life of a street dancer

So we made it! Praise be to God as so many people didn't. What an amazing year it's been. I can say hand on heart that this has been the best year of my life. Every month something significant happened. I knew that this year would be all about my career and God really showed up. The Author School grew and we did more events and one-to-ones. Hashtag Press turned 1 years old and we've published our 10th book. Yay! At The Lil' Author Skool, we published The Originals and found our next bunch of young writers to be published next year. The Lil' Author Skool is my passion project but it's done so well with very little put into it so next year I'm going to run it how I run my businesses and I want to see how big it can get. Emily Knight I am...Awakened has done so good and is nominated for 2 book awards. My third book, Beats, Love and high top trainers has 7 publishers interested (well now 6 as one couldn't deal with all the black girl magic. Ha!). My career ...

Can you believe Christmas is almost here? This year has seriously blown by. I feel like I was just in Wakanda for my birthday literally the other day. So one of the exciting things I wanted to mention in my last blog is...my book is shortlisted for London's Big Read 2019! Emily Knight I am...Awakened has been doing so well and now it's up against 14 books and it's up to the public to vote for their fav book. Voting starts World Book Day 2019. We had the launch party for it, with the other authors, family, friends and press. I had to do some interviews and I got to go on London Live to talk about my book! I have no idea why I thought London Live was radio and not live TV. All Helen told me was not to be late. I totally forgot that I had my first BookBrunch committee meeting but thankfully they were fine with me missing this one. Of course this was the day when there was diversions and cancelled trains. I had to be there at 5 and the building was next to the station. At 4....

                Emily Knight I am...Awakened is nominated for a Carnegie Medal! AHHHHHH!! Do you know what's so crazy? The Saturday before I got the email, I was feeling so low. I just felt like I wanted more and was writing down ideas for things I could do to build my brand etc and trying to find time that I don't have to do more. Then the Monday comes and I got an email saying I've been nominated. It's such an amazing feeling to have my Emily alongside some of my fav authors and books. Our little pub house hanging with the big dogs! Being nominated has definitely opened up more doors for me, I even had a massive literary agent from NYC approach me. I'm signed already but it was extremely flattering. Now my dance book is making the rounds and when I found out how many publishers have shown interest. At first I was like girl you're lying, is this real? But then later that evening it hit me and I just started crying. Then I got foreign rights agen...

It's Black History Month and it is freezing cold. I ordered my fur coat ASAP. I was so lucky that my cousin hooked me up with a weekend packed with The Hate U Give. I read THUG last year. I remember seeing it in Waterstones and picking it up because I saw a picture of a black girl on the cover. When I read the title I was like, didn't Tupac say this? I then read the blurb and literally was in shock that this Black Lives Matter book was in Waterstones ( as it should be but it's not something you see every day). I sat down and read it up to Khalil and the policeman. I couldn't get over the fact that this book had been published by a big publishing house. I brought it straight away and finished reading it the next day. It is one of my favourite books so when Toyin told me she was working the BFI London Fim Festival and THUG was going to be shown and did I want to see an exclusive screening, all I could say was Girl!!!!!! Then she upped it by getting me tickets to hear Ang...

Summer is officially over! Oh I had the best summer with the best weather.  Now, the weather is starting to get a bit chilly but still warmer than usual. I'm praying that our winter is not super cold. Can you believe it's been a year since my second baby Emily Knight I am...Awakened was released? I just feel so grateful that people have brought my book, taken the time to leave a review for me or even just said something kind to me. I feel so happy!! One of the winners of the Birthday Giveaway told me her daughter took the book from her before she could read it and loved it. That really made me smile.  I finally have figured out book 3. I was getting so annoyed because I know how the saga ends but there's a whole bunch of other stuff that needs to happen, to lead up to the finale. Basically I was doing the most and just needed to calm it all the way down, so I think 4 books is in order. Unless my brain has other ideas. It's so hard with book 3 because you just want it...

                      Well kinda. I'm 30 years old!!! Hot damn. I am grown like a proper grown up. It's the oddest feeling. I knew I was an adult before (obvs)  but now I'm 30! This decade I'll get married, have kids, become a millionaire (God willing)—I mean, that's a lot going on. But it also makes me feel powerful. I don't need to put up with any weird behaviour or negative vibes. I don't need to be anywhere or do anything that I don't want to do because I am 30! Can I get an Amen? As a pre-birthday warm up, Aleta took me to this Thai place called Crazy Bear. OMG the food was one of the best things I have ever tasted. We had a chocolate creme brûlée. I have never had a normal one let alone a chocolate one and it was smooth but had a crunchy sugary top. Divine. But the toilets were so weird. The door was part of the wall like some Harry Potter vibes and then inside it was dark. Really dark. I have no idea how Aleta managed...

Thanks to those who read my last blog about diversity in publishing. I know it was a more 'serious' tone than my usual blogs but it's a conversation that needs way more action and me and Helen had to get that of our chests. Now....I am 30 on Monday! I literally can't deal. I won't be in my 20's anymore. I am excited about my Wakanda themed birthday party on Saturday, although I have no idea what I'm doing for my actual birthday on Monday but even planning this party has got me exhausted. My skirt that was made for me was too poofy and then the designer was trying to argue with me that it was fine! Err what? Got it amended and then had to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a strapless bra because the bigger the boobs, the more expensive a bra is, which really sucks. A great present would be money and lots of it! I know alot of people hated their 20's but I LOVED my 20's. I admit it started off pretty shit. I was in a bad relationship for years...