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Cassandra Peterson

Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark Hardcover – September 21, 2021

by Cassandra Peterson (Author)

4.8 3,280 ratings

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The woman behind the icon known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the undisputed Queen of Halloween, reveals her full story filled with intimate bombshells—told by the bombshell herself.

On Good Friday in 1953, at only 18 months old, 25 miles from the nearest hospital in Manhattan, Kansas, Cassandra Peterson reached for a pot on the stove and doused herself in boiling water. Third-degree burns covered 35% of her body, and the prognosis wasn't good. But she survived. Burned and scarred, the impact stayed with her and became an obstacle she was determined to overcome. Feeling like a misfit led to her love of horror. While her sisters played with Barbie dolls, Cassandra built model kits of Frankenstein and Dracula, and idolized Vincent Price.

Due to a complicated relationship with her mother, Cassandra left home at 14, and by age 17 she was performing at the famed Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Run-ins with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Tom Jones helped her grow up fast. Then a chance encounter with her idol Elvis Presley, changed the course of her life forever, and led her to Europe where she worked in film and traveled Italy as lead singer of an Italian pop band. She eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she joined the famed comedy improv group, The Groundlings, and worked alongside Phil Hartman and Paul "Pee-wee" Reubens, honing her comedic skills.

Nearing age 30, a struggling actress considered past her prime, she auditioned at local LA channel KHJ as hostess for the late night vintage horror movies. Cassandra improvised, made the role her own, and got the job on the spot. Yours Cruelly, Elvira is an unforgettably wild memoir. Cassandra doesn't shy away from revealing exactly who she is and how she overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. Always original and sometimes outrageous, her story is loaded with twists, travails, revelry, and downright shocking experiences. It is the candid, often funny, and sometimes heart-breaking tale of a Midwest farm girl's long strange trip to become the world's sexiest, sassiest Halloween icon.

Instant New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller

A New York Times Best Books to Give This Season selection

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Hachette Books
Publication date

September 21, 2021
Dimensions

6.35 x 1.35 x 9.3 inches
ISBN-10

0274800845
ISBN-13

978-0274800841
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Editorial Reviews

Review

-―Winner of the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award's Book of the Year

“Friggin’ hilarious! Juicy stories and outrageous revelations!”―RuPaul

“A wicked page turner filled with hilarity and heartbreak—a life full of crazy stories and insane revelations, told as only Cassandra Peterson could tell it.”―Rob Zombie

"This is the behind-the-wig story we've all been waiting for! It's inspiring, at times harrowing, and consistently hilarious. Be warned though, it's a real 'booby trap' because once you've picked it up you cannot put it down!"―Peaches Christ

“A hauntingly beautiful memoir of one of the most iconic figures of the macabre. Just when I thought I couldn’t fall in love with Elvira any more, this book took my admiration to a whole other level.”―Kat Von D

“I knew Cassandra had a colorful and exciting life, but I didn¹t realize what a talented writer she’d become. Her book is beautiful—funny, poignant, outrageous, and full of surprises. Exactly like her. I’m happy I can genuinely recommend it and hope I’ll get to play myself when it becomes a blockbuster movie.”―Paul Reubens AKA Pee-wee Herman

“Elvira the character is a tantalizing gothic pop icon, a living Halloween costume, a kitschy, clever, comely chanteuse with brains. But Cassandra, the multi-talented woman inside that character, has lived an incredible life full of experiences that make most people's best days sound like dime-store humdrum.”―Jack White

“Elvira/Cassandra is a glamour ghoul after my own black heart—and a virtuoso tassel-twirler. I value her beauty advice. But most of all, I treasure her showbiz tales—louche, lusty, and sometimes so ludicrous they have to be real! Here they are, and more, delivered with that scintillating wit that makes her a bona fide legend. I savored every single page.”―Dita Von Teese

“Prepare yourself to enter a rocky, rollicking life, loaded with unexpected twists, turns, and stunning surprises. The Groupie stories alone will leave you jawdropped. Turn off your phones and computers, get to know Cassandra, and settle in for a delicious, un-put-downable read.”―Pamela Des Barres

"For chilly nights, stay at home and read Yours Cruelly, Elvira, the dishy new memoir from Elvira (a.k.a. Cassandra Peterson), the longtime horror movie hostess and entrepreneur."―New York Times

