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!

Author Interview: Mike Archer

Interview with Mike Archer, author of the newly released novel, The Mystery Within.

Hi Mike! Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi my name is Michael Archer; I was born and raised in East Wenatchee, WA. I have 2 beautiful kids. My son Ian, he is 6 and my new daughter Rion who was born on the 4th of Nov. I started writing my book back in 2004. Finally able to have it completed for people to enjoy it. I continued writing my 2nd and 3rd book of my series. All is needed is for them to be edited and they will be ready for people to enjoy them as well. I wrote these books because I always loved anything to do with Vampires and Werewolves but I didn’t like certain things about them. So I created my own story in the ways I felt they should have been written.


Your novel, The Mystery Within, was just released on Amazon Kindle. What genre is it? What's the story about?

My book is a Mix between Many types of Genre. It is a Suspenseful mystery mixed with fantasy.

A young man named Adelmo Madison was sheltered from the dark secrets that his family harbored. Now, years later he is the successful owner of quaint little book store in the heart of New Orleans with no idea of the danger he is about to face. Until one day a mysterious man enters the bookstore, acting strange. This man opens his world up to a new uncharted territory for Adelmo. This disturbing event shatters his quiet little life as he knows it and broadens his experiences further then he realized.
Nightmares and horrific visions start to haunt Adelmo and he must now start an investigation into his past to uncover the secrets that his family so desperately tried to shield from him at such a young age. Discovery of old journals, belonging to Adelmo’s ancestors, take him on a journey to his home country of Romania where his grandfather and the explanation he has been so desperately searching for awaits him.

Adelmo must now take his place in a long line of protectors and prepare to risk everything to keep the ones he loves from danger. Fighting the unseen enemies, which throws him into danger, Adelmo will do whatever it takes to survive.


Part of your story takes place in Romania. What kind of research did you have to do to make sure you created an authentic setting?

This is the beginning of a series that I have written. This first book is based in New Orleans as well as Romania. I did as much researching as I could to get all the information needed to be able to let the reader feel like I have been to these places. I also chose important landmarks, such as Dracula’s Castle, His birth place, well as where he was buried. There are actual true historical statements that were plugged into the story to give people a feel of some truth to the story I wrote. I figured this would peak peoples interest on wanting to visit these location.

Is this your chosen genre or do you write other genres as well?

I thought about writing other types but this area is what flows easiest for me. So I will stick with this until I get a solid story line for a different type of genre.

When can we expect your next book?

My next book is nearly completed, I am waiting on the funds to allow me to get through the editing process. This is the sequel to my first and its locations are based in New Orleans as well as Germany this time around.

Where can readers find you and your work online?

http://themysterywithin-bookseries.com/ This is my Personal Website. It tells you about my current book. I am in the process of making a buy option but currently the only place you can buy it as of now is Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Within-1-Michael-Archer/dp/1456452320/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299788926&sr=8-2

Thanks, Mike. Best of luck to you! Check out The Mystery Within.

Self-publishing with Kay Nichols

Welcome back, Kay Nichols! Kay has bravely tackled my questions about self-publishing with candid and heartfelt answers. I appreciate her coming back to Whispers for a second time and sharing her publishing experience.

See Kay's first interview here.

Check out Kay's paranormal novel, SOULS, here.

"Like" author Kay Nichols here.



Tell us a little about your decision to self-publish.

The publishing world is a hard nut to crack into. I may not have the next NYT best seller, but I have some entertaining stories. If writing were solely a way to exercise my own creative muscles, then I would be content to keep my books all to myself. But it's not. I write because I want to entertain. I want people to be able to use my books to escape from their life - even if only for a few hours. Since my proverbial nutcracker was not getting me anywhere, I took matters into my own hands and opted for self-publication. It may never make me rich, but it satisfies my dream.

What was your process for picking the right self-publishing company for you? In other words, what made you pick one over the rest?

I talked to a few other self-published authors and lulu.com came highly recommended. One of the reasons I like lulu is that you have the ability to do as much or as little as you want. An author can publish for free, market to only family or to everyone, or purchase a pre-designed publishing package that requires little effort on the part of the author. All self-publishing sites are the same as far as services offered, but through my research I found that lulu.com has the most consumer traffic.

Did you hire an editor and cover artist, or were editing/art services provided for you by Lulu? What other services do they offer?

Lulu offers whatever you are willing to pay for: marketing, publishing, editing, cover design, etc. It also offers you the tools you need to do it on your own at no cost. Personally, since this was my first book, I opted for a publishing package. Lulu handled the formatting, cover design, and ISBN. I think this was the best route for my first book, but going forward, I intend to handle it all on my own. I did have an editor, a cover artist, and a marketing specialist that I will be working with on these future publications.

Is your self-published book available at the same venues traditionally published books are sold? For example: Will we be able to find SOULS on amazon.com or at a local brick-and-mortar bookstore?

