Add a photo to the cover of your book for free, a $25 value

Posted on April 5, 2013 by admin

cover of Far-Out LoveeOver the years, we’ve had many great photos that customers have added to the covers of their books. Some are romantic like when they are kissing, some are funny like when they are acting goofy, some are sweet like when someone uses the wedding photo of their parents taken many years ago, and some are crazy like when they dress up like vampires to be on the book Vampire Saga or when they are dressed like cowboys or cowgirls for Away on the Range.

The point is, the books themselves have attractive covers, but adding photos really makes them memorable, often for a special occasion like a wedding, an anniversary or to commemorate an upcoming trip like for Cruise Alaska or Sea Double: A Cruise Romance.

Also keep in mind that Mother’s Day is May 12 this year.

We have actually begun to choose our covers to accommodate the use of photos, like for Far-Out Love, Red Moon Waltz, Sandhills Fore-Play, and especially for The Magic Snow Globes, where the couple’s photo appears inside the globe. Check out the examples to get an idea of how your photo would look.

So for those of you who already have purchased books and ebooks with photos on the cover and want to do it again, or for those of you who did not, maybe because of the added cost of $25 to do so, we are offering a special discount to give it a try.

From now until April 15, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. EST, use this discount code YnPic$25 to deduct $25 from any order for any of our books or ebooks with a photo added to the cover. That way, you will be getting a photo on the cover for the same price as a plain paperback, hardback or ebook.

Keep these things in mind:

  1. You can use this only when you choose a paperback, hardback or ebook with a photo added to the cover, so you must select that option.
  2. Have an accessible digital photo ready to upload when you place your order because you will be asked to add it during the ordering process.
  3. The code will only deduct $25 once, so if you want to order more than one book, you will have to order separately.
  4. To use it, go to www.YourNovel.com and at checkout, when asked for your Promotional Code, type in YnPic$25 and the deduction will be made.

Other than that, the code YnPic$25 may be used as many times as you’d like and can be shared with friends, family and anyone you know who’d love to be the star in their own romance book. You can also share it on Twitter or your Facebook page if you’d like.

Printed books normally arrive in about a week from when you order; eBooks within hours.

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Special, limited-time promotion – 50% off

Posted on March 13, 2013 by admin

Here’s a special promotional offer we have going right now – till it’s gone:

50% off for the first 25 people to use this Promotional Code: YNNews2550%

To use it, go to www.YourNovel.com and at checkout, when asked for your Promotional Code, type in YNNews2550% and you’ll get 50% off any products you purchase, which can be thought of as a two for one or four for two, etc., and you can mix what you want, like any hardbacks, paperbacks or ebooks in the same order, photo added or not.

The code is set up for 25 uses, and the first 25 users will get the discount. If you order and it says the code has expired, that means the code has been used 25 times and is no longer valid.

Don’t wait; order now. Seriously, when it’s gone, it’s gone.

The code YNNews2550% may be used as many times as you’d like and can be shared with friends, family and anyone you know who‚d love to be the star in their own romance book. (Hint: anyone who reads romance novels.) Put it on Twitter or your Facebook page if you’d like.

Printed books normally arrive in about a week from when you order; eBooks within hours.

Keep the love alive.

Kathy and Fletcher
YourNovel.com

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Great Personalized Gift Ideas by Taryn Scher

Posted on March 6, 2013 by admin

Shopper extraordinaire Taryn Scher put together a segment for Carolina Now in Greenville, SC. Here’s the segment:

Great Personalized Gift Ideas

Are you looking for the perfect gift? Taryn Scher has great ideas for an upcoming wedding, graduation or just a fun present that any girl is sure to love.

From customizing a romance novel, to anything and everything engraved. Plus, you can turn your child’s artwork into a stuffed animal. If you need a gift idea don’t miss this segment.

Here’s a list of all of the products she mentioned on the show today:

Folly Dolls- www.k-boutique.com
Nostalgic Wedding Art- www.uncommongoods.com
Monogrammed Cutting Board- www.oliveandcocoa.com
Growth Chart- http://www.petitelemon.com/
Clock- http://minglewoodstudios.com
Shoes- www.milkandhoneyshoes.com
Romance Novel www.yournovel.com
Fabric Stationary- http://hbdesigns.net/
Monogram Necklaces- http://www.thebluestarbazaar.com/
Magnetic Whiteboard- www.magneticpix.com
Photoboxes, charm bracelet, etc- http://www.imageseverything.net

Posted in News, Reviews, TV segments, Wedding | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Carla Davis Radio Show – win a book

Posted on February 1, 2013 by admin

Hi all,

We will be on the Carla Davis Radio Show this evening at 9 pm EST. Her show is heard around the world n Blog Talk Radio, but more importantly, she’s a real pro who gives great interview.

Listen in, and you’ll have a chance to win a free YourNovel.com hardback book with photo.

Click HERE to enter and find out more info on how to listen in to the show.

Posted in Contests & Giveaways, On the Radio, Valentine's Day | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kathy had a blast on The Big Show with John Boy & Billy

Posted on January 31, 2013 by admin

Can you guess what Kathy’s sweet little nicknames are for John Boy & Billy, hosts of The Big Show?

Listen in to find out. And to find out how easy it is to order a novel starring you and your honey in time for Valentine’s Day, ya’ll. She’ll smack ya on the mouth, we betcha.

Kathy on The Big Show 01-31-13

Posted in On the Radio, Podcasts, Valentine's Day | Leave a comment

Shipping News and Updates – as of Feb 14, 2013

Posted on January 13, 2013 by admin

This category is used to supply news on shipping and keep customers informed of anything going on as to delays and such.