"Cassandra Peterson reveals how she became the Mistress of the Dark, and her tale is far more complex than one might expect….Through it all, Peterson maintains the dry sense of humor beloved by viewers since her Movie Macabre days, showing off her affection for corny puns even when she’s recalling painful memories. Her book is a must-read for anyone interested in 1970s Hollywood, horror movies, or just Elvira herself—a pop culture icon of the highest order." ―BUST Magazine

“Yours Cruelly, Elvira is packed with insider details and a few shocking surprises which no one saw coming, except folks closest to her plunging neckline….Peterson's memoir is written in much the same style as her persona and delivers her mildly sardonic yet warmly funny lines easily, but it's not all jokes and sarcasm. There's an honesty that satisfyingly saturates these chapters. Fans will savor personal stories about her rocky upbringing, her determination to make it in Hollywood, and, most touchingly, her deep shock and sadness at losing several close friends to the burgeoning AIDS epidemic while attempting to remain focused on her career. There are a few zingers Peterson elaborates on which will undoubtedly surprise even hardcore fans of this dark enchantress.”―Bay Area Reporter

"If you've ever wondered if there are 1000 fascinating stories behind the iconic character, the answer is yes....The book is full of a million ways she became that way."―NPR’s “Bullseye”

“The writing in the memoir is deeply personal and heartfelt, detailing Peterson’s relationships with her parents, her siblings and her partners throughout the years. Seemingly she doesn’t hold back on details, allowing the audience to appreciate a life lived, with many lessons learned along the way….Ostensibly Yours Cruelly, Elvira is a book for horror fans and lovers of this character, and no doubt if a devotee remembers tuning in on Saturday nights to see Elvira introduce the horror flick of the week, there’s a lot of nostalgia within these pages. However, Peterson is after something more profound and revelatory than mere nostalgia. Her stories are meant to teach lessons, bear witness and show just how wild a life’s journey can be from the farms of Kansas to the top of the media world….This is not Elvira’s book, it’s Peterson’s, and that’s a good thing."―Hollywood Soapbox

About the Author

Cassandra Peterson was born in Manhattan, Kansas, and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At age 17, she began performing as a showgirl at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas, then traveled to Europe where she pursued a career as a singer and actor. Upon returning to the states, Peterson toured America as star of her own musical-comedy show, Mama’s Boys. She eventually settled in Hollywood, where she spent four years with L.A.’s foremost improvisational comedy group, The Groundlings. In 1981, she auditioned for the part of “horror hostess” on a local Los Angeles station. That show, Movie Macabre, and her newly created character, Elvira, became an overnight sensation and gained national syndication. Peterson also co-wrote, produced, and starred in two feature length films: Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and Elvira’s Haunted Hills. She has spent four decades solidifying her unique brand and building it into an internationally recognized pop culture icon synonymous with Halloween and the horror genre.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0306874350
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hachette Books (September 21, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0274800845
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0274800841
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.28 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.35 x 1.35 x 9.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #81,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #13 in Horror Movies
- #142 in Television Performer Biographies
- #3,139 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.8 3,280 ratings

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4.8 out of 5

3,280 global ratings

5 star		87%
4 star		9%
3 star		2%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Amazonian Customer

Enjoyable reading

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 3, 2023

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I’m not too much of a book reviewer, but I found this book very entertaining. If you’re a fan of Elvira, then this is a good book for you if you enjoy reading biographies this is also a book for you.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 14, 2023

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I get to know about more Cassandra and how Elvira all began! Really great I will be rereading this book soon! I do recommend this book to people that have an interest in Elvira

Helpful

Elvira/Cassandra Peterson warts-and-all autobiography

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 20, 2022

Verified Purchase

I never watched Elvira’s horror-hosting show, but it seemed at one time that Elvira’s image was everywhere. Elvira was such an over-the-top character that I figured her life’s story could be an interesting read. And it was. My takeaways …

By the time Cassandra was 14, she was a wild child. And even while still in high school, she was dancing at “gentlemen” clubs. Clearly the adults in her life weren’t acting as responsible adults.

Regardless, that experience (and, let’s face it, her breasts) got Cassandra a job as a showgirl in Las Vegas. So a heady time for her, meeting many famous people. Also getting some good show business advice (such as taking singing lessons) that wound up aiding her throughout her career. Basically, a formative time in her life with a slew of people, temptations and experiences.

