Nothing can tear us apart

SHATTERED

(Nothing Can Tear Us Apart)

By Wyatt O’Brian Evans

Among his many talents, including that of journalist, columnist, and D.C. radio personality, Renaissance man Wyatt O’Brian Evans has written a series that has the one-two punch of a daytime TV soap opera, in all the good ways. His latest installment in his Nothing Can Tear Us Apart series, Shattered, does not disappoint.

Wesley Laurence Kelly, SGL (same-gender-loving) African American multimillionaire mogul, has had his share of ups and downs in his life. Being outed caused his career as a comedian and a talk show host to take a nosedive, but he bounced back by creating a media and entertainment conglomerate of his own, to even greater success. Later, he meets phyne Puerto Rican Antonio Miguel Rios, Jr., who becomes his bodyguard and later his partner (yes, it was desire at first sight). After successive failures when it came to his intimate relationships, things seem to be looking up for Wes.

One day, he receives an unexpected visitor: Waseem, the 17-year-old son he never knew existed, with a chip on his shoulder the size of a giant redwood and vindictive with a capital V.

Waseem’s appearance in Wesley’s life brings back all the trauma he has gone through—intimate partner violence/abuse and mental health issues stemming from childhood trauma. Add to that the seeds of doubt now planted in Wes and Antonio’s relationship.

Firm in his belief that Wes abandoned him and his now deceased mother, Waseem is bent upon systematically breaking up Wes and Antonio, and destroying Wes by any means necessary. However, who will wind up shattered in the end?

When I read the acrimonious introduction of Waseem, I thought of that famous line from Bette Davis in the Oscar-winning movie All About Eve: “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” Shattered has all the steam, hawtness, and humor which is a signature of Evans’ series, blended in with the serious issues of intimate partner violence/abuse, mental health issues and their repercussions.              

Like a film noir movie, the story is told largely in flashback, which successfully connects the previous two books in the series, Rage and Frenzy. In daytime drama, it is always easy and tempting to break up couples. Hence, the hardest thing for writers to do is to find ways to keep their couples together, and Evans has done so with great skill as Wes and Antonio overcome the challenges thrown at them from within and without.

Fasten your seat belts, readers, and get ready for Wes and Antonio’s greatest challenge yet!

Shattered is available through Amazon and www.wyattevans.com.

Thank you, Wyatt, for bringing compelling daytime drama to the printed page!