Robin Schone's Blog - Posts Tagged "the-lover"
The Lover: the journey continues!
The Lover is my third "single title" novel. Strangely enough . . . or perhaps not . . . the idea grew out of research I came across while writing The Lady's Tutor. I was intrigued by the thought of night houses, hotels of sorts . . . NOT brothels . . . where not only prostitutes, but lovers could rent a room by the hour. In France these hotels were called "maisons des rendezvous," or houses of rendezvous.
I knew my hero would be a male prostitute named Michael, or more specifically, Michel (Michael in French) des Anges. (Voir les anges is a French term for orgasm; Michael is literally named for his ability to give women sexual satisfaction.) However, when I sat down to write the book, my muse balked at writing a story with a hero named Michael. I know so many Michaels in real life; alas, nary a one of them is a beautiful, violet-eyed gigolo. I simply couldn't create such an extraordinary character with such an ordinary name. Gabriel has always been a favorite name of mine, so I renamed Michael "Gabriel." Only to have Gabriel jump out of the pages and say, "I am Gabriel; Michael is Michael."
Suddenly my simple story of a historical gigolo became much more complex. But wait a minute. Did gigolos . . . a term coined circa 1920 . . . really exist prior to the twentieth century? Homosexual male prostitutes did--there's all kinds of documentation about m/m sex for hire--but what about heterosexual male prostitution?
I read over a dozen books that suggested it had, indeed, occurred, but not until I was thumbing through Frances Grose's A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue did I actually find terminology for these men. (My favorite is 'petticoat monger;' 'stallion' is still in use today.)
Okay. The names, characters and story were laid out, but there was still a major stumbling block: I wrote The Lady's Tutor using a traditional writing style; very straight forward. I knew this wouldn't work for The Lover. Michael and Gabriel--one man trained to please women, the other trained to please men--are two very complex and dangerous individuals. The very urgency surrounding their circumstances demanded that I convey this danger and urgency through the writing. It is a style frequently used in thriller/action genres--short, high-impact sentences--and what else, really, was The Lover but an erotic romantic thriller? Hence the opening, which laid the groundwork for the remainder of the book:
It was a risk, writing The Lover as I did. I knew many readers who loved The Lady's Tutor wouldn't like the staccato-like writing. I also knew there were scenes in it that would greatly disturb gentle readers. When I sent it off to New York, I was quite certain my editor would toss it in the trash. The next night, I was drinking a glass of wine (okay, more than one) and whining to Don that I had probably murdered my writing career. When he asked why (due to time constraints, he had not read The Lover), I told him about the Andrew Marvell scene. He grimly agreed, "You are finished."
After all these years together, he knows just the right words to boost my morale! :-)
Unbeknownst to me, however, I had forgotten to turn on the upstairs phone that morning. While I was crying in my wine, so to speak, my editor called and left a message. She had received the manuscript that morning, and had stayed late at the office to read it. Fortunately for my sanity, I went downstairs to check my computer and saw the flashing red light on the telephone indicating I had voice mail. My editor loved the book! I drank the rest of the wine in celebration.
A writing career is very much like a roller coaster ride . . . lots of ups and downs.
Michael and Gabriel--mes deux anges--will always hold a special place in my heart. I think, in some ways, Anne is my most courageous heroine. She knew what she wanted, and in the end, she was willing to pay the price.
The Lover was my first single title release to hit the USA Today Bestseller list, and has thus far been published in six countries.
I knew my hero would be a male prostitute named Michael, or more specifically, Michel (Michael in French) des Anges. (Voir les anges is a French term for orgasm; Michael is literally named for his ability to give women sexual satisfaction.) However, when I sat down to write the book, my muse balked at writing a story with a hero named Michael. I know so many Michaels in real life; alas, nary a one of them is a beautiful, violet-eyed gigolo. I simply couldn't create such an extraordinary character with such an ordinary name. Gabriel has always been a favorite name of mine, so I renamed Michael "Gabriel." Only to have Gabriel jump out of the pages and say, "I am Gabriel; Michael is Michael."
Suddenly my simple story of a historical gigolo became much more complex. But wait a minute. Did gigolos . . . a term coined circa 1920 . . . really exist prior to the twentieth century? Homosexual male prostitutes did--there's all kinds of documentation about m/m sex for hire--but what about heterosexual male prostitution?
I read over a dozen books that suggested it had, indeed, occurred, but not until I was thumbing through Frances Grose's A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue did I actually find terminology for these men. (My favorite is 'petticoat monger;' 'stallion' is still in use today.)
Okay. The names, characters and story were laid out, but there was still a major stumbling block: I wrote The Lady's Tutor using a traditional writing style; very straight forward. I knew this wouldn't work for The Lover. Michael and Gabriel--one man trained to please women, the other trained to please men--are two very complex and dangerous individuals. The very urgency surrounding their circumstances demanded that I convey this danger and urgency through the writing. It is a style frequently used in thriller/action genres--short, high-impact sentences--and what else, really, was The Lover but an erotic romantic thriller? Hence the opening, which laid the groundwork for the remainder of the book:
Death.
Desire.
Michael did not know which of the two had brought him back to London.
He sat and waited for both.
It was a risk, writing The Lover as I did. I knew many readers who loved The Lady's Tutor wouldn't like the staccato-like writing. I also knew there were scenes in it that would greatly disturb gentle readers. When I sent it off to New York, I was quite certain my editor would toss it in the trash. The next night, I was drinking a glass of wine (okay, more than one) and whining to Don that I had probably murdered my writing career. When he asked why (due to time constraints, he had not read The Lover), I told him about the Andrew Marvell scene. He grimly agreed, "You are finished."
