like I’d ever written before. My friends ordered copies. They took photos of themselves holding up the book on social media (I’ve saved every one). They cheered me on when I got negative reviews and complimented my work where they thought I’d done a good job. In an earlier era of my life, they drove miles and miles to come see the shows I had written at the local branch of OSU. I have felt loved and appreciated by my friends for a very long time, and seeing that support continue for my writing just makes my heart feel full.

My Seton Hill WPF Friends, Mentors, and Classmates.
I had actually deleted all social media in 2008 and kept a total profile blackout until 2013, the year I graduated with my MFA from Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program. I rejoined Facebook and the private SHU WPF group at the urging of my classmates, who wanted to keep in touch. That led me to creating profiles elsewhere and continuing connections well past graduation. It’s not the same as being friends in-person like we were at residencies, but we all cheer each other on in our posts, share our successes, get advice on our failures, and of course, promote our books. I have met incredible people through this program and we support each other to this day.

My agent, Rick Lewis.
I queried many agents in the Fall of 2023, and by that December, I had a book contract thanks to Rick. At the time, he was a literary agent with Martin Literary Management, and he was the only agent to show great enthusiasm for Son of the Siren. And he truly was enthusiastic–he got it. He understood everything I was trying to do with the novel, and when I got “the call” I was met with a kind, encouraging person who was genuinely excited about my work. Rick has a history of not only being an agent, but a publisher and editor. So, when it came time to spruce up Son of the Siren, he had a hawk’s eye and a great sense of story. He fixed a lot of the stuff that didn’t quite sit right with me, and gave the book a good cleaning before it went on sub. And the submission packet he made for it was so, so good. I don’t know if all agents do it, but basically the packet was like a promotion kit with comp titles, a summary, an explanation as to who the book was for, tropes, etc. It showed me that he knew how to sell this baby. And he queried everyone from the Big 5 to imprints to small presses until we nabbed Oliver Heber Books. Since signing with Rick, he’s left MLM and become an independent agent under the group Forward Fiction, which I believe is his baby. When he informed me he was changing hands, he gave me the option of being recommended to a different agent at MLM, or to follow him on his journey. He was worth it. I agreed to keep our agent-author relationship going.

My publisher, Oliver Heber Books.
When I refer to my publisher, I’m using it as a blanket term for Tanya Anne Crosby, the founder and head honcho at OHB; the staff; my editor, Kim Ostrom; the designers and proofreaders; and anyone else who makes OHB what it is. Kim was the editor who signed Son of the Siren for a contract with OHB in December of 2023. Through the months that followed, she edited the book (including drafting an editorial letter); the cover was designed with my input; interior illustrations also designed with my input; the book advanced to proofreading, then to the proof itself; and it was published July 2024. Months later, the audiobook went into production, and I had input choosing the narrator and also working with him to approve his recordings for every chapter. If you haven’t noticed the pattern here with OHB, it is this–they really let you contribute to the creation of your book. They ultimately have the final say as they are the experts as to what sells and what doesn’t, but the amount of inclusivity in the bookmaking and audio-making processes astounded me. I’m really lucky because I know it’s not like this with every publisher, so I feel privileged to have signed with OHB. Now, Son of the Siren has been out for well over a year, and I was warned in advance that it would be a tricky book to sell as it was a standalone YA, and the numbers reflect that. The book has had its successes, though, too. The reason why I’m mentioning this is because despite Son of the Siren‘s performance, OHB offered me a three-book deal for The Name and the Key. I was so shocked, I had to pinch myself. Of course I took the offer, as this story has been in my head since it started out as my MFA thesis at SHU. I had no idea how something wonderful like this could happen, and Tanya told me, “we invest in authors, not just their books.” This greatly encouraged me, and I want my trilogy to be the best thing I’ve ever written, not just for myself, but for OHB, too. I’m working really hard and I can’t shake my excitement, or this feeling of gratitude.