Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Elvis

Real Books Are Still Way Cool

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by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

The planets aligned correctly last Friday and I combined a visit to my hairdresser and the 10th Annual Rose City Book and Paper Fair. Truly miraculous. Before I knew it I had wandered for three hours among the booths snapping up must have books and getting creative ideas and inspirations. These were my peeps!

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Original Dr. Seuss? Can you see the number of zeros behind the $? www.burnsiderarebooks.com

While I could not afford the high priced books, I could see them and be impressed. In one booth a guy practically climbed over me to get to a signed framed photo of Muhammad Ali. In another booth I noticed a first edition Ali biography bound in leather and signed by the Champ. When I learned of his passing Friday night, it touched me to have seen things he had signed. The greatest of all time.

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Speaking of greats, how about this display of book authors? www.pacificcoastbooks.net

The variety was astounding and I had a blast. The event is put on by the Cascade Booksellers Association and featured 55 booths. Vendors from Oregon, Washington and California displayed their goods. I scampered away with four books; a biography of Hans Christian Andersen from the $3 table, a $5 copy of Hardtack and Coffee, Women Marines; The World War II Era and U.S. Submarine Losses of World War II.

 

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How is this for an amazing display? Makes you want to pick them up doesn’t it? Zephyr Used & Rare Books

 

It does my heart good to see folks preserving and cherishing these books and items produced by other artists and writers. There were even relief maps built for the World War II invasion in the Pacific, including the mapmakers memories. You never know what you might find.

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Building 14 items from World War II. About $3,000.00 for the package of relief maps. www.monographbookwerks.com

Elvis was in the building and so were cookbooks and some very cool collectibles.

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Elvis is always in the building as far as I’m concerned.

I need more walls to hang art on and store books. What better past time for an adventure than to hunt for books this summer?

What’s on your book wish list?

 

 

Las Vegas Education?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Still processing all the things I saw in Las Vegas, but I’ve come up with some lessons learned that might be helpful to others.

Did not see any books in Las Vegas on the Strip. Okay, I saw a couple children’s books at the Siegfried and Roy Dolphin and Tiger Sanctuary, but the only other books I saw were in the Elvis exhibit from what he had on his nightstand. Elvis loved to read. Yes!

White tigers and lions are amazing; tiger cubs even cuter! Tigers are bigger than lions. I had no idea. Cubs make the cutest growly noises when they play.

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McDonald’s has some killer oatmeal and it’s way cheaper than $7.99 for a bowl of room service oatmeal. McDonald’s is also smoke free, which cannot be said about any other place on the Strip practically, except Denny’s.

I gamble very little, bet a buck and cashed out at $1.11. Don’t drink much and didn’t go to a show. I wasn’t there for a convention, bachelor or bachelorette party. So I am not their target demographic. I’m good with that. Las Vegas hosts 22,000 conventions a year. That is NOT a typo.

The street performers are everywhere. Personally ran into KISS, Chewbacca, Mickey and Minnie, Hello Kitty, Catwoman, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, multiple Minions, the snowman from Frozen, show girls, dominatrixes (how do you make that plural?) some guy in cowboy boots, cape and red, white and blue underwear who must have been freezing and Darth Vader. To name a few. All I did was walk outside.

Took in the night lights bus tour of the casinos and when everyone was taking pictures of The Mirage volcano erupting, I was taking pictures of them and the rest of the Strip. Another rule from photojournalism; when everybody is looking in one direction, look the other way!

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Highlights were seeing the dolphins, lions and tigers and learning about the conservation program to save them all. Enjoyed the Elvis exhibit from Graceland very much. Got to see his actual Army uniform too. The end of the exhibit had a 26-minute film of Elvis performing from 1956 to 1973. You can only see it at this exhibit and it is amazing.

One song in particular he sang hit me pretty hard and I wasn’t the only one tearing up. I’ve thought of it many times since returning home.

In these days before Thanksgiving, I am so glad to live in the USA and be grateful for all I have. Because no matter what happens, America was built by dreamers for dreamers. We have to keep dreaming big.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Armed Forces Day and Elvis

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by Kimberly A. Cook                   (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Since I returned from vacation and posted about Elvis, seems like all things Elvis are popping up. Saw the “Hawaii Five-O” tv show On Demand with the Elvis impersonators. Today’s paper had an article about a local couple who won their dream wedding at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas with Priscilla Presley as their Matron of Honor. And Graceland has an exhibit of Elvis memorabilia on display in Las Vegas.

Since tomorrow is Armed Forces Day, thought folks might like to hear from Elvis about what it was like to be in the Army. Even Elvis had to pull kitchen police, or KP as we call it. Happy Quirky Friday and have a great weekend!

Have You Seen Elvis In Maui?

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by Kimberly A. Cook              (Twitter@    WarriorTales)

Back from a Girls Road Trip to Maui with my Mom and Sister. We had a great time, beautiful weather and we got to see Elvis! Now before you think the humidity turned my brain to mush, we saw Darren Lee as Elvis in the Burn’ N Love Show in Lahaina.

Elvis or Darren Lee in Maui?
Elvis or Darren Lee in Maui?

I’m a HUGE Elvis fan, always have been. I try to have no regrets in life, but the one I do have is giving up my tickets to see Elvis in Portland on April 27, 1973 because I would have been booted out of our High School musical. His concert was the same date as dress rehearsal for “Hello Dolly.” The choir director, alias Attila the Hun, insisted that if I missed the rehearsal I was out of the show. (I was only a chorus crowd and marching band member, but in high school teachers word was law. Quit choir the next year anyway for journalism and the yearbook staff.)

Two high school friends went with my Mom and Dad and four years later Elvis was gone. Several years ago I went to the Elvis concert with his actual band playing to the films of Elvis performing and that was pretty great. But Darren Lee knows Elvis.

Lee has been performing Elvis since the young age of 15. After winning the 1997 World Elvis Competition in Memphis, Tennessee, he went on to perform as Elvis in Las Vegas for eleven years. A couple of years ago he and his wife visited Maui for the first time and fell in love with the island. He thought it would be great to bring an Elvis show to Maui. Luck, timing, support and perhaps a little help from Elvis himself and the show started in 2013 in Lahaina. A portion of all ticket sales benefit the Maui Food Bank – 100,000 meals so far!

Lee concentrates on Elvis from 1957 through his comeback tv special in 1968 – yes, the black leather – OMG – through 1973. He pays special attention to Elvis’s Hawaii concerts and films too. It’s 90-minutes of amazing fun, showmanship, dancers and true entertainment. We were  singing along and dancing and clapping to the beat.

If you get to Maui you’ve got to see Darren Lee as Elvis. I don’t know how he does half of the moves with the microphone, his hips, knees and ankles, but he must have a chiropractor and masseuse on call 24/7.  The show is rated the number one attraction in Maui and with very good reason.

The quotes which run before the show are wonderful from all the entertainers inspired by Elvis. I can’t make up for missing my one Elvis concert, but Darren Lee made me feel I’d seen a glimpse of the King.

https://youtu.be/YankZkK6u-4