Nebraskan
Monday, March 28,1994
ArtscoEntertainment
Romantic heroes grace novel covers, dreams
Early Sunday I was lost in Omaha, waiting
for my romance hero to rescue me, after my
friend had accidentally left me behind.
So at 2 a.m., alone and careless in front of an
empty parking garage, I reflected on what I had
learned over spring break about romance writ
ing and heroes.
My research had started with a phone inter
view with Tye Damon, a New York romance
cover model and spokesman for Zebra Books.
Damon was scheduled to speak at the second
annual University of Nebraska at Omaha Ro
mance Writers and Readers Conference on
March 25-26.
As a reporter, I was curious about male
models and their lifestyles. As a romance writ
er, I was eager to learn more about making
fictional heroes come alive for my readers.
Damon didn’t disappoint. He was candid
about modeling, and he shared some sizzling
publishing tips and insight into romance he
roes.
Besides writing adventure romances, Damon
models for a new line of romance books.
That’s where “A Man’s Touch” comes in.
“A Man’s Touch” is a line of romance books
written fromaman’spointofview insteadofthc
heroine’s. The first book comes out in August,
with Damon on the front and back cover.
Another book he is writing is nonfiction —
“Romance and the Romantic Hero,” he said.
The book includes self-help lips, romantic tips,
pictures and exercises.
“Plus, the book profiles why cover models
are becoming so popular in the ’90s,” Damon
said.
But jumping from the cover of paperbacks
into real life has its drawbacks.
“I love being around the women, and I don't
mind the autographs, but sometimes it can get
to you...especially when women follow you into
the bathroom.” he said.
Damon was scheduled to appear at the Cross
roads Mall in Omaha Thursday night for a pre
conference autograph signing party. Unfortu
nately, he canceled because of a family emer
gency.
But in front of the Read All About It book
store on the raised platform were four other
“heroes” autographing pictures and smiling at
the women gawking at them from a safe dis
tance.
Three of them, wearing blue jeans and sleeve
less cutoff denim shirts, made Arnold
Schwarzenegger look like Opie on “The Andy
Sandy Summers/DN
Russ “Savage” Guerrero, former Chippendale model, works as a romance^novel cover model. Besides being a
freelance model, Guerrero performs singing telegrams and works for a children’s newspaper. In 1995, Guerrero
will appear on the cover of the Avon Romance “Lady of Summer” by Emma Merritt.
urimth Show.
The Three Huskatcers were none other than
Kris, Kurt and Jim Battling, hog farmers from
Unadilla, destined to adorn the eovers of fitness
magazines and romance novels.
Kris and Kurt said they had interrupted their
University of Nebraska-Lincoln education to
join older brother Jim in New York.
i>ince last year, the Nebraska triplets have
successfully harvested a living cultivating the
look of the blue-eyed Midwest farmer with a
strong cleft chin and long blond hair. Their hard
bodies appear all over the country on Hallmark
cards, fitness magazines, TV shows, comics
and book covers.
“With the three of us together, very few
women nave me guis 10 wane up anu lain to us,
J im said. “Women who are confident do, but the
introverts will look at us and act like they don’t
even see you.”
While romance model ing may be just anoth
er notch in the Bartling brothers’ weight-train
See MODEL on 10
- Courtesy of Creative Artists Agency
From left, Kevin Smith, Toby McKeehan and Michael Tait form the rap/
soul/rock trio DC Talk.
Christian band rocks, talks
of relationships with Jesus
Concert
review
The rap, rock and soul ofDC Talk, combined
wilh some fancy light work, a fog machine and
rock-sol id Christian lyrics, drew more than
3,000 fans to the scats and aisles of Pershing
Auditorium last week.
Opening with the rap/soul mix “Say The
Words," the group began a three-ring circus of
music, dancing and stage magic that slowed
only for a few special acoustics that let members
catch their breath.
Up front were singers Toby McKeehan,
Michael Tait and Kevin Smith, backed by a
four-man band of keyboards, bass, guitar and
drums.
Amid hot releases from its most recent project
“Free At Last,” DC (for Decent Christian) Talk
performed some favorites from past recordings,
like “Nu Thang” and “Heavcnbound.”
McKeehan, Smith and Tait fell into the arms
of fans crowding the stage, reminiscent of a
mosh pit. Other fans hip-hopped in the aisles.
In fact,only the in-your-face Christian lyrics
and the sharing from band members between
songs would separate this concert from secular
counterparts.
Lyrics from“l Don’t Want It” urge people to
wait until they are married to have sex —
“Don’t give it up ‘til ya tic the knot.”
“Socially Acceptable” blames secular hu
manism and a society out of whack for making
things that used to be wrong, right. The interra
cial group also takes a strong stand against
racism.
“I hate racism,” Smith said. “It sucks.”
McKeehan said, “God doesn’t judge on the
color of skin. He sees the heart, not the skin
color.”
The group got up close and personal with
fans, sitting on the edge of the stage for a set of
soulful acoustics.
A remake of U2’s “40” drew- roars with a
gravelly Smith solo.
The band took advantage of the rel at i ve cal m
to share some personal stories and convictions.
McKeehan told about the band shooting the
video for “The Hard Way” in a maximum
security prison.
He said the experience taught them all how
much they had in common with the people they
met behind the bars.
“We three guys make mistakes. We don’t
deserve the stage. We stumble and fall all the
time.
“The beauty of stumbling and falling is this
... at least you realize you don’t have it all
together. God didn’t say we’d never stumble
and fall; he just said he’d be there to pick up the
pieces.”
The mood continued as McKeehan wrapped
up the concert.
“Our generation is a generation with a lot of
problems. Some problems we inherited... other
problems we created on our own.
“Either way we’re looking for answers, a
way out of our problems. We have found a
permanent answer—that permanent answer is
found in a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ.
“He will set you free at last; you won’t be
searching anymore.”
— Adeana Leftin
