Search results: 98 results for “nikki payne”
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98 results
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PRE-ORDER: The Kid Who Built a Rocket
PRE-ORDER: The Kid Who Built a Rocket
$14.99From computer scientist, astrophysicist, and dreamer, Terysa Ridgeway, comes a story of two starry-eyed sisters who shine in STEM together!
Eight-year-old Terysa is a born problem-solver with a galaxy of ideas―and she's determined to win the school science fair. There's just one tiny problem… she has too many brilliant ideas to choose from!
Luckily, her big sister, Shana, is an astronomy whiz. When Shana shares the inspiring story of Dorothy Vaughan―NASA's first Black supervisor and a trailblazing computer programming pioneer―Terysa is inspired. Together, the sisters dive into coding, teamwork, and a little trial-and-error to design a project that moves all on its own. It's creative. It's unique. It's out of this world. But will it be enough to win first place?
Perfect for readers who love:
* STEM-inspired stories for kids.
* Strong, curious girls in science.
* Coding and beginner programming concepts.
* Inspiring real-life role models like Dorothy Vaughan.
* Sister relationships and teamwork. -
PRE-ORDER: Father Yourself First: Everything You Need to Become the Father Your Family Deserves
PRE-ORDER: Father Yourself First: Everything You Need to Become the Father Your Family Deserves
$19.99Fathering yourself might be the most important work you do as a father.
Glen Henry never wanted to be a father. He grew up in a broken home and assumed that the role was worthless. Then he saw what a good father looked like and became passionate about not only being a good father himself but helping others see what fatherhood could be through his wildly popular YouTube channel, Beleaf in Fatherhood.
Maybe you weren’t given a handbook on fatherhood but that doesn’t mean you’re unprepared. In fact, you have what it takes to grow into the kind of father your children need. In Father Yourself First Glen offers hard-earned wisdom, honest storytelling, and six foundational principles that will help you
* father yourself to maintain a healthy inner voice,
* parent from a place of healing by addressing unresolved issues from your own past,
* connect with your children by embracing childishness and adventure,
* identify your children’s unique gifts early on and help fine-tune their skills into productive habits, and
* establish a community of fathers to exchange values and practices and regularly see examples of healthy fatherhood.Whether you’re stepping into fatherhood for the first time or figuring it out as you go, this book will meet you right where you are—and walk with you as you become the father your family deserves.
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AUTHOR TALK: If This World We're Mine with Arriel Vinson - January 28 @ 7 PM
AUTHOR TALK: If This World We're Mine with Arriel Vinson - January 28 @ 7 PM
from $0.00Celebrate the release of If This World We're Mine with Arriel Vinson!
EVENT DEETS
When: Thursday, January 28 @ 7 PM CST
Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)
How:
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RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat.
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RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your seat and purchase a copy If This World We're Mine, 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 have a copy from Kindred Stories feel free to choose the RSVP only 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 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 dazzling and heartfelt YA novel in verse by Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, Arriel Vinson, about a Black girl majorette healing from loss, while discovering how to dance to her own beat.
It's hard to plan for the future when the one you envisioned is now a thing of the past.
Seventeen-year-old Sky Simms should be riding high. It's senior year, and she's the dance team captain with a shot at a competition that could change her life. But Sky is still reeling from her older brother's sudden, tragic death and the collapse of their shared HBCU dreams—she as majorette, he as drum major.
With the memory of her brother ever-present, Sky struggles to manage all the moving parts of her life—school, college prep, dance--let alone find excitement for them. Once practice is in full swing, Sky’s distracted from her woes when forced to work with Meech, the cute but annoying drumline captain. And she slowly discovers they can help each other with more than the competition.
