A Lucky Day

by Carla Ward from the August 19, 2019 issue

Tagline: As Cathy Briggs waits to interview for a new job, she feels confident that she'll land the position...but she never expected to find love in the process.

Observations: I loved this story. I really enjoyed seeing how the black moment of both of them vying for the same job was resolved. That fusion pizza sounds delish! Unfortunately, I don't have any other real observations. Maybe next week's story will provide a teaching moment for me.

Photo by Trending Topics 2019 (Flickr CC license)

A Break in the Weather

by Christine Hauray-Gilbert from the August 12, 2019 issue

Tagline: When Sabrina falls and ends up in urgent care one rainy morning, she never imagines that the bad start to her day could end in sunny romance.

Observations: With only 800 words, it's often difficult to slip in a physical description of one or both main characters and I wanted to point out how this author did it in three places.

Sabrina hadn't noticed him before, but as she looked up to meet his soulful gaze, a shiver ran down her spine.

Sabrina couldn't help but stare at his perfect smile...

He was scruffy in his gray sweats and sneakers, but his sincere brown eyes and dimples more than made up for it.

Incidentally, I, too, injured myself trying to play soccer many years ago. It was a shock to realize I was no longer as spry or fast on my feet as I had been.

I did find myself wondering if her boss would be understanding about Sabrina going out to breakfast after getting her wrist looked at.

I really liked the ending and how it tied in the weather theme nicely:

No sign of a black cloud, Sabrina thought gleefully. But there's a 90% chance of romance!

Photo credit: Tony Webster (Flickr creative commons license)

A Fresh Start to True Love

by Marti Attoun from the July 29, 2019 issue

Tagline: Romance is the last thing Bonnie expects to find while selling produce at the local farmers market...but when she meets Jim, love begins to bloom.

Observations: Reading this story was like visiting a real farmers market. Couldn't you just smell all the fresh produce? (Incidentally, I do not think tomatoes smell like compost.) I thought Attoun did a great job setting the scene.

Cute little matchmaking story!

Photo by Paul Wilkinson via Flickr CC license

Pure Poetry

by Susan Jaffer from the August 5, 2019 issue

Tagline: When Pete stops to deliver chairs to a poetry reading, he hopes that no one recognizes how out of place--and unpoetic--he is. But when Marci appears, it seems Pete has finally met the muse he's been longing for.

Observations: I'm excited to see a character of color in this Woman's World story. I think this is a welcome change. However, there is some debate on whether or not comparing skin color food/drink is mildly offensive to people of color.

On Writing with Color, a website dedicated to "writing and resources centered on racial and ethnic diversity," there is a well-written article on describing skin tone. Part 1 of the article centers on why it might not be a good idea to compare skin to chocolate or coffee and the like. Whether you agree or disagree with the reasons, you should look at Part 2, which gives you a really excellent resource on how you can richly describe a character's skin tone.

As open minded as we all think we are, it's always possible to learn something new.

Photo by Michael Chen via Flickr Creative Commons License

The Promise of New Love

by Jessica Roach Ferguson from the July 22, 2019 issue

Tagline: When a beach trip stirs memories of a past love, Katherine is certain she'll never feel it again...until someone from her past rekindles the hope in her heart.

Observations: Here's how I feel after reading this poignant but somehow uplifting story... I'm sighing with a quiet happiness. I can practically feel the chilly ocean spray on my cheeks.

This story conveyed just the right amount melancholy and longing without being maudlin. Ferguson does a beautiful job of showing the hero and heroine dancing around each other while trying to find out if the other person shared their feelings. The emotions all felt appropriate, not overblown or overwritten.

I only wish I'd known how old she/they were before the middle of the story when we find out he's forty. Otherwise, this was a fantastic story.

Photo by Alon via Flickr CC license

Home Is Where the Heart Is

by Mary Ann Joyce from the July 8, 2019 issue

Tagline: Melody struggled with the idea of becoming empty nesters and moving to a smaller home...until her husband surprised her with a beautiful gift.

Observations: Dang! I was going to write an empty nester story, but now I guess I've got to put that on hold for a while. LOL

Okay, THAT WAS AN AMAZING STORY. Way better, in fact, that the story I was working on.

What stands out most to me is how thoroughly Joyce showed us how much these two people love each other and how solid and long-lasting their relationship is. Check it out:

• Hank apologizes for being late. 
• Melody doesn't put up a fuss because she understands the reason.
• Melody "knew what her husband wanted to hear" about the grey hair, so she says it to him. 
• They tease each other playfully.
• He notices her expression and ditches the humorous tone and tries to comfort her.
• He brings pizza home in an attempt to recreate a memorable picnic in the house that they're planning to sell.
• He gives her a meaningful gift to show he understands how much she will miss their house. Not only that, but he had it made ahead of time, so this guy really thought about the perfect anniversary gift for her.
• He offers her the chance to stay in their big house.

By the time you get to the end of the story, it's very clear that these two would be happy anywhere. I just reread the last paragraph and the hairs on the back of my neck went up (in a good way.) This is a perfect example of why Mary Ann Joyce has so many stories published in Woman's World. 

Photo by Zulio via Flickr CC license

The Right Time for Love

by Alyssa Symon from the July 15, 2019 issue

Tagline: When Justine bumps her head outside a carpentry shop, the handsome owner comes to her aid...and soon has her seeing stars

Observations: I really loved how the hero was so shy and at the end, blurts out that he thinks Justine is beautiful. So cute!