This next few weeks will be an exciting time as I officially reveal the cover of my sequel to
Wanted: One Ghost, Distilled Spirits. I knew I wanted the wonderfully talented
Taria A. Reed to create my cover again since she'd done such a fantastic job on
Wanted: One Ghost. As I anxiously awaited her design, I couldn't even imagine what she'd come up with. When I saw the proof I was floored! I couldn't have picked a better cover. She captured my characters Millie Taylor and Sean Lightfoot beautifully. See for yourself!
I asked Ms. Reed who the models were and she told me. I wanted to thank them for such a fantastic job. My ghost, Millie Taylor is portrayed by the lovely,
Liana Young and her hero, Sean Lightfoot is portrayed by the very handsome,
James Rizzo.
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| Those eyes are so captivating! |
I’ve been lucky enough to have the gorgeous James Rizzo with me today. I still can't believe he is the cover model for my latest novel, Distilled Spirits. How fantastic is that!! Taria Reed seemed to know what I had in mind for my hero, Sean Lightfoot, when she created the cover with James.
So James, I’m going to get right to the meat of
this interview. I have an inquisitive mind. I love to research the characters
in my books—so I figured it might be fun to ‘research’ the man who portrays
Sean Lightfoot for my book cover. As a reader of romance, I like to think that
the model actually is the character in the book. As a realist, I know that is
not the case so I’d like to see what it is about James Rizzo that makes a
perfect character for many romance books.
Loni
Lynne: Okay…I need to know (I’m probably old enough to
be your mother but humor me), just how young are you?
James: I turned 35 on
November 14th
Loni
Lynne: Happy Be-lated Birthday, by a few days. :)
(Okay, maybe not old enough to be his mother--aunt maybe). I’ve lived all over the United States Michigan,
Illinois, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Hawaii and Maryland, where were
you born and did you move around a lot growing up or did you stay in one place?
James: I was born in
Wilmington, DE, where I resided until I went to College in 1998. My first big move was to Maywood, NJ to
pursue modeling/acting in New York 12 years ago.
Loni
Lynne: Since I lived all over the country growing up I
ended up going to 13 different schools in 12 years. I loved English Literature,
American History and Art. What were your favorite classes in high school?
James: My favorite classes
would have to be health and science- such as biology, and chemistry. I’ve always been very creative and fascinated
with the human body.
Loni
Lynne: You’ve modeled for some great book covers. How
long have you been modeling and what made you decide to pursue the career?
James: I have been modeling
since I was 20 years old. I decided to
pursue it after competing in body-building for almost 3 years. I realized I didn’t want to be grotesque with
custom clothes so I decided to trim down and pursue acting/modeling. My first transition from Body-building to
modeling was when I participated in theWilhelmina "South Beach Superstar Search" in Miami, Florida. I won the 2003 top promotional model category and
have been doing it ever since.
Loni
Lynne: No doubt you won! You would've gotten my vote.
Fate has a funny way of leading us where we need
to be, how did fate lead you to be a cover model? Do you see yourself modeling
ten years from now? Where do you see yourself then? Or are you like me and ‘fly
by the seat of your pants’ as far as life goes?
James: I have always been someone that believes in overcoming life’s obstacles through hard-work and
dedication. I usually can accomplish
anything I put my mind to. My
persistence in a very competitive industry allowed me to become a cover
model. I see myself living in California
as a working actor 10 years from now. I will
continue to model because it has always been a passion.
Loni
Lynne: We'll definitely be looking for you in film and TV.
When you posed for Taria Reed (my fabulous cover artist), did you realize you would
end up on the cover of Distilled Spirits?
What’s the process for doing a photo shoot?
James: I was not aware I
would end on the cover but Taria did mention that she had a few covers lined up
for me. Taria originally discovered me
through Model Mayhem, which is a great site for discovering new talent for any
project. The process for doing a photo shoot usually consists of photographers
and models sharing a mutual agreement as far as type of shoot, location, and
time frame. The shoot should be
convenient for both parties and the details such as wardrobe etc. should be
discussed beforehand. I am very
experienced and easy to work with.