As of 9:12 am, EST, 3/11/13, March came in like a lamb here today – plenty of sunshine and a Carolina blue sky. We are back to our usual production and shipping schedule, which means in the United States, printed books will arrive about a week from when you order (keep in mind that books are not produced on Saturday and Sunday).

Outside the USA, delivery will take an extra couple of days.

And ebooks are delivered electronically anywhere within hours.

(Prior post) As of 9:42 am, EST, 2/14/13, — Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope it is a great one for you!

Today, only ebooks and Gift Cards are still available for Valentine’s Day delivery and will be delivered as quickly as possible – within 24 hours of when you order.

We have just notified all the customers who ordered that their books have been shipped. You are welcome to read our prior posts to check notices and updates as to dates, deadlines and information.

As it turned out, the massive snow storm in the Northeast did affect our production and subsequent shipping – as it did for the USPS in their getting the books out of the Northeast and on their way. Weather and its ramifications remain beyond human control and as we have stated throughout our posts this year and in the past, we are not responsible for weather events.

If you have any concern about your order, please email comments @ yournovel dot com, and we will respond as soon as we can. We will be checking our phone messages, but your best option is to email us so we can research your question and get back with you with an answer.

Prior post: As of 12:30 pm, EST, 2/13/13, only ebooks and Gift Cards are still available for Valentine’s Day delivery.

We have just notified all the customers who ordered that their books have been shipped. You are welcome to read our prior posts to check notices and updates as to dates, deadlines and information.

As it turned out, the massive snow storm in the Northeast did affect our production and subsequent shipping. Weather and its ramifications remain beyond human control.

If you have any concern about your order, please email comments @ yournovel dot com, and we will respond as soon as we can. We will be checking our phone messages, but your best option is to email us so we can research your question and get back with you with an answer.

Prior Post: As of 11 am, EST, 2/11/13, no printed books can be delivered for Valentine’s Day. Ebooks and Gift Cards are still available.

Prior post: As of Saturday, 2/9/13 at 8 pm EST, we are processing orders, but as stated in our last post, only orders using the US Express shipping option can be delivered by Valentine’s Day – Thursday, February 14th.

Print books ordered by Sunday, Feb 10, 7:00 pm EST with the US Express Mail option will reach you by Valentine’s Day, Thursday, Feb. 14, in the U.S. A. This is ONLY if you choose the US Express Mail option which is $23 extra – Express is $30; regular shipping is $7 so $23 is the additional cost). This is only if the weather does not get in the way. If weather causes a delay in the USPS delivery, it is beyond our control.

And here’s a Special Offer to get an Upgrade to US Express Shipping:

Purchase any two (2) print books by Sunday, Feb 10, 7:00 pm, EST and choose Standard US PRIORTY Shipping ($7.00 per book), and we will manually upgrade your shipping to US Express. That should by Thursday, Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day – if the weather does not get in the way. If weather causes a delay in the USPS delivery, it is beyond our control.

A quick, inexpensive option is to think eBook. We have 20+ titles starting at $14.95 that are delivered within hours to your email as a pdf, which you can reemail, put on a thumb drive, read on your computer, or print out. Settings for some of the eBooks include Paris, Hawaii, a dude ranch, a Caribbean cruise, Dublin, Exuma, the golf course, and the vampire series.

If your lover reads on a Nook or a Kindle, this is a great option. If you’ve never tried one, this may be your time ($14.95 for a personalized story where you star with your Hunny in a sexy, romantic story verses a dozen roses – duh, no brainer).

Valentine’s is Thursday, February 14. Your books can be delivered right up until that day and still be there by Valentine’s Day.

Calling about where you book is will not help it go any faster. You will get a quicker response if you email us with questions, making sure to put your order number in the subject line.

Weather and disasters are always beyond our power, and severe weather has arisen across the country. We cannot be held accountable for delivery problems caused by circumstances beyond our control, and we wish everyone clear skies and great weather.

Previously posted: As of Thursday, 2/7/13 at 9 pm EST, books are coming in and getting processed in a very timely fashion, but as of now, no out-of-country printed books can be delivered for Valentine’s Day. Ebooks are no problem.

As to printed books in the US, Standard Orders might reach you, but it will be close and absolutely no guarantee comes with that. The only way book delivery will be guaranteed is if US Express is chosen as the shipping method. That will hold until Sunday, February 10th.

If you want to guarantee deliver from now on, you will have to order using US Express Shipping, not Standard Shipping. This will cost you more, but it will guarantee delivery until a notice gets posted otherwise.

Valentine’s is Thursday, February 14. Your books can be delivered right up until that day and still be there by Valentine’s Day.

Calling about where you book is will not help it go any faster. You will get a quicker response if you email us with questions, making sure to put your order number in the subject line.

Weather and disasters are always beyond our power, and we hope all of us have none to be concerned with. However, we cannot be held accountable for delivery problems caused by circumstances beyond our control.

Previously posted: As of 2/5/13, everything is all systems go, but we encourage you to get your order in as soon as possible for Valentine’s delivery.

For out-of-country books, tomorrow – February 6 – will be the cutoff date for Valentine’s delivery.

It looks like Thursday, February 7 at 3:00 pm EST will be the cutoff point for printed books using Standard Shipping to arrive via USPS mail to destinations in America. That is not a guarantee, however; just an educated estimate of how long it will take to make the books, get them packaged, and get them to customers all over the USA.

If you want to guarantee deliver from now on, you will have to order using US Express Shipping, not Standard Shipping. This will cost you more, but it will guarantee delivery until a notice gets posted otherwise.

Valentine’s is Thursday, February 14. Your books can be delivered right up until that day and still be there by Valentine’s Day.

