Bøker utgitt av Year of the Book Press

Most adults have not done proper estate planning, either recently, or at all.We want to protect the ones we love, but so many fail to even have conversations about their estate planning wishes. If you know the right questions to ask, and take the time to answer them, you are well on your way to implementing the kind of planning that can protect your family... and you, should the need arise. Planning does not need to be difficult or challenging. Dealing with potential crises in advance, through a proven system, can also represent a significant savings in time, worry, and money. This book is a resource for today and years to come, making legal topics approachable and less confusing, so you can stay focused on what really matters - protecting you and your loved ones.

What would you do if you found a bawling baby hippopotamus knocking at your gate? Join the fun as a father tries to exhaust his daughters to sleep with his impromptu, whimsical, imaginative, silly adventure of two sisters on a quest to help a lost baby hippo find his mama. This interactive tale is best read aloud - at bedtime or any time - and is also great independent reading. Educators may find it useful as a writer's workshop mini-lesson on action verbs, character traits, and predictions. Warning: Likely to produce extreme giggling.

Most adults have not done proper estate planning, either recently, or at all.We want to protect the ones we love, but so many fail to even have conversations about their estate planning wishes. If you know the right questions to ask, and take the time to answer them, you are well on your way to implementing the kind of planning that can protect your family... and you, should the need arise. Planning does not need to be difficult or challenging. Dealing with potential crises in advance, through a proven system, can also represent a significant savings in time, worry, and money. This book is a resource for today and years to come, making legal topics approachable and less confusing, so you can stay focused on what really matters - protecting you and your loved ones.

Tinker is a kitty with special needs.He has a cleft palate and one eye can't see.His first family didn't know how to love him.Tink needs a new forever home.Magic lives in a loving home with Deb, filled with everything a happy catcould possibly dream of...except for maybe...a playmate.One chance meeting just might bring about something that will be great...for everyone.Join Tinker and Magic as they learn that our differences don't have to define us. Love is all it takes to make a family..

A book of collected poems on topics ranging from poetry itself to the unanswerable questions.On Poetry, A Few Greeks, The Presence of Absence, Cycles, Copper Pennies, Months, Wanderings and Wonderings, H2O, Family, Progression, Currents, War, Music, My Yard, Pen to Paper, Closing Lines, One Absolutely Last Poem

Between towering mountainsBeyond the River of IllusionsSits the Kingdom of Hokhmah...Long forgotten by the inhabitants of the Earth Below, Hokhmah and its villagers live in balance and communion with all of life. Princess Alma welcomes these residents daily and together they share the bounty of their blessed land. Yet in private, Alma fears for her parents and grandparents who have ventured to the Earth Below on a sacred mission to repair the brokenness and heal its inhabitants.Led by Guides and a mysterious song, Princess Alma must embark on a perilous quest to fulfill not only her own calling, but to reunite her family and reassemble all that has been shattered.Ancient secrets, prophecies foretold, and promises revealedOnly love can redeem humanity now...

Bring warmth and celebration to life with this inviting set of Christmas memories and favorite recipes that will help you through the busy holiday season. Enjoy dishes like:* Kathie's Tortellini Soup* Turkey Pot Pie* Steak au Poivre* Blanche's Cheesecake Bars* Christmas FudgeSharing the comfort of home, showing love through food, and enjoying the holidays with family and friends makes a wonderful Christmas season. These recipes and stories are appropriate for the big holiday meal as well as the weeks leading up to and following Christmas day.Denise Weaver has been cooking and researching food for five decades. Her culinary articles appear in local and regional magazines, and her food photography and recipes are known to whet the appetite of viewers.

It's Raining, It's Pouring is a celebration of idioms from around the world describing torrential rain. Everyone, everywhere experiences rain, and this book shows how language expresses that in different ways. In English, you might say, "It's raining cats and dogs!" while other countries imagine ropes, frogs, or lady trolls.Educators will appreciate this book which spells out various idioms, complete with a pronunciation guide. Students will have fun adding new expressions to their vocabulary while grasping concepts like metaphor, etymology, and a variety of alphabets. Parents and kids will love the rich illustrations that perfectly bring the text to life with humor and respect for diversity. ESL students, and those who see their language represented, will revel in a book that honors both commonality and difference.

In case the original book ALIGNED as F*ck: Transforming Your Inner Assholes (like Anxiety) into Allies left you dazed and confused, here is a Companion Workbook filled with more explanations, examples, and kick ass Action Steps.Stop pathologizing the work of your inner protectors and move forward on your personal and professional paths by using those pesky parts of yourself in adaptive rather than maladaptive ways. Enjoy your success with less stress!Use the workbook on your own, with friends, with your therapist, or join a Deep Dive Discussion Group. Whichever way you choose, this workbook is filled with even more wisdom, wit, and words designed to help you transform your Inner Assholes like Anxiety, Voice of Doubt, Inner Critic, Impostor, and Perfectionist into Allies and even Proponents of your personal and professional journey.

