Me and Fabio

Some things in life are just too strange to be true. Such as the blizzard that’s predicted today after the 63 degree temps yesterday. Such as the Mona Lisa having no eyebrows. Such as any outfit Lady Gaga has worn out in public. Strange …but true.

And, of course, I have my own strange but true story…..

Fabio turned 51 this week. I turn 48 on Sunday. Coincidence?

I think not.

Fabio and I have been linked for many years. He just doesn’t know it.

When I started reading romance in the 70’s, book covers were okay. Nothing spectacular, they usually showed the woman with some sort of distressed cleavage line and skirt hiked up to …well, hiked up.

But in the 80’s, Fabio was there. Boy, was he ever there. Mr. Studly was on the cover of virtually every book I purchased for years. Starting with his book modeling career in 1987 with Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey. I read Johanna Lindsey voraciously.

Coincidence?

*snort*

More evidence follows.

Fabio is a spokesman for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. I EAT I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. (both spray and Mediterranean style)

Getting a bit eerie now isn’t it, how much our lives are linked together? I know, I know, scared me too.

Fabio has appeared on America's Next Top Model, my best friend worked PR on the show.

Fabio appears on Conan O’Brien, I watched Conan once.

Fabio was born in Milan, my husband used to work in Milan.

Are you seeing the connections here?

There are a few differences of course. Fabio is built like a Mack Truck, doesn’t drink, doesn’t eat dessert and has long, flowing beautiful hair. I’m built like a Zamboni, drink vodka, cry if I don’t get dessert and have short, spiky hair. Fabio’s eyes are listed as “crystalline blue”, mine wouldn’t come out of a crayon box, being listed more as murky gray/green. Fabio owns over 200 motorcycles, I own a Chevy truck.

But that’s all just minor, right?

For all of us out there, struggling to write romance in whatever genre, we have to remember Fabio, and what he did for the world of romance. With over 400 book covers to his credit (take a peek here http://www.fabioifc.com/), Fabio set the romance world on it’s ear. He turned more women on to reading romance, turned more women on to writing romance, and turned more women on, period.

Sure, jokes will always be made about him, and Fabio makes most of them himself. But go take a look at his book gallery, and see how many you recognize in there. I’ve probably read over 50% of those.

That I remember.

Now that I’m almost 48, I’m losing some of that as well as ….as well as…..hmm…I know I was going to say something insightful there. Weird.

Anyway, Happy Belated Birthday Fabio!

Your amica,
carrie