Celebrate independent author, Mya's first traditionally published novel, Burden of Love! 

EVENT DEETS 

When: Saturday, April 12 @ 2PM 

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

How: RSVP WITH BOOK to secure your copy of Burden of Love or RSVP ONLY to buy your book at the event. 

This is a book signing only so there will be no chairs, etc. You will be able to meet and chat with the author as well as purchase a book to get signed. Outside copies of Burden of Love will not be allowed in the venue. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

She fights for justice; he bends the rules. Together, they break all of them in this scandalously sexy legal drama.

Soon after passing the bar exam, Talia Tate is tasked to assist her father, the head of Tate & Associates, with the controversial State v. Duncan trial. Talia is determined to prove to her father, the firm, and herself that she is a brilliant lawyer worthy of respect. Her stress hits a fever pitch when she realizes she’ll have an unexpected face-off on her first case.

Detective Maddox Reed doesn’t mind cutting corners when closing a case. Since his days in patrol, the locals knew to steer clear of “Speedy Reed-y.” When Donovan Duncan was brought into his squad room, he was ready to send him to prison without an interrogation. He thought the case was cut-and-dried . . . until Talia comes to his office with fingers pointed, ready to get Donovan the justice he deserves.

Representing opposite sides of the law, Talia and Maddox find themselves fighting two battles: justice and lust. How could they fall in love under circumstances so polarizing that the whole world can feel the tension? While both of them are in a race to come out on top, surprising feelings make it difficult to separate business from pleasure. Will these two souls find solace with each other? Or will the burden of love be too hard to bear?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Mya is a twenty-three-year-old, boy-mom and author from Houston, Texas. Since she was a little girl, she was drawn to books. From children’s books to young adult, her love blossomed. Mya's introduction to the literary world came at the young age of sixteen when she published her first book "His Little Secret". Starting with fan fiction and transitioning to African American romance, Mya now has a growing catalog of over 20 books which includes erotic romance and women's fiction novels. Mya’s love for black love has motivated her to create stories that reinforce the idea that regular people deserve extraordinary romantic tales. Through her books, she wants to leave readers with a discussion-provoking dialogue about the Black experience.

A poignant picture book about a family's resilience in the midst of the climate crisis as they prepare for an incoming storm.

The weather is always changing where Arianna lives. From baking summers to icy winters, she and her family have learned to cope with whatever the weather throws at them. But one time of year frightens Arianna more than anything else: hurricane season.

Hurricanes don't come to her southern US city every year, so she watches the sky and waits in worry. When a storm looms close by, Arianna and her parents stock up on food and water, refill first-aid kits, and board up windows. And when the hurricane arrives and floods Arianna’s home, her mother softly sings, “Hush, hush, hurricane, don’t you creep. Hush, hush, hurricane, let us sleep.” Arianna spends a long night in her parents’ arms. By morning, the storm has faded, and everyone's all right.

With lyrical text by Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton and stunning illustrations by Trudy Tran, Hush, Hush, Hurricane reassures us that it's okay to be afraid when scary things happen, while offering helpful reminders: Be prepared, have a plan, and take care of your family and neighbors. Features backmatter that includes an emergency preparedness list and author's note.

From an MSNBC Political Analyst, a riveting account of the legendary party hosted by Diahann Carroll for Shirley Chisholm's 1972 presidential campaign, which changed the playing field for Black women in politics.

In 1972, New York Representative Shirley Chisholm broke the ice in American politics when she became the first Black woman to run for president of the United States. Chisholm left behind a coalition-building model personified by a once-in-an-era Hollywood party hosted by legendary actress and singer Diahann Carroll, and attended by the likes of Huey P. Newton, Barbara Lee, Berry Gordy, David Frost, Flip Wilson, Goldie Hawn and others. In A More Perfect Party, MSNBC political analyst Juanita Tolliver presents a path to people-centered politics through the lens of this soiree, with surprising parallels to our current electoral reality.

Chisholm worked the crowd of movie stars, media moguls, music executives and activists gathered at Carroll's opulent Beverly Hills home, forging relationships with laughter as she urged guests to unify behind her campaign. With the feminist movement on the rise and eighteen- to twenty-year-olds voting for the first time in American history, the Democratic Party and the nation were on the cusp of long-overdue change.

Zooming in on one party attendee per chapter, A More Perfect Party brings this whimsical event out of the margins of history to demonstrate that there is an opportunity for all of us to fight for a better nation and return power to the people.

