No Name is a Black-owned worker cooperative connecting community members both inside and outside carceral facilities with radical books. Each month, No Name uplifts two books written by Black, indigenous, and other people of color. No Name believes building community through political education is crucial for our liberation and should be accessible to everyone—which is why all programming is free. 

MEETING DEETS

When: Sunday, August 31 @ 1 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004) 

How: Please RSVP to let us know you're attending. You can also support the store by purchasing a copy of the book here. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A collection of essays about language and its constructive role in national culture, history, and identity, that advocates for linguistic decolonization.

'The language of literature', Ngũgĩ writes, 'cannot be discussed meaningfully outside the context of those social forces which have made it both an issue demanding our attention, and a problem calling for a resolution.' First published in 1986, Decolonising the Mind is one of Ngũgĩ's best-known and most-cited non-fiction publications, helping to cement him as a pre-eminent voice theorizing the 'language debate' in postcolonial studies.

Ngũgĩ wrote his first novels and plays in English but was determined, even before his detention without trial in 1978, to move to writing in Gikuyu. He describes the book as 'a summary of some of the issues in which I have been passionately involved for the last twenty years of my practice in fiction, theatre, criticism, and in teaching of literature...'. Split into four essays - 'The Language of African Literature', 'The Language of African Theatre', 'The Language of African Fiction', and 'The Quest for Relevance' - the book offers an anti-imperialist perspective on the destiny of Africa and the role of languages in combatting and perpetrating imperialism and neo-colonialism in African nations.

We're excited to host our very first Cookbook Club featuring California Soul!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

Quarterly, we'll gather to discuss a cookbook and share food. Yes, we expect everyone to bring a dish to the book club meeting. 

When: Sunday, August 24 @ 4:30 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How:  Purchase of the book is required to attend the book club meeting. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

80+ comfort-filled recipes that trace the roots of modern California soul food to the Great Migration—from the acclaimed chef and author of Brown Sugar Kitchen.

Through more than 80 seasonally inspired recipes, Tanya Holland's California Soul showcases modern soul food from the acclaimed chef of Brown Sugar Kitchen and host of Tanya's Kitchen Table. Tanya’s inventive cuisine—rooted in a Black Southern cultural repertoire with a twenty-first-century sensibility using local, sustainable, chef-driven, seasonal ingredients—is showcased in recipes for every season, such as Collard Green Tabbouleh, Zucchini–Scallion Waffles with Toasted Pecan Romesco, Grilled Shrimp and Corn with Avocado White BBQ Sauce, Fried Chicken Paillards with Arugula and Pea Shoot Salad, and Honey Lavender Chess Pie. 

The recipes—influenced by the historical migration of African American families, including Tanya’s own—reveal the key ingredients, techniques, and traditions that African Americans brought with them as they left the South for California, creating a beloved version of soul food. Beyond recipes, Tanya spotlights fifteen contemporary Black Californian foodmakers—farmers, coffee roasters, and other talented artisans—whose work help defines California soul food, with stunning portraiture and stories. Filtered through the rich history of African American migration that brought her own family from the Deep South to the West Coast, Tanya's recipes are as comforting and delicious as they are steeped in history.

Celebrate the release of Black Freedom: A Visual History of Juneteenth and Emancipation Days with Blair LM Kelley!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, June 18 @ 7PM

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming

*Please note outside copies of the book will not be allowed in the bookstore and you will not be eligible for the signing/photo line. You must buy a book from Kindred Stories.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The first fully illustrated history of Juneteenth and other Emancipation Day celebrations, told through photographs, art, and an engrossing narrative from an award-winning historian.  
 
For more than 150 years, Black communities have gathered to honor freedom, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for true liberation. While Juneteenth has recently gained wider recognition, it was one of many Emancipation Day traditions celebrated across the United States. These observances were spaces of joy, remembrance, and resistance—even as the fight for full freedom was unfinished. This volume brings together stirring essays and striking images from Juneteenth and beyond, offering a sweeping portrait of how Black people have created and sustained rituals of remembrance, a testament to the generations who, through celebration and storytelling, demanded that their contributions to the making of America be fully recognized.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Blair LM Kelley is an award-winning author, historian, and scholar of the African American experience. She is also the president and director of the National Humanities Center, the only independent center for advanced study in the world dedicated exclusively to the humanities. Kelley is the author of Right to Ride: Streetcar Boycotts and African American Citizenship (2010) which was awarded the Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Book Prize and Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class (2023), which received the 2024 Brooklyn Library Book Award, the 2024 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Book Award, the 2024 Philip Taft Labor History Prize, and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award in History. Her latest book, Black Freedom: A Visual History of Juneteenth and Emancipation Days, will be published June 2, 2026.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Melanye Price is the inaugural Director of The Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice at Prairie View A&M University. Dr. Price is an Endowed Professor of Political Science and served as the Principal Investigator for the African American Studies Initiative and the HBCU Student Voting Rights Lab. She has secured grants for the Simmons Center and her own research from various foundations including Mellon, Ford, LUMINA, and others. Price is the author of two books: The Race Whisperer: Barack Obama and the Political Uses of Race (NYU, 2016) and Dreaming Blackness:  Black Nationalism and African American Public Opinion (NYU, 2009). She is currently working on her third book project on the five decade history of voting rights activism at Prairie View.  She also served as a Special Assistant to Ruth J. Simmons in her last year as President of Prairie View.

Dr. Price completed her B.A. magna cum laude in geography at Prairie View A&M University and her MA and PhD in political science at The Ohio State University. Dr. Price was recently named the 2024 Anschutz Distinguished Fellow in the Effron Center for the Study of America at Princeton University. Price has been a Black History Month lecturer for the US Embassy in Germany where she lectured at universities and community organizations across the country. Professor Price was one of the contributors to Stanley Nelson’s documentary, Obama: Through the Fire, which aired on BET. She has been a regular contributor for The New York Times Opinion section and also done political commentary for various local and national outlets.  Dr. Price has also served as a consultant and commenter for the audio tour of two major exhibits at the Museum Fine Arts Houston—Philip Guston Now and Kehinde Wiley’s Archaeology of Silence. 
In her free time, Melanye is an avid watcher of television, supporter of all things Black and Houston, and intrepid gardener! 

We're meeting to discuss Click Mate by Tia Kelly!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, June 9 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

*This book is currently on PRE-ORDER and has an on sale date for April 14th. You can purchase now for your book to be picked up or shipped on April 14th. 

ABOUT CLICK MATE

We're meeting to discuss Nasty Work by Ericka Hart!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, June 16 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Non-Fiction Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

ABOUT NASTY WORK

An award-winning sexuality educator takes down society’s deeply entrenched colonial views on sex and gender throughout history in this accessible, candid, and revolutionary exploration of how we can—and should—reclaim our minds and bodies for a more pleasurable existence for all.

When you think about sex ed, your mind likely goes back to those uncomfortable school desks and the stifled laughs of your teenage years. But what we’ve been socialized to believe about sexuality actually hinders our own pleasure well into adulthood. Whether we know it or not, even the most progressive among us are often using 400-year-old inherited thoughts and belief systems in the twenty-first century. Why are we still carrying forth these ancient values that have never served the vast majority?

