Cheris Hodges's Blog, page 2

The woke ones always let you down . . .

Winston, Winston,  Winston . . .

Jessica Davis 

Last week Charlotte's revolutionary city councilmember showed the city and all the Black women across the Queen City that the misogynoir is strong in this one. 

It's clear that Charlotte's establishment is afraid of Jessica Davis, who is Black, brilliant and full of fresh ideas that would:  take the shine off a mayor that may or may not be purchased by developers, a city councilman who's claim to fame is getting arrested and going viral and the old guard who hasn't had a fresh idea since Cash Money took over for the 99 and 2000s. 

If you don't support Black women and elevate Black women, you aren't pro Black. Full stop. 

Some Black folks don't throw up the power fist for Black women

And if you don't do your job on city council, maybe it is time for you to go. You can't change a system when you block people from participating. Braxton Winston said about abstaining from his vote to have Davis fill the at large seat left vacant by former city councilman James Mitchell, who resigned earlier due to a new job, that because Davis lost in the 2019 primary to District 2 rep Malcolm Graham that he wouldn't vote for her. 

To be fair he didn't vote for the eventual pick, Greg Phipps, stating that Phipps didn't address the council before the vote or whatever, according to media reports. But it was his dig at Davis that did it for me. People lose elections and then turn around and win them. Ever heard of this guy named Barack Obama?

The betrayal of the Charlotte City Council vote runs deeper than petty Winston, though. 

According to WSOC TV: 

Mitchell shared his recommendation to councilmembers and Mayor Vi Lyles through email.

“Jessica has an understanding of how city government works. Jessica is a team player and passionate about helping to improve the lives of our citizens,” Mitchell wrote. “If Jessica is fortunate to receive your vote, I’m confident she will be 100% committed.”

Historically council has appointed the person the outgoing member recommends. Malcolm Graham recommended Greg Phipps, Patsy Kinsey recommended Billy Maddalon, John Autry recommended Dimple Ajmera and Al Austin recommended Carlenia Ivory.

So, what was different about Jessica Davis? Why wouldn't Mitchell's endorsement be enough as it had been in the past when other former council members did the same thing? Looking at Charlotte's mayor and shaking my head. 

Lyles had the tie breaking vote. 

She did what has been doing since she was elected mayor, she let us down.  

Why is Charlotte afraid of Jessica Davis? Is it that this city is used to lackluster leadership from women and seeing a woman rise to power who can make a difference causes the status quo to shiver in their boxers? 

Is Charlotte afraid of a Black woman who is smart, unbossed and not for sale? 

Do all the people in the city claiming to support women like Keisha Lance Bottoms, Stacey Abrams and Madame Vice President Kamala Harris, only want to see qualified and smart Black women lead other cities? 

I'm asking for all the little Black girls who watch Black male leadership in their city turn their back on them. . . .

In response to the vote Monday, Mayor Lyles released the following statement: 

"To the 143 people who took the time to apply and contact us, I remind you that filing opens in July and I encourage your continued participation in the electoral process. This was a difficult decision. As the former budget director and as the Mayor, it is essential we have someone who understands our city budget and is able to move quickly to navigate the budget process. We have our first budget workshop on Wednesday and without a solid financial foundation, we can’t create the programs and services that are essential to our citizens – particularly during this time. Jessica Davis will continue to be someone willing to serve this community and I am encouraged by her willingness to participate in the process. I hope that everyone in our community will recognize both of them as true servant leaders." 

Y'all's mayor is up for reelection too, IJS. 

Small town, big drama, happily ever after: Welcome to Elmore, South Carolina

Growing up in a small town, I know there are so many stories there. Of course, there's the gossip. Phone lines burn up when Sally Mae gets a new car, but her house in foreclosure. Then there's Mr. Graham and his secret family two counties over. But outside of the gossip, there is so much love and devotion in the small towns. Since I grew up in one, I had a good time creating one, Elmore, South Carolina. 

Not too far from Columbia, the state capital, yet close enough to Myrtle Beach for a romantic getaway. This is the kind of town where you can come back for a second chance at love, a new career or to reclaim the one who got away. 

