True Confessions
Electa Rome Parks
Acknowledgments
Hey, family! What do you know good? We have been on this journey, together, for so many years now, I hold a special place in my heart for you. I have shared bits and pieces of my life with you and you guys have e-mailed me with bits and pieces of yours. Calling you “readers” is simply not enough. So, family it is. We have bonded over the years. LOL.
This is book #7. Wow! Can you believe it? I remember back to the days when all I had was an active imagination and a dream. And to this day, I still have an active imagination and a dream. LOL.
What’s going on with me? Life is good. I made the decision to live my life like it’s golden because it really is. We only come this way once and I intend to do all I can to make the most of it. I’m not where I want to be, but I’m having hella fun getting there. And, mainly, I’m claiming it across the universe. So, it’s a done deal.
If you are reading these acknowledgments then you have a copy of True Confessions in your hand. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support! Your support and encouragement throughout the years have been priceless. I can’t stress enough how important you, my readers, my family, are. Someone asked me in an interview what the best part of being an author was. I didn’t hesitate or stutter. Hands down, besides giving birth to my characters, meeting you guys is still awesome.
I obtain the same gratification I did the very first time I was in a bookstore and spotted a reader purchasing a copy of The Lies That Bind, my baby. My girlfriend and I literally started screaming, pointed at the book in her hand like two lunatics, and bum-rushed the reader. She didn’t know what was going on until the store manager explained that I was the author, a highly enthusiastic new author. I still get a laugh out of that!
I know you guys are saying, “This isn’t one of your blogs, so get to the point.” Okay, okay, I will (smile). I cannot state enough how appreciative I am that you’ve brought my crazy, imperfect characters into your homes and embraced them as your own. Thank you! Thank you for giving my imagination, my characters, and my dream a place to thrive.
Special thanks to my family and friends: Thank you for putting up with my hermit-like state when I’m working on a manuscript and for simply allowing me to take time away from you to follow my passion. I love you guys much more than you will ever know and I wish the very best in life for each of you. Nelson, Brandon, Briana, Tresseler, Laymon, DaJuan, Jordan, Khai, my cousins and friends. You are my anchors. ’Cause you know Pisces always have our heads off in la-la land.
Many thanks to the many book clubs across the country who have welcomed me into your homes, phone lines, and conferences like welcoming a long-lost friend back into the fold. My characters become living and breathing creatures through your eyes. We talk about them as if they were. You guys are the best! Continue to be literary ambassadors and continue to spread the word about my books. I appreciate it! Word of mouth is everything in this industry.
To my teams of literary greats, what would I do without you? Special thanks to: Ella Curry (you’re the best), AALBC.com, MosaicBooks.com, APOOO, RAWSISTAZ, Disilgold.com, Black Expressions Book Club, Lip Service Ink, Cryus Webb, and the numerous blog radio stations that have hosted me. If I’ve missed anyone, you know what’s in my heart, and know it wasn’t intentional.
To my author friends, especially Cheryl Robinson and Cydney Rax, I am so honored to be your friend. We can literally talk for hours regarding this crazy world we’ve found ourselves caught up in. Isn’t it fabulous? To all the authors who extended “acts of kindness” toward me this past year, I am so appreciative because you didn’t have to (you know who you are). To all the authors I’ve met over the years, and there have been many, know that it is a privilege to possess the power of the pen. Words are powerful. You have the ability to create, destroy, and literally change lives. Don’t underestimate your gift. I’m happy to be part of this elite membership.
Last, but definitely not least, to my publishing family: Portia (agent), Natalie, Brenda, and Diane, I haven’t had the opportunity to meet you guys face-to-face yet but it has been a sincere pleasure working with you via our e-mail communications. I know…I ask a lot of questions and I’m impatient and I’m very detailed, oh, and picky, but we are all family and it’s all good.
Family, please keep in touch. Drop me a line at [email protected]. You know I love to hear from you. And yeah, I’m still sensitive about my stuff. Also, check me out at:
www.facebook.com/electaromeparks,
www.myspace.com/author_chick,
www.electaromeparkseblogspot.com,
and www.electaromeparks.com.
Until next time, I pray your life is filled with peace, joy, and hope. Remember there is only one thing greater than yourself…
Stay blessed,
Electa
SIGNING OFF, ATLANTA, APRIL 29, 2010:2:37 P.M.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Questions for Discussion
Prologue
My reality is surreal and happens in super-slow motion. A nervous giggle escapes my chapped, dry, and parched lips. I lick them to restore moisture. Then, there is utter, deadly silence. If I listen closely, I can hear my heartbeat beating away at an accelerated pace. My senses are heightened and I marvel over the brilliant, bold colors of my bedroom as I inhale my favorite fragrances, from their spot on my antique dresser, colliding into one another with their potent allure. Even my sense of touch is different somehow. Everything is magnified to the nth degree. It’s like I’m looking down at myself from a huge movie screen with surround sound as I ready myself for the big finale—the final shot and then fade to black.
I’ve never been good at saying good-bye, even on short weekend trips. I keep the handwritten note short and sweet and pray to God that Mother will understand, and, hopefully, one day forgive me.
I don’t mean to hurt her or cause her any fresh pain. I sincerely don’t. I hope she understands that this isn’t her fault, that I love her with all my heart and being. No matter what, that fact will never change. I’m so thankful and forever grateful that she chose me to be her daughter out of all the orphaned babies