Simply Cheris. . .

 

Coming this September,  Tempted At Midnight  is gaining advanced praise. “Scandal and seduction…nobody does them better.” —Zuri Day, author of the  Sweet Heat “Once again, Cheris Hodges brings the heat with a sensual and romantic page turner that doesn’t disappoint. In  Tempted at Midnight , Sylvie and Erik heat up the page!”  —K.M. Jackson, author of  As Good as the First Time For fans of Brenda Jackson,  Cheris Hodges  brings the heat in a new contemporary romance where New Years Eve fireworks last long past the stroke of  midnight . Here’s a little sneak peak inside this forthcoming novel! Ten! Sylvia hated the countdown to a new year. Especially in a crowd of couples. Everybody would be kissing in nine seconds and she was standing there with her third glass of champagne. Sylvie didn’t even like champagne but as the room celebrated the engagement of her best friend, Olivia Brown and her man LJ, she had to drink the swill. Th...

She wasn't expecting a kiss to change her life . . . #NewYearsEveKiss #KissingaStranger

Welcome to Coffee Talk. After last week’s interview with Zoe Harrington, we had to give Carver Banks equal time and he decided to talk with us. Carver Banks is a war hero and a top FBI agent. He's agreed to talk to us today, basically in response to Zoe Harrington's interview last week. Carver, thank you for being here with us today.  Carver : Thanks for having me. I just want to set the record straight about Zoe Harrington and myself.  Interviewer : How did you and Zoe meet? Carver: We met at a party. I’d never seen a woman with more swag and a more incredible ass.  Interviewer: Was it a mutual attraction? Carver: I’m going to say yes, but Zoe sees things differently. I’ll leave it like this, she was just as excited as I was when we rode off on a motorcycle. Interviewer: Sounds exciting. How did things between you two go so sour? Carver: Who said things were sour? I’d like to think that Zoe and I have a great working relationship. She’s a smart inve...

Mainstream media and I'm clearly looking at the New York Times right now, doesn't respect romance novels. If it wasn't clear when the NYT stopped counting mass market books for the coveted best sellers list , which is how most romance novels are published, then this week's Roundup of This Season's Romance Novels  proved without a doubt that this paper shows no love to romance. The hundreds of romance novels — perhaps thousands, if you include the self-published ones that constitute their own phenomenon — just published or due to appear in the next few months essentially fall into two categories. There are the Regency romances (descended from the superb Georgette Heyer, whose first one, “Regency Buck,” appeared in 1935). And there are the contemporary young-woman-finding-her-way stories that are the successors to the working-girl novels that for decades provided comfort and (mild) titillation to millions of young women who dreamed of marrying the boss. This form...

 Mimi Collins, blogger and star of Feel The Heat , is on fire today. She's writing about her BFF's love life. My best friend and I don’t seem to have a lot in common. Michael Jane plans every aspect of her life and I like to fly by the seat of my pants. I guess that’s why we’re so close. We balance each other out. That’s normally a good thing. But let me tell you something, I’m not used to being the voice of reason. Yes, you heard me. Mimi Collins is trying to be reasonable about MJ’s relationship. First, let me say,  I’m happy she’s over that slimy piece of shit Nic! You remember, Nic, right? That dude who doesn’t want to commit but will use everything you got so that he can get ahead? Go on and pop off in the comments if you’ve had a Nic in your life. But I digress. Click the book cover below to read the full post!

Guess what Publisher's Weekly said about Deadly Rumors?  The bible of the publishing industry only named my upcoming novel one of the top ten romance novels of the fall. Give me a second, I'm still doing my happy dance and I'm out of breath. This is the last book in the Rumor series and it focuses on Zach Harrington's twin sister, Zoe. (Zach's story was I Heard A Rumor) Chante and Zach's story.   I Heard A Rumor Zoe is a bad ass private investigator who join the police force to spite her twin (Zach) and their overprotective father. Back blurb:  Elite investigator Zoe Harrington isn't about to be fooled twice. She knows all the tempting by-any-means-necessary games FBI agent Carver Banks will use to close a case. So when he needs her help with a missing persons case, she's happy to charge him double the fee—and keep his sizzling moves at arm’s length. But when the search strikes too close to home, Zoe finds the passion between them reign...

It's contest time! The Perfect Intro: I have the honor to be included in a great Christmas anthology with the wonderful Rochelle Alers and Pamela Yaye!  The Perfect Present , which will be released this fall, is up for preorder right now. Check out your favorite book seller or click here . Now, here's your chance to win my fall collection before you can buy it. Welcome to the Perfect Intro contest.  Three things to enter and win: first, join my newsletter. Second, like my author page. Finally, match the first sentence of each story to the author. Here are the sentences: Kayla Matthews was going to let being stood up for the prom stop her from showing off the black and gold dress she and her mother spent three weeks finding.  Waiting in the aisle for several passengers to store their bags in the overhead bins, Sierra Nelson shifted her carry-on in an attempt not to bump those already seated in the aircraft.  “Marc, I need a favor.” Groaning inwardly, h...