As a Black, queer, non-binary, disabled femme, Ericka Hart believes that sex ed done right can actually be a tool for liberation. In Nasty Work, she breaks down the ways that social implications keep us from experiencing pleasure, particularly for marginalized communities across race, gender, sexuality, and ability, and how we can dismantle these oppressive myths. From examining what guides our attraction to others to the history of consent, Ericka Hart takes the blinders off and reveals a more empowering view of sex and sexuality.

Nasty Work blends eye-opening research with powerful, poignant personal narrative that disrupts everything you thought you knew about sex and society, offering a liberatory framework that makes pleasure accessible for all.

We're meeting to discuss Leave Your Mess At Home by Tolani Akinola!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Thursday, June 25 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Fiction Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

ABOUT LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME

"A warm, smart, hilarious, delicious, riveting" (Curtis Sittenfeld) debut about the uncomfortable, unbreakable ties of family as four adult siblings come home to confront the state of their own lives and each other

The Longe siblings are really botching their parents' American Dream.

Sola Longe, eldest daughter, estranged from the family, is secretly back home in Chicago for the first time in a decade. She’s a newly single and recently disgraced influencer trying to quietly put her life back together again. The other three Longe siblings aren't doing much better.

Anjola is in love with her best friend, who just got engaged to someone else; Karen, a college junior and the baby of the family, is grappling with her sexuality and self-image; and Ola, the golden child with a baby of his own on the way, is questioning his marriage and how to raise a Black son in America.

Sola’s unexpected return sets them on a crash course towards each other, and when the four siblings find themselves together again at their Nigerian immigrant parents' Thanksgiving table, a decade’s worth of secrets and a lifetime of resentments explode to the fore.

In the wreckage of their fateful reunion, each Longe is forced to reckon with the past, take stock of what really matters, and find a way back to each other. Big-hearted, hilarious, and poignant, Leave Your Mess At Home is an insightful debut about forgiveness, unconditional love, and becoming who you want to be, asking the question: what do we owe to our families, and what do we owe to ourselves?

Celebrate the release of Love Is a Contact Sport with Frederick Smith!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, July 9 @ 7PM

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to grab your copy of Love Is A Contact Sport, support the author, and our store programming.

Please note outside copies of the event book will not be allowed in the bookstore and you will not be eligible for the signing/photo line. You must buy a book from Kindred Stories. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

After a rough breakup, gay romance author Renny Ross heads to the Bay Area for a fresh start. His new gig writing the anniversary story for a local university is supposed to be a fresh chapter (thanks to university president Dr. Taylor James). But Renny didn't expect to run into a familiar face from his past.

After dropping off his youngest child at college, recently divorced Brent D. King DuPree is on a journey to freedom, liberation, and living the life he put on hold for over twenty years to raise his family. Figuring out life as a newly out and newly single man, Brent is hesitant about stepping into the Bay Area gay scene until a chance reunion with his first real crush, and the guy he never quite forgot, his peer mentor and tutor in college: Renny Ross.

Neither man expected a second chance. But working together at the same university stirs up feelings that never really faded. Their love doesn't have to be a secret anymore, but will they get it right this time?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frederick Smith writes Black, queer contemporary novels that discuss MM
romance, identity, and social justice with humor and heart. Originally from
Detroit, Frederick is the author of seven romance novels set in L.A. and San
Francisco that feature Black Queer characters. A higher education professional by
day, Frederick does Student Life and Diversity & Inclusion work at San Francisco
State University.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

We’ve all read breathtaking memoirs by Black luminaries such as Zora Neale Hurston, Angela Davis, and Michelle Obama. How can personal essays and memoirs empower us to write about our own extraordinary ordinary lives?

In conversation with contemporary Black writers who have explored their lived experiences through personal essays and memoirs, we will develop our own voices and, hopefully, cultivate a deeper interest in writing these forms ourselves.

Each class will feature readings, discussions, and in-class writing exercises. Over the course of our four weeks together, every student will have the opportunity to submit one essay for individualized feedback.

EVENT DEETS

When: Wednesdays July 1, 8, 15, & 29 @ 6:30 PM

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP to reserve your place in this four-part workshop series. Space is limited, and registration is intended for participants who are able to attend all four sessions, ensuring a consistent and collaborative experience for the group.

Supplies: All materials will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring a laptop.

Inspired by the work featured in Hew Locke: Passages, on view at the
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, this summer, this free two-part generative
poetry workshop invites participants to engage in the wonder of ekphrasis.  Translated from Greek, ekphrasis simply means “description.” In this
workshop, writers use this poetic mode to depict what is seen in the
exhibition by writing original poems based on Locke’s work.

Participants will investigate visual tools used by the artist such as color,
pattern, and texture to explore how these how these concepts lend
themselves to poetic devices such as imagery, rhythm, repetition, mood,
and voice. Attendees will use their imagination to connect a variety of
narratives to Locke’s artwork.

The goal of this workshop is for youth, adults, and seniors to connect with
art in a way that enlivens their roles as viewers and co-artists.

Event Details:

This is a two-part workshop led by El Williams.  Please plan to attend both sessions.

Session 1:

Saturday, July 11
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
(includes a guided visit to the exhibition and entry to the museum)

Session 2:

Saturday, July 18
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Kindred Stories in the Third Ward
We ask that those who sign up commit
to attend both sessions. Space is limited
to 25 attendees.

Sign up for this free workshop here!

We're meeting to discuss Score!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, August 11 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

*This book is currently on PRE-ORDER and has an on sale date for June 9th. You can purchase now for your book to be picked up or shipped on June 9th. 

ABOUT SCORE

You never forget your first love. Isn't that what they say? Verity Hill knows this truth intimately. She didn't simply miss Wright "Monk" Bellamy when they parted ways in college. She's haunted by his touch. Every kiss, any lover since—it's a shadow of what they had. 

Time heals all wounds. Isn't that what they say? Monk doesn't believe that for a second. He wasn't simply betrayed when he and Verity split. He was devastated, with parts of him left behind in the ruins of all that was destroyed. 

More than a decade after their disastrous breakup, Verity and Monk must work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. With Monk, now a world-class musician, creating the score, and Verity, an award-winning screenwriter, penning the script, there's Oscar buzz before shooting even begins. This once-in-a-lifetime project could catapult them both to new heights, but can they can put the past behind them for the sake of the film…for the sake of something more?

This Event Has Been Cancelled 

Celebrate the release of Moments of Joy with Camille Joy!

EVENT DEETS

When: Friday, August 28 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat, RSVP WITH BOOK to grab your copy of Moments of Joy, support the author and our store programming, or RSVP( BUT I HAVE THE BOOK) to bring in your own copy of Moments of Joy.

Please note outside copies of the book will not be allowed in the bookstore and you will not be eligible for the signing/photo line. You must buy a book from Kindred Stories or purchase the RSVP (BUT I HAVE THE BOOK) ticket. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A life-affirming resource for parents raising children with special needs, this inspiring devotional brings together real hope, uplifting truths, and practical applications to help you reconnect with God's constant love and presence.

