Stepping in the Now is focused to be a YA contemporary that revolves around the life of Prayaag—a sixteen year old boy who’s walking on the path of pursuing his parents’ dream of becoming a doctor, but secretly he wishes to be a writer and that means crushing and stomping over his parents’ dream; Jeeval—a sixteen year old girl who’s lost both of her parents at a very young age, as a result of which she’s emotionally closed herself off completely until she meets Prayaag at the same coaching centre; Samtha—a lady they meet in a basement slam sort of place who’s stepped out of a horrible marriage—she’d to do because of parental pressure—and that has left her devastated and unable to trust anybody; Abhinav—Jeeval’s brother and a medical repeater at the same coaching centre, who’s also dealing with his past demons along with his sexuality and the current pressure of cracking the entrance test that leads him on to a very dangerous path (drugs); Sameer—Jeeval and Abhinav’s cousin who owns a freaking bookstore so Prayaag envies him downright (I mean, who wouldn’t?); and a stranger they come across with or rather with his diary—Arjav—who dreamt about watching every possible corner of the world. The trio of Jeeval, Abhinav and Sameer enter Prayaag’s life like a hurricane, stirring him from top to bottom, and make him question all the things he’s been doing wrong—Arjav’s diary acts as a very good catalyst. And so, Prayaag mixes with them like hot chocolate does with warm milk; changing its colour and making it taste better. That diary contains nothing more than four pages in which the stranger—Arjav, had written about transcending each and every factor that was holding him back from following his heart, living the life he’d always imagined. That diary creates a chaotic mess inside Prayaag’s head. He is constantly juggling himself between his and his parents’ dreams. In between all this chaos, they discover a place of solace, SOUL’s, an extension of coffee corner—where they all always sit to spend some time together. SOUL’s is every writer’s dream-come-true—where people could take the centre stage and share their words with people who are greedy and needy for them. That’s where they meet Samtha for the first time. She touches Prayaag’s life in a different and stupefying way. The way they both are walking on the path of medical science yet have a secret desire of becoming a writer develops an instant connection between them. Samtha is a frequent performer at SOUL’s and Prayaag never once misses any of her performance, even if that means bunking his classes. She isn’t just a random performer for him; she’s his friend, philosopher and guide, who helps him in clearing a lot of his mess. As time passes by, Jeeval, Prayaag, Abhinav, Sameer, and Samtha grow to be inseparable part of each other’s lives—with an addition of Bilal, Abhinav’s secret companion. Through series of events like—chatting with Samtha on life and philosophy; meeting his childhood best-friend who is a fashion designing student—something she wanted to do all her life; a book launch at Sameer’s bookstore—where a young bestselling author of an inspirational novel shines his thoughts on how taking two steps forward on your account, to make yourself happy, and a step back-dragged by others is still one step forward; meeting Arjav and knowing his story—Prayaag finally gets the courage to write his story, take a step toward his dreams, believe in them and make others (his parents) believe in them too. The story takes a turn when they are on a road trip. Jeeval has issues celebrating her birthday as the day on which the accident that killed her father clash with that day. But trying to shoot it out and to leave all the scars behind, they go on a road trip to meet Arjav. Through his diary they manage to find Arjav, who now stays in Udaipur. On their trip back home, their car meets with an accident as a result of which Prayaag has a near-death experience and an acute memory loss…that leads to some blank spaces on his memory but not enough to make him forget his passion and his love and his I-could-do-anything-for-them-and-that-is-mutual-too friends. Stepping in the Now isn’t just about Prayaag following dreams. It’s also about: Jeeval: who carries her I-don’t-care-about-anyone-but-me façade yet deep down she feels deeply—not just for Prayaag—for everyone around her; who falls for a boy who tries to push her away consistently, but she sticks to her ground and make that boy realize—push-away-s don’t work when the fire is burning with equal intensity on both the sides. Abhinav: who is constantly fighting with himself ever since his parents died four years ago, and even before that by keeping a major part of him a secret. Being a medical repeater he has more pressure on him. Getting involved with drugs, he is almost on the path of ending his life, but with the help of his friends-slash-family he finds a new and brighter path for himself. Samtha: a lady who’s stepped out of a horrible marriage and is trying her best to find an anchor within herself; who thought life’s just a means to wait for death, finally realizes that a flower has to wilt after blooming but that shouldn’t bring a pause to the beautiful phase of blooming. The story ends with Prayaag writing his story and continuing his journey with Jeeval, Abhinav giving himself another chance…giving his life another chance, and Samtha—who initially stopped believing in love and relationships—ending up with Sameer.

