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Monday, August 9, 2010

Interview of International Cover Model Jimmy Thomas!

Today it’s my pleasure to present an interview of multi-talented Jimmy Thomas…known to many as an international romance cover model. His career encompasses many avenues; just reading his bio at his website will explain that…sports, weight training, senior architectural designer, martial arts and personal trainer, cover model, business owner, entrepreneur. His resume lists a variety of items to include television/film, commercials, music videos, magazines, catalogs, etc. Definitely a man of many talents!

Where to find information about Jimmy Thomas:
Websites:
http://www.jimmythomas.com
http://www.romancenovelcovers.com

Q: Where else can we find you?
A: Well, I keep my Facebook page updated with my covers I’m on and the artwork created from my stock images, and I chat back and forth with those leaving photo/album comments ;) at
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/JimmyThomasDotCom?ref=ts.That is where I am daily and virtually active.

Q: With all the directions you’ve taken with your skyrocketing career, is there one job you’ve thought about trying but haven’t attempted?
A: Producing/Directing, which is not just something I’ve thought about, it’s what I will be doing next. I already produce and direct all my novel cover shoots for my RNC stock image website, and it is something I have basically done with most of my careers: Personal Training: I produce workout and diet regimes for my clients… Architecture, I produce layouts and designs and direct homeowners on what would be best for their lifestyle, family, accessibility, future resale, for their new or remodeled home…etc., but producing/directing movies has been a desire of mine for a long time!

Q: I scanned all your covers…unfortunately, you’re not on any of mine...and have some favorites like Wild at Heart and The Spellbound Bride. Do you ever get the opportunity to reject a cover you’ve done?
A: Lol, no and I have no problem with that. I’m on about 25 to 30 new covers each week now, so being picky on cover art/design is rather senseless for me at this point. I can see if I only had a few novel covers and wanted to show everyone, but really didn't want them to see those particular covers (nudge, nudge), but I have enough great covers from amazing cover artists, to washout the few ‘not so great’ covers. ;) My images are bought from my RNC stock image website http://www.romancenovelcovers.com and the purchasers (cover artists, publishers, authors, graphic designers, website designers, novel trailer production companies, television/movie producers, etc.) have the licensing rights to manipulate the image as they see fit for their use, along with other images and/or artwork and/or text, as long as it falls into my terms and conditions guidelines listed on my stock website (no malicious and defamation of character, etc.).

Q: You teach self-defense, something everyone should know. Is there one special technique you could share with us?
A: Sure, for women especially, you will not be able to overpower a man; your strength just won’t compare, especially if he gets angry or is on drugs, so trying to struggle, or going for his groin, knee, etc., can easily lead to making him more aggressive if you don’t land your attempt just right and follow-up, so go for his throat or eyes.

Jamming your fingers straight into his throat will instantly put him into a panic, whether on drugs or not because he won’t be able to breathe… take your fingertips right now and give a little, quick poke to your throat. Shocking, huh? Now imagine it being done with force. Thumbs and fingers in his eyes is another quick and easy defense. No strength, training or talent is needed for either one of these defenses, and yet both are two of the easiest means of stopping an attacker.

I find it so funny when you watch in a movie where someone is being choked and the web of the attackers hands are over the front of the other person’s throat. This is movie-choking, lol. In reality you would rotate your hands around the back of the neck more so that your thumbs are directly on the throat and push your thumbs in for choke-out. Applying only 3-5lbs of pressure will crush the larynx. Anymore can easily kill the person, as swelling will start immediately and they won’t be able to breathe.

Q: Would you consider architectural designing again for some special project? Is there something you’d love to design?
A: Actually, no. I’ve been doing it for over… well, for a long time. ;) I’ve designed 4-story, cliff-side houses on private islands in Florida, to Platinum LEED Certified homes in Hawaii; the first to ever be designed and built in America, to working with the 'Afghanistan World Foundation' on the Rebuilding Afghanistan Project, where I have a share in the patents of the design of these low income housing units created from the hundreds of thousands of unused shipping/cargo containers (you'll see my name in the credits as 'Key Designer'): http://www.afghanistanworldfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=162:awf-announces-housing-project-initiative&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=98 .

