It’s not every day that this writer gets to correspond with cover models. But that’s exactly what I’ve been doing lately! Leigh Foster and Stephanie Gooley posed for the cover of my soon-to-be-released contemporary romance, Meant to Be Mine. Here’s what the final version of the cover looks like:
Isn’t her smile irresistible? It never fails to make me want to smile back! Plus, she looks EXACTLY like the heroine of my imagination.
When I contacted Leigh and Stephanie and asked if they’d be willing to answer a few interview questions for me, they both graciously agreed.
So without further ado…
Meet Leigh!
Where are you from, Leigh? I was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. My parents still live in the house I grew up in.
How old are you? I’m 28.
What do you remember about the day of the cover shoot? At the time the cover for Meant to be Mine was shot, Stephanie and I had been a couple for a little over a year. Unfortunately, shortly after I made the move to Chicago, we decided to split up. I think the long distance relationship was harder than we both expected. Stephanie has a magic in her smile that never failed to light up the room. It was an incredible sight to see. I still spend much of my days thinking of her and the amazing times we had together. On our first date we drank coffee’s and went for a walk around Loring park in Minneapolis and when she got in her car to go back to class that day, I knew I loved her, still do today, and am sure I always will.
Can you tell me a little about your career path? When I graduated from college, I took a job in sales. I hated it. There was no creative outlet in it whatsoever. I’ve always had an immense fascination with the art of acting but, at that time, I didn’t know the first thing about how to actually do it. So I did some research, took a few classes, and then built up courage enough to go audition for an agency in Minneapolis. A couple of weeks later they called and said they would like to represent me. I quit my sales job that afternoon and never looked back. That was two years ago. Today I’m a professional actor living and working full-time in Chicago, and I love it.
What do you most enjoy about your job? What’s the most challenging aspect? An actor will often have very busy times, and very slow times. One week I’ll work every day, twelve hours a day, and the next I don’t work at all. It’s nice to be able to have that time off to really do things I love to do; exploring the city, reading, cooking (I just learned how to bake bread!).
Where would you like to be and what would you like to be doing in 10 years? I’m single now, but in 10 years I think I would like to be married and have a child, or three. I plan on being at the point in my career where I could support that kind of life comfortably.
Have you modeled for other book covers? If so, can you name a few? So far I’ve been on three. The first was called Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig, the second was Meant to Be Mine, and the latest one was called A Bride in Store by Melissa Jagears.
And now (just for fun) a brief quiz to see how much you’re like Ty Porter, the hero of Meant to Be Mine.
- Have you ever been to Texas? Yes, when I was 20 I took a road trip to Houston to drop one of my friends off at Rice University.
- Do you have a weakness for baked desserts (pie, donuts, cake, etc)? Fortunately I do not. I’m a savory treat kind of guy.
- Ever done any rodeo bull riding? Only on a fake bull at the Minnesota State Fair.
- Is there anything ‘cowboy’ about you? If so, what? When I was a kid I found an old pair of cowboy boots at a yard sale. I think I wore them every day for about two years. I loved those boots.
- Do you come from a big family? I only have one brother but plenty of relatives scattered around the world.
- Have you been to Las Vegas? Yes, once. I was about 17 and went with my parents, brother and grandmother. It was fun to see but I think I would rather go back to the real Eiffel Tower if I had the choice.
Meet Stephanie!
Where are you from? How old are you? I am from Brooklyn Park, MN and my Golden Birthday is coming up on the 24th of May.
What do you remember about the day of the cover shoot? I remember how beautiful the location was, and how much I enjoyed being able to not only model for the heroine of a book cover, but with my boyfriend. Everyone I worked with was so enjoyable, and I could not have had a better time.
Can you tell me a little about your career path? I started modeling when a dance camp I was attending scouted me and asked me to model for their magazine. This led to other companies, then signing with four agencies in the twin cities. I am also graduating this Summer from the University of Minnesota with a double major in Psychology and Communication.
How do you think the final cover turned out? I am so proud to be on the cover – it turned out amazing. I look as though I was transformed into the character.
Have you ever read any contemporary Christian romances? I have not read any contemporary Christian romances. School has monopolized my reading material.
And now a brief quiz to see how much you’re like Celia Park, the heroine of Meant to Be Mine.
- Do you have a particular fondness for Oregon? I do not have a particular fondness for Oregon.
- Do you love to bake? I LOVE to bake.
- Did you have a crush on anyone your freshman year in high school? Of course I had a crush my freshman year of high school! He ended up taking me to my first formal dance.
- Do you enjoy watching pro bull riding? Although I have only watched it once, pro bull riding is very exciting!
- Are any of your uncles surfers? None of my uncles are surfers, as we all live in Minnesota.
- Do you tend to like healthy, organic food? Going against how much I love baking, I do tend to like healthy, organic food.
My sincere thanks to Leigh and Stephanie for taking the time to answer my questions. All my best wishes to you both. I’m honored to have you on my book’s cover.
