My Story

I’m Solar Black, the alter ego of my real-life persona, Larcenia Turner-Dixon. In real life, I’m a single mom of two brilliant adult children and a recently retired teacher from Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

I am a complete and absolute fan of romance novels. I remember picking up my first dog-eared Harlequin romance novel from a teacher’s in-class library in seventh grade. I was the new chubby girl at the school, and I needed something to do at lunch besides look at the other kids having fun. Almost instantly, I was immersed in the poetic language, scenic backgrounds, and foreign lands of old-fashioned romance novels. I was instantly hooked and became a lifelong reader.

My love for all things sci-fi goes back even further than my love for romance. Like most Gen X nerds, the Star Trek franchise was a huge part of my fascination with all things alien. I had the privilege of standing in long lines to see the original Star Wars, and I’ve seen every series remotely related to science fiction, from the original Battlestar Galactica to Firefly.

These are my roots, nurtured in the Steel City of Gary, Indiana, where my whole worldview was Black. I was surrounded by Black excellence, from my teachers to my doctors, and Jesse Jackson’s call for us to “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” was ingrained in my young DNA. Gary wasn’t an easy place to grow up. For all the positivity, the negative was equally present, and violence and chaos were unavoidable, no matter how hard my parents worked to shield me from them.

Taken all together, this is who I am, hoping for the best in people and disappointed by the worst. I have intense faith, and I’m a believer, but I have little tolerance for organized religion and those who say one thing and do another.

All these elements, each part of me, I use to craft the otherworldly stories that center Black women. Growing up in Gary taught me that life can hold both beauty and brutality at the same time, and that truth shapes the stories I tell.

In today's world, Black women are often overlooked and underrated, overworked and undervalued. I create stories where they are seen, heard, valued, and appreciated. They can finally stop carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders and simply be loved, cherished, and protected. We deserve that.

Thanks for stopping by.... Peace and Blessings,

Solar Black/LTD