KB Meniado fell in love with stories at six years old and has never looked back. A Filipino writer, editor, and community builder from Davao City, she founded Bookbed, Silent Book Club Davao, and OK to BE, and has been supporting #romanceclass since 2015. She writes stories about finding your people, choosing what matters, and creating moments that feel like home.

Find her at heykebe.wordpress.com.

Your story uses several tropes that are familiar to romance readers, but the one that primarily defines the dynamic between Vienne and Ezra is “second chance romance.” How did you choose the trope, and what challenges did you encounter in writing it?

I wanted to explore the idea that timing really does matter. And because I’ve always loved airplane meet-cutes, I thought, What if you board a flight and somehow end up sitting beside someone who changes your life? And then I pushed it a little bit: Why not… your ex?? :))

There’s something intimate about late-night and red-eye flights, right? The cabin is dark, everyone’s half-asleep, and time feels suspended. It felt like the perfect place for a second-chance romance because, well, nobody can exactly storm out. Where are they going? Seat 20D? Haha! They’re stuck together for a few hours, and eventually, they have to talk.

In We Have Just Landed, Vienne and Ezra already have history. They know each other’s habits (even plane seat preferences!), families, and dreams. They’ve already fallen in love. So the fun—and terrifying—question became: Why would they choose each other again?

That was probably the biggest challenge for me. I didn’t want their breakup to be because of something catastrophic—no cheating, no secret partners or families, nothing villain-y like that. Instead, life just happened, and somewhere along the way, they stopped making room for each other. It’s a more “ordinary” kind of heartbreak, which, to me, made it harder to write. It had to feel painful enough that readers understood why they broke up, but hopeful enough that they believed a second chance was possible.

I also didn’t want their reunion to be overly dramatic. If you’ve read the story, you’ll notice they’re mostly just talking. But they’re finally saying the things they couldn’t say four years ago. To me, that’s romantic. Sometimes the biggest gesture is an honest and vulnerable conversation—and, of course, the decision to keep choosing each other.

What does happily ever after look like for characters like Vienne and Ezra, factoring in the choices they’ve made? Is there only one kind of way, or are there others?

I’ve been in a situation where the hardest question wasn’t “Do we love each other enough?” but “What does our future together even look like?” Sometimes it’s difficult to see the so-called endgame when you’re trying to figure out adult life, build your dreams, and, for Vienne and Ezra, navigate things like distance and family.

So, I wanted to write against the idea that you need to have every answer before choosing someone. Because we all know there’s no one version of happily ever after. It looks different for everyone, and what matters is that you keep choosing each other, even when life changes.

In my head, I can see so many versions of Vienne and Ezra’s future. Maybe Super Capable grows, and Vienne brings the program to more communities—even outside the country. Maybe Ezra starts his own data science consulting company. Maybe they even build a travel agency together! :))

Or maybe, after years of building their careers, they decide they want something slower and quieter. Maybe they move to a small town, find a little cottage somewhere, live by the ocean, or run a farm. Maybe they get married, have kids, and eventually grandkids! Because of course, they grow old together and maybe even become Super Capable citizens themselves.

At the end of the day, the details and destinations can change, but the important thing is that wherever they land, they’ll always find home in each other.

You’ve edited (a lot of) romance books. How did that affect you, now that you’re wearing an author hat for this story?

I’ve read and had the privilege of editing stories, many of them romance novels, over the years, and it’s funny because I often assume my next piece of writing will be easier.

As many can probably relate, I also often end up being wrong! :))

That said, editing romance novels has shaped me as a writer. I have so much awe and admiration for the authors I edit because I know the heart, time, and vulnerability they bring to their work. So I want to thank them, and every story that has made me laugh, cry, swoon, clutch my pillow, and kick my feet through countless happily ever afters and happy-for-nows. We Have Just Landed exists because of all the stories—personal or otherwise, fiction or otherwise—that have made me feel kilig in wonderfully different ways.

Wearing my author hat was definitely a different experience. As an editor, I get to help shape someone else’s story. But as an author, I had to be the one putting my own heart on the page and hoping readers would connect with Vienne and Ezra’s journey.

I usually lean toward stories with plenty of snarky banter, witty exchanges, and playful chemistry between characters. We Have Just Landed still has some of that, but it’s probably one of the more emotionally tender pieces I’ve written, because of the themes it explores—the timing of love and finding your way back to someone after time apart. It’s also a story I’ve wanted to tell for a long time because it’s one that means a lot to me.

So, in a way, writing We Have Just Landed feels like me choosing and landing on a new destination. 🙂

What’s another trope you would have wanted to take on? And what’s a trope that you probably won’t?

I’m actually in the middle of finishing two stories right now—one enemies-to-lovers and the other friends-to-lovers—so I’m on my way to checking off my top three romance tropes to try. Yay!

Beyond those, the tropes I’d love to explore are forbidden love or secret identity. There’s something so compelling about the tension that comes from characters wanting something they shouldn’t have, or from the moment when a hidden truth finally comes to light. The emotional stakes!

A trope I probably won’t gravitate toward, though, would be one of those more commonly found in sci-fi or paranormal romance, like alien abduction or fated mates. There are many incredible writers who can create those stories in such imaginative ways, and I admire the skill it takes to bring those worlds and dynamics to life. At this point, these subgenres and tropes just aren’t where my reading and writing strengths naturally lie, and that’s OK! 🙂