Thea Wood Signed A Book Deal!

First Ladies of Music Finds A Home At Fox Chapel Publishing

Thea Wood Signed A Book Deal!

It is with immense gratitude and joy that I announce that my book First Ladies of Music: A Rockin’ Activity & Coloring Book has found a home at Fox Chapel Publishing. The release date is set for Spring 2026.

A press release is going out tomorrow morning, but it’s important to me that you hear it first. Your support of women in music and Herizon Music media helped make this dream become a reality. So, thank you! 🙏🏻

First Ladies of Music (FLOM) features two-page spreads highlighting iconic women in music. Each spread includes a distinctive illustration of the icon(s), a Herstory page with information about her/their life and achievements, and inspirational journaling and action prompts for readers. It will be a 96-page deluxe celebrity coloring book featuring influential women in music, past and present. The lineup spans all genres and includes icons such as Joan Jett, Carole King, Nina Simone, Judy Garland, Beyoncé, Madonna, Dolly Parton, The Go-Go’s, Bessie Smith, and more. The intended audience is teens, but music lovers of all ages will dig it!

When we get close to the publication date, Herizon Music subscribers will get discount info, event announcements, and more.

FLOM began conceptually two years ago as part of my post-COVID where-do-I-go-now journey. My creative career coach Marla Diann helped me pinpoint what was important to me and how to receive (feminine) vs will (masculine) abundance. I continue to practice this process through journaling, meditating, and acting upon my goals and values. Most importantly, I learned to say “no” to opportunities, events, and shiny distractions that didn’t further my vision. As a self-proclaimed people pleaser, that was terrifying. My goal list narrowed from a dozen items down to:

• Publish a book about women in music

• Become a Recording Academy Member and go to the GRAMMYs

• Launch a VR platform for live entertainment

• Expand Herizon Music from a Texas-centric entity to a national media outlet

The FLOM concept wouldn’t have seen the light of day if it weren’t for my agent and product developer Kim Childress of Childress Ink, who designed and submitted dozens of proposals, refined my approach, and taught me how to handle rejection and play the long game.

My advice to other writers: Get professional representation in your genre as soon as possible if you have a book concept.

Fox Chapel is the perfect home for FLOM, as it specializes in coloring books and arts & crafts books on an international scale. Thank you to Fox Chapel editor Amelia Johanson for seeing the value in sharing the stories of women in music and going to bat for us with the editorial board. And thank you to these folks for their early endorsements:

• Carla Patullo, GRAMMY® Award-winning Artist/Composer

• Matt Busch, producer/director/writer of Aladdin 3477; illustrator for Disney and Lucasfilm

• Jeannie Ralston, founder of NextTribe.com and award-winning journalist and author

• Caytha Jentis, Fox Meadow Films producer/director/writer

To my husband, kids, parents, siblings, music family, and friends: You may rarely see me for the next 12 months, so thank you in advance for your support and patience. 🥰

Are you wondering what happened with the other three goals?

The Recording Academy accepted me as a member in 2023. Thank you Shelley King, Erin Ivey, and Wendy Colonna for sponsoring me. Barring any unexpected obstacles, I will attend my first GRAMMY awards ceremony on February 2, 2025 with Wavemakers founder Lurleen Ladd.

The VRLive music platform is in its early alpha stages with Danny McCrystal. As proof of concept, we’ve produced over 60 VR performances with 50% of those featuring women on the stage since August. The studio’s first anniversary celebration is January 19, 2025. Visit TelePresentMedia.com to learn more.

After a number of expensive trial and errors, I found a growth path for Herizon Music that fits my value system with a community I love. Yes, that’s you Substackers. Demographics for the last 90 days show California and New York have surpassed Texas in reader/listenership with a cool 12% international audience. Over 1,100 subs and growing… Y’all rock!

Moving forward, Herizon Music will feature more premium content for paid subscribers. Prior to the book deal focus, I planned to produce premium content for music makers. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t nor will be enough time in the day to produce a quality program and hit my other deadlines. My sincere apologies to those who were holding out for it. Check my Substack recommendations list for Substackers who provide that valuable service.

Going forward, premium articles will focus on the more “adult” themes and discoveries from my ongoing research associated with FLOM. These are women’s experiences that will not go into a book designed for teens. I do not mean for this to be a shock and awe strategy, but there are many times in my research where I am shocked and awed. Early warning for the faint of heart.

Now is the time to upgrade for premium access! I’m offering 50% OFF annual subscriptions through December 25, 2024. When you buy an annual sub for only $36, you’ll also receive a Herizon Music can cooler. The perfect accessory for any concert or music fest! See the pic? 👇🏻

**Remember, you can also GIFT a paid sub for a loved one.**

Thank you for joining our band of dreamers, rule breakers, and rockstars!
This is Thea, it’s a wrap 🎶