NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A former News 8 reporter is making quite a name for herself in the literary world.

Charmaine Wilkerson’s first novel, “Black Cake,” is a New York Times best-seller, and Hulu is now producing it into an eight-part series.

“It was the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and I found an agent and a publisher to publish it, so the rest was all a surprise,” Wilkerson told News 8’s, Keith Kountz. “It’s been a blessing, and it’s been a wonderful experience.”

Longtime Channel 8 viewers will remember Wilkerson. She was a reporter here in the late 1980s.

After leaving New Haven, Wilkerson went on to reporting and media relations jobs, eventually landing in Italy.

Her jump into writing fiction came a few years back, something she seemed destined to do.

“I was one of those little girls who loved to read books and always wanted to write fiction,” Wilkerson said.

“Black Cake” is a story about a brother and sister dealing with the consequences of their late mother’s hidden past and that delicious title.

“The title, ‘Black Cake,’ is really the name of what some Caribbean people give to traditional Caribbean fruit cakes,” she said.

The black cake is a symbol of celebration and more challenging times.

“But what makes the story a little different from other family secrets is it begins with them leaving instructions from their mother, there’s a black cake sitting in her freezer, and there are instructions for them not to throw it out.

Read “Black Cake” to learn about the twists and turns in the story from there.

The eight-part series for Hulu is in production right now. There’s no word yet on when it will hit screens.

What’s next for Charmaine Wilkerson? She is already hard at work on her next novel.