Peggy Rowe’s Bestselling Book ‘Vacuuming In The Nude’ Breaks Barriers And Keeps Son Mike Rowe Blushing

Hollywood & Entertainment Peggy Rowe’s Bestselling Book ‘Vacuuming In The Nude’ Breaks Barriers And Keeps Son Mike Rowe Blushing Nancy Berk Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I’m a psychologist and writer analyzing the entertainment world. New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories.

Got it! Aug 26, 2022, 01:27pm EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Mike Rowe and author mom Peggy Rowe © mikeroweWorks Peggy Rowe has done it a third time—she wrote a book while in her eighties that landed on the New York Times bestseller list. Vacuuming in the Nude: And Other Ways to Get Attention is Rowe’s third book published after her 80th birthday. It hit the list this week amidst a whirlwind press tour with son and popular television host Mike Rowe ( Dirty Jobs, How America Works, The Story Behind The Story ) and on the heels of the primetime documentary America’s Grandmother (Fox) featuring her atypical success story.

Bestsellers After Eighty No official announcement has been made, but many, including the junior Rowe, one of Peggy’s three sons with husband and “muse” John, believe she might be the oldest first-time author to hit the highly coveted list. Landing there three times after the age of 80 is more than icing on the cake for the 84-year-old author who has worked non-stop on her writing and story pitching. Even with some published pieces in magazines, Rowe could never snag a book publisher until her words went viral in 2016.

“Rejection became my middle name,” says the author who long ago wrote two children’s novels. “I sent them to all the publishers—with high hopes. Listen, I whistled on my way to the post office.

And I cried on my way back from the mailbox when I brought those rejection slips home. ” Mike Rowe has said that when he wrote the forward for his mother’s first book, About My Mother: True Stories of a Horse-Crazy Daughter and Her Baseball-Obsessed Mother , he never expected to be writing two more ( About Your Father and Other Celebrities I Have Known was published in 2020). But when the formula works, you don’t change it.

Especially when a great mom and acclaimed writer can’t put down her pen. Nude Vacuuming Is A Metaphor Laced with her signature humor and candor, Vacuuming in the Nude offers readers a fun-filled and heartfelt romp through Peggy Rowe’s writing career and a process laced with love, inspiration, family, commitment, encouragement and rejection. Rowe says it is not a how-to book, but a book of inspiration, the title used as a metaphor and gleaned from one of her stories about a friend.

She assures audiences this is not a first-person practice—although she grins when talking about the topic. MORE FOR YOU ‘Dune’ Tops Foreign Box Office With Promising $77M Cume ‘Shang-Chi’ Box Office: Marvel Movie Tops $360M Worldwide 4 Series Coming To Netflix In October That Are Worth The Binge “We all have dreams. We all have passions.

Sometimes those dreams come true. And sometimes they don’t. Sometimes we have to defer those dreams for another time.

Sometimes we have to alter them completely, because they’re just not appropriate,” explains Rowe who has written for over sixty years but just saw her first book published in 2018. A long-time educator, observer, and interviewer, Rowe’s writing has captured the attention and hearts of readers and reminded the public and publishers that relevance does not evaporate with advanced age. Social Media Proves Age Is Irrelevant Rowe has a large cheering squad.

With nearly 300,000 Facebook followers who are quick to engage and query, she has also become a favorite topic on son Mike’s social media pages where one post about “Mom” can generate thousands of comments. It seems that Rowe has a true gift for telling tales and while she doesn’t sugarcoat life’s details, she expertly salts them with humor. In the process she makes others want to hang out with her.

Is she everyone’s grandmother? Maybe not, but based on book sales and social media banter she’s become everyone’s writer. What was it like doing a press tour with her son? “It was exhausting. It was exhilarating.

And it was humbling,” says Rowe who often hears from older adults who have found hope in her later-in-life career success. “Believe me that’s the exhilarating part of this, when people say things like that to me. ” The author is also quick to remind others to do their homework and use common sense when it comes to following their passion.

Some dreams are easier to capture than others and becoming a football star in your sixties is unlikely. Rowe is quick to acknowledge that her family’s encouragement has always propelled her writing. From husband John’s over-sharing of her essays in elevators and beyond, to son Mike’s reading aloud her letter (to his 5.

9 million Facebook followers) about losing her blue purse at Walmart WMT , she’s got a family tree of support. That big blue purse viral post shot Rowe’s popularity to an extreme level and gave the publishers a jolt. “Seventy million people watched that video and that’s when everything changed,” explained Mike Rowe in America’s Grandmother .

The nut doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Mike Rowe’s hilarious mom began catching up with his popularity quotient. And by the looks of it, he is thrilled.

bestselling author Peggy Rowe © mikeroweWorks Homework, Humility, And TMZ Rowe says that writers’ conferences like the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop have helped build skillsets and keep her grounded. She knows how hard it is to become a published author and how many great writers never achieve that goal. “I’ve heard writing that should be out there, that should be published.

And I know that God, for the grace of God, here I am. Everything is falling into place. I have a son with a name and a presence, who is devoted to me, to his parents.

How fortunate can a person be without that? My books would still be on my computer. And I am the first to admit that. When I say it to Mike, he says, ‘Mom, maybe it’s true.

But if they weren’t good, there wouldn’t be another one. ’” Let alone three. A longtime cheerleader for others, Rowe’s high profile success has turned her into a role model for those hoping to actualize their dreams.

What was it like being the subject of a prime time special? Rowe says it was a bit embarrassing. “It was me, me, me, me, me and you know what? I know I’m a writer, and I am out there. But I do enjoy being anonymous.

I’m not crazy about people knowing who I am when I go somewhere. So, you know, that pretty much took care of that. ” Is she wearing sunglasses now? “No, I’m staying in a lot,” laughs the writer who expertly fielded questions from endless morning shows and TMZ before the special even aired—something few women writers over the age of 60 are given the opportunity to experience.

She may be “America’s Grandmother” but she also might be the grandmother everyone wants to be. Rowe’s cross-generational storytelling pulls vivid memories from every decade she’s lived, and offers readers an opportunity to laugh and realize that there is no expiration date for dreams and creativity. Rowe’s busy doing what she’s always loved and being recognized for her talent.

It’s what she wishes for everyone. That’s a success story. Follow me on Twitter .

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