Calling about where you book is will not help it go any faster. You will get a quicker response if you email us with questions, making sure to put your order number in the subject line.

Weather and disasters are always beyond our power, and we hope all of us have none to be concerned with. However, we cannot be held accountable for delivery problems caused by circumstances beyond our control.

Previously posted: As of 2/1/13, everything is normal, but we encourage you to get your order in as soon as possible for Valentine’s delivery.

All our orders are being made and mailed on time.

Expect normal delivery in the USA and out of the USA.

In the USA, that means about one week from the order date for printed books using standard shipping. Outside the USA will added extra days. Ebooks are delivered within hours of when you order.

If you are concerned about Valentine’s Day, get your order in as soon as possible so you won’t have to worry about not getting your book on time.

Weather and disasters are always beyond our power, and we hope all of us have none to be concerned with. However, we cannot be held accountable for delivery problems caused by circumstances beyond our control.

Posted in Shipping updates, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Shipping | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

YourNovel.com with a Groupon-ish After-Christmas Sale

Posted on December 28, 2012 by admin

We hope all the readers of our blog had a wonderful and wondrous holiday season.

We here at YourNovel.com did and were very pleased with the reception of The Magic Snow Globes by Susie Taylor. Her book was a big hit, particularly when people realized that if they ordered a photo on the cover, it was printed inside the snow globe.

Now a few days after Christmas, we know that all stores are having after-Christmas sales. So we are, too, combining the traditional seasonal sale with a Groupon-ish approach to entice some of you to buy your Valentine’s gifts now and beat the rush for February 14th.

Chances are you know how a Groupon or Living Social “Daily Deal” works. Several similar companies have approached YourNovel.com about doing one, and seeing what they offer (a deep discount for their customers), we thought, “Well, we can do that with our customers and the readers of our blog.”

So we decided to simply conduct our own Groupon-ish campaign, with a twist: It will last until the end of the year, December 31, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. EST – as in HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From now till then, you can order any product(s) or service(s) on the YourNovel.com site using the promotional code YNBlog35% for 35% off. You can order as many times as you like, but the offer lasts till the ball drops in Times Square at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

So if you’re looking for an immediate gift for an anniversary, birthday or wedding, use the code now. If you’re looking for a future gift, like Valentine’s Day 2013, Thursday, February 14, now is a great time to do it.

During the online ordering process, when asked for your Promotional Code, simply type in YNBlog35% and 35% will be deducted from the price of your order.

The Code may be used as often as you’d like and can be shared with friends, family and co-workers – put it on Twitter or your Facebook page if you’d like.

Let’s all enjoy the rest of 2012 and have the best year of our lives in 2013.

Keep the love alive,
Fletcher and Kathy
YourNovel.com

Posted in Authors, Christmas Books, News, Valentine's Day | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christmas Delivery/Shipping Update: (Thursday, December 20 at 11 p.m.)

Posted on December 17, 2012 by admin

At this time, (Thursday, December 20 at 11 p.m.)

Only ebooks can be delivered by Christmas.

Past Post: At this time, (Wednesday, December 19 at 10 p.m.)

Five items to report: (#3 for how to get an upgrade to US Express shipping)

1. Think ebooks (pdfs), that are delivered to you via your email address.

Ebooks are a quick, inexpensive option. We have 27 titles starting at $14.95 that are delivered within hours to your email as a pdf, which you can reemail, put on a thumb drive, read on your computer, smart phone and table, or print out. Physical setting for some of the eBooks include Paris, Hawaii, a dude ranch, a Caribbean cruise, Dublin, Exuma, the golf course, and the vampire series.

Both The Magic Snow Globes and Season’s Greetings, Season’s Love – our Christmas books – come as ebooks.

If your lover reads on a Nook or a Kindle, an eBook is a great option. If you’ve never tried one, this may be your time. ($14.95 for a personalized story where you star with your Hunny in a sexy, romantic story verses a dozen roses (at lot more than $14.95 delivered) – duh, no brainer).

We also have Gift Cards that will be sent to you electronically as well. They make great gifts especially if you know the person wants a paperback or hardback and you don’t know all the answers to the questions (or have run out of time to get a book). You’ll find them on our site here: Gift Cards

2. Paperbacks: for today (Dec 19) and tomorrow (Dec 20) until 1:00 p.m. EST: plain paperbacks that are ordered with the US Express shipping option will reach USA addresses by December 24.

3. And for today and tomorrow (Dec 20) until 1:00 pm EST, you can get a free upgrade to US Express shipping by ordering two or more plain paperbacks and choose the standard shipping option by 1 p.m. EST, December 20. We’ll automatically upgrade you to US Express if you order 2 or more plain paperbacks and choose standard shipping, so DO NOT choose the Express shipping option if you are ordering 2 or more plain paperbacks.

3. Hardbacks and paperbacks with photos added are not available for Christmas delivery, not are international orders.

4. As to the rest, as a year-round business, we are still taking all orders (that will be delivered normally within a week – keeping in mind that the printing plants will have days off for the holidays), so when you think romance or anniversary or birthday or Valentine’s Day, think YourNovel.com where we make you the star in your own personalized romance novel.

There is more info in the previous postings, but for now you can’t get anything else delivered for Christmas except plain paperbacks with US Express shipping, eBooks, and gift cards.

PAST POST: At this time, (Wednesday, December 19 at 9:30 a.m.)

Five items to report: (#3 for how to get an upgrade to US Express shipping)

1. Think ebooks (pdfs), that are delivered to you via your email address.

Ebooks are a quick, inexpensive option. We have 27 titles starting at $14.95 that are delivered within hours to your email as a pdf, which you can reemail, put on a thumb drive, read on your computer, smart phone and table, or print out. Physical setting for some of the eBooks include Paris, Hawaii, a dude ranch, a Caribbean cruise, Dublin, Exuma, the golf course, and the vampire series.

