What's For Dessert?

by Kathryn England from the August 12, 2024 issue 

Tagline: Falling more in love with him each day, Beth devised a plan to surprise Walter with a sweet proposal at their favorite restaurant.

Observations: This story flipped a trope, which is a great way to give Woman's World what they want, but with a twist.

Trope: A man asks a woman to marry him.

The Twist: He already did ask her and she put him off for a year. Now she's asking him.

That's all it takes. One small tweak to the trope and boom, you have fresh story. 

I loved the "black moment," where we think that the proposal is ruined because Walter decided to mix it up by changing his dessert order. We're worried because Beth went to a lot of trouble to set this up. She even got a "men's engagement ring." (I had no idea these existed, but I suppose when a gay man proposes to his partner, he needs a ring! The ones I found looked like wedding bands.) We hope that Mama Giovanni can fix things and she does.

I had trouble picturing what she'd done because I had never heard of either of these desserts before. The Bonet alla piemontese is like a chocolate flan. Zuccotto is like what they pictured in the magazine. So, picture a chocolate flan with a piece having been replaced by a large piece of bundt cake looking dessert. 

Both of them sound delicious and I want to try making them. I'll post pictures if I ever get around to it.

Photo by arsheffield via Flickr CC license

A Purr-fect Love Match

by Jessica Eissfeldt from the August 5, 2024 issue

Tagline: Event planner Melissa didn't plan on her van breaking down on the way to a party...but when it did, it just so happened to lead her to a new love.

Observations: This story had a couple of things I thought I'd point out that you usually need.

1. Physical attraction - The editors have stated that they like to see this on the page. Eissfeldt did this many times in her story.

Her heart flipped.

Her pulse fluttered.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear even as her cheeks warmed.

As she took [the cat carrier], their fingers brushed, and warmth zipped through her.

"I'd love to," she replied, and her heart fluttered.

2. You should also establish the love interest's availability because in real life you can't just assume the man who called a tow truck for you is single. LOL

She noted he didn't wear a ring.

3. A black moment when you think "all is lost." This isn't actually mandatory. I've seen stories with no black moment. But usually, if you look really hard, there is one. This story's black moment was obvious.

He held her gaze as he smiled at her. But then he turned to open his driver's door.

Melissa wasn't sure what to think. Had she misread his kindness as something more?

Photo by Alan Cleaver via Flickr CC license

A Garden of Love in Bloom

by Stacey Weeks from the July 29, 2024 issue

Tagline: When Maria Lopez found solitude in her local community garden, she never expected it might also be the place she would stumble upon love.

Observations: This was a truly heartwarming story that spanned quite a lot of time. You'll notice it starts with the day they meet. Then an unknown amount of time goes by and we get another little snippet of their growing friendship. Another unknown amount of time goes by and we get the third act of the story in which David finally makes a move. This was my kind of story. There was no "rushed intimacy" or accidental touches while handing someone an object. In fact, David touches the brim of her hat first, in act two. Then he finally takes her hand in his, but it seems like a natural progression because they've spent so much time together. I truly got goosebumps when I read the end.

Photo by Aaron Baugher via Flickr CC license

The Handiest Man of All

 

by Bill Holton from the July 22, 2024 issue

Tagline: When Lauren hired a handyman to help fix her lawn mower, a classic name mix-up ended up leading her to another handsome helper.

Observations: This was a classic mistaken identity story, so well done. You can see how the mistake continues to be made very naturally. It's explained that there's a one hour minimum, which makes perfect sense, so that's why Lauren continues to find stuff for him to do. And when you read it the second time, it's really funny! Especially the reveal.

"I...I thought you were the handyman," she stammered. "You waved."

"I wave at a lot of people," Bill said. "Not many wave back. So I stopped to introduce myself, and when you told me your lawn mower wasn't working..."

Hilarious!

Then, that epilogue...

..."Not only [did she pay me anyway], but the guy gave me a double tip. I told them, "But I didn't do anything,' and you wouldn've thought I made the funniest joke, the way they laughed..."

10/10!

Photo by Ivan Radic via Flickr CC license

Love's Riddle

by Shelley Cooper from the July 8, 2024 issue

Tagline: When Ian was taking care of his nephew, Jonah, while his parents were away, he ahd to find a way to keep him from becoming homesick. But little did Ian know, his tactic to make Jonah smile would lead to an instant connection with his beautiful neighbor, Claire...and turn into true love. 

