17 stories of difficult love, broken hearts, lost hope, and discarded truths. Love brings pain, vulnerability, and demands of revenge. Hardened Hearts spills the sum of darkness and light concerning the measures of love; including works from Meg Elison, author of The Book of the Unnamed Midwife (Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award), Tom Deady, author of Haven (Winner of the Bram Stoker award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel), Gwendolyn Kiste, author of And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe and Pretty Marys All in a Row, and many more.Hardened Hearts dips from speculative, horror, science fiction, fantasy, into literary and then out of the classifiable and into the waters of unpinned genres, but pure entertainment nonetheless. FOREWORD - James NewmanIT BREAKS MY HEART TO WATCH YOU ROT - Somer CanonWHAT IS LOVE? - Calvin DemmerHEIRLOOM - Theresa BraunTHE RECLUSE - John Boden40 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR MONSTER LOVER - Gwendolyn KisteDOG TIRED - Eddie GenerousTHE PINK BALLOON - Tom DeadyIT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO - J.L. KnightBURNING SAMANTHA - Scott HallamCONSUMED - Madhvi RamaniCLASS OF 2000 - Robert DeanLEARNING TO LOVE - Jennifer WilliamsBROTHERS - Leo X. RobertsonPORCELAIN SKIN - Laura BlackwellTHE HEART OF THE ORCHARD - Erin Sweet Al-MehairiMEETING THE PARENTS - Sarah L. JohnsonMATCHMAKER - Meg Elison