Interview With A Cover Model by Victoria Chatham

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https://books2read.com/Hester-Dymock

At the beginning of a writer’s career, three things are made abundantly clear. First, of course, you need a great story. Next, an engaging opening line or lines with an intriguing hook. But perhaps, most of all, a great cover to attract a reader in the first place. The story comes alive in the author’s imagination. The opening hook may be honed to perfection with the help of critique partners and beta readers. And the cover? For historical authors look no further than Period Images.

As they promise on their website: ‘From custom-made attires, to hair, make-up, and set design, each shoot is fully staffed with designers, professional stylists, models and actors, to depict scenes and capture the essence of the era.’ 

The image for my book Hester Dymock comes from them and is beautifully enhanced by Books WeLove’s artistic director, Michelle Lee. What more could an author ask for? Well, a few things actually and one of Period Images models agreed to satisfy my curiosity. Please welcome Mike Foster to my blog this month. 

Michael Wayne Foster

VC. When and why did you start modeling?

MF. I started my actual modeling career in 2014 but had done fitness shoots previously.

VC. How did you become a cover model for romance novels specifically and were you ever a fan of Fabio?

MF. Fabio! I was a fan of his commercials for sure! I became a romance model because I have a sense of humor and don’t take myself too seriously. I take my work very seriously, just not myself. That served me well when I saw an ad for a modeling shoot that asked for a picture. It was for tall guys with long hair. I knew that most (if not all) of the models were going to send in the ‘duck lips’ and pouty face look, so I did the opposite. I sent a recent photo of a commercial I did for Virgin America Airlines where I was dressed up like a pro-wrestler and I was ‘hulking out.’ It kind of made me chuckle, and thankfully it made VJ and the group at PI chuckle as well. They said I had a sense of humor and asked me to come to a day shoot. That got my foot in the door and here we are talking about it seven years later.

VC. How much time do you have to spend in the gym to keep your trim look?

MF. I always do morning cardio for about an hour and then alternate between weights and yoga/Pilates for an hour later in the day.

VC. How much grooming/make-up is required for a shoot and do you use body oil with an open-shirt or shirtless photo?

MC. Because of my long hair, it tends to take a good hour to get the hair and make-up completed before a shoot.  Yes, they apply coconut oil on the exposed body parts, and I try not to break too much of a sweat and ruin my make-up when I am lifting light weights to pump up right before I go on.

VC. When you are getting ready for a shoot, do you do your own hair and make-up, or do you have stylists and make-up professionals?

MF. I have a team of amazing hair and make-up artists work on me before I shoot, courtesy of PI.

VC. What does your working day look like and what would define a perfect working day for you?

MF. Every day on set is a perfect working day for me.  I can’t think of a time I had a bad day at work.  But the perfect day?  Being in top shape for the shoot and then going to a Korean BBQ after the shoot with no care’s given.

VC. Were you ever asked to wear a costume or outfit that you refused to put on?

MF. Never.  Now, there may have been a few that didn’t fit, but that’s another story.

VC. Have you ever really disliked a book cover on which you appear, or are you not involved once the shoot is over?

MF. Once the shoot is over, I am not involved at all.  Hell, sometimes I don’t even realize new covers are released unless an author tags me.  It kind of bums me out because I know there are so many covers out there that I do not know about and I would love to help promote them but can’t because I’m unaware.

VC. When you are not working, what are your favourite sports or hobbies?

MF. Skiing is my favorite thing to do.  I am terrified of heights, so I decided to try skiing and overcome that fear.  I not only overcame, but I got hooked on the sport.  Plus, it’s like getting a workout inside of a Bob Ross painting.  It’s always so beautiful in the happy little mountains.  I am a foodie and love cooking and trying new recipes (especially on the grill).  Traveling is also something I enjoy, and I started a YOUTUBE channel based on exploring our American culture and I call it America’s Pit Stops.  I go by the moniker the AmericanSIZEDTravelGuide.

