Instructions For Standing Still

Sami Vance has a plan for everything: wait for a sign, light a candle, and trust the universe to provide. It is a beautiful philosophy, until the universe sends a bill for $42,000 and a piece of his roof falls onto the front porch.

Living in his grandmother's crumbling Victorian home, Sami has spent years avoiding reality. He interprets burnt toast as an omen to stay inside, treats unopened mail like radioactive waste, and believes that a dripping pipe is simply the house expressing its emotions. But when a massive storm threatens to destroy his sanctuary, and a stray dog with a pirate ear decides to move in, Sami runs out of places to hide.

Enter Maya, his no-nonsense accountant cousin who believes in spreadsheets over spirits; Tony, a contractor who thinks "manifesting" is just a fancy word for procrastination; and Anubis, a muddy, sardine-loving dog who might actually be the spiritual guide Sami has been waiting for.

Forced to trade his crystals for a hammer and his fear for a payment plan, Sami embarks on a terrifying journey into the material world. From battling a flooded basement to hosting "Yoga in the Ruins" to save his home, he discovers that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is show up, do the work, and fix the leak.

Instructions for Standing Still is a funny, tender, and deeply human story about the difference between waiting for a miracle and building one with your own two hands. It is a novel about finding the courage to stop waiting and start living.