SK Saturday: Update II

Happy Saturday! This is supposed to be the post where I review the fourth installment of The Dark Tower series, Wizards and Glass. Unfortunately this past week didn't leave me much time for reading. I'm only about a quarter of the way through the book, and it's a long one. I'm hoping next week will be better on my reading schedule. We'll see. For now, here's an updated, tentative, schedule:

July 7th: The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and GlassJuly 14th: The Dark Tower IV.V: The Wind Through the KeyholeJuly 21st: The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
July 28th: The Dark Tower VI: Song of SusannahAugust 4th: The Dark Tower VIIAugust 11th: Little Sisters of Eluria (Short Story in Everything's Eventual)
August 18th: Final thoughts and impressions

Thanks for stopping by!

MMM: The Sexy Scott Nova

Stats

Name: Scott Nova

Age: 35

Birthplace:  Born Roanoke, Virginia but raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Currently live in Columbus, Ohio

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 180

Eye/Hair Color: Blue eyes, brown hair

Shoe size: 10 (and yes, that is just a myth LOL)

More images: http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/891924

Find him here: https://www.facebook.com/ScottNovaCM

It's great to have author friends not only because we're awesome, but also because we usually know exactly who graces the covers of our books. Thanks to my Samhain buddy, Nikki Duncan, I found this week's sexy offering: Scott.

How long have you been modeling professionally? At what age did you decide to model?

I was always drawn to modeling from my early twenties. But I was always so skinny that I didn’t have anything to set me apart. I started really working hard at making money at this, and making it a large part of my life in 2009 when I started to seriously train as a bodybuilder. In 2011, I attended RT-LA as a contestant in the Mr. Romance contest, and that kick started what I hope, is the beginning of a very lucrative and fun career in cover modeling.

Have you traveled for your job? If so where was your favorite assignment, if not where is your dream assignment?

I’ve not done a LOT of traveling. I’ve traveled to LA for RT’s Mr. Romance. Then again for RT-Chicago in 2012. Recently I shot with Hot Damn Designs in Cincinnati and had a blast doing that. One of my favorite shoots that I’ve done, and mainly because it was so different, was shooting at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. This is the location where Shawshank Redemption was filmed. I love horror, anything horror, so getting to shoot in a place that is supposedly haunted, was definitely cool.

When not modeling, what hobbies do you enjoy?

I enjoy nothing else more than simply playing and spending time with my son and gorgeous girlfriend, Lesley. I also enjoy my gym time as I try to perfect my body and I’m a total gearhead/geek. LOL *smiles*
I’ve got a total love for all things magical like Dungeons N Dragons and Forgotten Realms. I also love to work on, improve and race my 1970 Chevy Nova that I built with my father.
But, late at night, if I can’t sleep....you can catch me watching my food porn: Diners, Drive-in’s & Dives or Modern Marvels. ROFL ..hey when you diet like me, there is such thing as food porn. *grin*
Thanks to all those that have helped me to make it this far in cover modeling, and I’m only getting started, ladies...so keep your eye’s open.
Thank you Missy for this interview opportunity!

Thank you, Scott! My eyes will definitely be open for more of you. ;-)

*Photos by:

Ken Tilley of Fotoimages by Ken

http://www.fotoimagesbyken.com

http://www.modelmayhem.com/1321509

Renee of Fan the Flame Photography

https://www.facebook.com/fantheflamephoto

http://www.modelmayhem.com/742781

SK Saturday: The Wastelands

This week I read the third book in The Dark Tower series, The Wastelands. I had almost completely forgotten the events of this book from my first reading a few years ago until I began reading it again. Who can forget Shardik, the maggot infested seventy-foot bear? Then there's Blaine the Mono, Oy the billy-bumbler and the older than dirt people of River Crossing. This is the book where Jake comes back into the fold and Roland swears to never let him drop again.

Stephen King is the master of foreshadowing. I'm not certain that's a good thing as it often starts to grate on my nerves by the middle of his books. However, in this one Roland's constant worry about just how much he'll sacrifice for the Dark Tower feels more like introspection on the character's part than foretelling by the author. It works. It colors Roland's innermost thoughts and gives the reader another aspect of the gunslinger to consider. Will he let Jake drop if it comes down to it? I honestly don't remember but have a bad feeling about it. 

In this installment Eddie and Susannah grow closer and she has adopted his last name. They can't have had an actual marriage ceremony of course, though I think that might have been a nice touch. Surely Roland should have the knowledge of how to bind them in his world according to his customs. But SK doesn't go that far. He lets them share a last name and sleep together. He mentions them making love at least once that I recall but doesn't dwell on it. They share a few kisses though intimate moments are hard to come by in their circumstances. Roland notices them growing closer and remarks on it to himself with the knowledge that they'll need the link to be as strong as possible. More foreshadowing.