Both The Magic Snow Globes and Season’s Greetings, Season’s Love – our Christmas books – come as ebooks.

If your lover reads on a Nook or a Kindle, an eBook is a great option. If you’ve never tried one, this may be your time. ($14.95 for a personalized story where you star with your Hunny in a sexy, romantic story verses a dozen roses (at lot more than $14.95 delivered) – duh, no brainer).

We also have Gift Cards that will be sent to you electronically as well. They make great gifts especially if you know the person wants a paperback or hardback and you don’t know all the answers to the questions (or have run out of time to get a book). You’ll find them on our site here: Gift Cards

2. Paperbacks: for today: plain paperbacks that are ordered with the US Express shipping option will reach USA addresses by December 24.

3. And for today, you can get a free upgrade to US Express shipping by ordering two or more plain paperbacks and choose the standard shipping option by 11:59 p.m. EST, December 19. We’ll automatically upgrade you to US Express if you order 2 or more plain paperbacks and choose standard shipping, so DO NOT choose the Express shipping option if you are ordering 2 or more plain paperbacks.

3. Hardbacks and paperbacks with photos added are not available for Christmas delivery, not are international orders.

4. As to the rest, as a year-round business, we are still taking all orders (that will be delivered normally within a week – keeping in mind that the printing plants will have days off for the holidays), so when you think romance or anniversary or birthday or Valentine’s Day, think YourNovel.com where we make you the star in your own personalized romance novel.

There is more info in the previous postings, but for now you can’t get anything else delivered for Christmas except plain paperbacks with US Express shipping, eBooks, and gift cards.

PAST POST: At this time, (Tuesday, December 18 at 11:00 a.m.)

Believe us, we’d love to keep making printed books to get to you by Christmas, but we are limited because they have to be physically made and mailed.

Here is the latest update:

• Paperback books without photo added ordered with US Express shipping will arrive by December 24 if ordered today.

• No Hardbacks or international orders are available for Christmas.

• We encourage you to order eBooks (pdfs), that are delivered to you via your email address.

Ebooks are a quick, inexpensive option. We have 26 titles starting at $14.95 that are delivered within hours to your email as a pdf, which you can reemail, put on a thumb drive, read on your computer, smart phone and table, or print out. Physical setting for some of the eBooks include Paris, Hawaii, a dude ranch, a Caribbean cruise, Dublin, Exuma, the golf course, and the vampire series.

Both The Magic Snow Globes and Season’s Greetings, Season’s Love – our Christmas books – come as ebooks.

If your lover reads on a Nook or a Kindle, an eBook is a great option. If you’ve never tried one, this may be your time. ($14.95 for a personalized story where you star with your Hunny in a sexy, romantic story verses a dozen roses (at lot more than $14.95 delivered) – duh, no brainer).

We also have Gift Cards that will be sent to you electronically as well. They make great gifts especially if you know the person wants a paperback or hardback and you don’t know all the answers to the questions (or have run out of time to get a book). You’ll find them on our site here: Gift Cards

As to the rest, as a year-round business, we are still taking all orders (that will be delivered normally within a week), so when you think romance or anniversary or birthday or Valentine’s Day, think YourNovel.com where we make you the star in your own personalized romance novel.

There is more info in the previous postings, but for now you can’t get anything else delivered for Christmas except plain paperbacks with US Express shipping, eBooks, and gift cards.

PAST POST: At this time, (Monday, December 17 at 5:00 p.m.)

After speaking with the printers, the production of books will continue as usual, but for Christmas delivery, these were the decisions:

• Paperback books with regular ($7.00) S/H must be ordered by December 18 at 10 a.m. EST. They will be made and mailed by Friday, December 21. There is a possibility they will be delivered by December 24 if the USPS does its job and weather does not interfere, but delivery is not guaranteed.

If you really want a paperback book by December 24, the only way to guarantee deliver is to choose the US Express shipping option.

• Hardback books must be ordered by 10 a.m. on the 18th as well and must use the US Express shipping option to guarantee delivery by December 24. After that time, no hardbacks can be made in time for Christmas delivery.

• No books can be delivered by Christmas to anywhere outside the United States.

• We really encourage you to try the ebooks, which will be delivered electronically to your email address within 24 hours (usually less) of ordering. In addition to reading them on your computer, smart phone or table, you can print them out, wrap them up, and give them as physical presents. You can also email the pdf file to the recipient – imagine giving someone a new Kindle and having a personalized novel waiting for them when they fire up their new toy.

If you have questions, it’s best to email us at comments @ YourNovel.com.

PAST POST: At this time, (Monday, December 17 at 11:30 a.m.)

• Paperback books with regular ($7.00) S/H are likely to be delivered by December 24 if the USPS does its job and weather does not interfere, but delivery is not guaranteed. The only way to guarantee deliver as of right now is to choose the US Express shipping option.

• Hardback books ordered today must use the US Express shipping option to guarantee delivery by December 24.

• No books can be delivered by Christmas to anywhere outside the United States.

• ebooks will be delivered electronically to your email address within 24 hours (usually less) of ordering.

If you have questions, it’s best to email us at comments @ YourNovel.com.

Posted in Christmas Books, News, Shipping updates | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Win a personalized paperback at Thrifty Mom’s Reviews and More

Posted on December 11, 2012 by admin

If you want to win one of YourNovel.com’s paperback books, the blog Thrifty Mom’s Reviews and More, written by Amber Trievel, is giving one away.

