Cover Model Interview (and a giveaway!)
My new book, Stay with Me, released this week, and so I reached out to the novel’s cover models to ask if they’d be willing to answer a few of my questions. They very graciously said yes! (Which made my day because my annual cover model interview post is one of my favorites of the year.)
This post will introduce you to Paul and Sami Weaver, but if you’re on Instagram and would like to keep up with their lives going forward, you’ll find them at: www.instagram.com/paulwheatthins and www.instagram.com/sami.stasia.
How did you meet?
We met at a photo-shoot, where I (Paul) was shooting and Sami was modeling. Following the shoot, Sami invited me to church.
I then started going to the same church, and after many coffee dates, we realized we both were crazy in love with Jesus Christ. We wanted to serve Him with our lives.
We talked about the great love and grace of our Heavenly Father.
No matter what we did together our conversations, actions, our passions, and dreams pointed back to Jesus. We began attending church together, and a few months later started officially dating. The rest is… well about to unfold!
Can you each tell me a little bit about yourself?
Paul:
I grew up in Maple Grove, MN with my two brothers and incredible parents. I am now a professional Photographer running my own local media company. I absolutely love traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Sami:
I grew up in Edina, MN with my two sisters, two brothers, and incredible parents. I am now a Content Producer working at Target.
How did you become the cover models for Stay with Me?
We were lucky enough to connect with the publisher who had an incredible vision for how to bring it to life.
When you think back to the day of the cover shoot, what memories stick out?
The shoot was extremely fun! It was a beautiful day out, so we were able to step outside of the studio and shoot as well.
What do you think of the finished cover?
We absolutely love it! The colors and finished product are so beautiful.
And now (just for fun) a quiz to see how similar you each are to the hero and heroine of Stay with Me….
Paul:
Are you half Australian? “Nope!”
Do you prefer clothes lines or clothes dryers? “Clothes Dryers”
Are you talented at either farming or cooking? “Nope!”
Do you eat super healthy? “Yes.” [Yay! THIS is like Sam.]
Have any women ever house-crashed a property that you owned? “Nope!”
Sami:
Do you love coffee or jellybeans? “Coffee.” [Yay! THIS is like Genevieve.]
Have you ever considered a career as a Bible study author and speaker? “Nope!”
Have you ever experienced an earthquake? “Nope!”
Have you been to Georgia? “Yes.” [Yay! THIS is like Genevieve.]
Are you a fan of hip hop music? “Yes” [Yay! THIS is like Genevieve.]
Jennifer Parker, who designed Stay with Me’s cover, told me that Paul and Sami were fantastic and she views this cover shoot as one of the best they’ve ever had. That’s saying a lot because Bethany House organizes a large number of cover shoots each year. The success of the shoot is evidenced in these runner-up covers….
To celebrate Stay with Me’s release, I’ve created a giveaway that includes a few of my favorite things — chocolate, a set of my favorite notecards, and a set of my favorite pens. This giveaway is open to residents of the USA and I’ll randomly select a winner when the giveaway closes. Enter via the entry box below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Before I go, I wanted to invite you to Stay with Me’s virtual launch party! This Tuesday night, I’ll be interacting with readers via a live Facebook video, and giving out numerous prizes. I’d love to see you at my Facebook page then!
Sincere thanks to Paul and Sami for making this post possible and for doing such an amazing job on the cover!
Baker Book House is currently offering print copies of Stay with Me for $11.19 (that’s 30% off the list price) + free shipping. To snag the deal, click here. It’s wonderful to support our brick-and-mortar bookstores during this time!
Readers, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the interview and the runner-up covers!