I wrote three books in Elmore and I hope you take a moment over the holidays to check them out. 

Just Can't Get Enough (Published 2007) Both down-home sweet and seductive, Cheris Hodges's new novel is about breaking the rules, going back home. . .and finding more than your heart's desire. . . 

Celina Hart had security, a steady job, a predictable fiancé. . .and nothing that was making her truly happy. She gave it all up to gamble on her talent and found success she'd never imagined as one of New York's hottest painters. But when she returns to her South Carolina hometown to care for her ailing father, she gets an even bigger surprise. That "bow-legged" neighbor's boy she used to play with has grown up into Darius McRae, a lawyer who gave up the D.C. fast-lane to get back to his roots. Now, Darius' dark-chocolate build and slow, easy smile are proving to be just as tempting as any city lights. . . 

The last thing Darius was looking for was a relationship. He'd been burned by too many women who put finance over romance--including his conniving ex-girlfriend Cortina. But Celina's sense of humor and unpretentious ways are igniting more than his passions. And when Cortina starts stirring up a mess of trouble, Darius will do whatever it takes to show Celina a home-grown love is a dream worth everything. . If It Isn't Love (Published 2011) His star rose, but their love faded. . .
Jason Campbell, known to his adoring fans as Jay Slade, has had enough of the spotlight. When he returns home to Elmore, South Carolina, he has one thing on his mind: winning back the love of his life, Ingrid Russell.
But Ingrid isn't ready to take him back. She's a widow with a restaurant to run and a son to raise. There's no way she's going to let Jason back into her life. Especially when she has a secret that she's determined to keep from him. And the same women who tore their relationship apart three years ago are still there.
But would Jason be in the small home town he hates if it isn't for Ingrid's love? Another Chance to Love (Published 2018) Brian Jackson is blindsided when his marriage ends and his wife leaves him and his son in their sleepy South Carolina hometown. Now, his life revolves around his five-year-old and being a school resource officer at Elmore High School. And he was content until she drove into his life.

Paige Grayson’s arrival in Elmore, South Carolina is her chance for a fresh start after her smart mouth got her in trouble In Nashville. She never expected to find a tempting cop living across the street.

As Paige and Brian give in to their desire, his ex-wife returns wanting her family back. Will Paige and Brian have a chance to love or does his ex still have a place in his heart?  

Vi, girl . . .

 When you look at other Black women mayors across the country, like Keisha Lance Bottoms and Lori Lightfoot, don’t you feel proud? Like Black women lead. 

Then, you remember you live in Charlotte and Vi Lyles is your mayor.  Real tears. 

Lyles was super invisible at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. She hasn’t kept her campaign promises and sat back while Charlotte Mecklenburg Police gassed protesters during a peaceful march in Uptown. 

(Why is she not on the ballot so I could vote against her? Next year, y’all/)

But earlier this month,Lyles and members of Charlotte City Council made total asses of themselves when they visited a local bar. 

This is what the Charlotte Observer reported, 

The initial reservation was for 6 p.m., then it started getting pushed back, DeLoach said. The council members, along with Mayor Vi Lyles, City Manager Marcus Jones, and other city employees showed up at 7:45 p.m., she said.

Also in attendance on Monday night was Queen City Nerve publisher Justin LaFrancois. LaFrancois is a regular at Hattie’s, and he said he couldn’t wait to visit the bar after its reopening. “It’s one of my second homes,” he told CharlotteFive on Tuesday. 

LaFrancois said he has never seen a group of City Council members visit the bar before. And their behavior surprised him, he said. He watched them repeatedly being asked by staff to wear masks. 

When Lyles first arrived, she was asked to put on a mask. After looking for it in her purse, she had to return to her car to get her mask, LaFrancois and DeLoach both said in separate interviews.

Lyles and City Council member Tariq Bokhari had to be reminded to wear masks and follow other COVID-19 precautions inside the establishment multiple times, DeLoach and LaFrancois each said. LaFrancois told CharlotteFive that he witnessed both of them not wearing masks while they were walking around the premises. 

