THE LIE: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing & Coming Out
The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing & Coming Out

A candid memoir of denial, stolen identities, betrayal, faking it, and coming out.

Do you know me?, the email began, sparking tremors of fear that turned into a full quake of panic when William Dameron discovered that his selfie had been stolen by strangers. On social networks and dating sites, his image and identity—a forty-year-old straight white male—had been used to hook countless women into believing in lies of love and romance. Was it all an ironic cosmic joke? Almost a decade prior, William himself had been living a lie that had lasted for more than twenty years. His secret? He was a gay man, a fact he hid from his wife and two daughters for almost as long as he had hidden it from himself.

In this emotional and unflinchingly honest memoir of coming out of the closet late in life, owning up to the past, and facing the future, William Dameron confronts steroid addiction, the shame and homophobia of his childhood, the sledgehammer of secrets that slowly tore his marriage apart, and his love for a gay father of three that would once again challenge the boundaries of trust. At the true heart of The Lie is a universal story about turning self-doubt into self-acceptance and about pain, anger, and the long journey of both seeking and giving forgiveness.

 

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Chicken Soup for The Soul The Forgiveness Fix: 101 Stories about Putting the Past in the Past & Moving Forward
The Forgiveness Fix IGFB 5

Forgiveness is an amazing tool—it can transform your life in just one second if you decide that you want to use its power. There’s a reason we refer to anger, resentment, and disappointment as “baggage.” We carry it everywhere we go. We’d like nothing more than to drop it on the side of the road and forget about it. But how do we do that? How do we process the past and then leave it behind? These 101 revealing true stories show you how. Learn how to manage your hurt with or without an apology and focus on what’s really important. Read about marriages being strengthened, families getting back together, grown children coming to understand their parents, and people overcoming the worst transgressions—even crimes. These men and women walked forward light and free, and you can, too—onto the bright, warm, welcoming road ahead. And, because no one’s perfect, you’ll also learn how to apologize if you’re the one in the wrong… and how to use the power of self-forgiveness to find peace and happiness. Essays by William Dameron in this book include Once More With Feeling and Where Have You Been?

Fashionably Late: Gay, Bi & Trans Men Who Came Out Later in Life
fashionablyLate

What happens when adult men come out? What triumphs and struggles do they experience? The stories in this collection explore the impact of exposing long-held secrets. Filled with tales about divorce, conversion therapy, misadventures in dating, overcoming bigotry, and gender exploration, Fashionably Late paints a vivid picture of gay, bisexual, and transgender men experiencing their second coming of age. William Dameron’s essay “Owners Manual,” about his first dating experiences and learning to understand the workings of his heart appears in this anthology