Yours cruelly, Elvira : memoirs of the mistress of the dark / Cassandra Peterson.

"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. 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 troupe, 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. 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"-- Provided by publisher.

Kansas -- Colorado bound -- Horror, holidays, and hormones -- The virgin groupie -- Life-a-go-go -- Are you experienced? -- Fear and lack of clothing in Las Vegas -- Vive Les Girls (it's showtime!) -- Through the looking glass -- All shook up -- It's not unusual -- Rome if you want it -- Arrivederci, Roma -- LA woman -- You'll never work in this town again -- Mama's Boys -- Do you believe in magic? -- The Groundlings -- A Hollywood horror story -- Boobs n' beer -- Mistress of the Dark -- Saturday Night dead -- Hey Swami -- Briarcliff manor or Why did the chicken cross the road? -- Livin' in a haunted house -- The pigeon from hell -- The Elvira Show -- Lite a flame -- Hello, goodbye -- Baby love -- Elvira's Haunted Hills -- The hardest part -- Just like starting over -- Ch-ch-changes -- Both sides now.

On Good Friday in 1953, at only 18 months old, Cassandra Peterson reached for a pot on the stove and doused herself in boiling water. Third-degree burns covered 35% of her body, but she survived. Burned and scarred, the impact became an obstacle she was determined to overcome. Feeling like a misfit led to her love of horror. She joined the famed comedy improv troupe, The Groundlings, honing her comedic skills. When she auditioned at local LA channel KHJ as hostess for the late night vintage horror movies, she improvised, made the role her own, and got the job on the spot. Now known as Elvira, she shares her story of twists, travails, revelry, and downright shocking experiences on her trip to become the world's sexiest, sassiest Halloween icon. -- adapted from jacket