Loni
Lynne: Distilled
Spirits is a paranormal romance based on a 200 year old ghost (Millie
Taylor) who is brought back to life, kind of, by our hero (Sean Lightfoot). Do
you believe in ghosts? What would you do if you were to encounter a friendly
entity?
James: No, I do not believe
in Ghosts but if I encountered one, it would certainly change my outlook about
the deceased. I watch horror movies frequently and they never frighten me, just find them entertaining.
Loni
Lynne: You’ve been on the covers of so many great
romance novels, I am just going to come out and ask…Do you ever read any of
them? If so, do you see yourself in any of the characters?
James: Its funny you
mentioned that. I tell my mother all the time, “I’ll keep making them, you read
them.” She’s a pretty quick reader and
enjoys most of the novels. My mother
usually gives me her synopsis upon completion. Sometimes she mentions how
certain characters relate to me. I
always tell her when I’m shooting another one because she likes to say “looks
like I have some more reading to do!” haha
Loni
Lynne: I can imagine she's delighted to see you on the covers. She must be very proud.
It took me a while to find my Mr. Right and live
happily ever after for 25 years and looking forward to at least another 25.
(Okay, yes…do the Math! Like I said…I’m old.) What about you? Have you found
Mrs. Right? Or are you still looking for that perfect someone?
James: I have not found
Mrs. Right yet. I will be honest: I’m
extremely picky and want to make the right decision. With over 50% of marriages resulting in divorce, I certainly don't want to rush and regret it later in life.
Loni
Lynne: Good thinking. When the right one comes along, it just clicks and you know they are the one.
My ideal date would be a quiet dinner with my
hubby downtown and then walking around holding hands on a brisk fall night.
(His though is different—he’s such a guy!) I need to know, are you more of a
romantic kind of guy or do you prefer a simpler form of dating? Any great romantic ideas to share? What would
you consider the ‘perfect date’?
James: I would consider
myself very romantic for the right woman.
I have cooked dinner for Valentine’s Day before and surprised women with
flowers. I really need to be into the
girl for my creative/romantic side to come out! J
The perfect date for me would have to be sharing a variety of favorite food-
Italian dishes, seafood, and dessert followed by a lounge with a fireplace,
sharing a bottle of wine.
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| A strong jawline--a dependable man. |
Loni
Lynne: (Wow! That would be 'perfect'. Fanning myself...)
Okay, now for random questions, shootin’ from
the hip!
Favorites:
·
Color: Blue
·
Food:
Steak
·
Movie: Anything Inspirational – last movie was
“Fury” with Brad Pitt
·
TV Show: Married with Children
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Actress and Actor: Scarlett Johansson/Denzel Washington
·
Holiday: Christmas
Loni
Lynne: Okay back to some pertinent questions again—If
you had your way, where would you like to live? Cabin in the woods/Penthouse apartment
in the big city/or a bungalow by the shore? And why?
James: I love the summer
months and growing up I would go boating on the weekends with my family. We use to go to Maryland and make a whole day
of it- barbecues, water-skiing, jet skiing, and tubing. I enjoy a warm climate
all year round so I would probably want to live in Malibu, CA or Hawaii in a
beautiful beach house.
Loni
Lynne: In your own words, describe yourself
(internally—we know you are extremely good looking on the outside).
James: I am a very
good-hearted person and my friends and family know I am dependable. Loyalty is
the biggest attribute my family and I share.
Italians are known for this.
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| Look at that smile--it's in his eyes, too! |
Loni
Lynne: I agree. I think those attributes show through in your photos. It's the strength in your jawline and the smile that reaches your eyes that tells the truth.
If you could pick one thing to change the world,
what would that be and why?
James: I wish I could stop the violence in our
society and raise more awareness about gun control. There are entirely too many shootings in
schools. Children should stay more active in sports and extracurricular
activities.
Loni Lynne: A very real issue in our society. It breaks my heart to hear and see it so often in the news.
Thank you so much James for being here today and sharing with us. I know you are very busy and taking time out to talk with us means so much. And again, thank you for being such a great cover model! My book really looks great with you on it!
If you have time to stop by and answer questions
from my readers, we would love to hear from you!
See more of
James Rizzo at
Taria Reed.
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