Book excerpt: The characters in Competing for Elvis have something unique that draws them to competitions. This story has nothing at all to do with their beloved Elvis but rather with their mission to resurrect his life. Jeremy Shrinks, Bobby Shrimp, Terance Best, and Henry (Hank) Hunk meet secretly in Las Vegas to compete in the Elvis competition. Jeremy is a convenience store clerk living in a trailer park in Yukon, Oklahoma; Bobby owns an auto body shop in Lynn, Massachusetts; Terance is a multimillionaire developer residing in Coral Gables, Florida; and Hank is an unemployed architect living with his mother and father in Los Angeles. Jeremy, who looks nothing like Elvis, has the perfect Elvis voice. Bobby looks and sounds somewhat like Elvis; however, it's his body language that sets him apart from the others. Terance lacks Elvis's looks and voice; however, his presence portrays Elvis's charisma and persona pervasively. Hank's good fortune is he looks exactly like Elvis. Ironically, for Jeremy, Bobby, Terance, and Hank, winning is not why they continuously compete, but rather it's an ends to a means to find Elvis, and their persistence finally pays. This trip to Las Vegas brings about miraculous changes for them. Their relentless vigil to find Elvis bonds them together and allows them to achieve their ultimate mission while "competing for Elvis."