Simply Cheris. . .

S Sonia Diane Corley has the best makeup on Facebook. I'm in awe of women who can look natural and made up at the same time. It's an art. Corley, one heck of a makeup artist, is someone you should know to get that fresh look for your night on the town or that special day.             1. Your make up always looks amazing. How did you get into being a makeup artist? I never really considered myself a makeup artist. I really just only did myself and a few friends if they asked me to. I guess I have always loved makeup and I can remember playing with my mother's green eye shadow and red lipstick when I was a little girl. My first lipstick was the green mood changing lipstick from Sally's and I remember taking my allowance money to purchase drug store liquid foundation when I was a senior in high school. I dove head first into makeup after i cut all of my hair off and went natural in 1996; because I didn’t want to look li...

Vivian King knew her smoking days were over –and it wasn’t because she’d taken the last puff of the only Virginia Slim in her pack—because she would never get over the fact that she was climbing over a fifth floor balcony in a black leather dress. And she was scuffing purple leather boots beyond repair.             Inside the plush apartment where she’d been bored out of her mind before taking the cigarette break, the was a party in full swing.   Old school rap music blasted so loudly that no one heard her banging on the glass door. And since the alcohol was flowing so freely, no one was paying attention to the one smoker who’d gone outside to feed her nicotine addiction.             Swearing, Viv made the decision to climb down.   But where would she end up? As she slowly lowered herself on to the edge of the balcony below, she prayed that she wouldn’t fall in he...

Charlotte, girl readers should love to live here. At least that's what Livability.com says and I agree. Book shopping in Charlotte is a common occurrence – 48 stores cater to the reading crowd. Make a stop in Park Road Books and you're sure to leave with something great and unexpected, thanks to a staff that receives high praise for truly being helpful, friendly and obvious fellow book-lovers. Where to go: Park Road Books Authors from here: Harry Golden, Cheris F. Hodges, Travis Jeppesen Park Road Books is more than a book store, it's a living legend. I've signed there twice, and I have another one scheduled for Oct. 14 (and since you asked) at 6 p.m. The staff loves books and that makes shopping there so much fun. With the closing of book stores, it's good to have this haven in the Queen City. So, what is Livability.com The best places to live aren't always the biggest ones. You won't find New York City, Chicago or San F...

I'm a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan. It's been that way since I was five years old, curled up on the sofa with my dad watching the games on Sunday. Back then, you had two choices-- watch football or shut up. As a Cowboys fan, I was taught to hate the Redskins and the Steelers. Hating the Redskins is super easy. They are a poorly run organization and Dan Synder is a little jerk ! And for years, my Steelers hate was strong. Then he came along: Mike Tomlin, head coach of the hated Steelers is one fine man. And when he makes those angry faces on the sidelines, umm! I get such an inspiration to write. I'm not a Steelers' fan. I especially dislike their quarterback with all of his alleged abuse of women and I never want them to win a game. But I do watch their sidelines just for a glimpse of Sexy Mike. You can expect a Mike Tomlin-ish character to show up in a future book, short story or just more blogs about him. This is my crush of the moment. :)

  I opened my e-mail inbox today and my heart broke, in two pieces. College students email me all the time and I try to help them out as much as possible. When I was a Johnson C. Smith University student, I was surrounded by helpful professors and professionals like Herb White from The Charlotte Pos t, Cliff Harrington from The Charlotte Observer , Jeri Young--also from the Post and the second reader of my senior paper, and I can't forget about the best professor ever, Ms. Cassandra Wynn. Ms. Wynn had a rule, she only sent students out into the real world who proved themselves in class. That meant writing well, meeting deadlines and attending class regularly. I don't know what's going on with today's students. So, the email that inspired this rant was filled with misspellings (but you want to be a writer) and the student didn't tell me anything other than, I don't have a car. I don't even know what school this child attends. And, here's what real...

A lot of readers love a series. I know there are several I enjoy. AlTonya Washington's Ramsey's series, Brenda Jackson's Westmoreland series are just two. But I never meant to write one. James Goings changed that. When I wrote Let's Get It On , it started with the idea of a hot shot NFL wide receiver getting stood up at the altar. Maurice Goings was born. Young, brash and used to getting his way. But he had broken one heart along the way, Kenya Taylor. As the story came together, I had to give Maurice a conscious. Enter older brother James. James has edge, James was the only person who could tell Maurice about himself  and James just wouldn't go away. When Let's Get It On ended, Betting On Love began. James needed his own book. I knew he needed a dynamic woman to help him on his journey to love. I just didn't expect this heffa to have three best  friends. But I could -- in good faith -- send a single woman dealing with a break up to Las Vegas alone....

September 22, 2011 Dear Southern Governors: I am a daughter of the south, born in North Carolina, raised in South Carolina. I attended grade school and college in the south and spent my life working and living in the southeast. I’d call myself a GRIT if I didn’t think grits were the most disgusting food item in the world. But I digress. I’m writing to you about 11:08 p.m. Sept. 21, 2011. The night that Georgia possibly killed an innocent man,   Troy Davis. There was too much doubt surrounding his case, too many questions and not enough evidence. If this doesn’t spur us to review the death penalty, then nothing will. Let’s be honest, the south has a bloody history of racism. My beloved state of North Carolina has played god with her citizens through the eugenics program that stopped hundreds of people for exercising their God given right to have children. South Carolina celebrates the losing side of the civil war by flying the confederate battle flag—still in 2011. And Georg...

I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America, one nation that kills innocent men under God. No matter the doubt, got to get that pound of flesh. I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America, one nation, still judging a man by the color of his skin and not the content of his character. My country's tis of thee, a land with no liberty for people who look like me. America, America, of thee I sing. 11:08, justice died. Troy Davis was murdered.

Back in the 1980s, you couldn't watch a teen movie without red head Molly Ringwald starring it. Her most wide known movies has to be Sixteen Candles . I was never a fan of the movie, then I picked up the most amazing book, 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter . I'm not going to lie and say I love the movie now, but Carter's book makes me thankful that SHE liked the movie and wrote this novel! This is her first book, but with the kudos she received, it won't be her last! 1. 32 Candles was an excellent novel. What prompted you to write it? To summarize a Toni Morrison quote, there was a novel I wanted to read, and I wasn't seeing it. I was very frustrated with the way dark-skinned women were being depicted in literature. And I realized that if I wanted to read a somewhat funny, somewhat romantic women's fiction novel, in which a contemporary dark-skinned black woman was depicted as something other a complete sad sack and/or victim, then I was going to have to...

It's time for the 2011 Shades of Romance Readers Choice Awards. For the past 11 years, LaShaunda Hoffman has been promoting authors through Shades of Romance , an online magazine that offers readers and authors to connect in a significant way. Hoffman is great at what she does and is a friend to readers and writers. I dare you to log on and not find a new author to follow. Here are the 2011 nominees! Cast your vote by clicking the link above! Voting for the SORMAG's Reader's Choice Awards are open.  Please vote one time only.  Voting will close September 30th.   1. SORMAG Author Of The Year Featured on SORMAG Nikita Lynette Nichols Nikita Lynette Nichols Lawanna Lynn Campbell Lawanna Lynn Campbell Chicki Brown Chicki Brown AlTonya Washington AlTonya Washington 2. Romance A...