Simply Cheris. . .

There was  a small crowd in Time Warner Cable Arena Wednesday afternoon as the women's basketball tournament continued. I've always wondered why alumni of the CIAA schools don't support the women's basketball teams. Women's basketball is exciting because many of the women on the floor seem to play harder than the men because they seem to have something to prove. Shaw University's women's basketball team — in my humble opinion—could give any men's team a run for their money. The older alumni is styling on you! The women looking around the vendor booths at the arena today are dressed to kill. Even though it's balmy 55 degrees today, one Livingstone alumnae I saw still wore her blue fur head wrap. That's style commitment. Shaw advanced to the semi-finals with a victory over St. Augustine's. And, most importantly, The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team advances to the semifinals of the 2012 CIAA Tournament with a 75-7...

This week Charlotte will be celebrating 100 years of CIAA Basketball. The 12 historically black colleges and universities that make up the league have produced some great thinkers, ballers and writers. This weekend, Winston-Salem State University alumnae, Trice Hickman , will be signing books in Charlotte. Hickman embodies a huge lesson that students learn at HBCUs --never give up. Talk about your journey to publication. First, I want to start by saying thank you so much for allowing me this opportunity for an interview on your blog! I’m very appreciative. My journey to publication has been an interesting one. After I wrote my first novel, Unexpected Interruptions , I was bursting with excitement. I did my do diligence and submitted my work to every agent, publisher, and editor whom I thought would be interested in the book. But to my disappointment, rejection letters started trickling in by the boat loads. Every single person I submitted my work to turned it down. Rejection is to...

When it comes to fantasy, we all know of writers like Charlene Harris, Anne Rice, Stephen King and J.R.R. Tolkien. Allow me to introduce you to the latest author to add a little fantasy to reality, Liane Moonraven . Liane Moonraven's debut novel, The Broken Sword , won best first chapter from UP Authors , a collaborative effort, founded by marketing expert Melissa Powely and author Ron Knight. This advisor program was developed to give authors a way to share resources and provide economically priced opportunities.  Liane Moonraven spoke to me about fantasy writing and her journey to be published. Full disclosure, we've known each other for years and I'm so excited for her! Congratulations on the publication of your first novel! Where did you find the inspiration to do a retelling of King Arthur? Thank you Cheris and thank you for inviting me! I’ve been a huge fan of yours for a long time so being here is my pleasure! For as long as I can remember, I have been fasc...

It's not often that I spend a lot of time with my 19-year-old niece, who is also dabbling in writing, but this weekend we decided to hang out in Charlotte. First there was brunch, or my excuse to have Dunkin Doughnuts coffee. It's funny that we went there, I call her munchkin, even though she's my height these days. She now says she runs on Dunkin and will never eat a Krispy Kreme again.  Posing in front of Artist Lena J 's mural in Myers Hall, my old dorm. Then we made a stop at my alma mater, Johnson C. Smith University. Next, we headed to Macy's where there was supposed to be a celebration for artist Romare Bearden, who is a Charlotte native. This is what they said was supposed to happen: Bring your family to our Children's event and enjoy storytelling, arts & crafts, delicious treats and exciting entertainment. Join us for a celebration of Romare Bearden, featuring children’s collage and craft activities, storybook readings, live music...

Lady GaGa sang about a bad romance. But a bad romance inspired my first romantic suspense, Cautious Heart . Caprice Johnson is a highly respected detective. She's one of the few women in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department's elite Vice/Narcotics unit. Caprice does her job with precision and expertise; her entire life is built around being a police officer. But it wasn't always that way. When Caprice lived in Chicago, she was a police officer on the fast track with the Chicago Police Department, but she was also in love with the man she thought she was going to marry, Damien King. But Damien's wandering eye and lack of self-control when it came to women sent Caprice flying out of the Midwest forever. Determined to protect her heart and her emotions from the pain she felt in Chicago, Caprice stops dating and refuses to let anyone get close to her. While her career flourishes, she has no personal life at all. Inspector Nathan Wallace fell in love wi...

