Smiling on the Outside: Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-Love

A six-time award-winning book. There is no safety in silence, only the loss of “self.” We hide our dirty little secrets because we fear the judgment of others. Alone, we ask “Can I bear myself? Can I stand the truth?” Until we shatter our secrets and share our stories to be released from shame, we cannot find the freedom, joy, and love that’s waiting for us on the other side. Picking up the pieces after the emotional and financial devastation, Ann Peck revisits the hidden stories that shaped her self-concept and self-doubt. Anxiety, rape, domestic violence, a husband’s sex addiction, failed relationships, codependency, resentments, and sexual shame, they’re all there in her unblinking search for empowerment and self-love.

Recipient of SIX National and International Book Awards

Gold Medal — The Living Now Awards for Sexuality/Femininity

Winner — The National Indie Excellence(R) Awards for Sexuality

Finalist — The National Indie Excellence(R) Awards for Women’s Issues

Finalist — The Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Relationships

Finalist — International Book Awards for Self-Help: Relationships

Finalist — American Book Fest Best Book Awards for Self-Help: Relationships