Cassandra realized you can’t be a Las Vegas showgirl forever, so she struck out for Los Angeles; but ultimately she spent much of her 20’s in a long series of singing and dancing gigs around the USA (and, to a lesser extent, Europe). To me, it was a vagabond lifestyle. And, with her 30’s approaching, she knew it was a lifestyle she could not continue living.

Of course, getting the role of Elvira was Cassandra’s golden ticket to success. It was a role she embraced, and so became a role that defined the rest of her professional career. Elvira was a role Cassandra did not escape – nor did she seem to want to.

But it’s hard to sustain such a role for decades. And, with the public’s waning interest, further Elvira projects meant having to create your own projects and investing your own money to produce those projects – and thus taking huge financial risks. And ultimately, retiring Elvira meant retirement for Cassandra.

Bottom line: A book liberally sprinkled with humor, but basically infused with the whole gamut of emotions: joy and sadness, love and loss, friendship and disappointment, good fortune and stress.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Leilani S.

Great read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

What an entertaining read! Quite a fascinating life story, and lots of humor throughout the book. Glad I own it.

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daniel james mceachren

a book about herself

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

IT a book written by herself about her early years and being the character.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 30, 2023

Verified Purchase

The book was just as described, arrived on time and well packaged.

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John D. Harding

Amusing and interesting life story told simply and candidly, a good read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

I'd love to meet the author, she has had a very interesting life and her resilience, humanity, personality and sense of humor comes right through in this easy to read book. Her attitude is great and her modest, open and witty recounting of her life is full of good lessons without being "preachy". Some things she says are laugh-out-loud funny. Any woman will empathize with her experiences and sentiments and guys too might get a better understanding of the female point-of-view towards their actions and the way they treat their girlfriends, wives and the fairer sex they lust after. Her comments about rape and how it would feel for a man if it happened to him are a must-read.

Helpful

Karina

Very INTERESTING read to have in your own personal library

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 18, 2022

Verified Purchase

Growing up I have always have always will be an eighty girl bad hellious stands against your own parents. I was always home from Friday til Sunday doing nuttin but staying up all night til the sun started to raise the next morning. My favorite thing to watch was Elvira's hosting gig showing nuttin but b title horror films she made it so fun to watch TV you wanted to be Elvira's best gal pal,and after reading her book I gain even more respect of her she never held back told it how it was weather good or bad

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bev ozbourne

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 29, 2021

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This is a must buy for any elvira fan . i couldnt put the book down for 2 days till i finished it. I found it truly inspirational . she rose above the bad experiences she went through some had me crying what some people did to her in her young years. But she rose above it all and didnt give in. Truly an amazing book to read especialy for women who have suffered abuse. This book is deffo a must have. I totaly loved the whole book. Like i said i couldnt put the book down . it will make you laugh and cry . and most of all ill say again truly inspirational. Its made me adore cassandra peterson aka elvira all the more. Shes truly and amazing woman ❤

9 people found this helpful

Paul Russell

One of my all time favourite audiobooks.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 5, 2021

Verified Purchase

The only reason I have given this 4 out of 5 stars instead of the 6 out of 5 stars is because I had to buy this in CD format. It was fiddly as hell moving the CDs around which is why I try to buy my audiobooks either on Audible or other streaming stores.

This is my first factual audiobook of this type I have bought and wasn'[t too sure what to expect. Well I found this very fascinating and very funny throughout and it works with the writer reading her own book and it sounds more like her talking to you personally rather than reading from a script.

3 people found this helpful

Munkey

Very poor delivery service

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 8, 2021

Verified Purchase

The book is what it is, its a book and I shall thoroughly enjoy reading it.
I was massively disappointed with the fact that I originally ordered it on 24th Sept and it eventually arrived on 6th Dec.
I did receive a few notifications of the delay but no reason why.
Had I know before I ordered that it would have taken that long to receive it, I'd have gone into a bookshop and purchased.

One person found this helpful

Stephen Mosley

Inspiring

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 7, 2022

Verified Purchase

Cassandra Peterson's candid memoir reveals a strong, witty woman, whose life is not without struggle. The way Cassandra overcomes all obstacles on her journey is nothing short of inspiring. Moving, funny and entertaining, I cannot recommend this book enough.

2 people found this helpful

ian Goldthorpe

The gal who put the boob into boobtube

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 5, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is pure heaven it covers her life, loves and career. So many nuggets of information and slices of history. This is a must for anyone who loves not only Cassandra Peterson but also her creation Elvira.

3 people found this helpful

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