Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America
For the aspiring romance writer who needs a little direction,Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of Americais an excellent starting point. Divided into four sections, the  business of romance is discussed in the first section, including  thorough treatments of subjects such as agents, handling publicity,  networking, and "the life and times of a manuscript." The  following two sections closely examine the processes of researching and  writing a novel--from writing with passion to point of view and writing  with a partner--while the final section focuses on writing specific  types of romances, including the regency, the short contemporary, and  the historical romance. All 25 topics are handled by experts in the  field: the business side of romance is presented by successful agents,  publicists, and editors, while romance writing is handled by bestselling authors such asJude Deveraux,Diana  Gabaldon, andJanet Dailey.