Questions & Answers

Your fans have eagerly awaited "Secret Shame", the follow-up to "Premature Pleasures".  What can they expect?“Secret Shame” continues Trek Baden’s journey, except now her family has moved out of the apartment complex in South Park and now live in a brand new home in Missouri City, a suburb of Houston.  Trek is still her sharp-tongued, perceptive self in Mo. City where her first observation is, “…the rich and poor are both raggedy like roaches; but the rich play in newer buildings.”  Trek is trying to adjust to her new neighborhood and new school.  Her transition is made easier by her friend Rhodee, “…a lycra-clad, Chinese-shop outfit wearing hoodrat.”  But Rhodee is living with a secret.  “If I keep quiet, I’m the only one who hurts.”  Trek suspects Rhodee’s uncle Marcus is behind the secret since he “...held my hand one second longer than was decent.” 

In addition to worrying about Rhodee, Trek is dealt another blow – her abusive dad resurfaces, “…putting a dent in our couch with his sorry ass.”  Together, Trek and Rhodee attempt to navigate their lives out of seemingly hopeless situations.  They love each other dearly.  They never part.  But are their circumstances too much for two young girls to try to handle on their own?  I believe it is.  I attempt to answer that question through the series of stupid choices Trek and Rhodee, not because they’re stupid girls, but because they face situations that requires them to pull in an adult.

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Your first book "Premature Pleasures", according to the reviews, was a page-turner.  In one of your reviews, the young fan applauded you for a job well done in " Premature Pleasures", but also doubts if you can top it .  Does "Secret Shame" duplicate  the intensity of "Premature Pleasures"?
I actually read that review and loved the honesty of that young person.  I think “Secret Shame” is a great continuation of Trek’s journey.  The intensity and drama that my readers love is still there.  Some of the differences in the story really relates to Trek not having a significant love interest.  She loves boys and has slight drama in that category.  But the primary relationship in “Secret Shame” is that of Trek and Rhodee.  It is the story of the most influential person in a young girl’s life – her best friend.  Trek has drama in her world.  But Trek’s madness doesn’t come to close to the issue Rhodee faces. (Top)

What are the issues explored in "Secret Shame"?
I explore the relationship between two young girlfriends.  A big issue faced in “Secret Shame” is the realities of child molestation and the behavior choices of sex abuse victims (i.e., promiscuity, older guys as boyfriend/protectors, false sense of strength and coping abilities).  Another issue addressed is what happens to the family when the father abandons his wife and children.  Do they go on welfare or does the mom rise to meet the challenges given to her?  In “Secret Shame”, the mom meets the challenges, buys a new house for her family and really is working hard to give her kids the best.  Guess who shows up with apologies and schemes on trying to get back in?  The dad, as Trek calls him.  Not “my dad”, but “the dad”.  Another side issue dealt with concerns teen sexuality and the half-dozen ways it’s expressed at school. (Top)

I was not prepared for the "the operation" or "the enterprise".  I could not believe that kids actually do that in school.  More importantly, I couldn't believe who was doing it (in the story).
Oral sex is quickly becoming the preferred sex act because you can’t get pregnant from it, and kids believe you can’t get diseases from it (which is not true).  As for the profile on who is doing it, there is only one basic characteristic they all share – they’re human. (Top)

What is the significant of the numbers on the cover of "Secret Shame"?  They look really cool in a type of layered effect.
The numbers on the cover represent statistics addressed in “Secret Shame”.  Four million registered child molesters live in the US.  Forty –seven percent, or just under half of all teenagers between the ages of 14 – 19 have had sex at least once.  One in three of that group label themselves “sexually-active”.  Twenty-two percent of African-American households are female-headed.  The layered effect shows how these issues aren’t mutually exclusive.  They build on top of each other until we have one big mess that’s too much for us to handle or address.  So we decide to keep it a secret.  And that’s a shame. (Top)