DeLoach said while staff had to tell council members to put on their masks “often,” they did comply when prompted. 

Both LaFrancois and DeLoach said Bokhari made multiple comments that were disrespectful. . .

As Lyles was leaving Hattie’s, LaFrancois said Lyles leaned in — closer than 6 feet — to say goodbye to him. He described Lyles and Bokhari’s actions as nonchalant, but not surprising. 

“They weren’t as affected by this pandemic as everybody else was, including the small business owner whose establishment they were at that they felt that they were being supportive of, so I didn’t expect them to take it as such a big deal,” LaFrancois said.

Then today, according to a shared Facebook post, Lyles went on WFAE's Charlotte Talks and said the whole incident was a joke. At this point, Mayor Lyles, you are the joke. 

City leaders do NOT get to threaten business owners with the police and laugh about it. That's not how local government is supposed to work. And if you think that's funny, girl, you got to go. 

You, my dear, are the Donald Trump of mayors. You didn't live up to what you ran on. And now this is how you run a city that's recovering from a shutdown? 

I never thought I'd type these words, but I miss Pat McCrory. 

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John Lewis . . .

I remember May 2, 1999. That’s the day I graduated from Johnson C. Smith University.  All of us excited graduates piled into the Independence Arena, now the Bojangles Arena, early that morning to receive our degrees from our beloved HBCU. Some of us were still tipsy from the night before, some of us were nervous about tripping as we walked across the stage to accept that degree. And some of us were just happy that we made it through.
I was excited because four years earlier, I had no idea if my Dad would’ve been in the audience to see my walk across that stage. He had a heart transplant my freshman year. And the family kept the seriousness of his condition from me until that summer. Fast forward four years later and he was in the audience with a big smile on his face, holding my mother’s hand.

That day, our commencement speaker was Representative John Lewis. Civil rights icon, an American hero who risked his life and health so that America would live up to the promise of all men being created equal. His voice boomed through the speakers as he encouraged a class of fresh faced adults to do something with our lives and to remember the shoulders we stood upon. And then he talked about those shot gun houses.

I think that stuck with me some twenty one years later because when he talked about those houses, everyone laughed and smiled. I remember his strength as he gave a word that resonated like a sermon. I remember his smile.

I’m thankful that I was in that room. That I had a chance to hear his voice. Rest in Paradise, Mr. Lewis. And thank you for a job well done.

Can we fix this city, please?

If the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery haven't taught us the importance of local elections, I don't know what it will take for us to learn that lesson.
Yes, the federal government is a dumpster fire right now. But we're touched by what the people in our front yard do.

Stream the latest City Council meeting here. (Starts at 5 p.m. today) 

And a lot of times, those touches are more like punches to the face. Take Charlotte, for instance, during this global pandemic,  our mayor was basically MIA. When protests started in the Queen City,  Mayor Vi Lyles finally showed up. She wanted to talk. She talks a lot. As well as the Charlotte City Council.
Charlotte has been talking since the 2016 uprising after the killing of Keith Lamont Scott by CMPD. Lyles was a city council member during that shooting. She proposed a seven-point plan to reduce racial and class divisions in the city, parts of which were approved by the council. Presently, nothing has come from this proposal except task forces. 

If anything, CMPD has proven to be worse than it was four years ago. I mean, how horrible is your department when the current chief, Kerr Putney,  was willing to break the law to retire early? And then there was the "attempted murder" (allegedly) of protesters on Fourth Street. 


The system is broken and clearly the people in place who are running the system aren't trying to fix it —unless they're named Braxton Winston. 

“City Council can take a major step toward reforming policing in Charlotte on Monday - and set an example for America,” Winston said. “You’ve seen our police department, and departments across the country, release clouds of tear gas into crowds protesting the killing of George Floyd, stinging eyes and causing marchers to remove masks in coughing fits in the middle of a health pandemic.”Winston says he will introduce the motion Monday that will recommend adjustments to police spending and policy. Winston says he is making a substitute motion to direct the administration not to spend money on new or existing stocks of chemical agents used for crowd control in 2021.

