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Model contest makes six pack romantic
Staff Writer
DAYTONA BEACH - Andrei Claude gets a lot of vampire roles, but he only plays one scene, bearing his six-pack abs for the covers of romance novels.
The Malta native won "Mr. Romance" in 2005 and will defend his title today in a competition for male cover models at the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort, site of the Romantic Times Book Lovers Convention.
The contestant with the best bodice-ripper pose wins a contract with Harlequin Books.
At the romance novelists convention, the few attractive men in the mostly female crowd are the parallel opposite of Hooters waitresses serving a male sports crowd.
Women are aggressive in seeking out the models, who appear at the convention's many costume parties. The convention has drawn 1,300 fans and writers here through Sunday.
"A lot of fans think they know everything about you, including all your sexual activities," Claude said.
They assume that models lead the life of a torrid romance novel. The books, he said, are "very explicit." Because many fans are in their 40s and up, Claude said his significant other is not threatened by the female attention.
"You're in a safe zone," the 26-year-old said.
Fans enjoy their own reality check when they meet the models.
Models are losing some prominence since many publishers no longer use them for their cover art, said Carol Stacy, the publisher of Romantic Times Book Reviews Magazine.
Models, on average, earn about $150 for a cover shoot, Stacy said.
It's not bad for an hour's work, but, "you have to hustle (to make a good living)," she said.