Simply Cheris. . .

December 24, 1967 A wounded Vietnam veteran married the love of his life in her mother’s living room. That man was my dad and that woman was my mother. Three kids and 50 years later, my sister pulled off a miracle of all miracles. She kept a secret from both of them and we celebrated their 70th birthday and 50 year anniversary. I’m still not sure how she hid it, since the building we used is the one right outside of the park named after my dad. Then there was the gathering of the pictures for the video. My mother is not a fan of people taking her old pictures without asking more questions than the FBI and CIA. And somehow we got my dad to put on a suit that day, when he said, "I'm comfortable in my leisure clothes." You might be wondering why I haven't written this story. Two reasons. First, my mama told me no. And secondly, books come to an end and this story is going to keep going and going. That's the magic of getting married on Christmas Eve. ...

This post is my Christmas love letter to the one and only, Brenda Jackson . Thank you for Coop. Yes, Coop made my holiday and it isn't even Christmas yet. Coop is the book boyfriend we all deserve. And it's a Christmas story. The story I'm talking about is His Secret Son.  Three nights with a Texan…and one pregnancy surprise! Only from  New York Times  bestselling author Brenda Jackson! The Texas rancher and navy SEAL who fathered Bristol Lockett’s son died a hero’s death…or so she was told. Yet when Laramie “Coop” Cooper strolls into her exhibit at an art gallery three years later, he’s very much alive—and still making her pulse zing. The all-consuming chemistry between them is as undeniable now as it was then, but Bristol won’t risk her heart—or their son’s. Little does Bristol know he’s determined to win over his unexpected family at any cost! With a snowy New York and Paris background, this story takes you on a romantic journey of passion, family and hot se...

Ever wonder what Christmas was like for our grandparents, great-grandparents and the like? Thankful, there are some historical Christmas stories that allows us to look in on history! And there are some classic Christmas romances that you have to read year after year! A Season For Family and Friends The year is 1886, and it's Christmastime in the small enclave of Ridgeway, California. As the town gathers at the Taylor Hotel for the first Ridgeway Holiday Social, memories are shared, secrets are revealed, and new attractions are discovered. Family is Everything Ricardo and Lilly Benigno have journeyed by ship to his home in Barcelona, to introduce their son Leo to his Spanish roots. For Ricardo's parents, meeting their first grandchild is a delight beyond compare- but old wounds still exist between Ricardo and his elder brother, Hernando. A Secret to Tell Back home in Ridgeway, Prudence is keeping a secret from her husband, the Reverend Derrick Emerson. Between keepi...

On the Seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a new book by Piper Hugley ! A beautiful woman with secrets comes to Noelle to confront a powerful person with the truth...and only six days left to save the town. Avis Smith is willing to go to Noelle to marry a man she doesn’t know in order to avenge a fourteen year wrong--her abandonment to a life of misery and abuse when she was just six years old. In order to get to Noelle, she has to lie about who she is, but her thirst for vengeance is so strong, she transforms herself into the pious, beautiful bride that JD Jones wants. Still, she never expected to be abandoned at the altar.  His work as an abolitionist and fighter for justice will not allow storekeeper Liam Fulton to turn his back on the beautiful woman his archenemy is willing to leave at the altar. He figures a way to help Avis out of her predicament, offers to showcase her in his store so that other potential grooms in Noelle will see her and might want t...

And this Christmas will be a very special Christmas to read! Get some books and have some joy! There's enough love for every girl and boy! How long will you wait for the love of your life to say yes? Pearl Lassiter disgraced her parents while in high school. She vowed never to disappoint them again. She’s excelled in life even becoming one of the most recognized women in the country as Press Secretary to the President of the United States. The life she always wanted is hers…until a certain doctor proposes to her…. twice. Dr. Theodore Prentiss is the product of a bi-racial marriage and proud of it. He openly embraces both of his parent’s heritages and is very proud of his accomplishments. The path he thought was firmly set changes on a snowy night when he meets a vixen with a mean crowbar. Their lives are filled with possibilities if Theo can get Pearl to believe in the magic of love.  Simple right…NOT She’s a Democrat. He’s a Republican. Will the political divide keep these sta...

 It's Christmas time in Hollis, Queens. Mom's cooking chicken and collard greens. You know what else you need to ring in the Christmas season? These books, boo! Check out today's offering of Holi-reads! A historical holiday story of homecoming and second-chance romance by NAACP Image Award Nominee, Beverly Jenkins. In 1883, Lydia Cooper is happily traveling back home to celebrate the simple joys of the holidays when an unexpected complication appears in the all-too-distracting form of Gray Dane, the man she loved as a girl; the man she left behind. Gray, a soldier, is finally returning home too. Seeing Lydia after fifteen years reignites all the temptations from years ago…and also the pain and regret. But as Lydia and Gray make their way home together, they get a chance to mend the past, and rediscover the joy, trust —and passion — of before; to realize that love isn’t just sweeter the second time around, it’s downright decadent. This novella was previously published ...

Sleigh bells bring some glad, glad news! Christmas and New Year's are the time to read some great books. Have you had a chance to check out these stories? Here are today's offerings for you Holiday reads! The ultimate prize this Christmas…  Former beauty queen Waverly Leverve can barely show her face in public after an embarrassing meme goes viral. But now fate and a misdelivered pizza have brought her dreams back to life. Gorgeous bad boy turned business mogul Dominic Crowne wants to sponsor Waverly in a pageant scheduled for Christmas Eve. Waverly vows to keep their arrangement purely professional—but soon their arrangement quickly takes a sensual turn…  Dominic knows that his golden touch can fix almost anything—including Waverly's tilted tiara. Against his own will, Dominic is mesmerized with his stunning new client. He's falling for the pageant princess and the vulnerable yet sexy woman within. But when Waverly's ultimate goal finally comes within reach, ca...

It's that time of the year. Chestnuts are roasting, Donny Hathaway is on repeat. It's the holidays! And there are so many love stories that capture the magic of the season. Over the next few weeks, allow me to flood your world with some of these amazing stories. For today's offering, check out these titles! Make your heart merry and unwrap these delightful stories of seasonal romance . . .   A CHRISTMAS LAYOVER Rochelle Alers  When Navy SEAL Captain Noah Crawford and elementary school teacher Sierra Nelson meet on a plane headed east from San Diego, they’re glad to pass the time in friendly conversation. But when a freak storm grounds them, Sierra offers Noah a place to spend the night—with her extended family, all of whom assume they’re a couple. And as the holiday spirit infuses every moment they spend together, they both begin to wonder if a relationship is a special gift they didn’t expect . . .   THE CHRISTMAS LESSON Cheris Hodges  Kayla Matthews isn’t ...

I was on Twitter yesterday, before all of the election results came in, and came across a link that has me questioning publishing and the gate keepers.  What did you see, you ask?  This shit :  Another rejection for another novel, another, longer quote from a legendary editor: The characters, especially the main character, just do not seem Asian enough. They act like everyone else. They don’t eat Korean food, they don’t speak Korean, and you have to think about ways to make these characters more ’ethnic,’ more different. We get too much of the minutiae of [the characters’] lives and none of the details that separate Koreans and Korean-Americans from the rest of us. For example, in the scene when she looks into the mirror, you don’t show how she sees her slanted eyes, or how she thinks of her Asianness. Huh? Now, this is from an article written by author Leonard Chang. Not only is Chang an author, he's a TV writer for a show you may have seen, Justified.  And he...