KISS Related

Mitch Weissman (2013)

Background vocalist/original "Beatlemania" cast member recalls his contributions to Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album and his work with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons on albums such as "Animalize" and "Crazy Nights," plus a potpourri of KISS stories and tangents.

David Snowden (2013)

Longtime KISS fan and former head of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion fan club talks "All Systems Go" and various KISS-related topics

Mark Opitz (2013)

Producer details his work on "KISS Symphony: Alive IV"

Bruce Foster (2012)

Grammy-nominated musician discusses working with KISS and playing piano on "Nothin' To Lose"

David Wolfert (2012)

Grammy- and Emmy-nominated producer recalls working with Peter Criss on his first post-KISS solo album, 1980's "Out Of Control"

Bob Ezrin (2012)

Legendary producer details "Destroyer: Resurrected" and the making of the album

Lydia Criss (2012)

Author discusses the second printing of "Sealed With A KISS" and various Peter Criss- and KISS-related topics

Jean Beauvoir (2010)

Songwriter/recording artist recalls collaborations with KISS on "Animalize," "Asylum" and more

Kenny Kerner (2010)

Recalling KISS' early days with the co-producer of "KISS" and "Hotter Than Hell"

Eric Singer (2010)

Exclusive interview with KISS' current drummer regarding a variety of topics

Ace Frehley (2009)

KISS' original Spaceman details his first studio album in 20 years, "Anomaly"

Bruce Kulick (2009)

Non-makeup-era axeman discusses KISS tenure and latest album, "BK3"

Mike Japp (2005)

A discussion with KISS collaborator on the "Killers" and "Creatures Of The Night" albums

Dick Wagner (2004)

KISS' favorite "ghost" guitarist discusses his guitar playing on "Destroyer" and "Revenge"

Jesse Damon (2003)

Former member of Silent Rage on his collaborations with Gene Simmons

Stan Penridge (2000)

Peter Criss' right-hand man talks Chelsea, Lips and working with the Catman

Bruce Kulick (1999)

Guitarist talks Union project with John Corabi, Eric Carr and ESP

Sean Delaney (1998)

A brief encounter with the "fifth" member of KISS

Bob Ezrin (1998)

Former KOL webmaster Michael Brandvold grills the legendary producer regarding his work with KISS

When I think of the "must-have" books for the KISS library, the ones that come to mind are "KISS Alive Forever," "KISS: Behind The Mask" ... "KISStory." Chris Lendt's ability to recount four-course meals from the '70s and what "rankled" the late Bill Aucoin make "KISS And Sell" a winner. Can't go wrong with the excellent research and extensive detail found in Julian Gill's KISS Album Focus books. Nestled at the top of the bookshelf is also Lydia Criss' excellent "Sealed With A KISS."

What makes "Sealed With A KISS" arguably a cut above the rest is the personal feel of the book. It's like looking at an insider's personal scrapbook from the '70s. And the photos. Criss' book contains more than 1,500 images, offering fans a unique time capsule of a most magical period in KISS' history as well as some great never-before-seen images from the unmasked era. Coupled with the text, it's as if you're right alongside Criss on not only her personal journey, but KISS' rocket ride to superstardom.

Originally released in 2006, not surprisingly "Sealed With A KISS" ultimately sold out of its first printing. While Criss released an ebook version last year, fans' best opportunity to land a physical copy is by scouring eBay, where copies run anywhere from $100 to $300. But that's about to change with the second printing of "Sealed With A KISS," which is set to be available in June. KissFAQ caught up with Lydia Criss to put her book back on the table and discuss the second printing, as well as a potpourri of KISS topics.



KissFAQ: Lydia, thanks for taking time to speak with us. We've been in touch for the past few months and you mentioned to me that you were working on a second printing of "Sealed With A KISS." Can you give KISS fans an update on what's going on in your world?
Lydia Criss: Well, first I was working on my ebook since my first printing sold out. I didn't really think it would take long to get the second printing done. Especially since most of the work was done already. But the ebook came out during last summer. The second printing of the book is being printed in Italy now, the same place [as the first printing].

