Sam Morris / Las Vegas News Bureau
Saturday, May 28, 2016 | 2 a.m.
There are literary deadlines, and there are the deadlines of life.
Holly Madison understands both.
The due date for her second child and second book have been inconveniently aligned, with Madison initially facing a June release date for “The Vegas Diaries.” The release date, as it were, for the second child of Madison and her husband, Pasquale Rotella, is Aug. 8.
Given that Madison would need to make several book-signing appearances in the weeks leading to the release, her physical condition played into the release of the book. If she were to release “The Vegas Diaries” in June, she would be too far into her pregnancy at seven months to be able to fly for these commitments.
“There could be no travel for me in June,” Madison said. “I had to finish fast.”
The book was issued May 17, with the mother-to-be meeting fans at such events as a signing at Barnes & Noble on Rainbow and U.S. 95 on May 20 and a series of such events in Los Angeles and surrounding areas this week.
The subtitle of Madison’s latest effort is “Romance, Rolling the Dice and the Road to Reinvention.” This reinvention — or series of such — has been effectively chronicled.
The public has shared in Madison’s winding navigation of her life and career, from her starring run on “The Girls Next Door” and her infamous experience as Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend through her second reality-TV project, two seasons of “Holly’s World,” the three-year stint as Bo Peep in “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood and her two books.
The first Madison tome was “Down the Rabbit Hole,” which covered her tumultuous time with Hef and her fellow girlfriends Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett and carried through to her move to Las Vegas.
That book and its follow-up were crafted with the help of her co-writer and editor, Leslie Bruce (a celebrity biographer and journalist who also co-wrote Lauren Conrad’s “Celebrate”). And, as was the case with “Rabbit Hole,” which spent three weeks at the top of The New York Times’ bestseller list, “Diaries” also has cracked that prestigious list.
Madison has thus managed to write a pair of bestselling books long after she was on TV or featured in a Strip production show. Her life remains fascinating, given her experiences in Las Vegas leading to her current role as a wife and mother.
“I just write because I love writing, and if people can identify with what I am saying, that’s great,” Madison says. “The first book’s success was really built on word-of-mouth. It had been a while since I was on TV, I wasn’t in a show, so I was feeling that people would have to be out there relating to how I felt in this life in Las Vegas.”
Madison dishes effectively about her dating days, changing names when appropriate. She talks of resisting an overture to return to the Playboy Mansion for Season 6 of “The Girls Next Door,” instead turning to “Dancing With the Stars,” fulfilling one of her written goals when she arrived in Las Vegas.
She also jotted down that she wanted to star in “Crazy Horse Paris” at MGM Grand (an effort that never materialized but led her to “Peepshow”) and her own reality-TV show (“Holly’s World” became that vehicle).
Not everything has worked according to plan. The nightclub Holly Madison’s 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque at Mandalay Bay ended in a legal dispute between Madison and club operators, proving that not even the most promising concept is not without risk.
Some of Madison’s relationships, too, have resulted in acrimony. Her continuing feud with Wilkinson-Baskett, a pass-the-popcorn battle played out on Twitter, has not been resolved.
Wilkinson-Baskett has alternately accused Madison of being “embarrassed” about her behavior at the Playboy Mansion and as a result blamed her for blocking a “Girls Next Door” reunion. She has repeatedly blasted Madison in interviews when talking of Madison’s books.
Madison says the writing process has helped her deal with such personality conflicts.
“It’s funny, here I am promoting a book about moving on and reinvention, that is an example of how you want to move on and make a change, and there are people who want to hold you back, people who care or haters,” Madison says.
“You have to be able to accept change, become a better person. I am on my own personal journey, but there is always somebody negative out there wagging their finger at you.
Regardless, Madison remains well liked in Las Vegas and reminds in each conversation of her sharp intellect. Her relocation to Las Vegas was no flippant decision.
Madison moved here not only because she saw professional opportunities, but also because she would be able to exist relatively unfettered without paparazzi peering through bushes or tabloid-styled reporters stopping her at the airport.
“It is absolutely true that one of the reasons I liked Las Vegas was there was no paparazzi hanging out, like you’d see in L.A., on Melrose or Beverly,” Madison says.
“When I lived there, it was the height of tabloid-mania and paparazzi-mania. I mean, when you’re stopped at the airport (which did happen to Madison at LAX) by someone asking invasive questions, you’re going to come across as rude. I didn’t want that in my life.”
Professionally, as her family expands, Madison is continuing to focus on her writing. She says the next book won’t be a continuation of the narrative she has established in her first two autobiographical releases.
Rather, as she has been inspired by her daughter, Rainbow, she has seen her world through a child’s prism.
“I see myself writing a young-adult project, a children’s book, even do that under another name,” Madison says. “It would definitely be a fictitious character … but there would be some of me in there, definitely.”
Catering to the young and modern crowd, Planet Hollywood is a one-stop shop for entertainment with its massive shopping mall, slew of restaurants, spacious casino and clubs.
The ambiance of the casino is retro-chic meets high-tech with black granite floors throughout and colorful LED lights throughout the space. The theme carries into the 100,000 square-foot casino with 250 flat screens topping off slot machines. The casino is also home to 87 tables, a sports book and a poker room.
There's also the Miracle Mile Shops, one Vegas' largest malls, with 140 stores including BCBG Max Azaria, bebe, Urban Outfitters and The Discovery Channel Store.
Following an afternoon of shopping, guests can satisfy their appetites at one of the gourmet restaurants in Planet Hollywood, like the non-traditional approach to steakhouses at Strip House or check out the exotic Far East motif at KOI restaurant and lounge. And if guests are still looking for more, they can spend the after hours at Privé, Triq or Krave nightclubs.
Perhaps one of the resorts biggest attractions came in March with the addition of "Peepshow." The naughty twist on the story of Little Bo Peep is modern-day spin on the run-of-the-mill Vegas topless review. The "Peepshow" stage has seen visiting celebs like Scary Spice Mel B, "Dancing with the Stars" Kelly Monaco and Playboy's Holly Madison.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow Kats on Instagram at Instagram.com/JohnnyKats1.
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