Come hell or high heels—or so goes the line from her current radio single— Billie Jo Bryce is going to make her mark in country music.

At only 23, the former Penticton resident has done what few who share her aspirations can accomplish. She's managed to turn an unvarnished spark of talent into a career-worthy skill that more and more people are starting to notice.

"It's been a great year— it's just been a whirlwind of everything," she said, explaining that she'll be headlining at Peachfest, she's been nominated in the new performer category at this year's BC Country Music Awards, and she'll even be playing at the Canadian Country Music Awards aftershow.

Currently in the throes of putting together an album, Bryce explained that she didn't stumble upon the good fortune she's experiencing— hard work and determination have paved the way.

"I am spending four days at a time in the studio, I'm learning to play the mandollin, the piano and the guitar about five days a week and I have a specialized vocal coach for three days a week."

In recent days, she's even sharpened her song-writing chops and headed to Nashville to work with the who's who of the music composers and song writers.

"When I was younger I wrote a lot and the more you write, the better you are at coming up with good catch phrases or a great title, great chorus," she said. "But then you get sent down to work with writers who have done this for a living, and for people like the Dixie Chicks, and they know what radio wants and you show them your idea and they come up with different riffs on their guitars or new lines."

Becoming a polished musician has been time consuming, but Bryce explained that her hard work has also extended beyond the musical world.

Up until recently, she's been balancing growing her skills with working three jobs to help pay for all the lessons and expenses that come along with being a skilled performer.

"I used to work non-stop to pay for everything," she explained, adding her management company signed her early on, but decided to not introduce her talents to the public until they were up to snuff. It's a decision she has faith in.

"It's tough to get good management, a good agent to land a good record deal…and it can be disheartening. There are people who are 32, 33, 34 working in bars and pursuing a music career. And it's hard to know when enough is enough."

It's especially tough to know when to draw the line in an industry that's notoriously fickle.

"When it's something you put everything into… your own money and your own time then someone turns around and doesn't like what you do, it's hard and you have to have a thick skin."

Bryce won' t have to be tough next month when she performs in front of a hometown audience that will be jam-packed with family next month. On Peachfest Sunday, she'll fill Okanagan Lake Park with her songs from 8:15 to 10:15 p.m.