Vampire Saga

You can star in Vampire Saga: A Trio of Tales by Gail Gibbs

Amber writes a review of one of our book offerings: Vampire Saga: A Trio of Tales, a personalized collection of vampire stories by Gail Gibbs where Vampires walk among us in a romantic paranormal adventures, complete with jealousy, intrigue and danger.

Here is part of what Amber wrote:

“ . . . I have always been into vampiric tales so I thought it would be pretty fascinating to have my husband and I in the actual plot. I loved being able to make it seem real with all of our personal details . . . .  The three tales in this book are very tantalizing and keep you on your feet. It is a great “true love always prevails’ story plot with plenty of the juicy story plots you would expect from a vampire novel. I will definitely be checking out more stories from yournovel.com in the near future and that says a lot because I am not to big on reading anything outside of bedtime stories to my toddler!”

Amber, that’s what romantic fiction is all about – just getting away from it all for a while. Glad you had a fun time in your new vampire friends

Go to Thrifty Mom’s Reviews and More to read the full review and to enter to win a personalized paperback book from YourNovel.

Good luck.

Posted in Authors, Contests & Giveaways, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Star in your own Christmas story

Posted on December 7, 2012 by admin

You and your Hunny Bunny can be the stars in your very own personalized Christmas story. YourNovel.com has released The Magic Snow Globes by Susie Taylor just in time for holiday giving, whether for you and your honey or the very special couple on your gift list.

The Magic Snow Globes by Susie Taylor

The Magic Snow Globes by Susie Taylor

As with all 40+ books and ebooks available from YourNovel.com, The Magic Snow Globes is personalized throughout with more than 20 details about the starring couple, as hero and heroine, such as their names, hometown, places of work, eye and hair color, best friends, favorite music, favorite perfume and cologne, and how long they’ve been a couple.

The hero in The Magic Snow Globes finds a special, timeless gift unexpectedly. He hopes his lover will agree that it is precious, even if doing so requires suspending disbelief and just going with the moment. She does, and the result is a wondrous, amazing journey through layers of reality and fantasy that teach them both about life and each other. Along the way, they delve into the unknown and experience new, overwhelming heights of passion and enlightenment.

That’s where it gets really personal: like all the YourNovel.com books, you have your choice of “naughty” or “nice” in terms of those romantic interludes.

Company co-founder J.S. Fletcher explains, “We offer a mild version for the more timid, or those who may be in a newer relationship, or those who like to leave more to the imagination. I will say, though, about 95% of our customers go for the wild. Still, everything’s written euphemistically. We like to say it’s titillating yet tasteful.”

This newest book comes from the creative mind of writer Susie Taylor of Beckley, WV. “She’s a true inspiration,” Fletcher says, “actually quitting her job to turn her dream of getting published into reality.”

Taylor walked away from a 15-year career in the finance and mortgage business. She says, “I decided to resign from my well-paying bank job with benefits during a historical recession to work part-time and pursue a writing career.” She now works behind the scenes for Elder-Beerman, a department-store chain.

“Everyone I know has supported me in this venture,” the writer adds. “My husband, Randy, the love of my life; my parents; all of my family and friends; and my employer who is so willing to adjust my work schedule to accommodate my writing needs.”

She got the idea for The Magic Snow Globes while visiting a friend at work. Taylor noticed a snow globe on her friend’s desk. “The inside joke is it’s her ‘crystal ball.’ It occurred to me that I may be able to target everything that YourNovel.com was looking for in a holiday story because snow globes are limitless and could be adapted to suit the personalization required. I could see the entire story in my mind from beginning to end, before I ever started writing it.”

Taylor first came to YourNovel.com’s attention through its romance-writing contest in celebration of 20 years in business. While her submission was not selected a final winner in that anthology, Celebrating Romance 2, her writing did make an impression. The publishers, Fletcher and wife, Kathy Newbern, encouraged her to submit this manuscript.

Taylor is seeking publication of her first full-length novel, called Crossing Over, a paranormal romance.  She also has an independently published romance novel Wildflowers of Fayette County released in 2011. “There are three other novels still in the works but far from completion. I work on them as I have time.”

Taylor could draw inspiration from another YourNovel.com novelist, Marcy Thomas, who also came to the custom publishers through their writing contest, that one to commemorate 10 years in business. Her first story appeared in Celebrating Romance. Since then, she’s gone on to write four full-length novels and two short stories for YourNovel.com.

This time of year, her book Seasons Greetings, Seasons Love is a great seller at YourNovel.com as it, too, has a holiday theme.

Season's Greetings, Season's Love by Marcy Thomas

Season's Greetings, Season's Love by Marcy Thomas

In Seasons Greetings, Seasons 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?

Both novels are available in paperback, hardback or ebook. Taylor’s book starts at $24.95, and Thomas’ title starts at $29.95. You can also add a photo of the starring couple to either book’s cover in paperback or hardback for an additional charge. Shipping/handling in the U.S. is $7.

The fastest way to order is online at www.YourNovel.com. Order print books by Dec. 17 to guarantee Christmas delivery. Ebooks, which are delivered electronically usually within hours, can be ordered as late as Dec. 23.

The Magic Snow Globes really looks great with a photo added to the cover. To get an idea of what that looks like, go to http://www.draftfcb.com/holiday2011/ and type in your house address. It will picture your house inside a snow globe. The site belongs to Draftfcb, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. It’s free and even better, Draftfcb makes a donation to the National Coalition for the Homeless every time someone uses it.

And as a Christmas gift to you readers, here’s a discount code – YNB15% - for 15% off any order placed on the YourNovel.com site until December 27, 2012, at 11:59 PM, EST. During the online ordering process, when asked for your Promotional Code, type in YNB15% and 15% will be taken off. The Code may be used as often as you’d like and can be shared with friends, family and co-workers – put it on Twitter or your Facebook page if you’d like.

