African American Book Review

 

Dark Genesis (The Darkling Trilogy)

Synopsis: Life for a female slave is one of hardship and unspeakable sorrow, something Luna knows only too well. But not even she could have foreseen the terror that would befall her one sultry Mississippi evening in the summer of 1807.  On her way back from a visit to see the African woman, a witch who has the herbs Luna needs to rid her of her abusive master’s child, she attracts the attention of a deadly being that lusts for blood. Forcibly removed from everything she knows by this tormented otherworldly creature, she is sure she will be dead by sunrise. Dark Genesis is a love story set against the savage world of slavery in which a young woman who has been dehumanised by its horrors finds the courage to love, and in doing so, reclaims her humanity.

5 out of 5 Stars WOW, May 9, 2013, By Romance Novels in Color (USA) 

I never have been a big fan of historicals or period pieces and usually I find life before the electronic era less than appealing to my mental palate. (I can't even imagine using a chamber pot, an outhouse, or having to draw baths. No microwaves, indoor plumbing or TV?) But when I finished Dark Genesis the only word I could come up with to describe it was...WOW.  Is this story worth reading? The only answer to that is a resounding yes. I sat in front of my laptop and refused to close the lid of my PC until this story was finished. Honestly, I'm a Nook girl and the fact that I had to use my computer was of no consequence, even when I was forced to chain myself to the wall to charge in the middle of the story. This is the first in a trilogy and I will be reading the other two as soon as I can get my hands on them.

-Reviewed by: Jennifer

3 out of 5 Stars DIFFERENT, March 23, 2013,By Rosa L. Ferguson (Olive Branch, MS) 

A slave and a vampire love story...I hadn't expected that when I first started reading this book. And it actually worked. I enjoyed the story line. However, after all of the action, drama and excitement on the plantation, the relationship between Avery and Luna became a little mundane. It went on for far too long without much to keep my attention. I continued reading because I kept expecting something to happen. By the time the relationship took a physical turn, I had grown quite bored with the two of them. When the action finally picked up again I was ready for the book to be over. The ending seemed a little rushed and a little discombobulated. I was also bothered by the writing of Luna's journal...it was written so eloquently by someone who at first couldn't read or write...once she learned to do both why didn't her speaking change to match the level of her writing? I would read the other two books in this trilogy just to see what happens but I hope when I do they stay action packed.

Source: Amazon.com

DC's Poetry Corner

  I've Found My Love

I've loved and been loved, many a time,
       And many a time before.
I've lost that love with the passing of time,
       Never to love anymore.
I've always seem to find someone else's
       Heart beating just for me.
I've lost that someone, because of someone,
      Needing it to be.
I've never grieved upon the lost, 
        Because it was not too real.
I've searched and found, found and lost,
      Heartbreak never to feel.
I've seen the light, I'll find my love,
      And he'll be mine forever more.

 

Text Copyright © 1962-2014 by D. C. Cowan

Africana History Fact of the Day

 

Abakuas

Secret society of African peoples who were enslaved in Cuba.

In the mid-19th century, thousands of Africans were brought against their will from territories in Nigeria to the sugar plantations of Cuba.  Though enslaved, they did not abandon many traditions of their culture that they had in Africa.  They continued to form all-male organizations that oversaw traditions in religion, music and dance.  They called these groups, Abakuas.  Today the Abakuas can be found in places like the city of Havana.  They held on to their language from the Calabar region of Nigeria called Ibo and used it to preserve the traditions of their people.

Quote of the Week

Just because I loves you—

That's de reason why

Ma soul is full of color

Like da wings of a butterfly

Just because I loves you

That's de reason why

My heart's a fluttering aspen leaf

When you pass by.

Langston Huges (1902-1967) "Reasons Why" (complete poem), 1922, The Collected Poems of Langston Huges, ed. Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel, 1994.

Legend of the Black Roses Giveaway

Congratulations to the GoodReads Winner!

 

Vanessa is the winner of the GoodReads Giveaway for the Legend of the Black Roses.