In my opinion this book can almost be read as a stand alone. A lot happens to further the group on their journey, but it can almost be taken as its own complete story. Until you reach the end. There is a cliffhanger that isn't horrible, but definitely unsatisfying. Will they get off of Blaine the Mono alive? Since there are more volumes to the series we know they must. But the journey is still worth the read.

MMM: The Tasty Tyson Ciccone

Stats

Name: Tyson Ciccone

Age: 25

Birthplace: England, Manchester

Height: 5'10

Weight: 165

Eye/Hair Color: Brown/ Black

Shoe size: 9  1/2

Today we have the sweet Tyson Ciccone, another one of my Facebook finds. God I love that website. ;-)

How long have you been modeling professionally? At what age did you decide to model?

Wow, I was 13yrs old when I first decided I wanted to be in this industry. So yeah, I was young! :0)

Have you traveled for your job? If so where was your favorite assignment, if not where is your dream assignment?

The most fun I have had so far was when I traveled to Universal Studios Orlando to film a commercial for the new Harry Potter Attraction. I had a great time and I made some good friends.

When not modeling, what hobbies do you enjoy?

I have a few hobbies. I really like studying anything that involves spirituality. I also enjoy drawing and singing.

Want more of Tyson? (Who wouldn't?) You can find him here:

http://modelmayhem.com/tysonciccone

SK Saturday: The Drawing of the Three

I'll be honest, at the time of writing this post I'm only about halfway done with this installment in The Dark Tower series. Of course, I've read them before. And now that I've started over again the rusty wheels in my memory are turning and details are slowly coming back to me. That's not the reason it's taken me much longer to read this one than the first. It's just been a hell of a week.

The Drawing of the Three is not the story of Roland as much as it's a story of his journey and the three he "draws" to embark on the quest with him. There is The Prisoner: Eddie Dean, The Lady of Shadows: Odetta Holmes/Detta Walker, and The Pusher: Jack Mort. These three people become integral to the story each in their own unique way.

Reading this book again reminded me of why I've always admired Eddie Dean. In the whole series I think he is the character who grows the most and goes through the most shit. He loses his brother, he loses his lifestyle, and he is thrown headfirst into an alien world where a city slicker like him would have had a hard time surviving without Roland. Add heroine withdrawal on top of that and he's damn amazing.

I don't remember the ending to this one but plan to finish it by tomorrow. Then my full review will be posted on Goodreads and Shelfari.

Friday WTF?: Another Year Older

It's my birthday...again. Yeah, yeah, I know it happens every year at this same time, but for some reason this one feels different. It's not really about me though. This isn't a milestone birthday. I'm thirty-seven today so I have three more years before the big 40. I think my glum mood is because of my daughters getting older right along with me.

I'm the type of person who really likes to celebrate birthdays, even my own. I'm not ashamed or afraid to tell people my real age or the year I was born. I totally own it. But with the ending of the 2011-2012 school year, and the successful passing of all four of my girls, I now have a Senior in high school, a Freshman in high school, a middle schooler, and a fourth grader. The high school ones are biggies. My oldest received her voter registration form in the mail yesterday and I nearly burst into tears. But having my third oldest in middle school is tough too. I taught her how to shave her legs this week!

So, for me age is a relative thing as it applies to myself. When I'm eighty I might still feel sixty and that's just fine. What isn't so great is that I've never been able to find the pause button on my daughters. And they just keep getting older and older.

MMM: The Juicy John Quinlan

Stats

Name: John Quinlan

Age: 37

Birthplace: Winchester, Massachusetts United States

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 210lbs.

Eye/Hair Color: Hazel Green/ Black shaved

Shoe size: 10

I've had the immense pleasure of meeting many interesting people online, and one of them is male model John Quinlan. He is such a sweetheart, immediately agreeing to a grilling from me for the entertainment of my readers. If you're looking for a hot body and sexy face to grace your next book cover, look no further.

How long have you been modeling professionally? At what age did you decide to model? 

All together since I was 19 years old. Fitness and sports modeling throughout my 20’s and into my 30’s I expanded into art, editorial, fashion and romance cover modeling as well. I still participate in fitness and sports modeling to this day. People have told me I am a unique model in the sense I have never been limited to one genre and can adapt very well when I have to depending on the style of shoot. 

Have you traveled for your job? If so where was your favorite assignment, if not where is your dream assignment? 

