"Life asked Death, 'Why do people love me, but hate you?' Death responded, 'Because you are a beautiful lie, and I am a painful truth.' " Anonymous Supernatural, horror, speculative fiction, thriller Anthology of short stories Nearly 400 pages of thought-provoking fiction & fantasy A mixed-genre collection of tales both fascinating & fantastic There's an ironic beauty between humanity's love of Life and fear of Death. Life seemingly brings joy, happiness, hope, and love. Death can end sadness, illness, suffering, and pain. We asked writers to "Let the title and quote take your imagination, your story, wherever it wants to go." Join them now as an international blend of authors, both fresh and seasoned, bring you an exceptional menu of speculative fiction, mystery, realism, horror, and the supernatural. If your palate varies from the macabre to the dramatic, Beautiful Lies, Painful Truths provides an assortment of tasty treasures that will chill, delight, and give you food for thought. Family Ties by Cara Fox A metaphysical tale of life, death, and familial bonds. Red Carnation by Brandon L. Summers A thought-provoking supernatural drama of duty and death. With Infinite Complacency by Steve Cameron A sci-fi saga about the end of the world, cosmic lies, and bananas. Death and the Horse by Terri Bruce A whimsical fantasy portraying Death, equines, and characters of myth. The Fall by Paul K. Metheney On the cliff's edge of suicide, a mortal questions God's power. A Picture of You by Timothy Vincent A sci-fi drama of infidelity, self-deception, murder, and love. The Half-Dead Man by Michael J. Hultquist A macabre narrative of family, fear, and the final truth. The Bet by Paul K. Metheney Immortal entities wager on a man's choice of life or death. In Dark Places by Robert James In the wake of her husband's death, a woman seeks the truth, or madness. Again and Again by A.G. Lopes A supernatural and international story of love, coincidence, and fate. Conscius Sibi by T. Gillmore A sci-fi story uncovering deceptive origins and the fantastic truth. Ghost Trap by Douglas Clark An urban fantasy of spectral demons. Who ya' gonna call? The Firekeeper by J.M. Williams A mystical legend of Native American folklore. Heaven's Eyes by S.R. Betler A supernatural and epic tale of a woman's deadly encounters. The Devil's Embrace by S.D. Hintz Other-worldly and unholy vows: Till death (or the neighbors) do us part. Slosh by J. Ryan Blesse A graphic narrative of betrayal, pain, and death as real as today's headlines. Guardians of the Dead by J.M. Williams A Native American legend of the Afterlife. The Planet of Purple Forests by Carrie Gessner A science fiction tale of war, lies, honor, and betrayal. The Look by Robert Petyo The drama of a divorcee suspecting her ex of the worst kind of lie. Selfie Warfare by Shaun Avery Social media takes a fatal and supernatural turn in this fantastic thriller. The Forgiveness Booths by EB Pollock A science fiction mystery separating truth, lies, and justice. Pinot by Devin Bradley A dramatic thriller about lies and love and the final glass of wine. Pondering Eternity Over Waffles at Last Call by JCC Downing Vacations and celestial philosophy can boil down to romance and truth. One Night in Memphis by LJ Hippler Flash fictional tale takes a page from reality exposing a shocking truth.

An inspiring and illuminating guide to true self care, from the sage teacher and breakout star of the critically acclaimed drama, Queen Sugar, from Executive Producers Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay for OWN. Featured on Essence Magazine's Culture List In all your years of schooling, did you ever take a single class that explained how to navigate the hurt, drama, and fear that come with living? Tina Lifford sure didn’t. She learned the hard way—through experience as both a Hollywood actress and as the founder of the personal development network The Inner Fitness Project. Now, she brings together her own hard-won insights as well as those of her clients in this helpful and transformative guide. A blend of personal anecdotes and meaningful, practical—and most important, actionable—advice, The Little Book of Big Lies is the life skills class you need to nurture the inner you and move beyond the past. In fourteen raw, personal stories, Tina teaches you how to change your self-perception—to see yourself in the best possible light, to love and honor what you see, and to forge a new sense of what’s possible in every aspect of your life. But make no mistake, The Little Book of Big Lies is not a “rah-rah” quick fix for fear and pain. Like physical fitness, building and maintaining emotional strength requires continued effort. This invaluable book is the foundation you need to start building inner health and well-being so you can thrive. Tina guides you on a journey of self-discovery that will help you turn shame into self-acceptance, self-rejection into self-love, blame into freedom, and old hurt into power. Wise and powerful, The Little Book of Big Lies will completely change how you think and live.

'He's the real deal...' JOE HILL 'Another read in one sitting from the best-selling Swanson.' METRO 'A brilliantly original premise, delivered with panache.' CLARE MACKINTOSH On the eve of his college graduation, Harry is called home by his step-mother Alice, to their house on the Maine coast, following the unexpected death of his father. But who really is Alice, his father's much younger second wife? In a brilliant split narrative, Peter Swanson teases out the stories and damage that lie in her past. And as her story entwines with Harry's in the present, things grow increasingly dark and threatening - will Harry be able to see any of it clearly through his own confused feelings?

In the same vein as Jandy Nelson and Gayle Forman comes a novel from the gifted author of Faking Normal, Courtney C. Stevens, about hope and courage and the struggle to overcome the pain of loss. Sadie Kingston is living in the aftermath. A year after surviving a car accident that killed her friend Trent and left her body and face scarred, she can't move forward. The only person who seems to understand her is Trent's brother, Max. As Sadie begins to fall for Max, she's unsure if she is truly healed enough to be with him. But Max looks at her scars and doesn't shy away. And Max knows about the list she writes in the sand at the beach every night, the list of things that Sadie knows she must accomplish before she can move on from the accident. And while he can help her with number six (kiss someone without flinching), she knows she's on her own with number three (forgive Gina and Gray) and the rest of the seemingly impossible tasks that must be made possible before she can live in the now again.

"A loving testament to the work and reward of the best friendships, the kind where your arms can’t distinguish burden from embrace.” — People New York Times Bestselling author Ann Patchett’s first work of nonfiction chronicling her decades-long friendship with the critically acclaimed and recently deceased author, Lucy Grealy. Ann Patchett and the late Lucy Grealy met in college in 1981, and, after enrolling in the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, began a friendship that would be as defining to both of their lives as their work. In Gealy's critically acclaimed and hugely successful memoir, Autobiography of a Face, she wrote about losing part of her jaw to childhood cancer, years of chemotherapy and radiation, and endless reconstructive surgeries. In Truth & Beauty, the story isn't Lucy's life or Ann's life, but the parts of their lives they shared together. This is a portrait of unwavering commitment that spans twenty years, from the long cold winters of the Midwest, to surgical wards, to book parties in New York. Through love, fame, drugs, and despair, this is what it means to be part of two lives that are intertwined...and what happens when one is left behind. This is a tender, brutal book about loving the person we cannot save. It is about loyalty and being uplifted by the sheer effervescence of someone who knew how to live life to the fullest.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Soon to be a Hulu Original series • The internationally acclaimed author of Wild collects the best of The Rumpus's Dear Sugar advice columns plus never-before-published pieces. Rich with humor and insight—and absolute honesty—this "wise and compassionate" (New York Times Book Review) book is a balm for everything life throws our way. Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you; you lose a family member; you can’t pay the bills—and it can be great: you’ve had the hottest sex of your life; you get that plum job; you muster the courage to write your novel. Sugar—the once-anonymous online columnist at The Rumpus, now revealed as Cheryl Strayed, author of the bestselling memoir Wild—is the person thousands turn to for advice.

Includes questions for discussions and an excerpt from another novel.