An author decided to ask his partner to marry him by using the dedication in the front of his latest book to pop the question.
Lloyd Sherratt, of Barton under Needwood, will officially release children's story Big Dog and Squiz on Friday, December 8, and it came complete with romantic words written to partner Rachel Pickett.
When it came to writing the dedication in the front of his book, there was only one person he had in mind.
The book, which will be launched at the community library at Barton under Needwood on Friday, bears the inscription: "For Rachel Pickett. Will you marry me?"
Rachel went on to open her copy and say 'yes'.
Mr Sherratt said: "After 22 happy years and four boys, and after all Rach's encouragement and help in editing the book, it seemed the obvious way to propose.
"Of course, I had to wait for the books to be shipped from Malta and then sent from the warehouse, and I didn't know exactly which day the advanced copies would arrive, so it was a bit of tense time, but it was worth the wait when Rach finally opened the book and I saw her reaction."
Publisher Hogs Back Books was equally thrilled with the proposal. Editor Karen Stevens said: "We are sometimes asked for unusual and lengthy dedications, and we try to urge our authors and illustrators to keep these simple, but on this occasion we made an exception.
"Everyone on the Hogs Back Books team and at our distributors was relieved and delighted when we learned that the books had arrived with Lloyd and Rachel had said yes."
Mr Sherratt, a former pupil at Wulfric Comprehensive School which is now the de Ferrers Academy, left school at the age of 15 with one GCSE.
He drifted from labouring job to labouring job, but always had a creative flair for writing, particularly lyrics for his teenage band.
The 45-year-old started writing children's stories a decade ago when his own four boys where still young. Big Dog and Squiz is described as a tale of friendship, fun and frolics where size really might just matter.
He said: "My eyesight was always a bit poor to be reading library books to the kids in the dark at bedtime like Rach used to, so when it was my turn to read, I just used to make them up.
"Although the only merit I ever got at school was for a poem that I wrote in English but I'd actually copied down some lyrics from the back of The Police's Zenyatta Mondatta album – I don't think Miss Price ever knew that.
"We finally had some interest in one of the stories, Big Dog, from Hogsback (the publisher) in 2013. With a small advance they agreed to publish my book with drawings from an illustrator they were already working with, Lynne Hudson.
"To say that I was surprised was an understatement – we'd been sending stories off for three or four years with no interest.
Rach had helped me edit the books and had encouraged me right from the start to put pen to paper.
So after 22 years and having four lovely boys together, when Hogsback asked me if I wanted to make a dedication at the front of the book it seemed an obvious thing to do."
Mr Sherratt will be at Waterstones, in Coopers Square shopping centre, Burton, from 11am on Saturday, December 9, signing copies of his book Big Dog and Squiz.
Big Dog and Squiz is published by Hogs Back Books and costs £6.99 for paperback or £9.99 in hardback.