Isaac is a second grader who struggles with waiting to be recognized by an adult. He’s a little impatient, and this can get him in trouble at school and in the world. When a tough problem has him stuck, Isaac blurts out. With patience, Isaac’s mom guides him through the steps of getting somebody’s attention, and she helps him with the problem. Isaac understands, but needs some practice! Isaac’s adventures continue at the store, at home, and at school, where the adults are there to teach him even more skills like how to interrupt the right way!

What's the most courageous thing you've ever done?

A guide to solving problems presents seven principles that enable individuals to be their own agents of change.

Here are practice poems, novice precepts, and "Mindful Manners" on how to be a Buddhist monk and nun in the Plum Village tradition. With inspiration for every step in the monastic timetable from "Waking Up" and "Taking the First Steps of the Day" to "Lighting a Candle" in the evening, this book was originally compiled for novices who are still learning how to practice mindfulness in daily life. Thus it is perfect for beginners in mindfulness who wish to make progress in their practice at home, for young people considering a life in a spiritual community, and especially for followers of Thich Nhat Hanh who wish to deepen their understanding of the monastic way of life today.

A former atheist who grew up in the Episcopal Church while her brothers were raised as Jews, Diane L. Harris had a born-again experience at the age of 44 and heard God calling her to ministry a few months later. Minister Harris shares her story with clarity and humor in this thoughtfully planned guidebook aimed at new adult Christians but useful to any soul focused on spiritual expansion.

Now available for the first time as an eBook, the dynamic debut novel from beloved New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer explores the steep challenges of a woman trying to do what’s best—for her family and for herself. Zelda Campbell was just a college student when she met and fell in love with her professor; they married before she graduated. Zelda’s love for Charlie was wonderfully passionate—though it came with extras: his daughters Caroline and Cathy. And so begins Zelda’s dramatic roller-coaster ride in step-parenting (aka “stepping”), marked by joyous highs and tear-stained lows. As Zelda struggles in her new role, the young girls are constant reminders of Charlie’s past life. Further, Charlie’s shrill ex-wife is a demanding presence Zelda cannot ignore. Fast-forward thirteen years, and Zelda and Charlie now have two children of their own. A Fulbright scholarship sends the family to Finland, where Charlie lives out his academic dream and Zelda must once again put her own aspirations on hold. But then an attractive man from her past enters the picture, offering the enticing prospect of an entirely different life. Given the opportunity to choose the road not taken, Zelda must evaluate her life and at last decide where her heart truly lies. Includes a captivating preview of Nancy Thayer’s upcoming novel Nantucket Sisters! Praise for the novels of Nancy Thayer “The queen of beach books.”—The Star-Ledger “Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide.”—Elin Hilderbrand “Thayer’s gift for reaching the emotional core of her characters [is] captivating.”—Houston Chronicle “One of my favorite writers.”—Susan Wiggs “Thayer portrays beautifully the small moments, inside stories and shared histories that build families.”—The Miami Herald “Thayer’s sense of place is powerful, and her words are hung together the way my grandmother used to tat lace.”—Dorothea Benton Frank

In this remarkable New York Times bestseller, Joel Osteen offers unique insights and encouragement that will help readers overcome every obstacle in their lives.

Reissued with a fresh look and added content, the Stepping Stones History series is kid-friendly and Common Core ready! When Anna Maria’s father dies, she moves to an orphanage in Venice. Though she misses her father, she knows he will always be with her, as long as she has his beautiful violin. Luckily, the orphanage is also a renowned music school, with a teacher who is none other than composer Antonio Vivaldi. But when her violin is stolen, Anna Maria must search Venice’s bridges, streets, and canals. Will she ever find it—and can she ever be happy in Venice without it? This lyrical historical-fiction story captures Venice, the joy of music, and how kindness can make a scary new place feel like home. History Stepping Stones now feature updated content that emphasizes Common Core and today’s renewed interest in nonfiction. Perfect for home, school, and library bookshelves!