When seventh-grade classmates Mattie Gómez and Mercedes Miller realize they have the same Colombian father, they hatch a plan to run away from a school field trip to meet him for the first time.

Even the most ordinary moments are infused with an awareness of the lost past and a kind of prescience of the future. From one setting to another, these poems give voice to the human longing for permanence, home and connection in the face of a constantly changing reality.

For those who are searching, reaching, holding, and especially for those who are remembering, Javan presents not simply poetry, but a journey through the experience of being human in "Meet Me Halfway." 0-935906-01-0$5.00 / Javan Press

A New York Times bestseller! Imagine yourself a thirteen-year-old hundreds of miles away from home, in a strange city, and your mom leaves you at a bus station parking lot and drives off into the night with her lover. That’s the real-life story of country music star Jimmy Wayne. It’s a miracle that Jimmy survived being hungry and homeless, bouncing in and out of the foster care system, and sleeping in the streets. But he didn’t just overcome great adversity in his life; he now uses his country music platform to help children everywhere, especially teenagers in foster care who are about to age out of the system. Walk to Beautiful is the powerfully emotive account of Jimmy’s horrendous childhood and the love he received from Russell and Bea Costner, the elderly couple who gave him a stable home and provided the chance to complete his education. Jimmy says of Bea, “She changed every cell in my body.” This moving memoir chronicles: Jimmy’s life as a foster child and homeless teenager His adoption by Russell and Bea Costner, an elderly couple who gave him a stable home and provided the opportunities for him to thrive His surprising rise to fame in the music industry His tireless advocacy for children in the foster care system through his Meet Me Halfway awareness campaign, a 1,700 mile walk halfway across America from Nashville to Phoenix Join Jimmy on his walk to beautiful and see how one person really can make a difference.

Madison gave her heart to a boy at the age of sixteen, but all she got in return was a broken heart and a swollen belly. Alone with a baby and desperate for the love and affection she hadn't found, she turned to a man who sealed his claim of devotion with a diamond ring. He promised her a family. A life. A future. But his lies had only been a cover for the personal hell he introduced her to daily. Now, at twenty-five, Madison has long since stopped believing in love. It's simply not a square on her bingo card. Balancing single parenthood, three jobs, and online courses, she doesn't have the time anyway. So when the broody neighbor living in the other side of her duplex leaves a rude note on her door, she's not interested. Not in his dark hair, not in his physique, and definitely not in the dimples she's only seen a hint of. She's one hundred percent, absolutely, not interested. Not even a little.

There were several things Vera was quite skilled at. Wielding a blade and pretending to be human were two of them. Following the rules and controlling her anger, were not. Raised in the heart of the Matherin Empire, Vera spent most of her life forced to hide what she was and what she could do. Until one day, she foolishly confronts a strange male she spies tailing the Crown Prince. Not only does the altercation not go as planned, but the male claims she possesses a power his people vitally need. He's desperate to return home and refuses to leave without her. Staying would give her a life she never thought she'd have but leaving could provide her with the only chance to learn more about her past. The more answers she uncovers about herself, the more questions arise, and nothing is adding up. Vera must decide what to do, not only with her life, but with the ancient power inside her.