Celebrate the release of The Art of Loving You with Natasha Bishop!

EVENT DEETS

When: Friday, April 17 @ 7PM

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

How: RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming.

or

Signing Line Only (Entry at 8:05 PM): These tickets do not include access to the author talk. This will allow immediate entry at 8:05 PM where will be able to get a copy of The Art of Loving You signed and get a photo with the author. 

*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

From the buzzy, viral sensation Only For The Week, comes the next book in Natasha Bishop’s The Forever Falling series, featuring an intimate bucket list road trip, sexy banter, and a sweet and spicy second chance romance.

If you’re reading this, I’m dead.

Dani Jenkins is a boss. A model turned influencer, she doesn’t have time for taking a risk on romance. She prefers to keep things casual, but when her mentor Tanya dies, she is brought face-to-face with the man who broke her heart.

Dani and Micah had their chance at love...

Artist Micah Wright is a protector who loves fiercely. He’s known as the man everyone can count on, but he’s never forgiven himself for letting down the woman he loves. With Tanya’s dying wish forcing Dani and Micah back together to complete a scavenger hunt road trip, Micah sees a second chance for them to get things right.

Does time heal all wounds?

Tensions are high as their undeniable connection reignites, but Dani refuses to let her guard down. As they continue their journey, Micah is determined to prove to Dani that love is worth fighting for, but can she release her fears and relearn the art of loving?

Tropes: Friends to lovers / He falls first / Second chance romance / Black joy /Forced proximity / Right person, wrong time / Fling to forever

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Alexandra Warren is a contemporary romance author with over thirty works to date, all of which intentionally center Black love. She is also the co-founder of Girl, Have You Read…, a digital platform dedicated to Black romance written by Black authors. 

When she’s not in front of her computer, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family, watching sports, and clearing her DVR. Alexandra is a proud native of Omaha, Nebraska, but she currently calls Houston, Texas home. 

We're meeting to discuss 107 Days by Kamala Harris!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, March 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 Non-Fiction Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

ABOUT 107 Days

Let's celebrate a few of the who's who of Black women mystery writers! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Monday, January 26, 2026 @ 6:30 PM CT

Where: Virtual! Sign up and we'll send you the link to the Zoom. 

How: RSVP ONLY to get the link to the Zoom! RSVP WITH BUNDLE to get a copy of each of the authors' book and support the bookstore!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Valerie Wilson Wesley writes mysteries, novels and children’s books. She is the author of the Odessa Jones Mysteries including A Glimmer of Death (2021), A Fatal Glow (2022) and A Shimmer of Red (2023). She has also written nine mysteries in the popular Tamara Hayle Mystery series, including When Death Comes Stealing, named by Time magazine as one of the 100 best mysteries and thrillers. She has written three stand-alone novels and two paranormal romances under the pen name Savanna Welles. Her books for children include seven titles in the Willimena Rules! series and the Afro-bets Book of Black Heroes co-written with Wade Hudson. Her novels and mysteries are published in Germany, France and the UK and her nonfiction has appeared in journals including Poe Studies History, Theory Interpretation 2023.  She is a former executive editor of Essence magazine. Wesley is a proud member of Crime Writers of Color (CWoC), Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

Carolyn Marie Wilkins is a practicing psychic medium, a Santeria priestess, and a professor at Berklee College of Music Online. An accomplished jazz pianist and vocalist, she has toured South America as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department. She is a member of Crime Writers of Color and Sisters in Crime New England. When she is not writing, performing, or offering Reiki to students at Berklee, Carolyn maintains a private practice in healing and mediumship. She lives in the Boston area and can be found online at CarolynWilkins.com.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Dr. Michelle Watts is a native Houstonian and humanities educator who is committed to using humanist literature to bring diverse groups of people together to find common ground. Over the years, Dr. Watts has taught a full range of students – from Kindergarten to graduate school- and delights in her students’ achievements and efforts to effect substantive change in the world around them.

Mount Holyoke College which was fertile ground for her interests and activism and while there, she began her lifelong journey with the theory and practice of Black feminism. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College, Michelle returned to Houston to study American Literature and Culture at Rice University, where she earned both a Master’s and Doctorate. She went on to teach at Miami University in Oxford, OH and the University of Cincinnati. While at Miami, she was recognized as an Honored Professor for her ‘remarkable commitment to students.’ She has extensive experience in the public sector where she has worked to advance educational equity and social justice causes in youth-serving organizations. She is currently at work on a research project on African American children’s and young adult literature, and is the New Member Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Houston Chapter.

Celebrate the release of Make Your Way Home with Carrie R. Moore!

EVENT DEETS

When: Sunday, August 17 @ 5:30 PM

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

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

ABOUT THE BOOK

A debut collection of stories set across the American South, featuring characters who struggle to find love and belonging in the wake of painful histories. How can you love where you come from, even when home doesn’t love you back?

