Fifty Steps Closer provides K-12 school counselors with fifty group sessions that address a wide variety of student referral concerns, including believing in self, dealing with 'yucky' stuff, and building the foundation of friendships. Dr. Minardi offers specific insights on the nature, structure, and dynamics of group counseling, filtered through a variety of student reflections and issues. Join Dr. Nick as he gathers the crew, sets sail, and embarks on a journey destined for bringing boys and girls Fifty Steps Closer to improving their relationships with family, school, and friends.

They were mostly inexperienced campers, "raising their hands" to take a big risk, exchanging their comfortable lives for a difficult week of mountaineering. Over 135 college students and alumni tell stories and share memories of teamwork and testing, disappointment and triumph. They pushed their limits, believed in themselves, and took time for personal reflection. Sometimes pain -- sore muscles, altitude sickness, and frozen toes -- seemed insurmountable. Yet in memory, overcoming physical challenges remains a source of great satisfaction. Persisting when they most want to quit teaches young people to think big. Exhaustion and discomfort can be dispelled by camaraderie and humility. In their futures, finding solutions to tough problems will require truly exceptional leadership. Whether they are called to lead, asked to lead, or forced to lead, all who dared those summits will be better prepared to meet any challenge they will face.

How to implement proven techniques to take advantage of business opportunities. Here is a master plan for leaders who want to know the dynamic, proven techniques any business leader -- from the fruit stand owner to the Fortune 500 chairman -- must use to build a successful entrepreneurial enterprise. At the heart of this program is a fundamental belief in the continuous work necessary to improve all activities -- a constant quest to improve the conduct of business, from mission statements to the simplest of action plans. Each principle, or "bite," is a business fundamental that every business leader needs to understand. They are simple, proven leadership principles of successful people. Each bite moves the reader one step ahead, and each bite combines with others that work together to create a building block toward total leadership. Each bite represents a stepping stone towards sound business practice that, if applied with patience, discipline, consistency, and ethics, will result in success.

Anna finds a tiny wooden tiger ornament at her grandmother's house and just knows it's special. That night, she is magically transported to a village in Russia, where a tiger cub has been spotted in the village. Is Anna brave enough to venture out alone to help the little cub? In this magical time-travel adventure, Anna finds a small wooden tiger ornament at her grandmother's house. She just knows it's special, and that night, she sleeps with it under her pillow. Anna wakes up to find herself magically transported to a snowy Russian village. A tiger cub has been spotted nearby, sending the villagers into a panic. But Anna feels drawn to the tiger and decides to venture out on her own to find it. In the Winter Journeys series, readers join the story characters in their exciting time travels to lands of ice and snow!

A ghost that haunts the human mind is the most terrifying of all. In 1930, the town of Aptos is obsessed with the long-awaited grand opening of a restaurant and dance hall built inside the abandoned concrete ship. Everyone has a dream for the promise of a night on the ship. Mary fights to convince her parents the adults only rule is unfair. Her mother anticipates a final chance to rekindle her marriage. Her father’s business partner knows it's the perfect setting to win the woman he adores. But the concrete ship, glowing with lights and filled with music, has a dark side… It's Prohibition and bootleggers know they can pick up their illegal deliveries when the parties are over and the lights go out. Their greed and violence threatens to shatter everyone’s dreams. As the tragic events of Mary's childhood unfold before her uncomprehending eyes, she has a terrifying encounter with the ghost that dwells within the old ship. Finally, Mary discovers the truth about the ghost. If you liked the first two books in the trilogy, you’ll love this shocking and satisfying conclusion to Mary’s story. Get this book for a gripping, haunting read, but don’t turn out the lights. Book Three in The Haunted Ship Trilogy

Novel: In the throes of bereavement a man departs on a quest to identify and exorcise the twin demons of his anguish—the pain of avoidance and the avoidance of pain.

This is the true story of the misadventures of Joey McQuaig, a middle-aged man, who a tears the cartilage in his knee. Osteoarthritis soon develops in both knees and spreads to both hips. The doctor's orders are for total knee and hip replacements. Joey is going to be a "4 by 4." Amazingly, he returns to physical activity as he did...twenty years ago earlier, even though his body is older, his hips and knees are titanium. The results are comical as our survivor slips, slides, stumbles and falls-down stairs, off roofs, from ladders and out of vehicles. He learns quickly that titanium doesn't make you Superman...or does it? Joey, a former athlete, decides to resume jogging and begin a search for ways to renew vigor in his life. Along the way, he learns to manufacture natural pain killers and discontinues his meds. Throughout the book you learn of his simple, down-home philosophy about living life with gusto even with titanium joints. With a chance for a renewed life, Joey's endurance of bilateral knee and hip replacements led him to discover "to whom God has given much, much is required to give back to others." Rather than following old and worn paths, he cuts new trails and encourages other to do the same. This survivor learned early on "not to quit" and he doesn't. This inspirational story moves from humorous to profound as readers are challenged to determine what is restricting their growth-physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually as they are asked, "Do you have a wish-bone or a back-bone?" We have a final warning from Joey, "Follow doctor's orders...and your heart as well."