The dad was a hustling playboy/con-man trying to run game to get back in the family now that they were doing good.  By the end, I was so happy that he and Trek showed signs of reconciling.
True, they both had shown signs of reconciling, but only after he matured and lived up to his role as the mature adult.  Trek, although mature for her age, is still only a child, which means she’ll do childish things.  The dad had no excuse.  He was immature, a con-man and didn’t have an interest in bringing value to Trek, her mom nor her brother, Ned.  He only wanted to slide into a situation that was better than the one he was currently in.  When he stopped hustling to get back in the family and started to play the role of the responsible adult, only then could he and Trek reconcile. (Top)

Trek really seemed to hate her father.  Do those emotions really exist for girls who spend the first part of their lives without dad then shows back up?
Trek initially hated her dad for two understandable reasons.  First, she remembered the brutal attack on her mom, which caused them to leave him in the first place.  Second, she recognized he was up to no good.  Remember, Trek isn’t stupid.  She’s extremely perceptive.  He resented her being able to sniff out his game and expose him.  And he foolishly acted out his resentment, which led to further hatred for him.(Top)

I question whether Uncle Marcus got what was due him.  After all, he was a child molester.
He deserved far worse than what he got.  But he did get what so many other offenders get as a result of us keeping quiet – he got a chance to go back out in society to do the same thing to other young girls.  If he continues to live foul like that, it will catch up to him. (Top)

I loved the way Rhodee and Trek ALWAYS stuck together and were down for each other.  I wanted more of a Hollywood-ending for Rhodee.
I understand the desire for “happily-ever-after” endings.  However, I want to offer hopeful endings and realistic endings.  I want people to read “Secret Shame” and know there is hope and help available to them.  Once they embrace hope and seek out the help, the “happily-ever-after” follows. (Top)

Is that why you list the Sexual Abuse Hotline on the last page and the contact info for RAINN?
Absolutely!  Help is available for those who are victims of sex abuse or who know of others that are victims.  The blessing in my writing style is that you get caught up in the story as if it is real, and not fiction.  The flip side of the blessing, however, is that after you’ve read it and you realize it’s just a story, your intense feelings and emotions remain.  That’s why I always offer hope and direction at the end, just in case someone who reads “Secret Shame” is also facing a situation similar to my characters. (Top)

What else lies ahead on Trek's journey?
In the third book, “Backseats and Bleachers:  A High School Love Story”, Trek is a 16-year old good girl and smart student who’s in love with a 21-year old thug (who has a good heart) who lives in her dad’s neighborhood.  The mom is doing everything possible to keep them apart, which only leads to Trek sneaking around to be with him.  She is a good girl who gets way off track.

  The fourth and final book, “Cover the Coo”, is a story about Trek’s first year in college away from home for the first time.  She struggles to maintain her relationship with her boyfriend from high school in the face of so many 2-3-4-college-cuties – two digits (athletes), three letters (greeks), and four-wheels (guys with cars).  The pressure becomes too much for her and she caves to the temptation.  She ends up in a relationship with the high-school thug love and the college boy.  She’s having sex with both of them, which leads to greater trouble.

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What is your background prior to becoming a writer?
I worked as a Human Resources Specialist/Recruiter for various industries.  I had a good career.  The financial opportunities were solid.  But I reached a point where I could no longer stand the creative stifling.  Over a five to seven year period, I would record my dreams and ambitions in journals.  Interestingly enough, the same things kept coming up – writing, ministry and motivational speaking.  One night my husband Lewis and I had a heart-to-heart, after which he announced I had one year to make it happen.  So…I got busy! (Top)

Why have you chosen to focus exclusively on teen fiction?
I love teenagers.  They have so much flavor.  And yet their stories are largely ignored within the fiction genre.  I remember as a pre-teen thinking, “I hate reading.”  Then I discovered Judy Blume and Alice Childress, two formidable authors who told the truth about life as a teenager.  It dawned on me my issue wasn’t that I hated to read, rather I hated that most books I was required to read didn’t have characters that looked like me nor found themselves in situations I experienced or could relate to.  That’s why one of my favorite books to this day is “Rainbow Jordan”.  It’s about a girl whose boyfriend is pressuring her to have sex.  From then on, I was a relentless reader, but only pursuing stories with characters I could relate to.  Many will insist on youth reading diverse literature to ensure they’re well-rounded individuals.  And I agree with that.  But the bottom-line is they should read.  Period.  I want to deal head on with issues that others skirt around.  (Top)

