On the road again

Oh, hey there! Did you see I’m taking The Luckiest on the road? And that Miguel is joining me? I LOVE writing, I even enjoy the editing process, but easily one of my favorite parts of publishing a book is having an excuse to travel the country and connect in person with all of you. I love hearing about your lives, and what blogs, essays, or chapters have resonated with you. It’s also true that I’ve never met a microphone I didn’t like.

Which is why I decided to go big on this book tour. This three-week tour has been months in the making and is bigger than anything I’ve tried to produce in the past. Before I had even finished final edits on The Luckiest, my brain was already brainstorming how to make this tour special. The easiest and most logical way to make all that happen was by adding a certain someone to the program: Miguel.

Now, I’m going to be honest: at first the idea of using Miguel to sell this book, or promote anything I am working on for that matter, hurt my ego a bit. Maybe that sounds silly since he’s my husband and my work generally revolves around my family. The thing is, that ever since I gave up my events career to be Adelaide’s caregiver and support Miguel’s run as Hamilton, I have been seeking something that I could claim as my accomplishment outside of him.

Inside me is still the kid who wants to do everything by themselves, because at some point I decided that achieving a goal meant more if you did it all on your own. It has taken me DECADES to let go of this belief, to come to the realization that there is no one awarding extra credit for getting to the finish line without assistance. And in fact, there are no truly “self-made” careers.

Also, I realized that by bringing Miguel on tour with me and acting as the host of the event (and of course performing) – he can then introduce ME. It is a poorly kept secret how I look forward to a day when Miguel is introduced as Kelly Cervantes’ husband vs the other way around. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and my husband, and I want to be known in context with them. But your girl has some main character energy that has been stuck in a supporting role for a bit too long. Cue the spotlight.

Years ago, or even last week depending on my current confidence level, an honest  statement about my ambition would have made me self-conscious at best or ashamed at worst. Here's the thing though: getting the book into people’s hands is not for the weak, the unsure, or the shameful. So, I’m using what I got what - and what I’ve got is an absurdly charismatic and talented husband who played Alexander Hamilton for over 2,000 performances… lez go! Thankfully, in addition to being talented, Miguel is also wonderfully supportive, generous, and eager to share his spotlight.

Not for nothing, Miguel is also a large part of The Luckiest – though not the whole story. In the book I write about the different layers of my life that impacted the form and shape of the layers to come. From being raised in a conservative Midwest city, to starting an acting career during the toxic landscape of the early 2000’s entertainment industry. You’ll read about the beginnings of my relationship with Miguel and why I hid my grandmother’s engagement ring so that he couldn’t propose. And that’s only the first third of the book.

The tour currently includes stops in Maplewood, New York City, Chicago, Boston, San Diego, LA, and the Bay Area. Miguel will perform, I will discuss the book, and there will be a special guest in most of the cities that will be in discussion with us. My goal is that this tour fills your cup, and that you leave feeling entertained, inspired, and ready to tell everyone about The Luckiest.

I CANNOT wait to see you all on this book tour. It is going to be a celebration of life, love, and all we have endured to become the current and miraculous versions of ourselves.

 Ways you can help me promote The Luckiest:

-Pre-order The Luckiest – from anywhere, it’s available at all major retailers and will be delivered to you on 11/4.

-Purchase a ticket to a book tour stop and bring friends!

-Don’t live near a book tour stop? Share with friends or family who do!

-Share about the book and the tour online, in your group chat, or with the person in front of you at the grocery store check-out line (kidding…but only kind of).

-Choose The Luckiest for your book club and I will attend your meeting virtually!

-Leave a review for The Luckiest on Amazon or GoodReads (and while you’re at it you can leave a review for Normal Broken as well!)

-Hire me to come speak at your retreat, convention, or meeting about resilience, setbacks, or grief. You can even add-on Miguel for some musical entertainment :)

Photo ID: Miguel is leaning on Kelly’s shoulder while wearing a neck pillow. They are seated on an airplane and both looking/smirking at the camera.