Romance novels cover model- Laura Williams interview
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The most exciting part of most romance novels are the beautiful covers that take us to an exotic place and time. The models on these covers make our innermost romantic fantasies come true. Since I have reviewed so many romance novels on review carnival, I decided to do an interview with model Laura Williams, who has appeared on more than 1000 romance novel covers. She has modelled for bestselling writers such as Nora Roberts, Lisa Kleypas and others on their most recognizable covers.
Here is the interview.
TRIVIA
Favorite color- Red
Zodiac sign- Scorpio
Favorite country/city- Cape Town, South Africa
One fashion item you can't go without- iPhone
Your prince charming should be- Intelligent, have a sense of humor, and well traveled.
1. You look so different on each and every cover. I couldn't even say that they were all of the same person. How do you manage to be so versatile?
I have found that lighting, make-up and how I style my hair can dramatically change how I look in photographs. I can be modern or from another time period, casual or sophisticated and can even appear to be different nationalities—just by altering those 3 basic factors. Then, of course, there’s the obvious differences due to wardrobe and setting. Also, when I am posing for the covers I take on the mood of the character in the book which can have an important effect on how people perceive me. It’s like being an actress of sorts. The more real my portrayal is then the more intriguing the cover will be.
2. Do you read romance novels? Which are your favorites?
I have read romance novels. I especially like Nora Roberts and Lisa Kleypas. Through the years, I’ve done covers for each of these outstanding authors.
3. You get to wear beautiful dresses on the covers. Please describe how it feels to be wearing them.
Many of the dresses are really gorgeous. It's definitely a perk being able to wear them and feel beautiful and feminine. I'm lucky I am in a profession where I get to do this for a living. But my favorite accessory in a book cover shoot is definitely the hot guy standing next to me :)
4. Do you prefer to model on contemporary romance covers or historical romance covers? Why?
I enjoy both, but I do slightly prefer historical. It's more fun to see the covers when they come out, and it's more of a novelty. It always makes me wonder what people's lives were really like back then.
5. Which are your favorite covers till now.
There are many covers that I really like. I work with very talented art directors and illustrators who make all their covers very beautiful . My most recent favorites are: Stranger in My Arms, The Harlequin and Dark Stranger. But my all-time favorite was one of the first covers I did in the beginning of my career. It was called Proud Wolf's Woman by Karen Kay. The author was extremely happy and wrote a letter praising me as a model to the company that had hired me. That was very exciting at the time so I have fond memories this one. It helped start my career to becoming the top female book cover model.
6. How do you feel when you look at covers with pictures of yourself on the shelves of top-tier bookstores?
It's a lot of fun, especially when I travel. I have seen myself on the cover of romance books in Germany, England, Greece, Iceland, Italy, South Africa and the Middle East. It’s always a pleasant surprise to find pictures of myself anywhere, but somehow it’s even more uniquely thrilling when it’s in some remote, exotic place I wasn’t expecting, or I find myself on the cover of a translated version. My family and friends enjoy finding me in their local bookstores and shops, too. My nieces and nephews have a whole book collection of their Aunt Laura.
7. What does beauty and love mean to you.
Having the career that I've had in the modeling business, I've learned that the only beauty and love that is lasting comes from the inside. It comes from loving and taking care of yourself and from being a good person to others. Looks can fade if you don't take care of yourself and no one gives love to someone who doesn't love themselves or give back to others.
Images used belong to copyright holders. The covers are in order:
A Case for Romance- Katie Rose
Secret Star- Nora Roberts
Stranger in my arms-Lisa Kleypas
The Brahms Deception- Louise Marley