After all these years together, he knows just the right words to boost my morale! :-)
Unbeknownst to me, however, I had forgotten to turn on the upstairs phone that morning. While I was crying in my wine, so to speak, my editor called and left a message. She had received the manuscript that morning, and had stayed late at the office to read it. Fortunately for my sanity, I went downstairs to check my computer and saw the flashing red light on the telephone indicating I had voice mail. My editor loved the book! I drank the rest of the wine in celebration.
A writing career is very much like a roller coaster ride . . . lots of ups and downs.
Michael and Gabriel--mes deux anges--will always hold a special place in my heart. I think, in some ways, Anne is my most courageous heroine. She knew what she wanted, and in the end, she was willing to pay the price.
The Lover was my first single title release to hit the USA Today Bestseller list, and has thus far been published in six countries.
A new heart and a fun contest!
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!
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!
Michael in the flesh!
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.
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.
Here's Michael!
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!
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!
The Lover in eBook!
Coming March 2014: The Lover will be in eBook! WITH a brand new cover. I am so excited! Preorder at Amazon for only $4.79 (http://www.amazon.com/The-Ladys-Tutor... at B&N (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-l...) for $5.49. What do you think of the new cover? The Lady's Tutor (http://www.amazon.com/The-Ladys-Tutor...) and The Lover are definitely a new look for me at Kensington.
Come chat with me + Free eCopies of Gabriel's Woman
I will be chatting tonight! Please come join me at:
WHERE: Writerspace http://www.writerspace.com/chat/
WHEN: 9 pm CST (10 pm EST for all of you who get confused by the time zones).
Hope to see you there. Oh! And don't forget to sign up here https://www.writerspace.com/valentine... to join the HUGE Writerspace Valentine's Day giveaway. Autographed books, Kindles, gift cards and more will be given away during the night. You don't have to be present to win, but you must be registered. To register, and for details on all participating authors and prizes, please go to https://www.writerspace.com/valentine/
In honor of the upcoming eBook release of THE LOVER, I will be giving away 3 eCopies of Gabriel's Woman.
WHERE: Writerspace http://www.writerspace.com/chat/
WHEN: 9 pm CST (10 pm EST for all of you who get confused by the time zones).
Hope to see you there. Oh! And don't forget to sign up here https://www.writerspace.com/valentine... to join the HUGE Writerspace Valentine's Day giveaway. Autographed books, Kindles, gift cards and more will be given away during the night. You don't have to be present to win, but you must be registered. To register, and for details on all participating authors and prizes, please go to https://www.writerspace.com/valentine/
In honor of the upcoming eBook release of THE LOVER, I will be giving away 3 eCopies of Gabriel's Woman.
The Lover is HERE!
I'm so excited! The Lover is now available in eBook format: http://www.amazon.com/The-Lover-Robin...
AUTHOR'S EDITION OF THE LOVER...
The AUTHOR'S EDITION of THE LOVER is LIVE! The Lover is free to read if you have Kindle Unlimited. The Author's Edition of THE LOVER is available in both eBook and trade paperback.
No doubt you are asking: how is the Author's Editions of The Lover and Gabriel's Woman different from the originals? And of course, being the conscientious author that I am, I have prepared a chart for you.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE AUTHOR EDITIONS OF THE LOVER & GABRIEL'S WOMAN
• The stories remain unchanged. The heat is still sizzling. I almost had to take a cold shower!
• I corrected—especially Gabriel's Woman, which was pushed through the editorial process with very little editing when it was originally published—the many grammatical and stylistic mistakes. While I did flesh out a few scenes, I concentrated on making the stories more readable while retaining the sexual intensity, the mystery and the constant threat of death. And, of course, keeping not only the chemistry but also the complex relationship between not only Michael and Anne—and Gabriel and Victoria—but also between Michael and Gabriel.
• The language Michael and Gabriel use is a bite rougher. (Haha. Word play there, bite instead of bit. Bite being a French word for penis ... yeah, yeah, my humor is questionable, which is why I don't write romantic comedy.) Let's face it, Michael and Gabriel survived in a world dominated by sex. No "manhoods" will be found in the new editions.
• The French is cleaned up, again, especially in Gabriel's Woman.
Let me know what you think of the Author Editions!
No doubt you are asking: how is the Author's Editions of The Lover and Gabriel's Woman different from the originals? And of course, being the conscientious author that I am, I have prepared a chart for you.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE AUTHOR EDITIONS OF THE LOVER & GABRIEL'S WOMAN
• The stories remain unchanged. The heat is still sizzling. I almost had to take a cold shower!
• I corrected—especially Gabriel's Woman, which was pushed through the editorial process with very little editing when it was originally published—the many grammatical and stylistic mistakes. While I did flesh out a few scenes, I concentrated on making the stories more readable while retaining the sexual intensity, the mystery and the constant threat of death. And, of course, keeping not only the chemistry but also the complex relationship between not only Michael and Anne—and Gabriel and Victoria—but also between Michael and Gabriel.
• The language Michael and Gabriel use is a bite rougher. (Haha. Word play there, bite instead of bit. Bite being a French word for penis ... yeah, yeah, my humor is questionable, which is why I don't write romantic comedy.) Let's face it, Michael and Gabriel survived in a world dominated by sex. No "manhoods" will be found in the new editions.
• The French is cleaned up, again, especially in Gabriel's Woman.
Let me know what you think of the Author Editions!