KF: Is there a tentative release date???
LC: It usually takes a little less than two months especially because I already had a book printed [with them]. We have corrected a few things so that means you kind of have to start over. It's really complicated. Being that I am the publisher, they have to send me a book that doesn't look like a book, it looks like a newspaper. I have to review everything and Fed-Ex it back immediately.

There's been a lot of little steps in between. I takes a while to order the paper. That's the thing that takes the longest. I didn't quite understand why a printing company wouldn't have paper in stock already. But I've heard from some people in the industry that Italy has the best paper. I really wanted to go back to Italy. It's so much easier. I tried doing everything the American route but the price was crazy.

KF: Speaking of crazy, I was looking at eBay this past week and your book was going for upward of $100 to $200.
LC: I went to a Belgium [KISS] convention a couple of years ago and we did a deal where I brought X number of books. I brought the amount [and we did the deal]. I thought it was a little too much and it really was but ... we had a special cover made for that convention. Same cover, just a different main photo. A different photo of me and Peter. Whatever I didn't sell there, [he] payed me and he said he would sell them. So that's probably what's out there on eBay. I know the person that's selling them...I've seen them as high as $300. Three years ago I did the Sweden convention. At that one I brought just the right amount of books and I basically sold out. I could have probably brought a few more. But you know the problem is it's so expensive to get books [overseas]. My book, one book, if you send one book over there, it cost $40. Now, with the new increase, I think it's going to cost close $50. It's crazy to spend $50 just for postage. They used to have a way of sending it via boat and they just cut that out. When my book first came out, it cost $27 to send to Europe. Now it costs $27 just to get it to Canada.

KF: Is the second printing a strict reprint or are there any changes or additional content?
LC: There are a few things that we've changed. There was the same text on two different pages. The text was doubled, so we corrected that. We took Peter's social security number out. You know we were so cautious to take telephone numbers out (laughs).

There was also a picture of me and Tony Bennett that I wanted a little bigger because there was plenty of room on that page. That's basically all we did. I just did corrections. I think there's one photo, it was a much lighter photo. On the computer it looked nicer than it did in the book. It's a photo of me and it just became a little darker. So we just made it lighter. And I added 16 pages.

KF: Really?
LC: It's something that I was going to put in the first book, but by the time I got to the end of the first book I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

KF: (laughs)
LC: It's a 16-page listing of all the gigs that Peter ever played. It's where he played. When he played. Who he played with -- all prior to [when KISS got] management. Up until they started getting paid by the management, which was Oct. 1, 1973.

KF: Well I know some fans who weren't able to pick up your book the first time around will be very excited.
LC: I know. And you know the other thing that's going to help me tremendously this time is Facebook. I constantly get fans telling me that my book is the best [KISS book]. I know "KISStory" is a great book, but I look at my book as a smaller version of that. I didn't have that idea to begin with. I was looking to do more of a scrapbook. At one point I did have a publisher, a small publisher that went bankrupt. The book was going to have a spiral binding to look like a scrapbook. That's what made me write the book. I used to bring my scrapbook to conventions and fans went nuts. I didn't realize it because I was involved in it but fans love seeing what Peter, Paul, Ace and Gene looked like when they were 20 years younger. Now it's close to 40 years (laughs).

KF: I'm glad you mentioned that because it's exactly what I love about your book. You have this amazing collection of photographs and mementos like matchbooks, cards and receipts.
LC: There was a lot that I [i]wasn't[/i] allowed to put in. I had to leave some stuff out because of copyright and trademarks.

KF: How did you manage to keep all of that stuff? Are you the type of person that keeps everything?
LC: I am a pack rat (laughs). I had a lot of room up in the attic at the house in Greenwich, Connecticut. And when I moved to Manhattan I had everything in boxes and kept it at my parents. Later, Richie Ranno from Starz approached me to see if I wanted to do a convention and get rid of some of this stuff and I said absolutely. It was just in boxes and I was never going to look at it again. I mean you do once in a while, but I kept it at my parents. The conventions were good but then I stopped doing them and then I did an auction. I basically sold everything to finance the book.

