Yes, we’re starting this Substack with a Twilight reference. No, I’m not going to apologize.

I know it’s been a hot minute since I’ve shared an update with everyone, of any kind. But that changes today! And you, my lovely Substack subscribers, get to be the first to hear all about my exciting updates. So, thank you for being here while I continue my author journey.

But first, let’s start with a life update. Back in October my family moved halfway across the country so my husband could take on him dream job, that he’s been working towards for years and years. It’s been a BIG change, but was also a no-brainer. He’s been a huge supporter of my writing since day one, and has always encouraged me to keep going (he also likes to pitch me his own ideas for Hallmark movies or books, but we can go down that rabbit hole another day lol) knowing my dream is to be traditionally published. We decided that this move was going to be where both our dreams get to come true, and I whole-heartedly believe that. We were welcomed with a big snow storm that shut school down for a week, but have made the most of it. (If you’ve never explored the wine and ale trail of Norther Virginia, you are missing out.) It’s a beautiful area and I am super excited to continue exploring it!

Since moving I’ve read some absolutely fabulous books, and my TBR keeps growing. Here’s a look at my last read, current read, and my hopefully next read:

Now for the writing updates:

Yes, I’ve been writing. And revising. And outlining. And all the things. For a while I wasn’t sure what I wanted to work on or where to put my energy, especially after parting ways with my agent at the end of summer. It was a weird limbo of trying to figure out what I wanted to do next and wondering where to go from there. The one thing I knew was I still wanted my stories in the world because I’d worked too hard on them. So, naturally, I drafted a totally new romcom, which was so freeing and fun because I got to write it 100% for myself. When I was done, I got back to work on my other romcom. A romcom I rewrote twice and revised a lot. I took a break from it when we first moved, then jumped back in after getting more beta feedback and that’s when I decided I was going to jump back into the querying trenches because I love that story and it’s hook! Seriously, the day I can share all about this story will be such a fun day. I even have character art for it already. My goal was to start querying by February, and I made that happen. I started with a small batch, then sent a few more. And while I got some rejections, I also had some full requests. Including a request I never expected, but was so delighted to see arrive in my inbox.

Shortly after that request, said agent informed me they were passing the query onto a fabulous colleague she felt would be a great fit. I was over the moon because this agency and it’s agents were always on my “dream list”. Not only that, but some other big things popped up at the same time, making everything even more exciting. A day later, that agent reached out to me with interest in setting up a time to talk. We both had availability that day, so once I was home for the afternoon, I pulled up my Zoom. Now, for those of you who don’t know, I previous queried two different books (almost at the same time) and both received multiple offers of rep, and this book was the same. Over time, I’ve created a list of questions and things I want to be sure are addressed in an agent call. From how they handle editing future manuscripts to their stance on AI, and everything I could think of in-between. When the Zoom call started, it wasn’t long before my gut told me “they’re the one”. And by the end of the call, there was no doubt in my mind I wanted to work with this agent on all things related to my author career. They felt the same way, and so it is with great honor that I get to announce that I am now represented by the amazing, Naomi Davis of Book Ends Literary!

To say I am over the moon is an understatement. I cannot wait to see what the future brings for my writing career, but I can also say that landing this incredible is only part of the excitement. But if you want to know the next part, stick around for part 2, which is coming soon!

Also, total side note: Who else has seen Project Hail Mary?! It became one of my favorite books of all time the week it released (I devoured the physical book, but do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook. It’s hands down one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to!) and I’ve “read” it in some capacity at least twice a year since that first time. The movie was fabulous for a movie adaptation of a book, and if you are on the fence…go for it. Totally worth it!

Anyways, thanks for being here. I’ll be back with part 2’s update as soon as I can! Until then, feel free to let me know what your favorite dinosaur is, because what fun is being an adult if you can’t ask random questions about favorite dinosaurs?