"Things are not always what they seem"

Ben Porter has been running in all directions, searching for the perfect career path. So far, he’s found nothing but dead ends. He has high hopes for his new job as office manager for a non-profit anti-porn group. It’s headed by Franklin Abbott, an old-money Boston Brahman seeking redemption for his family’s past sins, and Margaret O’Leary, a widow from Southie who is indignant about almost everything. Ben’s excitement leads to dismay when he learns the organization is seriously in the red. Apparently, fighting slime no longer pays in Boston. With Ben’s help, this unlikely trio comes up with a scheme they hope will rekindle their bottom line by “fighting fire with fire.” It’s foolproof – unless they get caught.

Revisit Boston in the 1980s in this slightly naughty-but-nice fable, in which things are not always what they seem. You never know what might get “Banned in Boston.”

"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

An Anthology of Short Fiction Contemplating the Complex Relationship Between Life and Death.

Most believe that Life promises light, bliss, and wonder. Death scares most with its shadow of mortality, darkness, and destruction. But what if those may be, if not lies, just facets of the complicated entities that bookend our existence? Life does not mock Death, but feeds it. Death is not the cessation of Life, but an alteration of existence. What would you do if faced with either truth?

An international galley of authors brings us a second repast of tales featuring the complex relationship between Life, Death, and humanity. From the supernatural to the sublime, these writers, both novitiates and accomplished, serve up a banquet of speculative fiction across a wide spectrum of genres. Beautiful Lies, Painful Truths Volume II will continue to feed your craving for the fantastic.

LINKS:

• Book Trailer - https://youtu.be/i8dAMSAbkAM


• LHP's Web Site - http://bit.ly/2Dxu9n8


• Beautiful Lies, Painful Truths Volume I - http://amzn.to/2niYvOY

GENRE CATEGORIES:

• supernatural


• thriller/suspense


• horror

• "The Unchosen" by Trece Angulo
  
  A new fantasy revealing the deadly lies behind The Choosing.
  
  



• "Alabama Shaman" by Nathan Batchelor
  
  The South rises again ... as golems in this spellbinding urban fantasy.
  
  



• "The Burnings" by Michael D. Burnside
  
  A futuristic fusion of fanatics, fear, and faith.
  
  



• "Of Thain Blood" by Tara Curnow
  
  A fantasy of a lie driving two brothers asunder.
  
  



• "The Knights of the Secret Order" by V. Franklin
  
  Urban vignettes connect the truth and holiday miracles.
  
  



• "Grace, Regardless" by Kevin Henry
  
  A futuristic gunslinger faces gangsters and self-delusion in this urban fantasy.
  
  



• "Answers" by Kathryn Hore
  
  Two eternal enemies stalk the other only to reveal their true relationship.
  
  



• "Finals Week" by Daniel M. Kimmel
  
  A supernatural tale about life, death, and that one exam you wish you had aced.

Thirteen contemporary authors—including Narrelle M. Harris and Jody Lynn Nye—riff on the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes in this imaginative anthology.

In the first Baker Street Irregulars anthology, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s brilliant and beloved character appeared as a hologram, a parrot with great deductive skill, and on a reality show. Now in this second edition, thirteen more authors offer their own highly original takes on the mystery genre’s greatest crime solver.

In Keith DeCandido’s “Six Red Dragons,” Sherlock is a young girl in modern New York City. In Sarah Stegall’s “Papyrus,” Sherlock is a female librarian in ancient Egypt. In Daniel M. Kimmel’s “A Scandal in Chelm,” Sherlock is a rabbi. Derek Beebe sends Sherlock to the moon, while Mike Strauss casts him as a comic book character.

The settings of these stories range from a grade school classroom to an alien spaceship. While preserving the timeless charm and intrigue of Sherlock Holmes, these authors pen stories of the world’s greatest detective as you’ve never seen him before.

What if Adam and Eve weren't a metaphor? What destroyed the Atlantis of the Sands? Was Stalin one of the undead? Stories of fantasy and science fiction await you. Explore the alternate history beyond Victorian England. Go beyond steampunk.