In eleven stories that span Florida marshes, North Carolina mountains, and Southern metropolitan cities, Make Your Way Home follows Black men and women who grapple with the homes that have eluded them. A preteen pregnant alongside her mother refuses to let convention dictate who she names as the father of her child. Centuries after slavery separated his ancestors, a native Texan tries to win over the love of his life, despite the grip of a family curse. A young deaconess, who falls for a new church member, wonders what it means when God stops speaking to her. And at the very end of the South as we know it, two sisters seek to escape North to freedom, to promises of a more stable climate.

Artfully and precisely drawn, and steeped in place and history as it explores themes of belonging, inheritance, and deep intimacy, Carrie R. Moore’s debut collection announces an extraordinary new talent in American fiction, inviting us all to examine how the past shapes our present—and how our present choices will echo for years to come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carrie R. Moore’s fiction has appeared in One Story, New England Review, The Sewanee Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, and other publications. A recipient of the Keene Prize and the inaugural writer-in-residence at the Steinbeck Writers’ Retreat, she earned her MFA at the Michener Center for Writers. Born in Georgia, she currently resides in Texas with her husband.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Juan Fernando Villagómez is a writer from Houston, TX. His work can be found in Texas Monthly, American Short Fiction, The Cincinnati Review, Ghost City Press, and is forthcoming in The Masters Review. He is a graduate of the New Writers Project at The University of Texas. His writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has received support from the James A. Michener Center for Writers, Willapa Bay Artist Residency, Community of Writers, and Sewanee Writers Conference. He lives with his dog, Abba and two cats, Brick and Ghost..

Join us an interactive conversation surrounding Do The Work by W. Kamau Bell & Kate Schatz. 

Event DEETS: 

When: August 17, 2022 at 7:00 PM

Where: MATCH (3400 Main Street, HTX 77002)

How: Limited in person seating is available. Every ticket will include a signed copy of Do the Work! 

About the Book

Do the Work! is a hands-on workbook for anyone overwhelmed by racial injustice, who feels shocked by all the American histories they never learned, and who keeps asking the question “what can I DOOOOOO?!” Packed with humorous, thought-provoking activities—all are rooted in history and contemporary social justice concepts—the book helps readers move from "What can I do?" to... you know... actually doing the work.

About the Authors

It's almost Bookstore Romance Day! 

Bookstore Romance Day is a day designed to give independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction—its books, readers, and writers—and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community.

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, August 17 

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

How: Feel free to show up anytime you would like! However, we're asking for those who are interested in the Cookie Decorating Class to RSVP!

ABOUT THE EVENT

We've celebrated bookstore romance day each year we've been open! But this year, we're stepping it up a notch to include: blind date with a book, more indie titles, a romance book swap AND decorating cookies inspired by some of our favorite romance book covers and tropes. 

The Romance Book Swap will take place at 4:30 PM. Bring one of your favorite romance books to swap with someone else. Feel free to buy something from the shop for the book swap! We're asking that you only take as many romance books as you bring. 

The Cooking Decorating Class will start at 6:00 PM and will be facilitated by Alex from Adoro Desserts! You'll be designing 4-6 cookies inspired by some of our favorite Romance books and Romance tropes. Each ticket cost $30.

The incredible journey of activist Opal Lee—known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth—is brought to life in this biographical graphic novel that not only explores Opal’s remarkable path, but the history of the holiday of Juneteenth itself.

From the 1860s to Ms. Opal’s childhood home, from her years as a teacher to the White House, First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth seeks to give readers an insight into the history behind one of the central figures in the creation of America’s newest federal holiday, Juneteenth.

Born in 1926, Opal Lee grew up in a racially divided America and dedicated her life to overcoming the obstacles presented therein. A lifelong educator, Ms. Opal has been a community activist all her life, and would take on the movement to celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth not just as a holiday, but as a symbol of comprehensive freedom for all people.

Ms. Opal’s life personifies the fight for everyday freedom that leads to lasting change. As the Grandmother of Juneteenth says, “There is so much more to do.”

Written by acclaimed journalist, producer, and author Angélique Roché (My Super Hero is Black) and drawn by a trio of talented artists—including Alvin Epps (I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005: A Graphic Novel), Bex Glendining (the upcoming Indigo Port), and rising star Millicent Monroe—The First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth promises to illuminate the life of a singular woman and the history of a momentous holiday, with additional back matter providing more insights into Juneteenth’s history and the making of this graphic novel tribute.

We're meeting to discuss Behind The Scenes by Christina C. Jones!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Thursday, April 17 @ 7PM CST

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

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend and RSVP WITH BOOK to purchase your book and support Romance Book Club!

