Cheris Hodges's Blog

COLUMBIA—If you remember sitting on the sofa with your grandma or your favorite auntie watching Victor Newman or Josh and Reva, then you need to meet romance author Synithia Williams.

If you’re reading Williams’ latest novel, The Secret to a Southern Wedding, you might think it’s messy, soapy and full of drama, that’s exactly what she was going for.

So, here’s the premise of the book:

It’s been years since Dr. Imani Kemp has returned home to Peachtree Cove, Georgia. As Tallahassee’s most sought-after OB-GYN, she doesn’t have much time for anything else. But when her mom announces she’s marrying a man she just met on a dating app, Imani knows she has to put a stop to it immediately. Let her mom be hurt again after the disastrous way her last marriage ended? Absolutely not. Always her protector, Imani won’t rest until her mom sees reason. She just never expected sparks to fly with the groom’s son…

After his mother’s tragic death, Cyril Dash and his father relocated to Peachtree Cove to escape the gossip and speculation. Now, in this quirky small town, they’ve made a new life for themselves, and after years of grief, his dad has finally found happiness again. And Cyril refuses to let Imani threaten that. The more determined he is to prove the strength of his dad’s love, the more drawn he is to this beautiful, complicated woman who’s determined to call off the wedding.

But when Cyril’s heartbreaking past comes to light, destiny won’t be denied. Because the secret to this southern wedding is you never know how far you’ll go in the name of love.

Not to spoil the book, but keep in mind that Imani’s mom was shot by her Dad’s mistress. It’s pretty clear why Imani drops what she’s doing to return to her sleepy hometown and try to stop the wedding. And at first, I wanted her to stop the wedding. If you’ve ever been on a dating app, you know one thing for sure, none of those people are the marrying type. But the joy of reading a talented writer’s book is, she’ll make you believe. That’s what Williams did in this book. One of the best parts about this book and her Jackson Falls series, which is a mixture of The Young and The Restless, As The World Turns and The Guiding Light but with better writing and no commercials.

The Jackson Falls series has four titles:

Forbidden Promises

Scandalous Secrets

Careless Whispers

Foolish Hearts

The entire series is set in a small North Carolina town where the Robidoux family lives. Think Genoa City and Black Victor Newman.

“I knew I wanted to write a Black Dallas,” Williams said. “I wondered if I could write a story where you could root for the sister being with the ex, ex-boyfriend, ex-husband or what have you. I think that’s kind of how it started, but I wasn’t sure if anyone was going to want to read it. It is messy. And I had readers who said they didn’t know if they wanted to mess with it or if they wanted to read it. But then they said they enjoyed it and everything.”

Every book in the series is amazing, but if I had to pick a favorite for me, it would have to be Careless Whispers.

Here’s what the book is about:

Elaina Robidoux knows how people view her: cold hearted, ambitious, ruthless. But it doesn’t matter. Running the family business is all she’s ever wanted and she’s so close she can almost taste it…until her father fires her and hires her nemesis—arrogant, unflappable Alex Tyson. Elaina may be hurt but she refuses to be defeated, so she throws herself into creating a business of her own. But she never dreamed that to close her first deal, she’d need Alex’s help…

Alex understands the power of a family legacy better than most and the last thing he wanted was to take that from Elaina. Her beauty and fierce strength are undeniable, but there’s a softer side that no one but him seems to see. She’s been taught that emotions are a liability, yet one impulsive kiss starts a chain reaction that neither of them wants to stop. But can love ignite—and survive—when secrets and loyalties collide?

If you thought you weren’t supposed to like Elaina after reading the first two books, you’d be right. She’s brash and cold. But this is the magic about Synithia Williams, she writes in a way that will have you cheering for a character you’d run away from or punch in real life.

“It would’ve been easy to make her evil. I could’ve made her the villain but I didn’t want to do that. Hard characters have reasons why they may be. I knew from book one that I was going to eventually write her story.”

And thank goodness she did.

Follow Synithia Williams on social media: X/Formerly Twitter: @SynithiaW, Instagram: synithiaw, Facebook: www.facebook.com/synithiarwilliams

Visit her website: https://www.synithiawilliams.com/

The other day, I was doing some math in my head and realized, June marks the 20th anniversary of my first romance novel being published. Revelations was released by a now defunct publisher and I began my life as a romance author. 

