Robin Schone's Blog - Posts Tagged "contest"

"A Man and A Woman" (Fascinated) is Connor/Muhamed's story, Ramiel's manservent in The Lady's Tutor.

Publisher's Weekly wrote that Connor is "probably the first 53-year-old eunuch to be a romantic hero." I don't know about that, but I do know that he fought me every step of the way. His life was private, and he wanted to keep it that way. Furthermore, he absolutely refused to let me romanticize any aspect of being a eunuch.

Instead, he revealed himself through one painful question after another, until finally I . . . and Megan . . . began to understood: Connor was a very, very lonely man who saw himself through the eyes of the men who would judge him, rather than through the eyes of the strong man circumstances had forced him to become.

Megan, however, refuses to judge Connor, just as she refuses to be judged by him.

"You think a woman is a whore because she has physical needs?" she flared, forgetting that he rightfully thought her a prostitute. Forgetting that she had come to him out of loneliness, not to debate women's morality. "You do not think that women are entitled to take comfort in a man's embrace?"

"I do not know." His grating honesty shattered her anger; his breath lapped at her breasts. "I do not know what either men or women are entitled to. All I know is what I want..."

More than one reader wrote expressing disbelief that a eunuch possessed sexual feelings, or in the case of Connor/Muhamed, that eunuchs who had been castrated while leaving the penis intact could sexually perform.

Both history and medicine are full of real-life men who have for one reason or another been castrated. Men with heartbreaking stories. Yet sometimes, those very same men whom we are supposed to pity . . . and who have been despised and ridiculed throughout history . . . provide the ultimate affirmation of our need to love and to be loved.

Eunuchs did and do have sexual feelings (many modern men must undergo castration due to cancer). Juvenal, a Roman satirist, wrote that Roman women enjoyed men who had been castrated after they reached maturity, because such eunuchs could still sexually perform but without causing impregnation. One particular account of a man who had been competely "shaved" (both testicles and penis cut off) profoundly touched me. Chief eunuch in charge of a harem, he himself kept a concubine, and was not only able to sexually satisfy his beloved, but by the intimate messaging of his prostate gland, was able to obtain sexual release, also.

I remember when typing the final chapter to "A Man and A Woman," a familiar thunk sounded overhead. Oops! I had stayed up all night writing . . . again. The familiar "thunk" was my husband's feet hitting the floor as he got out of bed and walked across the living room to turn on the radio, an early morning ritual. Almost immediately one of the most beautiful and haunting songs I had ever heard drifted down the stairs. It perfectly captured the pain Connor experienced and the beauty he found in Megan. I wrote the last sentence to the fading strains of Sting's Desert Rose.

Click here to learn how to win a free copy of the anniversary edition of Fascinated.

First, I would like to apologize for not keeping my Goodreads page updated. I've been very ill since my heart attack Christmas Day 2008. The good news is that I received a new heart December 22, 2010. It's only been three months, but already I'm so much better! Don can't keep up with me anymore. Well, okay, he injured his foot, but still. . . . I'm doing splendid, as Frances Hart would say.

Now for the fun part! I've updated my Facebook page, and am running a special contest there. Since it is book related, I thought I would post about it here, so that all of you will have a chance to participate. The contest is called: Find Michael at Shutterstock.com! The winner will receive autographed copies of THE LOVER and GABRIEL'S WOMAN in their language of choice (American English, German or Spanish). It's very simple to enter the contest; all you need do is find the photograph you think best represents Michael (THE LOVER and GABRIEL'S WOMAN) at www.shutterstock.com, and post a link to the picture on my Facebook page.

I hope to see you there!

I've had such fun choosing Michael from the Find Michael contestants, that I decided to share the fun. And the angst! So many handsome, sexy photos were posted, that it was difficult indeed to choose just one. So please do stop by and see the gorgeous contestants in my latest Facebook contest: Michael . . . You Choose! Don't forget to post your favorite while you're there!


OFFICIAL RULES:

To be eligible to win, you must choose only one (1) Michael from the Michael: You Choose! contest gallery. All the Michael pictures are numbered. Simply post the number of the picture that you think best represents Michael. You must post your choice on my Facebook page.