Raising a child with special needs is a journey filled with unique challenges and profound joys. Through 90 days of heartening devotions, advocate and founder Camille Joy draws from her personal experience of raising a son with autism, IDD, and complex medical issues to help you see God’s presence and plan in your own journey. With inspiring scripture, each devotion offers a very brief and encouraging reflection, as well as a bold affirmation to take with you into your day.

Moments of Joy is a celebration of your tenacious love for your child and a powerful reminder of God’s indomitable love for you both. These pages offer a safe place to acknowledge the hard, and a restful oasis for your weary heart. Whether you're celebrating small victories or facing overwhelming obstacles, you’ll find hope, practical reminders, and solidarity with each reading. Embrace the joy that sustains and discover peace in knowing you are never alone.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Camille Joy is a devoted wife and mother, with a heart as vast as her roles: entrepreneur, podcaster, advocate, and a beacon of hope. She radiates joy and utilizes her diverse platforms to uplift families navigating the unique challenges of raising children with special needs.

In 2018, Camille Joy embarked on an inspiring journey when she launched her podcast, "Moments of Joy." Today, it stands tall as a premier platform, uniting parents raising children with disabilities and providing them with a supportive community. In her weekly podcast episodes, Camille draws from her personal experiences and shares compelling narratives from parents and professionals across the globe.

Her mission is crystal clear: to deliver genuine support and absolute transparency to parents in the caregiving journey. This cause holds a special place in her heart, as her youngest son, Maison, was born with congenital heart disease and later diagnosed with Autism. Camille Joy's life is a testament to the power of empathy, resilience, and unwavering determination to make a difference in the lives of families like hers.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Kirby Jackson  was born and raised in Houston, Texas. By day, they work at Kindred Stories, receiving books and helping readers discover their next great fantasy read. Outside of work, Kirby enjoys reading and exploring Houston's parks and trails with their son.

Celebrate the release of The Unhaunting with Micaiah Johnson!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, October 1 @ 7 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to grab your copy of the book, support the author and our store programming.

Please note outside copies of the book will not be allowed in the bookstore and you will not be eligible for the signing/photo line. You must buy a book from Kindred Stories.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A house, itself, is nothing. It’s not a shelter until it is sheltering someone. A house is a housefire, waiting for its match. A house is a ghost story, waiting for its death.

At the end of the Civil War, a daughter of the Confederacy made what she thought was an innocent wish: to build a house where nothing bad could happen. But peace came at a price, and one hundred and seventy years later Shantell and her friends are about to discover where all that darkness ended up.

When Shantell’s best friend, Avery, tells her he has inherited a house big enough to make their dreams of a sanctuary come true, she’s too cautious to be optimistic. A lifetime of loss — her father to the Iraq war, her brother to police violence, and her mother to suicide — has taught her cynicism, and even though Avery swears the house has never experienced a tragedy, she goes along expecting everything from black mold to evil spirits.

But not only is the house in better shape than they’d expected, it makes them better too: Shantell’s anxiety stops flaring up; terminally shallow Avery is suddenly capable of deeper emotions; and Tobias, Avery’s older brother and the contractor for the job, even quits chain smoking.

There’s an eeriness to the calm, and it’s almost a relief when they realize they do not walk alone in Abernathy House. If nothing bad has ever happened here, where are all these ghosts coming from? As they dig into the house’s history, Shantell, Avery, and Tobias discover that there’s only one thing worse than a house that’s haunted: a house that desperately wants to be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Micaiah Johnson is a Carl Brandon and Compton Crook Award-winning author. Her debut novel, The Space Between Worlds, was a Sunday Times Bestseller, a Locus Award finalist, an Editors’ Choice at The New York Times and was named one of best books of 2020 and one of the best science fiction books of the last decade by NPR. Her follow-up novel, Those Beyond the Wall, a timely look at violence during apartheid, was released in March 2024 and has been named as a Best Books of 2024 by NPR, Reactor, Esquire and Lithub. She received her BA in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside, and her MFA in fiction from Rutgers University-Camden, and her PhD from Vanderbilt University.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Celebrate the release of The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman with Deesha Philyaw!

EVENT DEETS

When: Monday, November 16 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, HTX 77004)

How:

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat.
• RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your seat and purchase a copy of the book, supporting both the author and our store programming. The book will be available for pickup at the event.
• RSVP (I Already Have the Book) to reserve your seat and let us know you plan to bring one you previously purchased from another bookseller.
• Waitlist (

This author talk is officially sold out. Please join the waitlist, and we’ll email you if a ticket becomes available. Please note that joining the waitlist does not guarantee a ticket.

Please note that books purchased from other retailers are not permitted inside the bookstore and will not qualify for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must purchase a copy of the book from Kindred Stories or select the RSVP (But I ALREADY HAVE THE BOOK) ticket option.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your copy. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The wife of a popular and powerful megachurch pastor upends her charmed “rags-to-Rolex” life when her secret past comes roaring into the spotlight—in this "funny and juicy and sexy and delicious peek behind the pulpit" (Samantha Irby) from the acclaimed and beloved author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.

From the moment Scharisse Freeman ditched her humble roots and married a megachurch pastor fifteen years her senior, she’s been labeled too brash and too “of the world” by church folks who grudgingly accepted her into their fold, and too holy by her estranged childhood bestie Petra. Schar doesn’t have many allies, but that hasn’t stopped her from building an enviable business empire spanning books to clothing to branded products, and living the comfortable life her husband's power affords her.

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Schar gets the final bit of validation she’s always dreamt of: a coveted invitation to participate in the First Lady USA pageant. This is her chance to be accepted by the other pastors’ wives—First Ladies—who are “like Jesus’ disciples if they had been a group of mean girls.” Finally, blissfully, the ice between Schar and the other First Ladies begins to thaw.

But as the pageant nears, a sensational scandal breaks with Schar at its center, and her carefully curated life implodes. Schar faces down shame and terrible secrets from her childhood and is reminded that in the eyes of the church, optics can matter more than the truth.

Unflinchingly funny, frank, and splendidly unruly, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman exults in the luscious, messy pleasure of finally feeling free.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the Story Prize, the LA Times Book Prize: The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. Deesha is a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow, a Baldwin for the Arts Fellow, a United States Artists Fellow, and co-host of two podcasts, Ursa Short Fiction (with Dawnie Walton) and Reckon True Stories (with Kiese Laymon). She is currently at work developing TV shows based on her short fiction.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. Laymon is the author of Long Division, which won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, named a notable book of 2021 by the New York Times critics. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Barnes and Noble Discovery Award, the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year. Laymon is the recipient of 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard.

Laymon is at work on the books, Good God, and City Summer, Country Summer, and a number of other film and television projects. He is the founder of The Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative, a program based out of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, aimed at aiding young people in Jackson get more comfortable reading, writing, revising and sharing on their on their own terms, in their own communities. He is the co-host of Reckon True Stories with Deesha Philyaw. Kiese Laymon was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2022.

