Novel idea for Valentine's Day gift

Star in a Romance Novel Made in America

RALEIGH, NC - As YourNovel.com, creator of the original personalized romance novel, rolls into its second decade in time for Valentine's, the North Carolina company is looking to spread and receive the love: while they make you and your sweetie the stars of your own romance novel, you return the love by shopping Made in America.

In 1992, then-sweethearts J.S. Fletcher and Kathy M. Newbern (a.k.a. Fletcher Newbern) started their specialty-publishing house on their kitchen table at the North Carolina Outer Banks. Fast forward two decades, and the husband-wife team have written 26 of the books and ebooks available and have helped more than 20 other writers get published under the YourNovel.com insignia.

Back then, that first book, “Another Day in Paradise,” had a cookbook binding and black-and-white covers. Today, the company's 40+ offerings are individually produced for each starring couple by a paperback printer in upstate New York, a hardback printer in Indiana, and some as ebooks from the Raleigh, NC, operation.

All YourNovel.com titles are customized with 25 details about the starring couple, filled out in an online questionnaire, such as their names, hometown, places of work, eye and hair color, best friends, cologne and perfume, favorite music, affectionate nicknames for each other, and how long the pair have been a couple. There's the added option of placing a photo of the starring couple on the book's cover.

One of the most popular features, too, is that each book from YourNovel.com lets the couple go all-out steamy-sexy "wild" or stay huggy-kissy "mild" in terms of the romantic interludes.

New for Valentine's 2013 are two short-story collections, and an other-worldly novel:

• Far-Out Love features a Sci-Fi fantasy, a tinge of zombie attack and a touch of female dominance to create a book of three stories for those looking for some far-out romance;
• Hawaii is Romance features a scavenger hunt, a special night on the town and a mysterious legend for escapades that add up to fun and adventure;
• Red Moon Waltz centers around a masquerade ball at a mysterious manor with elves, shapeshifters, pixies and vampires.

Customers have choices of other adventures, too. There are novels set in Tahiti, Rome, Jamaica, Alaska, the Caribbean, on cruise ships, at a dude ranch, a ski resort, on African safari; plus, detective novels, a golf fantasy book and historical romantic fiction.

Writing love stories with the one you love, and spreading that love all around the globe. That is the job description of this All-American duo: Fletcher Newbern and their made-in-American idea: personalized romance novels.

YourNovel.com's paperbacks start at $39.95; hardbacks at $74.95; ebooks at $14.95. Photos of the starring couple can be added to the cover for an additional $25. And, books can be shipped worldwide. Ordering is fast, safe, and easy online at www.YourNovel.com. Order by February 8 for print books in time for Valentine's delivery. Ebooks can be ordered up through February 14.