I ship internationally, so all are invited to participate.

The contest ends at midnight on Monday, April 25. The winner of the Michael Contest . . . You Choose! will be chosen at random, and will receive a copy of either The Lover or Gabriel's Woman (winner's choice). The winner will be announced the following Tuesday, April 26 as will the winner of the Find Michael contest.

I look forward to seeing which photo you think best represents Michael, my dark-haired angel.

Yay! We have a winner! Actually, we have three winners!

Here's Michael for the "Find Michael Contest." Both Carrie, Lori and I envisioned the same model for Michael. How cool is that?

And here is Daniela's choice of Michael out of all those entered in the "Find Michael Contest."

Thank all of you for coming over to my Facebook page and playing with me! In the next few days I'll be having another contest. So please do stop by again!

I'm giving away a copy of Private Places, which features my novella "The Men and Women's Club," at my Facebook home. The winner will be chosen at random. All you need do to enter the contest is post on my Facebook page which of my men - Charles, Connor, Gabriel, Jack, James, Joseph, Michael, Ramiel, Robert, or one of my secondary men - you would like to vacation with.

This contest ends midnight on Monday, May 16.

I can't wait to see who is your favorite!

5 Free eBooks...31 Days...155 Winners!

155 readers will win free copies of Gabriel's Woman in my HOT August Contest at http://writerspace.com/contests/robin...

To celebrate the momentous opening of my new website at www.robinschone.com (trust me, it took a year to complete, it IS a momentous occasion to me and my webmaster!) and in appreciation for your wonderful reception of my Indie debut last November, I will be giving away 155 copies of GABRIEL’S WOMAN (eBook only). That’s 5 winners a day, every day, for 31 HOT August days! All you need do to enter the contest is register here http://writerspace.com/contests/robin.... Every day I will post 5 lucky winners on my Facebook Page in addition to Tweeting them on Twitter. In order to claim your prize, you must post on either Facebook or Twitter when you see your name.

If you like my HOT August contest and would like to see me offer similar contests in the future, please take a moment to “Like” me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-S... or “Follow” me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RobinSchone.

I'm also sending out a newsletter tomorrow...my first in over three years!...so if you haven't yet signed up, please do so at: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... (scroll down to the bottom where it says "Newsletter").

Bonne Chance!

Robin

It's a new month . . . and a new contest! For October I'm giving away 31 eCopies of A Lady's Pleasure PLUS a Designer Mug. Don't delay: enter now! http://writerspace.com/contests/robin...

November is the 1 year eBook anniversary of Gabriel's Woman. To commemorate this special occasion, I've dressed Gabriel up in a new cover. AND ... For the month of November only, Gabriel's Woman is available for only $2.99.

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Woman-...

B&N Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gabri...

ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/produ...

Join in the celebratation! I'm giving away 90 eCopies of Gabriel's Woman PLUS a specially designed mug (click here to see the There Is No Sin In Love mug give-away http://www.zazzle.com/no_sin_in_love_...). Submit to desire: Enter Gabriel's Birthday Contest here http://writerspace.com/contests/robin....

Please join me on Wednesday, November 14, 9:00 p.m. ET at Writerspace (http://www.writerspace.com/chat/) for a fun-filled hour of chit-chat, laughter and free eBooks. I will be giving away 2 eCopies of A Lady's Pleasure during the chat. Have a burning question? I guarantee you I'll answer it! :)

Also, don't forget that November is Gabriel's eBook birthday. For the month of November only, Gabriel's Woman is specially priced at $2.99, and is available at:

Gabriel's Woman for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Woman-...

Gabriel's Woman for Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gabri...

Gabriel's Woman at ERa: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/produ...

I hope to see you on Wednesday, November 14, 9:00 p.m. ET at http://www.writerspace.com/chat/!

And if you haven't yet entered my contest at http://writerspace.com/contests/robin..., please do so now. I'm giving away 3 eCopies of Gabriel's Woman EVERY day. That's 3 Winners A Day ... 90 Winners In Total. Submit now!