*Use discount code: SALE at check out for 30% off*

Earl Tubb is an angry old man with a very big stick. Euless Boss is a high school football coach with no more room in his office for trophies and no more room underneath the bleachers for burying bodies. And they're just two of the folks you'll meet in Castor County, Alabama, home of Boss BBQ, the state champion Runnin' Rebs and more bastards than you've ever seen!

“What does old Earl Tubb do when he returns home to Craw County, Ala., only to find the place a veritable criminal fiefdom run by Euless Boss, the local high school football coach? Why, pick up the stick helpfully cleaved by lightning from a tree growing out of his daddy's grave and start meting out justice just like his father, the old sheriff, did. In the cleaning-up-the-dirty-old-town Southern-fried pulper, writer Aaron (Scalped) and artist Jason Latour (Django Unchained) spread around no more story than is absolutely necessary, and most of it involves people being at the wrong end of a stick, baseball bat, or even (in an early fight scene) a deep-fryer basket. Both Jasons hail from the South, as they discuss in a particularly bighearted introduction, and so likely feel unencumbered by concerns about overdosing on clichés. Thus, the high-impact pages are strewn with bruising high school football, sweet tea, barbecue, trucker caps, and snarling rednecks. The story, in which Tubb clobbers his way through throngs of underlings to get at Boss, is no more complicated than a redo of Walking Tall. But there's a thread of something deeper, bloodier, and more resonant that often transcends the usual psychotic-redneck shtick, aided in no small part by Latour's spare, elegant art.” - Publishers Weekly

Use discount code SALE for 30% at checkout

In this spicy new rom-com, an ambitious entrepreneur working to get her speakeasy supper club off the ground is pushed off balance when her childhood crush turns up, hotter than ever––then tells her she's off-limits.

Now that Kendra’s returned home, she can’t help feeling like a kid again—back in her big brother’s shadow, trying to get her restaurant off the ground while his new venture is flying high right out the gate. It doesn’t help that everyone refuses to stop calling her Keke, the childhood nickname she loathes.

The only bright spot is her longtime crush BJ. He’s been her big brother’s best friend for most of her life, and he’s always been that cool, chill guy who was easy to talk to and made her laugh. Now he’s looking at her like she’s all grown up, and there’s nothing childish about the chemistry brewing between them. Even better, he takes her dreams seriously, and he’s ready to help her make her supper club a reality.

But then BJ extinguishes the sparks flying between them, insisting nothing romantic can ever happen because she’s “off limits.” As her investors fall through and her best chance at fulfilling her professional dreams points toward leaving home again for a fresh start, will BJ be ready for love before Kendra moves on? Or will he sweep her off her feet when she least expects it?

Use discount code: SALE to receive 30% off. 

Original stories of Black family life in Louisville, Kentucky, for readers of Dantiel Moniz (Milk Blood Heat) and Kai Harris (What the Fireflies Knew).

The linked stories in Mama Said are set in Louisville, Kentucky, a city with a rich history steeped in tobacco, bourbon, and gambling, indulgences that can quickly become gripping and destructive vices. Set amid the tail end of the crack epidemic and the rise of the opioid crisis, Mama Said evokes Black family life in all its complexity, following JayLynn, along with her cousins Zaria and Angel, as they come of age struggling against their mothers’ drug addictions.

JayLynn heads to college intent on gaining distance from her depressed mother, only to learn that her mother’s illness has reached a terrifying peak. She fears the chaos and instability of her extended family will prove too much for her boyfriend, whose idyllic family feels worlds, not miles, apart from her own. When bats invade Zaria’s new home, she is forced to determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to be a good mother. Angel rebels on Derby night, risking her safety to connect with her absent mother and the wild ways that consumed her.

Mama Said separates from stereotypes of Black families, presenting instead the joy, humor, and love that coexist with the trauma of drug abuse within communities. Kristen Gentry’s stories showcase the wide-reaching repercussions of addiction and the ties that forever bind daughters to their mothers, flaws and all.

Use discount code SALE for 30% at checkout

Logan is haunted by a darkness that should scare her, not thrill her. It should push her away, not bring her closer. And above all, it should warn her to close her heart against the crash that will inevitably shatter them both… 

There once was a boy, and I loved him.

Logan Francis Silverstone and I were complete opposites. I danced, and he stood still. He was quiet, while I ran my mouth. He struggled to find a smile, and I refused to frown.

The night I saw the darkness that truly lived inside of him, I couldn't look away.

We were broken together, yet somehow whole. We were wrong together, but always right. We were the stars that burned across the night sky, searching for a wish, praying for better tomorrows.

Until the day I lost him. He threw us away with one hasty decision―a decision that changed us forever.

