Discovered by Playboy at the age of 17 while wandering a beach in Destin, Fla., Karen Layla has been wowing glamour fans for nearly two decades now even as she has pursued another dream, healing the sick.

“I have a 4.0 grade-point average and have since high school,” the statuesque brunette says. “I have an AS in nursing and am currently and LPN, I only have one year left for my RN, and I also have a degree in fitness and nutrition.”

That’s the brains side. Then there’s the fact that she’s half-Puerto Rican and half-Louisiana Cajun – she has spice and sass in abundance. And beauty – that, too!

“When I was 17 and walking on a beach in Destin, Fla., a photographer from Playboy came up to us and asked me to model for him,” she relates. “His name was Don Sparks. We became good friends and when I was 18 I moved to Miami to pursue my modeling full time.”

She’s since done countless print advertisements and photo layouts, including Playboy’s Book of Lingerie, and says she approaches glamour work as fun more than as work.

“I was terrified the first time I had to take my clothes off (for a shoot) but now I feel natural doing it,” she says. “Being in front of the camera is a turn-on. As a glamour model it is vital that you convey both elegance and naughtiness. For me, I bring that sexy ‘Come and get me!’ look.

“It’s almost like you’re going out there for a date with that great guy you’ve been waiting to hjave call you up,” she adds. “You mentally put it out there: the walk, the talk, the look. It is almost like the first time you make love to someone new, you want all your sexiness to be there.”

She’s also developing skills as a writer (see her dark humor, “Legend of the Swamp Bride” on Page 65) and says she likes to write about love and relationships. She’s a fan, of course, of Anne Rice and you can see a distinct Rice-like influence in Karen Layla’s work.

Her academic credentials also keep her fully in tune.

“I work out every day and I eat incredibly well,” she says. “Also, I try to stay away from the stress and all that nonsense. I have a bubbly personality and that is what I try to bring with me when I’m working.”
She’s been featured recently in a poster by Paris Pinups (see the banner ad) and is working on developing her own web site to sell other work to her devoted fans.

“I’ve been in the modeling business for 20 years now and I still love it,” she says.