Q & A: Jimmy Thomas--Romance Cover Model

When I stumbled upon Jimmy Thomas on Facebook, he was no stranger to me. I'd seen his handsome face and chiseled body gracing the covers of a multitude of romance novels. I was so pleased when he agreed to visit my blog today, even more pleased to discover what a positive, ambitious person he is.

Please welcome the inner and outer beauty of Jimmy Thomas!

How did your cover model career get started, and what types of modeling have you done in addition to book covers?

JT: I was invited to be a contestant in the RT2002 cover model contest in Kansas City. I wanted to be on novel covers after that, so I've made it happen :) Other than novel covers, I've always done fitness, commercial print, stock, catalog, music videos, TV commercials, you name it!

What is RomanceNovelCovers.com?

JT: RomanceNovelCovers.com is a stock image website I created specifically for romance novel covers, designed to provide the romance novel industry with a vast selection of amazing and never before seen images.

What images can artists and publishers expect to find when they visit RomanceNovelCovers.com?

JT: RomanceNovelCovers.com is being filled with new images almost daily, but currently has over 2,000 images shot specifically for novel covers of all romance novel genres, from Romantic, Sensual and Erotica to Historical, Paranormal and Suspense.

You're providing a unique service for writers by offering them a wide variety of cover possibilities. What made you decide to take the risk and have you been surprised by your success?

JT: Well I don't see many things as a risk to me, since I've always done things that I wanted to do anyway, and I don't pursue something unless I know it's a great idea. Since I've started modeling in 1998 I've always done romantic, sensual and erotica couple images and they always came out great. So when I learned that a large % of cover images are bought from stock websites, and I knew that I had enough images to start up my own stock website to provide the romance novel industry with higher quality, targeted images directly for the romance novel industry, I did so :)

You appear with some pretty sexy female models and often the clothing is minimal. Is it uncomfortable to pose with someone you hardly know in such seductive positions, or is it just another day at the office?

JT: Uncomfortable being next-to-naked/naked with sexy women? Are you serious? (looking over my shoulders for whomever it is you are asking this to ;))… heck no! I wouldn’t say it’s just another day at the office. I respect women and appreciate each and every one of them, especially those that I shoot with as they trust me, my judgment on the poses and the end resulting images to not make them look bad in any way. So it’s not like I’m some college kid or someone freshly out of prison and having a naked sexy woman in my arms, it’s complete respect, but I’m a heterosexual male, single, and a hopeless romantic Pisces, so I enjoy it of course, but more for a beautiful face looking at me with desire, than just a naked female body.

Have you ever been so turned on during a shoot you got an erection? How did you deal with it?!

JT: Only if/when a girl is um, groping my junk ;) Otherwise, my mind is so much on getting great images. I have to focus on us both being in our key lights, not shadowing each other. Our hand and arm placement being correct, our hair not being messed or blocking our faces, her hair length as well as mine always showing. Wardrobe not being wrinkled, twisted or messed up. Our expressions being together, while still staying in a romantic, sensual, seductive, sexy character. There's also stopping often as my photographer adjusts his lighting when we move into a different position. It's not like we turn on a few lights in our direction and he just clicks non-stop as we do whatever we want.

As for how did I deal with the times I have been aroused, I simply went with it and let her do what she wanted to do ;) I'm single, who am I to stop her... she's in character damnit! ;)


I'm impressed by the emotion you portray. Have you had acting training? How do you get in the mood?

JT: Thanks! I'm glad that shows well in my images! :) I took a few acting classes in the mid 90's, but I was already pretty good naturally at acting, so my emotions and expressions are from within, they aren't acting. When I'm with a woman (someone I'm dating), that is how I look at them, hold them, and how I am with them (I'm a VERY affectionate, romantic, loving Pisces ;)), so I just see the girl I'm shooting with as someone I'm dating and everything comes natural :)

Leave a comment for Jimmy and be sure to visit him on the web. Where to find information about Jimmy Thomas:

Websites: http://www.jimmythomas.com/ and http://www.romancenovelcovers.com/

http://www.facebook.com/JimmyThomasDotCom

Jimmy Leaves us with some of his favorite quotes:

"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight" - Phyllis Diller
"Don't think you are, know you are" - Laurence Fishburne, The Matrix
"Nothing is real unless you believe in who you are" - Sylvester Stallone, Rocky III
"It's the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you" - Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." - Theologian Pierre Tielhard de Chardin
"Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will learn." - Chinese proverb
"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do." - Bruce Lee
"If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always be what you've always been." - T.J. Jakes
“It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist
"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"One who lacks courage to start has already finished" - Unknown Author

**Thanks to JT for providing me with a large selection of Q&As/images to choose from for our interview!