I love to tell stories that are rooted in realism, but have twists and turns that keep my readers turning the page and wanting more. And you know who I have to thank for that? My grandma. 

If you're giving the post the side eye right now, let me explain. Growing up, we didn't have e-learning days so if I got sick, my grandma kept me while my mom and dad were at work. There were basically two rules to being grandma's favorite (which I was), don't talk when grown ups are talking and don't interrupt me when Victor Newman is on the TV.

So, in between ginger ale and chicken noodle soup and following the Price is Right, I'd sit by my grandma as the iconic piano chords of the Young and The Restless theme song began. Every day, my grandma tuned in to the antics of the Newman and Abbot family. Then there was The Bold and The Beautiful, As The World Turns and Guiding Light. I was hooked. And clearly millions of people were too. After the shows went off, my grandma would call up her friends and they would recap the shows, talking about the characters as if they were real people in our town. The word heifer was used a lot. 

These characters were flawed, they were sexy and many of them were ruthless and I loved it. 

When I went off to college, I was that stereotype, I made sure my classes ended at 12 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday because to me, those were the best days to catch the "stories," especially Friday. And whatever I missed on Tuesday and Thursday, there was someone happy to catch me up on what I didn't see. 

Fast forward to 2000. I wasn't as soap centered as I had been. I was technically an adult. I mean, I had a real job, I was a reporter and my hours were crazy. I covered police and courts, my mornings started at the county jail to pick up arrest reports, then I headed to the sheriff's office and the police department to get incident reports about what happened the night before, it was depressing. In the newsroom, I listened to the police scanner. I saw more dead bodies and fatal accidents than I needed to. 

But one night, I had a dream. It was a strange dream because I wasn't in it. And it started with a car crash, then a funeral. It was so vivid, so detailed. 

I did what any writer would do, I hopped out of bed, grabbed my laptop and started writing what I remembered. This was 2 a.m. in the morning. And clearly I remembered a lot because the next time I looked at the clock, the sun was up and it was 7 a.m. I had to be to work in an hour and I still needed to shower and press my pants. 

As I got deeper into the story, I realized (much later and with some editing notes) how much the pacing of soap operas kind of played into my writing. I tried to end each chapter with a cliffhanger. Yes, dear reader, please turn the page because what happens next is going to blow your mind. 

Some 30 plus books and novellas later, I'm often thrilled when I read a reviewer say,  "Romance author     Cheris Hodges should consider moonlighting as a television writer. Her new African-American contemporary romance, Owner of a Broken Heart, which launches the Richardson Sisters series, reads like a primetime soap opera."

My grandma would be so proud!

 

When an actor came for the Keanu Reaves, I had to talk with the bestselling author of “How To Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days” K.M. Jackson.

Watch our fun discussion here!

And if Rom Coms are your jam, check out Kwana "KM" Jackson's recs!

The Boyfriend Project series by Farrah Rochon

The Love Con by Seressia Glass

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

It's romance awareness month and you know what that means? I have to make you aware of some of my favorite romance series. 

Most people like to binge-watch shows, but I'm a binge reader. If an author writes a series, I'm all in.
Here are a few of my must-read series:
1. Farrah Rochon's The Boyfriend Project series. 
Imagine finding out that your "man" is dating you and two other women. Instead of going all Real Housewives of whatever city, you and the other two women become best friends? And now we readers get to see Samiah, London and Taylor find the real love they deserve. And the friendship between these women is chef's kiss. I'm convinced that good friends teach folks how to love. 
-The Boyfriend Project
-The Dating Playbook
-The Hookup Plan
These books are better than anything streaming on Netflix.
2. Synithia Williams is a writer who loves to create messy problems and give you a wonderful happy ending. If you watched the Guiding Light or still check out Victor Newman's antics on the Young and The Restless, then you need to get into the Jackson Falls Series.
Imagine coming home knowing that you're still in love with your sister's ex-husband, your brother is running for political office and you have to play the good little sister. And that's just the tip of the  Robidoux family iceberg.
-Forbidden Promises
-Scandalous Secrets
-Careless Whispers
-Foolish Hearts
3. Deborah Fletcher Mello really knows how to satisfy the crime drama nerd in me and her series To Seduce and Serve gives Law and Order, which is my go-to comfort show, a run for its money. 
The Black family of Chicago are tied to the law, but don't mess with the people they love because Elliot Stabler wouldn't be able to save you.
-Seduced by the Badge
-Tempted by the Badge