Event Purchases Are Non-Refundable

EVENT MISSION:

The mission of this workshop is to unite people from all facets of Black culture. This will not be just another networking opportunity; rather, it aims to foster connections with Black immigrants involved in movement-building spaces and with Black Americans living in proximity to social injustice. 

Finding a path forward by discussing ways we can collaborate, build, and organize together. Learning and hearing from directly impacted Black immigrants and Black folx who sit at many intersections, and mobilizing to dismantle and create new systems of life and structure. 

Coming face-to-face with harmful systems and policy changes in the region. We will share tools and resources so attendees can not only participate in the discussion but also find tangible ways to turn these conversations into action that challenges and transforms harmful systems.

EVENT DETAILS

Dates:

• July 29
• August 15
• September 23

Time:
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Location:
Kindred Stories
2310 Elgin Street, Suite #2
Houston, TX 77004

Each event will feature a panel discussion followed by a Q&A session. 

A curated book list will accompany each event, with all featured titles available for purchase at Kindred Stories.

Celebrate the release of The Drakon King with Terry J. Benton-Walker!

EVENT DEETS

When: Wednesday, November 18 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)

How:

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat
• RSVP WITH BOOK to reserv your seat, grab your copy of The Drakon King, and support the author and our store programming.

Please Note: Books purchased from other retailers are not permitted in the bookstore and are not eligible for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must either purchase a copy from Kindred Stories. If you already purchased your book from Kindred Stories, you may select the RSVP Only ticket option and bring your Kindred Stories copy to the event.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terry J. Benton-Walker is the best-selling and award-winning author of fantasy and horror, most notably the Blood Debts and Alex Wise series and The White Guy Dies First horror anthology. The Drakon King is Terry’s first romantic fantasy for the adult market.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

N.E. Davenport is the author of Our Vicious Oaths, the Blood Gift duology, and the YA novels Out of Body and Love Spells Trouble (as Nia Davenport). When she isn’t writing, she enjoys vacationing with her family, skiing, and being a huge foodie.

We're meeting to discuss Revive Me: Parts 1-3 by J.L Seegars!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, September 8 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories below!

Revive Me Pt. 1

Revive Me Pt. 2

Revive Me Pt. 3

*This series is a Kindred bestseller, and we'll be discussing all three books in the series. Earlier this year, we discussed Restore Me, and now we're excited to continue with Chris and Mallory's story.

ABOUT THE REVIVE ME BOOKS

Revive Me Pt. 1

Revive Me Pt. 2

Revive Me Pt. 3

Mallory

Hope is a dangerous thing. It holds you close like a lover, whispering promises it never intends to keep, and just as soon as you relax into its arms, it lets you go. Sending you spinning into an abyss of nothingness. When I sent him away four years ago, he promised he would come back to me, and even as I asked him not to, I hoped that he would.

Hope. I tucked it deep inside of me, underneath the scars of our before, beside the dreams of our after. Hidden like contraband. Guarded like a treasure. Broken like every promise that ever fell from his lips and hit my ears. Eventually, I got tired of hoping, of waiting for him, and I plunged my hands inside my own heart, ripping past scar tissue and muscle, veins and arteries to root it out.

Hope. He conspired with it to make a fool of me, and when I freed myself from it, exorcised that pointless dream, I promised myself that no one would get the chance to do that to me again. Then, and only then, did he appear.

My promise, a spell that conjured him. My determination, a challenge. My heart, the only prize he hopes to win.

Christopher

Life without Mallory Kent has taught me that time doesn’t heal wounds. It turns them into scars. Jagged tissue that grows around your pain, covering it with raised skin that will never again be smooth to the touch. My first scar formed when I was just a child. Too young to fully understand what my mother’s loss would mean for my life but old enough to remember the echo of the pain inside my empty chest. It was a unique agony. One I never expected to feel again.

But that was before I loved her. Before I let things that had nothing to do with us cost me everything.

It’s been four years since I decided to honor her request to stay away. To move on with my life and give her a chance to move on with hers. And she might not agree, but it was more than enough time for us to try and do the impossible. The only thing our time apart has done is remind me that wherever she is, is where I’m supposed to be.

Now I just have to make her believe it.

The Living Room Experience is how BLD PWR gathers people: an intimate, unscripted conversation that feels less like an event and more like the realest talk in your favorite living room. Join us as Rashad Robinson, author of From Presence to Power, sits down for an honest conversation about power, healing, and what it takes to build the future we deserve. This isn't a panel, and you're not an audience. The mic moves through the room, and you're part of it. Come ready to listen, connect, and be moved.

EVENT DEETS

When: Friday, September 11 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004) 

How: 

• RSVP ONLY – Reserve your spot at the event.
• RSVP WITH BOOK – Reserve your spot and a copy From Presence To Power

Please Note: Books purchased from other retailers are not permitted in the bookstore and are not eligible for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must purchase a copy from Kindred Stories If you already purchased your book from Kindred Stories, you may select the RSVP Only ticket option and bring your Kindred Stories copy to the event.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Why do some fights for justice hit a wall while others succeed? What does it take to win social change, especially now? It comes down to understanding one thing: the difference between presence and power.

Failing to do so is one way we got into this mess, but understanding how power really works is a big part of how we get out of it. 

Rashad Robinson would know. A social change strategist, he’s spent more than twenty years at the highest levels of leadership in two of the most significant social movements of our time: the fight for LGBTQ rights and the fight for racial justice. He’s taken on tech giants and the criminal justice system, politicians in Washington and corporate executives in Hollywood. He’s been on the front lines of protest and in the back rooms of negotiation. 

Robinson argues that achieving presence—the visibility of marches, media fads, and making issues popular—is not the same as gaining the leverage required to change the rules for how society works or change the decisions that politicians, corporate executives, and other people in authority make. 

This book offers a set of essential lessons about power for anyone who wants to understand it, gain it, and use it to win the progress we all deserve—and to defeat the forces trying to take our freedoms away. Robinson provides the tools needed to help everyday people build real leverage in systems designed to prevent them from doing so.

As someone who helped shape the resistance after the 2016 election, and continues to help leaders at every level find innovative ways to fight back and win progress today, Robinson offers a hopeful, practical guide to achieving positive impact in the most challenging times.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rashad Robinson is a social justice leader, strategist and organization builder. He has designed campaigns to change public policies, corporate practices, electoral outcomes, and media representations. He speaks widely on corporate accountability, narrative change, infrastructure for organizing, and strategies for creating a more equitable world. Through Rashad Robinson Advisors (RRA), he advises and collaborates on developing high-impact strategies to bring about progress with foundations, nonprofits and leaders across media, politics, government and business. He previously led Color Of Change for nearly fourteen years, transforming it from a start-up into a national force for racial justice, and also led programs at GLAAD, reshaping media representations of LGBTQ people during the fights to win marriage equality and end discrimination. More information about Rashad, including his weekly How We Win newsletter, can be found at www.rashadrobinson.com.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Kendrick Sampson is an actor, storyteller, and producer who leverages his platform and storytelling to shift culture for good.