Your characters are…shall we say “gritty”.  They get into some really “spicy” situations.  Aren’t you afraid you’ll alienate the adult-parent or adult-mentor book buyer?
That’s a huge concern of mine.  However, I’m more concerned about the need to tell an honest story.  Anyone who squirms through the “spicy” situations in the book probably has very little exposure to teenage-reality.  Believe it or not, I toned down what really goes on with them.  I hope to aid in removing the stigma of telling the truth about life as a teenager.  My prayer is for adult-parents and adult-mentors to reminiscence about their teen years, then share in an open, no-holds-bar way with their youth-children/mentees.  If they take the total story into consideration, the few situations my “gritty” characters get into won’t overpower the bottom-line message. (Top)

With you being a seminary student, how do you think the church will react to your candid dialogue about life as a teen, particularly with regards to foul language and sexuality?  Do you fear alienating them, too?
Let me start by saying I love the church and everything the church has meant to my life and growth as a woman of God.  As for how the church will react, it’s hard to say.  Most of my friends are Christians and the ones who previewed the novel before it was released loved it.  My teenage previewers not only loved it, but they got it (“it” being the message I wanted to convey).  They didn’t allow my foul-language-using characters or the sexual situations to deter them from the story (it actually pulled them into it) because they know given the setting and the absence of responsible adults, what I describe really happens.  Rather than be alienated, I’d love for the church to see the need to stay involved with all youth, not just the ones who are on the church roster.  Incidentally, this book was not written for a ‘churched’ teen audience (although I think they can handle it).  It was written for a secular audience.  However, I hope it’s embraced universally. (Top)

Why did you write this book?
I wanted to tell a story about the power of influence.  I wanted to give that teen or pre-teen who thinks they don’t like to read a story I felt they could get into (and hopefully propel them to seek out other books).  I wanted to let adults know the time they spend with young people really does count (it doesn’t matter if you gave birth to them).  And I wanted teens to see how important it is to watch who they bring into their friendship circle, because things can get crazy real quick. (Top)

Is it a true story?  Is it autobiographical?  It reads as though it really happened.
No, it’s not my autobiography.  But I definitely related to Trek’s intentions.  Like Trek, I was often misunderstood.  Because I had more male friends than little girlfriends, my adult neighbors and even family members thought I was fast.  They’d say, “Ooh, that girl is hot!”  It always hurt my feelings.  They never thought to take me under their wing to nurture and guide me.  No, all they wanted to do was talk about me.  While ministering to and mentoring young girls, to my surprise, I found that same thing is still happening.      That sort of thing is hard on a young girl who can’t defend herself against adult gossipers without violating the “children must respect all adults” rule.  So, it’s with those memories I shaped the emotional tone of the book.  As for the actual storyline, I simply flowed with my imagination. (Top)

Why did you add the “Author’s Afterthoughts” section?
Because it seemed so real, several of the previewers thought there may be one person who’d read this book and think, “I want to make the same decision Trek made.”  My mission is to offer Christ as a palatable solution to everything life brings.  In keeping with my mission, I thought it prudent to include that section for the “whosoever will(s)”.    (Top)

I wasn’t ready for the book to end.
I sketched the book in outline format, sketched the individual characters, and from there went freestyle.  Whatever I thought would happen, I allowed it to happen.  Whatever I thought my characters would say, I gave them liberty to say it.  And when I typed the final punctuation mark, the book was done for me.  Had I typed one more situation, it would have been too forced, too “Hollywood” (Top)

It’s not uncommon for most fiction to be based in truth, even if just a little bit.  How did your mother react when she read “Premature Pleasures”?  Did she replace Trek with you while reading it?
She read it in one day and cried once she finished.  She didn’t cry because of Trek, rather because she felt like my portrayal of Trek’s mom was how I felt about her growing up.  We talked and I cleared up whatever concerns she had.  Then she wanted to know if I had a bunch of little boys running in and out of her house while she was at work.  (laugh)    (Top)

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