KF: Ultimately, why did you decide to self-publish the book?
LC: The thing is that I had total control. I think it worked out best for me because I'm a Scorpio and Scorpios love control.

KF: I remember getting my signed copy in the fall of 2006 and reading it over a few nights. One of the first things that stood out to me was the placement of the nice quote from Peter on the back of the book acknowledging your support of him. Did you ever have any moment of doubt that Peter was going to "make it"?
LC: You always have some doubt. I did say in the book, somewhere toward the end, you gotta find someone else that has faith in you. Not just me. I mean someone that's in the business that believes what you believes in. You can be the greatest musician in the world and if you're not discovered, it's not going to do you any good.

KF: As it pertains to KISS, you mean people like Bill Aucoin, Neil Bogart and Sean Delaney?
LC: Those are the exact three that I was thinking of. Those are the three who are in my head right now.

KF: In the very early stages of KISS, can you admit to witnessing a spark or a sign that told you they would grow to become arguably the biggest band in the world? LC: When I met Peter he was just so special. That's why I had faith in him. I knew there was something there that other guys didn't have. Then when I met Gene, Paul and Ace, I felt the same way about them. They were four guys that had something you can't really put a name on. It's a personality trait. It's an intangible. They were destined to make it. They knew that it was going take a lot of hard work. But they were willing to put that time in.

KF: I believe you've mentioned KISS' first tour of Japan as one of your favorite experiences.
LC: Well, there's really three. That's one of them. The People's Choice Awards was another. And the first time they played Madison Square Garden. As far as my personal life goes, it would be getting the house in Connecticut. Getting my first dog. The Mercedes. Things like that. It was a time in my life that was just so special.

KF: In the 1978 chapter, you describe going into the KISS warehouse to pick out some classic '70s KISS memorabilia. That warehouse would be akin to a gold mine for KISS fans. Can you give a mental picture of the warehouse?
LC: It was sort of the beginning of the merchandising. It was in California and I only visited it once. It was a warehouse with shelves like any other warehouse. And you'd walk up and down aisles. And it wasn't as big as you would think it is.

KF: I guess with KISS in the '70s you just picture everything as being "big."
LC: KISS' warehouse was very small. And some of the stuff wasn't even there. That's why some of the stuff had to be shipped to me.

KF: This might be a tough question, but looking back on the period of 1978-1980, is there anything you would do differently in terms of your relationship with Peter?
LC: Well (pauses), I thought I did everything that I could. There were times where I was on the road with things to do and I think I remember Peter saying I didn't pay enough attention to him. But I just think that most of the reason why we're not together is because of drugs. So I don't think I would change anything only because I've done my share of drugs. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not embarrassed of it either. I believe in trying something once. Don't put anything down if you don't know what you're talking about. That was my feeling then. It's not now, but it was then. It was the '70s and that was the thing to do. I'm older now and I'm a lot wiser. I don't think my body could take what I did in those days. But I don't regret anything at all. I think it was just a matter of the drugs that Peter did and also the fame. I think the fame was a little overwhelming. You know what he said to me was, "I never wanted to be famous. All I wanted was a hit single."

KF: That reminds me of the quote in the book where you said, "He hated KISS, he hated putting on the makeup and he hated being famous." Those are strong words.
LC: We really broke up in 1978, even though we didn't get divorced until 1979. I knew at that point that he didn't want to be in KISS anymore. If we were still together, he would have still been in KISS because I would have made sure he stayed in KISS. Whatever I had to do, I would have done to help him stay. I don't think his second wife liked KISS and she was pushing for him to leave.

KF: Did Peter make a mistake in your opinion?
LC: Well, he did tell me at one time, before the reunion tour, that he made a lot of mistakes in his life and he said he wished he could take them back. And I'm sure that KISS was one of them. Look at all those years where he basically did nothing. I mean he was in bands but he didn't go anywhere. KISS wasn't doing that great at one point but I am sure if they were together it would have been great. Because they reached their peak and there was no decline. They just dropped.