Observations: I loved the idea of the kid's joke stand! It's the lemonade stand turned on its head. What a great way to subvert that trope. Ms. Cooper is a master and this description of the hero is so good.

A rumbling chuckle drew Claire's attention to the man standing watch a few feet behind Jonah. He had eyes the color of ripe blueberries, tousled brown hair and an off-kilter smile that did funny things to her sense of balance.

I love "rumbling chuckle," that his eyes were the color of "ripe blueberries," and that he had an "off-kilter smile." 

I loved that Ian asked her out by cracking a joke. So clever.

This story was a 10 for me!

Photo by Neil Conway via Flickr CC License

A Whale of a Time

by Veda Boyd Jones from the July 15, 2024 issue

Tagline: On a summer cruise to Alaska with his dad, Marshall met Abby, who was traveling with her aunt. Soon, sparks fly.

Observations: It's a strange coincidence that I am doing some serious research on an Alaskan cruise for my extended family-- my mom (87 years old and still kicking), my siblings and their families and me and my family! So I immediately identified with the people in this story. I am a bit jealous though because on my whale watching excursion, we saw whales, but only with binoculars.

By the way, if you've never cruised to Alaska, put it on your bucket list. There is no cruise that is like it in the world. The views are majestic and you feel so close to nature.

Back to the story...most of it happens during dinner, but what a dinner! Marshall and Abby really make a connection. We see that they both care deeply about the elder members of their respective families. We see that conversation between the two of them comes easily. Then, on the whale watching trip, Marshal realizes Abby is very special and the ending is perfect.

We even see a second romance budding between the dad and aunt. A twofer!

The only thing that gave me pause was when Marshall declared of Abby's ex, "He was fool!" That came across a little stilted to me. I'd have preferred something more like "What an idiot." Or, "What a lamebrain." Or, "He obviously didn't deserve you."

Photo by Mark Gunn via Flickr CC license

A Star-Spangled July Reunion

by Mina Beckett from the July 1, 2024 issue

Tagline: After a year had gone by, Sophia was stunned to see Jake at the town's Fourth of July event...but the duo picked up right where they left off.

Off the Cuff Literally As I Read Observations: This story is excelling at describing the setting. From the sights, sounds, smells the author depicted, I feel like I'm right there experiencing it all.

Ah, Jake Parker...the one who got away. He's obviously strong, judging from the effortless way he's carrying the crates of refreshments. 

I am wondering how old Sophia is.

She's been thinking about him for a year? I can't help but wonder why she hasn't at least gone into his restaurant with a girlfriend to test the waters.

More super amazing description...

As she weaved through the throngs of youngsters, their sticky fingers reachign for sugary treats and running with boundless energy.

That was only one sentence, but it does so much to create atmosphere.

"Jake...do you remember last year after the fireworks? We were cleaning up and we...well, we talked about everything and anything. It was really nice."

Yeah, Sophia! Way to be assertive! 

Okay, he cups her jaw. Yeah, this makes me uncomfortable. I would have had him place a hand on her shoulder or just meet her gaze squarely, but it seems that my boundaries for physical touch and intimacy between fictional couples are way more sensitive than many writers' and the editors'. (If you're interested, there's a hierarchy of physical intimacy and here's an article about it.) This isn't the first time a character touches another one in a story and I think it's too much too fast. This might be purposeful. A man cupping a woman's jaw is undoubtedly romantic and intimate, so perhaps this is the intention of Beckett and the editors--to add romance. 

As far as writing your own stories, write what you believe your characters would do. Use your own judgment. If you're like me, not so touchy-feely right away, there are plenty of ways to increase romance and dial up the intimacy that don't involve rushing up that hierarchy. You can describe the tone and volume of the voice, have him touch her hand or, as I said before, meet her gaze. 

Okay, so it's much later and this happens:

She leaned into him, her head finding a natural resting place on his shoulder as they watched the show.

And his brushes his lips against her hair and they hold hands too. I was fine with all of this because of the time that had passed. They'd spent the entire day together. For me, that's enough time for their relationship to progress to step 8 on the hierarchy.

All in all, this was a fantastic story full of fantastic setting descriptions and a heroine who finds the courage to make the first move.

Photo by Nigel Howe via Flickr CC license.

Silhouette in Full View

by Wendell J. Potter from the June 17, 2024 issue

Tagline: While on their outing to celebrate Father's Day, Anna and her father have two sweet encounters that soon lead to true love.

Observations: I loved seeing Anna and her dad's relationship. Truth in fact, I'm a little jealous. My dearly departed dad and I weren't close. 

