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Ladies (& Gents), I would like to introduce you to Mr. Stefan Pinto, the first-runner up at the Romance Times' Mr. Romance contest. Scoring a romance novel contract and some extra publicity, Pinto says he's a "full-time geek, sometimes model." Who doesn't love a sexy brain? Heck, brawn and brains, I know he has, as Mr. Pinto is so kindly helping a friend of mine code and slice her website up in Adobe-land. I tell you, the more I know about him, the more delectable he becomes. From sheiks to doctors, rogues to bosses, billionaires to bronco-riding cowboys, he's sure to make us swoon. Pinto took some time away from his busy schedule to give me some exclusive, first-hand information going behind the scenes of the competition, as well as, a unique perspective on the world of romance novels.

Why did you decide to compete in Mr. Romance?

Stefan: A friend who runs a PR firm in NY, receives RT magazine and suggested I enter. It never occurred to me that I will be a contestant let alone even place in the top five!

How do you feel about winning 2nd place at Mr. Romance?

Stefan: Ecstatic! It is a dream come true for me. I know that sounds cliche, but you must understand; I was once overweight. Growing up, I suppose you could say I was a "nerd" (I still am, actually). Yea, I had zits, wore glasses and had buck teeth.

What happens now?

Stefan: Ha ha. I don't know. I've been in touch with Circle of Seven productions and they have been very forthcoming with their responses. I am looking forward to working with them.

What was your favorite part about the competition and the convention?

Stefan: Bonds. I connected with some of the contestants as well as with some of the authors. Everyone was open to meeting and this was what is most important to me. I really enjoyed the people I met and know that we will remain in touch.

What were some of the things you did behind the scenes at RT?

Stefan: As we spent most of our time with each other, we developed some strong bonds. There is always that initial sense of trepidation when meeting new people that you will be competing with, but ultimately, if you are willing, you can develop some wonderful relationships. We spent a lot of time making fun of one another, in jest of course, sharing our experiences and giving advice.

Funniest thing a person said to you while in Orlando:

Stefan: What is your intellectual capacity? I answered, and we ended up having a nice chat. I wonder if she voted for me?

One piece of advice you'd give future Mr. Romance candidates:

Stefan: Bring snacks! It is a grueling competition mostly because of the back-to-back events and you do not want to run low on fuel. I go crazy when I am hungry.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Stefan: This event changed my life. It was truly an opportunity and I am blessed to have shared it with such enthusiastic and considerate people. Everyone was just amazingly wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Aww... isn't he terrific? You can find Stefan on Twitter, Pinto Factory, Facebook, and Model Mayhem. Be sure to drop in and say hi, he's very friendly and amiable.

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bonds, buck teeth, circle of seven, cliche, experiences, funniest thing, glasses, grueling competition, initial sense, intellectual capacity, jest, mr romance, nerd, piece of advice, pr firm, relationships, seven productions, snacks, trepidation