Congrats Vanessa!

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Legend of the Black Roses

by D.C. Cowan

Giveaway ended January 03, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Note:  Are you curious about or interested in Legend of the Black Roses?  You can still enter another giveaway coming February 2014.  Visit the website below in February.

bookaholicsromancebookclub.weebly.com/

Press Release for Legend of the Black Roses

To read the Press Release click here.

http://www.pieceofcakepr.com/mother-daughter-literary-team-fuse-psychology-science-fiction-african-american-identity-in-compelling-new-series/

Pre-Order Legend of the Black Roses

Available now for Pre-Order

Amazon.com

Press Release to major newspapers

Mother & Daughter Literary Team Fuse Psychology, Science Fiction & African American Identity in Compelling New Series.

Collaborating under the name D. C. Cowan, ‘The Legend of the Black Rose’ sees the authors depict a cruel reality where racism rules society. While fictional, their gripping narrative is poised to provide plenty of real-world food for thought. How far could society go to separate its citizens by color?

For Immediate Release

Asheville, NC – While it has been fifty years since Martin Luther King’s March on Washington, the world still remains largely divided by race. In a powerful new literary series written by mother and daughter D.C. Cowan, society’s continued ignorance of Civil Rights results in a world few want to live in.

‘The Legend of the Black Rose’ is the first in a powerful new series, with each volume showcasing the further consequences of allowing racism to shape society.  One unique and startling aspect about this fictional series is the protagonist of the first novel is the Black Rose, the spirit of an African woman who has witnessed every imaginable event of racism since the time slavery was legal in America. 

Synopsis:

All women are like roses.  Each variety of rose has its beauty, but also each has its thorns – the more hatred that taints the bush the greater the thorns.  Watch the red roses turn black as the love of the hearts turns cold and the black flowers wither and die.  The black roses carry the sorrow and pain of the spirits lost from their homeland and lost in time.  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.  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 ancestral beings driven from their homeland and doomed to wander as restless spirits.

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.  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?

As one of the author’s explains, their upcoming series is important on both a personal and international level.

“It has been a dream of mine to publish a book for over thirty years. I started developing this narrative in the 1980s, but life’s demands took over and it remained untouched. Now is the time to get this series out to society, to allow readers to explore its core themes of passionate love, hereditary pride, a fading race and the borderline of sanity,” says Cowan Senior.

Continuing, “It’s also one of the few Science Fiction and Fantasy books to contain African American protagonists. Later books in the series will incorporate some true stories of hatred against African Americans and women with the fictional backdrop established in the first novel. African Americans will exhibit racism towards their own people and African American females will suffer both racism and sexism. Each of these topics is hugely pertinent to society, making this a true melding of fact and fiction.”

Information about further volumes will be available at the authors’ official website: http://www.dccowanauthors.com.

In the meantime, ‘The Legend of the Black Rose’ is due for release on December 31^st.

About the Author:

D. C. Cowan is a collaborative mother-daughter team who is pleased to present several book series exploring minorities and spirituality.  Sharing the same first and middle initial, they use D. C. Cowan as their pen name for the books they will release. 

The Legend of the Black Rose series was written by Cowan, Sr. over thirty years ago. She is a graduate of the prestigious Spelman College in Atlanta, GA where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. With quiet tenacity, Cowan has been writing her books for over thirty years.  A pillar to her community, she was a director for many years at a local recreation center and she taught Sunday school at her local church where she received recognition from the members for her contributions.

As a youth, Cowan, Jr. performed for six years as a pre-professional ballerina with the Asheville Civic Ballet.  She is a graduate of Wake Forest University known to some as the "Ivy League of the South" with a degree in Psychology.  For the 2008 commencement, she was awarded as Best Senior Orator for her speech.  For two years, she attended a graduate program for Psychology where she joined the Psi Chi Honor Society and received Graduate Student Awards for Research and Travel.   Her most recent position was at the Johns Hopkins Health System.

eBook Cover Design

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.