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Book Review

Legend of the Black Roses (Black Rose, #1)Legend of the Black Roses by D. C. Cowan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I bear the same name as the author, but I'm actually not the real author of the Legend of the Black Roses. It was written over thirty years ago, but was never published by the author. The story is very unique in many ways. It's hard to find a book that's similar to it, at least within the books written by and about African Americans. I compare it to the book Kindred, not because the stories are similar, but by what they portray. Kindred tells the world what would happen if a modern African American female was taken from her life and sent into the past. But what if an African princess was ripped from her homeland, forced into slavery, and is somehow lost in time as well. This is the real mystery of the story. How does the spirit of an African princess become a disembodied spirit? Don't worry; I haven't spoiled anything with this review. This answer isn't revealed in the first novel anyway. There are many twists and turns in the first novel and hopefully the series to come that keeps the story interesting.

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Sunday, November 17, 2013

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Book Cover design




Back Cover Description



The Legend of the Black Rose follows the descendants of an African Princess stolen from her homeland.  Before you make assumptions, this is more than a story of a slave.  Never before has an interesting mix of history and fantasy been spliced together in such an intricate and delicate manner.   It's a story of a forbidden love divided by ages.  A great love story of two ancestral beings driven from their homeland and doomed to wander as restless spirits.

All women are roses.  Each woman is a different kind of rose – some white, yellow, red and even black.  Each variety of rose has its beauty, but also each has its thorns – the more hatred and racism that taints the bush the greater the thorns.  During this time in an alternate world history, the black roses are being severed and slowly they are disappearing from the garden.   One act of hatred will tear one family apart, but will bring together age old lovers in the most unusual way. 

Should the Black Rose choose to be labeled in history as a slave who was stolen from her homeland or should she claim her destiny as a wise and comforting spirit destined to protect her lost and fading lineage?  Is she the slave of the Americans or the princess of the Africans?  These questions are for you, the reader, to discern.  The Black Rose series is about passionate love, hereditary pride, a fading race, and the borderline of sanity.  Follow the ancestral spirits lost and outcast from time as they determine their proper place and identity.  As you read, ask yourself who is the Black Rose?

Black Rose Promo Video


Author's Bio: New Author D. C. Cowan



D. C. Cowan is a collaborative mother-daughter team who is pleased to present several book series exploring minorities and spirituality.  The Black Rose series was written by the mother over thirty years ago.  Cowan, is a graduate of the prestigious Spellman College in Atlanta, GA where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.  A pillar to her community, she was a director for many years at a local recreation center and with the Sycamore Temple Church she taught Sunday School and received recognition from the members for her contributions.  With quiet tenacity, Cowan has been writing her books for over thirty years only sharing her ideas with close relatives.  While a dedicated housewife, she spent hours researching and writing self-help books and hundreds of poems, novels, and short stories.  Finding courage in a hard time, Cowan worked for a number of years helping her children through school.  Encouraged by her family, she now shares her stories with the world as another African American novelist.  A dedicated and loving mother and wife, she is the mother of two and currently resides with her retired husband.

The daughter is a graduate of the world renowned Wake Forest University with a degree in Psychology.  She attended graduate school for two years pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychology.  She plans to help her mother continue to publish the Black Rose series.  With a personal love of studying the spiritual world, she has written several books that delve into the relation of God, angels and humans.  She has written three books about minorities chosen to fulfill a prophecy and destined to become angels of life, love and truth in a dark world.  The trilogy is called Angelic Heroes which includes the following: Book of Omni, Child of Light and Mount of Truth.  The books depict strong female minorities as the lead characters.  Though suitable for all ages, the trilogy is intended for teenagers and young adults who are interested in spirituality and fantasy. 


The Legend of the Black Rose Press Release: Coming this January 2014!



The Debut Novel by D. C. Cowan
D. C. Cowan consists of two authors.  It’s a collaborative mother-daughter team who is pleased to present several book series exploring minorities and spirituality.  The Black Rose series was written over thirty years ago.  Cowan attended the prestigious Spelman College and graduated some years before Alice Walker, the author of The Color Purple.  The Legend of the Black Rose follows the family of descendants of an African Princess stolen from her homeland.  One act of hatred will tear the family apart, but will bring back together age old lovers in the most unusual way.   It’s a story of a forbidden love divided by ages.  A great love story of two ancestral beings driven from their homeland and doomed to wander as restless spirits.  The Black Rose is known as a wise and comforting spirit destined to protect her lost and fading lineage.  The identity of the Black Rose adds an element of mystery to the book.  She has the potential to be anyone at any time.  There is also an element of racial pride and religion that would appeal to mature African American audiences, but anyone interested in a unique paranormal romance will find the story fascinating.

The Fading Race of African Americans
The Legend of the Black Rose series centers on African Americans especially women of color.  The setting is in America during the mid-19th century, but in an alternate reality where the sons of Shem and Japheth are on the war path to eradicate the sons of Ham – the three sons of Noah.  The African race is believed to be descendants of Ham and thus they are under a curse to be enslaved.  During this time in an alternate world history, there is worldwide genocide on the people with African descent.  The main character is an African American female who could pass for Caucasian.  She was left an orphan because of the genocide and her whole life she has struggled with her identity and her longing to be accepted as Black American. 

The Black Rose Book Series
The Legend of the Black Rose is the first book in the series.  The Black Rose series is about passionate love, about hereditary pride, a fading race, and about the borderline of sanity.  The impact of this genocide is more prevalent in the later books of the series when segregation is enforced, contemporary slavery is accepted, and interracial lovers must fight the laws of segregation.  However, the series focuses less on the war of the races and more on the price the war has had on the black identity, mentality and romance. Shoved off in communities categorized by race, the stories venture into the lives and love affairs among people who want to find love in a world that is not accepting of interracial couples.