Let It Snow

 by Karen Thurber from the January 10, 2022 issue

Tagline: Caught in her first snowstorm, Sarah is unsure of what to do ,until handsome Ben shows her the ropes...and offers her a new chance at love.

This photo is not Vermont. It's of some kind of Hello Kitty place in Japan, but it looked so wintery and whimsical, I couldn't resist it.

Also, I announced a new thing here on the blog. Check it out here.

Stream of Consciousness Observations: 

• So this is a fresh start after a rocky breakup story. Life changing moments are often a good basis for a story because you have a character evoking change in their own life, a very positive thing, something you admire him/her for. 
• She's never seen real snow... I can buy that, if she's lived in Florida all her life. However, she just up and moves to Vermont, sight unseen? That is a little cray cray, in my opinion. 
• "But something important was missing: love. Not just love, but love with someone thoughtful, fun, handsome...expectations only a fairy godmother could fulfill." Hm. I don't think she's asking for a whole heck of a lot, actually. But all of that is relative. What one person considers fun, another person thinks is torture. But I'm getting super picky here.
• A lost dog--a tried and true Woman's World trope.
• She puts on a jacket, but no snow boots, which I assume she doesn't wear inside the house just chillin'. 
• He gives her his gloves as a welcome present. He is thoughtful, I'll give him that, but I'm thinking her hands would be swimming in them... I must be in a mood. I'm definitely over-thinking things.
• Snow angels...another good trope for the magazine.
• The condo complex's power nearly always goes out during a snow storm? Did her real estate agent know/communicate this? I mean, I don't live in Vermont, but how often are there storms? How often would you have to abandon your home and hunker down in the community center?
• I liked the ending, bringing it back to her fairy godmother thoughts.
• Overall, it may have been my mood, but so many things jumped out at me.

Photo by Tomohiro Otake via Flickr Creative Commons License

Must Love Dogs

by Karen Thurber from the June 7, 2013 issue

Tagline: Jenna worried she might be lonely when she moved from the city to a small town. Then she met Matt...

In a Nutshell: Online dog treat entrepreneur Jenna isn't sure she's going to like living in a small town. She hits it off with the postmaster when she's mailing her parents' anniversary gift and realizes she does like it after all.

Observations: This story had several things going for it, Woman's World-wise.

1. It tried to show how nice small towns are. Sometimes I think Woman's World readers exist in a vacuum of perpetual Americana, or maybe that Johnene thinks they do. Either way, the goodwill of small town America always seems to be welcome within the pages of Woman's World.

2. There are dogs in the story. 'Nuff said.

3. Thurber included a Sentimental Item - Jenna's grandmother's wedding ring.

4. She also created an hero
ic hero. In WW, heroic behavior can take the form of gallantry and here, Matt offers to pay for the postage when Jenna realizes she left her wallet.

My Favorite Part: "I'm the postmaster...and you're new in town.

"Still unpacking," Jenna said. "I guess you know most everyone."

"Not most everyone. Everyone," he said, flashing a warm smile.