I consider myself to be pretty smart, except when it comes to matters of the heart. I might lie about my age, sometimes my dress size but I don't play with people's emotions. Either I like you or I don't. And you will know either way. The fakest thing about me is my hair color. So, I cram to understand why I keep taking a dude at face value. It's obvious that this generation of men are skilled at one thing. Not good sex. Not great communications. Not good food. These men are angry liars! They lie so well that they make fiction look autobiographical. Did their mother's not love them as children? Are they trying to make the women in their lives pay for their mother issues? I'm going to go with yes. It's been my experience that when you reach a certain age and you're still single, it seems as if you're subjected to broken men with a point to prove and lies to tell. Then these motherfuckers wonder why a broad gets an episode of Snapped. Listen, ...

I will admit it, I can be petty where my heart is involved. Just like tonight while I was spring cleaning and found a picture that was taken this winter. Me and Doo-Doo head. I had purple hair and a big smile. He had on a Dallas Cowboys hat and those damn dimples were popping. I cut the picture in half and burned his face. This is a pattern with me. A) I make horrible decision when it comes to the opposite sex. B) I have a photo album full of half pictures. I would say, I'm going to do better,but at this point, I don't care. March 1, I turned 40. Yes, I'm legit telling my age. The big 40 is a milestone for some people. When my sister turned 40, she had a huge party. Many of my friends who have or are turning 40 this year had huge celebrations or are planning them. What did my dramatic ass do? Looked at a list that I must have written in my 20s about what my life would look like at 40. It was kind of depressing. . . That my goals were so small and tra...

When I write love stories, people always ask if it's based on things that I've gone through. Let me stop laughing. We all know that romance novels have a feel good happily ever after. Cheris Hodges relationships Do. Not. I thought this was something that had just happened, but I found an old mix-tape/CD I made in the late 90s after a break up with some dude. The songs include, A Dream by DeBarge, Kiss the Pain Away by Patti LaBelle, There's Never Be a Better Love by Switch, I Don't Ever Want To See You Again by Uncle Sam (remember him?). And I wasn't even drinking back then. What's funny is when my love life is in a drought, like right now, I get so inspired to write about "Prince Charming." I remember when I thought I met Prince Charming in 2006. But he ended up cheating on me with a chick who looks like Ursula the Sea Witch from the Little Mermaid. I made a CD that reminded me of him. I thought I'd lost it (or smashed it to bits like I d...

I'm going to let you in on a secret: I'm better at writing love stories than I am at living them. It's not as if I haven't been surrounded by love my entire life. I've watched my parents and my siblings have successful marriages, raise amazing kids and I have countless aunts, uncles and cousins who have done the same thing. Then there's me. I think I'm just in love with being in love. Because I keep picking the wrong damn man. When I date dingbats, which is obviously what I do, I come up with a story of our relationship in my head that never translates into reality. And just like Britany Spears, Oops I did it again. Here's the story: Me and Dingleberry met in high school. Reconnected on Facebook. Exchanged phone numbers. Spent time together. He met the parents. Then poof, like a unicorn, he disappeared. When a fire burns bright, it usually burns out the quickest. And ladies and gentlemen, here's the story line of my love life — or lack the...

So, my Starbucks card was hacked or something like that. A creature from somewhere in North Carolina went to Lincolnton and spent $10.36 at Starbucks using my money! I called the Starbucks customer service line and thought I was going to be in for a fight. How about, no. How about I spoke to a woman who did her job and didn't make me wade through bullcrap. And this made me smile. And I realized something as I head into the 40th anniversary of my birth, I need to kinder and gentler. Now, the petty isn't going anywhere because you can be nice and petty. But I digress. Not only did Starbucks make my day yesterday, but then I found out that my Christmas anthology is available for pre-order and it has a beautiful cover. The Perfect Present   is the second Christmas anthology that I've been included in. I am so honored to share this book with the amazing Rochelle Alers and the amazing Pamela Yaye. So, when I was playing Christmas music in September and October last ...

I knew there was going to be something different about 2016. When the clock struck midnight on December 31st, 2015, I knew January 1, 2016 was going to be different. I'm no clairvoyant or a woman with sight beyond sight, but I'd been having crazy dreams and weird thoughts. I'd just started a new job at yet another car dealership. I know the money is good in selling cars, but it does damage your soul if you work for the wrong people. Yes, I'd taken a job with the wrong people. But it was a Christmas present that I'd given to someone that had set the tone for 2016. A pair of Timberland boots. My mother always said that if you give some one shoes, they will walk out of your life. She left out the part about the parade and second line that they do across your heart. When I give a gift, I actually want one in return. I know, it's better to give than to receive, but I can be petty and selfish. Trying to work on that in the New Year. I got a kiss on the cheek a...