Chat with a cover model

I always enjoy chatting with the cover models for my books, and my conversation with Brit—who is on the cover of A Note Yet Unsung (February 2017)—was a delight.

I asked her ten questions, and she has ten insightful and entertaining responses. Enjoy!

Thanks, Brit, for joining us—and welcome! 

1.      How did you become the cover model for A Note Yet Unsung, a Belmont Mansion novel (book 3)? 

Bethany House Publishers, having seen my pictures, reached out to my modeling agency to see if I would be interested in being on the cover. I gladly agreed to play the role.

Tamera here:
Isn’t Brit lovely! And very much as I picture Rebekah Carrington in the novel. A soft, mature kind of beauty.

2.      Where did the photo shoot take place? And did anything exciting or interesting happen during the shoot? 

The photo shoot took place at a studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I really enjoyed getting to know the make-up artist. She’s worked with multiple celebrities, one of which was Prince. I declared my near obsession with him and begged her to tell me her experience and any good stories she had. I was not disappointed. It was really exciting to talk to someone who had worked with him firsthand. As a dancer and model, I explained to her how I’ve always wanted to meet him and dare dream to work with him. Strangely enough, Prince passed just three weeks after this shoot.

3.      Tell us something special about the dress you’re wearing on the cover (Did it itch? Is the color on the cover the actual color of the dress? Did the dress fit perfectly? Or were lots of pins used—that hopefully did not harm the model in the making of this cover!?)

I have such a strong image of the book cover in my head that it’s hard to remember what the actual color of the dress was, but it was indeed a different color (the magic of Photoshop). The dress fit well and was quite thick and heavy. But it was rather cold in the studio that day, so I was not complaining.

Tamera butting in again:
Thanks to extra photos captured at the shoot—which are available on the A Note Yet Unsung book page—I can show you the real color of the dress. Which they tinted to be silver, almost white in the light due to a specific scene in the book. After all, readers want the cover to dovetail with the book!

4.      How long have you been modeling and what’s your favorite thing about that occupation? Likewise, what’s your least favorite?
I’ve been modeling for about two years. My favorite thing about modeling is getting to do different jobs where I meet new people. I have a bit of social anxiety and modeling forces me to face that head on and to be open and confident about any situation I may encounter that day. My least favorite thing—waiting. Modeling requires a lot of patience. You’re completely at the hands of whoever you’re working for that day. You may sit around for hours waiting for other models to finish hair and make-up or for the set to get finished. However, when it’s time to work you need to be ready and on your A game.

5.      Before you arrived at the photo shoot for A Note Yet Unsung, were you familiar with the plot of the book or the female character (Rebekah Carrington) that you portray?
Yes, I was. Before the shoot they sent me a full description of the character and the story so I knew exactly who I would be portraying.

6.      Are you currently scheduled for more modeling assignments? If yes, what are they?
I just recently moved to Los Angeles, and I’m currently looking for agencies and hope to book work soon.

7.      Do you have a ‘dream modeling assignment’ you’d love to be involved in someday?
I’d absolutely love to do something for Nike Women one day. As mentioned, in addition to modeling, I dance. I really enjoy the campaigns Nike Women has celebrating all women and athletes.

Tamera here one last time:
Oddly, Brit, Nike called me the other day about doing a shoot, but I was slammed with deadlines and had to say no. If only I’d known you were interested. Sorry! (Uh huh, yeah right…)

8.      What’s the last fiction book and non-fiction book you’ve read?
I recently reread The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I read the books before the movies came out and then it took me a long time to finally watch the movies. I think most most readers usually agree, the movies are never as good as the book. However, I was very impressed by how well the imagery from the books were portrayed in the movies. I wanted to reread the first book then again to compare, plus I just love those books! For non-fiction, I’m currently reading Boarding School Seasons by Brenda J. Child. It’s an insightful book about the impact of boarding schools on Native American families in the early 1900’s.

Thanks again, Brit! You make a lovely Rebekah Carrington!

9.      What are your most played songs on iTunes?
My current most played songs on iTunes include multiple songs by Erykah Badu, Bon Iver, Frank Ocean, Anderson Paak and of course, Prince.

10.  Lastly, do you happen to play the violin like Rebekah does in A Note Yet Unsung?
I do not play the violin, and I’m very envious of those who know how. We had a woman on set the day of the shoot who played violin. She was there just to make sure I was holding it properly. We did multiple other shots where I was holding the violin as if I were playing it. I had no idea how complex it was!

Thanks so much for the interview, Brit! Loved chatting with you and thank you, again, for sharing your beauty—both inside and out—on the cover of A Note Yet Unsung.

And to everyone else…
What’s your dream job? Are you doing it now? Still waiting for it to happen? Or perhaps, have you discovered that your dream job really wasn’t your dream…at first. But now it is! ?? 

~Tammy

To see a slideshow with more pictures
from the photo shoot,
visit my website

click for more pics

FEBRUARY 2017

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Tamera Alexander

Novelist at Novelist

Novelist, wife, mother… USA Today bestselling author Tamera Alexander has loved the lure and power of story for as long as she can remember. Now she enjoys creating stories set within the real history of the post-Civil War South and the rugged, panoramic vistas of America's West.

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