Millions of people in recent years have been captivated by the mystery and beauty of a 4,000-year-old geometric form called the "labyrinth." They have walked, prayed, meditated, and participated in rituals on the labyrinth's winding path as it guides them with certainty into the center. Labyrinths are located in schools, prisons, hospitals, parks, and churches. They have become a unifying symbol and a ritual structure attracting people from a broad spectrum of religions and spiritual pursuits, making the labyrinth a window through which to view the growing trend of religious diversity. This book examines how the labyrinth is emerging around the world as an arena for ritual that is unbounded by the structures, rules, and limitations that often accompany religious traditions. The labyrinth belongs to no one religion, has no single leader, no absolute ritual, and no authoritative text. By examining the labyrinth's ancient classical and Christian history and describing its diverse contemporary rituals we can discover the importance of ritual as a means of engaging with a sacred cosmos.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?Fed up with always putting yourself last?Are you exhausted, overwhelmed at times, and all around burnt out?When was the last time you took a vacation?When was the last time you put yourself first?Imagine making room in your life for more ME TIMEand actually putting yourself FIRST on a regular basis.What is it that you have wanted to do for years? It's time!

"Sobbing so uncontrollably I could not take a breath, the pain was unbearable. I washed down the pills with an open bottle of wine I grabbed from the fridge. I just wanted it all to stop... The pain... the fighting... the lies..."Scars to Stars TM is a series of online summits, live events, and books. These writers vulnerably share their personal, authentic stories of overcoming adversity to motivate and inspire you, wherever you might be along our own journey... so you will never again need to feel alone in your struggle.Proceeds benefit: The Realize FoundationWe believe that conversation and community can reduce suicide statistics.www.realizefoundation.org

An exceptionally gifted painter lets his art consume. Buried in work and wealth he trades his creative freedom for popularity and wealth, a jail of sorts, as what once freed him now becomes his cage.His wife, Shanti, suggests a vacation to the picturesque village of Manipur Inside a solitary cabin under a banyan tree, the painter becomes mesmerized by a blackened mirror. But can he accept what that mirror truly reflects?"The Blackened Mirror" is a short story taken from the collection "Chance Meetings" by author Madhu Bazaz Wangu. Here's what the critics say:"The story hangs like a bead on a japa mala - for the reader to touch and be touched by the transformative power of storytelling." -Milczar "A beautiful, lush, lyrical story. The rhythmic language transports and transforms..." -Kathleen Shoop

The Prequel to "The Last Suttee" by Madhu Bazaz Wangu...Nine-year-old Kumud Kuthiyala cannot hide her excitement on Diwali Eve, the festival of lights. But an aunt's visit invites an unexpected and painful understanding of marriage and related rituals. Will Aunt Sau embrace the horrible ritual of suttee and follow it to its "natural" end? Or can Kumud and her mother stop her before it's too late? This novella is the prequel to Wangu's stunning "The Last Suttee." Here's what the critics say:"A haunting, rich narrative on the struggle of faith, custom and social hierarchy in modern times . . . The gorgeous language brings alive the complex world through sounds, smells, colors and tastes." -Hilary Hauck¿¿"¿¿¿The Last Suttee is an engaging adventure story well told. It explores many of the cultural obstacles facing girls in India. Kumud, the heroine, shows how one person can be an agent of change." -Professor, Smith College"Madhu Bazaz Wangu's writing is full of rich descriptions that engage the senses and make you feel part of each setting." -Martha Swiss"What woman among us doesn't immediately resonate to varying degrees with the protagonist's remark that '... a woman faces elimination at every stage of her life'? Read this book to sharpen your awareness and to understand the tools for positive change." -Gale Oare"Threads of spirituality, and myth are skillfully woven throughout the tale and make 'The Last Suttee' a wonderful story and an authentic and unique work of art!" (Rosemary Hanrahan)

Merry, a single mother of two adolescents, wants nothing more than to create the perfect Christmas for her children-the kind of perfect Christmas her own mother had always created-but she is certain she's not up to the task.Overwhelmed by the task at hand, Merry finds herself distracted by repeated encounters with an attractive stranger. When her husband, the father of her young children, walked out on them many years ago, and her mother took them in, Merry decided she didn't need a man in her life... but does fate have other ideas?As Christmas approaches, Merry wonders why God keeps putting this stranger in her path and if she can possibly give her children the kind of perfect Christmas her mother had.

For the loved ones left behind by suicide, unanswered cause-and-effect questions are unleashed that inevitably lead to guilt. If I had done this... If I had not done that... If I had done more... If I had done nothing! Suicide is almost universally motivated by an absence of hope. All too often, family and friends wonder when and how their actions and inactions may have contributed to their loved one's hopelessness. The guilt can be long-lasting and life-changing. While I will always love my son and the wonderful memories I have of our time together, I also know I must find a way to continue to live my life according to God's purpose. The bridge to this future has been forgiveness. Not unlike Jesus' grace which he freely gives for our sins, this forgiveness must be given to ourselves and others whose lives fall under the shadow of suicide. It is my hope and purpose that my story will help others find the bridge, give it to God where it clearly belongs, and accept the outcome.

