Sheri and John Williams moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in November 2001 to build and operate a bed and breakfast in paradise.

They sold their home in Fullerton, Calif., bought an oceanfront lot and began building their dream "Castle." That title is more than just an affectionate appellation: The structure not only resembles a castle, it features a moat, a drawbridge and even a dungeon. Plans call for a king and a queen suite, so two families can stay in The Castle at the same time.

John, a construction worker, started building in January 2002. By June the couple had run out of money. Eschewing more traditional financing methods, they found another piece of property and created a custom-built "spec" house--dubbed the Sweetheart Cottage--with plans to sell it and use the proceeds to finish The Castle.

At that point, the bottom fell out of the real estate market, leaving both the Sweetheart Cottage and The Castle in limbo.

But Sheri's entrepreneurial spirit was undaunted. After seeing a news item about a man raffling off his home in Florida, she came up with an even more creative idea. Raffles are illegal in Hawaii, so Sheri devised an essay contest, with the Sweetheart Cottage as the prize. The contest began Dec. 1, 2008, and ends May 1, 2009. The fee for entering is $101. Entries can't be longer than 101 words and must cover one of two subjects:

1. What does Aloha mean to you? How do you share Aloha? How would you share Aloha if you won this home?
2. Mahalo: What makes you feel thankful? Why would you be thankful to win this home? How would you show gratitude if you won this home?

In the meantime, Sheri continues her work as an event coordinator for corporate functions, and John continues to work in construction.

Sheri is anticipating 6,000 entries and has promised a share of the proceeds to local schools. Once the contest ends, her goal is to have The Castle available to visitors by the holiday season in December.

Meanwhile, the contest has generated additional entrepreneurial possibilities for the Williamses. "We've been approached by several people across the country asking if we will run a contest for their properties, too," Sheri says. "So we decided to write an e-book for later release after my contest successfully concludes."

For more details about the contest, visit winhawaiianhome.com.