Writing the Great American Romance Novel

Appreciation iii Introduction vii A Romance by Any Other Name Is Still a Romance 1(14) Researching Your Romance Novel 15(10) The Makeup of the Romantic Hero 25(12) The Makeup of the Romantic Heroine 37(10) Romance Story Structures and Outlines 47(14) The Mechanics of Writing a Great Romance 61(22) Plotting the Memorable Meet 83(10) Writing the Love Scene 93(8) Marketing within the Story 101(6) Query Letters, Synopses, and Submission Packages 107(24) The Publishing Process, Editors, and Authors 131(14) Self-Promotion (or Please Don't Wear that Antebellum Costume to the Book Fair) 145(26) Building a Long-Term Career 171(14) In Spiritu 185(22) Appendices Appendix A: Sample Professional Press Release 191(2) Appendix B: California Moon Story Synopsis 193(4) Appendix C: List of Romance Publishers 197(6) Appendix D: Recommended Resources 203(4) Personal Letter to Aspiring Authors 207(1) Index 208