Nightlife writer and blogger Jarvis Holliday has lived in Charlotte since the CIAA Basketball Tournament set its roots here. So, he know a little something, something about having a good time at the annual event. Check out his tips:

The main party spots in Charlotte during the CIAA are the same venues that have been accused of discriminatory practices in the past. Take the EpiCentre for example; many of the most tweeted about parties of the CIAA will be held at Suite, Howl at The Moon and The North Carolina Music Factory. In local African American circles, it seems that everyone has a story about being mistreated at these venues. The most publicized acted of alleged racism involves Phillip Agnew , a Charlotte man who was arrested last summer at the EpiCentre for a dress code violation. Agnew claims that the incident was racially motivated. When 25-year-old Phillip Agnew was arrested at the Charlotte entertainment complex, The EpiCentre, last summer, he started a movement that brought praise and scorn his way. According to published reports, he was arrested because he wouldn't turn his hat around -- at an outside event. Agnew said his arrest was racially motivated, a complaint about the EpiCentre t...

It's almost CIAA in the city of Charlotte. Normally, I wouldn't even talk about the mass list of parties. But! Mike Kitchen, the owner of The Sol Kitchen, is bringing something different this year. So, on this windy day in Charlotte, we met at Starbucks -- of course-- and talked about CIAA and some future events coming to town. Watch :

Life kind of imitates art when it comes to the wedding of NFL quarterback Jason Campbell. The former Washington Redskins QB was supposed to get married in the Dominican Republic over the weekend. However, the wedding never happened, according to Black Sports Online . Over the weekend rumors started to surface that Former Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell had pulled a Richard Jefferson and left his fiancée Jenny Montes at the altar hours before their wedding in the Dominican Republic. On Monday, that fast food site reported it as fact that Campbell had bailed on the ceremony. Campbell has spoken out on the matter to clear up the rumors. Former Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell was supposed to get married over the weekend in the Dominican Republic. However, he and his fiancé, Jenny Montes, mutually decided to hold off on taking their vows because of personal reasons. Campbell told CSN’s Kate Longworth that he did not leave Montes at the alta...

Author Deatri King-Bey is a force of nature. In 2006 she burst onto the literary scene as an author --she was already an editor at Third World Press, Inc.--  and has been lighting it up ever since, writing in different genres and chairing the Romance Slam Jam convention. King-Bey spoke with me about her latest works and this year's Romance Slam Jam, which will be held in Little Rock from April 11-15. When were you first published? My first title, Caught Up , was published February 2006 by Genesis Press. Tell the readers about the Write Brothers series (since we are all looking for Mr. Right/Write) . Women often complain that it’s hard to find a good Black man. Well, Gloria Write is the mother of four great Black men and not one of them is interested in marrying. Mother knows best, so Gloria gives her sons little loving nudges here and there to push them into their happily ever after. Currently books I and II, Tell Her How You Feel and Santa’s Helper, are available in print,...

A lot of people ask authors, have you ever thought about turning one of your books into a movie? Thought about it? Man, I dream about walking the red carpet at premiere of Cautious Heart : The Movie dressed in a black leather dress and some purple knee-high boots. But that has more to do with my leather obsession than any offer I've been given to turn Cautious Heart or any of my books into a movie. But I worry about someone else's view of my babies, I mean my books. What if they put the wrong actress in the role of my heroine. Like, Gabrielle Union as Freddie from More Than He Can Handle -- umm, NO! And what if I can't get Spike Lee to direct it? Did I tell you that Spike Lee is the other part of my dream? Mostly, I worry that my readers will walk away from the theater saying, that book was so much better than the movie. It's important to me to make my readers happy, I remember how disappointed I was a reader when I saw those horrible BET Arabesque movies. ...

A bit of role play spices up relationships. Well, add some calls to 9-1-1, nine police cars and an arrest of a Portland couple and your V-Day Waffle House dinner and port wine was simply amazing. Stephanie Pelzner and her boyfriend Nikolas Harbar were in the midst of a role-playing game when Harbar put her in the back of his Subaru, naked and bound with duct tape, and took a little joy ride around the city, including a stop at a grocery store, where concerned witnesses spotted her and called the cops. Nine patrol cars were sent to pursue the presumed kidnapper’s vehicle, and twenty minutes later the romantic interlude ended in Harbar’s driveway, where police confirmed the situation was indeed voluntary, and booked the pair into the Multnomah County Jail. I'm sure this isn't how this couple thought they'd be spending the evening in handcuffs. On another note, do you think they should've been arrested?

Today is Valentine's Day. A day for lovers, roses, chocolate and red balloons. If you've spent the last few months wondering if your lover is faithful, then here's some software that will confirm your suspicions, ruin your life or prove that you've got a little bit of paranoia that you need to work out. It's called Easy Spy . D ear friend, I know how you feel... Suspecting that someone close to you is doing something behind your back is an extremely stressful situation to be in. It can affect your health, work and family life dramatically. The longer you go without knowing the truth, the worse it gets . "It's literally like being a fly on the wall" Now, I'm not promoting this software, because you can definitely find something better to drop $72-$97 on (like a collection of my books . . .). And I really wonder how legal this product is. But think about it, if your don't trust your lover, just go. Save yourself the money and th...

Trice Hickman Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies Author Event Barnes & Noble at Carolina Place welcomes author Trice Hickman, who will be signing copies of her latest fiction novel, Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies . Ms. Hickman will sign copies of her novel Unexpected Interruptions as well. Friday March 02, 2012 7:00 P.M. Carolina Place Mall 11025 Carolina Place, Pineville, NC 28134, 704-544-9985 What is Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies about? Some secrets set you free. Some destroy your world. After six years of marriage, Victoria and Ted are the ultimate power couple. She's a beautiful, business savvy sister who owns one of Atlanta's hottest event planning companies. He's a blue-eyed CEO who knows how to take care of business in and out of the boardroom. But their happy life quickly begins to unravel when long held desires and decades-old secrets come back to haunt them. It starts when Parker Brightwood re-enters Victoria's life. She thoug...

I was going to ignore the Super Bowl and the halftime show. My Cowboys were not in it and I didn't care. Until I saw this story about Madonna. She said to Ryan Seacrest: "I understand it's punk rock and everything, but to me there was such a feeling of love and good energy and positivity, it seemed negative. It's such a teenager-irrelevant thing to do." The 53-year-old added, "There was such a feeling of love and unity there, what was the point? It was just out of place." What she should've said was, Hi Pot, I'm Kettle and I'm calling you black. When Madonna was M.I.A's age, she was running around half naked, rolling around dry humping the MTV stage "Like A Virgin." So, you're the godmother of shock and awe. Even when she was older, she was still working on the shock factor, kissing a girl (Britney Spears) before Katy Perry made it a hit song. Was that not childish and a "teenager-irrelevant" thing t...

Charlotte artist Lena Hopkins-Jackson is a part of history at Johnson C. Smith University. She created a mural of famous black women in Myers Hall, a freshman dorm for female students, the first at the historically black college. Full disclosure, I'm a graduate of JCSU and I lived in Myers my freshman year of college in 1995. Jackson told me all about the mural and the world of art in Charlotte. Check out my video interview with her below.

From the files of this is the too real to be fiction, a man gets arrested in the grocery store only wearing peanut butter and chocolate.  This is not a scene from my latest book, this is true. Here's what Charlotte's WCNC is reporting: Kentucky State Trooper D. B. White said a manager of the Food World IGA in Neon arrived at work last week to find 22-year-old Andrew Allen Michael Toothman wearing only the confections and a pair of black boots. Court documents say Toothman is accused of smearing peanut butter around the store, discharging fire extinguishers and using bottles of NyQuil to spell out the word "sorry," according to The Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg. White called it "the biggest mess I have seen." Toothman is charged with burglary, criminal mischief and indecent exposure. He is being held at the Letcher County jail where records do not indicate whether he has an attorney. I'm all for using food to set the mood, a little whipped...

