By the time Cheryl Anthony Ricer held the proof copy of She Believed: The Women Who Changed the Story in her hands, the moment felt far bigger than publishing her first book. It felt like the closing of a circle God had been drawing her entire life.
For years, Ricer had told other people’s stories.
She had written professionally since 2003, first through work with a publishing company and later as a magazine features writer whose byline became familiar to readers in both South Carolina and Texas. In the Lowcountry, readers of CH2 magazine came to know her thoughtful storytelling voice through features that celebrated business owners, artists, nonprofits, community leaders, and stories of resilience. In Texas, she contributed to publications through Chansen Media, writing profiles and cover stories that highlighted leadership, faith, perseverance, and transformation.
But while Ricer had spent decades helping others tell their stories, She Believed became something more personal.
It became her own.
“I think this book was born out of redemption,” Ricer said. “Not perfection. Redemption.”
That distinction matters deeply to her because she never intended the women of scripture to appear polished, unreachable, or idealized. Instead, she wanted readers to encounter them honestly, as women who struggled, doubted, grieved, persevered, obeyed, failed, trusted, and continued forward in faith.
In many ways, Ricer saw pieces of herself in all of them.
Her own story of faith began early. Ricer came to Christ as a 5-year-old child and was baptized by her father, a Baptist minister. Faith shaped the rhythms of her childhood, and the gospel message was woven into her life from the beginning. She grew up surrounded by prayer, scripture, and the steady example of parents whose love reflected the grace they believed so deeply.
“My parents prayed for me every day of my life while they were alive,” Ricer said. “They loved me unconditionally, and through their example they showed me that every day is a new day in Christ.”
That message would eventually become one of the deepest themes in She Believed. Because although Ricer’s foundation of faith was strong, her journey was not without wandering.
Like many believers, she experienced seasons of drifting, moments where the distance between herself and God quietly widened. Yet even in those years, she now sees that grace never stopped pursuing her.
“I think a lot of women quietly carry shame from the places where they wandered,” she said. “But one of the most beautiful truths of scripture is that God continues to use imperfect people. That’s the entire story of the Bible.”
That realization transformed not only Ricer’s own spiritual life, but also the way she approached the women of scripture.
Cheryl Ricer is photographed with her new book, She Believed, in her home.
As she immersed herself in their stories, she found herself drawn not simply to their triumphs, but to their humanity. Eve’s failure. Rahab’s past. Tamar’s grief. Bathsheba’s silence. Martha’s striving. The Samaritan woman’s shame. Mary Magdalene’s deliverance. Again and again, Ricer found women whose stories were marked not by flawless faith, but by the relentless grace of God.
“The thread of redemption is everywhere,” she said. “That became the heartbeat of the entire book.”
That phrase – the thread of redemption – eventually became both a theological anchor and a visual motif throughout the project. The book’s imagery, artwork, and symbolic collages all point toward the idea that God has been weaving redemption through history from the very beginning.
And remarkably, the project evolved into far more than a devotional manuscript.
Working collaboratively with AI-assisted creative tools, Ricer helped conceptualize and direct dozens of original illustrations portraying the women of scripture. Each image was carefully crafted to reflect not only biblical context, but emotional and spiritual nuance. Miriam peering through the reeds. Deborah and Jael standing in shared courage. Esther poised between fear and obedience. Lydia opening the door of her home. The Samaritan woman transformed at the well.
Every detail mattered.
“I wanted the women to feel human and sacred at the same time,” Ricer said. “Not like stained-glass figures, but women whose faith cost them something.”
The visual storytelling became an unexpected creative joy for Ricer, blending her lifelong love of writing with artistic direction and theological reflection.
About the Author:
Cheryl Anthony Ricer has been a professional writer since 2003, contributing feature stories, cover articles, and profiles for publications in South Carolina and Texas. She is passionate about sharing stories of faith, redemption, and hope. Ricer lives on Hilton Head Island with her husband, Frederick, and their three beloved teacup Yorkies.
Still, the process of completing a book proved far different from magazine writing.
Magazine deadlines had trained Ricer to work within precise word counts and editorial structure. But a book required something deeper: vulnerability, patience, and perseverance over time. There were moments of exhaustion, technical frustrations with formatting and publishing platforms, endless revisions, and emotional weight that accompanied revisiting difficult biblical themes.
Yet throughout the process, Ricer kept returning to the same truth her parents had instilled in her long ago: God redeems.
That conviction shaped the dedication page of the book, where Ricer honors her parents for leading her to Christ, praying faithfully for her, and teaching her that “hope is real, second chances are real, and God’s love and forgiveness is real.”
Their influence remains woven through every page.
Today, Ricer lives on Hilton Head Island with her husband, Frederick L. Ricer, Jr. Together, they attend First Baptist Church and remain active in their community. In addition to writing, Ricer teaches fitness classes and continues contributing to magazines while managing what she laughingly describes as “a household ruled by three tiny teacup Yorkies” named Violet Valentina, Spartina Noel, and Coco Lili.
Despite her years of professional writing experience, She Believed marks a deeply significant first.
Ricer signs a book for friends at her recent book signing, held at Coastal Bliss. She will hold another event on July 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jiva Yoga Center.
“This is my first book,” Ricer said. “And I think that’s part of why it feels so emotional. Magazine stories are beautiful, but books stay with people differently. They become companions.”
Already, readers are responding not only to the biblical insight within the devotional, but to the honesty beneath it. Ricer never approaches the women of scripture as distant heroes. Instead, she presents them as living testimonies to the ways God works through fragile faith, imperfect lives, and surrendered hearts.
Readers will have an opportunity to meet Ricer and celebrate the launch of She Believed: The Women Who Changed the Story during a special book signing event July 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jiva Yoga Center, 1032 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island. Guests are invited to purchase a copy of the book at the event or bring a previously purchased copy to be signed. Light bites and tea will be served as attendees gather to meet the author and hear firsthand the inspiration behind the book.
At its core, She Believed is not merely a book about biblical women. It is a book about grace.
It is about the God who continues calling people back to Himself. The God who uses unlikely individuals. The God who brings redemption from broken places and purpose from wandering seasons.
And perhaps most importantly, it is about the invitation still extended to every reader who turns its pages.
“She believed God’s promises,” Ricer said, echoing the phrase now closely tied to the book’s message. “And so can you.”