For almost all of my books — My Stubborn Heart is the only exception — Bethany House has organized a cover photo shoot. And I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing all of the people who posed for those shoots. Sometimes, they were friends of Bethany House employees. Sometimes they were models. Every couple on my covers was also a couple in real life. The same is true of Let It Be Me’s cover models Lissa and Spencer! This married duo portray characters Leah and Sebastian, who share their first initials. I’m envisioning L + S carved into a tree with a heart around it!

Thanks so much, Lissa and Spencer, for enabling me to keep my interview tradition alive. It was a treat to get to know you through this Q & A!

How did you meet?

Lissa: “We met at a bowling alley in Minnesota during the fall of 2011. Spencer was on a bowling league and I was out with some girlfriends. As fate would have it, he came up to me and asked if he could play a game of darts with us – we played and laughed together the rest of the evening! We both knew there was something special about each other so we exchanged numbers and kept in contact over the next few months. We eventually started dating and the rest is history.”

Can you each tell me a little bit about yourself?

Spencer: “I grew up in Rapid City SD and from a young age formed a love for sports and the outdoors, particularly baseball. I ended up playing baseball competitively for almost 30 years including in college at the Div. 1 level for Purdue University.

Our family was small and extremely loving and supportive. I have one younger sister; she and I are very close. 

I studied mechanical engineering at Purdue and completed my Bachelor’s degree in 2007. I then went straight to work as a technical sales professional for Trane Technologies. I will celebrate 14 years with the company this August.

I’ve stopped playing baseball as of 2 summers ago, but I still love sports, play lots of golf, and really enjoy training and hunting with our German Wirehaired Pointers, Surly and Porter. Lissa and I have 6 nieces under the age of 5! and we LOVE spoiling them as Auntie and Uncle.”

Lissa: “I was born and raised in Prior Lake, MN. My parents still live in the same house I grew up in so when I visit, it’s very nostalgic. I went to college at Minnesota State University Mankato where I studied Psychology and Dance. I live in Minneapolis now with my husband and our two dogs. I’m the social media strategist at a local production company in the Twin Cities called Uptop Films. I love anything that has to do with film and production!”

How did you become the cover models for Let It Be Me?

Lissa: “I was contacted by one of my agents about this opportunity – since I had never done a book cover, I was very intrigued. She asked if my husband would be interested in being a part of this project and without hesitation, I said yes! Haha, I basically told him he had to be a part of this and that it would be a fun experience together. We had a great time on set and really got to connect in an intimate way.”

When you think back to the day of the cover shoot, what memories stick out? 

Lissa: “It felt like our wedding day all over again.”

What do you think of the finished cover?

Lissa: “The cover is gorgeous! And it reminds me of how much love we have for each other.”

And now (just for fun) a quiz to see how similar you each are to Sebastian and Leah, the hero and heroine of Let It Be Me….

Spencer:

Did you ever consider a career as a pediatric heart surgeon? “No.”

Do you enjoy watching soccer on TV? “I like the World Cup.”

Have you ever experienced an earthquake? “Yes, but a very minor one.”

Do you like flying in planes? “I love flying, but my experience has been limited to commercial travel only thus far.”

Are you a fan of Sinatra’s music? “Who doesn’t like Sinatra?!” 

Lissa:

Do you love math? “Yes! Just not great at it…”

Do you have a younger brother? “Nope. I’m the youngest of 3 sisters.”

Do you like mid-century modern architecture and interior design? “Love mid-century modern! I wish I had a better eye for it because I would have changed the interior of my entire house!”

Have you been to Georgia? “Never, but it’s on my list.”

Are you a fan of Star Wars (and Han Solo in particular)? “Not sure yet. I’ve never seen the movies! Although, a young Harrison Ford would be nice to watch.”

Readers, didn’t their cover turn out great?

Let It Be Me releases in less than two weeks! There’s still time to take advantage of the pre-order deal offered by Baker Book House. 40% off list price for a signed copy + free shipping in the USA.

Here’s a peek at the book’s plot:

The one woman he wants is the one he cannot have.

Former foster kid Sebastian Grant has leveraged his intelligence and hard work to become a pediatric heart surgeon. But not even his career success can erase the void he’s tried so hard to fill. Then he meets high school teacher Leah Montgomery and his fast-spinning world comes to a sudden stop. He falls hard only to make a devastating discovery — Leah is the woman his best friend set his heart on months before.

Leah’s a math prodigy who’s only ever had one big dream—to earn her PhD. Raising her little brother put that dream on hold. Now that her brother will soon be college bound, she’s not going to let anything stand in her way. Especially romance… which is far less dependable than algebra.

When Leah receives surprising results from the DNA test she submitted to a genealogy site, she solicits Sebastian’s help. Together, they comb through hospital records to uncover the secrets of her history. The more powerfully they’re drawn to one other, the more strongly Sebastian must resist, and the more Leah must admit that some things in life—like love—can’t be explained with numbers.

Readers, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the interview!

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Becky Wade

Author at Bethany House

Becky makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three children. She absolutely loves writing funny, heartwarming, and inspirational contemporary Christian romance.

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