Why I Dig Romance Novel Cover Guys

It took me six weeks, but I finally tracked down Nathan Kamp.


I didn’t stalk him or anything, I just worked every contact I had until I found someone to hook me up so I could woo him. Not in the biblical sense, although the thought of that verily begs for a workday fantasy.

Who’s Nathan Kamp? Only the hottest and most popular guy on a romance novel cover since That Italian Guy.


I went after Nathan cause I wanted to interview him for
“Romance: B(u)y the Book,” my syndicated romance review column. I thought it’d be cool to talk with the man behind the image that’s graced more than 400 romance novel covers to date.


Not about how many push-ups he does -- though that imagery alone could inspire an Emma Holly novel -- but about who he is, why he does what he does, and what he believes in.

I hear your snickers, you cheeky wenches. But I’ll tell you anyway why I was so hepped when he said yes:

There are no persons involved with romance -- not readers, or authors, or industry folks -- who get less respect from the outside world than the guys who strip down, grease up, and work it for the covers of the books we adore.

So, I’m thinking, why not use my column to break down another stereotype about the romance genre – the dumb, “pretty-boy” cover model image.


Without giving away all the secrets of the interview, I’ll share this about Nathan Kamp: he is a genuine and exceedingly decent man.

Just like me, you get to define what romance really means. Cause you’re savvy, and smart, and you’ve got this fun and funky and powerful tool called the Internet to rock the message.

So, let’s define it for the naysayers:

Why do you read romance? What’s romance mean to you?

Michelle

I hope you’ll read my 2-part ExtraView interviews with Nathan, May 9th and May 16th!