This book is the story of what I’ve done with them. 

When they were first thrown at me, I was crushed, and saw nothing redemptive that could possibly come from them. 

I didn’t make lemonade.

I didn’t build something special with them.

I knew no meaningful parables to give them context or purpose.

They just piled up all around me. 

Eventually, I began lobbing them back at people and even squirted some lemon juice in people’s eyes along the way (friends and foes alike) - which obviously isn't sustainable.

It’s taken me being alive across 6 different decades to finally figure out that what life routinely throws at us can indeed be unfair, but that SO MUCH of who we are is about what we decide to do with what life gives us. 

This is not about to be a book of me bragging on how smart I am and how much I want you to be like me. It’s quite the opposite. And it’s why I’ve been scared to death of even writing it.

I’ve started and stopped this book so many times. I actually wrote a New York Times bestseller, in great part, to avoid writing this one.

But it’s time. 

And to make sure that I can keep it all the way real, I’m going completely independent without any corporations or agencies or publishers interfering with what I have to say. This book can’t be cancelled. 

This time, I don’t even care what lists we make or special reviews we get. I just wanna give you a raw, transparent, revealing, emotional, hilarious, surprising, adventurous, redemptive look into my life so that I can share two essential lessons with you about lemons and stones. 

If you miss the lessons, I promise you’ll still love the journey I’m about to take you on. 

But if you learn the lessons, it could change your life forever. 

It took a year of therapy, my whole life secretly being turned upside down, and a series of family emergencies for me to finally get over my insecurities of what I am about to tell you in this book.

And I can't wait to finally share my story with you!

By going completely independent, which is unheard of nowadays in book publishing, it means that the only way we can successfully publish this book is to pre-sale every single copy. We aren’t even going to be on Amazon or anywhere else. You can only get this book here. 

Our goal is to pre-sell LEMONS AND STONES and to never make the book available for purchase again. 

THIS IS IT - a limited run where we control everything from who does the artwork, the editing, the layout, the printing, the shipping, and everything in between. 

And every dollar of this purchase is going back into three very special projects: 

First and foremost, it’s how we’ll publish this book and get it into your hands.

Secondly, it’s going to help us launch The North Star Publishing - our brand new independent publishing arm that is going to allow us to find and tell long form stories that simply aren’t being told anywhere else and…

Lastly, your purchase will help support The North Star News Group - which has produced over 3,000 original articles at TheNorthStar.com and six original podcast series (including The Breakdown) with over 1,000 episodes. With your support we will be able to not only continue our work, but we will be able to bring on new writers and editors. 

I love and appreciate each of you!

Your Friend & Brother,

Shaun