Yes, I had a photo shoot in the Las Vegas desert in Red Rock Canyon. Beautiful sunny day and the back drop was amazing, sunny and 75 degrees. This was my favorite shoot :-)

When not modeling, what hobbies do you enjoy?

Working out is my enjoyment, keeps me young so I am able to keep up with the younger guys and my kids. I have 3 of them, 2 boys and a girl so my other hobby is being a good dad.

John has modeled not only for covers, but also on the runway, for calendars and magazines. He is also a bodybuilder. I love that he looks great as both a hero and a villain! ;-)

You can connect with him here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Quinlan/109918015779005

And find out more about him here:

http://www.johnquinlan.org/

  

SK Saturday: The Gunslinger

And so it begins...

This week I read The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger for the second time. It took most of the week because I had a lot going on with my daughters' last few days of school. But to be honest, I could've finished it in one day of uninterrupted reading. Is it that good? That's certainly a matter of perspective. I can't say I was as riveted by it this second time around as I remember being the first time. But I have changed in the past few years as a reader...the world has moved on.

In this first installment we are introduced to Roland Deschain, born in New Canaan. His land is long gone as are the people in it. The world has moved on and his life's quest now is to find the dark tower. To do so he must capture the man in black, who we are led to believe is a type of magician. In this first part of the saga the reader isn't given much in the way of explanations. We learn some of Roland's past and get a glimpse of his hardships. We're told a small bit of what has made him the man he has become. We meet Jake, who plays a much bigger part later, and we lose him before the end.

I remember the first time I read this book that I hated Roland at the end. I was very upset about Jake and no insight to Roland's motivations or psyche could appease my anger at him. This time, knowing more about Jake and Roland as I do, it wasn't nearly as emotional a journey for me. I can't say if that's a good thing or not.

I don't want to give too much away in case you haven't read it yet, but I do encourage you to do so. Whether you're a Stephen King fan or not, if you enjoy a good story then read this series. It's described as "Part sci-fi novel, part futuristic dystopia, part spaghetti Western, and part high fantasy vision," on the website. I'll have to agree. It's not like anything else I've read before or since, but it's certainly an adventure.

Are you reading along with me? Post your thoughts in the comments, or link to your own review.

Friday WTF: My Kids Eat What?!

I know in a lot of ways I'm a bit overprotective and paranoid when it comes to my kids. But I promise you, I'm the one who does the grocery shopping in my house. Every now and then I'll ask them what they would like for dinner and I pretty much bow to their wishes for breakfast. However, there is no ad campaign in creation that can turn my kids into mindless food zombies who will FORCE me to buy what is advertised. Nope. Not gonna happen. So, I find the news about Disney Channel no longer showing junk food ads aimed at their young target audience silly. Okay, in reality I think it's just plain fucking stupid. So what if they show my kids sugar packed cereals and calorie riddled candy bars. If I decide my kids shouldn't eat them guess what, THEY DON'T. You know why? Because I'm the adult in this equation and I decide on what they eat. I also decide on what they watch and I'm more concerned about some of the TV show content than those damn commercials. I'm very close to tossing all of the TVs out of my house. Le sigh.

MMM: The Tantalizing Jimmy Thomas

Stats

Name: Jimmy Thomas

Home: Los Angeles, California 

Contact: Jimmy@JimmyThomas.com

Height: 6’-0"

Weight: 220lbs 

Hair: Black/Med 

Eyes: Hazel 

Suit: 48R - Waist: 33 - Inseam: 34 - Neck: 18 - Sleeve: 35 

Shoe: 9.5

What can I say about Jimmy Thomas? Le sigh...there's quite a bit actually. He's one of the hardest working male cover models I've ever had the pleasure of groping, er...meeting in person. He's graced two of my books and 2,936 others (according to his Facebook bio). He's has an extensive resume that includes TV, film, commercials and music videos. He's a certified personal trainer involved in  martial arts and kickboxing. He is also a web designer and architect. See what I mean? Hard working!

I was able to pin him down long enough to have a few questions answered last June. Here is what Jimmy had to share with us:

(This interview was originally posted on June 15, 2011)

If you even have time (just reading your bio wore me out!) do you ever read the books you're featured on? If not, do you prefer another genre, or read for fun at all?
I rarely have time to do anything other than work, so unfortunately, I haven't read any of the books I'm on. If I did, I wouldn't get new images shot and uploaded for all to use on their covers ;)

Your site romancenovelcovers.com is phenomenal and unlike anything I've ever seen. What made you decide to market yourself in this way?

