Just as my favourite beau is Tom Delonge, one of my favourite ladies is this one; Deanna Baker.
I'm not going to analyse why I drool over this stunning redhead so much, because I've done that in so many other posts...
...so this post is to unashamedly flaunt the lovliness of Miss May 1972.
A Playboy Playmate from Denver, sexy Miss Baker is the biggest single influence on the character of "Lily" in A Love That Makes Life Drunk. We found each other in Coco de Mer in Covent Garden and I was smitten. She was sat naked on the counter, breathtaking long auburn hair cascading down her back, and since I was surrounded by beautiful satin corsets and other interesting objects (!) Miss May 1972 swept me off my feet and "Lily" was born - a playmate (excuse the pun) for Mr Jefferson Howie - my elegant leading man.
I do wonder what happened to Deanna. I used to search google for hours, post notes on various forums and read through almost every "Deanna Baker" site I could find, but nothing. At first it frustrated the hell out of me. I wanted to know everything about her; what she'd been doing since 1972 and what she looked like now, and then I simply stopped looking.
I began to think I actually didn't want or need to know any of the above. I wanted to remember her as she was on these beautiful pictures, even though I'm pretty sure she's still a very stunning woman today, but for me, it was more about remembering how she inspired my girl Lily and why Jefferson and Lily fell in love. Silly sentimentality I'm sure...
Anyway, even today, as I flick through the book that inspired a novel (Playboy Redheads), I get that feeling in my belly, and for that I will never regret choosing a breathtakingly beautiful redhead for my Lily.
I guess that's why May will always be up there as one of my favourite months!
xxx