But she can only run from her grief for so long. Sky might not know what life looks like without her brother, but if she doesn’t learn to deal with the present, she could fumble her future before she can imagine a new one.ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Arriel Vinson is a Midwesterner who writes about being young, Black, and in search of freedom. Her debut YA novel-in-verse, Under the Neon Lights, is a 2026 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, a Reese’s Book Club LitUp selection, and a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. Arriel earned her MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and is a Tin House YA Scholar, Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient, and Walter Grant recipient. Her sophomore novel, If This World Were Mine, is forthcoming in spring 2027. You can connect with her on social media at @arriwrites and find her work at arriwrites.com
ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER
LIARA TAMANI grew up in Houston, Texas, where every spring meant one thing: rodeo season. She loved getting decked out in her best cowgirl gear and soaking up the music, food, and electric energy of the rodeo, a joy she now shares with her daughter and husband. Her deep Texas roots shine through her storytelling, capturing the spirit and rhythms of the state in all her acclaimed novels: Calling My Name, All the Things We Never Knew, and What She Missed. Before becoming a writer, she attended Harvard Law School and worked as a marketing coordinator for the Houston Rockets and Comets, television production assistant, home accessories designer, floral designer, and yoga and dance teacher. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA from Duke University.
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PRE-ORDER: Pieces of Home
PRE-ORDER: Pieces of Home
$18.99Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away meets The Last Stop on Market Street in this touching story about what makes a place home.
Elysia's family is moving. It's the last day in her apartment. The last day in her neighborhood. The last day in her city. Elysia is going to miss it all so much, but her sister Penelope shows her that home comes in many forms.
As they walk down their block one last time, Elysia feels home in the sound of her neighbor's bachata music, in the taste of her favorite bodega hot chocolate, and in the smell of coconut oil from the hair salon. She finds home in her favorite books, playing with friends, and time spent with her sister.
Even though she may not always live in the same place, Elysia knows she will always carry these pieces of home in her heart.
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PRE-ORDER: Coloring with Coco: Motherhood in Bloom: Relaxing Bold and Easy Coloring Book for Adults and Teens
PRE-ORDER: Coloring with Coco: Motherhood in Bloom: Relaxing Bold and Easy Coloring Book for Adults and Teens
$14.99Celebrate the care, commitment, and beauty of motherhood with gorgeous illustrations from Andrea Ballo, the artist behind Coloring with Coco.
Embrace your creativity with this elevated adult coloring book celebrating the joy of being a mother. Each illustration was created by Andrea Ballo, the artist and influencer behind the popular Coloring with Coco brand. On every page, you'll find heartfelt images to color that speak to a mother's boundless devotion.
Stunning illustrations―Color 36 gorgeous illustrations that capture the beauty and quiet strength of motherhood and all the ways we show up, not only as mothers, but as daughters, sisters, aunties, and friends.
Get inspired―The artwork in this book is themed around a mother's heartwarming love. It's an art piece and an experience you can create with your favorite art supplies.
A beautiful gift for you or a mom you know―This coloring book for adults features heavy paper, perforated pages, and a thick card stock insert to block color bleed, making it a gorgeous and meaningful gift for Mother's Day and beyond!
Express all the vibrant love in your heart with the Coloring with Coco: Motherhood in Bloom coloring book.
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IRL AUTHOR TALK: The Princess and the P. I. with Nikki Payne - September 21 @ 5:30 PM
IRL AUTHOR TALK: The Princess and the P. I. with Nikki Payne - September 21 @ 5:30 PM
Sold outCelebrate the release of The Princess and the P. I. with Nikki Payne!
EVENT DEETS
When: Sunday, September 21 5:30 PM
Where: 2130 Elgin Street, Unit #2, Houston, Texas, 77004
How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming.
Only copies of the The Princess and the P. I. purchased from Kindred Stories will be allowed inside the venue.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Fiona Addai is ready to set her plan in motion. To honor the anniversary of her brother’s death, she’s going to steal back his brilliant invention from the ruthless corporation that stole and claimed it as their own. As a famed Reddit detective known as @Princess_PI, Fiona has used her online connections and sleuthing skills to time every step down to the minute. But with one disastrous misstep, instead of getting justice, Fiona finds herself accused of murder.
Maurice Bennett is no stranger to insomnia. These days, he’s not losing sleep over the cases he’s solving—but running from the one he couldn’t. Instead, he’s been settling for small-time scandals that don’t stir up the guilt he’s buried. But when he spots Fiona Addai at the center of a murder investigation, something clicks. And for the first time in a long while, Maurice feels that old spark of intrigue.