KF: It's almost been two years since Bill Aucoin passed away. Can you share one Bill Aucoin story?
LC: Oh wow. There are a lot of stories that jump out when I think about Bill. Unfortunately, the last time that I ever saw Bill was in New York City when he was staying at my apartment. He was going home to do chemotherapy and had a 1 o'clock flight. And if he took the 1 o'clock flight he would have missed his chemotherapy. So what he did was he went [to the airport] and got on stand-by. He had a lot of frequent-flier miles and he had like a special VIP club pass and got on [an earlier flight] and that plane ride is when he had an attack. Probably if he didn't make that flight, he might have had the attack in the airport or maybe at my apartment. I'd rather have had that happen rather than a plane where you can't go anywhere. I live right by the hospital where they took John Lennon and I would have taken him right there. Unfortunately he did make that earlier flight. They ended up getting him to a hospital but he was in a coma for a week after that.

Bill Aucoin was the most cheerful, happy person. That night at my apartment, I was saying good night to him and he was in the kitchen. He was making a phone call. Because I live in a brownstone, phones don't work in the middle of the apartment. He said something to me and I said, "I just wanted to make sure you're OK. And I just wanted to tell you that I love you." And he said, "I love you too. I want to thank you for letting me stay." He was such a great person.

KF: What do you remember about Bill's memorial in Florida?
LC: The memorial in Florida was extremely hot. It was at Bill's favorite restaurant but the restaurant does not have air conditioning (laughs). In Florida, I don't understand that. It's by the coast and you do get a breeze, but you have to be sitting at the table that's right near the water. I had my hair up and I was sweating. Everybody was sweating. But the thing I loved about the memorial were the faces that I hadn't seen in years. It was just good to see all the people -- Bill always wanted to get everyone together and I don't think he meant to do it this way. The only two that were missing, of course, were Gene and Paul, but they did go see to Bill. They were on tour, they were in Europe. They flew in the day he passed away but they missed him by a couple of hours.

KF: That's too bad.
LC: They went straight to Florida from ... I think they were in Scandinavia. They spent the entire day, I was told, with Bill's family. I think they knew they were going to take him off the respirator. Maybe I'm being selfish for Gene and Paul, but I think they should have waited a couple of hours. Gene and Paul could have at least said goodbye to him. I feel at least I got to say goodbye to him. I knew he was sick. I knew I might not see him again. But he looked amazing. That was the thing about Bill. He had cancer but it didn't look like it at all.

KF: We lost another industry great recently with the passing of Dick Clark. In the book there's a photo of the band from 1974 at the ABC's "In Concert" taping. What do you remember about that day?
LC: I actually put that photo on my Facebook. I was in the audience and it was really exciting because it was the first time KISS was going to be on TV. They were taping it and I knew it was a Dick Clark production. I remember I brought my Instamatic camera, a $20 camera, and I see Dick Clark walk out. And I just said to myself, "I am not going to blow this chance." I got out of my seat and ran up on stage and introduced myself to him. I came home from school everyday around 3 o'clock. At 4 o'clock "American Bandstand" came on. I watched "American Bandstand" through my whole childhood.

KF: Without Dick Clark, New Year's Eve just isn't going to be the same.
LC: I know, I know. It's going to be sad that he's not there.

KF: Switching gears a little bit. Lydia, what is your take on KISS continuing with two members wearing Ace and Peter's makeup?
LC: Well, I know that Peter sold his makeup. I'm not sure about Ace. That last time I talked to Ace about it, he said he didn't sell the makeup and he gets paid every time they use it. I don't know Tommy Thayer, but he did email me when he bought my book. He emailed me and told me I did a wonderful job. I thought that was so nice of him. I don't know Tommy that well. But I can always tell in photos that it's Tommy and not Ace. But for some reason, Eric Singer fools me sometimes (laughs). I see a photo and I have to look closely. I did finally meet Eric and talk to him. He's a real sweetheart.

As far as them wearing the makeup, it would have been nice to give them two other characters. But the problem is I think there are too many characters. Eric Carr had a character and who was the other one?

KF: Vinnie Vincent.
LC: Right. But I don't think the fans would react the same. For some reason, I think KISS made the right move, doing what they are doing because they've got little kids following them. And the funny thing is I ask kids at convention, "Who's your favorite member of the band?" And they'll go, "Eric Singer" (laughs). They don't know Peter Criss.

