Hurry Down the Chimney is Now Available for Pre-Order!

Every story starts with a spark.

Meet Hurry Down the Chimney characters Ira Silverman and Judy Jacobs on Nov. 5, 2025. Pre-Order now.

For me, it came one December when I found a 2017 Los Angeles Times article about Philip Springer, the composer of Santa Baby. In it was a video of then 91-year-old Mr. Springer reflecting on writing the song. He laughed as he recalled how he and lyricist Joan Javits dashed it off in 1953—never imagining it would become a Christmas classic still played around the world seventy years later.

Of course, a song is only as memorable as the voice that brings it to life. That same year, the incomparable Eartha Kitt recorded Santa Baby with a wink, a purr, and a daring confidence that made the song unforgettable. Together, Springer, Javits, and Kitt created something witty, provocative, and enduring—a holiday song unlike any other.

Watching that interview, I couldn’t help but wonder: What must it have been like to be them in that moment? Young creatives in 1950s New York, hustling in smoky studios, dreaming of a hit—did they know they were writing history?

That’s where my imagination took over.

In Hurry Down the Chimney, my characters Judy Jacobs and Ira Silverman are fictional, but their world is inspired by those real pioneers. Judy carries a spark of Joan Javits’s ambition and cleverness, while Ira borrows some of Springer’s musical brilliance and drive. And the dazzling Estelle Knight, who takes the stage with fearless glamour, owes a nod to Eartha Kitt herself—glittering, bold, and impossible to ignore.

Hurry Down the Chimney is my reimagining of what it might have felt like to chase a scandalous holiday hit in that era: witty, charming, and full of retro holiday magic. It’s my love letter to the city, the season, and the creatives who turned a cheeky little song into a timeless treasure.

The book launches November 5, but you can pre-order your copy now: Pre-order Hurry Down the Chimney on Amazon

Read the Los Angeles Times article and video of Philip Springer that started it all.

In 2017, 91-year-old Philip Springer spoke with the Los Angeles Times about composing the holiday classic, Santa Baby. This video sparked my creation of the characters and story in Hurry Down the Chimney. Thank you Mr. Springer, Ms. Javits, and Ms. Kitt for creating this fun and timeless song!

I can’t wait to share Judy, Ira, and Estelle’s story with you. It's the Christmas movie I wanted to watch—and since it didn't exsist, I wrote it. Now, I finally get to share it with you.

Please Note:

While Hurry Down the Chimney draws inspiration from the era and from the creators of Santa Baby, it is a work of fiction. Judy Jacobs, Ira Silverman, Estelle Knight, and the rest of the cast are entirely my own invention. Their lives, loves, and struggles are imagined through the lens of 1950s New York, sparked by my curiosity about what it might have felt like to create a holiday classic.

This story is not a biography of Philip Springer, Joan Javits, or Eartha Kitt—it’s a love letter to the magic of music, creativity, and the holiday spirit that their work continues to inspire. Art begets art, and more than seven decades after its creation, their song still sparks new stories. And that, to me, is what art is about.