However, Fiona is not the helpless damsel she appears to be. Sure, she needs Maurice’s help to clear her name, but she’s got conditions of her own: she wants a crash course in real-world detective work. Maurice isn’t exactly thrilled. With every late-night stakeout and tension-filled interrogation, their partnership, rife with tension and unexpected chemistry, unravels a dangerous web of corporate crime and familial secrets. To bring the real killer to light, they'll need to trust each other and that might be the most dangerous gamble of all.ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nikki Payne is a Civic anthropologist From Houston, Texas building accessible government services for vulnerable populations, by night she dreams of ways to subvert Canon literature. Hailed as "incandescent" by the Washington Post, Nikki Payne's debut novel Pride and Protest was a Phenomenal Book Club pick And was selected by the Library of Congress to represent the District of Columbia for the National Book Festival. featured in the New York Times, NPR, Elle, Oprah Daily and BuzzFeed, Nikki Payne is writing black women into their happily ever after.ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER
Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of multiple romance novels, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).
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Love Poems
Love Poems
Nikki Giovanni
Sold outIn a career that has spanned more than a quarter century, Nikki Giovanni has earned the reputation as one of America's most celebrated and controversial writers. Now, she presents a stunning collection of love poems that includes more than twenty new works.
From the revolutionary "Seduction" to the tender new poem, "Just a Simple Declaration of Love," from the whimsical "I Wrote a Good Omelet" to the elegiac "All Eyez on U," written for Tupac Shakur, these poems embody the fearless passion and spirited wit for which Nikki Giovanni is beloved and revered.
Romantic, bold, and erotic, Love Poems expresses notions of love in ways that are delightfully unexpected. Articulating in sensuous verse what we know only instinctively, Nikki Giovanni once again confirms her place as one of our nations's most distinguished poets and powerful truth-tellers.
"If there was a need for poetry that galvanized and inspired, there was also a demand for poetry that comforted and unified — and Ms. Giovanni provided on both counts." — The Washington Post
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Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book
Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book
by Nikki Grimes
Sold out*Ships in 7-10 Business Days*
Dyamonde Daniel is excited about the local library's poetry contest, and so is her friend Free. The prize is one hundred dollars - just think what they could buy with that much money! But when they find out that Damaris, one of their classmates, has been living in a homeless shelter, their ideas about what it means to be rich or poor start to change. And when they get to know Damaris, they realize the one who could use the prize money the most also happens to be the best poet in class.
Series: A Dyamonde Daniel Book (#2)
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VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK: Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around with LaQuette - January 14 @ 6:30 PM
VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK: Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around with LaQuette - January 14 @ 6:30 PM
Sold outCelebrate the release of Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around with LaQuette!
EVENT DEETS
When: Wednesday, January 14 @ 6:30 PM
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 BOOK to get a copy of each of the authors' book and support the bookstore!
ABOUT THE BOOK
A single mom gets a second chance at love with her high school sweetheart.Wary of love after divorce, Janae Sanders focuses on the best things in her life: her son James and her besties in the Savvy, Sexy, and Single Club. As for romance? Not today, Satan. That is, until high school heartthrob Adam Henderson crashes back into her life at their 20-year reunion. Sparks fly, but just when Janae considers dating again, the new superintendent of James’ school district slashes his beloved arts program. Instead of getting her groove back, Janae gets her protest on.
Returning home after twenty years, Adam jumps at the chance to reacquaint himself with Janae, the one who got away. But he’s nearly reached his limit, juggling a meddling father, school politics, and—unbeknownst to him—Janae’s ire. If he can’t get the head of the PTA off his back after cutting programs that were costing the district money, his debut role as superintendent and his love life hang in the balance.