KF: Have you seen the band live recently?
LC: No. I've met Eric Singer. I've never met Tommy. I haven't seen Gene or Paul since 1995. I'm talking about in person. I did see the reunion tour and the "Psycho Circus" tour.

KF: Lydia, I have to ask the obligatory "Beth" question. "Beth" is a song that generates much debate among KISS fans. Before its release, "Destroyer" was hovering around the million mark but seemed to have stalled. If "Beth" was never released as a single, what would have happened?
LC: They had already gone gold on "Alive!" I'm not really sure ... but I know Gene and Paul [didn't] want the song on the album. I think it was Bill Aucoin who really pushed for it. When we were going to Japan, we were at the airport. We had a long wait at Kennedy [International Airport] before we got on the flight. And I looked over to Gene and I was thanking everyone in the band for making it possible for me to go to Japan. And I said to Gene, "I really want to thank you for making it possible for me to go to Japan." And he said, "Don't thank me. Thank 'Beth' -- it made it possible for all of us to go to Japan."

KF: I'm not sure if you're aware but KISS have been playing "Beth" in concert with Eric Singer singing. What do you think of that?
LC: I've seen them do it on YouTube. I think it's kind of strange because he's standing instead of sitting and the guys are playing guitars in the background?

KF: Yes, acoustic guitars.
LC: I'm not that crazy about it. I guess I'm so used to the way Peter sang it.

KF: Of course, Eric Carr recorded it.
LC: Eric Carr did a good job.

KF: So you liked Eric Carr's version?
LC: I was shocked when I first heard it. When I saw him at the Hot In The Shade party, I was talking to one of my girlfriends. He walked by, and I said, "Eric come here." And I asked, "When you sang Beth, did you think of me?" And he said, "Of course, I did!" And I said, "That's a great answer." He was such a sweetheart. And I really did like the way he sang it.

KF: Can you name your favorite song sung by each original KISS member? For Peter, I would hazard a guess it'd be "Beth" or "Hard Luck Woman"?
LC: Yeah, it's "Hard Luck Woman." But I also really like "I Can't Stop The Rain."

KF: That's a great song, written by Sean Delaney.
LC: Yep. As far as Ace, I don't know. My favorite Paul song is one that's on his solo album, I can't think of the name of it, but Richie [Fontana], my boyfriend, played on it. He sang it [during his club tour] and got a standing ovation...

KF: "Tonight You Belong To Me"?
LC: That's it. And as far as Gene, he has a slow song ... "Mr. Make Believe."

KF: That's on his solo album.
LC: I guess I like the songs from the solo albums (laughs).

KF: Those are all great tunes.
LC: And "New York Groove" is my favorite from Ace. I also like "100,000 Years."

KF: Do you listen to KISS much at all these days?
LC: Not really. I had a boyfriend in the '90s who was a big KISS fanatic. I probably listened to them at that time. But [now] I don't really listen to KISS songs. Believe or not, [I listen] mostly on YouTube. I have them on my iTunes, I have every single album on my iTunes. I listen to a song once in a while.

KF: Give me a snapshot of your music collection. What other artists are you into?
LC: My favorite band of all time is Queen. And my favorite band right now, since Queen isn't around anymore, is Aerosmith. I like Cheap Trick. My favorite artist is Rod Stewart. I like U2.

KF: The Beatles?
LC: The Beatles and the Rolling Stones -- we don't have to say them (laughs).

KF: They're a given (laughs). When you said Rod Stewart, that made me think about "Hard Luck Woman" and how Paul said he envisioned giving the song to Rod when he wrote it. And of course, Peter has a similar Rod Stewart-like raspiness to his voice.
LC: Yeah, when they finally decided to use it for a KISS album, Paul wanted to sing it. But Eddie Kramer said, "No. Peter should sing it."