Lulu has a relationship with amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. It does not provide an "in" at any actual stores. I have found, though, that many local bookstores will take local authors' books on consignment. It requires more legwork on the part of the author, but it's relatively easy. Most large book companies and retail stores will not accept self-published books for sale at their stores.

A lot of people reading this are actively seeking publication. Should they decide to self-publish, is there anything else you can share that will help them in their decision or prepare them for what comes next?

The best way I can answer this is that they need to do what is best for them and what accomplishes their goal as an author. My dream has never been to be a #1 selling author. I just want to write. I just want to see my books in print. I just want my family and friends to be able to actually hold a copy of a book I created in their hands. But, for those that dream of mass distribution and fame, self-publication would not be the way to go.

As far as whether this will help an new author stand a better chance of being published by a big name house: NO, IT WILL NOT. Self-publication is not considered publishing history. In fact, mentioning it in your query letter may actually work against you. Anyone can self-publish. A publishing house or literary agent does not see this as an accomplishment unless you manage to sell thousands of copies.

If you decide to self-publish, be prepared to market your book. I set up a facebook account, a Twitter account, and purchased a website. I also contact every local bookstore in my area to work out consignment deals. I have set up book signings. I contact every local media outlet in the attempt to gain an interview that could promote my book. It is not a bad route to go if you are willing to do the work that an agent or publisher would do.

I would like to add here that when I first made the decision to self-publish, I felt like I had failed. That is until I read one of YOUR blogs, Rhiannon. It was the one about everyone wanting that last piece of the "publishing" pie. I realized that the only way to achieve my own, personal dream was to go the route I did. And then I received the first copy of my book. It had that new book smell. My dream had come true. And that was all I ever wanted. I got my piece of the pie!

INTERVIEW WITH KAY NICHOLS

I had the pleasure of talking to paranormal fiction author Kay Nichols about writing and her newly released novel, SOULS.

After reading the interview, please check out her debut novel, SOULS, here.

Hi, Kay! Tell us a little about yourself.

There's not much to tell, really. I write about excitement but have very little of it in my own life. I work full time and writing is a part-time passion that I would love to someday become my full-time passion. I read. A LOT! I read books, news, magazines. Just about anything I can get my hands on. I enjoy spending time with my girlfriends in an attempt to keep life from getting too serious!

What exactly is paranormal fiction, and why did you decide to write it?

Paranormal, or abnormal, fiction would be stories that step outside the realm of everyday life and into a world full of mystery and inexplicable experiences. Most people associate the paranormal with ghost stories. While ghost stories are included in the genre of paranormal fiction, they are not the sole topic covered. Paranormal fiction could be ghosts, werewolves, vampires, or something entirely new born in the mind of a writer.

I love paranormal fiction for the main reason that my imagination is never constricted. I am not bound my the laws of reason or physics. The paranormal allows my creativity to take over and run wild.

Your first book, SOULS, was recently published. Tell us a little about it.

Souls was an adventure in spiritual exploration. It is easy to write a ghost story - decidedly fun, but easy. I wanted to take the traditional beliefs on the paranormal and religion, twist them around each other and see what the end result was.

The human as a whole is created by three separate parts: the mind, the body, and the soul. These three components work together in an individual's life to help them become who they are meant to be and what they are meant to accomplish. Essentially, every person has a destiny and that destiny requires their mind, body, and soul to complete the journey of life. Souls delves into what happens to an individual when they stray from their destiny and the three components of existence are no longer in harmony: the soul continues forward, but the physical being is no longer on the right path, leaving the soul lost and alone in a physical world. The main character, Jane Meyer, is one of the rare people gifted with the ability to see and help these lost souls.

Souls is written during two time frames simultaneously: Jane's experience with her first soul and her experience with her last soul. Jane is faced with the reality that her destiny is not hers to determine. Unfortunately, helping lost souls comes at an incredibly high price - one Jane is not sure she is willing to pay. Jane enters into a world beyond our world; full of souls, hunters, and death - and she will be lucky to survive with her life and soul.

Have you considered writing any other genre or does your heart belong to the paranormal?

I once read somewhere to write what you know and write what you love. I have a passion for the unknown. Will this be my only genre? Probably. But I can't say that with 100% certainty. I write what comes into my head. So far, my imagination has been drawn to the paranormal. But that doesn't mean there isn't a love story in there somewhere!

Do you have any other books coming out in the near future? If so, when can we expect the next one?

I currently have a trilogy awaiting release. The first in the series will be available for purchase by Winter 2011 with the second and third books to follow shortly after. This series follows the adventures and misadventures of a paranormal investigation team. This trilogy follows the more conventional "rules" of paranormal fiction. It's like the show Ghost Hunters with more sensationalism and more paranormal encounters. And, of course, the trilogy is purely fictional!

If you enjoyed this interview, be sure to check out SOULS, available in paperback or ebook download, here.