With instances from real life and the author's own experiences and inspirational wisdom, 'It's Your Life' is a collection of some of the most popular write-ups from Vinita Dawra Nangia's weekly Sunday column, '0-zone' in Times Life, the Sunday supplement of The Times of India. At the core of the writings is the belief that though deeply connected, we are all self-sufficient beings, responsible for our own life and happiness. Take charge of your life and live it as you wish to!

     Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection If You Liked School, You'll Love Work.

    The Warmaster’s case is presented by an iterator, a master of persuasion. The Imperium has sent the Space Marines. Heka’tan and Arcadese must set aside their warlike natures and learn to be diplomats, or risk losing the world. But Horus wants the world, and a plan is in motion to ensure that the Space Marines fail in their task...A short story from the Age of Darkness anthology.

    After nine long years of trying to grow their family into the perfect dream come true, fated mates, Ryan and Layna, are ready to give up. Not on each other but on their dreams. When they're given the chance to help an abandoned baby temporarily, they're faced with a pain harsher than what they've already been through. The pain of hope. But this little one isn't what any of them expected, and when the fiery truth comes out, hearts are bound to melt.A visit from a shadow of Christmas past, a lost child, and the reunion P. Jameson fans have been asking for, all wrapped up with a shiny bow as we revisit the Ouachitas in Merrily Ever After.

    The private, sexy bar owner was content in his life and excited to move forward with his new business project. There was just one problem--he'd never been able to forget about that kiss...or about her. For her, everything had fallen apart...Shelby Kellan was once confident in knowing who she was and what she wanted. But recent events caused the gorgeous, blue-eyed beauty to barely recognize the woman she saw when she looked in the mirror. She knew she needed a fresh start. Could she do it with his kiss still lingering on her lips?Eighteen months ago, Levi and Shelby shared the perfect kiss. Now, he wanted more, but would she be able to give that to him after already losing so much?Secret KissAdam Dorsey was used to living a life of deceit and falsehood both professionally and personally. The former CIA operative—with an extremely high IQ—was ready for a quieter, more authentic life. Enter Jane, a gorgeous and adorable hazel eyed beauty that complicated his plan. No matter what she made him feel, he knew that he had to stay away from her for fear of damaging more than just her innocence…Jane Marshall always believed in the power of positive thinking and all that could create. She felt accomplished in her career, and was blessed with great friends and family. And yet, she questioned whether or not there existed a man that would be able to unleash and explore her inexperienced heart…until she laid eyes on Adam.Will Adam be able to let go of his past and accept Jane for the genuine soul she truly is? Will Jane be able to navigate through never before had feelings? Are there some things that are even beyond the control of two highly intelligent people? Discover the truth in …Secret KissMagic KissHe’d lost his best friend…Logan Dorsey left the military and his job as an undercover detective, but he still couldn’t shake the nightmares that haunted him. The only thing that had ever silenced the horrors for the chiseled former Marine was the one woman that was untouchable for so many reason…She’d lost her husband…Emma Locke wrote romantic stories for a living despite the fact that her happily-ever-after had been taken away years ago. The gorgeous, blue-eyed, twenty-six year old widow and single mom had nothing in her life to connect her with the love and heat she needed to write about. Nothing to inspire that kind of passion...except the one man that was off limits.They say time heals all wounds, but can it also be enough to grow new love?Lucky KissLucas “Lucky” Dorsey was at the top of his game in the world of MMA, and his nickname…well, let’s just say the ladies couldn’t get enough of the tattooed bad boy. But then…he met her…As the first female firefighter in the Hope Falls Fire Department, Deanna Bishop was focused on making a fresh start in her new town. She was ready to put out fires with the rest of the boys, but the beauty with emerald eyes was never ready for the fire he’d started in her heart… She brought him back to life, and he wanted more. He filled her with passion, and she wanted to run. Will Deanna be able to open her heart and let someone fight for her? Will Lucky be able to prove that a Lucky Kiss could lead to more than just that…Christmas Wish - NovellaBright lights…Fame…Wealth…Kyle Austen Reed had it all, and his devilishly handsome good looks were known to steal hearts on and off the screen…Fired…Evicted…Caring for a special needs child…Aurora Rose&rsq

