Interview and Contest with Sam Bond

by - 8:20 AM

As you all may know, today is an extremely special day here at PAST THE PRINT. Sam Bond, the sexy cover model on countless romance books, is here for his very first interview (when it comes to romance novels, that is.)


He's the spokesperson for MaxiMuscle, a body builder, and a former Gladiator named "Atlas." He's graced my cover for RÆLIKSEN, and will also grace the cover of THE FALL OF RAIN in December 2011. And now, he's giving us the opportunity to get to know the man behind the muscle on the covers. Please make welcome, Sam Bond.

Hello Sam. What an immense pleasure it is to have you on my blog this week! As you can see, your Alpha male persona is a commonality around here. We are all big fans of yours. So, please, make yourself at home.

Thank you, Renee.

Let’s begin with an easy question, shall we? As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I had no idea and I still have no idea.
                                                                                    
You have competed in and won numerous bodybuilding and powerlifting competitions. Which one has meant the most to you?
I competed in my first contest when I was 20years old. It came at the end of my first year of university (college) and I won it. Everything had gone so well and I had had such a great year which culminated in this success on stage. I was very thankful for the support I had received from loved ones I remember.

In 2008, the notorious TV show, Gladiators, had made a return and you were chosen to be “Atlas.” Can you tell us how this came about?
Well I was sleeping in one morning knowing that I was going to be late for work when the phone rang. My Aunty informed me there was to be a new series of Gladiators and so I set about trying to contact the producers. I was invited to try-outs and successfully passed several auditions and within no time at all found myself scantily dressed and smiling for the cameras.
                                                     
From your website, it states that you were a charity fundraiser. What a wonderful thing for you to have done. Can you tell us what charity you supported and why?
Between years at university, during the summer holidays, I used to lifeguard on the beaches in Bournemouth (my home town). The lifeguard service was run by a charity called the RNLI who provide a rescue lifeboat service all around the coast of the UK. I heard about a role in their marketing department following university and went to work for them for just over a year. It was our job to raise over £20million each year. It was nice to know you were working for a great cause but the money wasn’t right and won’t often be in the third sector (charity work).

You’ve done so much in your life…what is next for you?
That’s very kind of you to say but truthfully it feels like I haven’t done a lot at all. I’ve just returned from three months backpacking around South East Asia which was fabulous. Now I need to find a career and start earning some money.

Is there anything you haven’t tried that you’d like to tackle one day?
I suspect there isn’t enough room on this site to accommodate a thorough answer to this question. The ultimate goal is to have a family which I imagine will be the biggest challenge, reward and adventure I will ever undertake.

And now it’s time for a few questions I know my readers are very interested in. We'll ease into the good stuff with some quickies (pardon the pun):
Satin or Lace? Satin
Hot or Cold? Hot hot hot
Denim or Leather? Why not both?
Talking or Texting? Talking always
Thunder or Lightning? Don’t they come together? Perhaps thunder then.
Front seat or Back seat? It depends where I am going.
Dark eyes or Light eyes? That depends on what’s behind them.
The sound of a heartbeat or a crackling fire? Every man likes to play with fire.
Sleeping bag or Bed? Bed
Dinner or Movie? Dinner – it’s the way to a man’s heart don’t forget.
Holding hands or Holding her attention? I don’t mind what I’m holding.
Red or Black? Red
Crayons or Paint? Are we referring to body paint at all?
Mountains or Beach? Beach – and the sandier the better.
Rain or Sunshine? Sunshine
Picnic in the park or Dancing in the club? I’m not a very good dancer but I always give it a good go.
Silk sheets or Cotton sheets? Cotton sheets I reckon.

Are you a morning person or a night-owl?
Neither, try to catch me around midday when I am most awake.

What are some of your favorite pastimes?
Riding my motorcycle on a sunny spring day, being with close friends, EATING. Oh, I do love good food.

Are you single?
I am dating a wonderful young lady called Emily whom I probably don’t deserve.

What is your favorite asset on a woman and why?
Long hair. I don’t have anything against short hair, but I find long hair on a lady very sexy.

Do you consider yourself a romantic?
I do, but others may not. I once hid some earrings in a Kinder Egg (a hollow, egg shaped chocolate confectionary item) for Emily. I even melted the chocolate carefully and put it back together so that you wouldn’t know I had been inside. She lost them shortly afterwards. Perhaps I bought the wrong pair?

Where is your favorite place in the world to visit?
Well I haven’t seen them all but I really enjoyed an island in Thailand called Ko Lanta. Other than that, my home town of Bournemouth is a beautiful place and I know all the secret secluded spots.

Have you ever said anything to a woman you’ve regretted?
This is something I do most days – its something of a habit. I once gave the wrong answer to “does this make me look fat?” though. Whoops.

What are some things you look for in a woman?
Intelligence, quick wit, good looks, ambition, curiosity, charm and the ability to cook or at least enjoy good food.

What traits impress you the most?
All of the above. But I really find quick wit a turn on.

What things turn you off?
Dog hairs. I once dated a girl who was dog-sitting this huge American Bulldog. Not only did it frighten me close to death and was envious of me sharing her bed but when I did finally win the war and kick it out of the room, I had to contend with a blanket full of smelly dog hairs. This is not ok.

How does it feel to know you are the covers of countless romance books?
My attention was brought to this only a month ago or so. I had no idea about it. I think it’s great. The images used have been bought from a photographer who kindly offered a shoot for free if we could both use the images. I took him up on the offer and have enjoyed using the shots he captured. I’m really glad he got a little something out of it too. It’s also flattering beyond all belief of course.

I’m certain, with your striking good looks and amazing body, you get all kinds of fans running up to you and wanting your autograph. What’s the craziest thing a fan has asked you to do or admitted doing themselves?
It’s certainly not as you describe it but there was a period of about 3 weeks where I had a fan contact me by email (through my website) every day asking me the most bizarre questions? These questions weren’t always sexual though which was actually the most alarming thing. I’m fairly certain it was a man and he would ask me peculiar things like “do you have hairy feet?”, “what’s it like to have to shave your chest?” and “do you get along well with your mother?”. I never responded but I did spend some time thinking about how on earth I would go about answering those questions diplomatically.

Here are some of the many romance covers that feature Sam Bond as the cover model:
















If you want to see more romance novel covers that feature him, you can visit this fan site blog dedicated to Sam Bond.

Just to let everyone know, it was Sam's idea to sign my book, RÆLIKSEN, and send it to the winner. So realize, with him living in the UK, it will take a few weeks before the winner receives the autographed book and the Sam Bond photograph. But I think it will be well worth the wait since the winner will have a collector's item with both the author and the cover model signing it.

In order to win these two unique gifts, all you have to do is leave a comment or question for Sam in the comments section of this post. One lucky winner (Oh so lucky!) will be randomly drawn and announced here on Valentine's Day. 
In order to get in touch with the winner and acquire their home address privately, I MUST have your email address along with your comment/question for Sam.

*Contest ends midnight, February 13, 2011!


(Remember, there is a big time difference for Sam, so he may not answer your questions right away or even that day. Be patient though...he will get to them. And don't forget to check back on Wednesday! Sam Bond is the WAKE-ME-UP WEDNESDAY feature for this week. Trust me, you do not want to miss him.)



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