Vicki Pettersson, a Las Vegas native, is a New York Times bestselling author who always loved to write. She became a showgirl by night . . . a closet novelist by day. A decade and a handful of manuscripts later she became an instant bestseller. Her latest title is ”The Touch of Twilight.”

Louis Prima Jr, like his father, leads the band with the trumpet and performs such Prima hits as “Jump, Jive & Wail,” “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “Angelina/Zooma Zooma,” “That Old Black Magic,” “Buona Sera,” “When You’re Smiling,” and “Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody.”

Pamela Jenkins is owner of The Cupcakery. Jenkins, who was born and raised in Jacksboro, Texas, studied in New York City and traveled the globe, is a total “foodie,” and has perfected the most nostalgic and favorite treat of all: the cupcake.

Sam Arlen is a professionally trained musician with more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry. He is the son of the renowned pianist and composer Harold Arlen and hosts “WIZARD: The Musical Journey of Oz Composer Harold Arlen.”

George Bugatti is a singer/pianist who was discovered and is the protégé of the late Steve Allen, the creator of “The Tonight Show.” He performs with Sam Arlen in “Wizard.”

Brian Greenspun oversees his family’s many business interests — ranging from publishing to real estate — as president of The Greenspun Corporation and editor and president of the Las Vegas Sun. His father, Hank Greenspun, is the focus of a new documentary called “Where I Stand,” which was featured at the l0th annual CineVegas Film Festival. Hank Greenspun founded the Sun in 1950.

Michael Close is an author, world-class jazz pianist , sleight-of-hand close-up magician, and author of several major books on magic His current book is “ That Reminds Me: Finding the Funny in a Serious World,” which contains more that 250 jokes.

Peter Max is a multi-dimensional creative artist and pop culture icon who has worked with oils, acrylics, water colors, finger paints, dyes, pastels, charcoal, pen, multi-colored pencils, etchings, engravings, animation cells, lithographs, serigraphs, silk screens, ceramics, sculpture, collage, video and computer graphics.

Steve Friess is a Las Vegas-based freelance writer and “Las Vegas Weekly” columnist whose work appears regularly in The New York Times, USA Today, Wired, Conde Nast Traveler, Newsweek and dozens of others. Steve also co-hosts TheStripPodcast.Com and The Petcast podcast and blogs at VegasHappensHere.Com.

Tom Warden is senior vice president of community and government relations for The Howard Hughes Corporation, an affiliate of General Growth Properties. Hughes is engaged in the master planning and development of Summerlin, a 22,500 acre community.

Entertainer Terry Fator gained national popularity when he won NBC-TV’s “America’s Got Talent” show and promptly sold out his two October (2007) shows at the Las Vegas Hilton. He was then signed to a 2008 schedule at the classic resort. Fator has spent 32 years honing his skills as a ventriloquist, celebrity impressionist, comedian and singer, but his key decision to blend those skills with his incredible ability to mimic famous singers put him over the top.

Photographer/publisher Lindsay Hebberd has created “Las Vegas-Imagination to Reality,” a 280-page tabletop editorial book illustrated with 553 striking photographs of the “Entertainment Capital of the World.” Hebberd, known for her photography of cultures around the world, became a Las Vegas resident in 2003. For the past 25 years, she has photographed in dozens of countries.

Veteran comedian Pete Barbutti is a long-time Las Vegas resident, who started his musical career at age eleven by taking accordion lessons. Comedy came later and he has combined both talents to entertain audiences all over the world.