I think it was awesome to get a twofer, too! Two romances in one story. I've read all of Mr. Potter's stories and I can say with confidence, they are much improved, which just goes to show you practice makes perfect.

Note the omniscient point of view. I'm not the best at writing this POV. I like to be in one character's head or the other's. But it's nice to see that Woman's World is flexible with points of view.

Photo by Rolands Lakis via Flickr CC license

Strawberry Festival Love

by Jennifer Anne F. Messing from the June 3, 2024 issue

Tagline: While at her vendor booth at the annual fair, Isabelle finally opens her heart to the possibility of romance--and before she knows it, love walks by.

Observations: "Strawberry Festival Love" gave me another idea for thinking up story plots. This story is set at a strawberry festival--a quintessential summer event. When you want to write a seasonal story, look at your town's event calendar, or even some other town's event calendar, for settings. 

For instance, in Los Angeles, I found:

• Summer Sports Brewfest
• Beachside Summer Brunch
• Summer Cocktail Mixology Class
• Summer Wine Fest
• Summer Love Speed Dating Event
• Summer Culinary Creations
• Summertime Dessert and Tea Pairing Experience
• The Culinary Dude's Summer Cooking Camp: Harry Potter Inspired Recipes - Um, I want to go to this, but it's for kids! 
• Summer of love Charcuterie Class
• Vegan BBQ Party

Getting any ideas from this list of events? I am! So, what are you waiting for? Get writing!

Photo by kahvikisu via Flickr CC License

Flags of Love

by Colleen LaQuay Urbaniuk from the May 27, 2024 issue

Tagline: After losing her beloved husband in combat, Memorial Day was tough for Annie each year. But just when she thought she would never love again, a chance encounter shows her that love can have a second life.

Observations: I apologize for not blogging in so very long. I swear, if I don't write things down in my calendar (and even sometimes when I do), it doesn't get done. Then, I went on vacation and swore I could get some blog posts out of the way. Did I? Nope. But I don't feel too guilty about that. I was on vacation.

This story is the perfect example of how to end a Woman's World first meet story a little differently. We have two people meeting and making a tentative connection. Normally, you would see them arrange a date or go out on one immediately. Here, there is no mention of a date, which is perfectly fine. If the author does a good enough job, you don't need that because you know in your heart that these two will eventually go out together.

Photo by Joey Zanotti via Flickr CC license

The Two Perfect Gifts

by Barbara Catlin Craven from the May 20, 2024 issue

Tagline: Upon listening to her horoscope for the day, Janna made a bold move that was quite out of character, but it led to unexpected love.

Observations: This story brought back great memories for me because the first story I sold to Woman's World was based on a horoscope! 

I think the best part of this story was the ending. We got a lovely two-part epilogue that was so perfect for the story.

However, I think they meant locket, not cameo. Cameos typically don't open up...

"And two-and-a-half years later, Brent gave Janna the traditional second anniversary gifts of cotton: two pink cotton baby blankets as well as a beautiful pink cameo that held pictures of their precious twin girls..."

It all makes sense now because when I read cameo, I was like, I'm 62. Not even my mom would choose a cameo for someone of childbearing age. A locket is still pretty old-fashioned, but might be okay. This is something I would caution writers of a certain age to watch out for. Make sure everything about your story is age appropriate to your characters, not to you.

Anyway, as I said, the first story I sold to Woman's World was based on a horoscope. After two rejections, I decided to look more closely at the contents of the magazine for story ideas and it worked like a charm! 

If you'd like other ways to come up with story ideas, check out the book I wrote on the subject: Story Sparking: How to Generate Ideas for Woman's World 5-Minute Romances. The first chapter goes into greater detail about how to look at the magazine for ideas.

The Gift of Gabby

by Mary Ann Joyce from the May 13, 2024 issue

Tagline: As a surprise Mother's Day gift, Gabby set her mom, Tess, up with the handsome owner of a fix-it shop...and their fix-up soon turns into true love.

Observations: I loved this story. It has all the hallmarks of a classic, well-done Woman's World romance. I'd expect nothing less from Mary Ann Joyce.

Note the three act structure. In the first act, we meet Tess and her daughter, Gabby, the librarian. We get a little background on Jim. We find out Tess is having dishwasher trouble. It's almost Mother's Day. 

In the second act, we meet Jim and see what he looks like. We see them being easy with each other, despite Jim being nervous about his presentation. There's a brief "telling not showing" paragraph about their conversation and how they both like to keep busy. We also find out he's a widower. 