VC. Is being a model a full-time career for you? If not, what other career interests do you have?

MF. I am a full-time actor that also models.  Acting is the reason I am in LA and modeling is a “happy little accident.”  See what I did there?  (If not, see above.)

Next, I asked Mike some fun questions.

 VC. What have you always wanted? Did you ever get it?

MF. I wanted to be a teacher like my dad as well as actor as long as I can remember.  I wanted to do action and WWII movies.  I taught high school English for nine years and I have achieved so much in my acting career that I can’t help but to be proud of accomplishing what I had always dreamed about as a kid.  With the upcoming WWII movie, Wolf Hound, coming out soon; mission accomplished.

VC. What is the best or most memorable compliment you ever received?

MF. My freshman year of college I just started lifting weights.  I was a fat kid my whole life, so I always got the OPPOSITE of compliments.  I was hanging out with a girl watching TV and as I sat on the floor and had my arms behind me, she felt my triceps and said, “Wow, you have really nice arms!”  Needless to say, I didn’t miss a workout ever again.  I’m not a victim or going to cry about being bullied or teased because of my weight.  It made me the man I am today (sympathetic to the bullied) but I sure liked hearing a compliment much more than “Fat Foster.”

VC. What holidays do you most like to celebrate?

MF. HALLOWEEN.  Everything else is a distant second place.  It might stem back to my childhood because my birthday is November 2^nd, so Halloween was always a good time of the year for me.  Plus, I love scaring the bloody hell out of people.

VC. Are you a glass half full or half empty kind of person? Or is the glass just malformed?

MF. I don’t deal in glass or stemware.  I deal in lemons.  When I have a basket full of lemons; I make lemonade.

VC. Which of the four seasons do you like/dislike the most and why?

MF. I LOVE the fall.  It probably is because my favorite “holiday” is smack dab in the middle of the fall.  The leaves changing colors, the cool temperatures and apple fritters and cider all are part of why I love the fall so much!

VC. If you were marooned on a desert island and could only have four things, what would they be?

MF. I feel like I am on Naked and Afraid with three bonus items.  Probably a knife, a pot to boil water, a gun and a cannabis plant. (for medicine, clothing, oil/fuel, food, rope and many other uses.)

VC. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

MF. Being with my family and close friends, a bonfire and light beer.

VC. What is your greatest extravagance?

MF. I’m not a big spender of stuff.  My motto on my IMDB page is “I’ve never seen a hearse with a luggage rack.”  I drive a Chevy, wear my old clothes and shop at the Grocery Outlet.   I would do all of this even if I was a billionaire.  I suppose I spend the most money on 80’s themed T-shirts.

VC. Which do you prefer and why – the city or the country?

MF. COUNTRY ALL THE WAY!! (but I like the cuisine in cities).

VC. You are offered a free vacation, one a beach destination, the other a sight-seeing tour, which would you choose and why?

MF. A week in the Italian Alps or the Chilean Andes skiing would work just fine as sightseeing.  I have always loved the beaches of Alabama and Florida’s panhandle.

And now for some straight(ish)speed questions. Yes/No answers, qualify with a few words if you wish.

Annoyed a photographer by goofing around?  Gee…I’m not sure.  I’d like to hope not.  I always do what’s asked of me, so I think that’s a NO.

Called in sick to work when you weren’t sick? YEP (yeah students, Mr. Foster played hookie to go to a concert.)

Won a contest? Yes.

Locked yourself out of your house? Frequently.

Gone paragliding? No.

Taken an enormous risk? Yes.

Prefer cats or dogs? Dogs.

Surprised a friend or family member with a gift when it wasn’t their birthday or Christmas? Yes.

Been to Peru? No.

Worn odd socks? Frequently.

So now we all know a little more about Mike, I'd like to thank him again for taking part in my Q & A and also Period Images for the photographs. And here is my latest cover which I love, featuring Period Images model, Rachel. Thanks to Books We Love's artistic director Michelle Lee for once again working her magic.

When is an alien abduction not a sci-fi novel?

