Jennifer Lopez is the latest celebrity to write a tell-all book, documenting her struggles and triumphs in life.

The book, titled True Love, is due out in October, and has been something that Lopez has put her heart and soul into.

“What’s funny is, I didn’t start off the project wanting to bare my soul in print,” Lopez told PEOPLE, while backstage at the Billboard Music Awards, where she was the first female recipient of the Icon Award.

“It started off as a diary of the year I went on tour … and when I was on the road, it became something else,” she explained. “I really surprised myself, and I realized, ‘Oh my god, I’m writing this book.’ ”

Lopez admits that she was very apprehensive about letting people into her personal life, and telling the things that she has kept private for so long, including details about her divorce from Mark Anthony. She said that she finally decided to go forward with the book, after realizing that she may be able to help others who are dealing, or have dealt with, the same issues she has.

“Even to this day, I think, ‘Do I put this book out there?’ ” she said. “I did a lot of soul searching and praying, because I don’t ever want it to be mistaken for anything other than it was, which is sharing something I learned with people I could help.”

“Writing True Love has been a deeply cathartic, personal, and vulnerable experience. If it were not for the love and courage given to me by my children, this story wouldn’t have been possible,” Lopez said, in a news release.

“While I struggled with the decision of whether or not to release this book, I recognized that if it could touch even just one person then it would honestly become one of the most fulfilling endeavors of my life,” she added.

The book will be released on October 28, 2014, and will be featured in both English and Spanish. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Lopez Family Foundation, which helps women and children with their overall well-being.

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