Simply Cheris. . .

My dear friend, Shameika Rhymes , queen of the Mofo Chronicles, invited me to participate in the Blog Tour post about the writing process.  I love words, I love to write and make up stories. And most importantly, I love my freedom. So, when I say, 'careful or you'll end up in my novel,' that means, you've pissed me off so badly that I want to harm you, but going to jail is not in my plans.  The purpose of this blog tour is to answer four questions about your craft and introduce your readers to three new writers. Here. We. Go!  WHAT AM I WORKING ON:   I'm currently working on my latest novel, a short story for an anthology and a novella that will be released this summer, possibly. (LOL) Some people say hearing voices in your head is a bad thing. Those people are not writers. When the voices of your characters stop, then there is a problem. I love having so many different stories to tell because we as African American writers should control...

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, even Pintrest, you know that I have this thing for Super Heroes. My day off on my day job is Wednesday because that's when the new comic books come out. So, today — since I refused to leave the house and I was supposed to be writing my novel—I decided to watch some movies. First one I grabbed was Ironman . Oh how I love Robert Downey Jr. in that role. Most people would have picked up Ironman 2  as the next movie. But I decided to watch Batman Begins.  And then I started thinking: Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark are really the same kind of super hero. Billionaires. No family. Looking for vengeance. But the differences between the two (and why Batman is BETTER) is Bruce hides in the shadows. He  wants to stop crime because he was touched by it personally. Losing a loved one to violence changes a child. Violence changes all people. Even Tony Stark, a weapons maker, who saw what his creations did to innocent people. Both bec...

Some people are just meant to be writers. Aja Graves is one of those people. She attended Romance Slam Jam this year as a published author. Her debut literary work is titled, Unexpected .  Maya Taylor has been left stung by the arrow of love one too many times for her liking. Swearing off heartache she decides that the staid and boring life is just fine for her. But a well-meaning friend points out that she isn’t really living at all and helps Maya embark on a journey with a new attitude. This leads to a chance encounter with a handsome gentleman that is all about living in the moment. Roman Newsome has constantly been on the search for the perfect woman. She needs to look beautiful, have something to talk about other than herself and be able to keep up with his prowess in bed. But having found out that most women pretend to have it all only to reveal their true unappealing colors, he’s decided the perfect woman must not exist. Until he meets Maya. ....

The Editing Process – Why ObamaCare Should Cover It Hello my Lovelies! Thanks to the fabulous Cheris Hodges, my favorite author in the whole world for blessing me with the honor of guest blogging with her today.   I’ve been webbing with her for quite a few years before I knew she was an author and I’m totally appreciative to her for giving an up and coming Cheetah Diva out of nowhere a shot at the title of Craziest Diva! Anyhoo, I’m in the process of editing the second book in my trilogy, “ Kurai Utopia, ” entitled Book Two – Ignition . I’m anxious to finish up the series because I need to move forward with other writing projects, but some annoying health issues, along with my daytime job responsibilities and outright laziness, has slowed me down significantly. This book was supposed to be released by the end of April, but don’t worry, my Lovelies! I’ve grabbe d my supersized pen, geared up the keyboard, put on my big girl bloomers and away I go! To say that I’m ...

Today I woke to the news that Dr. Maya Angelou had passed away. I cried as if I'd just lost a family member. In a way, I have. When I was a little girl, the first book I read by a black woman was I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings .  My mother brought that book home and I devoured it. And I wondered if I could write about my life — granted, I didn't experience anything that Maya Angelou had. But she taught me that our stories are important. She opened the door for me to love poetry.  She taught me to use my words to express my pain, my happiness, my joy, my sadness. Maya Angelou saved a lot of lives by sharing hers. Then came the day when I actually met her. I wonder if she heard how my knees were rattling as I approached her table at Special Occasions in Winston-Salem that day. Did she know that I was having trouble breathing as I stood in the presence of greatness? In front of a woman who had given me permission to follow my dreams? I'm sure she didn't because onc...

 AC Arthur won four Emma awards, including author of the year at the recent Romance Slam Jam Conference in New Orleans. The Maryland native has always had an active imagination and we're lucky enough to savor the fruits of her mind. Working in the legal field for more than twenty years now she’s seen lots of horrific things and longs for the safe haven reading a romance novel brings. Her debut novel Object of His Desire was written when a picture of an Italian villa sparked the idea of an African-American/Italian hero. To date, Artist has written in several genres including, young adult paranormal (written as Artist Arthur, www.artistarthurbooks.com ), erotic romance as Sapphire Blue, a sensual contemporary romance following the loves and life of The Donovan Family, and most recently a sexy paranormal series titled The Shadow Shifters, both written as A.C. Arthur. Coming in October. AC spoke to me about her award winning night and the upcoming Season of the Shifters event ...