Growing up in Houston and Missouri City (Mo City), Texas, Kendrick was immersed in a unique and deeply rooted culture of music and art that continues to shape his work today.

His most acclaimed and notable roles include "Nathan" on HBO's Emmy-nominated comedy series Insecure, "Ethan" in Prime Video's Something from Tiffany's, and his personal favorite, the surrealist satire I Am a Virgo from Boots Riley. Next month, Kendrick takes on his most iconic role yet: Quincy Jones in the highly anticipated Michael biopic, releasing April 24th. It is the first portrayal of the legendary music producer since his passing, bringing to life Quincy's transformative partnership with Michael Jackson.

Beyond acting, Kendrick uses his platform to amplify transformational grassroots work in healing justice, including mental health, sexual health, liberation, and abolition. He co-founded BLD PWR, which encompasses a production company and a 501(c)(3) social impact arm dedicated to reimagining and realizing the liberated future we know our people deserve. Through BLD PWR, he works to organize Hollywood and shift culture, ensuring that nuanced Black, Indigenous, and marginalized voices, especially storytellers and their stories, are nourished, protected, and empowered.

Celebrate the release of Expecting Inequity with Khiara M. Bridges! The event will feature a moderated conversation, audience Q&A, and book signing, followed by a community art activation led by The Call Me Mother Experience.

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, October 29 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, HTX 77004)

How: 

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat.
• RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your seat and purchase a copy Expecting Inequity, supporting both the author and our store programming. The book will be available for pickup at the event.

Please Note: Books purchased from other retailers are not permitted in the bookstore and are not eligible for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must purchase a copy from Kindred Stories. If you already purchased your book from Kindred Stories, you may select the RSVP Only ticket option and bring your Kindred Stories copy to the event.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Khiara M. Bridges is the Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at UC Berkeley School of Law. 

She is a nationally-recognized expert on the intersection of race, class, and reproductive rights. Her scholarship has appeared in the most influential law reviews in the country, including the flagship law journals at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, among many others. She is also the author of three books: Reproducing Race: An Ethnography of Pregnancy as a Site of Racialization (2011), The Poverty of Privacy Rights (2017), and Critical Race Theory: A Primer (2019, 2026). Her fourth book, Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans, was released in March 2026.

Bridges graduated as valedictorian from Spelman College, receiving her degree in three years. She received her J.D. from Columbia Law School and her Ph.D., with distinction, from Columbia University’s Department of Anthropology. She speaks fluent Spanish and basic Arabic, and she is a classically-trained ballet dancer who danced professionally in New York City for twenty years before moving to the Bay Area.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton is a multi-modal storyteller whose work documents, examines, and celebrates the complexities of Black American life. She has authored Newsworthy (Bloomsday Literary, 2019), Black Chameleon (Henry Holt & Co., 2023), which won the Carr P. Collins award for Best Nonfiction through the Texas Institute of Letters, and Hush Hush Hurricane (Kokila Books, 2027). This three-time TEDx speaker has contributed to Glamour, Texas Monthly, and ESPN's Andscape and written theatrical works that have premiered at Chicago Opera Theater, the Kennedy Center, and National Sawdust. Her upcoming immersive art installation, The Call Me Mother Experience, amplifies the Black Maternal Health crisis.

We're meeting to discuss Big Trouble In Little Mafia by Taniver Peart!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, October 13 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

ABOUT BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE MAFIA

A sexy, dark romantic comedy with violent shenanigans and a dangerous game of love and lust.

After years of dedicating my life to a thankless job, I'm over Corporate America. I've endured enough-employees who only cared about my snacks and stress hemorrhoids-and I deserve a summer getaway to turn forty in sunshine.

Not a syringe to the neck.

The random housesitting opportunity I found is a reminder that "too good to be true" comes with a price.

I never planned to get kidnapped in my bonnet, but what's an unemployed HR manager to do when two doses of mistaken identity land me in a crime boss's bed? A fine crime boss with an attitude and a ceiling mirror. I do what anyone would do: turn my lemons into seltz limone e sale and make him pay...literally. I'm enjoying my vacation one way or another, the threat of war with one of Sicily's biggest mafias be damned.

Big Trouble in a Little Mafia is a standalone dark mafia rom-com about a fed-up heroine and a morally grey cinnamon roll hero with a kill container and a love language of cooking. Deception, secret identities, and a voluntold marriage of convenience weave together in picturesque scenes and a pleasure club for an unexpected happily-ever-after. There's some unaliving, but we make it funny (and put dogs in bulletproof vests).

Join us for a monthly children's storytime at Kindred Stories. Each storytime will celebrate a special book and be read by a wonderful community member. It also includes an activty. 

Featured Book: Daisy Helps With The Dress 

Featured Reader: Antonia Adams 

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, September 26 @ 11 AM CST 

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)

How: 

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your spot and let us know you are coming.

ABOUT DAISY HELPS WITH THE DRESS 

When Daisy tries to help with her cousin’s wedding, her misguided assists almost ruin the big day, until she finds a way to pull the dress—and her family—together in this charming picture book by award-winning author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich.

Daisy loves helping her family and she knows the best kind of helpers never wait to be asked. That’s why she doesn’t ask before adding finishing touches to her family’s special reused, re-tried, remixed things, like a leftover broccoli topping for Auntie Fontie’s cakes or a good bath for Nana DJ’s “back-in-the-day, rusty, dusty” vintage albums—much to their chagrin.

But what Daisy wants most is to help give her cousin Simone’s recycled wedding dress a little razzle dazzle. She knows just what the vintage dress needs: a little glitter here, a few stickers there to give the dress some flair.

But Daisy’s cousin Simone and the rest of the family are not so happy with her decorations. Can Daisy make things right and help find Simone a new re-lived, re-loved wedding dress?

Celebrate the release of Good Spirits with Tiffanie Barriere! This special evening will feature an author conversation with Tiffanie and Chef Dominic Lee, owner of Augustine’s, followed by a cocktail tasting featuring recipes from the book. Join us for an engaging evening of conversation, cocktails, and good spirits!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, December 10 @ 7PM

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St., HTX 77004)

How: 

• RSVP ONLY
  Reserve your seat and participate in the tasting.

  RSVP WITH BOOK
  Reserve your seat and purchase a copy of Good Spirits, supporting both the author and our store programming. Your book will be available for pickup at the event. Includes the tasting.

  RSVP (I ALREADY HAVE THE BOOK)
  Reserve your seat and let us know you plan to bring a copy of Good Spirits that you previously purchased from another bookseller. Includes the tasting.

Please Note: Generally books purchased from other retailers are not permitted in the bookstore and are not eligible for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must either purchase a copy from Kindred Stories or select the RSVP: I Already Have the Book ticket option, which allows you to bring a copy purchased elsewhere. If you already purchased your book from Kindred Stories, you may select the RSVP Only ticket option and bring your Kindred Stories copy to the event.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The must-have companion for classic cocktails, mocktails, and creative drinks, plus historical insights, from a celebrated industry icon.

