New York, NY -- For some people, obstacles are minor bumps in the road on the way to success. For others, obstacles represent a major catastrophe of epic proportions threatening to disrupt any chance of success they may have otherwise had. But for seven-time GRAMMY® award winner Kirk Franklin, obstacles represent the challenges needed to propel you through life. In THE BLUEPRINT: A Plan for Living Above Life's Storms (Gotham Books; May 18, 2010; $25.00), Franklin reveals how he turned negative aspects from his own life-drugs, an absent father, teenage parenthood, poverty, etc.-into blessings by learning from them and moving forward. The beauty of THE BLUEPRINT is that Franklin by no way claims to be perfect or have insider knowledge of how to live your life wisely, but rather puts his setbacks and faults on full blast and suggests that oftentimes people, like Franklin at one point, go through life without a plan for success, simply living purposelessly, and without a person to show them the right way. THE BLUEPRINT fills the void of not knowing which way to turn and arms you the necessary tools to succeed.

By the time Franklin was just fifteen years old, he was a young father, without an encouraging figure in his life, and just another statistic on the street. As he explains in THE BLUEPRINT, "The street corner was my classroom. The 'hood was my Harvard." He went through life thinking he knew it all, and blamed the fact that he didn't have a role model for not being able to achieve his dreams, until the day he realized he had to turn his life around and become the man he needed to be on his own. That is what Franklin has outlined in THE BLUEPRINT-a chance for young people to become the person they need to be, no matter what the situation, or where they come from.

Today, Franklin is the proud father of four and devoted husband of fourteen years, as well as one of the biggest multiplatinum-selling gospel artists of all time. He credits his faith in God and a very close mentor he found later in his life for his success.

Whether you're down and out, misguided, or simply need a boost to push forward, THE BLUEPRINT is the essential guide to creating a better you, one day at a time. Success doesn't come easy, but it will come with a helping hand. Follow THE BLUEPRINT and start living the life you were always meant to live.

You can also catch Franklin in the following cities.

Tour Dates

Tuesday, May 18
Atlanta, GA

Wednesday, May 19
Washington, DC/Baltimore, MD

Thursday, May 20
New York, NY

Friday, May 21
Cleveland, OH

Saturday, May 22
Detroit, MI

Sunday, May 23

Monday, May 24
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

Tuesday, May 25
Houston, TX

Wednesday, May 26
Lexington, KY

Friday, May 28
Los Angeles, CA