Posted in Authors, Christmas Books, Contests & Giveaways, New Books, New eBooks, News, eBook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Treats (no tricks) from YourNovel.com this Halloween

Posted on October 20, 2012 by admin

Halloween is just around the corner, and for those of you who are looking for a special treat for your ghoulfriend, YourNovel.com has just released three new eBooks centered on the holiday. Halloween Delights by Eren Deniz – a trick or treat fantasy set in Washington, D.C; Infectious Love by Emily Dommershausen – an offbeat tale with a zombie encounter; and On a Rainy Night by Yonnie Groza – a mountain getaway that turns mysterious.

Each comes as its own eBook, for sale at $14.95. You can buy all three as a collection we’re callingHalloween Special 2012 for $24.95.

Other great Halloween choices are Vampire Saga, which comes as a paperback, hardback, or eBook, and the eBook Red Moon Waltz, which is about a grand ball atteneded by pixies, werewolves, shapechangers, vampires and a couple of humans – you and your date.

For those looking for just an eBook – here’s your October treat: a $7 discount code – YNHal7 – to use toward your  purchase on the YourNovel.com site valued at $14.95 or more (which means you can get any of the new eBooks for $7.95 or the Halloween Special 2012 for $17.95).

For those looking for paperbacks, hardbacks or more than one eBook – this one is for you: a 25% off discount code – YNHal25 – to use toward your total purchase on the YourNovel.com site.

You can use these codes until November 1, 2012, at 11:59 PM, EST.

During the online ordering process, when asked for your Promotional Code, simply type in YNHal7 ($7 off) orYNHal25 (25% off) will be deducted from the price of any product(s) you order.

The Codes may be used as often as you’d like and can be shared with friends, family and co-workers – put them on Twitter or your Facebook page if you’d like.

Happy Haunting, ya’ll.

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It pays to be a writer: Look what Marilee won!

Posted on October 3, 2012 by admin

Marilee Smith of Grand Island, NE, was the second place winner for her story – Greco-Romance – in the personalized romance writing contest YourNovel.com held marking the anniversary of its 20th year in business. As readers here know, that contest resulted in the publication of the anthology of 10 winning stories called Celebrating Romance 2 (still available for order in either “wild” or “mild” versions). She chose as her prize a two-night stay at the Rosewood Country Inn, Bradford, NH.

Marilee and her husband at the Rosewood Country Inn

Marilee and her husband at the Rosewood Country Inn

Marilee and her husband visited in late August. They flew from Nebraska to Montreal, visiting Quebec City as well as Vermont and New Hampshire during their trip. Here Marilee shares a report for YourNovel.com about her romantic getaway with her husband.

“A romantic getaway doesn’t depend on perfect end-of-summer, hints-of-fall weather. Driving a deux on roads that wend through hills of quaint towns and wooded country might lead to spontaneous sidetracking for a cafe and lunch alfresco under trees heavy with apples beside a lake. The quiet camaraderie of nearby tables where French and English phrases mix with the sound of lapping water and with laughter.

View of grounds at Rosewood Country Inn

View of grounds at Rosewood Country Inn

“But all of that accompanied us when we traveled from Montreal to Bradford, New Hampshire en route to the Rosewood Country Inn. The last miles took us deeper into the woods and through some temporary roadwork that had us bumping along only to open out into acres of sunlit stretches of greenery and the picturesque inn. Warmth awaited us in the welcome, in the suite with its Jacuzzi for two and fireplace, and in the attention to details of comfort and ambiance.

“Morning views of the acreage with its footbridges and gazebo inspired a desire to get on with our day, but the breakfast awaiting those of us in the 10 guest suites was so far above-and-beyond that we settled into the spacious dining room comfortably exchanging plans for various excursions.

Marilee stayed in the Douglas Fairbanks Suite

Marilee stayed in the Douglas Fairbanks Suite

“Then, as a gluten-free diner I was thrilled to be able to partake in the fresh raspberry muffins and the blueberry pancakes with maple butter pecan sauce because baking and cooking had been done especially to accommodate me as well. Each morning offered an array of juices, fresh and unexpected fruit courses, muffins, and hearty main dishes like frittatas.

“There was a happy hour one evening with canapes and a chance to chat with our charming hostess, Lesley Marquis, who along with her husband Dick have been named as New Hampshire’s Innkeepers of the Year. The B & B was also awarded a most romantic inn designation for a number of years, and it has been featured in Yankee magazine as well.

Champagne and chocolates-dipped strawberries awaited their arrival

Champagne and chocolates-dipped strawberries awaited their arrival

“During our stay we managed to re-visit my husband’s nearby alma mater where students were just settling in for a new term and also to hike down the inn’s country road, but time there centered on relishing a private retreat–complete with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries in our suite. Indeed, romance may not depend on such extravagance of atmosphere and lavish pampering, but it doesn’t hurt either. The sensory pleasures and bonhomie will, I suspect, remain with us as they have for so many guests celebrating weddings, anniversaries, honeymoons, and the heartfelt beauties of nature and hospitality–celebrating romance!”

Marilee not only writes great romance but also lives it. We applaud her for both.

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It pays to be a writer: Look what Emily won!

Posted on September 17, 2012 by admin

Emily Dommershausen of Bedford, MA, files this report for YourNovel.com about her romantic getaway with her husband to St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua. Emily won the vacation in the writing contest marking our 20th anniversary. That contest, as readers here know, resulted in publication of the anthology of 10 winning stories called Celebrating Romance 2 (still available for order in either “wild” or “mild”).