Good Spirits is a culture-rich cocktail exploration that seamlessly blends practiced technique with deep historical knowledge. For master bartender and cocktail educator Tiffanie Barriere, the bar has always been a place where history, creativity, and community combine. From gold-standard martinis and expert Manhattans to drinks inspired by mood, the cocktail curious will learn not only how to skillfully mix and pour with joy, but also about the fascinating and often untold history behind our favorite drinks and spirits.

In addition to the backstories and recipes for 125 cocktails, enthusiasts will find illuminating essays about choosing and using spirits and the legacies (both bitter and sweet) behind them; important historical figures who invented our favorite drinks, liqueurs, and bar tools; and truths that track the impact of trends and cocktail movements. Zero-proof variations abound thanks to the ingenious concept of cocktail “stock”, while dozens of bold-flavored syrups, shrubs, and infusions make it just as easy and exciting to take a drink in a no-alcohol direction as a boozy one. Insights on tools, garnishing, ice types, and the difference between shaking, rolling, and aerating set you up to hone your mixology and make drinks with confidence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tiffanie Barriere is a bartender’s bartender and award-winning mixologist, educator, and hospitality leader. The former beverage director at One Flew South, the “Best Airport Bar in the World,” she has been honored as a Food & Wine Game Changer and a Tales of the Cocktail Visionary Award recipient. She has contributed cocktail recipes to several cocktail books and cookbooks, including Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice and Modern Classic Cocktails. Her work has also been featured in Imbibe, Forbes, Essence, and Southern Living. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Rooted in the unique tapestry of Creole culture, Chef Dominick Lee’s culinary journey pays heartfelt homage to his New Orleans heritage. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Lee’s passion for cooking led him to The Art Institute of Houston, where he received the inaugural “Underbelly Scholarship” from James Beard award-winning chef Chris Shepherd. His journey to his Bachelors in Culinary Management included roles as sous chef at Bay Oaks Country Club, Executive Sous Chef under James Beard semifinalist Chef Kiran Verma at Kiran’s and stages at some of the most highly acclaimed restaurants in the country, including Alinea (2 Michelin Stars), Next (1 Michelin Star), and Blue Hill at Stone Barns (2 Michelin Stars). At 29, Lee became one of the youngest executive chefs in Houston, taking the helm at Poitín Bar & Kitchen where he earned accolades such as Texas Monthly’s 2019 Best New Restaurants and a number of “Rising Star Chef” distinctions.

In 2021, Lee relocated to Europe to study Creole food derivatives and served as head chef at Villa Lena in Tuscany. Two years later, he returned back to The States, opening Alligator Pear in New York City, which showcased a New American menu inspired by New Orleans. Now, Lee has returned to Houston to open Augustine’s, a progressive Creole restaurant exploring the many dimensions of his Creole heritage — debuting Summer 2026.

Celebrate the release of The Gift of Us with Lula White!

EVENT DEETS

When: Friday, November 6 @ 7 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, tX 77004)

How: 

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat.

• RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your seat and purchase a copy The Gift of Us, supporting both the author and our store programming. The book will be available for pickup at the event.

Please Note: Books purchased from other retailers are not permitted in the bookstore and are not eligible for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must purchase a copy from Kindred Stories. If you already purchased your book from Kindred Stories, you may select the RSVP Only ticket option and bring your Kindred Stories copy to the event.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Welcome to so-tiny-you'll-blink-and-miss-it town of Elaine for Christmas.

SUNDAY

Just days before Christmas, Sunday Conklin is on the brink of losing everything-her family's scenic farm-in the heart of her small Arkansas town. It's the legacy she's given up her life to protect. With the bank out of mercy and her options gone, her family's oldest enemy, the Adlers, will finally take the Conklin Fields for themselves. But a miracle arrives-one that could save Sunday, her neighbors, and the historic town of Elaine itself. There's just one problem: that miracle comes tangled up with the most infuriating man she's ever met... who belongs right back in Texas where he came from.

SEVEN

Seven Hardcastle can't believe his luck this Christmas, when he's assigned to a middle-of-nowhere Arkansas town. He's ready to return to his perfectly manicured life in Dallas with his wife and kids. All he needs is one signature-Sunday Conklin's. But when the town of Elaine strikes it big, Seven's fate is tied up with that of its most stubborn, maddening, and undeniably magnetic farm-owner. As the town's secrets unravel, and Sunday's fight becomes his own, Seven is handed a Christmas gift he never expected... one that forces him to question his past, his future, and where home truly is.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lula White is the pen name for Shannon Humphrey. She grew up on Confederate Boulevard not far from Sweet Home, Arkansas, fishing with her grandfather, baking with her grandmother, and riding her bicycle to Granite Mountain in her bare feet.

Lula is the original creator of the fictional Black Hamptons with her first romance series, Sag Harbor Black Romances, using her fiction to open conversations on generational wealth and high society that were previously limited to history and sociology texts. In her follow-up, Explore Men of the Hamptons, Lula continued using her creativity to expand our collective self-perception. 

She has continued telling the truth in ways that reexamine our potential in The Young and Luxurious, Who’s Lovin’ You and now, The Gift of Us.

Her hunger for life and travel took her from college to Capitol Hill, law school, and now Los Angeles where she is a civil rights litigator and author of over thirty novels. Having traveled the turbulent road of success herself, she is uniquely positioned to fight for indigent families and create worlds where we can have our dreams. 

When she dons her lawyer cape, Shannon is the 40th President of Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Inc., a former Deputy District Attorney for the County of Los Angeles, and a former appellate lawyer whose advocacy secured the reversal of several trial courts at the California Court of Appeals.

She was named one of the Top Forty Attorneys Under Forty for the National Bar Association, and is a graduate of the Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute. 

A 2018 writer-in-residence at the prestigious Hedgebrook for women writers in Seattle, whether she writes as Lula or Shannon, or the genre be romance, historical fiction, or science fiction fantasy, she weaves every plot to entertain, inspire, and illuminate our highest selves.  

Her stories are for every soul ready to claim their heaven on Earth now. We don’t need permission.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Alexandrea LeChelle is a contemporary romance author whose stories explore love, grief, healing, and the complicated beauty of human connection.

Her novels unfold between Houston and Louisiana and center Black characters navigating family legacies, emotional vulnerability, and the quiet courage it takes to love deeply and unapologetically.

Through rich, emotional storytelling and cinematic detail, Alexandrea writes the kind of love stories she rarely saw growing up and entering adulthood. Stories where Black characters are allowed to be flawed, passionate, and deeply human.

What began as a way to process emotions and channel creativity through her own healing journey, slowly evolved into something much bigger: an urge to create and share stories about love, healing, and the complicated paths of life that bring people together.

Her stories often explore themes such as emotional healing, family dynamics, grief and growth, healthy Black love, the courage to begin again. Every story is planted in the belief that love, in all its forms, has the power to change us for the better.

When she’s not reading, Alexandrea can be found working her way through her own TBR, journaling or planning new creative projects, adding recipes to her personal cookbook, and listening to playlists that eventually inspire new stories.

At the heart of everything she creates is a simple hope: That readers will find pieces of themselves in her stories.

