2025 in review
It's been one wild year, and I can't thank you enough.
Is anyone else just in total disbelief that 2025 is almost over? Because yeah, me too. It feels like just yesterday I was starting to get anxious about my debut novel coming out in a little less than three months. And now look at us!
This year has been full of so many truly incredible things, most of which have happened because of the incredible love and generosity from you. The best readers in the entire world!
series giveaway
Before I hop into a little reminiscing of the year, I wanted to let you all know that I’m doing a giveaway to express my gratitude to you all. I just received my physical ARCs of Gods Beneath the Ice in the mail, and I’m going to give away a copy of the completed Blood & Souls Duology to one person subscribed here! I’ll pick a winner tomorrow (Sunday, 12/14) and send that person an email. If you haven’t read the series yet, you can binge it all in one go! Or if you already own the first book, you can gift the second copy to a friend this holiday season.
I’m so grateful that you’re here and continuing to stick around. Thank you.
highlight reel
What an incredible start to an author career this year has been! It’s hard to sum it up in bullet points, but I’m going to try (otherwise you’d get bored of the endless paragraphs I could write being sappy about it all):
Blood Beneath the Snow hit shelves in March and I had the most amazing week visiting local bookstores to sign copies; celebrating in person and online with friends, family, and readers; and living out my lifelong dream of becoming a published author.
I edited the second book in the duology, Gods Beneath the Ice, which involved basically reworking the entire thing from start to finish. It was so tough, but I’m really proud of what I created.
The incredible cover for the second book was revealed and there has been so much excitement from readers about it! Rightfully so, it’s an absolutely GORGEOUS cover.
My third book, Drown the Bones, was bought by a brand new imprint — Berkley XO! And, of course, we got to announce it too, which was incredible. It’ll be out in fall 2026 and I’m literally gnawing at the bars of my enclosure to show you the cover because when I say it might be my favorite book cover…ever? I mean it.
I finished developmental edits for Drown the Bones! This is the part of the editing process where I’m working on the plot, character arcs, and structure of the story. It’s the phase where the book changes the most. I made some pretty significant changes to my early draft of the book (which I first completed in late 2023 and then didn’t touch for quite a while) but it really feels like it’s the best it’s ever been and I’m incredibly happy with it.
I attended a ton of amazing events this year, including Romance Out West and FanX Salt Lake City!
And can you believe I still have more publishing secrets?? Sometimes I forget, haha.
the non-writing highlights
I often forget that my entire life isn’t just books, you know? I told my spouse earlier this year that I needed to find something to do that wasn’t just “read book” or “write book” because healthy work/life balance and whatnot. I started some new hobbies that I’m taking with me into 2026, and they’ve added so much whimsy to my days!
Specifically, I’ve been baking and crafting. I’m compiling a baking bucket list of sorts, which has been a blast. I made some charm bookmarks and some homemade Christmas decor too!
We also added two new members to our family in February. We adopted two kittens from our local shelter. They’re sisters and we can’t get enough of them.
reading highlights
I’ve had the privilege of reading over 100 books this year, many of which are new favorites! I could never manage to tell you about all of them, but a few of the ones I think deserve special mention:
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
Phantasma and Enchantra by Kaylie Smith
Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz
A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez (out in January 2026)
Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham (out in May 2026)
The Legend of the Nine Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan (out in February 2026)
Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid
A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair (specifically the third in the series was my favorite!)
Okay, that’s all I’m going to put here for now. Am I going to grab my reading journal later and smack myself because there’s going to be books I’ve forgotten? Yes, absolutely. Plan to see me raving about more books in future newsletters, of course!
not without its downsides
While 2025 looks really great on paper, it’s been one of the hardest years of my life also — specifically in terms of my mental health.
I spent much of the first half of the year having intense panic attacks that ruined my ability to function. It was utterly debilitating. I’m eternally grateful for the keen-eyed psychiatrist I saw in April who was able to pin down a good diagnosis for me. Turns out I’ve been struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for most of my life. Every other doctor had missed it, thinking it was simply generalized anxiety paired with a healthy dose of depression.
It’s interesting to look back on this struggle because I see it in my writing, now that I know to look for it. In Gods Beneath the Ice, Revna struggles with intrusive thoughts, which are a core component of OCD. While she doesn’t have any compulsions, it’s easy for me to recognize that much of her development came from my own experiences with intrusive thoughts. Mine are different (because I’m not a fantasy character worried about things like hanging on to my throne, haha) but comparable nonetheless.
I’m in a better place now, able to see that once again, writing has been a soft landing place for me during one of the most difficult things I’ve ever experienced.
coming soon…
2026 is already looking incredible. Some things I can’t wait for:
Blood Beneath the Snow comes out in paperback on January 6! Starting the year off in such a fun way!
Gods Beneath the ice hits shelves soon after, on February 17
I’m attending two events next year! Romantasy BookCon in Los Angeles at the end of February; and Romance Out West in my home state of Utah in April!
Hopefully I can tell you all my final publishing secret, of course
And then in the fall, Drown the Bones will be out!
And those are only the things that I’m planning super far ahead for. There will be a million other amazing moments next year, and I hope you’ll stick around to see them!
Thank you again for being here. Having readers who champion my work is a dream come true, and it’s an honor knowing you’ve picked up my book and spent your time with Revna and the Hellbringer.
Cheers to an incredible year to come!