-Reunited by the Badge

-Stalked By Secrets
-(Coming in November) In The Arms of The Law
4. Kwana Jackson makes Harlem come alive in her Real Men Knit series. Imagine growing up with a woman so important to you, that you toss the ideas of what a real man is to the side to save her legacy. These are the rom-com stories that make you swoon with happiness and head to a yarn shop looking for a real man with a bag full of yarn.
-Real Men Knit
-Knot Again
And what's a binge read without throwing in a few classics? One of my favorite series that I've ever written was the Southern Loving Series. And I'm Cheris Hodges, by the way.
 Mimi Collins and her best friend Michael Jane -- and yes, Michael is a woman, her mom was a bad speller. Navigate life, love and lawsuits in Atlanta. I had such a great time writing these books.
-Feel The Heat
-The Heat Between Us
These are definitely romance series that deserve your awareness this month!

I'm a little biased here, but the guy in this pictures with the mustache and his arms around that lady who looks like me is pretty damned perfect.

That's my Daddy. My rock. My ace. The man who never allowed me to believe that I couldn't do anything I put my mind to.

A few things he tried to get me into didn't work out. Like basketball. He bought me a really nice one from the hardware store and I sat on it and read a book.

This man still has my mold covered left handed softball glove at the house where I grew up.  A few weeks ago, I asked him why was he keeping it and in Freddie fashion, he took the glove out of my hand and put it right back where I had gotten it from. That was the end of that conversation.

When I realized I wanted to be writer, it was my Daddy who got me a typewriter, then a word processor and my first laptop. He suffered though the sound of a dot matrix printer going off in the middle of the night because I was printing my "book."

And let's not forget, my Daddy is a legit hero. He has the metals to prove it. My Dad wasn't drafted, he volunteered to serve his country.
And he's probably the best romance hero that I have never written about. He married my mama on Christmas Eve. When I first started writing this post, my Dad was still here. It was 2017 when I started this draft.May, 2021, my father transitioned and left a huge hole in my heart. When I tell you this man loved me unconditionally and made me feel as if I could do anything. It hurts to know that’s missing from my life and no one will ever believe in me the way he did. God truly broke the mold when he made my Dad and all I can do is thank him for always believing in me. 

 Marlboro County High School was established in 1989. All of the high schools in Marlboro County became a big powerhouse, for sports at least. I mean, the school has struggled with educating the county from the start, you know because Marlboto County is the least educated county in the state. 

If you grew up in Marlboro County, you've always been told to give back to your community, never forget where you came from and always represent your home in a positive light.

Do you know who does that spectacularly? Marlboro County High School principal, Dr. Jamane Watson. His hire as principal was a historic one. Watson graduated from Marlboro County High School in 1996. He is the first alumni from the school lead it.

He told SCnow.com in 2020:

“It means a lot because students who attend the school can see someone who walked the same halls they do, had some of the same teachers they do, came from similar backgrounds that they have, that they can make it,” Watson said. “I have a doctorate degree. That’s the highest level of education that you can possibly obtain ... I live by example. I always tell people I am not a role model. I’m a real model.”

Unlike many graduates of MCHS, when Watson graduated from South Carolina State University, he wanted to return to the Pee Dee region.

According to SCnow.com:

Watson said, he wanted to return to the Pee Dee region but found that no district in the area needed a physical education teacher. So, he took a job teaching fourth grade in the Savannah-Chatham County Schools in Georgia.

But Watson made his way back home. He was hired by the Marlboro County School district in 2020. Watson led the school during a pandemic. While students in this rural county that doesn't have wide reaching broadband internet, worked from home because of COVID-19, the Class of 2020 received over $2.7 million in scholarship offers.

Wingate University, where Watson earned his Ph.D, lauded him on it's class notes page for becoming the  MCHS principal. 

