I fancy myself a purveyor of truth, a sifter of lies, a cutter of bullshit. It's not a gift, but rather all skill, honed to a razor's edge after one too many trips down the rabbit hole. Some may dismiss my talent as misguided cynicism, but they'd be wrong. Clichés about hope and faith in mankind are an effort to keep the dreamers dreaming. Experiences don't lie - people do. While I'm not proud of the circumstances that led me to this way of thinking, I respect the journey.

Alison Baker is over love. Relationships are great. But peace? That’s priceless. The only way to get and keep a calm existence is to stay away from men. This is especially true for wealthy, charming, powerful men like her ex-husband. Then she meets Barrett Landry. He looks dapper standing in front of her in a suit, taking a glass of champagne off her serving tray. He pushes but she pulls. He asks questions. She tries desperately not to answer.

"You never have to be without me, Laney, never." He lied...my everything I ever knew, trusted, wanted...I am, in fact, without him. On my own and out of my shell, I learn new things about life, friendship and...myself. Like what you've always known may not be what you've always wanted. Dane Kendrick awakened things within me that I never knew existed, unraveling and uncovering the real Laney Jo Walker. I'm a new adult...so is my story.

What do ice cream and Sadie Montgomery have in common? They're both ice cold, but one taste is never enough. I wanted to be friends - I would have even settled for her seeing me as anything but a nerd - but there was no getting through. So just like any hard-headed, red-blooded man out there, I made up my mind. I'd make my coworker fall for me.

What do you do when you have betrayed the love of your life, but he is no longer there to grant you forgiveness? How do you carry the weight of your gravest mistake knowing there is no way to atone for it? I've made a terrible choice - one that can't be undone. Hiding this secret is eating me alive. But if it ever came out? If it were ever discovered? It would destroy everything.

Madeleine Becker's parents died when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall in love.That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious.

On the right path to achieving her hopes and dreams, Campbell Stevens has always been a model student. The first time she lets loose during her senior year of high school, she loses everything.

Ainsley came into my life in a flurry of vibrant colors, lighting my world up when all seemed lost. It wasn't our quiet nights by the creek or stolen kisses surrounded by a sea of cotton that saved me. It was her. She was my comfort when life threw one ugly tragedy after another at me. Until she dealt me the greatest blow. Now, abandonment, betrayal, and death darken every corner of my life. Anger and hurt burn bright where love and trust once lived. But now she's back.

After ending the world’s worst relationship, Marin Grey had sworn off men. So it was rather inconvenient that she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes and thoughts off the Ice King himself, Pierce Walton—also known as her ex-boyfriend’s older, much hotter brother. He was cold, callous, and rude. He was also the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on. When circumstances dictate they put their swords away so Marin can help Pierce take care of his son, that ice-cold hate suddenly takes a turn into something much hotter.

Four lives. Four stories. Four sets of letters. Four brave souls in need of guidance while facing life's greatest challenges. The anonymously published Dear Life program is designed to help them step outside of their comfort zones, face their obstacles, and relinquish their demons...and prove their existence.

I'm not "damaged". No horrible childhood or demons in my past I'm trying to outrun. In fact, my family is ideal - funny, supportive, and filled with couples that all follow "our" golden rule: Find her. Protect her. Love only her, with everything you are, every day, for the rest of your life. So why is it the mere thought of a monogamous relationship, more than one night with the same woman, sends me bolting in the other direction? Because I hadn't met Bellamy Morgan yet.

I’ve always been the person that does whatever someone tells me I can’t. Can’t graduate with a four-point-oh? Check. Can’t win a modeling contract without trying? Did it. Check. Can’t make it in the pro football league? Triple check with an MVP Award on top. When my best friend told me to stay away from his little sister, Layla, it didn’t sound like a challenge. Then again, I’d never seen her before. He obviously wasn’t thinking about who he was talking to if he believed I could ignore her.

How does a man handle the risk-taker, a no-nonsense type of woman such as Zafirah? The one who seems so well put together on the outside but won’t let anyone within an inch of discovering what’s inside. Without a doubt, Zafirah is a daddy’s girl and in her eyes has the perfect role model as a father, which makes it hard for any man to compare. Is her heart even capable of allowing another being to direct her steps?

Baylor Jones and Stayton (State) Blake. Two lost souls raised on the streets. Young children vowing to always protect each other. He was only nine but he was her protector and best friend for years. Even when thrown in foster care he took care of her always like a king to his queen. A silent pinky promise shared between, it was their secret protection to one another. Then one morning he was gone. Leaving Baylor on her own to battle the streets and more importantly life in the Kings all by herself.

They say first loves are oftentimes the end of one’s innocence. Those words couldn’t ring truer for Everlynne Lawson, whose first brush with romance came with a heartbreak…and the thing that seems to follow her everywhere she goes. Death. After a great tragedy, Everlynne loses all she cares about—her dreams, her family, and her soulmate, Joe. Guilt-ridden, Everlynne decides to isolate herself in Salem, Massachusetts.