Since the city of Charlotte has a council-manager system, which means in this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.
Then in 2021, we need to elect a mayor and city council who will fire the current city manager and begin serious reform in a corrupt system.
Charlotte residents NEED to stop voting for the name they recognize and judge politicians by their actions. If not, we're going to continue to have broken system littered with promises and people who use this city as a stepping stone to something bigger.
If you're inclined, run for office. Not only is Councilman Winston one of the hardest workers in city government, but he stepped in and stepped up to be a part of the system he wants to change. Too bad the others on the council seem fine with the status quo.

But you’re the police chief. . .

What happened to protesters in Uptown Charlotte was city sanction attempted murder.
Yep. I said it with my whole chest.
Tuesday night, Queen City Nerve live streamed the attempted murder of peaceful protesters and y'alls police chief doesn't know who gave the order to shoot pepper balls, flash bangs and tear gas at unarmed people.

According to WBTV, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police chief Kerr Putney addressed a crowd who wanted answers about the deployment of chemical agents on protesters Tuesday night.

Chief Putney addressed questions from the community. When he arrived, he expressed his frustrations with police brutality and had a question for the crowd.“I understand the frustration. I have it too. But I want to know, what do we really want to do about it?” Putney said.The crowd had many questions about why Tuesday night’s incidents were allowed."Who gave the order?” Someone in the crowd asked about tear gas being deployed during Tuesday protests.Chief Putney says he authorizes certain actions when protests go from peaceful to violent, but said leadership in the civil emergency unit also makes decisions.

As the leader of the city's police department, his statement was lacking. Seriously lacking.
Is this why Putney is trying to rush out of the department?  What is so corrupt at CMPD that chiefs are so quick to leave?
Things haven't been the same since Rodney Monroe left.
CMPD likes to act as if they have clean hands when it comes to police brutality, but that's not true.
Danquirs Franklin was killed while following an officer's orders.
Keith Lamont Scott was killed for just sitting in the parking lot of his apartment complex.
Johnathan Ferrel was killed after he knocked on a woman's door seeking help after a car accident. Of course, this happened when Chief Monroe was in charge and the killer cop, Randall Kerrick, was charged. But as the story goes, he was found not guilty and the the city used our tax dollars to pay him off. Because why wouldn't he sue for being held responsible for taking a life?

Charlotte could've been "Wakanda." Black mayor, Black police chief, Black sheriff, Black fire chief.
Instead the Queen City is more like WTFanda. At this point, we need to let the Mecklenburg County Sheriff run the show. Because the rest of them are: (fire chief not included)

Open letter to Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles . . .

Hey, Vi.
Girl, where have you been?
There's a whole pandemic going on and the citizens of the City of Charlotte, the ones you duped, I mean who voted for you and swallowed your campaign promises,  haven't heard a word from you.

Let's face facts, Charlotte mayors are figure heads. The city manager and council run the city. Clearly the police too, but we'll get there in a minute.
Not only have you been missing, but you've changed.

 I was proud in 2017 that my adopted home of Charlotte, NC had its first woman mayor who was African American. But my grandma was right, all your skin folk aren't your kin folk. But you tricked me, sis. I remember when you stood for something.

Following the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in September 2016, (Lyles) proposed a seven-point plan to reduce racial and class divisions in the city, parts of which were approved by the council.

It's four years later and here we are—again.
So, you sat out the pandemic and while I have no proof, and this is just my opinion, you've sold out the city. But Friday night, you claimed to care about the people on Beatties Ford Road. All because Food Lion was damaged.
I watched in disbelief as you talked about one of the most gentrified areas in the city where residents have been forced out and hipsters have gleefully taken over. What happened to the affordable housing task forces. Cause, you love a good Taskforce. I'll tell you this, you can talk. You love talking.
And on Saturday when you asked the Black sororities and fraternities to be your window dressing while you talked again, I was done.
I'm still done.

I want to know where this Vi Lyles is:

"It's an incredible honor to be elected Mayor of Charlotte in such a historical election," Lyles said in a news release. "As I've often said throughout my campaign, I can walk through any part of Charlotte, and I expect to be a mayor for all."

