A Lesson in Hope: Re-Invention in the Face of Adversity! Long before Byron Nease donned the mask to play the Phantom, he had learned to show the world one face while concealing another. On stage and off, his life has been about what it means to be a Leading Man. That role has meant constant re-invention, often in the face of adversity. An inspiring story of survival and personal, perpetual full-throttle re-invention, Nease's life holds lessons and encouragement for all who tackle life's challenges. His were, casting off the childhood legacy of family dysfunction and abuse, pursuing the dream career through trials as well as triumphs, coming to terms with life, love and loss, caring for an aged loved one, and managing a long term illness through the pain, costs and fear. 'BEHIND THE MASK...No More' evokes the glamour, humor, and drama of Nease's 25 years as a performer. His portrayal of the lover, Raoul, contrasted dramatically with his role of the Phantom. Hero vs. Monster. The grief, hope love and resilience in his life and the quest for love and meaning in which Nease seems to make him not so much a leading man, but every man.

He was born that way. Few would forgive his appearance. Fear and revulsion, even rage, were not unfamiliar to him. The villagers, but for one small child, have not been kind. The forest, his home, was not only a sanctuary, ironically, it also became his prison. One day, the forest offered him something more. What he found both chilled and excited him. It was a discovery that would change his life forever. The Mask is an allegorical tale that touches upon our human frailties, inspires us to find our inner truth, and dares us to be more courageous than we can imagine. Beautifully illustrated and designed, The Mask compels a reader to ponder important social issues such as bullying and body image as well as the meaning of beauty and truth.

This book motivates you to look inside your mask and know that it is okay to cry, be sad, be mad, and love who you are thorough it all. We wear many masks to cover the flaws or imperfections we have, but there is always a mask that we still hide behind. There is always another face that we hide behind so others don’t see it. Just know that it is okay to love all of you—including the imperfections we try to hide from. This is to inspire you to embrace the real you and to be strong through all things with poetry.

"It's not always our enemies who betray us."

Minutes before Brian Walsh, then just a teenager, heard his beeper go off, calling him to help put out another fire, he was on top of the world. An hour later, after a freak flashover and confusion that sent the junior firefighter into the inferno against regulations, Brian had suffered such profound burns to his face that he was unidentifiable to his fellow firefighters. Nearly everyone expected him to die that night. He did not. Nearly everyone expected him to die in the burn unit where, over the next month, every other patient died. Nearly everyone, including family and friends, expected Brian to choose a professional life that would keep him from showing his face, and the personal life of a hermit. He did not. Boldly forging a path forward with courage, grace, and determination, Brian silenced his doubters and defied all expectations. Decades later, Brian is an extraordinarily successful and renowned financial planner, family man, community fixture, philanthropist, motivational speaker, and industry leader. In this stirring autobiography, he tells his incredible story, sharing the lessons that only tragedy could teach and how they helped him—and can help anyone—achieve greater success, inside and out. Beyond the Mask is the moving and inspirational story of how one horrific moment can define a human being forever—in the most life-affirming way.

"I'll pay you one million dollars to find my wife and son." Ex-cop turned bounty hunter Michael Sullivan doesn't think any woman is worth that kind of money, but a job is a job.

The image remains pristine: a charismatic high-school dropout turned billionaire, whose stratospheric rise and daring exploits have won him millions of enduring admirers and made him a model for aspiring entrepreneurs throughout the world. But is this story still credible? Over the last decade, has Branson matched the expectations perpetuated by Virgin's relentless publicity machine? Or have we all been seduced by a brilliant showman? In his most explosive book to date, Tom Bower, bestselling biographer of Simon Cowell, Bernie Ecclestone, Conrad Black and Robert Maxwell, dares to explore the reality of the Branson empire. In doing so, he unravels the gripping story of his recent activities - from the astonishing success of mobile phones to his troubled airlines and his long delayed plan to send multimillionaires into space - and asks whether he really remains Britain's heroic buccaneer.