KF: Your book contains all of these great photos of other artists -- Cheap Trick, Peter Frampton, U2, and Van Halen. Is there a favorite photo that you've taken?
LC: My favorite one that I can think of right off the bat is the one of Freddie Mercury with his hand out [on page 340], with the red pants. That's one of my favorites. That might be what my next project will be. I mean, I've got so many amazing photos that are just sitting idle, just wasting away. I have a wall that I'm looking at right now -- Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Brian May, Slash, Rod Stewart, Dan Akroyd, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith ...

KF: I'm a big Van Halen fan. You've got some great early shots of Van Halen in your book.
LC: Yeah, those were actually taken at the Palladium. I want to do a book of only other artists because I had no idea the amount of photos I had. When I stopped working at my photo agency, they sent me back my stuff and they made a list. And I was reading this list to somebody that wanted me to take pictures of them. And I said, "No, I'm retired now" (laughs). I didn't really want to do it, but I started reading some of the names and they said, "No wonder why you don't want to do it, look at all the photos you've taken!" And I said, "That's only part of the list, you don't even know the rest of the list!" So I want to do another book, and then there's only one other thing I want to do. I'm Italian, and I make the best spaghetti sauce. I want to bottle my spaghetti sauce.

KF: No kidding?
LC: I want to be like Paul Newman (laughs). You know who did this -- and I was thinking -- "This is my idea!" -- is Marky Ramone. He bottled his own.

KF: I wasn't aware of that. So we can expect Lydia Criss' spaghetti sauce?
LC: Yep. That will probably be after the second book.

KF: Ace's book, "No Regrets," came out last November. Have you read it?
LC: I've read it. He gave me a copy when I went to go see him at B.B. King's. It was perfect timing because the week after he gave it to me I had a flight and I read it on the plane.

KF: What are your thoughts on his book?
LC: I was surprised at some of his inner feelings that I wasn't aware of. I did know most of the stories. Some I didn't know because there was a time when [Peter and I] were divorced where I didn't see Ace for four or five years. I thought it was good ... but I think he played it safe.

KF: Some fans have said Ace didn't give enough "dirt."
LC: You know what it is, I think he probably doesn't need a lawsuit by Gene and Paul. Because Gene has basically said to me, "Look, we have lawyers on retainer." That's one thing he was probably afraid of. And the other thing was he didn't remember a lot of stuff.

KF: Ace has admitted that. He mentioned that he talked to a lot of people to help stimulate his memory.
LC: Even his righthand man, John Ostrovsky, one of the co-writers, called me and said, "Ace wants to know if you know the addresses and contacts to all the road crew you're in touch with." And I said, "Have Ace call me." And when I saw him at Bill's memorial, I was joking with him and said, "Why can't you call me instead of John?" I punched him in front of everybody (laughs).

KF: Set him straight, Lydia.
LC: They're like brothers to me. I don't look at them as stars, even though they are. I was telling somebody last night that it blows my mind how many people on Facebook know who I am. I don't think of myself as famous. I find all these kids that were 10 when KISS first came out, they're all 40 now (laughs).

KF: It really is crazy that KISS are coming up on their 40th anniversary.
LC: I know, I know. I've been asked to go to Norway for a 40th anniversary expo, and I think there will also be a Germany expo. And for the German one, they said they want to have me, Peter and Ace.

KF: That would be cool. It looks as if Peter's book will finally be coming out this year. His book has been in the works for quite some time.
LC: Peter has been talking about it for as long as I can remember. I remember he told me that it was going to be called "A KISS Without A Face." That was back in the '80s. I had just moved to Manhattan and we had some financial thing we had to discuss. I think that's when he actually told me that he was selling his makeup. And I thought that was the worst move he ever made. But now he's finally releasing his book. But I'm assuming he has to "play it safe" too. [Gene and Paul] stopped somebody from selling their book. You know Marc Scallatino?

KF: Yes, the author of the "Vintage KISS Photos 1974-1981" book.
LC: He had that book out and he had to stop selling it. KISS stopped him from selling it. I don't know what the actual problem was with that one.

