Big, awesome stories about my book in The Las Vegas Review-Journal and on HuffingtonPost. Check 'em out!

There’s no immodest way to say this, so I’ll just come out and say it: I just had the #1 best book release party in history. Here’s the proof, courtesy of Bryan Adams Photography:

Speical thanks to Rumor Botique Hotel, Suzanne Lugano, VEGAS Magazine, Las Vegas Weekly, Paula, Kelli, Janice, Jeff, Dave, Josh, Craig, Jeremy, Barnes & Noble and everyone else who helped make the night fantastic.

Today, Zeke Quezada at About.com had this to say about Fool Me Once:

“It's a book that makes you want to move to Vegas to increase your likelihood of having an interesting life, it makes you question everything far more and smile at the absurdities of life. Mostly though, Fool Me Once, chronicles Vegas situations in such a way that you will not stop reading until the end and then ponder your own Vegas story. This book should be on your poolside reading list. The next time you need a book that is fun, helps you have a good time and requires no emotional attachment, Fool Me Once is what you are looking for.”

What an awesome review! Exactly what I was going for with this book. Big thanks to Mr. Q. and all the fine people at About.com, advisors of all matters animal, vegetable, and mineral.

Fool Me Once, a "memoir of deceit and romantic delusion" is a Dallas News Recommended Reading book.

So, Dallans (Dallites? Dallasonians?)....start reading it, already!

From the December MAGIC magazine:

"Next month, your local bookstore will have the latest memoir by Rick Lax, FOOL ME ONCE, on its shelves. Set in Las Vegas and incorporating a cast of characters including strippers, Criss Angel, bartenders, and Lance Burton, in the broadest sense, FOOL ME ONCE is a funny, engaging, and personal discourse on deception in all its forms, magic tricks included."

Thanks, MAGIC!

(Side note: the guy on the cover of this month’s MAGIC magazine, Guy Hollingworth, is a fellow magician/lawyer. He invented one of the best magic tricks I’ve ever seen: Reformation. Reformation is not only awesome, it’s also the most difficult trick I know. If you know a harder one, I’d love to see it.)

Sarah Palin’s got a new book coming out, and so does Newt Gingrich, and so does Bobby Jindal, and so do I.

Am I planning to run for President under the Republican ticket in 2012 or what?

Let me be clear about this:

As of now, I have no definite plans to run for President. I’m happy writing for Las Vegas Weekly. It’s a fulltime job, and serving my reader/constituents fulfills me completely. Plus, I plan to spend 2011 promoting my book, Fool Me Once: Hustlers, Hookers, Headliners, and How Not to Get Screwed in Vegas. So, no, I’m not planning on throwing my hat into the ring.

Do I think I’d make a good President?

Obviously I would. I’d be infinitely better than any of the other candidates. I’m the only guy who can turn this country around—I think we all know that. But, as of right now, I’m simply not interested in running. (So let’s get this straight: if, for whatever reason, I do run for President—which I won’t—I’ll be the one doing the favor for you.)

Does the fact that my book’s subtitle has the words “hooker” and “screwed” in it hurt my chances in the Bible Belt? Please. If there’s one thing the American votes have proven time and time again, it’s this: we vote for candidates who are affiliated with hookers in some shape or form.

In conclusion, I’m counting on your vote.

Now, moving to a related matter and getting serious for a moment: I’m one chapter into the George Bush memoir, and I’m loving it.

I posted that on facebook, and for the life of me, I can’t remember the last time I took so much flak from so many of my friends.

My new book drops in two months. It’s called Fool Me Once: Hustlers, Hookers, Headliners, and How Not to Get Screwed in Vegas. Essentially, it’s A Tale of Two Cities, but with fewer cities and more photos.

Now, a lot of local literati have criticized my decision to not appear on Oprah to promote my book. There’s been a lot of speculation as to why I won’t go on the show, and I’d like to take this opportunity to set the record straight:

-Am I afraid of getting “the James Frey treatment”? Of course not. Have you seen what the James Frey treatment did for James Frey’s book sales? Through the roof.

-Am I “pulling a Jonathan Franzen”? Please! That Franzen guy is a hack. I can’t even remember the last time he published a book.*

Does my refusal to appear on the show have anything to do with Oprah expressing no interest whatsoever in having me on her show?

Nope. Here’s the deal: I’m holding out for Bonnie Hunt.

*Editor’s Note: 2 months and 6 days ago.

This is so frustrating! Kirkus just posted a review of Fool Me Once, but I can't read it because I don't have a Kirkus account. All I can read is the first two lines, which say... "Fear and loathing is in short supply, but there are plenty of cons and cheap hustles in this lively memoir of time spent on the seamier edge of Casinoland. Hunter Thompson it ain’t, and that’s refreshing for a book about..." And that's all I can read. :/

Unfairly young/talented author Kevin Roose wrote one of the best books of 2009--this according to Barnes & Noble and Las Vegas Weekly. It's called, "The Unlikely Disciple" and it's about the author's time at the ultra-religious Liberty University.

Well, here's what Mr. Roose had to say about my upcoming book, Fool Me Once:

"Rick Lax embedded himself with Vegas's most notorious magicians, call girls, and wheeler-dealers and emerged with a funny and fascinating cautionary tale for the rest of us. Anyone who's ever been scammed, bluffed, or lied to should read Fool Me Once."

Thanks for the kind words, Kevin!

Jim Steinmeyer is the top illusion creator in the world. He’s designed and consulted for David Copperfield, Lance Burton, Ricky Jay, and the Walt Disney Company. If you’ve seen a stage magician perform in the last 20 years, you’ve probably seen a couple of steinmeyer’s tricks.

Here’s what Mr. Steinmeyer has to say about my upcoming book Fool Me Once: Hustlers, Hookers, Headliners and How Not to Get Screwed in Vegas:

"Rick Lax has written a wry, laugh-out-loud love letter to the world of deception. And we get to read it. It's a great book."