Act three, the class goes off without a hitch. It's discovered that, unbeknownst to the two of them, daughter Gabby set them up, promising Tess would help him with the class if he came and fixed her dishwasher. There's a very brief black moment when Tess tells him he's obviously not obligated to follow through, but never fear--Jim is smitten. 

I also loved the humor about the cat...

"She bought me the Alexa device so it wouldn't be so quiet all the time. It's wonderful and it fills my house with music!"

"My son got me a cat named Oscar," Jim said. "He fills my house with hair."

Cute punny title too. 

Photo by Dylan Foley via Flickr CCL

Carnitas and Love

by Maria Gorman from the May 6, 2024 issue

Tagline: When Ava's neighbor convinces her ot host a Cinco de Mayo party, she never expects it to include tacos, margaritas, and romance.

Observations: I am not sure, but this might be the first Woman's World story I've read to have a person of color in it. Please comment below if you remember this happening before. Either way, it's welcome and might I say long overdue. The time when mixed race couples are frowned upon is far behind us. It's wonderful to see a Woman's World story reflect the current times.

I really appreciated this sentence, which showed a physical reaction that did not include electricity of any kind.

"...he smiled, sending her pulse racing like an Indy car."

I liked seeing carnitas, an authentic Mexican dish, as his specialty. I love carnitas tacos. I live in Southern California and fantastic Mexican food is readily available. (It would have been perfect if they included a carnitas recipe elsewhere in the magazine.)

I also heard Luis's voice in my head with a Mexican accent, which was fun!

A tiny bit of criticism...I wish they'd been consistent with the italics for the Spanish words. They only italicized especialidad but should probably have included "hola," "amiga," and "perfecto."

Photo by Mike McCune via Flickr CCL.

Coming Home to Love

by Shelley Cooper from the April 22, 2024 issue

Tagline: When Mackenzie fostered a pup whose owner was deployed, she never imagined the handsome dog-dad would soon take her breath away.

Off the Cuff Observations: I usually do Off the Cuff Observations when I'm way behind on the blogging, which--as you can tell from the April date--is currently the case.

So, right off the bat, I know I'm going to like this story. I LOVE watching videos with deployed soldiers being reunited with their dogs. I get all the feelz from those and they never get old. 

Can you bring non-service dogs to the airport? Not sure about that, but I'm letting it slide because the promise of the reunion payoff is enough for me.

...she wasn't prepared for the shock to her central nervous system when she saw him. -- No electricity. Yay.

Oh, she took pictures of the dog the whole time and sent them to him? Love it. So they have a relationship. 

"Can I give you a ride?" -- Seems like they would have figured this out beforehand. 

Okay, at this point, I read quickly to the end, engrossed in the story. I noted he checked for her consent before kissing her, something that, in this day and age, seems like a good idea. I liked the banter at the end and that last line had just the right timing. Nice story! Not that I'd expect anything less from Shelley Cooper.

Photo by evan p. cordes via Flickr CCL.

A Promising Partnership

by Chris Maday Schmidt from the April 15, 2024 issue

Tagline: Businesswoman Lila Parker has a meeting about the future of her start-up. But when she makes a professional faux pas, it just might lead to love.

Observations: I was utterly surprised by the twist in this story! Brava, Ms. Schmidt! This plot twist was so well done that after I read the story, I re-read the story to experience everything but with the knowledge that he was her client. What a delight.

Photo by Moresheth via Flickr CCL

Pup Paves the Way to Love

by Kay Layton Sisk from the April 8, 2024 issue

Tagline: Allie never would have guessed the lost puppy that her dog, Biscuit, found in the flower bed would be what led her straight to a budding new romance.

Observations: Great story. I immediately saw a writing tip to share with you.

When you're trying to communicate information and your main character is alone, here are two things Ms. Sisk did that you can do too.

1. Get the info across via her thoughts or the narrative.

Last spring's frog crop had cost a trip to the vet, and Allie didn't want a repeat performance.

2. Have the character talk aloud to a pet/animal (as in this story), to herself, or even to something like a photo of a loved one.

"You're a mess, girl, but let me get a photo and I'll put it on the neighborhood watch site. If it wasn't the weekend, we could go to the vet and see if you're chipped. Either way, we'll find your family pronto!"

Photo by Tyler Allen via Flickr CCL

Love Around the Corner

by Cher L. Tom from the March 25, 2024 issue

Tagline: After a series of bad dates, Marcie opens up to her friend Max--who might end up being the one she was looking for all along.