Anita lives with her older foster brother and a caregiver. Sometimes she gets lonely and scared. Her imaginary friend, Pumpkinhead, has helped her in the past, but as she gets older, he's not around as much as he used to be. Or is he?"Where Are You?" is terrific for children dealing with issues like adoption, foster care, or just growing up and losing touch with their imaginary friends. The resource section at the end offers Conversation Starters to help parents and caregivers begin a discussion with their child.

From a small industrial coal town in southeastern Pennsylvania to an international lifestyle, Emma Louise Mahan encountered, challenged, and overcame segregation in the U.S., Apartheid in South Africa, various family addictions, gender bias and other discrimination, all while striving to be the perfect wife and mother.However, the destruction and devastation of Alzheimer's could not be overcome...

Megan's husband woke her the morning of November 4th. For the last time.She hears Wally's gasp for air when he grabs her arm. Then he stops breathing. With basic instruction from the 911 operator, Megan wrestles her husband to the floor and begins chest compressions. The ambulance will be there soon. Surely paramedics can accomplish what she cannot."Mommy?" comes a tiny voice from behind her. Her youngest son stands in the bedroom door. Thankfully the older autistic son is still sleeping. This is not the extra hour's rest she'd been promised for the end of daylight savings.In the days and months that follow, Megan faces life as a young widow and single parent with grace. Her marriage to Wally had always been filled with laughter. Eventually she and her sons find a way to bring humor back into their home..

Twelve different people from different walks of life discover how one chance meeting with a stranger can change a person forever.In this eloquent collection of stories, Madhu Bazaz Wangu draws from her own Indian-American heritage and examines the lives of ordinary people facing challenging circumstances-cruelty, prejudiced minds, twisted family relationships, unhappy marriages-and demonstrates how these situations transcend ethnicity and background as interactions with strangers force each character to look deep within themselves, often acknowledging painful truths and long-held secrets, in order to seize control of their own destinies and forge their own paths to independence and happiness.

It's Raining, It's Pouring is a celebration of idioms from around the world describing torrential rain. Everyone, everywhere experiences rain, and this book shows how language expresses that in different ways. In English, you might say, "It's raining cats and dogs!" while other countries imagine ropes, frogs, or lady trolls.¿Educators will appreciate this book which spells out various idioms, complete with a pronunciation guide. Students will have fun adding new expressions to their vocabulary while grasping concepts like metaphor, etymology, and a variety of alphabets. Parents and kids will love the rich illustrations that perfectly bring the text to life with humor and respect for diversity. ESL students, and those who see their language represented, will revel in a book that honors both commonality and difference.

Every writer and artist knows that feeling: panic when no more ideas develop, dread when it's time to sit down and create, doubt that the work is worth it, fear that you're just not good enough, and a wild paralyzing forest of other creative horrors. But rest easy, because Madhu B. Wangu, PhD, has the solution to all these dilemmas and more. Unblock Your Creative Flow: 12 Months of Mindfulness for Writers and Artists provides daily exercises to improve productivity and enhance creativity. Dr. Wangu's mindful writing practice will aid in silencing your inner critic while increasing focus and clarity. Each meditation and journaling exercise will help you delve into the gifts you already possess. This powerful system grew out of a lifetime of experiences spent meditating, teaching, and learning. Drawing on five disciplines, you'll make daily, constructive steps toward the inspired life you're yearning to live. Think of this book as a portable creative life coach designed just for you.Don't let another day go by where you flounder and struggle on your writing path. Crack open this book and begin your writing transformation today.

There's no such thing as miracles. Maggie's mother taught her that. But now it's 1985 and her mother's gone, and Maggie just wants to get through high school with her head down, hiding behind her journal, focused on her dream of becoming a writer. That is, until Christian gives her a reason to look up. Christian is a strange boy who spends hours atop a water tower and knows uncanny details about the people around them. He also has a miraculous gift for connecting with others... something that scares Maggie to her core. Almost as much as her fear of heights. And of Dani, the school bully. When Christian's knack for helping people lands him in the hospital, Maggie has a decision to make. Will she give in to Dani's temptation and turn on her new friends? Or can she find the strength to write a new chapter in her own story - one in which friendship and love conquers all?

Timmie and his little sister Bridget, affectionately called Teacup, don't know it yet, but adventure waits for them in the ocean near their vacation home.While Teacup and Timmie's parents are happily lazing on a beach blanket, the kids meet an amazing sea creature who loves all kinds of human food... and can talk!Will the kids be able to keep their new friend a secret? Or would anyone even believe them?