About
Dr. Cherisa I. Jerez is a proud Latina of Cuban & Puerto Rican descent, originally from Miami, FL but raised in El Paso, Texas. She is represented by Katie Reed at the Andrea Hurst Literary Agency and will debut her contemporary fiction novel AT THE ISLAND’S EDGE by Lake Union Publishing in February 2025. The novel is a story inspired by her time as an Army Officer during OIF & OEF. The unpublished manuscript won the Florida Royal Palm Literary Award in 2023 for Women’s Fiction.
Dr. Jerez was first published by the RWA Monthly Periodical for her article, “The Literary Caldo is Simmering.”
She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, an MBA, and a DBA, International Business from Liberty University.
She lives in St. Cloud, FL with her husband and is currently working on her newest project.
Featured Work
At The Island's Edge
Sergeant Lina LaSalle never thought deployment as an Army medic would force her to take a life during a convoy in Iraq.
The Army declares Lina a hero, but as a healer, and a mother, she cannot reconcile her actions as heroism, and begins to drink.
Struggling with PTSD and navigating the challenges of raising a young boy with Tourette’s Syndrome, Lina decides to leave the Army and return home to seek refuge in Puerto Rico with her family.
When she arrives, she meets the handsome Eli Montgomery, a veteran from Charleston, SC. He too served in Iraq, and he too lost a part of himself in the name of duty.
As Lina discovers the island’s magic she travels the road to redemption, healing from the sacrifice service members must make in the name of duty.
