Book excerpt: Special Memories is an astonishing recollection of meetings and discussions with some of the most well-known movers and shakers of the times. The author shares incredible close-ups with, to name a few, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra, and Robert Kennedy. Some of the stories reveal shocking details, such as a torrid White House love affair, how Russian leader Leonid Brezhnev was almost killed just minutes before a summit conference in Washington, why John Wayne started to like pork over steak, and how Frank Sinatra burned a hole in the author’s new sport coat. A box of tissue is suggested for some of the encounters the author had, especially the sad behind-the-scene tug-a-war Marilyn had during her short life, Jimmy Doolittle experienced after the bombing of Tokyo, and John Daily had during his early professional golf career. In his nineteenth book, Special Memories, Elvin Bell takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride of superstar meltdown, victories, and heartfelt personal stories. It is a sip and flip thriller.