Stay tuned! The next time I blog, I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes photos from Meant to Be Mine’s cover shoot as well as some runner-up covers that didn’t get picked.
Now for the age-old question. Do you enjoy seeing faces on covers? Or do you prefer to imagine what the characters look like?
Becky Wade
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Becky, I love this. I have enjoyed getting to know both models. It’s amazing to me how much goes into preparing book covers. This one is beautiful and the colors really pop. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Katrina! I’m always interested in the lives of my cover models. It was a treat to get to know a little bit about Leigh an Stephanie.
I enjoy seeing the faces on the cover of a book because it gives me an idea of what the author had in mind for the character’s looks. The only exception is when the cover model doesn’t match the author’s description. I recently read an excellent book where the hero was described as having black hair and dark eyes and the cover model had brown hair and lighter eyes. It was a bit distracting for me. Maybe I am too picky.
I agree with you, Susan. It’s very important to me (as a reader and writer) that the people on the cover strongly resemble the characters in the novel. Bethany House always asks me to submit photos that show how I envision my hero and heroine. For Meant to Be Mine, I sent in a picture of actress Ashley Greene. In the shot I sent in, she had shoulder-length curly hair. Stephanie looks tremendously (!) like that picture of Ashley Greene. The book’s cover designer, Jennifer Parker, takes great care in selecting models for me me. Then she alters their hair/eye color slightly to make them even more like my characters. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate her!
You are not too picky. For anyone who pays attention to detail, not having the cover match the character would drive them crazy!
I agree. It bothers me, too, when the picture doesn’t match the author’s description. Sometimes they are different than my imagination, but that’s a different story.
I like to see the faces of the characters on the front cover because I like to see what the author sees. When I’m writing and creating characters, that’s when I like to do more imagining. Sometimes I see a picture of an actor or someone famous and base my character’s physical appearance off them. But other times I already have a picture in my head of what my character looks like and try to find a visual that matches that picture in my head.
Yes! Like you, when I’m writing I prefer to rely more on the details of my own imagination. Unlike a lot of writers, I don’t tend to use character inspiration photos. I think I’m able to get my hero and heroine clearer in my own mind (and thus clearer on the page) when I have to rely on my own vision.
Becky, I fall somewhere between in that regard. Characters take shape in my imagination first, but during the first draft process I keep and eye out for actors or models who look like them. Or are at least the right “type.” Sometimes I get very close, and sometimes my imagined character will blend with that face a little bit. But like you, I can’t choose another person’s image and then model my imagination from him or her. I’ve tried, and it creates a sort of mental dissonance.
I enjoy faces so long as they fit the description the author uses of them in the book.
Thanks for stopping by Inspired by Life and Fiction, Mary Ann!
I never pass up a chance to read a post about the book cover design process. As I shared with a book club recently, if I wasn’t writing books, I think I’d like to be designing their covers. I’d have a lot of catching up to do, design-wise (and technology-wise) since I set aside my paint brushes and dreams of an art career over twenty years ago to pursue writing, but the more I learn about the process of cover designing, the more I’m intrigued.
Thanks for sharing this great interview with your cover models. They sound like a lot of fun, and great sports into the bargain. I wish them both much success in their careers and life paths. 🙂
You know, Lori, maybe there’s an overlap between writing and designing. Both are creative. One is visual with literal images, the other visual with written images (that hopefully come alive in the reader’s mind). I’m fascinated by cover and cover design, too! And I also think I would have really enjoyed a career designing covers. You and I are kindred spirits.
How cool to get the chance to actually know your cover models. And they both actually seem normal. Who knew? LOL Reading Leigh’s comments – that man has a romantic soul. And Stephanie is a cutie. It’s too bad they’ve gone their separate ways. Hmm…I sense inspiration for a new Becky Wade novel – the cover models who loved and lost each other only to be reunited a few years into the future. On a movie set? At her grandmother’s funeral? In a line at Starbucks? So many possibilities…. 🙂
Yes, I read it and my writing wheels started churning out a reunion!
Indeed! Plenty of inspiration to be found in Leigh and Stephanie’s story. I just received an email from MTBM’s cover designer and she has her fingers crossed that these two will still find their happy ever after together. I do, too. 🙂
I loved meeting the models for your cover. : )
Thanks, Carrie!!
So fun to see these behind the scenes stories!
I find that I tend to be curious about people in general… which is maybe why I have such fun trying to figure out and understand my characters. But I’m always particularly curious about my cover couples. I love peeking behind the scenes!
Thank you for sharing. I love faces, but I do prefer subtle covers. And that’s what I would like to have for myself. Nicholas Sparks has covers I like. I don’t know why I love hands and rose petals on the covers. Or an apple.
