life of a street dancer

Hey all! How weird is this year? First of all I can't even believe it's going to be JULY! My birthday is in a month and I don't even understand how it has come around so fast. I am literally like where can I even go on my birthday?? Can I have a launch party in September? I have no clue. One part of me wants to plan stuff and the other part is like just chill. This weekend would have been my epic summer weekend at British Summer Time Fest. All cancelled. YALC got booked for that. Cancelled. I've been doing various interviews about Black people in publishing. I really pray that these conversations aren't in vain and we see some real change for once. I'm tired from having these same conversations and I hope the narrative changes quickly. I have been seeing some dumb things. Someone posted 45 books to help children understand Black Lives Matter and put a book about a Chinese character. Another said white authors here to help Black authors. Oh don't worry I...

Sooo how are we all doing? I legit don't even know what week of lockdown this is, I just know that I am over it. I didn't even realise that I just miss working in different environments that is not my house. I'm pretty good at self-motivating myself but for the past few days I've just had this what is the point attitude. The problem is I run quite a few companies so as much as I want to live in lazy town I can't! The good news is the Government have issued a small companies loan that we should be able to get. That will be a massive help seeing as bookshops are still closed. I feel so bad for those who have books that had to be pushed back or published via ebook first. It's not ideal but I love when people still push on ahead. And we've come out of the peak! Hopefully everyone can be that little bit more patient so we don't get a second peak. My book cover is now out! Isn't she pretty? I just wanted pure fire and I got it! Ale Artigas is my amazi...

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...

It is so freakin' cold! My feet are literally frozen even when I'm in my house. As soon as the heating goes off, I feel like they're ice blocks. Well guys we're almost at the end of the year. The end of a decade. I swear if I told myself back in 2010 that this is what would happen to my life I legit would have said, “Are you on crack?” But look at God! And I can't wait for next year. My third book is coming out and I just can't wait to hold it. I was doing some more edits on it yesterday and I am determined to get through it before the year is up. In preparation for book 3 I was thinking about the original Emily book and I decided it's time to let that go. I adore my first cover by Giles but the second edition is the one I need to focus on, plus I was still using the ebook from the original. I'm so grateful for that book cause that literally started everything but it just makes more sense for it to be under Hashtag. An ebook for book 1 will be availab...

The Lion King was EVERYTHING!!!! I swear me and Ebz were acting like we were in a sing along, a talk along, laughing too damn loud. It's visually such a gorgeous film  and there are a few different lines but it's still the same movie. I wish Rafiki was more fresh though. He was a bit more turnt in the animation and I wonder why Whoopi Goldberg didn't do the hyena's voice. Timon and Pumba are even funnier in this one. Ebz: Oh my gosh, Timon is you! (To be fair everything Timon said was defo something I would say) Me: Does that make you Pumba? We stayed to the end because you know that Marvel has programmed us to think that there is a bonus part. There isn't but the soundtrack is live! We were getting side eyes from the stewards but we didn't care. Hakuna Matata. This is the look of a woman who's officially in Leo season. It''s my birthday in 7 days. Let bear month begin :) The Open Pitch Day at Hashtag BLAK was ...interesting. First of all...

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...

So my friends are trying to get me to join a dating app. There are several reasons why I don't want to do it. 1. I don't have any issues meeting guys but I haven't met the right guy and will they be on Tinder? Meh 2. I feel like I would get caught up talking to different people and will lose track of who's who 3. I don't have space for another app on my phone I am a little bit intrigued about Bumble as I like the fact that the ladies are in charge but everyone I know that has used a dating app, I don't feel like great things have happened for them. Maybe one day when I'm drunk or bored I'll try it and see. Actually maybe not when I'm bored cause that's when I do dumb things. I got to film for Egmont Publishing! How cool right? Hilary who runs their publicity reached out to me and wanted me to do a short video about tips for their authors. Very cool. I feel like every author is part of a members club. I didn't even know there were so ...

If you are reading this that means that you survived January! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Isn't it just the worst month? It's dark, cold, everyone is broke and it drags on for years. Even those born in January are annoyed because no-one can celebrate with them. So glad it's over! I started 2019 with visuals from Chocolate City Comics. Isn't the Osaki Training School beautiful? Found out some months afterwards that the company is ran by a scam artist who I had to sue BUT the artwork is lovely! Silver lining and all that. I am about five chapters away from the end of Emily Knight 3. I have no idea why it is taking me so long to do but it is driving me slightly insane. I hate when you know how close you are to the end but yet you are not at the end!!  I went to Waterstones and saw my book on the shelf and one of the staff asked me to sign it. I was so cool but inside I was like AAAAHHH!!  We ran our first event for The Author School and did a #Bookstagram cla...

                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...