When a school board meeting is called and they both realize they’ve been dating the enemy, Janae gives Adam two choices: restore the program or lose her. Adam proposes a third option: one weekend at his cabin to talk it all out—funding the arts, and old feelings too. When her girls cheer her on, Janae must decide if she’s willing to risk it all. Armed with sass, sarcasm, and a suitcase full of emotional baggage, Janae and Adam discover that sometimes love shows up in the most infuriating and unexpectedly sexy ways.ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LaQuette writes sexy, stylish, and sensational romance—the kind of sentimental-and-steamy stories that feel like Hallmark movies… if Hallmark suddenly ramped up the sexy and gave us the hawt love scenes we deserve. Expect big emotions, bold choices, and characters who strut through the pages like the book is their own personal runway.A proud Brooklyn native, she crafts unapologetically bold, character-driven Black and interracial romances where Black women are joy-filled, desired, and absolutely treasured. These women know they belong on the page—and dare you to try telling them otherwise.When this current Ph.D. student isn’t writing, reading, or studying, she’s probably trying on (or hunting down) her next must-have makeup find. And honestly? No one would be surprised if it’s yet another shade of red or pink lipstick. At this point, it’s basically a personality trait.
ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER
Nikki Payne is a Civic anthropologist From Houston, Texas building accessible government services for vulnerable populations, by night she dreams of ways to subvert Canon literature. Hailed as "incandescent" by the Washington Post, Nikki Payne's debut novel Pride and Protest was a Phenomenal Book Club pick And was selected by the Library of Congress to represent the District of Columbia for the National Book Festival. featured in the New York Times, NPR, Elle, Oprah Daily and BuzzFeed, Nikki Payne is writing black women into their happily ever after.
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IRL Author Talk: Guide Me Home with Attica Locke - September 11 @ 7 PM
IRL Author Talk: Guide Me Home with Attica Locke - September 11 @ 7 PM
Sold outCelebrate the final installment of Attica Locke's Highway 59 Series, Guide Me Home!
EVENT DEETS
When: Wednesday, September 11, 2024 @ 7 PM
Where: Holy Family HTX (3719 Navigation Blvd, HTX, 77004)
How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support Attica Locke and the bookstore!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Texas Ranger Darren Mathews isn’t sure he’s been a good cop, but believes he’s got a shot at being a good man—if he manages to dodge the potential indictment hanging over his head and if he, from here on out, pledges allegiance to the truth. It’s a virtue the country appears to have wholly lost its grip on, but one Darren sees as his salvation. He is in the midst of remaking his life with the woman he loves, hoping for the peace of country living at his beloved farmhouse, when he is visited by someone who couldn’t hold the truth on her tongue if it was dipped in sugar, a woman who’s always been bent of tearing his life apart. His mother. Armed with a tall tale about a missing Black college student, Sera (whose white sorority sisters insist she isn’t missing at all). Darren must decide if his can trust his mother is telling the truth—and what her ulterior motive may be, and what if that motive has to do with a grand jury deciding his fate.
Darren gets his hooks into the investigation, along the way discovering things about Sera’s family and her hometown that are odd at best, vaguely sinister at worst. Hamstrung by local law enforcement and the Texas Rangers who likewise doubt the account of a missing girl, if Darren wants answers, he’ll need help from the person whom he swore to never trust again—his mother.
In this emotionally stirring conclusion to the singular Highway 59 series, set three years after the events of Heaven, My Home, Darren reckons with his life’s purpose as he’s forced to choose between his own peace and the higher call to do good.ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Attica Locke is a NY Times best-selling author of six novels, including Guide Me Home. She is also a winner of an Edgar Award and the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, and she has been short listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and nominated for an LA Times Book Prize and an NAACP Image award for her work as a novelist. Locke is also a screenwriter and TV producer, with credits that include Empire, When They See Us and the Emmy-nominated Little Fires Everywhere, for which she won an NAACP Image award for television writing. She co-created and executive produced an adaptation of her sister Tembi Locke’s memoir From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home for Netflix. A native of Houston, Texas, Attica lives in Los Angeles, California
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.
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IRL Poetry Reading: No Sweet Without Brine with Cynthia Manick and Kendra Allen-May 11 at 7PM CST
IRL Poetry Reading: No Sweet Without Brine with Cynthia Manick and Kendra Allen-May 11 at 7PM CST
Sold outJoin us for a live poetry reading with Cynthia Manick and Kendra Allen!EVENT DEETSWhen: May 11 at 7PM CSTWhere: Kindred Stories Reading GardenHow: Select RSVP ONLY to reserve your spot for this free reading or RSVP with book to support our store programming and the author.ABOUT THE BOOKNo Sweet Without Brine is both a soulful and celebratory collection that summons sticky sweet memories with an acrid aftertaste of deep thought. Satisfying moments are captured in odes to Idris Elba’s dulcet tones on a meditation app and the satisfaction of half-priced Entenmann’s poundcake; in childlike observations of parental Black love, the coveted female form on Jet Magazine covers, and the desire for Zamunda to be a real place full of Black joy. The sour taps into an analysis of reclusiveness, silencing catcalls from men on the street, and detailed recipes and advice to the Black girls forced to endow themselves with armor against the world.