KF: What do you know about the road crew book by Mick Campise and J.R. Smalling?
LC: I know about the road crew book, but nobody wants to pick it up. See, that was my problem at the time. I mean I didn't shop it good enough. I went to Bill Aucoin and said, "Who should I give it to?" And he recommended a company he knew. I gave it them and they shopped it. And I spoke to a lawyer about that, and the lawyer said to me, "I've got to be honest with you, they're not real literary agents." So they wasted a year of my time. They said they shopped it. There are three book companies -- Simon & Schuster, Random House and Harper Collins -- they all turned [my book] down.

KF: What did Bill Aucoin say to you about doing your book?
LC: I remember him standing in my living room and saying, "You know, if you do a book about KISS, you've got to do it as good as KISS would do it." And that scared the s*** out of me!

KF: Did you have to run your book by Gene and Paul?
LC: No. I ran it by three lawyers. One lawyer checked out the text. The other two checked out my photos. The thing is there were photos where I said, "Well what about this photo of Peter practically naked?" And they said to me, "He posed for it. You can use it." So you know, I wasn't scared that I'd get sued. And I didn't lie and if I did lie, they would have to prove I lied. I know I told the truth.

KF: Have any of the original members ever commented on your book?
LC: Paul bought my book and he needed it shipped overnight for a meeting that they were having about my book.

KF: Really? To have been a fly on the wall in the meeting...
LC: I know. But I know, deep down in my heart, they liked the book, because if they hated it they would have sued me (laughs). I know Gene must have gotten his [book] through somebody. He's a little bit of a sneak sometimes. I was selling photos in the '90s and they were snapshots, but they were my photos. But I didn't know you're not supposed to sell snapshots. If you're going to sell photos, you have to sell them in a limited quantity because if you sell them as snapshots that's like merchandising. [Gene] sent me a cease-and-desist letter. But some of my photos, I gave them permission to use in "KISStory."

KF: What did you think about Larry Harris' book?
LC: I read that one. I spoke with him at the time, and we were supposed to get together for dinner but we never did. The story I remember about Larry is when KISS was going to Europe in 1976. I drove Peter to the airport and I am at the airport crying, crying. "Oh, I'm not going to see you..." And Larry goes, "Alright, we'll buy you a ticket right now. And you get on the plane and we'll buy you clothes when we get to Europe." And I said, "I have no luggage." He said, "We'll buy something when we get to Europe." And I said, "I have no passport!" And he said, "Then you can't go" (laughs)" But he said go home and get a passport. And I did, I got my passport in a week and I flew out.

KF: So, the cover for Peter's book was posted on Amazon the other day.
LC: I know, I saw it. "Makeup To Breakup"

KF: What do you think of the cover?
LC: I think it looks too plain.

KF: It's really going to be interesting to see the book's contents.
LC: The other thing is Peter is ... and this is going all the way back to before we were married. Peter is an exaggerator. He might make these stories bigger than they should be. And I'm not sure how good his memory is because, believe it or not, the guy he's working with ...

KF: Larry "Ratso" Sloman.
LC: He actually came to me and said, "I heard there was something that you didn't put in your book. We're wondering if we can see it and see if we want to use it." I told them, "To be honest with you, whatever I didn't put in my book I'm putting in the second printing so I can't give it you." I thought that was really interesting and asked, "How did you know about that?" I didn't really tell anybody. And he said, "I guess Gigi [Criss] told me." And I said, "I never spoke to Gigi." I said hello and maybe five words at Bill's memorial.

KF: Have you heard about the book KISS are working on, "Nothin' To Lose," detailing the band's early years?
LC: Yes, they're going to use some of my photos in that book too. Ken Sharp is a friend of mine, he's a great guy.

KF: I'm very much looking forward to that one. I don't believe a release date has been announced yet.
LC: I think Ken did say it was coming out this summer.

KF: So when Peter's book comes out, are you going to buy it?
LC: Of course! I'll buy it.

KF: So what's going to be on tap for you once the second printing of "Sealed With A KISS" is out? Will we see you at more KISS conventions?
LC: I think the Germany and Norway expos are next year. I might hit the Chiller convention in October. And maybe a few other events.

KF: Lydia, we really appreciate your time. Best of luck with the second printing.
LC: Thanks a lot, Tim.

May 8, 2012