Watson is Black History. Watson is the star that Marlboro County needs to lure the best and brightest back to a county that little to offer other than a shrimp box from Dairy Dream. 

But we end Black History Month 2022 with the betrayal and disrespect of Dr. Watson. 

According to the Herald-Advocate:

Marlboro County High School Principal Dr. Jamane Watson admitted to being “blindsided” with the news that his contract would not be renewed for the 2022-23 school year.

“I did not expect any of this,” he said. “I was kind of blindsided. I knew there were some areas that needed to be improved on. I thought I had more time to improve upon those areas that needed to be addressed.”

Watson met with Interim Superintendent Donald Andrews and three other district officials on Feb. 11 and was told that he would not be back as a principal at Marlboro County High School for the 2022-23 school year.

“I asked why, and they said they were moving into another direction,” said Watson, who is in his second year as principal at the school.

Watson was not offered a teaching contract or a demotion to an assistant principal.

On Valentine's Day, Feb. 14th, Watson job was posted online. You know what's not posted online? A listing for the superintendent position. Yeah, the person making a decision about the future of the high school isn't even a permanent employee of the district. 

He emailed a statement to the local media and this is what the Herald reported:

Andrews, in an emailed statement, said the administration did not terminate any Marlboro High School administrators.

“Any information contrary to that fact is not accurate and not supported by the administration,” he said in the statement. “As plans are being considered for the 2022-23 school year, staffing positions, among other things, may be considered as the district experiences change and growth as we move forward together. Again, our top priority is our students, their families, and our employees. I look forward to addressing our community at an appropriate time and encourage our students to contact my office directly with any comments, ideas, or concerns, as I maintain an open-door policy for everyone.”

Somebody said, haven't we learned that leaders named Donald. And I am somebody.

The announcement of Watson's "dismissal" (the district has repeatedly said no one has been fired, but the job postings are online for the world wide web to see) students at the high school held two protests, one where Watson addressed the student body and told them to return to class.

And guess what they did, they went back to class, because he asked them to do so.

According to WPDE:

Students said the protest was not about being disruptive but sending a message to Marlboro County District leaders that they are making a huge mistake. 

"It shows to me that, not only is it affecting me but it's representing from our freshman to our seniors. It represents everybody," said Alex Storman.

 

While the Marlboro County School Board continues to tell conflicting stories, you have to wonder how much trust should the public have in a board that didn't know they were using taxpayer dollars to pay for a frat house on school property?

It's safe to say that not one person on that board is worried about being financially responsible or what's best for the children of Marlboro County.

I said what I said. 

 

 

Look inside:

Can’t Hide Love, the final Richardson Sister’s book. It’s Alex’s turn. 

 No matter what, the four very different Richardson sisters always uphold their family’s reputation and legacy—a historic bed-and-breakfast in Charleston, South Carolina. But romance that one sister never saw coming will up-end all their expectations . . . 

She's the responsible sister, making sacrifices to run the family’s treasured B&B. But for once, Alexandria Richardson decides to take a vacation—a singles’ cruise, where she throws caution to the wind. And the handsome stranger she meets is just what she needs to make every moment sizzle—for all seven wildly sexy days. Energized and refreshed, Alex returns home—only to discover her holiday hottie is also the renowned architect tapped for the B&B’s major renovation project. How is she supposed to manage a business—and an all-consuming desire?

 

Wesley Prescott knows how easy it is to put success above everything else. And he has a lot riding on the prestigious Richardson deal—and on working smoothly with the suddenly serious, buttoned-down Alex. But he can’t resist teasing out the daring, adventurous—and lovable—woman he knows she truly is. Will mixing business with way more than pleasure convince them both that this is one fling that won’t be so easily flung? . . .

Excerpt: Alex was all business because she had to be. She never wanted to be known as the pretty one when it came to the bed and breakfast. Alex wore more pantsuits than the law should’ve allowed to down play her figure. And her signature hair do, a tight bun, was just to show off that she was serious. 

