New Book, Gone with the Whim: Leaving the Bible Belt for Sin City, Now Available

LAS VEGAS - June 23, 2014 - PRLog -- After swallowing down one too many “pink drinks”at a dinner, author Stefany Holmes made a proposition that would change her life: a move to Las Vegas from metro Atlanta where she had spent the past dozen years. Having never even visited Las Vegas prior to the move,  the result is a captivating self-proclaimed “part memoir, part travelogue" entitled Gone with the Whim. Throughout the book, Holmes uses nonfiction tales, limericks and pieces of history to vividly describe her experiences and encounters. The fresh and spirited account is suited for first-time visitors, seasoned Las Vegas veterans and locals. Gone with the Whim is available in hardcover or paperback at amazon.com and an e-reader version will be released soon.

While this is Holmes’ debut work, she’s no stranger to the creative arena. She is an accomplished artist whose works include paint and photography. Having an education that includes a degree in advertising and English, Gone with the Whim is the perfect fusion of her artistic energy and academic training, marking her formal parlay into writing.

Holmes sets the stage for Gone with the Whim with her immediate and blind impressions of Las Vegas and the story of how she and her “Driver” decide to make the move out of Atlanta. It also provides an intro to the candid humor and wit used by Holmes to set the backdrop of a light-hearted tale.

Holmes speaks of her perceptions and expectations of her new town and sees the reality of the so-called “Sin City” that includes strong desert winds, a curious neighborhood boy and extraordinarily high fees at the DMV. She also delves into both notable and typical Vegas experiences such as slot machines, bingo and eating at her first buffet in the city.

"The entire expo can be overwhelming for a beginner and is a potential playground for indigestion if you were to try to mix everything together…I observed the other Buffet people, engrossing myself with recommendation and instruction made by the body language and self-serving etiquette of my fellow piglets."

Holmes also guides readers through many “firsts,” from various attractions including Stratosphere, the tallest structure east of the Mississippi, all the way to the Mob Museum. She approaches the experiences with the eyes of a newcomer, but the savvy of a fresh local while paying homage to the heritage of Las Vegas.

"I’ve always been fascinated with organized crime. Which is an overstatement, or flat-out lie, because I didn’t even know what “organized crime” was for the better part of my first decade… By my early teens, I supposed [it] was just a sarcastic expression or category for white collar crimes that flopped. You know, ponzi schemes and identity theft stuff."

Other Las Vegas experiences include the characters of the city, such as an iconic mayor. Holmes also delves into the amazement of Las Vegas shows and entertainers such as the dazzle of Celine Dion and the reflection of eating with her hands at an interactive knight show.

"I know every vocalist relies heavily on their instrument, but Celine’s is an entire ensemble inside her esophagus. When, just standing behind a microphone breeds crackerjack magic and the words spring from the pages of her mouth like winged elves on dandelion florets, forcing nature to sit up and take note of the man-made beauty springing from her Canadian parlance. It’s ridiculous."

While much of the emphasis is about landmark Las Vegas locales such as Fremont Street and the Strip, Holmes also focuses on the joys and perils of being a local. She describes the feeling of living in a city where casinos have as much of a presence as churches had in the Bible Belt. Her adventures take her everywhere from day trips around the desert to familiar local haunts such as In-N-Out Burger.

"I scampered across the parking lot to follow the likes of that scent, tracking like a floppy-eared bloodhound and sliding into the joint on foot—completely unannounced and empty-handed.  That smell, I swear, had the wings of Icarus."

Throughout the book, Holmes maintains her sharp wit, strong voice and tongue-in-cheek style that makes readers feel more like they are being told humorous and educational stories from a friend. Gone with the Whim leaves readers feeling that they know a little bit about the heart and soul of not only Las Vegas, but Holmes herself.