Next time around it's her fans who'll be Thankful, since Kelly Clarkson has been working hard to have something for them by the holidays.

"I've already written my second record, actually," the inaugural "American Idol" winner said recently. "And right after touring I'm taking a little time off, and then I'll jump right back in the studio and get that out hopefully around Christmastime."

Clarkson wrote most of the material herself with some assistance from former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody (see [article id="1485104"]"Ben Moody Bringing Kelly Clarkson's Music To Life"[/article]).

"It's like the first CD in the sense that it's versatile, but it's more into the rock," Clarkson said. "It's more into the soulful roots, and it's just a little bit deeper, so it's pretty cool."

Although Clarkson's debut, Thankful, struck a chord with a blend of dance pop and balladry, she's been singing other genres of music since before she was encouraged to audition for "American Idol."

"I grew up with Aerosmith, and I love listening to Jimi Hendrix," she said. "I grew up with a lot of rock influences in my life, but as well as a lot of Aretha [Franklin], a lot of soul, so I don't know. I don't wanna limit myself, so I'm gonna kind of do whatever I want and put it on the record."

In the meantime, Clarkson continues to promote her debut LP on a co-headlining arena tour with Clay Aiken, which hits Uniondale, New York, on Thursday (see [article id="1484473"]"Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson Announce Dates For Joint Tour"[/article]).

Her focus on touring and recording means a potential career in front of the camera will be put on hold. "I get offers all the time to do movies and TV stuff, but I'm really focused on my music," Clarkson said. "The reason why I did 'From Justin to Kelly' was more for the fans than for myself."

For more on Clarkson and her musical influences, check out the feature "Crowd-Surfing Anti-Diva."