But some of these models do draw my attention. 🙂
Nicholas Sparks does have good covers! They tend to be sort of thoughtful and charming. I think the trick for any designer is to capture the mood of a story as well as the uniqueness of the author’s voice. I think Meant to Be Mine’s cover is right on the money on both counts.
This was so interesting, Becky. It never occurred to me that I could talk to my cover models and find out about them. For my own books, I don’t like having the character’s face on the cover. I prefer that readers use their imagination, which is what I also like to do when I’m reading a book.
It’s fun to hear what authors as well as readers prefer.
I can’t wait to read this one Becky! The cover came out great! It’s nice to see faces on covers but more than that, I like them to match the genre and mood of a story. The cover of “Undeniably Yours” didn’t show the character’s faces but you could see that the main characters were holding each other in a really cute and fun pose. With a cover like that I expected it to be a fun, romantic story and it was. For “The Dancing Master” cover I get a romantic impression. The cover for “A Noble Groom” has a little mystery with the brooding clouds in the background which made me think the story will have some drama, and it did. So, I guess that means I like covers that give me an emotional impression. If my expectation for the story’s mood isn’t met, that would disappoint me more than if the characters didn’t look exactly like I imaged. I think I could say the same about movie posters.
Excellent input, Monica! I’m in complete agreement with you. I really value a cover that accurately communicates a book’s mood.
Monica is an artist herself, everyone! She could definitely design book covers.
Thanks Becky! I don’t work with photos much though, so I’m really fascinated by how they can combine separate photos of the backgrounds and people, making it look so realistic! It definitely takes a special skill. 🙂
Okay, so I know this totally doesn’t make sense but I was a little sad to hear the cover models broke up! I had assumed the couples you used for models were married. Well, I’m sure it was the best for them but they are so cute together!
oh, and I am really loving the font on this website, makes everything look so royal and dignified!
I, too, was sorry to hear they’d broken up. Especially after reading Leigh’s sweet comments.
The cover couple on my last book, Undeniably Yours, were married. How sweet is that?! And they weren’t models. They were friends of one of the editors at Bethany House and very good sports who agreed to pose for a book cover together.
I think it’s actually highly unusual that my publisher managed to find real life couples to pose for two of my three book covers. Almost all the pairs you see on book covers are not romantically connected off-set.
WHAT!!!! Leigh was the cover model for TIDE AND TEMPEST! LOL! How cool is that? Very pleased to meet you, Leigh!
Yes! I’d meant to contact you and tell you that, Elizabeth! He looks extraordinarily handsome on Tide and Tempest’s cover. 🙂
Aw, this is awesome, Becky! Love that you feature the cover models like this – thanks SO much for this feature. 🙂 And how cool that Leigh was also feature on Melissa and Elizabeth’s covers!
It’s lovely to “meet” the people who represent the characters.
I’m glad you enjoyed meeting the people that represent the characters as much as I did, Rissi. Thank you so much for stopping by!
Really fun! Thank you so much for sharing. What a fun interview, and such a treat to stumble across. I sat up and laughed, and my husband (who btw is also named Lee) looked at me like I’d lost my mind. LOL!
Thanks for sharing these interviews with us, Becky. I enjoy seeing faces on a book cover, but as others have said only if the face does match the character’s description in the story! 🙂 I also like pretty “nature” scenes (especially on a beach or showing the ocean).
Blessings on your weekend!
Blessings on your weekend, too, Patti Jo! TGIF!!!!
Fun interviews! And I don’t mind faces on the covers if they’re the “right” face, which I realize is completely subjective 🙂 However I have full confidence I will adore your book regardless of whether I ultimately agree the faces fit 😉
God bless you, Meghan. I truly hope you enjoy Meant to Be Mine!
You already know what I think ;). But I love the cover and love hearing the story! Can’t wait for the pics!
You betcha! I’ll post behind the scenes pics next time, Carol.
Becky, thanks for sharing your cover models with us. Leigh and Stephanie sound like sweet people living out their dreams. All the best to them for sure!
Faces on covers… I do like them, but if the wrong model is chosen it can make it a more difficult read for me. Not quite sure about the psychology of that one. Just something I’ve noticed about my reading habits.
I’ve seen a few examples of “wrong cover models” over the years, Andrea. And yes, I find it somewhat hard to overcome that, too.
I like seeing faces on the book covers.
Thanks for weighing in, Sharon!
I really like when they use actual people, rather than drawings or digital images, on book covers. I think it depends on the type of book. In a mystery, or a light-hearted, playful book, I think it’s fine to have the character’s face not shown. But if the cover model really looks a lot like how the author describes the character, I think it’s helpful to be able to look at the cover and go, that’s her!
Really cool post. I have definitely never read an interview with cover models before. How unique, and fun! So sad they split up, though. He seems like he’s really still in love with her.
Good point about different types of books lending themselves to different types of images.
You can join our ‘fingers crossed that these two get back together’ club. 😉
I’m late to the party but this is so cool! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Ganise! It’s wonderful to see you here.