Celebrate the release of Honey Goddess with Abiola Abrams!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, December 10 @ 6:30 PM CST

Where: VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM

How: 

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your spot

• RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your seat and purchase a copy Honey Goddess, supporting both the author and our store programming. The book will be available for pickup or shipped on the day of the event.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A struggling salon owner is chosen by the African goddess Oshun and plunged into an ancient power struggle in this slow-burn romantasy of ancestral magic, divine feminine power, and the woman bold enough to claim it.

When a goddess is reborn, empires tremble.

Generations ago, a circle of women in the freed-Black town of Amaniville, NY, called on the old gods to save their people. That prayer became a promise as they awaited the daughters who would fulfill it.

Lola Callendar's life is a hot mess on a good day. She has forty-three dollars to her name, a failing natural-hair salon, and not enough rose quartz to fix the selfish boyfriend she fears is her last chance.

This Caribbean-American beauty-guru is starting to believe she's too late--for love, for success, for her own happy ending--until a rare cosmic event when she and her found-family of three ride-or-die besties pull forbidden African goddess oracle cards, and everything changes.

She draws one name: Oshun. An Orisha. A goddess of love, beauty, and abundance. Now bees follow her, honey calls to her, and men stare.

Enter Sebastian D'ablemont--an infuriatingly fine Nawlins Creole alpha billionaire. It's hate at first sight on both sides, even though he sees her magic, not her mess, and may have some secrets and powers of his own.

But as the a group of energy vampires called Dominion of the Light close in, Lola's goddess circle and the conjure woman who mentors them prepare for spiritual warfare.

To save her heart--and the world for those who look like her--Lola will have to remember who she truly is.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abiola Abrams is a spiritual teacher, intuitive coach, oracle card creatrix and award-winning author whose work brings African and diasporic goddess wisdom into contemporary storytelling, spirituality and personal transformation.

Born and raised in New York, Abrams comes from a Guyanese family with Barbadian ancestry. She studied sociology and creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

She is the author of African Goddess Initiation, The Divine Frequency, From Imagination to Reality and the novel Dare, and the creator of the African Goddess Rising Oracle, Faces of Oshun Oracle and Secrets of the Ancestors Oracle. She is also the host of Goddess Temple, her ongoing podcast and spiritual community gathering, and shares her work with a global community through @abiolaTV.

Her forthcoming novel, HONEY GODDESS, publishes December 8, 2026, from Hay House / Penguin Random House, followed by the Moon Goddess Shadow Oracle in 2027.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Join us for a monthly children’s storytime at Kindred Stories! Each storytime will celebrate a special book, read by a wonderful member of our community, and include a fun activity.

Feel free to dress up in costume!

Featured Book: It's Almost Time for . . . Halloween!

Featured Reader: Theresa Arline

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, October 31 @ 11 AM CST 

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)

How: 

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your spot and let us know you are coming.

ABOUT It's Almost Time For...Halloween!

How to Catch a Monster meets The Night Before series in this laugh-out-loud rhyming picture book celebrating the excitement leading up to Halloween—the first in a new series!

It’s almost time for Halloween, and excitement is running high! It might not be here yet, but there’s so much to do before the spooky day arrives…

From decorating the house with ghoulish decorations to crafting creative costumes and picking out the perfect pumpkin to carve into a jack-o-lantern, there are endless ways to celebrate and traditions to explore! But not everyone can read the signs of the highly anticipated holiday on the way…

It’s Almost Time for…Halloween is a perfect blend of festive fun and read aloud humor that will have young readers laughing and identifying the misunderstanding at play before the characters catch on. This picture book makes a delightful gift for kids aged four to eight!

Unwind at our Halloween Reading Party. Join us for a cozy evening where book lovers can come together, read quietly, and enjoy good company. Bring your current read and come dressed in your favorite costume or a Halloween-inspired outfit. It is sure to be a cozy night of reading and relaxing. 🎃📚

EVENT DEETS

When: Friday, October 30th at 6:30 PM

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, HTX 77004)

How: $5 to reserve your spot and refreshments. 

We're meeting to discuss Joliet by Rae Lyse!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, November 10 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

ABOUT JOLIET

Lovie Sinclair is on the run.

After narrowly escaping a volatile relationship, the former NFL WAG is a shell of herself. Her once glamorous life feels like a bad dream. Emotionally numb, broke, and desperate to disappear, she returns home to heal, but something about home feels different. She just can't put her finger on what's changed.

Then she meets Rich Lovelace.

Insular and intimidating, Rich is the embodiment of danger. He doesn't know how to run from anything or anyone. Born into a family of rugged street fighters, he confronts all of his problems head on-well, all except for one.

When Rich catches Lovie in a compromising position, the two clash in an intense encounter. Afterwards, everything about Rich that should scare Lovie piques her curiosity, while everything Rich likes about Lovie keeps him holding her at arm's length. Eventually, they find themselves tangled in a fiery, forbidden friendship that snowballs into a passionate love affair.

Together, they're pulled into a dangerous web of lust, secrets, and extortion that threatens to shatter Lovie's fragile healing journey and force Rich to confront the one problem he can't fight. But when desire collides with danger, someone always pays a price.

We're meeting to discuss When We Are Kin: The History and Future of Afro-Indigenous Solidarity by Kyle T. Mays!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, November 17 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Kindred's Pick Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

ABOUT WHEN WE ARE KIN

We're meeting to discuss The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman: A Novel by 
Deesha Philyaw!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Thursday, November 19 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Fiction Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

ABOUT THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF FIRST LADY FREEMAN

A Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by PEN America, Lit Hub, BookPage, and Ms. Magazine

The wife of a popular and powerful megachurch pastor upends her charmed “rags-to-Rolex” life when her secret past comes roaring into the spotlight—in this "funny and juicy and sexy and delicious peek behind the pulpit" (Samantha Irby) from the acclaimed and beloved author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.

From the moment Scharisse Freeman ditched her humble roots and married a megachurch pastor fifteen years her senior, she’s been labeled too brash and too “of the world” by church folks who grudgingly accepted her into their fold, and too holy by her estranged childhood bestie Petra. Schar doesn’t have many allies, but that hasn’t stopped her from building an enviable business empire spanning books to clothing to branded products, and living the comfortable life her husband's power affords her.

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Schar gets the final bit of validation she’s always dreamt of: a coveted invitation to participate in the First Lady USA pageant. This is her chance to be accepted by the other pastors’ wives—First Ladies—who are “like Jesus’ disciples if they had been a group of mean girls.” Finally, blissfully, the ice between Schar and the other First Ladies begins to thaw.

But as the pageant nears, a sensational scandal breaks with Schar at its center, and her carefully curated life implodes. Schar faces down shame and terrible secrets from her childhood and is reminded that in the eyes of the church, optics can matter more than the truth.

Unflinchingly funny, frank, and packed with surprising turns, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman exults in the luscious, messy pleasure of finally feeling free.

"Deesha Philyaw has already established herself as one of the greatest short story writers, but in The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman she cements herself as the most soulfully entertaining writer of her era." - Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy and Long Division

Join us for a monthly children’s storytime at Kindred Stories! Each storytime will celebrate a special book, read by a wonderful member of our community, and include a fun activity.

