CUTV News Welcomes Publisher Roxanne Bland of Blackrose Press

Baltimore, MD – The prevailing image of a person who reads science fiction or fantasy has always been that of the geeky, white male. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. While it’s true women and people of color have not always felt especially welcome in the science fiction and fantasy community, today conventions all over the country, all year round, are filled with people of all genders and races dressed up as famous or obscure characters from their favorite fantasy saga.

But people of color aren’t just reading science fiction and fantasy, they’re creating it. Who is to say the next Tolkien isn’t an African-American man or woman, or Hispanic, Asian or Nigerian?

Roxanne Bland is an African-American woman and the proud author of two acclaimed self-published fantasy novels, The Underground and The Moreva of Astoreth, through her imprint Blackrose Press, a publisher of science fiction, fantasy, horror and weird/bizarro by people of color.

“There is so much creativity bursting out of the Asian, Latino and black communities with respect to speculative fiction. The problem has been access,” says Bland. “There is a movement afoot where people of color are calling out for more access to the publishing world. I want Blackrose Press to be a part of that.”

Blackrose Press’s slogan is “Read in Color.” These fantastic stories can serve as a great vehicle for ideas to find their way into someone’s heart who might otherwise not consider them.

“My books were experiments in publishing. I’m the guinea pig,” says Bland. “I want to be a publisher that helps bring these artists into the mainstream as far as I can push it.”

For more information on Blackrose Press, visit www.blackrosepress.com