Author Melissa Cutler interviews her book cover model
Update:Congratulations to Jackie Flory, winner of a copy of The Trouble with Cowboys. Please check your Facebook messages for info from Melissa on how to collect your prize.
Original post begins here:
Melissa Cutler here, and I'm so excited to be on Happy Ever After talking with a very important person whose face (and body, ahem) I've been looking at a lot over the past few months. That's right, I'm talking about the cover model for my debut release, The Trouble with Cowboys. This cover model isn't your average, ordinary model, but none other than Len Gunn, who was crowned Mr. Romance at the 2011 RT Booklovers Convention.
When I wrote The Trouble with Cowboys, the rancher hero I envisioned looks almost exactly like the cowboy on its cover -- big and tall, broad-chested, and wearing a smile laced with a bit of arrogance. In other words, exactly the kind of trouble most women wouldn't mind getting mixed up with.
After meeting Len, I was bursting with questions about his life as a cover model, and he graciously agreed to let me interview him.
MC: What was your journey to becoming a model? How did you get the idea?
LG: Becoming a model just sort of happened. I was approached by my now agent and asked if I had ever thought of modeling. I was 32 at the time. I answered with a smirk and "yeah, when I was like 18." He told me that my look is actually in high demand as most male models start so young that they get burned out by the time they're 30 so there isn't a lot of great talent out there. And there you go. That's when I decided to do it, and go 100% from that point to be the best.
MC: Besides romance novel covers, what other types of modeling do you do?
LG: I normally do a lot of print work as well as commercials and advertising.
MC: What have been some of your more unique photo shoots?
LG: I did a show for the Kidney Foundation in Dallas where I was completely painted white to resemble the statue of David.
MC: Tell us about the photo shoot that yielded the image for The Trouble with Cowboys.
LG: Part of my prize package for winning Mr. Romance 2011 included a trip to New York for a shoot with Kensington Publishing for a book cover. I realized as soon as I arrived for the shoot, and saw an entire rack of clothes, that I was in for a long day and we were going to shoot many different looks. I was more than happy to oblige as Kensington is a very well-respected publisher. The opportunity allowed me a great avenue to get on several covers, which provided lots of exposure in the book-cover realm.
MC: Rumor has it that even though you're a model by night, you have a romance-novel-worthy alter ego. Tell us about your day job.
LG: Yes, I own a lawn-irrigation company (I've been doing it off and on for about 20 years). Every day, I'm in my customers yards digging holes and diagnosing problems in my work boots, work pants and Dri-Fit shirt. Sweating away and getting chiseled just a bit more from the digging.
MC: You live in Oklahoma, so could you tell us about your personal experience with the cowboy way of life? For example, have you ever ridden a horse? Do you own a Stetson?
LG: Living in Oklahoma, I am very familiar with cowboy life; how they act, what they wear, mannerisms, etc. That being said, I don't choose to dress or live the cowboy life, although I find that I work on ranches from time to time for my business.
MC: I'm guessing healthy living is one of the keys to your modeling career's success. On a typical day, what is your diet and exercise regime?
LG: Boy, this could be a very long answer! I get asked this a lot and like to keep it simple. My diet is very simple and repetitious: egg whites and oatmeal in the morning; fresh fruit of some sort and a protein bar for lunch; egg whites, quinoa and broccoli for dinner. Greek yogurt with blueberries for a snack. I also have two protein drinks during the day.
Exercise includes five days of gym routine, Swiss ball sit-ups, varied timed planks seven days a week, and running 3.5 miles every other day. All-in-all, 30 minutes of sit-ups daily and an hour forty-five at the gym.
MC: Anymore romance cover photo shoots on the horizon for you?
LG: I headed to NYC in June yet again (exactly a year later) to shoot with Kensington. They liked the stock photos they got from the last shoot so much that they wanted me to come back so we could get some more fresh shots. I'll also be shooting with Hot Damn as part of the Legendary Hero Contest and will also be shooting with DCL Publications as a special request from several of their authors. So expect to see me on quite a few more covers!
MC: You've attended two RT conventions as a cover model and Mr. Romance, as well as RomCon, giving you a unique connection to the romance industry and romance readers. What have you discovered about the romance community?
LG: I've discovered that I really enjoy the community! Everyone is very kind and very respectful. I try to give the same in return and do enjoy being treated like I'm someone special.
MC: How can fans stay up-to-date on all your latest news?
LG: You can keep up with me through my fan page on Facebook and Twitter (@LenGunnModel). You can also see my work on my website, LenGunn.com.
MC: I'd like to extend my personal thanks to Len Gunn for not only agreeing to this interview, but being an all-around great guy to work with. You can imagine how ridiculously excited I was when I discovered that the sexy cowboy on the cover of my debut release was none other than the Mr. Romance. I cold-contacted him out of the blue ("Um, I think this is you on my cover …") and he's been amazingly giving and patient with all my questions and requests.
And get this: Len has agreed to answer YOUR questions, too! He'll be popping in to this HEA post all day to answer your questions about his life as a romance cover model in the comments section. Leaving a comment or question also enters you to win a copy of The Trouble with Cowboys. Double-bonus! (You can enter until midnight ET Sunday, Oct. 7. I will notify the winner via Facebook message by Tuesday, Oct. 9.)
My thanks to Happy Ever After for hosting me today. I love hearing from readers and am really easy to find at my website, MelissaCutler.net, and on Facebook and Twitter (@m_cutler).