There once was a boy, and I loved him. And for a few breaths, a few whispers, a few moments, I think he loved me, too.

Consistently topping BOOKTOK's "Books That Make You Ugly Cry" lists, The Fire Between High & Lo brings the angst, the spice, and the beautifully painful longing…

THE ELEMENTS SERIES:

The Air He Breathes, book 1

The Fire Between High & Lo, book 2

The Silent Waters, book 3

The Gravity of Us, book 4

WE'RE BACK BABY!!!!!!!!!!!

Join us for the 4th Buzzed Adult Spelling Bee presented by Babe Events and Kindred Stories, sponsorship by the Third Ward Cultural District and Brugal 1888!

EVENT DEETS

When: Sunday, February 16 @ 6 PM (Doors open at 5 PM)

Where: Eldorado Ballroom (2310 Elgin Street, HTX, 77004)

How: There are two different ticket options. If you would like to attend and enjoy the show, purchase your ticket as an attendee. If you would like to contest as the spelling bee champ, grab your ticket as a contestant. Both tickets come with three drinks. THIS EVENT IS FOR ADULTS (21+) ONLY! 

Tickets are final sale and non refundable. You will not be allowed to transfer tickets. 

ABOUT THE SPELLING BEE 

Contestants will be asked to spell words that speak to the theme of Black History Month including slang and AAVE over the course of four rounds. If you misspell the word, you are out!  As the words get harder, you might be able to Phone a Friend or Battle to earn your place back into the competition. Fun and music-filled, this event is for folks looking for something BLACKITY BLACK to do on a Sunday night! 

Be mindful that you don't have to participate in the Bee. We definitely need an audience! 

Contact lanise.harris@gmail.com or chanecka@kindredstorieshtx.com for more details.

Use the discount code SALE to receive 30% off. 

This powerful deck of 50 cards offers validation, support, encouragement to anyone who has endured racial trauma--from the author of Racial Wellness. From racial wellness visionary Jacquelyn Ogorchukwu Iyamah, these fifty cards give Black, Indigenous, and People of Color the rare opportunity to experience revolutionary healing in the face of systemic racism. This powerful deck features tender reminders on one side and thoughtful questions on the other, offering compassion and validation while allowing you to reflect on your unique experiences and resist some of the ways that racism shows up in your life. Whether you’re displaying these affirmations in your home or adding the reflection questions to your journaling or meditation practice, Tender Reminders is a space for you to pour back into yourself and grant yourself the tenderness you deserve.

IT'S YEAR FIVE YA' LL! 

Join us for the 5th Buzzed Adult Spelling Bee presented by Babe Events and Kindred Stories, sponsored by the Ten to One Rum and the Third Ward Cultural District!

EVENT DEETS

When: Sunday, March 1 @ 4 PM 

Where: Eldorado Ballroom (2310 Elgin Street, HTX, 77004)

How: There are two different ticket options. If you would like to attend and enjoy the show, purchase your ticket as an attendee. If you would like to contest as the spelling bee champ, grab your ticket as a contestant. Both tickets come with two drinks. THIS EVENT IS FOR ADULTS (21+) ONLY! 

Tickets are final sale and non refundable. You will not be allowed to transfer tickets. 

ABOUT THE SPELLING BEE 

Contestants will be asked to spell words that speak to the theme of Black History Month, including slang and AAVE, over the course of four rounds. If you misspell the word, you are out!  As the words get harder, you might be able to Phone a Friend or Battle to earn your place back into the competition. Fun and music-filled, this event is for folks looking for something BLACKITY BLACK to do on a Sunday night! 

Be mindful that you don't have to participate in the Bee. We definitely need an audience! 

Contact lanise.harris@gmail.com or chanecka@kindredstorieshtx.com for more details.

Use discount code SALE at checkout for 30% off item

In his debut collection Fantasia for the Man in Blue, Tommye Blount orchestrates a chorus of distinct, unforgettable voices that speak to the experience of the black, queer body as a site of desire and violence. A black man’s late-night encounter with a police officer—the titular “man in blue”—becomes an extended meditation on a dangerous erotic fantasy. The late Luther Vandross, resurrected here in a suite of poems, addresses the contradiction between his public persona and a life spent largely in the closet: “It’s a calling, this hunger / to sing for a love I’m too ashamed to want for myself.” In “Aaron McKinney Cleans His Magnum,” the convicted killer imagines the barrel of the gun he used to bludgeon Matthew Shepard as an “infant’s small mouth” as well as the “sad calculator” that was “built to subtract from and divide a town.” In these and other poems, Blount viscerally captures the experience of the “other” and locates us squarely within these personae.