There are so many great books out there waiting to be read. Once a spot opens up on the shelf or nightstand, there's room for new adventures.

Novels transport readers to new worlds in 300+ pages. Movies take hours. Songs take minutes. A short story should take a sentence—at least every word needs to count.

Relatable stories that make you laugh and/or cry are always in season. Sometimes it's better to think outside of the (gift)box when deciding when to publish a holiday novel.

After finishing yet another round of edits on my latest work-in-progress, I decided to look back on the journey this story has taken.