I can't believe it's Christmas Eve. This year has zoomed past like crazy and now this is my second to last blog of 2015. Sad face.
I am proud to say that I have the full cover art for Emily Knight 2 and a book title! I am so excited to see it all come to life.The cover art is stunning. I get really anxious when it's time for change and everyone knows how much I love Giles Greenfield's work so not using him for my second book was a bummer. Especially because Emily Knight is a series and so it needs to be consistent in the branding. I used Alexandra Artigas and she is a boss. She slam dunked the cover art.
I've been going through the revision notes from my editor - not my fav part of writing a book - but I know that it will only make the story stronger and clearer.
Octopus Publishing contacted me because they found this awesome blog and wanted to send me a new dance book that's come out. I was like cool and then they said, we'll just send you others - all for free! For a moment I thought this is what it must be like for celebs who get free Versace every day. I mean obvs it's not the same thing but you get my drift.
The Author School are running their next full day of classes on April 11th, but we thought let's do it during The London Book Fair week and give people advice on how to use the fair to their advantage. If you have read my blogs, you will see a HUGE difference between my first time and second time. As usual, Helen and I want to help everyone! And we have a fab line up. For more info check out theauthorschol.com and come to our free networking event after - get a free ticket here
Can we take a second for a black Hermione! To be honest, I always thought she was black from the books. Frizzy hair - afro, hello! Only until the third book, when they drew her as white, I was like oh but I am so happy that they cast a black lady.
There's this video of the Star Wars premier of John Boyega getting turnt. It is hilarious and it made me think when Emily gets made into a movie, I will hit the quan down the red carpet.
I can't wait for 2016. I have a feeling it's going to be the best year yet. I have hollered at some literary festivals and I am determined to do some next year. I want to do as many author things as possible. I feel I have grown so much since my last book and I have a better understanding of what I want, so my direction is clearer. I know my worth a lot more now, personally and career wise and I feel less of a way in saying what I want and going for it.
Pigging out, watching movies, catching up on Scandal and getting the book ready for publication. Best break ever.
Next door are doing building work and it has been a constant headache. The builders wake me up at 8.45am, once it was even 8am! I wanted to cry and it's not even the drilling, it's the 'You alright mate?' at each other and the bad singing. One night, I went to bed so late because work is done for Christmas and I forgot about the builders, so when they started their annoying chats, I couldn't even open my eyes. That's how tired I was. Instead, I put a pillow over my head and when I finally woke up, I had the biggest headache.
There's this kid I teach dance too, really cool little girl. Her parents look like they were in a band or something but anyway, her parents are divorced and she was telling me how she slept at her dad's house because he had a party. I said, “Oh that's nice.” Then she said, “Yeah he had this massive pole that he brought into the house and these girls were dancing on it.” So I'm thinking it can't be a stripper pole but she was so causal about it, I don't think she knew so I said, “What kind of dancing were they doing on the pole?” Wait for it. She said, “Well they were sliding up and down and taking of their clothes. I was told to go to bed but it looked really fun.” The girl is nine.
This has been the longest term ever! I am so exhausted. My last week, I worked 42 hours and I had food poisoning. I am proud of all my kids because they danced so sick at their end of term shows and one group gave me beautiful roses. Between the wind that almost knocked it over yesterday and Fergie trying to step on them, I'm surprised they have lasted.
That YEMA award I was nominated for. Don't even get me started on the nonsense. So I came runner up and they said I can come pick up my award. I have been working flat out and had zero time to get it so I asked could they post it to me. Can you imagine they said I need to pay for the postage and packaging? On top of that, the cash prize they advertised disappeared because they ran out of money. I am so disappointed. I was excited to be nominated and now I just think, let's just forget this entire embarrassment.
No justice for Saundra Bland. No coverage either. But they can share Steve Harvey announcing the wrong Miss World or whatever.
Kimoji. WTF?
I never got any Balmain anything. But I did get a new Eastpack Backpack for £15 instead of £50 but looked nothing like the picture. Fun. Luckily, it still looks nice.
I can't believe my sister Lola is 30! Where has life really gone? I wanted to make it one to remember so we started of in Winter Wonderland (my first time ever). The only issue is I was trying to make it a surprise but I get lost everywhere, especially around my home city London - ironic right? And I was checking my map, making no sense of it and she said, "Winter Wonderland is that way." Epic fail. It was very cool in there, but the prices! £17 for the roller coaster. I said she could get a hot chocolate.
We got on the train to part 2 of Lola's bday and this man kind of pushed me. For some reason he thought I wasn't moving down the train but there was a huge suitcase in front of me and I was waiting for it to be moved. I gave him a dirty look and he said, "I was trying to get on the train." So I said, "Isn't everyone?" Then he goes, "Yeah but you wasn't moving." I said, "You're a dick." The problem was I was meant to think it and I had my music playing so it came out like "YOU'RE A DICK!" Everyone was looking at me.
Then we went to one of my fav restaurants Joe's Southern Kitchen and ate chicken wings, mac and cheese, gumbo, the whole works. They gave Lola a cake for free, which was nice but the person who was bringing it was to meant to sing happy birthday. This other waiter came out instead and just gave her the cake with no explanation, so then the two waiters started arguing and Lola is looking at me like wtf? And inside I am just cussing. After, our brother met us and he took her to see Lion King which was a gift from the family. I had to run to Angel to celebrate my little sis, Melissa's bday (different set of parents) That was fun getting to hang with friends and by that point I was completely over how much money I had spent and I didn't look at my account for over a week because I was to scared too.
I did a mad rush of online christmas present shopping and I ordered my brother the same present as last year.
