'Sexual misuse' autobiography draws crowd for book signing
Elizabeth Green
Diversity Institute Fellow
07.27.04
Before she graduated from high school, Shellie Warren told her mother she would break the family curse: one of sexual addiction and promiscuity.
But as soon as she got to college, her conviction fell victim to the very evils she vowed to avoid.
By the time she reached her late 20s, years of what she called "sexual misuse" had turned her life in a direction she never imagined it would go. It was then that she realized that she needed to make a change and became a Christian.
On Tuesday, Warren, 30, sat at a small table at Borders book store in Brentwood, signing copies of her autobiography "Inside of Me: Lessons of Lust, Love and Redemption." The book chronicles her personal life from age 19-29 and is filled with stories of rape, promiscuity and multiple abortions.
Warren said she wrote the book to chronicle her life and tell her story in a frank and honest way. It has received positive response in both the Christian and secular community, she said.
"I wrote (my) book for non-church people," she said, "for them to see the more human side of Christianity."
Several of the women who showed up for the signing identified themselves as Christians.
The line of young black women moved fairly quickly, although Warren took the time to hug and speak briefly to every person.
At times she seemed overwhelmed with the show of support.
Kenisha Rhone, who recently moved to Nashville, described the book as refreshing and honest.
"The subject matter and the fact that someone would put it in writing drew me to the book," she said.