A beautiful beach day at St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua

A beautiful beach day at St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua

Emily’s winning story is titled “Infectious Love” and is about surviving a tropical vacation that takes on nightmarish proportions when zombies take over the island. From what Emily reports, we’re happy her island vacation was just filled with fun.

Congratulations again to Emily, and a huge thank you to prize sponsor St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua.

Emily writes:

“St. James Club resort, set in beautiful Antigua, offers an island resort experience a world away from the bustle of daily life. The 100-acre garden resort rests on its own peninsula, with sheltered, sandy Mamora Bay on one side, and Coco’s Beach facing the Atlantic Ocean on the other, providing beautiful views from all areas of the resort.

Palms at St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua

Palms at St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua

Our hotel room overlooked Mamora Bay, and we watched several spectacular sunsets from our balcony. The room itself was exactly what you need for an island vacation: a view of the bay from the king-sized bed, a comfortable sitting area, and a large bathroom with plenty of room to clean up after a long day at the beach. With tropical temperatures and humidity, the powerful air conditioner and overhead fans in our room provided a welcome respite on more than one sweltering afternoon.

The resort kept us busy with kayaking, snorkeling, sampling the four different swimming pools, and shopping, whether in the gift shop and from local vendor tents along the beach. Both beaches are shallow and calm, which provided excellent snorkeling opportunities for a less-than-athletic swimmer like me. I was able to see quite a few different types of tropical fish, including a very large school of tiny fish, and even a lobster.

Sunset at St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua

Sunset at St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua

We dined at three of the four restaurants available within the St James Club property. We started our morning with the huge breakfast buffet provided by The Rainbow Garden Restaurant, and often enjoyed upscale a-la-cart dinners there as well. Coco’s Restaurant, just above the beach, was a great place to enjoy a quick sandwich. The Docksider Restaurant and Bar was our favorite spot for dinner, with a different buffet theme every night. There was always something for everyone. And of course, traditional rum punch drinks (or any other drink you’d like) were available from a number of restaurant and poolside bars.

The staff was very friendly, helpful, and always cheerful. Guest Services was always willing to help us with local information and directions to our activities outside the resort.

The island of Antigua is small, but there is plenty to do to keep busy. We adventurously rented a car, and its small size was perfect for maneuvering through the 2-lane country roads, always trying to remember to drive on the left!

Gail and Emily at St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua
Gail Gibbs  (author of Vampire Saga) and her daughter Emily Dommershausen, whose story in YourNovel.com’s writing contest won the trip to St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua

Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour, a quick five minute drive from the resort, was a fun walk with lots of history. At Stingray City, a short boat trip took us to a nearby sand bar where we swam with stingrays that were up to six feet long. I was too scared to hold one, but both my husband and my mother got the chance to “hug” the stingrays. I did enjoy hand-feeding squid to a stingray as it swam by. (Note: Emily’s mom is also a published writer – Gail Gibbs – who wrote Vampire Saga for YourNovel.com. Emily’s prize included two separate rooms, so Emily and her mom and their husbands were all able to go on the trip.)

The highlight of the vacation was the night-time Turtle Watch Tour offered by The Environmental Awareness Group of Antigua and Barbuda. They took a small group of us to a privately owned island, where one isolated beach is a prime nesting site for the Hawksbill Turtle. Unfortunately, there weren’t any adults nesting that night, or eggs hatching. As consolation, the biologists decided to excavate a nest that had already hatched earlier in the day. Everyone, including the biologists, was surprised and delighted to find thirty-one live baby Hawksbill sea turtles trapped in the bottom of the root-bound nest. The baby sea turtles were freed and lined up on the sand, and we watched closely while every one of them scrambled down the moonlit beach and into the ocean.

It was a vacation of a lifetime.”

Emily, we’re happy that you all enjoyed yourselves at St. James’s Club & Villas, Antigua.

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‘Daily Sun News’ highlights newest eBook, The Grape Escape

Posted on August 5, 2012 by admin
The Grape Escape eBook

You can star in the eBook novella The Grape Escape by author Sunshine Morrison, shown below.

Another kudo for writer Sunshine Morrison: On the heels of radio coverage of her new eBook novella The Grape Escape, comes a newspaper story about it.

Reporter Amber Schlenker from The Daily Sun News in Sunnyside, WA, was intrigued to find out Sunshine grew up in Prosser, which is in their coverage area.

In fact, says Sunshine, “growing up in Prosser, we thought Sunnyside was ‘the big city.’ ”

Ms. Schlenker writes, in part, “It would be a perfect anniversary gift for your special someone, and even fun as gag gift for a single friend. The possibilities are endless.”

Read Schlenker’s full review: http://www.dailysunnews.com/DSNEntertainment2.shtml

Sunshine, shown at left, originally wrote “The Grape Escape” for the romance writing contest celebrating YourNovel.com’s 20 years in business. It was chosen a winner and published with nine other winning short stories as the anthology Celebrating Romance 2. (A similar book, Celebrating Romance, was published to mark our 10 years in business.)

Congrats to you, Sunshine, on continued coverage of your achievement.

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“The Grape Escape” author featured on Portland radio

Posted on August 3, 2012 by admin

Listen to Sunshine Morrison, author of our latest eBook, “The Grape Escape,” featured on KXL news in Portland.

Sunshine is one of 10 winners of our romance writing contest that celebrates our 20 years in business. She and nine other authors’ works are featured in Celebrating Romance 2.

All books and eBooks come “wild” or “mild” and feature more than 20 details about the starring couple.

Click below to listen.

