life of a street dancer

I'm late to the party but HAPPY NEW YEAR!! My start to the year has been up and down but working through the downs so they have become ups (if that makes sense). There is something so annoying about January. I think I've had one good January where everything just went smoothly. Yeah I would love those times to come back. Started of the New Year with not one but two parking fines. I just can't with this. One of them you can't even see my car and they're like it's defo you. How?? And then the other one literally suspended my entire road so then I had to park up the road. The next day or maybe the day after they suspended that road and gave me a fine. I said they should have said days prior that the road was going to be suspended and given warning. They claimed they did. THEY DIDN'T. So then I paid the stupid fine and then got a letter the other say saying I didn't pay it. I am so over these idiots. I feel like this year everyone has the mentality of s...

Happy New Year! I felt like the heatwave went on forever and then suddenly we're at New Years Eve. This year has been full of surprises -  good and bad but God is so good that all the bad ended up working in my favour. I feel like last year taught me loads about myself but this year taught me about business.  I have hired and fired, I have a lawsuit against someone, Hashtag Press turned two but with that came lots of bumps that had me and Helen like WTF?! But we overcame it all. Emily Knight I am...Awakened literally blew my mind with the awards - Carnegie, London's Big Read, The People's Book Prize. I got nominated for a Black British Business Award. I didn't end up signing Beats with any of the publishing houses. If it's not a big house it makes no sense for me to sign as I have my own one. I started on a new fantasy series that I am obsessed with and Emily Knight I am...Becoming is out in 2020. I spoke to producers and I finally understand this whole film adapti...

Next week we will be in 2020. How crazy is that? I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Mine was good. I got stuck doing the cooking again! But there was no arguing so a success! It's always so strange that gap between Christmas and New Years because I feel like there's all this stuff I want to do before the year is up and yet just chilling out has been the best. This break has been so overdue and I am really loving just moving at this glacier speed. I told myself I would have finished my new book by the end of the year...yeah I love how ambitious I am! I haven't worked on it since I've had my break. I just clocked this morning that my third book is out in just over 9 months. Why that gives me anxiety I have no idea! I am debating whether to have a book launch party. I just don't know if I can be asked to organise it. Next year is already looking full on. Grrrr I just need another me really. I was thinking about my highlights for the year and one of them was de...

It's officially winter time! Hello fur coat and scarves. I actually like this weather when it's crisp and the sky is clear and I was those annoying people moaning about the heat so I figured I should just enjoy the cold! This month was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and of course Black History Month! I did my annual post of the books that I have at home with a black main character written by a black author for children/YA and it has grown! There is way more to get but my to read pile is actually a joke right now. Actually my submission pile is a myth right now. I am literally whizzing through to make sure I don't miss any gems and I am reading a manuscript now for Hashtag BLAK and am really into it. Fingers crossed Helen feels the same! Our book Ticking off Breast Cancer by Sara Liyanage became a bestseller on Amazon and Waterstones!!!!!! I am so so happy for her and I think this is our 4th bestseller so I am well chuffed for our little pub house. We took part in #...

Do you know I've been featured in Cosmopolitan UK Magazine?—yes I was in Cosmo!  https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/worklife/careers/a14471156/changing-careers-tips-advice/ Just wanted to throw that out there :)  I'm back in dance! No where near the life I was living before. I want to have the choice of filming myself for the Beats book and I figured if I give myself a year of training I will kind of, maybe where I was. I've made myself accountable to two people who I know will ask me what classes I've done so no excuses. So Monday came along and I was planning what classes to do for the week and Aleta tells me she's teaching back to back and I should do it. I'm not gonna lie, I did think wtf? TWO HOURS! Then I remembered I used to dance for four hours back to back so if I can't do two then I really have fallen. The first routine was to Diva, Beyonce Homecoming album which is actually one of my fav songs so I really loved that one. I was done after that class...

One word. Homecoming. Everyone that knows me knows that I'm obsessed with Beyonce. I just love her work ethic and that she commits 100% to whatever she does AND does it well. I saw online about her Netflix film and please believe, my break from work was re-living Beychella. Just the energy I needed for my day. I love that she dropped it around this years Coachella  - just to remind people how sick she was. But what I really love is how she is showing the world black culture and in it's best light. It just reminded me how far we've come but also how much harder we have to work to be seen in the best light. It just pushes me to do better. Speaking of culture, there's a whole situation with UK YA authors and white authors trying to write stories using Black and Asian people's cultures. Listen it's 2019. How are people still confused about this? Stop trying to make money from other people's cultures! Black people have dealt with this for years but what I was ...

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...

Happy New Year All! I hope everyone has had a great start to the year. I was re-reading my old posts and this time last year, your girl was going through it! All my contracts were drying up and I was trying to stay chirpy but it was an epic fail. Thankfully my start to the year has been pretty good. My first press is........ Cosmopolitan!! I'm still pinching myself. Such a cool way to start the year. Here's some screen shots of my interview but read more at the link below. http://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/worklife/careers/a14471156/changing-careers-tips-advice/ New Years Eve was fun! Church this year was at 4pm so we were done from about half 6 and all of us didn't know what to do. All the boring people decided to just go to bed lol. Me and Ebru went to VQ in Tottenham Court Road and celebrated with of course food. She was late meeting me and I had to be seated next to a table with all these guys who thought I had been stood up! We asked the manager if they do a c...

Well we made it to another year! Thank God! The amount of natural disasters, terror attacks, we really need to be thankful that we made it. This has been an awesome year. I truly feel like 2017 set the foundations for my life. Existing things were brought up to another level and for 2018, it's just going to flourish. I have the best feeling about next year. I can't explain it but I know it's going to be one to remember (in a good way) It's so funny because at the beginning of the year I said I wanted to be single and I have dated more guys this year than I ever have! A lot of frogs (no surprise) but I did meet a special American who has set the bar moving forward. I couldn't even go back to these waste boys even if I tried. So for 2018, ladies don't drop your crown especially for no frog. Here's my highlights of this year  - My favourite authors following or commenting on my posts on social media. Jodi Picoult, CL Taylor, Jennifer Niven, Malori...

Merry Christmas!!!!!!! I seriously can't believe we are here already. I remember last Christmas like it happened a few months ago. I have already changed my food mentality. Had pizza for breakfast and cake for lunch and I worked out all week for the privilege. So this is my second to last post of the year. I know guys, sad times but I think my 2018 posts are going to be even better than this year. God willing great and hilarious things continue to happen that I can share with you all. I had my mini's do a dance performance to  O Holy Night  for Christmas and I had one of the best ideas I've had all year! I wanted Shiloh, who is about 10 months, to be dressed as an angel and to be sitting in the middle, while the little ones dance around her. See her mum got my vision but some people (Anneliese) didn't and guess what? It worked perfectly! My mini's were super cute and then you had Shi sitting on this little white seat swinging her fat little ...

Have you noticed something different? Those who have followed my blog will see that we have had a make over! Don't we look pretty? Thought it was time to switch it up, especially now that I will be posting weekly. See I say this but let's see if I actually do it ;) I am now 29 years old and do you know what? I don't even feel like my birthday even came. Even on my actual bday, it didn't feel like it. I went to Paris with Zarah for a week and honestly it was one of my best holidays. I had so much fun, we were legit depressed having to come back to London and it was 30 degrees out there. I've been to Paris a few times but this is the first time, I actually walked around (all day) and took my time exploring.  - We saw the Eiffel Tower at night where it sparkled  - Saw the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and she is legit the size of an A4 piece of paper, with glass and ropes surrounding her. We were very much like 'oh, that's Lisa?'  - Went to Cafe Oz an...