So I’ve kind of had my time in that field/career and I can’t stay working in one field for too long. Once I feel that I have done all that I wanted to do in it; reached my point of accomplishment (or boredom, lol, I need to let it go and move on to my other and new passions, dreams, goals, desires.

Q: Your time spent in Europe sounds amazingly full of traveling and adventures. Is there one location you truly enjoyed and hope to visit again? Where and why?
A: Of all the locations I’ve been to abroad, I would by far go to again, and highly recommend, Venice!!! It is just gorgeous there! Every photo looks like a post card. Everyone is so nice; it’s just so pleasant.

Q: We know you got to serve Breakfast in Bed to romance author Sandy Sullivan at the Romantic Times Book Lovers Convention in April. How great of you to volunteer to do this as part of a contest. Will you do this again…and where…so we will know and can enter?


 A: Besides this year in Columbus, Ohio, I also did it last year in Orlando, Florida, where Romance Author Kathy Kulig won it. I’m not sure if I’ll be doing it again next April at RT in Los Angeles, as I’ll be having a lot going on next year at RT, some big surprises! ;) But if I do, I will let everyone know how to enter the raffle for it.

Q: You have a wonderful and long resume of your fabulous career. What will be added next to your list of accomplishments?
A: Thanks! :) Next is being on more covers than anyone in history.

Q: Your resume lists a number of characters you’ve played. Which did you enjoy the most and what did you do in your portrayal of this character?
A: I don’t think I have a favorite. I like changing it up, although I also love romance, which will never get old. ;) I enjoy the challenge of portraying any character given to me.

Q: Favorite food?
A: Chocolate!!! Pastry, Italian.

Q: Favorite drink?
A: Coconut/Pineapple juice, vanilla almond milk, chocolate milk.

Q: What would you consider to be the most romantic place in the world…just so we might get some travel ideas?
A: Venice Italy!!! :)

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: Some chocolate sprinkles. ;)

Thanks so much for doing an interview here at "Romance Books R Us"...we appreciate your time and wonderful photos!

25 comments:

Claire Ashgrove said...

Hee hee! Evidently I'm the proud owner of a Jimmy Thomas cover :) Rae chose you for A Christmas To Believe In.

I'll just say "Thank you."

Fedora said...

I definitely enjoyed the interview, Jimmy and Marianne/April! Thank you :) Most certainly learned some new stuff, too :)

Lex Valentine said...

I don't have a Jimmy Thomas cover myself as Lex Valentine, but I've created one as Winterheart Design for author Lisa Alexander-Griffin's new release at Passion In Print Press. If I'm lucky, I'll get to have a Jimmy cover for Primal Urges which is still in process. Thanks to both Jimmy and Marianne for a great interview!

Margaret West said...

loved the interview. What an interesting man. I'll look more at covers now lol

Paris said...

What a great interview! It was so nice to find out about the man behind all of those wonderful covers. Good luck with all of your ventures!

Kathy Kulig said...

Breakfast in Bed with Jimmy in Orlando was such a thrill. He's such an interesting guy to talk to and certainly not bad to look at. LOL. I'd be very lucky to have a Jimmy cover. :) I've been to Italy skiing but never to Venice, sound lovely. Great interview Marianne!

Carol L. said...

I loved this interview. What a highly accomplished man. And still so nice. :)I lost count of how many books I have with Jimmy on the cover. And believe me when I say many a times I bought a book because I saw him on the cover.Great interview and it was great getting to know the man.
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com

Unknown said...

I'm a proud owner of a Jimmy Thomas cover! Pretend With Me from EC. :)

What a great interview and I'd be happy to add some chocolate sprinkles too you. LOL

Sandy Sullivan said...