I forgot how epic the Rugrats Movie is.
I got a Virgin Mentor. Lucky number four, eh?
Thank you all for reading my blog! Don't forget there is one more coming on New Years Eve. Have a Merry Christmas all! xxx
www.a-bello.com
I am proud to say that I have the full cover art for Emily Knight 2 and a book title! I am so excited to see it all come to life.The cover art is stunning. I get really anxious when it's time for change and everyone knows how much I love Giles Greenfield's work so not using him for my second book was a bummer. Especially because Emily Knight is a series and so it needs to be consistent in the branding. I used Alexandra Artigas and she is a boss. She slam dunked the cover art.
I've been going through the revision notes from my editor - not my fav part of writing a book - but I know that it will only make the story stronger and clearer.
Octopus Publishing contacted me because they found this awesome blog and wanted to send me a new dance book that's come out. I was like cool and then they said, we'll just send you others - all for free! For a moment I thought this is what it must be like for celebs who get free Versace every day. I mean obvs it's not the same thing but you get my drift.
Can we take a second for a black Hermione! To be honest, I always thought she was black from the books. Frizzy hair - afro, hello! Only until the third book, when they drew her as white, I was like oh but I am so happy that they cast a black lady.
There's this video of the Star Wars premier of John Boyega getting turnt. It is hilarious and it made me think when Emily gets made into a movie, I will hit the quan down the red carpet.
I can't wait for 2016. I have a feeling it's going to be the best year yet. I have hollered at some literary festivals and I am determined to do some next year. I want to do as many author things as possible. I feel I have grown so much since my last book and I have a better understanding of what I want, so my direction is clearer. I know my worth a lot more now, personally and career wise and I feel less of a way in saying what I want and going for it.
Pigging out, watching movies, catching up on Scandal and getting the book ready for publication. Best break ever.
Next door are doing building work and it has been a constant headache. The builders wake me up at 8.45am, once it was even 8am! I wanted to cry and it's not even the drilling, it's the 'You alright mate?' at each other and the bad singing. One night, I went to bed so late because work is done for Christmas and I forgot about the builders, so when they started their annoying chats, I couldn't even open my eyes. That's how tired I was. Instead, I put a pillow over my head and when I finally woke up, I had the biggest headache.
There's this kid I teach dance too, really cool little girl. Her parents look like they were in a band or something but anyway, her parents are divorced and she was telling me how she slept at her dad's house because he had a party. I said, “Oh that's nice.” Then she said, “Yeah he had this massive pole that he brought into the house and these girls were dancing on it.” So I'm thinking it can't be a stripper pole but she was so causal about it, I don't think she knew so I said, “What kind of dancing were they doing on the pole?” Wait for it. She said, “Well they were sliding up and down and taking of their clothes. I was told to go to bed but it looked really fun.” The girl is nine.
This has been the longest term ever! I am so exhausted. My last week, I worked 42 hours and I had food poisoning. I am proud of all my kids because they danced so sick at their end of term shows and one group gave me beautiful roses. Between the wind that almost knocked it over yesterday and Fergie trying to step on them, I'm surprised they have lasted.
That YEMA award I was nominated for. Don't even get me started on the nonsense. So I came runner up and they said I can come pick up my award. I have been working flat out and had zero time to get it so I asked could they post it to me. Can you imagine they said I need to pay for the postage and packaging? On top of that, the cash prize they advertised disappeared because they ran out of money. I am so disappointed. I was excited to be nominated and now I just think, let's just forget this entire embarrassment.
No justice for Saundra Bland. No coverage either. But they can share Steve Harvey announcing the wrong Miss World or whatever.
Kimoji. WTF?
I never got any Balmain anything. But I did get a new Eastpack Backpack for £15 instead of £50 but looked nothing like the picture. Fun. Luckily, it still looks nice.
I can't believe my sister Lola is 30! Where has life really gone? I wanted to make it one to remember so we started of in Winter Wonderland (my first time ever). The only issue is I was trying to make it a surprise but I get lost everywhere, especially around my home city London - ironic right? And I was checking my map, making no sense of it and she said, "Winter Wonderland is that way." Epic fail. It was very cool in there, but the prices! £17 for the roller coaster. I said she could get a hot chocolate.
We got on the train to part 2 of Lola's bday and this man kind of pushed me. For some reason he thought I wasn't moving down the train but there was a huge suitcase in front of me and I was waiting for it to be moved. I gave him a dirty look and he said, "I was trying to get on the train." So I said, "Isn't everyone?" Then he goes, "Yeah but you wasn't moving." I said, "You're a dick." The problem was I was meant to think it and I had my music playing so it came out like "YOU'RE A DICK!" Everyone was looking at me.
Then we went to one of my fav restaurants Joe's Southern Kitchen and ate chicken wings, mac and cheese, gumbo, the whole works. They gave Lola a cake for free, which was nice but the person who was bringing it was to meant to sing happy birthday. This other waiter came out instead and just gave her the cake with no explanation, so then the two waiters started arguing and Lola is looking at me like wtf? And inside I am just cussing. After, our brother met us and he took her to see Lion King which was a gift from the family. I had to run to Angel to celebrate my little sis, Melissa's bday (different set of parents) That was fun getting to hang with friends and by that point I was completely over how much money I had spent and I didn't look at my account for over a week because I was to scared too.
I forgot how epic the Rugrats Movie is.
I got a Virgin Mentor. Lucky number four, eh?
Thank you all for reading my blog! Don't forget there is one more coming on New Years Eve. Have a Merry Christmas all! xxx
www.a-bello.com
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