Just A Girl And Her Laptop
Volume 5, Issue 3
Hi Loves!!
I made it before August ended—aren’t you proud of me? Anyway, welcome back and I hope the summer has been treating y’all well. I had a fantastic birthday with gifts and laughs and dinner with friends. I’m still accepting gifts, lol. I’ve been on a huge reading binge, but I did break long enough to finish writing, so Her Solid Ground is officially done and will be out in September. It’s been a quiet summer, and I’ve been trying to regulate my body and keep working my job and sell books. No news is definitely good news and after last year, I’ve been enjoying a year of no news. As always, you all make everything better for me just by being here. And I thank you.
In Shameka the Writer News…
My book sold out at Essence Fest! I sent eight copies of The Air Between Us to the Essence Author Exhibit and Bookstore and they all sold! I’m so proud of my baby, and it feels good knowing my book is a little further out there in the world.
Speaking of The Air Between Us, it’s also on Bookshop.Org so you can buy a copy and support any indie bookstore you want! Bookshop.Org
I’ve started tentative planning for a Black Romance open house style book event I’m calling Passion in the Pages. It’s slated for late 2025 or early 2026 and more details are coming. I’m trying to cultivate an event that’s easy for authors living in Baltimore, Maryland, DC, Northern VA, and even Delaware and Philly to access. I’ve seen and been to Black book events in this area, but none focused on romance, and there’s a big collective of romance authors native to here, or living here now. I’m working on the format of the event now and ideas for vendors that sell bookish things and maybe even panels. More details to come, but follow the event on IG—Passion in the Pages
I made the long list of 20 finalists in line for an Audio in Color grant. I may win a grant to produce my first audiobook! See me and the other finalists here—Audio in Color
Where You Can See Me
I will be tabling and selling books at the upcoming Chicago Urban Book Expo-September 27-29. I will be attending the Million Pages Gala that same weekend.
I will also be in attendance at the upcoming Southern Hearts and Signed Kisses Book Event (October 18-19) BUT STRICTLY AS A FAN! Either way, I’ll be glad to hug some of you.
Have you heard about next year’s most anticipated event? The Black Romance Book Fest is happening May 31- June 1, 2025 in Atlanta and promises to be one of the year’s best, with authors from all over the Black Romance galaxy, including yours truly.
The Write Women Book Fest is back next year, July 19th and 20th, 2025, and your girl will be posted up to table and kick it with you in Bowie, MD. Write Women Book Fest
Tickets are on sale for Indie Love 2025 and Behind the Pen 2025 and it’s likely I’ll be at one or both as a fan and book buyer.
My Latest and Greatest aka What I’m Reading, Writing, and Listening to
Books
Physical
The Blackwood After Dark Omnibus- Christina C. Jones
Through the Storm- Beverly Jenkins
Batch of Love- Natasha D. Frazier
Ebooks
Love in Reverse- Chassilyn Hamilton
A Wolf is a Wolf- Nikki Clarke
Hexed Wolf: Bennett Pack- K.C. Mills
Words
Her Solid Ground is on it’s last round of edits, and then I’ll choose a few ARC readers and then we’ll have a release. I’m hoping for the second or third week of September. I’m already getting conversations in my head for the final book of the Elements Series, His Fire and His Ice, and there will be a preview of the prologue on my website—Coming Soon
Sounds
Summertime Butch- Benny the Butcher
The Tonite Show the Sequel- Curren$y feat. DJ Fresh
Megan- Megan Thee Stallion
Mother & Gun- 38 Spesh