Founders of YourNovel.com Personalized Novels Encourage Dreamers to Act on Their Good Ideas
ncarol.com/10208757

RALEIGH, N.C. - ncarol.com -- "It changed our lives forever," said J.S. Fletcher reflecting back to 1992, when he and wife Kathy M. Newbern acted on a great idea. The pair create fiction under the pen name Fletcher Newbern.

That spark of an idea soon became a full-fledged business, and their concept has remained a year-round hit, but especially as one-of-a-kind Valentine's gifts. Their big idea was to create a personalized romance novel where any couple could become the main characters. Thirty-one years later they're still at it as YourNovel.com.

They have been featured in more than a thousand radio, TV, magazine and newspaper interviews including "The Today Show," USA TODAY, ABC-TV's "The View," People magazine, Elle, Bridal Guide, Reader's Digest, Entrepreneur and more.

More on ncarol.com

• When Hope Feels Gone, Death2life Is Still Here!
• Sebastian Stroeller Publishes "The MAP Language Canon" — The Complete Practitioner's Guide to Structural Conversation
• OneVizion Appoints Zebra Technologies CIO Matt Ausman to Board of Directors
• GLADYS Magazine Celebrates their 18 Year Anniversary!
• New Townhome Building Released at Heritage at South Brunswick, Offering Private Perimeter Setting and Water Views

What sparked the idea? While working in public relations serving on a conference panel, Newbern fielded the icebreaker question: "What would folks be surprised to find out about you?" She responded that she'd written a yet-to-be-published romance novel. Good-natured chuckling ensued.

Over lunch, a friend commented, "Wouldn't it be great if you could star in one of those novels?" On the long drive home, then-boyfriend (now hubby) Fletcher commented, "You know we could do that." Newbern agreed and grabbed a manila envelope from the glove box and started outlining a story that anyone could star in.

After figuring out how to customize each book using personal information provided by each customer — names, workplaces, eye color, hair color, best friends, nicknames and many other individual details, they got to work.

"It's been quite the journey," Fletcher added. "When we tell people what we do, that we're travel writers and romance novelists, they're in awe. The big difference is we acted on our great idea, and we are able to work for ourselves, which is a dream come true. We also knew if we didn't take the plunge to see if we could create a whole new publishing genre that we'd always regret it."

More on ncarol.com

• Comics Veteran on Return of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Characters, 3-D Projects, Collaboration with Original 'Star Wars' Toy Engineer
• Flexible Plan Investments Announces Retirement of Executive Vice President Renée Toth
• Sensory Education launches new neuro-affirming psychoeducation book, Sensory Diversity
• Break the Resume Mold: Career Valet Changes How Executives Hunt for Jobs
• Who Is KayeDinero? Asheville Artist Answers With New Singles K-Mart, Grace and Been Famous

"We're proud to be the original creators of customizable adult romance novels and, more importantly, the gold standard of the industry," said Newbern.

http://www.YourNovel.com is all about options — offering "wild" or "mild" versions of each book in terms of the romantic interludes; adding an uploaded photo to become part of a book's existing cover; or even using a treasured photograph to create the entire book cover.

"Over the years," said Fletcher, "our books have been called the 'Ultimate Vanity Valentine,' and we've been labeled 'Computerized Cupids.' We love that job title."

And it all started by acting on a good idea.