So, Friends. The book tour was amazing. Right smack in the middle of it, I changed its name from the Love Wins tour to the BRAVE AND KIND tour.
So many people showed up at these signings by themselves (SO BRAVE!) and upon arrival, found themselves in the midst of the KINDest group of folks they could’ve imagined.
People made friends and found a little peace and inspiration. I know I did. Success.
It was scary, too – I’m not gonna lie. Before each and every signing, I was very, very scared. I had to use SURVIVAL STRATEGIES like visualization and deep breathing. I’ll tell you all about that soon. But as life always reminds me – scared and sacred are very close cousins.
When I was learning about what a book tour was, I was told that usually a handful of folks show up and the author stays for two hours. Well, our first night on tour, 500-plus Monkees showed up and the bookstore staff was FREAKING OUT because of the size and passion of the crowd and even when the sweet, panicked bookstore staff tried to move the line along faster- we didn’t move faster. We were slow.
I got to hug each and every person in line and offer everybody Twizzlers and hear folks’ stories. Many, many folks cried with me and others laughed with me and every once in a while someone got all the way to the front of the line, leaned into my ear and said, “Listen, I don’t even know who you are. I just really needed to get out of the house.” I ended up staying past midnight at every signing.
Remember how I was SO worried that there would be no Kairos at the signings? It’s ALL KAIROS. All of it. It’s my favorite thing now. Terrifying, totally overwhelming, unbelievably exhausting -but favorite.
GUESS WHAT?
The tour was such a magical ride and amazing success that our publisher has added SIX MORE STOPS! I’m coming to you!!! ON THE ROAD AGAIN, MONKEES!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 18: Wilton, Connecticut [Elm Street Books & Wilton Library]
Wednesday, June 19: Baltimore, Maryland [The Ivy Bookshp]
Friday, June 21: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania [Penguin Bookshop]
Monday, June 24: Nashville, Tennessee [Parnassus Books]
Tuesday, June 25: Atlanta, Georgia [A Cappella Books & The Carter Library at Carter Center’s Day Chapel]
Wednesday, June 26: Fort Myers, Florida [Books-A-Million]
See more details here. Also, Facebook events pages will be up this afternoon, please click on the event page to tell us you’ll come.
Please come. Show up. Be brave. Be kind. Rest. Try Again. This rhythm ALWAYS works.
Important note – if you decide to come (yes please!) – you are going to need to buy a copy of Carry On, Warrior at the bookstore where the signing is being held. This is not my rule – it’s the rule of the bookstores – but I support it fully. Let me explain why.
The bookstores I choose to sign at are small, independent stores and times are not easy for them. The bigger places are taking them under. As a matter of fact, one of the stores on the first half of our tour closed down a week after we were there. This makes me extremely sad. Bookstores are like doctors’ offices to me. They are where I go to heal. And I don’t want them to go away. I want to help them stay open so that my kids will have an actual PLACE to go with actual BOOKS to hold. One of the ways we can support our local independent bookstore is through book signings.
This is how my book tour works:
Bookstores contact the publisher and say I’ll OPEN MY DOORS TO THAT AUTHOR! – and my publisher pays for my flight and lodging. It is assumed that the tour will pay for itself through book sales at the signings. But this isn’t happening – because folks are bringing books from other places to be signed. I get it, I get it! But moving forward – I think it would be helpful to think of a book signing as an artist’s event, like a concert. We don’t get into concerts free just because we already bought the CD. We have to buy a ticket. So decide to come, call your bookstore, pre-purchase a book, and that counts as your ticket. COME HUG ME!
If you already bought a book and don’t have someone in mind to pass it on to, leave her in our custody – we promise to find her a worthy home in the hands of folks who will be grateful.
And, as always – I want to help folks who really want to come but absolutely cannot afford to buy a book. If this is the case- please send me an email using the address on our contact page. We’ll work something out- we always do.
I’LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD!! For lots more laughing and crying; and mischief and merriment; and courage and kindness. And Kairos.
Monkees who’ve already been to signings- if you have an extra minute- would you leave a comment about your experience at the signing? LOVE!
Author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller LOVE WARRIOR — ORDER HERE
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Please come to NC!!!
I’m a late reply. I had to work up every ounce of my being to go to your April signing in Corte Madera, CA. I went alone. I knew I had to go. It was so, so, so hard. I cried thru your whole talk…so proud of your honesty and transparency. When I met you and hugged you I felt like a complete fool and spent my whole 45min. drive thinking how stupid I looked to…You. I could barely even talk. Pathetic. I wish I could do it all over…so I could say, “thank you. THANK YOU, GLENNON.” So much life to live… am not sure how you balance it all. Everything. But you shine. To readers everywhere…GO!
Please please come to our little town and our wonderful bookstore. We definitely have lots of Monks here. My hometown is Manasquan, NJ, a great shore town still recovering from Superstorm Sandy and our Main St. bookstore is called BookTowne. We have a small local theater right next door so there is plenty of room for us 🙂 And, Glennon, our school teams are called “The Warriors” could it be any better?!?! I could go on and on about how much your words would mean here but will suffice to say that we would so love to see you!!!!!
RED ALERT RED ALERT BAD GUYS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!!!! http://preserveourparadise.org/ i saw this an immedietly thought of both you and of Kelle Hampton. I knew you both would be extremely concerned at the possibility of fracking going on in your beautiful corner of the world. I dont know if youd heard, but you are both are such powerhouses, I knew you could help shine a light on the situation, get some momentum going to stop this before it begins. Good luck, from one activist mama to another! Erin in SC
PS My whole family will hug you if swing thru Charleston, SC sometime! Blue Bicycle Books is the cool little local bookstore you’ll wanna visit 🙂
Books A Million, small, independent store ?
You are going to be in Pittsburgh!!!! And I’ll be on vacation. I hope my city is good to you!
The signing in Cincinnati was FANTASTIC! 🙂 It was sooooo wonderful to meet you after reading your blogs for month and continually being inspired by your truth and brutiful lessons. I was so nervous to meet you that I’m pretty sure I babbled like a baffoon and looked like a fool. But I was sooooo touched to meet you for you have touched my life in such a special way. Carry on warrior! Best of luck on the rest of your tour – you certainly deserve all of this!
How do we Canadians get you to come to Canada, I can babysit your kids, or Craig can come too? I would fly anywhere to see you, but if your first stop could be Alberta that would be super 🙂