 

The Doug Fletcher mystery series has bounced between U.S. national parks and monuments. A variety of readers and resource people from around the country suggest locales and plots to me. I got a call from Mike (my veterinary consultant) who said, "You HAVE to set a book in Effigy Mounds National Park. It's the perfect location for nefarious activities."

After a bit of research, I learned that the animal-shaped Native burial mounds in the park are extremely rare, and nearly impossible to visualize from the ground. The park service didn't grasp the number and arrangement of the animal shapes prior to an aerial survey. More than one writer has suggested that the original mound builders, working long before the invention of the airplane, had assistance from aliens in spaceships. Add to that the large number of modern UFO reports in the area and an abundance of regional alien conspiracy advocates. 

After weeks of research, my characters started screaming at me to stop digging and start writing. (Their voices will be the topic of a future blog.) I wrote an outline for the Burnt Evidence, then the characters got involved and I lost control. Doug and Jill Fletcher were living a quiet life as law enforcement rangers at Padre Island National Seashore when their superintendent got a call requesting their assistance in Iowa. A 911 call had been cut short by a scream. A melted cellphone, and metal remnants of clothing were later found in a burned circle inside Effigy Mounds National Park, suggesting an alien abduction.

Then, I thought, uh oh, you've started a science fiction novel. Add sightings of glowing lights over the Mississippi River and college students investigating the abduction site, and the plot sounded like Robert Heinlein.

I wrestled control of the plot back from the characters and put them on track to solve the mystery of the abduction. Working through the plot, they deal with Doug's ex-wife who's an anthropology professor, an Air Force UFO expert, and a scientist from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. They enlist assistance from a Navajo colleague to help sort the Native lore from the science fiction. Jill's spiritual side emerges as she tries to rationalize the apparent alien abduction, UFO sightings, and ghostly apparitions, with her scientific background and religious beliefs.

It was a fun book to write, and I tapped the knowledge of numerous people including an anthropologist, a veterinarian, a police/horse resource and muse, a retired director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a tuba player (don't ask), and a retired scientist. Combined, they steered me toward the unexpected events and revelations that add the twists and turns to the plot. My BWL publishing colleagues edited and improved the manuscript. Michelle Lee designed the intriguing cover.

It's different from my previous stories, but it is a mystery, not science fiction. The characters are stretched, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. All that leads to an unexpected ending as they race through a moonlit park, trying to pull the last pieces of the puzzle together.

Dean Hovey is the award-winning and best-selling author of the Doug Fletcher mysteries, the Pine County mysteries, and the Whistling Pines cozy series.

Luke Trowbridge, a Waterman fights for his life in the Oyster Wars by Diane Scott Lewis

 

In my upcoming novel, Ghost Point, Luke Trowbridge ducks Maryland's ruthless Oyster Police, and strives to keep his marriage together in 1956. He grew up tonging for oysters on the Potomac River. The town of Colonial Beach, Virginia, once a grand resort for the wealthy 80 miles south of Washington D. C., is now a struggling community of watermen who brave the elements to feed their families.

The tradition since colonial times is tonging for oysters during the cold winter season, with long rakes that gently pluck up the oysters without ruining the beds. But illegal dredging brings in far more oysters, the baskets scraping the beds. The habitats destroyed.

Luke is desperate to support his family. But his wife, Yelena, has grown angry and restless with his dangerous activities, his refusal to quit. The Hungarian-born Victor is investigating another vicious event on the river when he attracts her interest. He's suave, sophisticated, everything Luke is not. Will she give up their secrets and be enticed to dishonor her marriage?

Luke must stand up to his bullying father, and the Maryland Oyster police who shoot to kill. He fears losing his wife and little boy. Will he make changes in attitude and occupation, or endanger his own life?

For more adventure, another couple who take their future in their own hands, delve into On a Stormy Primeval Shore. Set in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1784, a fight to form a colony. One of the award-winning Canadian Historical Brides series. A Night Owl Romance Top Pick: "a fabulous tale of life and hardship in historical Canada."

To purchase my novels and other BWL books: BWL

Find out more about me and my writing on my website: Dianescottlewis

Diane Scott Lewis lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty puppy.