I don't even recognize you anymore and I hate being duped. But that's clearly what you did to the city of Charlotte. I mean, like mayors across the country you can point at Minneapolis and that killing of George Floyd. But Charlotte should sweep around her own front door and Vi, you need to be holding the broom or get swept out with the dust, whatever.
But are we going to forget that Keith Lamont Scott was killed while sitting his car. That the officer who shot him is still on the job? That the Mecklenburg County DA never charges cops, whether a killing is caught on camera or not?
And then there was the killing of Danquirs Franklin last year. March, 2019 ( probably the last time we saw you as a city leader, but I digress).
Maybe my lying eyes deceived me, but the body cam video from the killer cop showed Danquirs putting the gun down as he was ordered to. But here we were again watching the death of a Black person at the hands of the police that we pay with out tax dollars. Maybe that day you were securing that RNC contract, girl I don't know.
But don't ride your high horse of Charlotte is different when you talk about police killings because CMPD, Minneapolis Police, NYPD, all the same.
And you know folks are angry out here. You know there are folks who are scared, because HELLO, still a pandemic.
Yet, this is your concern?

“I always want to remind people that if you disrupt the convenience store or the small restaurant there, that’s going to be a huge difference during a pandemic to the survival of that business,” Lyles added. “That’s one of the things we’re so carefully talking to those owners of small businesses in the city right now.”

Two quick questions?

Where was this concern about small businesses when the pandemic first started? What happened to you? 

Midnight tease . . .

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 TimeFor 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. The ballroom was buzzing with excitement, though. Everyone wanted a look at Olivia’s ring and the portrait LJ, a renowned artist who’d just finished a family portrait for the former first family, had painted of his future wife. It was beautiful. The night was romantic. Sylvie was bored.Glancing around the room, she glanced around the room and locked eyes with the only other guy who looked as he wanted to be anywhere but there.            Nine!            That man is fine!she thought as she set her empty glass on the edge of a table. Maybe she was tipsy and that’s why she started walking toward Mr. Sex Appeal.Eight!Sylvie heard the voice of reason telling her to stop, pump her breaks and don’t head over to this stranger. It wasn’t as if she had a right to expect a midnight kiss from him. But her feet wouldn’t stop, especially when their eyes met.Read more by clicking here.

Tempted At Midnight Reveal . . .

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

Have you read The Rancher's Return? Kathy Douglass talks Sweet Briar and sweet love

