How NOT to Win Friends and Influence People - Part 2

I woke up Sunday morning to a flurry of hits on a blog post from nearly three years ago. A bit of investigation revealed the source. I'll admit I thought about ignoring the issue; I simply have too much work to do.

But the words of romance cover model Jimmy Thomas stuck under my skin.

I've always had an issue with my weight. When I was a teen, I was chubby even though I could and did throw around 50-pound hay bales on the farm. I was mocked by classmates and family for my size.

It was bad enough I pretty much stopped eating and was on the edge of full-blown anorexia my freshman year in high school. I got sick around Christmas, damn sick because I wasn't eating. What pulled me back from the edge? The stubborn part of me that decided I wasn't going to die for these mother fuckers.

Forty years later, I see Jimmy Thomas's post on Facebook, and I want to cry. Not for myself, but for the readers and writers and cover artists who've been fat-shamed all their lives by asshats for not fitting into the asshats' preconceived notions of what a person should look like.

But hey, since I don't fit Mr. Thomas's notion of what a person should look like, then he doesn't need to be gracing any of Alter Ego's book covers anymore either. I'm moving the cover re-dos to number #2 on my priority list. And I'm going to put food on some of those damn covers.

Because right now, fifteen-year-old me is flipping off Mr. Thomas with one hand while eating an ice cream cone with the other.

Want an Instructor You Know You'll Keep Your Eyes On?

Seriously though, even if you're a het male, you might want to check out RWA Northwest Houston Chapter's all day program featuring Jimmy Thomas and his talk on Marketing, Branding and Self-Promotion.

What: Jimmy Thomas on Marketing, Branding and Self-Promotion
When: Saturday, February2, 2013
Where: Spring Creek Oaks Clubhouse, 6002 Bur Oak, Spring, Texas 77379
Time: Door open at 8:30 a.m.
Cost: $25

You can pre-register at the Northwest Houston RWA website!

Jimmy has literally been on thousands of romance covers, but he's not just a pretty face and a hot body. This is someone who's got his pulse on the book market (remember Konrath's #2 Rule - you need a great cover), and he's a great supporter of indie writers.

In addition to starting Romance Novel Covers (where you can buy stock photos, or for a few bucks more, you can get pre-made or custom covers), Jimmy is also sponsoring the Romance Novel Convention this August!

I've added two covers, featuring Jimmy, by two different firends.

R.M. Brand's Specter is a fabulous, FABULOUS gothic read. Then there's Onne Andrews's Taken By Passion, an BDSM romance.

So if you need help promoting your books and you'll be in the Houston area the first weekend of February, I highly recommend attending this great event!