This Valentine's Day, one publisher wants you to be the one doing the romancing.
Canada-based Books By You says it sells thousands of personalised romance novels each year with titles such as ER Fever and Pirates of Desire, where the reader is the star. It is not Bronte, but customers are going crazy for the novels that make them the main characters.
Customers answer 20 to 30 questions about themselves and their beloved, ranging from body type to pet names. Then the details are woven into one of the company's eight pre-formatted novels. Clients can even have their photos added to the book jacket.
One customer had a marriage proposal included at the end, for $34.95, plus shipping and handling.
Turnaround time is quick. Publisher Michael Pocock said if customers order their personalized book on Monday, they will get it in time for Valentine's Day. Virtually all the orders are done on the Internet, Pocock said.
Kym Sprague, who bought a book for her boyfriend of three years, said she got a kick out of seeing her and her boyfriend's names and lives played out in the book.
She even let her daughters take a peek, but only at certain pages. The books have no explicit sex scenes, but the company says there is "lots of heavy breathing and rolling around."
{{/usCountry}}She even let her daughters take a peek, but only at certain pages. The books have no explicit sex scenes, but the company says there is "lots of heavy breathing and rolling around."
{{/usCountry}}Pocock said each book is carefully crafted to avoid alienating any customers, avoiding topics like marriage or religion.
The books are modelled after traditional romance novels, a tense plot, a happy ending and a few stolen kisses along the way.