Friday, November 4, 2011

Virtual Book Tour- Under the Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman's Story


Welcome to the virtual book tour for Under the Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman's Story by Jay Rankin!


Today I have a guest post by the author, a review, and a giveaway.



 Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman’s Story by Jay Rankin

Under The Neon Sky is a gripping, true story about a Las Vegas doorman who works the graveyard shift at one of the major hotels on the Strip. The sights, smells, and page popping characters are unforgettable as we take a journey that will transform how we used to envision the city that never sleeps. We watch as this doorman begins to emotionally break and wonder if he will become broken seeing his friends, his wife, hotel guests, and himself cross too many boundaries in this riveting, page turning story.
  • The National Best Books 2010 Award Finalist in the Memoir category
  • Indie Excellence Book Award  Finalist in the Memoir category
  • 2011 International Book Award Finalist-Autobiography/Memoir category

Read Chapter 1 – Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman’s Story by Jay Rankin


Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman’s Story

Author: Jay Rankin

Genre: Non-Fiction – Autobiography/Memoir

Published by: Jay Rankin (October 10, 2009)

Age Recommendation: 15+ For Mild Sexual Content & Mature Language

Format: Hardcover, Perfect Paperback & eBook

ISBN13: 978-0984210916Number of pages: 268

For his guest post, I asked Jay Rankin to tell us a little
 something about why he wrote this book.

I think my background has a lot to do with why I felt the need to write this book. I was a pretty wild kid and it took me a long time to shed my ways as an adult. I worked in a country & western nightclub as a bouncer, was a probation officer for Los Angeles County. In time, I decided to try and find out why it was difficult for me to mature so I did what a lot of people do and took psychology in college looking for some answers. I loved the study of human behavior. I even figured out some inner questions. In time, I received my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. Years later I got the job as doorman at the MGM. Working in the middle of the night at the biggest hotel in the world, on the Las Vegas Strip was like working an intergalactic party on planet Azor located 13, 000 light years from our galaxy. The sights, sounds, smells, and behaviors weren’t addressed in any of my psych. books so I decided to write my own. I knew I had a story to tell.

Jay Rankin, author of Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman’s Story

Jay Rankin was born in Los Angeles, but he grew up in Hollywood, Ca. He held some amazing jobs. He worked his way through college inside the locked unit of a psychiatric hospital, was a Los Angeles County Probation Officer, worked at several detention camps, was a bouncer at a country and western nightclub in Los Angeles and built custom homes in Connecticut and Las Vegas. Jay studied and received a Master’s degree in clinical psychology. He now lives in Los Angeles and where he is raising his 9 year old son.





Find and follow Jay Rankin:
Buy the book at:



Check out the review and giveaway after the break!

Review:


Las Vegas is a city where anything goes. The stories about things that happen there are legendary. It's not known as Sin City for nothing. The large hotels of Vegas are cities unto themselves, hiring tons of staff to run everything as smoothly as possible. Some of the first people visitors see at the hotels are the doormen. They are considered the "ambassadors" for the hotel. For six years, Jay Rankin was one of them. A doorman at the MGM Grand, Jay worked an overnight shift that marked some of the busiest times for the hotel doormen. While working as a doorman, Jay saw a little bit of everything. At work and at home, he soon discovered that Vegas was a city that could get under your skin in numerous ways. While the money was good, everything around him seemed to be falling apart. He would be forced to choose between Vegas and his life, but that is not as easy a decision as it may seem.

I was immediately drawn into this book. It will reaffirm the truth in almost every crazy story you've heard about Vegas and then some. I found the structure of the hotel system fascinating. They really are their own little cities. There are so many people involved in making your visit to Vegas smooth for you, and some of them are definitely characters. However, they are almost always written about with great affection. You can feel that despite everything that happened, the author still has a great love for the people and the city itself. There are some crazy stories about things that happened there. Of course, the wildest night is the one that changes everything for Jay Rankin, the infamous Tyson vs. Holyfield match. Yes, the ear biting one. As he begins to see just what Vegas can do to you, Jay has to make some tough decisions.

Despite all the interesting stories, there are a lot of dark aspects to this story. Jay watches as several friends make horrible decisions that get them into even worse positions in life. While he struggles to try and find ways to help them, there is only so much he can do. Even worse is watching Jay's marriage and life spiral out of control. It seems like the more success he has at work. the worse things get at home. Luckily Jay had enough presence of mind to know when it was time for a change. Unfortunately many people he knew did not.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a very quick read. It also really made me think. When there is so much craziness around you, is it really possible to keep your balance? At first it seems entirely possible, but as the book goes on you see that maybe this is not doable after all. This book will be of great interest to people who are interested in Las Vegas or just interested in all the wild things that can happen there. And after reading about so many lives falling apart, the ending gives just a bit of hope that some people can escape the insanity.

Book provided for review.


I have one e-book to giveaway! There are two easy entries, and this giveaway is open internationally. It will run from Nov. 5 to Nov. 30.


Be sure to check out all the stops on the tour! A full list is at the end of this post. Thanks for stopping by!



Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman’s Story by Jay Rankin – NURTURE Book Tour Schedule:


Posted by Lisa at 12:40 AM
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5 comments:

Laurie-J said...

Enjoyed the guest post...particularly the bit about feeling as if you were in a galaxy far, far away during the graveyard shift at the MGM Grand. Very funny :)

November 4, 2011 at 7:09 AM
Hellen said...

This book sounds very interesting. I've never been to Vegas and the only things I know about it are from tv and the internet.

November 17, 2011 at 11:58 AM
Darlene said...

Nope, never been to Vegas but I hope to someday!

darlenesbooknook at gmail dot com
GFC Darlene

November 17, 2011 at 12:04 PM
Laura H. said...

The last and only time I was in Vegas was on a family vacation when I was about 12 years old. But now I'd like to go back as an adult!

November 19, 2011 at 8:39 AM
Denise Z said...

I have been to Vegas several times over the years. I have a friend who lives there and when I am lucky I get to visit her and we check out the sites:) The last time I was there we went on the Star Trek tours, which I guess is not there any longer and it was awesome. You ain't seen nothin till you are face to face with the Borg LOL

November 25, 2011 at 9:09 PM

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