How to Star in a Personalized Holiday Novel

Nov. 2005 -- Readers tired of the stress of the holidays can kick their feet up, sit back and read an idyllic version of what the season should be all about: a relaxing getaway with the one you love to a snowy landscape where everyone happily celebrates this time of year. The twist? You and your special someone star in the book.

yournovel.com announces the premiere of "Season's Greetings, Season's Love" just in time for holiday gift giving (also just in time to take you away from the hustle-bustle ahead).

"Season's Greetings, Season's Love" is the fourth novel that veteran Florida author Marcy Thomas has penned for yournovel.com, and it's the first-ever personalized romance novel to center around the holiday season.

In "Season's Greetings, Season's Love,” Thomas takes the starring couple on a romantic getaway to the community of Harmony, where the holiday season is a time of enchantment and celebration. When the two arrive in the picturesque mountain hamlet, they find a Currier-and-Ives painting come to life. From charming streets filled with quaint shops and friendly people to a romantic bed-and-breakfast to the jingle-jangle of sleigh bells against a snow-covered landscape, this winter wonderland is the setting for an ideal holiday vacation. But when an unexpected turn of events tests the fabric of this utopian village, will life and the couple's love ever be the same?

Personalizing the Books

As with all 19 books offered by yournovel.com, "Season's Greetings, Season's Love" is personalized throughout with 26 details about the starring couple, crafted from on online questionnaire. Details include:

• Names
• Hometown
• Places of work
• Eye and hair color
• Best friends' names
• Favorite perfume and cologne
• Favorite music
• Affectionate nicknames they have for one another
• How long they've been a couple. 

Readers Make the Choice of "Mild" or "Wild" Versions

And, like all the titles from yournovel.com, the holiday book can be ordered in either "wild" or "mild" in terms of the romantic interludes.

Thomas explains: "The 'wild' is on the steamy side, closer to an R rating, while the 'mild' is more PG. In the sexy version, the action's a lot hotter, and in the mild, it's more innocent handholding, hugging and kissing. Of course, nearly 99 percent of the customers order the 'wild.' "

Previous Thomas titles include "The Treasure Seekers," set in Ft. Lauderdale; "Heart of the Keys," which takes place in Key West; and "Rome: Diamonds, Danger, Desire," in which the hero becomes a secret agent (or does he?).

Thomas, who lives in Plantation, FL, and is herself a newlywed, came to yournovel.com through a romance writing contest to celebrate the company's first decade of business. Ten winning stories, including one by Thomas set in Paris, were published in that 2002 romantic anthology titled "Celebrating Romance." It is still for sale on the company website.

yournovel.com's paperbacks average 160 pages and cost $49.95 plus $6.00 priority shipping and handling in the U.S. Outside the U.S., it's $49.95 plus $15.00 global priority shipping and handling.

The fastest way to order is on the web at yournovel.com. Those without Internet access can call 800-444-3356 to have information faxed or mailed. Holiday orders should be placed no later than December 9; Valentine’s orders no later than February 6, 2006.

About yournovel.com

yournovel.com's founders, Kathy M. Newbern and J.S. Fletcher, who form the husband/wife writing team Fletcher Newbern, will soon issue their 14th book, this one set in Jamaica.

Says Newbern, "It's especially rewarding to write about love with the one you love in a business that's all about promoting love."

Adds her husband and co-writer, Fletcher, "Yes, we've been dubbed computerized cupids. What a great job title."

When not writing romance, Fletcher and Newbern are travel correspondents for several publications. While their books are not totally autobiographic, they are often set in places they've visited and may include some of their actual experiences. For instance, after they visited Tahiti, they issued "Island of Love," which centers around French Polynesia.

"The undercover research is half the fun," Newbern adds with a laugh.

For More Information:

• visit yournovel.com