The Essence of Ebony Taylor

Ebony Taylor. Art by Edward Anthony

In November 2014, I started writing a manuscript for a concept that I had in mind for my first novel. On April 2, 2015, I published my first novel, and Taylor Made was born. The e-book version was published first; the paperback was produced two months later. 

It was the introduction of the book’s main character, Ebony Taylor. Her story takes place in middle-class New Orleans, LA. It starts with her life as a high school senior; she will take you on a journey as she experiences the ebbs and flows of daily life while making the tough transition from adolescent to womanhood.

The essence of Ebony-- even as a teenager-- is that she’s mature and wise beyond her years. She’s intelligent, enterprising, and has a laser-focus that rivals with most adults. She comes from a strong family background with solid, supportive parents who laid the foundation for their children to not only be successful, but also smart, vigilant, and persevering.

 Aside from fulfilling a life-long goal of becoming an author/writer, one of the things that motivated me to write this book was to create a character that represented blacks in a positive light. As I explained in this YouTube video, too often, we are portrayed in a manner that is negative, demeaning, and stereo-typical. 

Overall, I believe this is a story that is a good, intellectual, and compelling read. Readers will absolutely love and embrace Ebony Taylor, once they get to know her. This book is strong enough for a man (to read), but it’s “Taylor Made” for a woman.