ABOUT BEHIND THE SCENES

Perfect.

Privileged.

Strong.

Spoiled.

Uptight.

Useless.

If there's any one thing Pierre and Logan have in common, it's their ability to invite snap judgements based on shallow views of who they are.

Logan is the privileged only daughter of a respected family whose legacy runs long and deep.

Pierre is the moody, orphaned son of big screen royalty who couldn't possibly live up to the prestige of his pedigree.

Or maybe not.

Perhaps they're just two people trying to navigate the pressures of a world hellbent on telling them what they should be, and eschewing the limits of other people's expectations.

Maybe what they need most is somebody who can see beyond the shallow first impressions - just one person they can allow to see behind the scenes of who they are.

Maybe they have more in common than it seems.

We're meeting to discuss Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing by Joy Degruy!

BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

When: Tuesday, JUNE 17 @ 7PM CST

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

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend and RSVP WITH BOOK to purchase your book and support Fiction Book Club!

ABOUT POST TRAUMATIC SLAVE SYNDROME

Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut.

I learned your words and wrote my song. I put my story down.

As an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, and cofounder of the traditional African American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rhiannon Giddens has long used her art to mine America’s musical past and manifest its future, passionately recovering lost voices and reconstructing a nation’s musical heritage. Written as a song to commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth—which was originally performed with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma—and paired here with bold illustrations by painter Monica Mikai, Build a House tells the moving story of a people who would not be moved and the music that sustained them. Steeped in sorrow and joy, resilience and resolve, turmoil and transcendence, this dramatic debut offers a proud view of history and a vital message for readers of all ages: honor your heritage, express your truth, and let your voice soar, even—or perhaps especially—when your heart is heaviest.

Longlist, National Book Awards 2021 for Nonfiction

A stunning collection of stoic portraits and intimate ephemera from the lives of Black Civil War soldiers

Though both the Union and Confederate armies excluded African American men from their initial calls to arms, many of the men who eventually served were black. Simultaneously, photography culture blossomed―marking the Civil War as the first conflict to be extensively documented through photographs. In The Black Civil War Soldier, Deb Willis explores the crucial role of photography in (re)telling and shaping African American narratives of the Civil War, pulling from a dynamic visual archive that has largely gone unacknowledged.

With over seventy images, The Black Civil War Soldier contains a huge breadth of primary and archival materials, many of which are rarely reproduced. The photographs are supplemented with handwritten captions, letters, and other personal materials; Willis not only dives into the lives of black Union soldiers, but also includes stories of other African Americans involved with the struggle―from left-behind family members to female spies. Willis thus compiles a captivating memoir of photographs and words and examines them together to address themes of love and longing; responsibility and fear; commitment and patriotism; and―most predominantly―African American resilience.

The Black Civil War Soldier offers a kaleidoscopic yet intimate portrait of the African American experience, from the beginning of the Civil War to 1900. Through her multimedia analysis, Willis acutely pinpoints the importance of African American communities in the development and prosecution of the war. The book shows how photography helped construct a national vision of blackness, war, and bondage, while unearthing the hidden histories of these black Civil War soldiers. In combating the erasure of this often overlooked history, Willis asks how these images might offer a more nuanced memory of African-American participation in the Civil War, and in doing so, points to individual and collective struggles for citizenship and remembrance.

Hailed as "powerful," "accomplished," and "spellbinding," Lalita Tademy's first novel Cane River was a New York Times bestseller and the 2001 Oprah Book Club Summer Selection. Now with her evocative, luminous style and painstaking research, she takes her family's story even further, back to a little-chronicled, deliberately-forgotten time...and the struggle of three extraordinary generations of African-American men to forge brutal injustice and shattered promise into a limitless future for their children...

For the newly-freed black residents of Colfax, Louisiana, the beginning of Reconstruction promised them the right to vote, own property-and at last control their own lives. Tademy saw a chance to start a school for his children and neighbors. His friend Israel Smith was determined to start a community business and gain economic freedom. But in the space of a day, marauding whites would "take back" Colfax in one of the deadliest cases of racial violence in the South. In the bitter aftermath, Sam and Israel's fight to recover and build their dreams will draw on the best they and their families have to give-and the worst they couldn't have foreseen. Sam's hidden resilience will make him an unexpected leader, even as it puts his conscience and life on the line. Israel finds ironic success-and the bitterest of betrayals. And their greatest challenge will be to pass on to their sons and grandsons a proud heritage never forgotten-and the strength to meet the demands of the past and future in their own unique ways. An unforgettable achievement, a history brought to vibrant life through one of the most memorable families in fiction, Red River is about fathers and sons, husbands and wives-and the hopeful, heartbreaking choices we all must make to claim the legacy that is ours.