life of a street dancer

Happy October! I swear I blinked and we're here. I'm currently on annual leave—forced to take by Helen. I feel like I just need a day or two off, she said, “Take a week. Book a holiday!” I am trying very very hard to not work but it I am finding it difficult. Usually on my birthday I feel well rested during August but this August just seemed full on for some reason and I didn't feel like work slowed down at all. So I'll try to enjoy my time off. I have a title for my third Emily Knight book. Are you ready? It's Emily Knight I am...Becoming. Yay!!!!! And I got my editors notes back and I dread editors notes. The email actually said 'Don't dread the notes. This manuscript is so strong.' Ya'll I almost fainted. I was reading through them and it's stuff that at the back of my mind I did think have I said enough about this? Should I have more on this character? And basically my thoughts were right. For once I'm excited to work though the notes ...

I have a home for Girls Can Do Anything! Four Communications who completely saved my ass by offering a free space for my last event when Library messed up have agreed to host my future events. Isn't God good? So I'm thinking to bring it back for the release of Sara's book Ticking off Breast Cancer that we're publishing at Hashtag Press. We have an idea for a great panel with AMAZING women and I think that would be amazing. Now my schedule is super packed BUT I'm ready to take my career to the next level. I love and am so proud of how I have forced my way into publishing but I just don't want to be stuck in publishing. I love when creative people get to do other things in a different creative field and that's what I want to do. Then I had a dream that I was in a meeting with Helen but she was dressed like Kris Jenner! Securing the bag. It hit me! I've been working with different people for different parts of my career but really Helen is my Kris freaki...

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 ...

Spring is finally here. I got to leave the house today to finally watch Captain Marvel (how cute was that Stan Lee tribute?) and I didn't have a scarf or my fur on! It's been a very full on month. I finished my forth book!! AHHHHH!! When I typed the last sentence on my third Emily Knight book, I burst out crying and then I started dancing. Writing a book is so damn long. This has taken me over a year and sure right now it's un-printable but in a few months, it's going to be ready. I truly hate the editing process and the re-writes so pray for me. In a few weeks I'm going to start on my fifth novel. Can you believe that? Fifth! It's a book I started a few years ago but I don't know whether to make it YA or Middle-Grade. With the submissions of Beats, all these editors are like where's Abi's MG novels? I just can't with publishing. You write MG then they want YA as there isn't enough but now there's too much. Over it. I do so much better...

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....