Featured Book: Lyric's Favorite Season

Featured Reader: Dr. Symone McCollum 

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, November 21 @ 11 AM CST 

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)

How: 

• RSVP to reserve your spot and let us know you are coming.

ABOUT Lyric's Favorite Season!

A little girl sings the praises of all four seasons in a playful picture book that celebrates the joys to be found throughout the year.

Lyric loves every single season. Spring makes her so happy! Birds singing, plants sprouting, double-Dutching in the park. But hold on—what’s that peeking around the corner? It’s summer! Beach trips, family cookouts, playing cards, and jamming to hip-hop and merengue. Summer really is the best. Except . . . did someone say fall? Hooray for brilliant colors, leaves swirling, and making sweet potato pie. And then, of course, there’s winter, which brings the magic of snowflakes, the coziness of cocoa and fireplaces, and the joy of holidays.

It’s easy to see why Lyric can’t choose just one favorite season— there’s so much to love about them all!

In “Back to Basics,” we will look at how knowing who, what, where, when, and why can be the catalyst for an epic talk. Through writing prompts that explore character, setting, plot, and motivation, you will build a formidable toolkit that can be applied to any story you want to tell.

EVENT DEETS

When: Sunday, November 1st and 8th @ 10 AM - 12 PM

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

How: RSVP to reserve your place in this two-part workshop series. We encourage participants to register only if they are able to attend both sessions. Feel free to bring your laptop or your favorite writing supplies. Coffee and refreshments will be provided. 

Celebrate the release of Black Women In Bloom with Anayo Awuzie!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, November 5 @ 7 PM CST

Where: 2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004

How: 

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat.

• RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your seat and purchase a copy Black Women In Bloom, supporting both the author and our store programming. The book will be available for pickup at the event.

Please Note: Copies of Black Women in Bloom purchased from other retailers are not permitted in the bookstore and are not eligible for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must purchase a copy from Kindred Stories. If you already purchased your book from Kindred Stories, you may select the RSVP Only ticket option and bring your Kindred Stories copy to the event.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Black Women in Bloom is a limited-edition coffee table book and global storytelling experience celebrating the becoming journeys of Black women across the diaspora.

Featuring over 30 essays by writers from around the world, alongside stunning photography and original illustrations, the book traces Black women’s stories through the many stages of growth.

Curated and edited by Carefree Magazine founder Anayo Awuzie, Black Women in Bloom is both a work of art and an intimate reading experience. Designed to live on your coffee table but meant to be slowly savored, the book captures the quiet, powerful transformations that too often go unseen: taking risks, choosing softness, seeking healing, and blooming into themselves—unapologetically and on their own terms.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anayo is an editor, storyteller, and creative marketer exploring the in-between spaces of Black womanhood—where healing, identity, and everyday life unfold. She is the founder of Carefree Magazine, a slow storytelling platform sharing personal essays from Black women on life, love, and adventure, and the editor of Black Women in Bloom, a coffee table book featuring over 30 essays from Black women across the diaspora on their journeys of becoming. With a background spanning brand, experiential, and creator marketing, her work sits at the intersection of story and strategy—building worlds that feel as intentional as they are honest. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she is constantly on the hunt for new restaurants and live shows.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Bria Lauren (b. 1993) is a transdisciplinary visual artist, community architect, and Third Ward, Houston native. Her practice bridges portraiture, storytelling, creative writing, and arts activism, centering Black women while building infrastructures of radical care and liberation around their livelihoods and futures.

Bria engages community building as a political and cultural practice of resistance. As a curatorial visionary, she centers ancestral memory, Black mother-daughter relationships, and the dimensions of Black women’s relationships with one another alongside community preservation, working across multimedia installation and community programming to honor the interior lives of Black femmehood without censorship.

In 2022, Bria founded Gold Was Made Fa’ Her (GWMFH), a 501(c)(3) arts and healing movement. It grew from a question she carried after her 2021 solo exhibition Gold Was Made Fa’ Her at Lawndale Art Center, a body of work dedicated to her mother and Black hood women on the Southside of Houston: What do Black women need more than being seen?

Celebrate the release of Nola and Baldwin with Donna Hill!

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, November 21 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)

How: 

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat.

• RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your seat and purchase a copy Nola and Baldwin, supporting both the author and our store programming. The book will be available for pickup at the event.

Please Note: Copies of Nola and Baldwin purchased from other retailers are not permitted in the bookstore and are not eligible for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must purchase a copy from Kindred Stories. If you already purchased your book from Kindred Stories, you may select the RSVP Only ticket option and bring your Kindred Stories copy to the event.

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

If it wasn’t for Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Nola Denny didn’t know how she would have survived her father’s tragic death or her mother’s descent into mental illness. Inspired by Hurston’s main character, Janie Crawford, Nola sets out to find her own voice, silenced by the weight of being a caretaker and the pains of her past. On her journey to New York, Nola stops in Meridian—a detour that unexpectedly leads to a fresh start, a home, and her own Tea Cake, a Pullman Porter named Baldwin Carter.

Baldwin escaped a loveless childhood and found a caring stranger who invited him into her home and gave him a chance at a new life. A proud, hardworking Pullman Porter, Baldwin must endure bowing and scraping to passengers who barely see him as a man. When he encounters Nola, he instinctively knows he has met his anchor, a woman who makes every inch of him stand tall.

Experiencing loss, hardship, and months of separation, Nola and Baldwin must come to terms with their pasts to share a future together. The young couple know that time and distance cannot separate them, and that the sacrifices they must make are not only for themselves, but for all those who come after them, searching for a better life.

Set during the end of the Great Depression, and shaped by real-world events, crisscrossing the country from South to Midwest to North, Nola and Baldwin is an epic tale of a love powerful enough to overcome the dark forces of racism that threatens to tear it apart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donna Hill began hercareer in 1987 writing short stories for confession magazines and has since published more than 100 titles. She is considered one of the early pioneers of African American romance. 

She is considered one of the early pioneers of African American romance. Three of her novels, Intimate Betrayal, Masquerade and A Private Affair, have been adapted for television. Her work crosses romance, mystery and women's fiction, and her honors include the Career Achievement Award, the Trailblazer Award, the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award and the Gold Pen Award. Hill holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College and serves as Executive Director of the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College. 

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

ReShonda Tate is the national bestselling author of more than 50 books, including her latest The Queen of Sugar Hill, based on the life of Hattie McDaniel. Her novel, Let the Church Say Amen, was made into a film directed by actress Regina King, and produced by TD Jakes and Queen Latifah. Her book, The Secret She Kept, was also made into a TV One movie starring Kyla Pratt. ReShonda made appearances in both movies. She wrote a movie, Christmas with my Ex, which will run on TV One this winter.

A well-respected journalist and former TV News Anchor, ReShonda is currently Managing Editor for the Defender Newspaper and also works as a professional editor, ghostwriter, and literary consultant.

A highly sought-after motivational speaker and award-winning poet, ReShonda is the recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature.