PLAY TIME Her name is Trudy McAllen. On stage she is Raw Pain Max, a whip-toting Amazon who captivates thrill-hungry audiences nightly at the Safe Sex Club. REAL TIME Her name was Elizabeth Bathory. Legend knows her as Countess Blood. In the Hungary of three centuries ago, she fell in thrall to a sorcery that promised eternal youth. All she had to do was slaughter hundreds of young virgins. TERROR TIME Trudy and Elizabeth … in that twilit realm where pleasure fuses with pain, each in her own way is both mistress and slave. Now across the far-flung span of years, beyond the recognized boundaries of life and death, the women will meet. And in that encounter the most unearthly savagery of all will want domination …

An exploration of why people all over the world love to engage in pain on purpose--from dominatrices, religious ascetics, and ultramarathoners to ballerinas, icy ocean bathers, and sideshow performers Masochism is sexy, human, reviled, worshipped, and can be delightfully bizarre. Deliberate and consensual pain has been with us for millennia, encompassing everyone from Black Plague flagellants to ballerinas dancing on broken bones to competitive eaters choking down hot peppers while they cry. Masochism is a part of us. It lives inside workaholics, tattoo enthusiasts, and all manner of garden variety pain-seekers. At its core, masochism is about feeling bad, then better—a phenomenon that is long overdue for a heartfelt and hilarious investigation. And Leigh Cowart would know: they are not just a researcher and science writer—they’re an inveterate, high-sensation seeking masochist. And they have a few questions: Why do people engage in masochism? What are the benefits and the costs? And what does masochism have to say about the human experience? By participating in many of these activities themselves, and through conversations with psychologists, fellow scientists, and people who seek pain for pleasure, Cowart unveils how our minds and bodies find meaning and relief in pain—a quirk in our programming that drives discipline and innovation even as it threatens to swallow us whole.

Madrid. Unfinished. Man dying. A great painter lies on his deathbed, synapses firing, writhing and reveling in pleasure and pain as a lifetime of chaotic and grotesque sense memories wash over and envelop him. In this bold and brilliant short work of experimental fiction by the author of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny, Max Porter inhabits Francis Bacon in his final moments, translating into seven extraordinary written pictures the explosive final workings of the artist's mind. Writing as painting rather than about painting, Porter lets the images he conjures speak for themselves as they take their revenge on the subject who wielded them in life. The result is more than a biography: The Death of Francis Bacon is a physical, emotional, historical, sexual, and political bombardment--the measure of a man creative and compromised, erotic and masochistic, inexplicable and inspired.

THE NIGHTMARE - For young artist Gina and her lover Jim, it began with a terrifying vision of Gina's long-missing sister, once thought dead, now a prisoner of a horror beyond imagining. THE SEARCH - Their last hope—a circle of witches who command powers that can help and heal—or wreak terrible destruction. Their destination—the dark heart of a New England forest where an evil dynasty built upon the unspeakable secrets of the damned plans a hellish fate for all who oppose it. THE BATTLE - Hounded by foul manifestations of the undead, in peril of losing both their lives and souls, Gina and her allies must race against time and terror to confront their demonic enemies ... and battle a monstrous inhuman force that may crush even the combined forces of light.

From the haunted Carpathian Mountains of darkest Transylvania, Dracula reveals the Secret History of Vampires, Witches, and blasphemous horror. Told in his own words, here is the story of Dracula, a mortal warlord destined to become the Vampire King of the Undead. You have been told many lies. Now learn the truth. Welcome to Dracula’s world. *** “No vampire fan’s library is complete without a copy of C. Dean Andersson’s I Am Dracula. The author knows his subject thoroughly. We recommend I Am Dracula without reservation.” — Dr. Jeanne Youngson, President and Founder of The Count Dracula Fan Club “Dean Andersson’s horror is always fearsome and up-front. His words cut like razor wire, and every punctuation mark is a drop of real blood.” — Graham Masterton “The Heavy Metal of Fantasy adventure.” — Publishers Weekly

Acclaimed author Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, and second chances. * "Will inspire readers." --SLJ, starred review It's been a year since it happened--when Paige Hancock's first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her--the perfect way to convince everyone she's back to normal. Next: Join a club--simple, it's high school after all. But when Ryan's sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live? Acclaim for The Start of Me and You A Huffington Post Top YA Books of 2015 One of PopSugar's Best YA Books of 2015

A young adult novel about a teen who finds hope and a fresh start after a terrible loss, and learns that being strong means letting go. When Max Friedman’s mother dies of cancer, instead of facing his loss, Max imagines that her tumor has taken up residence in his brain. It's a terrible tenant—isolating him from family, distracting him in school, and taunting him mercilessly about his manhood. With the tumor in charge, Max implodes, slipping farther and farther away from reality. Finally, Max is sent to the artsy, off-beat Baldwin School to regain his footing. He joins a group of theater misfits in a steam-punk production of Hamlet where he becomes friends with Fish, a girl with pink hair and a troubled past, and The Monk, an edgy upperclassman who refuses to let go of the things he loves. For a while, Max almost feels happy. But his tumor is always lurking in the wings—until one night it knocks him down and Max is forced to face the truth, not just about the tumor, but about how hard it is to let go of the past. At turns lyrical, haunting, and triumphant, Ready to Fall is a story of grief, love, rebellion and starting fresh from acclaimed author Marcella Pixley.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. Look for Hanya Yanagihara’s latest bestselling novel, To Paradise.

BELIEVE IN EVIL The Dysan children needed to be punished. Daddy took care of them… permanently. Now he's come to Dallas's biggest comic book convention to continue his bloody work. So many bad children. So little time. BELIEVE IN FEAR She is Toxique, the ultimate comic book avenger. She was born in the vivid imagination of one lonely boy. Tonight he is going to drive her out of his mind… and into a real world of unspeakable violence. BELIEVE IN HELL Two forces are about to collide. One is good. One is evil. Both are driven by blood and vengeance. Both are unstoppable. BELIEVE.

Does it ever feel like life is out of control? Could you use the reminder that God is in control? When tragedy strikes, people desperately search for answers. Believers and unbelievers alike find themselves turning to God. Bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado tells us that though it may not be quick or painless, God will use this mess for good. In this booklet, Max Lucado will help you: Find courage to never give up during turbulent times Trust God to help you through all of life’s trials Remember that God will use every painful circumstance for good Scriptures for Your Turbulent Times also included.