Simply Cheris. . .

I was in South Carolina, so I was NOT breaking the law by making this video. :)

Charles Searles: Universal Reflections of Color and Rhythm James Phillips, Jitterbug Waltz Series: CT, Acrylic on Paper, 30"x40" So, what does jazz look like? If you head to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture , you'll get your answer. Though May 27th, the center is hosting Rhythm-A-Ning: James Phillips, Charles Searles & Frank Smith. Walking into the gallery on the third floor, you will notice some classic jazz playing in the background (and not that Kenny G crap being pumped in the common areas). I heard Miles Davis and John Coltrane when I visited today. To get the full impact of the exhibit and the music, I suggest standing in front of James Phillips's Flowers For Jeff and listen to the music. The strong colors of the paintings, statues and other media grabs you and doesn't let go. My favorite piece in the exhibit was Untitled by Charles Searles from his Soul Series. If you don't do anything else this weekend, go ...

First Lady Michelle Obama said in her email about Charlotte winning the Democratic National Convention that barbecue played a role in the decision. Now, we know that Mrs. Obama is trying to get the nation fit and when you think health food, you don’t think barbecue. But some of Charlotte’s barbecue restaurants told me what they would put on a plate for Mrs. Obama so that she could get a great taste of what the Queen City has to offer. Ro’s Bar-B-Cue, 1318 Gaston Ave. Gastonia: Ricky McNeely, the night manager at Ro’s, said the slaw at the fifty year old restaurant is the signature dish because it is a tangy and spicy dip. “It goes very well with the pork that we serve,” McNeely said. “We sell a lot of sandwiches, but we do have plate that has a half of pound of meat, comes with our signature slaw, baked beans, French fries, hush puppies, onion rings and two buns.” And what would McNeely prepare for the First Lady? “Our sliced barbecue, an order of fries and a cherry lemon SunDrop,...

I found a back up disk from 2006 and on that disc were some partial manuscripts that eventually became Betting On Love, Let's Get It On and Second Chances at Love . It's fun to look back some times. Take "Confessions of a Reformed Bad Girl," which became Betting On Love. Here's a look at the first few lines: Walking down the aisle into the arms of a man like James Goings had never even crossed my mind. Wearing a white dress on my wedding day was a bit of a stretch, but I did it anyway—because I got it like that.             How did I get so lucky and what am I going to have to do to make sure things don’t change? Has it actually happened? Have I become the proverbial good girl?             I hope not.             Let me start from the beginning and tell you how I got to this lovely church on this beautiful June afte...

On what planet does this flyer make sense? Who thought this was a good idea? Obviously, Bentley's in Greensboro, North Carolina. I'm going to get to the promoter in a moment. But the club owner OUGHT to be ashamed. This club OUGHT to be boycotted for allowing this trash to have been publicized. We Like To Party Wednesdays in memory of Travyon Martin, the 17-year-old who was killed at the hands of George Zimmerman. What in the world does free wings and a lingerie lounge have to with justice for Travyon. Why did the promoters of this hot ass mess party think offering free admission with an empty bag of Skittles before 11 p.m. was a good idea? Are they just stupid? I say yes, but I wanted to hear from them. So, I called the number listed on the flyer. The outgoing voicemail message said something to the effect: We know you're calling about the event for Wednesday and we've canceled it. We were going to send some of the money to the Martin family. (Yeah, right and Geor...

I met Nefertari Ward on the best playground ever, Twitter. She was funny, engaging and smart. When I decided that I wanted to do something about dating in Charlotte, she was the first person I thought about. Why? Because Ward has a mature view on dating and relationships. Unlike the self-help books that are pushed down black women's throats, she has some interesting thoughts on what the Charlotte dating scene is like. Watch.

I'm hopping in my Mustang this week to head south. To South Carolina--Columbia to be exact. I will be signing copies of Recipe For Desire at Harbison Court Barnes and Noble, located at 278-A Harbison Blvd., Columbia, SC 29212 (803-749-9009) at 2 p.m. on March 31. Have you read my guest blog on RomCon?     I'm so thankful to RomCon for inviting me to write this blog. Want some book marks? Send me your mailing address, email it to me at cherisfhodges@gmail.com. Have a great week!

Seventeen year old Travyon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida because he was black and 28-year-old George Zimmerman thought that gave him -- a self described neighborhood watch captain -- the right to shoot him. After 26 days, Zimmerman has not been charged . He claimed self-defense, though Martin only had a tea and bag of Skittles on him. Who knew Skittles and tea were weapons. "Twenty-six days ago this young man, Trayvon Martin, did nothing criminal, did nothing unethical," said Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network. "He went to the store for his brother. He came back and lost his life. Trayvon could have been any one of our sons, he could have been any one of us. Trayvon represents a reckless disregard for our lives that we've seen for too long." Sharpton said the watch captain, George Zimmerman, "should have been arrested that night." Charlotte's Power 98 FM morning personality, No Limit Larry will be a p...

Shout out to my niece Briana Dease for filming and helping me on March 17.

Have you gotten your copy yet?