Blatant PW Review Plug...and Happy Birthday, Elvis!

Blatant PW Review Plug...and Happy Birthday, Elvis!

by Susan, Who Was In the Building With Elvis Last Night

One of the fun things about waking up on a Sunday morning after seeing Elvis in concert  (more on that in a minute) and tooling around the Web is stumbling upon a good review of your forthcoming book.  Which is what happened to me, when I ambled over to Amazon.  I found this wonderful review of THE LONE STAR LONELY HEARTS CLUB:

From Publishers Weekly
In the delightful third installment in McBride's Debutante Dropout mystery series (Blue Blood, etc.), Andrea Kendricks, the self-deprecating Texas trust-fund baby whose amateur sleuthing usually takes center stage, turns the spotlight on her classy, lovable 60-something mother, Cissy. When two of Cissy's friends drop dead, she refuses to believe it was natural causes; both were residents at Belle Meade, the swankiest retirement community in Texas, and Cissy suspects "something funny's afoot." Against Andrea's wishes, Cissy goes undercover at Belle Meade, determined to prove that a killer exterminated her friends "before their expiration date." Disguised in rhinestones and animal prints, Cissy uncovers pending lawsuits, missing medication and the discreet services of an exclusive matchmaking club for "discerning women over sixty." Soon, nearly everyone at Belle Meade is a suspect, and Andrea must overcome her skepticism before her mom finds out too much for her own good. Chatty, colorful and très Texas, McBride's latest cozy is a pleasure. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Might I say, "Yippee skippy"?  Now if I could just get NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB turned in before January 31 when LONELY HEARTS comes out.  Must write faster.  (Mark, where's that bribe you promised me?)

As for Elvis...well, yes.  I did see him last night.  He performed with his band and backup singers at The Pageant here in St. Louis.  My sister, in fact, is one of the Elvisettes, and, man, can she move!  Okay, so it wasn't the real Elvis (I know that'll surprise you), but Steve "Elvis" Davis, probably the most renowned impersonator of The King in all the metro area.  Pretty impressive, yes, indeedy.  They put on quite a show to a packed house of 4,000...dispersed numerous sweaty scarves to swooning women with teased hair a la Priscilla in her glory days...endured the tossing of panties onto the stage (some tiny thongs and others large enough for King Kong to wear comfortably).  Since today is Elvis's birthday, I think we should all honor him by repeating several times throughout the afternoon:  "Thank you.  Thank you very much."  Hey, it can't hurt.

Enjoy your Sunday,

Susan

Comments

[nancy]

Applause for the great review, Susan!

And I must admit that yes, I am a HUGE Elvis fan. So adorable, so hokey, such a sexist pig in that retro way. (Have you been watching any of his old movies on TV this week??) Such an American icon. Happy birthday to the hunka hunka.

Got any pix of your sister as an Elvisette??

[Daisy]

Hey, congratulations! Do I sense some celebratory shopping in the works?

[Susan McB]

Thanks, Nancy and Daisy! Man, I wish I had time to do celebratory shopping. Must get this book written in the next three weeks (aaaack!). But once I'm done, you can bet I'll pick myself up a little something to celebrate. That's a given. Wish I had a pic of my sister as an Elvisette, Nancy! I should've taken my camera last night. But I'll see if she has one from other gigs--or if someone she knows took a pic--and, if she does, I'll post it. She had on a loooong blond wing, platform go-go boots and a shimmery blue dress. She was a hoot!

[Harley]

Well, Yippee Skippee indeed!Wow, wow, wow.
And hey -- how do you KNOW it wasn't the real Elvis?

[Lisa Coutant]

Congratulations!!
Definitely worth a yippee skippee, if not ten.

Wooo HOWDY!

[Susan McB]

Thanks, Harley and Lisa! And, Harley, I don't know it wasn't the real Elvis. But, if it was, he looked really, really good for his age. ;-)

[Karen]

Fantastic review, Susan! Congrats!

[Mary]

Oddly enough, it's David Bowie's birthday too. Hmm. Bowie sings the Presley songbook? An Elvis cover of "Rebel, Rebel"?

Congrats!

[Susan McB]

Well, then, Mary, we'll have to wish David a very Happy Birthday, too (and we know for sure that he's alive). It's also Dan Ryan's birthday...he's the guy I picked up for my sister at REI for Christmas. Thanks...and thanks to Karen, too!

[SusanCo]

I was sitting hear reading this blog and remembering about the only thing I wanted one Christmas was Presley's Roustabout album. I think I can still sing it word for word even today.I watched every movie he ever made, to include the worst of the worst "Flaming Star". I never liked the Beatles, The Monkeys were ok, but Elvis was just the ideal. (Shall we all sing together MEMORIES! For those that cant sing just mouth the words.)
What if Elvis knew he was going to die that soon? Would he have made plans about the small things? I wonder if it would have been similar to the scene I just had with my husband? (Maybe not.Maybe he didnt have simple things.)My husband found out last week he has a problem with his heart and tomorrow he is having a catherization and possible angioplasty. He sat me down an hour ago and told me who he thought should get his private things. He was trying to decide who gets his prized pig collection. His movie collection. His jeep and his gun collection! Good Grief, his pig collection??? Look at the difference between the famous and the simple people. Elvis would have been deciding who gets his multimillion estate. His fleet of very expensive cars and his priceless gold records.Hummmm Elvis had lot of fancy expensive material things but I bet he would have been just as happy with a pig or movie collection. (Cant say anything about the gun collection cause he had a whopper of one.) See the difference? I think being famous and rich does not make you happy.
So HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIS maybe in your next life you can just be happy being a good guy with a lot friends who just love you for being you and have one heck of a pig collection!

[Cornelia Read]

YAY SUSAN!!! What a great review, and much deserved!

[Susan McB]

Aw, thanks, Cornelia! I'm always so happy when someone who isn't my mother likes my books. So, SusanCo, who does get the pig collection??? (My aunt has one, too...though she has forbidden anyone from ever giving her anything remotely resembling a pig ever again.)

[Rob Gregory Browne]

Wow, Susan, congatulations on the great review! Can't wait to read the book.

[SusanCo]

I cant believe that there are many people who would want 2500 pigs! Do you? If you do, Please send list to fax number 719-555-3156 or call Hazel at her office number, she isnt doing anything anyway.

[Susan McB]

Thanks, Rob! :-)

SusanCo, so Hazel's handling the disposal of the pig collection? Is that why she hasn't been at work lately? And she told us it was the Cat Flu.

[SusanCo]

Ahhhhh actually she wont be doing that until or IF something goes wrong tomorrow morning!!!! And it wont! Besides she just found out about this about four minutes ago.LOL I think that she has the porcus flu instead of the cat flu, but I could be wrong.

[JDRhoades]

Excellent news, Susan! I understand that PW has some tough reviewers so a good one from them is a real prize.

[Susan McB]

Hey, Dusty, thanks! And congrats on your very own, very nice PW review. Saw it up on your blog. A toast of my Dasani (it would be a margarita, but I'm still working).