Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Linda Hudson-Smith
By Lita Pezant, Special to the Westside Story — Linda Hudson-Smith the bestselling author of dozens of romance novels and inspirational books, died last Tuesday April 30, 2013. Linda had struggled with lupus for many years, even serving as the national spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America.
Linda Hudson-Smith was a regular guest on the “Empire Talks Back” radio show prior to leaving her home in Rialto to join her husband Rudy in League City, Texas where he worked as a weatherman. Linda’s son, Gospel and Inspirational rapper Scott Smith (A.k.a. Justified) will join host Wallace Allen on the “Empire Talks Back” this Sunday, May 5, 2013 for a special tribute to this very special lady. Justified will share music from the companion CD soundtrack to his mother’s bestseller “Ladies in Waiting,” that was written and produced by Los Souls, and performed by him and Costie Payne.
A successful marketing and public relations professional, Linda turned to writing as a way of keeping productive and positive, after being diagnosed with the disease in 2000. She not only stayed positive and productive, she thrived, writing over 30 books, starting with her first “Ice Under Fire” (Arabesque/BET Books), which garnered great reviews and honors including Best New Author by the Black Writer’s Alliance, the 2000 Gold Pen Award, two Shades of Romance Magazine awards for New Romance Author of the Year and Multicultural New Fiction Author of the Year 2001.
As she continued to write and widen her genre, her reputation grew, and she traveled to Europe with her Lupus Awareness campaign. In 2003 Linda Hudson-Smith was named Best New Christian Fiction author by Shades of Romance Magazine, and in 2004 she won the African American Literary Show Romance Award. In 2006 the anthology novel “Thicker Than Water” (Kimani Press/New Spirit) was published featuring Linda’s short story, The Devil’s Advocate, and the book ranked #7 on Essence Magazine’s Best Seller’s list. She continued writing until very recently, with a string of both romance novels and inspirational books, including “Forsaking All Others,” “This Far By Faith,” “Honor Thy Heart”, “Indiscriminate Attraction” and “Romancing the Runway.”
Linda Hudson-Smith was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and raised in Washington, D.C. Linda’s husband brought her ashes back to California, and she requested that there be no funeral service. Her survivors include her husband Rudy Smith, her sons Gregory Lewis Smith and Scott Smith, and her grandchildren. She will be missed by all who loved her and benefited from her kindness and uplifting spiritualism, as well as by the many fans of her books (lindahudsonsith.com).
Linda Hudson Smith met the challenges presented to her with a special grace and insight that was highly cherished and appreciated.
