What makes a romance novel a romance? How do you write a kissing book?Writing a well-structured romance isn't the same as writing any other genre-something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don't address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc-not the other way around.Told in conversational (and often irreverent) prose, Romancing the Beat can be read like you are sitting down to coffee with romance editor and author Gwen Hayes while she explains story structure. The way she does with her clients. Some of whom are regular inhabitants of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.Romancing the Beat is a recipe, not a rigid system. The beats don't care if you plot or outline before you write, or if you pants your way through the drafts and do a "beat check" when you're revising. Pantsers and plotters are both welcome. So sit down, grab a cuppa, and let's talk about kissing books.

Contemporary romance novellas are fun, light, quick reads. Usually less than 50,000 words, about the many ways that men and women meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after.Maybe predictable, if you've read enough of them, but for a writer that just means this is a great format to start a career with. This book will help you:1. Learn a simple plot structure for a romance novella2. Set a reasonable and practical writing schedule3. Finish the manuscript and prepare it for publicationLessons in this book were used in a free mentorship program that has helped writers (and people who never thought they'd be writers!) finish their very first fiction manuscript.(Note: Some of the publishing and writing advice is specific to the Philippines and Asia, where the class was first held.)

Get the Knowledge Without the College! You are a writer. You dream of sharing your words with the world, and you're willing to put in the hard work to achieve success. You may have even considered earning your MFA, but for whatever reason--tuition costs, the time commitment, or other responsibilities--you've never been able to do it. Or maybe you've been looking for a self-guided approach so you don't have to go back to school. This book is for you. DIY MFA is the do-it-yourself alternative to a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. By combining the three main components of a traditional MFA--writing, reading, and community--it teaches you how to craft compelling stories, engage your readers, and publish your work. Inside you'll learn how to: • Set customized goals for writing and learning. • Generate ideas on demand. • Outline your book from beginning to end. • Breathe life into your characters. • Master point of view, voice, dialogue, and more. • Read with a "writer's eye" to emulate the techniques of others. • Network like a pro, get the most out of writing workshops, and submit your work successfully. Writing belongs to everyone--not only those who earn a degree. With DIY MFA, you can take charge of your writing, produce high-quality work, get published, and build a writing career.

College sophomore Hannah Maquiling doesn't know why everyone tells her their love problems. She's never even had a boyfriend, but that doesn't stop people from spilling their guts to her, and asking for advice. So maybe it shouldn't be a surprise when the cutest guy in school tells her that she's going to have to take on this responsibility -- but for all humanity.The Goddess of Love has gone AWOL. It's a problem, because her job is to keep in check this world's obsession with love (and lack of it). The God of the Sun, for now an impossibly handsome senior at an exclusive college just outside of Metro Manila, thinks Hannah has what it takes to (temporarily) do the job.While she's learning to do this goddess thing, she practices on the love troubles of shy Kathy, who's got a secret admirer on campus. Hannah's mission, should she choose to accept it, is to make sure that he's not a creepy stalker and they find their happily ever after -- or at least something that'll last until next semester. (As if she could refuse! The Sun God asked so nicely. And he's so, well, hot.)

Twenty-something Ellie Manuel's Prince Charming may have broken up with her, but she won't give up... because fairy tale heroines don "t live Shappily ever after right away, silly.So she spends the next year restoring herself to the girl he had fallen in love with. Until she discovers that life without him might not be so bad after all.So when is it okay to quit on a fairy tale?

Everything You need to Write and Sell Your Work This is the ultimate crash course in writing and publishing! Inside you'll find comprehensive instruction, up-to-date market listings, a CD featuring recorded live webinars with industry professionals, an all-access pass to WritersMarket.com, and more. Writer's Digest University is the perfect resource for you, no matter your experience level. This one-stop resource contains: • Quick and comprehensive answers to common questions including: "How do I write a successful novel?" and "How do I know if self-publishing is right for me?" • Instruction and examples for formatting and submitting fiction, nonfiction, articles, children's writing, scripts, and verse. • Advanced instruction on business-related issues like marketing and publicity, using social media, freelancing for corporations, keeping finances in order, and setting the right price for your work. • A detailed look at what agents want and how to get one that best fits your needs. • Market listings for publishers and agents open to unsolicited work and new writers, contests and awards, and conferences and workshops. • A CD with recordings of 4 popular WD webinars: How Do I Get My Book Published?, How to Land a Literary Agent, How Writers Can Succeed in the Future of Digital Publishing, and Freelance Basics.* • A scratch-off code that gives you a one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com and a 20% discount on the WritersDigestUniversity.com course of your choice.* Get started now with everything you need to build a thriving writing career. Whether you're starting from scratch or have a bit of experience, you'll find the tools you need for success. *PLEASE NOTE: CDs and one-year subscription are NOT included with the ebook version of this title.

Five Cuevas @5travels Three guesses to where I'm going next. Starts with an M. Ends with a U. Has a lechon named after it. #travel Twenty-something travel blogger Five thinks she has hit the jackpot when she gets invited to glittering Macau for an all-expense-paid bloggers tour. Think majestic old churches, sparkling casinos, exhilarating bungee jumps, and the world's most unforgettable egg tarts. The trip is practically perfect, except for one little glitch. She gets assigned to be travel buddies with Jesse, the world's most infuriating photo blogger, and it's definitely war at first sight. Will Five let Jesse turn her dream vacation into a total nightmare? Or will falling in love be on the itinerary?

Shannon Vanderhoff learned early that everything in life is fleeting. That's why she won't let herself get attached to anything. Or anyone. Not the traumatized little boy in her care. And definitely not art therapist Greg Hawkins, who seems as determined to care for her as he is to heal her nephew. Like a character from one of his comic books, Greg has swooped in to their rescue, empowering the child…and loving the woman. But it takes the two of them to turn the boy's life around. And it takes a kid with special powers all his own to create a loving family.

When she was nine-years-old, Katie knew she wanted Chris to give her her first kiss. It wasn't because she was in love with him (no way, he was her best friend! Besides, she was in love with his fourteen-year-old big brother), it was because she could make him do anything she wanted. Besides, it didn't really mean anything. It was only a kiss after all. But then things started to change. They grew up. They parted ways and went to different high schools. And other girls and boys-well, just one particular boy-came into the picture, throwing their lives upside down. Told from the alternating points of view of Katie and Chris, this love story between two best friends will tug at your heartstrings and leave you thinking how the simplest things can mean so much.

Magic is in the air...For the first time in a century, the fruit in San Antonio's most famous mango farm all turned sour. Fiona, thirty-six and single, knows why. According to her family's legend, the only way to keep the mangoes sweet is for the women who run the farm to be married and bear children. If Fiona doesn't find anyone soon, the inheritance her family has been protecting for generations is in danger of rotting away.Greg used to have a massive crush on his older sister's best friend. When he drops by Fiona's farm to get his sister some of San Antonio's sweetest mangoes, his quick visit turns into an extended vacation. As the days go by, his feelings for Fiona begin to take root and grow. At twenty-eight, how can he convince Fiona that he's more than her friend's kid brother?