Schone, Robin

PERSONAL:

Married Don Schone. Education: Graduated from Rockford College.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Roselle, IL. E-mail—robin@robinschone.com.

CAREER:

Novelist. Also worked as a marketing research analyst.

AWARDS, HONORS:

RITA Award nominee for best sensual historical romance, 2001, for Gabriel's Woman.

WRITINGS:

Awaken, My Love, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1995, revised edition, Kensington Brava (New York, NY), 2001.

The Lady's Tutor, Kensington Brava (New York, NY), 1999.

(With Beatrice Small, Susan Johnson, and Thea Devine) Captivated (anthology), Kensington Brava (New York, NY), 1999.

(With Bertrice Small, Susan Johnson, and Thea Devine) Fascinated (anthology), Kensington Brava (New York, NY), 2000.

The Lover, Kensington Brava (New York, NY), 2000.

Gabriel's Woman, Kensington Brava (New York, NY), 2001.

Scandalous Lovers, Kensington Brava (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Robin Schone is the author of Scandalous Lovers and other erotic romance novels. "I can't imagine writing a romance book that isn't erotic, because in my mind it is the sexual chemistry that makes the relationship between a man and a woman so very special," Schone told Romantic Bookcorner interviewer Angela Weiss. "Likewise, I can't imagine writing erotica without romance, because to me, the sexual love between a man and a woman is the most powerful force in the universe."

A woman travels back in time to the nineteenth century in Awaken, My Love, Schone's debut work. Inspired by the Kama Sutra, the novel concerns Elaine Metcliffe, a middle-aged computer analyst who finds herself inhabiting the body of Morrigan, the wife of English baron Lord Charles Mortimer. "This well-written erotic romance will arouse the passion of subgenre fans," commented Harriet Klausner on her Web site, Harriet Klausner's Book Review.

The Lady's Tutor concerns a woman's attempts to rekindle a passionless marriage by learning the art of seduction. Though Elizabeth Petre, the Victorian heroine, requests the assistance of Ramiel Devington, the bastard son of an English countess and an Arab sheikh, she insists that he instruct her without touching her. The author "combines a highly charged sexual romance with a strong storyline," noted Romantic Times online critic Kathe Robin. In The Lover, a wealthy spinster hires a physically scarred lothario to help her lose her virginity, little realizing his true motivation for accepting the offer. Schone "deals with betrayal, loss of innocence and sexual hunger, all in an astute, adult, intricate manner," remarked Linda Mowery in the Romance Reader.

Gabriel's Woman centers on Victoria Chambers, who trades her virginity for safety after she is stalked by a mysterious stranger. She finds a protector in Gabriel, a cautious stranger with a haunted past. A Romantic Times online reviewer described Gabriel's Woman as an "erotic and emotionally powerful work." In Scandalous Lovers, widow Frances Hart and widower James Whitcox begin a torrid affair after meeting at London's Men and Women's Club, where sex is discussed openly. On her Web site, Schone remarked, "Scandalous Lovers, is not only my favorite book, but Frances and James are my two favorite characters. He's a sophisticated barrister, and she's an unsophisticated grandmother, yet together they find the courage to be what they need to be instead of what society tells them they should be." According to Booklist reviewer John Charles, Schone "gives readers some surprisingly nuanced characterization and an expertly evoked Victorian setting."

"I love stepping into the shoes of my characters," Schone told Karen Scott on the Karen Knows Best Blog. "I love experiencing history as they would have experienced it. My goal is to write in such a manner that my readers may also step into the shoes of my characters, so that they, too, can experience the history and the wonder and the despair and the laughter and the tears and the love. And hope."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 1, 2007, John Charles, review of Scandalous Lovers, p. 38.

ONLINE

Clean Sheets,http://www.cleansheets.com/ (March 15, 2000), Bill Noble, "Yes, Dorothy, That Is Your Clitoris! An Interview with Bestselling Author Robin Schone."

Harriet Klausner's Book Reviews,http://harrietklausner.wwwi.com/ (August 15, 2007), Harriet Klausner, reviews of Awaken, My Love and Scandalous Lovers.

Karen Knows Best Blog,http://karenknowsbest.blogspot.com/ (November 22, 2005), Karen Scott, "Tuesday Special Author Interview: Robin Schone."

RBL Romantica, http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Opera/7895/schoneinterview.html (August 15, 2007), "RBL Presents Robin Schone."

Robin Schone Home Page,http://www.robinschone.com (August 15, 2007).

Romance Reader,http://theromancereader.com/ (August 15, 2007), Meredith McGuire, review of Awaken, My Love; (August 15, 2007), Linda Mowery, reviews of Captivated, The Lady's Tutor, and The Lover.

Romantic Bookcorner,http://www.die-buecherecke.de/ (February, 2000), Angela Weiss, "Interview with Robin Schone"; (June, 2000), Angela Weiss, "Interview with Robin Schone about Her New Book The Lover."

Romantic Times,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (August 15, 2007), Maria C. Ferrer, review of Awaken, My Love; (August 15, 2007), Kathe Robin, reviews of Captivated, The Lady's Tutor, The Lover, Gabriel's Woman, and Scandalous Lover.

Writing Playground,http://writingplayground.com/ bleacherarchive.html (May-June, 2006), Marilyn Puett, "Q&A with Robin Schone."