Just a Girl and Her Laptop
Volume 5, Issue 6
Hi My Loves!
Oh goodness, where should I start?? I have a book releasing tomorrow, and the last thing I am is calm about it. I found two spelling errors, today. TWO?! Can you believe that? It’s a good thing I found them though, right? Anyway, the year is wrapping up and I am finally—FINALLY—able to read something since my writer brain has taken a break. I’ve been having a lot of thoughts about 2025 and what it will mean for Shameka the Writer.
Next year, I want to do more. I see a lot of people who have been doing this for a while and they want to do less. I want to do MORE.I want to read more, review more, write more, do more events and buy more books. I want the chance to experience more of this world. I’m somewhere I belong, finally, and I want to immerse myself in that.
I spent so much time writing with no one seeing it, reading with no one knowing how the books were changing my life. I was so quiet, and so scared no one would support me outside of people who knew me. There are people who have been doing this less than half as long as me whose catalogs are deeper—because they weren’t scared like I was. I think about that. About how prolific I COULD have been by now. And it makes me want to wade in deeper. Do more. Flex more. Stand on what I know I’m capable of.
I fly into the next year of my life as still a girl with a laptop, but now there’s other things too: I’m a girl without a Gran (at least, in the physical), a girl with more community than she realized, more family than she thought, and more clarity about what family means. A girl who wants to be selfish, who deserves to be selfish; someone who struggles with love but still wants it, who struggles with health but still needs it, who takes as many breaks as she needs and won’t apologize for catching her breath. A girl who wants MORE. The future means more. It has to.
And as always, thanks for being here. I love you.
In Shameka The Writer News…
I’ve been hard at work putting myself out there wider, and my books have landed in more places than even I’ve imagined. Here are all the places you can find a book by me that aren’t Amazon:
Speaking of where you can find me, I’m in the Huffington Post! Contributing Writer, Shanita Hubbard, came up with a great list of books that were her faves in 2024. And my poly babies made the list! The Air Between Us is mentioned here.
I am so hype about it, and I owe Shanita a huge hug and a drink when I next see her. But to help you all get to The Air Between Us a little faster, I have put it back in KU for another cycle.
As part of the 12 Days of Black Christmas, an indie author collab dropping a Christmas book a day until 12/25, All I Want For Christmas Is Two releases tomorrow (December 22nd), and will be on both my Payhip and Amazon. The Amazon version is slightly more expensive, and it won’t be in KU for at least a week, so my Payhip is a much better option.
Adrian Jacobs has avoided his hometown of Luna Lake for years, ever since his family rejected him because of his bisexuality. But for the last five years, he's been convinced to return to Luna Lake to spend Christmas with his best friend with benefits, Damani Roberts. However, when he gets home this year, he finds that Damani already has company—Jenaya Hobbs, the girl both of them always wanted, and thought they'd never have. Adrian doesn't know whether to congratulate Damani and Jenaya or feel sorry for himself, but then they make an offer he can't refuse: spend the holidays with both of them. It feels like a dream come true, a perfect Christmas. But when the ball drops on the New Year, can Adrian walk away like he always has? Or will this new dynamic become his new dream?
The 12 Days of Black Christmas has been a joy to be a part of, and I want to thank all my author friends who collaborated on this.
The following titles are available now:
Lesanda Moore- Frosty Beginnings
Elle Madearis- Hacked at Christmas
Nina High- Love at Christmas
Treasure Malian- Under A Millionaire’s Mistletoe
Coya Wilson- Christmas With A Boss
Danielle Brooks- To Parris, With Love
Tessa Stone- Taking Amaya (this one is free!)
Teralyn Mitchell- A Rose Oaks Christmas
Turtleberry- Holiday Husband
And soon to come…
All I Want for Christmas Is Two- December 22nd
Ayla Cox: 12 Nights: A Bloody Christmas Novella- December 23rd
Olivia Linden- Mistletoe and Mischief- December 23rd
Rielle Knight- 8 Dates of Christmas- December 23rd
Jaylee Fields- A Perfect Gift From Santa- December 24th
The last book in The Elements Series (His Fire and His Ice) has been postponed, but will drop in January—and then I will be working on an omnibus of the entire series, with character art, and The Pick-Up, a free Labor Day Romance, M/M short I wrote in that same world. Download The Pick-up here.
Where You Can See Me
In next year’s news… Shameka the Writer will be posted up and selling books at:
I’ve been invited to Krewe of Lit! Krewe of Lit is a Black Author Showcase in New Orleans! You can come see me March 28-30, 2025 in one of the greatest cities in the world! More details to come.
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
The Boozy Book Tour is making its way to my neck of the woods in 2025, and I will be exhibiting there July 26th, 2025. Boozy Book Tour
I will also be an attending author at the Curvy Hearts Book Club Virtual Signing, September 12-14th. Details in their Facebook group and on their IG Curvy Hearts FB group Curvy Hearts IG
My Latest and Greatest, aka, What I’m Reading Writing, and Listening To
Books
Impermissible Love (Daughters of Don Le Fleur, Book One) - Aubree Pynn
Seeing Red - Shon
A Chance at Love - Beverly Jenkins
A Novel Christmas - Charity Shane
Words
I am taking a break from writing because my newest project is done. I take every opportunity to read while these people aren’t talking in my head, lol.
Sounds
GNX- Kendrick Lamar
Chromakopia- Tyler, The Creator
Keep Me Company- Skyzoo
The Bricktionary- Boldy James