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Best-selling author, Electa Rome Parks is back with an erotic drama that has critics raving with reviews. Get ready readers, she’s steaming up the pages, again. Her newest release, True Confessions (Urban Books – January 2011; $14.95) is the story twenty-eight year old Kennedy Logan is gorgeous, educated, talented, and in love. Unfortunately, Drake Collins has other ideas about the true state of their relationship. Kennedy hopes to turn him around; Drake just wants to turn her out sexually. Kennedy is also searching for her biological mother, who gave her up at birth. She wants answers and she has tons of questions. The enormous weight of these predicaments leads to a failed suicide attempt.

Her overprotective and overbearing mother, Dorothy Logan, moves in with Kennedy and makes it her mission to get her daughter’s life back in order. The first step is getting rid of Drake Collins once and for all, but that’s easier said than done. Drake has no intentions of going anywhere. Kennedy’s ever loyal and fun-loving best friend, Taylor, and her absentee father join forces to help support Kennedy in her time of need.

At her psychiatrist’s advice, Kennedy uses writing as her therapy. She starts to keep a daily journal detailing the erotic circumstances and family drama that led up to her despair. Through very personal, funny, and graphic entries, readers will share her confessions. Brace yourselves for a very steamy journey!

Electa Rome Parks lives outside Atlanta, Georgia and is the bestselling author of six acclaimed novels, The Ties That Bind, Loose Ends, Almost Doesn’t Count, Ladies’ Night Out, These Are My Confessions (anthology) and Diary of a Stalker. Electa is currently working on her next novel and first screenplay. You can visit Electa Rome Parks on her website, HERE! On at Myspace, HERE! And, her Facebook page, HERE! You can also follow her blog, HERE!

I spoke with Electa about her latest release and the craft of writing.

TD: What prompted you to write, True Confessions?

ERP: True Confessions actually started out as a short story titled, These Are My Confessions in the anthology, These Are My Confessions (Harper Collins, 2007). Many readers emailed or excitedly asked during signings about Kennedy and Drake and their back-story, so I decided to pen the novel length version. Kennedy and Drake captured my imagination as well; they stayed with me long after the short story was published. I wanted to delve deeper into what made them “tick” and a short story didn’t allow that. As a writer, for me, it is always about what makes up the core essence of my characters. How did they become who they are? What event(s) shaped their lives? What brought them to this place in their lives when they are introduced to my readers? We are all products of our childhood and I adore piecing the puzzle together to create a likeable, sometimes not so likeable character(s) that has faults, imperfections, as we all do.

TD: Your main characters, Kennedy Logan, Drake Collins, and Dorothy Logan have a lot of depth to their lives. Kennedy, in particular, is dealing with a myriad of challenges in her life, i.e. reconnecting with her mother who gave her up for adoption at birth, her relationship with Drake, suicide attempts, and seeking therapy for issues. How was it writing this story, and keeping the plot so riveting?

ERP: Completing True Confessions was not difficult at all. I find that once I have defined my characters and have a general storyline, my stories typically flow with little effort. I have been very fortunate in that I have never experienced writer’s block. Once my characters become one with me, and I am living and breathing them, dreaming about them, feeling as if they are actual people, talking back at them, then it is simply a matter of writing the story down as they dictate it.

TD: Why did you choose to include the storyline of writing therapy for your main character, Kennedy Logan, and do you feel keeping a journal is necessary?

ERP: I chose writing therapy for Kennedy from my personal experience. As a child, I have fond memories of writing in a diary and as a young adult, I detailed my life in daily journals. I know the power of words and how seeing your circumstances played out in black and white is very therapeutic and necessary.

I always jokingly state that I have a passionate love affair with writing. Our torrid affair has consumed my very being for much of my life; it’s true, it’s pure, it’s divine. My passion runs deep. Writing is in my blood and I cannot imagine life without it. My very spirit would probably shrivel up and die if I could not write. Writing is my therapy. My voice. My sincere expression of the world as seen through my eyes.

When I write, I am transported to another dimension. My soul feels free and light and at peace. Writing brings me serenity and fulfillment like no other. Like a lover, I love it and it loves me back. Writing caresses my spirit and I simply soar like an eagle. When I write I feel powerful—after all, I am creating life with the stroke of my pen or computer keys. My characters come alive on the pages of my books. That’s magic. And when my readers digest my stories, they get to meet these incredible characters, with their faults, imperfections and all.

TD: In writing, True Confessions did you experience any epiphanies or ‘Ah-ha’ moments that connected with your own life?

ERP: The opening passages of True Confessions contains a powerful suicide scene in which the main character, Kennedy Logan, makes a conscious decision to end her miserable life, in her opinion, with a fatal drug overdose. Questions that immediately invade the reader’s mind are. . . Why? What tragic circumstances or events could lead someone to desire to take their own life? Were there any signs leading up to this decision?

During the course of writing True Confessions, I realized I had grown and matured over the years in my analysis of people, their lives, decisions and relationships. I used to firmly declare that committing suicide is a coward’s way out. It is too easy to take some pills, use a gun, slash your wrists. . . but it is so much braver to work through your problems or seek professional assistance so that you can lead a full, happy and productive life.

I always firmly stated there wasn’t anything or anyone on God’s green earth who could make me take my own life. No matter how bad my circumstances may appear, I would never, ever, go out that way. I still believe that in many ways, but I also believe that people have different breaking points and various thresholds of strength. What I can overcome may be too much to bare for someone else. That was my ‘ah-ha’ moment.

We have all heard the saying: God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. Well, maybe God doesn’t. . . but sometimes, for many, life does. Living can become too much, too overwhelming, too painful and the only way to stop the pain is by no longer existing.

TD: What do you want readers to take away from the novel?

ERP: We are all works in progress. If we are truly honest, there are aspects of our lives that we can all work on during our journey of self-exploration.

As with my previous titles (The Ties That Bind, Loose Ends, Almost Doesn’t Count, Ladies Night Out, These Are My Confessions and Diary of a Stalker), they have dealt with topical issues that are prevalent in our communities and society in general.

And True Confessions is no different. At first glance it appears to be a relationship gone bad type of storyline, but True Confessions is so much more than that. Issues of suicide, adoption, dysfunctional relationships, bond of a mother and daughter, father and daughter bonds, divorce and low self-esteem issues are all addressed. Bottom line, if I had to encompass a general theme prevalent throughout the novel, all of Kennedy’s problems and issues stem from feelings of low self-esteem and unworthiness.

So, my underlying message is that just because someone appears to have it all together doesn’t mean they actually do. Kennedy and Drake were prime examples each in their own way. Before we can receive love or give love, we have to love ourselves first. Kennedy and Drake didn’t love themselves and it showed up in various aspects of their personalities and life.

TD: What is next for you?

ERP: I’m currently working on my next novel (always) and penning my first screenplay, which is exciting. I would absolutely love to see my books played out on the big screen, even the small screen. That would be a dream come true.

Electa has agreed to give-away three copies of, True Confessions, to three lucky persons. The first three persons to email the answer to the following question will receive a copy.

**What is the name of the book that she self-published which landed her a book deal with a major publisher?

Please email your response to: girlworkonyou@aol.com

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