A-Your Novel Wrap 2

Posted in Contests & Giveaways, New Books, News, On the Radio, eBook | Leave a comment

LaunchGrowJoy names YourNovel.com featured entrepreneur

Posted on July 14, 2012 by admin
launch grow joy logo_s

launchgrowjoy.com named YourNovel.com as a featured entrepreneur

LaunchGrowJoy.com is a website that helps companies get started, provides strategies to help them grow, and strives to help companies find joy in what they are doing.

We were very pleased when they selected YourNovel.com as one of their daily Featured Entrepreneurs. For 20 years we’ve been growing our company and doing it with joy, so we are happy to share some of our success with others.

Here is our answer to one of the questions in the article:

What advice would you give other entrepreneurs when they are first starting out?

“We took a chance, started our business on what we thought was a good idea, and it changed our lives. Our advice is very simple to anyone who wants to get something done, do it. You will never know whether you could have been a success if you do not try.”

Believe us, we are happy we gave ourselves a chance.

You can read the full article here: LaunchGrowJoy.com.

Oh, and remember, you can like YourNovel.com on Facebook and follow YourNovel on Twitter. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter, in which we often publish discount codes: YourNovel.com eNewsletter.

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Focus Daily News in Texas shares release of The Grape Escape

Posted on July 14, 2012 by admin

Recently YourNovel.com released The Grape Escape, an eBook by Sunshine Morrison. We just received an alert that Focus Daily News in South Suburban Dallas, Texas, shared the news with its readers.

Focus Daily News masthead

You can read about "The Grape Escape" eBook by Sunshine Morrison in the Focus Daily News

Here’s a link to that article: Focus Daily News.

Congrats, Sunshine!

Her eBook, currently on sale, is available here: The Grape Escape. If you like wine and want to get a feel for what it’s like to visit the vineyards of Oregon, this is your read, especially since you star in it.

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Win a free YourNovel.com eBook from My So Called Balanced Life

Posted on July 6, 2012 by admin

If you want to win one of YourNovel.com’s eBooks, the blog My So Called Balanced Life, written by Melinda Dunn, is giving one away.

The Grape Escape eBook

You can star in the eBook novella The Grape Escape.

Melinda gives a review of our newest personalized eBook: The Grape Escape, an eBook novella by Sunshine Morrison. In it our couple take a trip to the wine country of Oregon and things take off from there. It originally appeared in Celebrating Romance 2 as one of 10 winners in our Personalized Romance Writing Contest celebrating our 20 years in business.

Here is part of what Melina wrote:

“It is no secret I love to read, I usually read mystery or thriller books but when I saw Your Novel I had to give the romance genre a try. I decided to get the ebook The Grape Escape by Sunshine Morrison because my husband and I love wine; so I thought it would be a great fit for our story. The book took us on an adventure to the Oregon wine country. I chose the wild version for my book so it was a little steamy.  I dedicated it to my husband which made it extra special. The story was a nice story with all the unique details of my life. I thought it great!”

Melinda, that’s what personalization is all about Glad you had a fun time in your little romp in Oregon!

Go to My So Called Balanced Life to enter to win your choice of any eBook free from YourNovel. We have dozens to choose from.

Good luck.

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Win a $50 US gift card code to YourNovel.com

Posted on June 27, 2012 by admin

If you want to win a free $50 US gift card code that can be used toward the purchase of any personalized book or eBook by YourNovel.com, the blog Amberlee’s Reviews and More is giving one away.

You can star in Rome: Diamonds, Danger and Desire

Amberlee gives a review of Rome: Diamonds, Danger and Desire by Marcy Thomas. It’s been a popular seller for years. It involves espionage and secret agent stuff – or does it?

Here is part of what Amberlee wrote:

“To sum up my book, my husband takes me on a wonderful trip to Rome! Which is something I wish he would do in real life! Anyway, as it turns out he is really a secret agent who was sent to Rome to complete a mission. And luckily for me, he decided to take me along for the ride. Let me tell you, it was definitely a ride! No pun intended! Or maybe it was intended.

“I chose the wild version, so it was definitely an adventure. Some parts of the book were pretty typical of a romance novel. In other words, cheesy. Which was really cool because I got to have a couple laughs out of it. And since it was personalized I got to think of my husband and myself while reading. Which was a very cool experience.

“I absolutely loved my book! It’s definitely something I want to be able to show off. And now I can brag about having an adventure in Rome. Okay, so maybe I can’t brag about going to Rome since technically I didn’t go. But I can brag about how I have a book that is written about my husband and I. Which is really cool! This book is definitely something that I’m going to keep, and read many times!”

Amberlee, glad you had a fun time in Rome!

Go to Amberlee’s Reviews and More to enter to win a $50 gift card code to use toward any purchase on the YourNovel’s site. Good luck.

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Just released – The Grape Escape, an eBook novella by Sunshine Morrison

Posted on June 26, 2012 by admin
The Grape Escape eBook

You can star in the eBook novella The Grape Escape.

YourNovel.com is happy to release The Grape Escape, an eBook novella by Sunshine Morrison. Like all of our personalized eBooks and printed books, this one stars you and your Hunny. Sunshine has set her short-story novella in the luscious wine country of Oregon. It originally appeared in Celebrating Romance 2 as one of 10 winners in our Personalized Romance Writing Contest celebrating our 20 years in business.

In this tale, our couple travel to Oregon in the Pacific Northwest to visit The Grape Escape Bed & Breakfast, which is competing in the International Pinot Noir Celebration Festival. Of course they explore one of the top wine-producing regions of the United States with more than 300 wineries. However, they soon find themselves entangled in the sometimes cut-throat world of oenology that adds an unexpected adventure to their romantic vacation.

If you like wine and you like romance, you’ll like The Grape Escape – wild or mild. It is currently on sale for $14.95. The regular price is $24.95.

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