But she didn’t have to be serious on her vacation. Maybe there was another outlandish outfit in the box that she’d never wear in Charleston that she could take on the cruise. And there it was, Alex thought as she pulled out a white cotton romper. It was shorts, just like the yellow one. Alex wasn’t into shorts. Still, it was put together with such great stitching and it seemed as if Yolanda had put some of the things that she knew Alex would like into it. The lace around the bodice and the color. But in true Yolanda fashion, she made the shorts look like hot pants from the 70s as if she was daring Alex to wear them. When Alex tried the suit on she laughed because it hugged her body so well. However, Yolanda could’ve added more material to the legs or even made it a skirt. 

Alex decided to take it with her anyway. Not that she planned to wear it, but she could at least shock her sister with a fake story about it. She made a mental note to make sure she went to Charlotte to see what Yolanda had for a business casual look when she returned from her cruise. 

All right, I’m really doing this and I’m going to have a good time, she thought as she finished packing. Alex took a quick shower, pulled on her PJ’s and called Yolanda, hoping that she wasn’t waking her sister. 

“Hey Alex,” she said when she answered the phone. 

“Yo-Yo, how are you doing?”

“Umm, I’m okay, I guess. Your nephew has latched on to my breast but little Ms. Nora acts like her Auntie Alex. She has to have her milk pumped and put in a bottle. Treating me like I’m a red solo cup,” Yolanda laughed. 

“I’m not going to keep you long, because you have two babies, but thank you for the clothes.”

“See and you thought I was going to load you up with some crazy clothes that you wouldn’t want,” Yolanda said. “Shh, shh. Nora wants all of my attention now that Bradford is sleeping.”

“Then give it to her. I’ll stop by to see you all before I leave.”

“Good night, Alex.”

When she hung up with her sister, Alex smiled. Maybe Robin had a point. She didn’t have to feel so responsible for her younger sisters anymore. She could see what that selfish life was all about. 

 

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Also, the first three Richardson Sisters books are available for .99 in ebook form! 

 Sports writer Nina Richardson has covered a certain Carolina football team and she remembers what happened when then starting quarterback Cody Cameron called her sweetheart at a press conference.

Nina Richardson was pissed. The sportswriter had never felt more disrespected or more angry in her career. Did this quarterback just call her sweetheart in the middle of a press conference? Her male colleagues chuckled and tried to hide it behind coughs. Nina gritted her teeth and fought the urge to roll her eyes.Be the professional, she told herself as she looked at his garish outfit. They weren’t in some nightclub; she was doing her damned job and he dismissed her question about his poor play and three interceptions with a sexist quip.“Sweetheart, I’m going to get a suggestion box and put it outside this door and I want your suggestions about my route accuracy to be in there.”Nina’s mouth dropped. Oh, I have a suggestion. You might consider not mixing plaids and stripes, because not only do you look like a clown, your current QB passer rating suggests you have the brains of one as well. And I don’t give a damn that it’s preseason.“Any other questions?” the media relations representative asked, then ushered the quarterback from behind the podium. Nina seethed as she and the other reporters headed out of the meeting room. Part of her wished she could’ve said everything on her mind about that overgrown child. August was too soon for the bull. There was a lot of football to get through before the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.

“I was surprised when the team brought Cody back,” Nina said on a recent podcast. “And, let’s be frank, when he got cut he said he had a lot to prove and he went to a Boston team where he proved he wasn’t as good as he thought he was.”

“Nina,” host Del Wright laughed. “You just don’t like that man because of sweetheart gate.”

You could hear Nina shift in her seat and sigh. “Let me say this, you know that it’s hard for Black women to get respect or be taken seriously in sports media. So what if I win awards and know the game better than 85 percent of my colleagues? When a then superstar throws that kind of shade at you on national TV, it can impact your career. But as the old saying goes, the ball don’t lie. Since his return four passing touchdowns and five interceptions says it all.”

Del let out a low whistle. “Can’t argue with the facts. Do you think he’ll hang it up after this season?”

Nina paused. “Do I think he’ll hang it up, no. Do I think he should? Absolutely. He can go back to eating cereal on the sofa. Or maybe a judge on Project Runway.”

“And on that note, we’re out. Nina, thanks for coming to visit with us today.”

“Anytime.”

Read Nina’s story and meet the Richardson Sisters for .99 in Owner of A Broken Heart

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