"Twenty-four-year-old bookseller and Manhattanite Naomi Ackerman is determined to write a novel-to prove the believers right and the disbelievers wrong (though she finds herself falling into both camps, depending on the day). When, after years of disastrous Tinder dates, she meets Caleb-a perfectly nice guy with a Welsh accent, a non-pretentious job, and a unique patience for all of her quirks-she feels she's finally found something to write about:...

"In "Bride on the Loose," sworn bachelor Jason Manning is drawn to reserved but loving Charlotte Weston, a single mother afraid to give her heart to Jason after being hurt in the past, causing Jason to make every effort to prove to her that they belong together, and in "My Hero," would-be romance writer Bailey York was a woman who'd already failed twice at love and as far as she was concerned, men were only wonderful to read and to write about, which...

"With her Hollywood dreams long gone, Abigale now has a nice, neat, uncomplicated life--until the day her perfect fiancé needs to talk. Dumped, a little more than shattered, and totally confused, Abigale turns to Zach, her best friend since forever, to help her pick up the pieces. He does it with the gift of a journal. She can vent her frustrations, and sketch out a new plan. Zach just hopes he's part of it. Because he's been in love with Abigale...

Nina X has no mother and no father; she has Comrade Chen, and Comrades Uma, Jeni and Ruth. Her closest emotional connection is with the birds she sees when she removes the plasterboard that covers her bedroom window. Comrade Chen has named her The Project; she is being raised entirely separated from the false gods of capitalism and the cult of the self. He has her record everything in her journal, to track her thoughts. To keep her ideology pure,...

" ... the brilliant, peculiar, and complex tale of the Milu. For one thousand years, the Milu, an exotic species of deer with the neck of a camel, the horns of a stag, the feet of a cow, and the tail of a donkey, existed only in the Chinese emperor's private park in Beijing. But in the second half of the nineteenth century a Basque missionary, Pére David, became the first Westerner ever to see a Milu. Transfixed by the strange beast, he risked his...

In The Hidden Machinery, critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Margot Livesey offers a masterclass for those who love reading literature and for those who aspire to write it. Through close readings, arguments about craft, and personal essay, Livesey delves into the inner workings of fiction and considers how our stories and novels benefit from paying close attention to both great works of literature and to our own individual experiences....

..."The final three novels of the visionary master who defined a generation. Bluebeard (1987) is the colorful history of a phenomenally gifted realist painter who, in the 1950s, betrayed his artistic vision for commercial success. Now, at seventy-one, he writes his memoirs and plots his revenge on the worldly forces that conspired to corrupt his talent. In Hocus Pocus (1990), a freewheeling prison memoir by a Vietnam vet and disgraced academic,...

Tension is the heart of conflict, the backbone of uncertainty, the hallmark of danger. It keeps readers guessing and characters on their toes. When you've got tension in place, stories leave readers breathless and wanting more. When it's missing, scenes feel inconsequential, plots drag, and characters meander. Learning the craft of writing can sometimes feel like a paint by numbers approach--connect compelling character A to plot event B. To avoid...

"When Akito is unable to come up with a storyboard within the time frame he promised, Moritaka decides to break up their partnership! As they go their separate ways to create manga, it may turn out that they're actually headed in the same direction" -- p. [4] of cover.

A comic book portrayal of Hollywood actors and actresses.