Devon Harris is a celebrity chef who defied his NBA father by heading to culinary school in Paris. At the time, Devon was dating Kandace Davis, the woman his father blamed for his son's decision to abandon playing basketball. So, Devon Harris, Sr. arranged a going away party that would change his son's life and cost him his relationship with Kandace. Was Devon hoping for a reunion with Kandace when they reunited in Betting On Love and he decided to work for the work his friends, Jade, Serena and Alicia? Yes, but as it turned out it wasn't meant to be. Besides, Devon had a lot he was dealing with. He gave me the details about one night in Paris that changed his outlook on love and the man he wanted to be. When I arrived in Paris, I met a lot of beautiful women and many of them were impressed by my cooking skills. I don't know what it is about women and men who cook for them. As a young man, I did my share of loving and leaving. Then I met Monique.  She was sweet,...

What are people saying about Recipe For Desire? Read a review from Emerge Magazine ! From the Five-star review: Recipe For Desire is a hot and tasty story of how ingredients, love and redemption, can soothe the soul. Make sure you get your copy!

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Marie Charles is Charlotte's resident party girl and she took a break from her social schedule to be interviewed. As you know, Charlotte is about to host the CIAA basketball tournament and the Democratic National Convention, so Marie didn't give me much time to talk to her.  So now, I'm left with a bunch of stuff Marie Charles says.    "I'm not a trophy." "Look at this outfit. Not trying to mess this up by slapping that slut silly."  "Do you know who I am? I'm Marie Charles." "Wow, Channel Three is talking about me?" "You have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet. This isn't old school Charlotte." Marie Charles is going to learn a powerful lesson in Recipe For Desire and meet her match in the form of celebrity chef Devon Harris. By the way, Devon sat down with me and told me about a night in Paris that changed his life. We'll talk about that later this week. Be sure to check out Marie and Devon...

There are few things that make me cry, but a story in today's Charlotte Observer did that to me. From The Charlotte Observer  Shavalos Jameson drove from Charlotte to Winston-Salem State University every weekend to pick up his fiancée, Simone McDuffie, who was a freshman and member of the school's Army ROTC. This past weekend would be the last trip Shavalos and Simone would take together. Something happened as they drove down I-85 south and Simone lost control of the car.  State troopers said McDuffie lost control of her fiance's car on U.S. 52 in Davidson County, and plunged over a bridge onto Old U.S. 64, nearly 50 feet below. The couple died. Jameson's stepbrother, Trevon Rutherford, 16, was riding in the back seat; he was taken to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, where he was in critical condition. Sgt. K.G. Brown of the N.C. Highway Patrol said Rutherford was able to give troopers a statement about the accident. The preliminary report points...

Isn’t She Lovely? by Bettye Griffin A nervous Keith followed his attorney into his office. In one of the chairs facing the desk sat a woman who looked nothing like what he expected. It was probably silly of him, but from Jeff’s description of a struggling divorced mother, he hadn’t expected anyone who looked, well, quite so together . For one thing, she was petite. Keith imagined that her schedule of full-time work, part-time college, plus caring for her children left much time for nutritious eating, but Tracy Pegram hardly had a figure of a woman who grabbed a lot of greasy hamburgers and French fries on the run. She was also fashionable. Her hair was cut in an extremely short natural that emphasized delicate features and a graceful neck. From what he’d seen, the shorter a woman’s hair the larger her earrings tended to be—perhaps to prevent her from being mistaken for a man—but Tracy Pegram’s lobes were decorated with small gold love knots, just one in each ear. She wore a simple b...