By now, you have to be a fan of romance author Kathy Douglass. If you're not, then let me tell you that it is time to treat yourself to some of the sweetest romance on the shelves right now.
Kathy introduced us to the small town of Sweet Briar, NC in HOW TO STEAL THE LAWMAN’S HEART – Harlequin Special Edition – February, 2017
Forgiveness starts with a stolen kiss…Chief of police Trent Knight had it all until an accident took his wife and he was left alone to raise two beautiful girls. Now the person he always blamed for his loss is back in town, and all bets are off. But soon his anger toward Carmen Shields gives way to a very different emotion — awareness of Carmen as a woman. On one hand, it feels like a betrayal of his late wife’s memory. On the other, it could be his second chance at life — and Carmen’s shot at redemption. Maybe she can go home again — with the help of a certain lawman.And she takes us back in her latest, THE RANCHER’S RETURN – Harlequin Special Edition – March, 2019“That’s all you have to say? You’re back now?”Ten years ago, the love of Raven Reynolds’s life disappeared without a trace. Now Donovan Cordero is back, standing on her doorstep. Along the way, Raven had the rancher’s child—though he didn’t know she was pregnant! Now her prayers have been answered, but happily-ever-after feels further away than ever. Because how can she rebuild a life with her child’s father if she’s engaged to another man? Kathy has taken the time to talk to me about her latest book and the lovely town of Sweet Briar. (Trust me, you're going to want to live there!) 
1. You gave us all the feels, where did you get the idea for this second chance romance? My editor contacted me with the opportunity to be a part of the Linda Lael Miller Presents promotion. There was one condition – the book had to be a western. Even though my books take place in North Carolina, I have ranchers in the series so they still qualify. I had been working on another book at the time and we discussed moving those characters to a ranch, but it wouldn’t work. Their backstory had already been established and they lived in Sweet Briar. I was going to have to start from scratch.
I’d mentioned Donovan in THE RANCHER AND THE CITY GIRL. He was Jericho’s friend who’d disappeared without a trace some years ago. At the time, I had no more information about Donovan. All I knew was that he’d vanished. I decided that he would be the hero of my new story. Then I imagined that there would have been someone left behind. Someone special that he’d loved more than life. That someone was Raven. I thought he’d lost enough in life and deserved the chance to make his relationship work the second time around. Happily it did.
2. Donovan and Raven had such heat, even though it is a sweet romance. All of your characters do. How do you balance that while keeping things nice and sweet?
Well, I’m not quite sure. It just sort of happens. All of my couples love and desire each other passionately. I just keep most of the longing in their minds and all sex behind closed doors.  
3. I love all the kids that you've written about, but Elias is my favorite so far. How did you come up with his personality? 
I love the kids in my books. They are so much fun to write. Whenever I write a kid, I start with the premise that he or she is basically a good kid. With Elias, I tried to imagine what a boy living on a ranch with his mom and grandparents would feel. What would his days be like and what would he want? Then I set him loose on the page. His personality was revealed a little bit more with each scene he was in.
To be honest, the people in my books are real to me and I let them tell their own stories. I don’t think I’m creating their personalities as much as they are revealing who they are. I’m a pantser so I generally don’t know what they’re going to do until they do it. Sometimes I’m surprised by their behavior, but generally it’s in line with their personality so I shouldn’t be.
4. There's a heartbreaking scene with Elias and Donovan in the book that really got my eyes sweating. But it was real. Was it important to you to show these kind of emotions and not have a Disneyland reunion? 
Yes. I want to keep it as real as I can. People get angry when they think they’ve been betrayed or feel like someone has made a fool of them. They often say really nasty and cruel things in an effort to make the other person hurt as much as they do. I just couldn’t imagine Elias being thrilled at the way he found out the truth. But I could imagine him being furious. And hurt. To me his reaction was understandable and real. And my eyes were sweating there, too.
5. You've made Sweet Briar such a character in your series, how did you come up with this town? The town just sprung up out of my imagination as a nice place to live. I like to pretend that I pictured the entire place at once, but that’s not true. The town has grown with each book as new places become necessary. I wish I would have made a map of the town before I started writing, but I didn’t. Hopefully one day I’ll get to that. In HOW TO STEAL THE LAWMAN’S HEART, a restaurant, beach, and youth center were necessary so I created them. Later I needed a garage so I added it. Now we have a doctor’s office. I do love this little town and all of the background characters that go with it, like the retired gentlemen who play checkers outside the barber shop.
6. Do we really have to wait until August for the next story? Whose story will it be? Yes and no. My next Sweet Briar Sweethearts book won’t be out until August. It’s Joni and Lex’s story. The title is A BABY BETWEEN FRIENDS. I am so excited for people to read that one. But I have another book coming out in May. THE CITY GIRL’S HOMECOMING is part of a multi-author continuity centered around a pet rescue. I had so much fun writing this book. It doesn’t take place in Sweet Briar, but it is set in a small community.
7. I know this is hard, but do you have a favorite Sweet Briar book? Whenever I’m writing a book, I fall in love with those characters, and that book becomes my favorite. So at one time or another each book has been my favorite.
But if I had to choose a favorite favorite, I would say HOW TO STEAL THE LAWMAN’S HEART. Not that I love the characters more than the others. I love all of the heroes and heroines. I think it’s because it was the very first book that I had published. And although they weren’t the main characters, I really loved Alyssa and Joseph’s relationship. So with LAWMAN, you get Trent and Carmen and Alyssa and Joseph. Two romances in one book. When you add up all of that, that’s what put this book over the top and makes it my favorite.