I don't have a cover with Jimmy on it, but I was the one who won this year's Breakfast in Bed in Ohio. I agree with Kathy, he's so fun to talk to a such a sweetie. By the way, he served me French Toast with white chocolate on it. Totally funny since we ordered the same thing for breakfast. He even made my coffee for me.

I'm still working on getting a Jimmy cover!

Great interview!

Sandy

Sandy said...

A great interview, April/Marianne.

Jimmy, I would love to have you on one of my covers. Have you ever thought of having a raffle for you as a model on a romance cover? I'm sure a lot of authors would enter.

Tina Donahue said...

Hey, Jimmy - thanks for your awesome pose on my book "In His Arms"

Honestly, that cover made my day.

You are sooooo freaking hot! :)

Kathy Otten said...

I've seen pictures of houses made from storage containers, though they had nothing to do with Afganhistan. They're pretty cool. Sounds like a wonderful project to help rebuild a country.

Suzanne Johnson said...

Great interview--thanks Jimmy & Marianne! Nice to read about the real guy behind "the face."

Katalina Leon said...

Jimmy is a breath of fresh air, it's such a pleasant surprise to discover the contents are even better than the box! lol
I absolutely love my Jimmy Thomas cover for
"Beautiful Stranger" and hope I will be fortunate enough to have another JT book cover in the near future.
XXOO Kat

Jean Hart Stewart said...

sGret interview... so nice to hear from an actual model, and such a great one. Jean

Savanna Kougar said...

Jimmy, my cover artist did use one of your photos for my cover, one I recommended.
Gosh, you give great seductive choices. I was entranced going through all the images at your site.
However, since my book is a menage, you're not the only one... but, Branded by the Texans is currently a bestseller.

More power to you as a creative and talented man. Nothing better.

Cris Anson said...

Jimmy also heated up the cover of my PUNISHMENT AND MERCY for Ellora's Cave.

We met at this year's RT and I can say that he is as sweet and gentlemanly as he is gorgeous. And those brown eyes.....*sigh*

He graciously spent some time posing with the Cougar Challenge authors and made the winner of stuffed cougar Sheba and the basket feel special.

And Jimmy, I agree with you about Venice. My late husband took me there for our honeymoon and it was really romantic :-)

Thanks, Marianne, for posting this interview.

Franny Armstrong said...

Ah, Jimmy, it all started with a few simple blogtalkradio shows and now you are EVERYWHERE!

When you direct/produce a movie, can I be the starlet? LOL

You can even use one of my books, like Author's Demise, where you fame the cover, as the story behind the movie.

Nice to see you OUT THERE. When you hit 500 book covers, please let me know and I'll have a PARTY for you.

BIG HUGS (which you get for real at Romantic Times Convention in April 2011)
Franny

Marianne Strnad said...

What a Renaissance man you are Jimmy-you certainly BELONG in Venice! I've been there to visit my ancestral land, (I'm 50% Venetian!) and it IS beautiful! Thanks for doing the interview Jimmy, and to you Marianne for giving us more of Jimmy than I knew existed. Great post!

Sarah said...

It is wonderful when a person that they are more than their "cover". Jimmy is an interesting and talented man. Thanks for the great interview and the self defense tips.

Erica Anderson said...

Thanks for the interview! Jimmy is on the cover of my historical Not Quite a Lady. Lucky me! :)

April Ash said...

Jimmy,
Really gracious of you to do this...thanks for answering my questions! Lots of people made comments on yahoo loops where I posted promo for your interview besides the comments here!

Marianne

Carol Ann said...

Fantastic interview. So great to know such a sexy cover model is much, much more than that! I appreciate the self-defense tips. I must admit that my throat is still feeling weird after that little test. Thanks Marianne and Jimmy.

Carol Ann Erhardt
www.CarolAnnErhardt.com

Desiree Holt said...

Great interview. And Jimmy, I love you! you make my covers sizzle!

Brandy B aka Brandlwyne said...

Wow, you are a busy busy man!!! Here I thought I had alot going on, lol

-Brandy
brandyzbooks@yahoo.com

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