Cynthia Manick’s latest is a playlist of everyday life, introverted thoughts, familial bonds, and social commentary. In piercing language, she traces the circle of life for a narrator who dares to exist between youthful remembrances and adulthood realities. Each poem in No Sweet Without Brine is a reminder that a hint of sorrow makes the celebration and recognition of the glory of Blackness in all ways, and through all people, that much sweeter.
ABOUT POETCynthia Manick is the winner of the Lascaux Prize in Collected Poetry, editor of The Future of Black: Afrofuturism, Black Comics, and Superhero Poetry, and author of Blue Hallelujahs. She has received fellowships from Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, MacDowell Colony, and Château de la Napoule among other foundations. Manick is the creator of the Soul Sister Revue reading series and her poem “Things I Carry into the World” was made into a film by Motionpoems and debuted on Tidal for National Poetry Month. A storyteller and performer at literary festivals, libraries, universities, and most recently the Brooklyn and Frye museums, Manick and her work has been featured in the Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day Series, Callaloo, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Wall Street Journal, and other outlets. She currently serves on the board of the International Women’s Writing Guild and the editorial board of Alice James Books. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.ABOUT THE READING PARTNERKendra Allen was born and raised in Dallas, Tx. She loves laughing, leaving, and writing. Some of her other work can be found in, or on, The Paris Review, High Times, The Rumpus, and more. She's the author of poetry collection The Collection Plate and essay collection When You Learn the Alphabet, which won the 2018 Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction. Fruit Punch, her memoir, is out now.
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VIRTUAL EVENT: black & sleuthing: a panel of black women mystery authors - August 11 @ 6:30 PM CT
VIRTUAL EVENT: black & sleuthing: a panel of black women mystery authors - August 11 @ 6:30 PM CT
Sold outLet's celebrate a few of the new-ish Black women mystery writers!
EVENT DEETS
When: Monday, August 11, 2025 @ 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
MEL PENNANT is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. She graduated in 2014 with an MA in Screenwriting from the London College of Communication. In 2013, she won the Brockley Jack Write Now 4 award with her play, No Rhyme, and was involved with the Tamasha Theatre Company--writing for the Barbican Box. Mel has written audio plays with Tamasha and the National Archives and, in 2018, she was awarded a place on the Hachette X Tamasha scheme for aspiring playwright novelists.Zoe B. Wallbrook is a recently tenured professor whose academic research has appeared in outlets such as the New York Times and The New Yorker. She was selected for mentorship by LA Times bestseller Elizabeth Little, and History Lessons, her first novel, was a runner-up for the Eleanor Taylor Bland Award. Zoe’s hobbies include beginning all emails with, “My sincerest apologies for my slow reply,” pretending to understand how astrological signs work, and crying at the end of every Call the Midwife episode. She and her husband live with their stalker, a black lab/pittie mix named Sophie.
SANDRA JACKSON-OPOKU is the author of Hot Johnny and the Women Who Loved Him and the award-winning novel The River Where Blood is Born. She also coedited the anthology Revise the Psalm: Work Celebrating the Writing of Gwendolyn Brooks. Her fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic works have been published and produced in Adi Magazine, Midnight & Indigo, Aunt Chloe, Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction, New Daughters of Africa, Obsidian, storySouth, the Chicago Humanities Festival, and others.
Elise Bryant is the NAACP Image Award-nominated author of Happily Ever Afters, One True Loves, Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling, and It’s Elementary. For many years, Elise had the joy of working as a special education teacher, and now she spends her days reading, writing, and eating dessert. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Long Beach, California. You can visit her online at www.elisebryant.com.
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