A sip of vodka and she's off

It wasn't long ago when Chelsea Handler was another relatively unknown Los Angeles-based comic running from club to club for spots on the Sunset Strip.

"I remember that period well," Handler's comic peer and pal Jo Koy says. "That was just over three years ago. She was just like the rest of us, but now she's a star but she's still the same old Chels."

Maybe success hasn't changed Handler, but she is indeed a hot commodity.

The 35-year-old who became a sensation thanks to her hit E! Entertainment chat show "Chelsea Lately," will headline arenas during autumn. That's an uncommon accomplishment for a stand-up, one that puts Handler among the likes of Andrew "Dice" Clay and Eddie Murphy.

"Yes, Andrew 'Dice' Clay, Eddie Murphy and I are always lumped together," Handler cracks, while calling from her Los Angeles office. "I guess that's just the way it is."

Like those two comics, Handler is from the New York/New Jersey area. She is a fast-talking, quick-witted comic, who doesn't spare celebrities or herself.

"I think it's so important to be honest as a performer," Handler says. "I think that's really important for me as an entertainer. I have no problem poking at myself. I tell it like it is, whether I'm saying it or writing it."

Both of Handler's books have hit the top spot on the New York Times best-seller list. Her latest, "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang," hit shelves two months ago. The book shares the name of her tour, which stops tonight at the Raleigh Amphitheater.

"I have so much fun writing these books," she says. "The thing is that I wrote my first book [2007's "My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands"] before I had my TV show. There are celebrities like Tori Spelling, who are famous, then write their book. I write my books from an honest place and just have a blast with them."

Expect more books from Handler, who also has a monthly column in Cosmopolitan, since she is starting her own imprint, Borderline Amazing, which is also the name of her television production company.

She says her next work, "Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me" should be ready for 2011. "Family and friends can write how I screwed them over," Handler says. "They can each have a chapter."

It's only fair: Handler routinely tosses barbs at family and celebrities. She has ripped Hollywood bad girls Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears on more than one occasion, but she says her targets are actually fans.

"I ran into Lindsay Lohan and she said 'Hi, Chelsea, I love your show.' When I ran into Britney, she said, 'Chelsea, I really like your show.' I think the key is that I'm not overly vicious. I'm just having fun."

With books, live shows, a column and a TV series, Handler has a full plate. How does she do it?

"With a bottle of Grey Goose [vodka] in one hand," she says.