We had the good fortune of connecting with Kamaya Tarpley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kamaya, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
When I first began my career as an author, I did everything with full force. I was advertising constantly on social media, making my product the center, and eliminating my personality from the sales portion of writing novels. I was worried more about being an author than I was about being myself. Over time, I got tired of this and ended up integrating my personality into social media and cut down on ads. Now, I sell more books than I did before and it just goes to show that you have to make your career a part of your life instead of your entire life to find balance.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It was not easy getting to where I am today. Being a queer Black woman in the horror/dark fantasy writing world is extremely isolating and others are very quick to advise you that you don’t belong. I have to constantly tell myself that I’m doing the right thing and I’m doing what I love. With a ton of self-education as well as patience, I have become the professional that I needed to be. I didn’t have someone to represent me when I was younger so I love that I’m able to be that example for someone.

Recently, my only young adult horror novel, Gumdrop Hollow, peaked at #4 on Amazon’s Teen & Young Adult Monster Fiction E-books. It is a competitive category and the fact that my book made it was elating and validating for me.

I want the world to know that Black women can write horror very well. I specifically do not include racial or queer trauma in any of my novels yet I still manage to bring the fear. You always have control over your destiny no matter who is in your way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Scoops inside of Covington Square is a fun little candy shop that serves a plethora of sweets including fudge, an assortment of candies, ice cream, and hot chocolate! I would also highly recommend New Black Wall Street because they have something for everyone there. Not to mention, supporting Black business with the copious amounts of vendors that line the halls is the best way to support the community.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My friends and family that have modeled for my covers, come to my book events, share my posts, and purchase my novels deserve the ultimate thank you from me. They have shown the greatest support for my career and I could not be more grateful, especially for those who have posed for me. I’ve had a close relationship with every single model and I appreciate them all for being fierce and immersing themselves into the characters.

Website: kamayatarpley.com

Instagram: @kamayatarpley

Twitter: @kamayatarpley

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/kamayatarpley

Other: TikTok: @kingkamaya

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.