The Darkest Shade of Green

ENVY

The Darkest Shade of Green

By Kevin E. Taylor

There has been a myth going around that same-sex relationships/marriages don’t last, and sadly, some in the LGBT community have believed that myth. The reality, however, is somewhat different. Those long-term relationships have always been out there—their love stories simply weren’t getting the attention or the energy. I appreciate a good love story, and for my next installment for Black Love and Pride Month, Kevin E. Taylor delivers it in his sequel to Jaded–Envy: The Darkest Shade of Green.

The story takes place five years later in New York, in the lives of now happily married Joshua and Elijah Knight-Monroe. They are deeply in love. Each is successful in their own right, and they are surrounded by a circle of loving parents and friends. Eli’s career as an out, proud performing artist is poised to take off to new heights, and Josh is there to support him. Tragedy strikes when Josh’s father dies from a sudden heart attack, and Josh is plagued by nightmares, feeling he in some way was responsible. And Eli is there for him as a supportive husband.

Josh’s best friend Carlton and his partner Donovan are having their own problems, due to Donovan’s infidelity and self-esteem issues, which are compounded by guilt and his strained relationship with his parents. Carlton is committed to making things work, but is Donovan able to let go and love himself as well as forgive himself?

Meanwhile, Eli’s gift for music and song is taking him to new heights with a you-had-to-be-there extravaganza that becomes the talk of New York. His love for Josh is stronger than ever. However, lurking in the wings is Kamal Asante, a 24-year-old graduate of the Eve Harrington School of Ruthless Ambition, waiting for the right moment to strike and remove everyone standing in his way to fame…

As a Baby Boomer, I was impressed and touched by Taylor’s illustration of music, especially the greats like Natalie Cole, Nina Simone, Patti LaBelle, Luther Vandross, Nancy Wilson, Phyllis Hyman, Valerie Simpson, Vanessa Williams, and the like. Having Eli on stage with B. Slade and Billy Porter knocked it out of the park. As a couple, Eli and Josh set a powerful example of a love story, one that someone as jaded as Kamal couldn’t fathom; then again, Kamal had his own demons. People in the story had secrets and they had demons. Some were able to conquer them; others, like Donovan’s mother, could not. At the end of the day, love wins out with a stirring message: “Protect what you profess.”

Envy: The Darkest Shade of Green is available through Amazon and Taylor’s website, www.kevinetaylor.com.

Thank you, Kevin, for bringing us Joshua Knight-Monroe and Elijah Knight-Monroe as an inspiration of what a loving same-sex relationship/marriage looks like, and what must be planted in order for it to blossom and last (and withstand the weeds). Representation and visibility matter.