    She and her two younger sisters gather at his side, praying he’ll live… At a time like this, falling in love is the last thing on Valerie’s mind. And with Dr. Colby Winston, of all people! He’s David’s heart surgeon, a renowned specialist who enjoys small-town living, while Valerie is a high-powered businesswoman who prefers city life. They’re complete opposites in every way. Yet David keeps insisting she and Colby are a perfect couple. Meanwhile, Stephanie has other worries besides her father’s health. She fled Orchard Valley three years earlier, after her humiliating rejection by local journalist Charles Tomaselli. Now she’s home, and it’s not long before they begin reliving past battles—and renewing old feelings. He was the reason she left. This time, will he give her a reason to stay? David seems to think so… Norah is feeling a bit unneeded these days. Her father is recovering, and her sisters are busy planning their weddings. But then a cantankerous Texan named Rowdy Cassidy crashes his small plane in Orchard Valley. The same Rowdy Cassidy who’d been Valerie’s boss…and who’d demanded Valerie marry him. Now he’s Norah’s patient, and in all her nursing experience she’s never encountered a more difficult man. Or a more irresistible one! Except…is he still in love with her sister?When Norah’s friend Sherry Waterman leaves Orchard Valley, Oregon, for Pepper, Texas, she’s definitely not in the mood for Lone Star Lovin’. But if anyone can change her mind, it’s Cody Bailman—a hardworking, good-looking rancher. Not only that, Cody has a twelve-year-old daughter who thinks Sherry’s “just perfect for Dad!”

    In the short story, “FUBAR,” we’re taken to a desolate building in a drab industrial complex, where a lonely office worker gains a fresh perspective on life thanks to the intervention of his free-spirited new female assistant. “FUBAR” and the thirteen other never-before-published pieces that comprise Look at the Birdie serve as an unexpected gift for devoted readers who thought that Kurt Vonnegut’s unique voice had been stilled forever–and provide a terrific introduction to his short fiction for anyone who has yet to experience his genius.

     A Texas Ranger, relegated to deskwork due to past recklessness, petitions to regain custody of his five-year-old daughter, and his case is assigned to a family court judge who is as attractive as she is ambitious. When a masked gunman barges in during the custody hearing with his sights on the judge, the Ranger reacts instinctually and goes after him. But authorities apprehend the wrong man, and the real gunman remains unknown, at large, and a threat. Will this take-charge lawman jeopardize his chances of custody by going after the would-be assassin? And will this unlikely pair be able to deny the forbidden attraction building between them?

    The first novel, The Sins of the Fathers, appeared in 1975, and A Drop of the Hard Stuff - the 17th and most recent - was published in 2011. Over the years Scudder has also been featured in 11 short works of fiction. The Merciful Angel of Death is the fifth of these; it frst appeared in 1993 in The New Mystery, Jerome Charyn's anthology of stories by members of the International Association of Crime Writers.The story was written during the depth of the AIDS epidemic, and reflects its time.The Merciful Angel of Death is included in The Night and the Music, my collection of all 11 Matthew Scudder short stories, available for Kindle or in handsome trade paperback form.

    There are few cases that he cannot solve. In these three stories we meet a young woman who is terrified of a mysterious speckled band, a family who think that five orange pips are a sign of death, and a banker who believes that his son is a thief. But are things really as they seem?

    But when they win races, they can make a lot of money too - money for the owners, for the trainers, and for the people who put bets on them to win. Silver Blaze is a young horse, but already the winner of many races. One night he disappears from his stables, and someone kills his trainer. The police want the killer, and the owner wants his horse, but they can't find them. So what do they do? They write to 221B Baker Street, London, of course - to ask for the help of the great detective, Sherlock Holmes.

    They wanted to know why McCain appealed so much to so many Americans, and particularly why he appealed to the "Young Voters" of America who generally show nothing but apathy. The "Director's Cut" (three times longer than the RS article) is an incisive, funny, thoughtful piece about life on "Bullshit One" -- the nickname for the press bus that followed McCain's Straight Talk Express. This piece becomes ever more relevant, as we discuss what we know, don't know, and don't want to know about the way our political campaigns work.

    To Kill a MockingbirdThe Shoes of the FishermanSeven Days in MayTo Catch an Angel

    Heroic fantasy tale of the gallant knights of Bretonnia, set in the world of Warhammer, by Mark of Chaos author, Anthony Reynolds.

    He brokered peace with alien races, pushed the frontiers of space, and saved the planet from total annihilation... repeatedly. But now, his Space Fleet has disbanded, the United Nations has crumbled, his friends scattered to the solar winds. Britain is once again the world power, but Dare, disillusioned and disappointed in his once-precious home country, has quietly retired. But there's troubling mustering in Deep Space. The H.M.S Achilles is picking up strange signals when, suddenly, an enormous fleet of hostile ships ambushes the destroyer. As the crew struggles to stay alive, they realize with horror that the hostiles have brought a weapon of unimaginable power. Dan Dare, pilot of the future, has been called out of retirement Virgin Comics is compiling the first three issues of the landmark Dan Dare, written by Garth Ennis, into a Special Hardcover Edition.