To some, KISS is a band. To others, KISS is a religion, a way to approach life. Dale Sherman takes readers behind the makeup and stage effects in KISS FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Hottest Band in the Land (Backbeat Books, $22.99), showcasing the good, the bad, and the weird that has made KISS the legendary ultimate rock-and-roll party band.

KISS FAQ discusses tryouts, record labels, album covers, concerts, television appearances, comics, merchandise, the fanbase, band members' lives outside of and before the band, important people in the KISS sphere, and more. It tackles rumors and covers the various topics KISS fans discuss late in the night at the hotel bar after a KISS expo (KISS expos have continued strong since they started in the 1980s.) when feeling free enough to bring up topics they know would sometimes run them into ridicule otherwise.

Is there really a Sports Illustrated issue with 'REAL KISS BLOOD'? Why record an album in 1995 with no intention of releasing it? And what the heck is a deuce, anyway? Most topics found here will be argued for years to come.

Dale Sherman began writing about KISS in the 1990s and has never stopped. He has written various articles as well as a biography, a reference guide, and even a charity novel about the band. Sherman has also written books on such music-related topics as Alice Cooper, urban legends in rock, and women in music. An MBA graduate from the University of Louisville, Dale Sherman lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife, daughter, and way too many pets. Visit his blog at dalesherman.blogspot.com. He is available for interview.