Kevin Fredericks (aka KevOnStage) is a viral stand-up star, an NAACP Image Award–winning comedian, the founder of KevOnStage Studios, a New York Times bestselling author, and a superstar on social media. But his path to success wasn’t always smooth. As a kid, Kevin noticed something useful: If he made people laugh, the grown-ups would let him stay up late. In church plays, his commitment to the role of Goliath led to a busted lip, and the audience couldn’t get enough. He dreamed of becoming a performer, of finding that big break that would launch him into the bright lights of pop culture fame. But as he soon found, the road to the life we want is longer, weirder, more embarrassing, and more entertaining than we think it will be.

In Successful Failure, the comedian recounts hilarious stories and sincere insight from his adventures (and misadventures) trying to make it in life. From performing under an alias to avoid getting fired from his suit-and-tie day job to breaking a chair onstage and quitting stand-up for six months, from pooping his pants on a bus next to his future wife to starting a clothing line called Dreams Don’t Die (they sure do if the merch doesn’t sell), Kevin reminds readers that while we might not be The Rock, Warren Buffett, or Kevin Hart, we’re all out here trying, and that’s okay.

Laugh-out-loud in one moment and perceptive in the next, Successful Failure is a wild ride from one of America’s funniest comics and a sendup of our ideals around hustle culture and success.

Read Marriage Be Hard by Kevin & Melissa Fredericks!

The post Successful Failure first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

Set after the Great War, Armstrong’s USA Today bestselling and award-winning series is historical gothic murder mystery at its best, and Ruby Vaughn returns in The Devil in Oxford.

If someone were to ask American heiress Ruby Vaughn how exactly the occult came to play such a large role in her life, she would point to her octogenarian housemate and employer, Mr. Owen. Together, they run a rare book shop in Exeter. Mr. Owen’s penchant for arcane, unusual—and occasionally illegal—books has been known to get Ruby into her fair share of trouble. And after the last year, she’s looking forward to spending a quiet holiday in Oxford while Mr. Owen attends the annual meeting of his antiquarian society. Secretly, Ruby’s also looking for a holiday from her confounding feelings for Ruan Kivell, the intriguing folk healer Pellar that she met in Cornwall.

When Mr. Owen secures two tickets to an upcoming exhibition of artifacts amassed by disgraced scholar Julius Harker, Ruby reluctantly agrees to attend. The evening turns out to be more eventful than either of them bargained for. Harker’s dead body is discovered amongst the collection, his business partner is arrested, and Ruan arrives…wanting to speak with Ruby.

The murder case is suspicious at best, but the last thing Ruby wants is another investigation. That is, until an old friend comes begging for help. It becomes clear that there’s more going on in Oxford than meets the eye. Ruby and Ruan will have to uncover the dark secrets of the competitive world of antiquities while trying to understand the peculiar force that keeps drawing them back together.

Book no. 1 in the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries: The Curse of Penryth Hall

Book no. 2 in the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries: The Secret of the Three Fates

The post The Devil in Oxford first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

It’s Saturday, and that can mean only one thing. It’s time for the Daddy Daughter Day surprise! Avery and her father prepare for the newest chapter in their tradition of spending the whole day together exploring new things. This Saturday involves a bus ride from their home in New Jersey to New York City. Aside from their normal stopover at their favorite eatery for a quick bite, Avery and her father do not visit the usual sites.

The duo hop on a subway that takes them all the way north to Harlem and to a building across the street from where Daddy was born, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture – a national landmark. There, daddy introduces his little girl to important people from the past – Katherine Johnson, Wilma Rudolph, Ruby Bridges, and more. Father and daughter spend the rest of the day walking through exhibits, learning about black history and culture in America. As the day comes to an end and Avery and her father come home, she cannot contain her excitement to her mother and proudly proclaims, “On the next Daddy Daughter Day, I’ll be the tour guide.”

Author Dorothy H. Price takes wonderful memories from her childhood visiting various landmarks around New York City with her own father and creates a beautiful story about a father and daughter learning and embracing their history and culture. Illustrator Bryan M. Wilson masterfully captures the day with vibrant colors and creates scenes that encapsulate the story being told. The result of such detail provided by the author and illustrator bring attention to the following:

• Black History and Culture: The father in this story brings his daughter to another historical landmark in New York City, but not for a typical visit as they had done to the Bronx Zoo or Times Square. His goal with this special visit is to educate his young daughter on black history and culture in the United States and around the world. The historical figures mentioned in the story serve as an entry level introduction for readers to research and learn about their contributions to American history and culture.
• Father-Daughter Relationship: Readers can join in on the adventures of Avery and her father and draw similarities to their own relationships with their fathers and father figures in their lives.
• Father’s Day Planning: Father’s Day is typically celebrated in schools around the country by having students create art projects for their fathers. Daddy Daughter Day can serve as a template for new gift ideas for fathers across the United States. The gift does not have to be something physical. It can be an experience or adventure shared by father and child, which can serve as a gift to be cherished for a lifetime.

The post Daddy Daughter Day first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.