Thanks :) I've been modeling for 13 years and have always shot "couples" images of romance, sensual and erotica, and I knew the romance industry needed a place to go to get exactly that, without extensive searching on random stock image websites that didn't have much of what they wanted/needed. And I've always been one to come up with marketing, network and advertising ideas that work well ;)

I've browsed the covers on your site and you seem to have every sub-genre of romance there. Historical, sensual, steamy, paranormal and even you in a kilt! (sigh) Do you have a favorite pose or type of cover? If so, why is it your favorite?

Not really. I love any style/genre, as long as I produce great images that I love within any genre during a shoot, I'm happy :) Of course those where I'm holding a half naked/naked beautiful woman doesn't hurt ;)

Since this interview Jimmy has changed his site a bit to be more encompassing for the Romance community. It's now a place for authors to meet and network. If you have any interest at all in the world of Romance literature, I highly recommend you visit!

http://www.romancenovelcenter.com

You can interact with him on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/JimmyThomasDotCom

Or just be a fan (harem girl) here:

https://www.facebook.com/CoverModelJimmyThomas

SK Saturday Update

If you've followed me online in any way for any length of time at all, you may have come to realize I'm a HUGE Stephen King fan. I own almost every one of his books that's currently in publication. With very few exceptions I've even read most of them. 

Back in June of 2003, I was pregnant with my third child and working full time. I somehow found the time to read The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger in only a couple of days. I was enthralled and instantly in love with Roland, the last Gunslinger. He was every cowboy fantasy I'd ever had and I had to know everything about him. Over the following year I eagerly awaited each installment of the Dark Tower series and read it with ever increasing fervor. What was going to happen to Roland and his ka-tet? Would he ever reach the Dark Tower alive?

Like many other very vocal fans, I was highly disappointed in the pseudo ending of the series and swore never to touch the books again. But of course I couldn't get rid of them. So, now that SK has released another installment, basically book 4.5, I'm feeling the itch to visit my beloved Roland again. The Dark Tower IV.V: The Wind Through the Keyhole is out and I have to have it. But what does it have to do with the story? To be honest, it's been too long and I've read too many books since 2004 to remember any details. 

So, this summer I'm embarking on the adventure again. I'm going to read all eight books and one short story in Roland's world. Would you like to join me? I'm willing to commit to one book per week, though I may read faster or slower than that. I'm going to post a weekly review/update every Saturday to let ya'll know my progress. If you decide to read along, feel free to post links to your reviews in the comments section each week. I'm eager to know if the story will feel the same after all these years.

Schedule:

June 9th:    The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

June 16th:  The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three

June 23rd:  The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands

June 30th:  The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass

July 7th:     The Dark Tower IV.V: The Wind Through the Keyhole

July 14th:   The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla 

July 21st:   The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah

July 28th:   The Dark Tower VII

August 4th:   Little Sisters of Eluria (Short Story in Everything's Eventual) 

August 11th: Final thoughts and impressions

Friday WTF?: Boobs Hanging Out

By now many of you have probably already read the Yahoo article about another "controversy" over breastfeeding. Am I the only one rolling my eyes over this? I know this is a hot button for many people but I'm going to state my opinion here anyway. So, buckle your seat belts. Here it goes.

I breastfed my oldest for three months of her life, but her sisters didn't get the same treatment. Now that she's a teen and they are all older, the differences in their health are painfully obvious. Therefore, I well and truly support breastfeeding a child if at all possible. However, I'm not a fan of ANYONE exposing themselves in public. I know I "like" and comment about shirtless and mostly naked men on Facebook all the time. But to be honest, if I'm walking around with my kids somewhere I want everyone to be covered up.

Now, before anyone of you start unfriending me and typing the angry "but it's a natural and beautiful thing" emails, let me remind you this is my OPINION. It's what works for me personally. But I think it's important to state that just because I don't want to see a woman's boobs (feeding or not) when I'm out in public, doesn't mean I'm against breastfeeding at all or in public. I mean, come on, there are so many tasteful ways to do it that I think those who choose to flash everyone are just at the point of belligerence now. We as a society have gotten to the "my rights, fuck you" stage where we're like five-year-olds doing what others don't want us to do just to start a fight.

Back when I was breastfeeding, I had to sit in bathrooms and cover my child's head with a blanket. Now there are all kinds of cool bras and shirts that do the job for you, and many places have special rooms and areas away from the toilets. Now, if you can't afford the cool clothes and are somewhere without the special area, can't you still show some dignity by not being painfully obvious?

Back to the article. Should she have done this in uniform? I wouldn't have. To me the uniform of a US soldier is sacred. There are MANY things that shouldn't be done in them. But again, that's just MY opinion. Okay, let the angry comments begin...