Observations: I'm not a huge fan of friends to lovers stories, mostly because I am usually frustrated that the two people are too dense to see they belong together. 

I'm an impatient reader, apparently. LOL

However, I really liked Max. He was the best part of this story. His humor...

"Is my hair singed?" he deadpanned.

Hilarious.

He bakes/burns cookies! I mean, come on.

He plays pranks. Love it.

So, in summary, create a really lovable character, one that the reader/editor can't resist either. Make him or her someone you'd like to date. 

Photo by Whatleydude via Flicker CCL

Lucky Find

by Shannon Fay from the March 18, 2024 issue

Tagline: When Melanie went to the park to pick clovers for an upcoming art project, she never expected that her excursion could lead to finding a stroke of good luck on her own--and the possibility of a chance at happily ever after.

Observations: I thought this was a fun, well-written story that follows the structure and story elements we expect from a Woman's World romance. Let's go through them, one by one, shall we? LOL

The heroine is presented along with her goal--finding four leaf clovers for her bookmarks.

She meets a man, whose goal is finding his lost keys. He also has a cute dog whose plot purpose is revealed later.

Someone has to make a move, and in this story it's Melanie. She suggests they look for the keys and the clovers together. (If the hero makes the move, it's fine, it's traditional, but if the heroine makes it, it demonstrates her confidence or her willingness to take chances or action to achieve happiness.)

They engage in conversation. This conversation accomplishes a few things. The dog is used as a vehicle to reveal that Wyatt is single. It establishes that Wyatt is a good listener and they make a solid connection. You must establish a connection between the characters, physically and mentally. You do this by showing and sometimes by telling. In this story, Fay shows them connecting over her making paper, then follows up with a "telling" paragraph that describes that they spent a lot of time together and the heroine "didn't want it to end."

We come to what is developing into a Woman's World cliche--the hand holding. <sigh>  I am not against holding hands in a story, per se. It's a fantastic way to show a relationship in its early stages developing. However, I don't relish it happening too fast in the relationship, i.e. within an hour of meeting someone, not without good reason, like helping someone to their feet after they've fallen or onto a rocking boat. Here, Wyatt has a good reason to offer his hand--he's helping her up from a crouch. Thumbs up. But forcing physical contact for the plot isn't being true to your characters. Imagine yourself in the woman's place. In the exact same circumstances, would you like the man to hold your hand or be creeped out about it? 

Wyatt takes the next step and asks her out to dinner. I like this because earlier, it was Melanie who suggested they search the grass together, so this makes things even and suggests a give and take that would serve them well should things develop between them. 

Lastly, we've ended the story with a callback to the beginning. I like to call this coming full circle. Melanie remembers the clover she found and wonders if it brought her some good luck.

Photo by Cygnus921 via Flickr CC License

A Birthday Surprise

by Barbara Catlin Craven from the March 4, 2024 issue

Tagline: When Jerri's handsome plumber invited her to an impromptu birthday celebration, she would be gived a new chance at love!

Observations: At first, this matchmaker story plays out as expected. There's a set-up--the single mom needs a plumber. Her friend, the matchmaker, recommends someone who is a single dad. They connect as he fixes her problem.

I liked this part. It contributes to the characterization.

While he worked, we talked...and our easy, polite conversation along with his occasional glances out the window to keep an eye on the boys gave further confirmation that Mason was a good man.

Mason invites her to a birthday party. She and her son go to the party. The cake has nine candles. All clues point to the fact that it's a party for the kid, except there aren't any other children at the party. You think to yourself, maybe it's just a family party. But then, Mason the dad, blows out the candles. Plot twist! He's a leap year baby. 

As you know, I'm touchy about holding hands too soon and this story was guilty of that but the plot twist was so good, I didn't care that much.

Photo by Droid Gingerbread via Flickr CC License

Love Finds a Name

by Vicki Cox from the February 26, 2024 issue

Tagline: When Joy's friend Megan secretly plays matchmaker behind her back, she ends up finding true love--and a new furry friend.

Off the Cuff Observations: I'm a little confused, two paragraphs in. Joy seems surprised to be at the animal rescue even though Megan has wanted her to "come for months." And it seems odd that they're running errands together before going to lunch. I usually meet my friends for lunch...

The building is concrete, which is what I'd expect from a city or county shelter, not from a place called "Lily's Rescue and Adoptions." But I'm going to go with it.

Aww, he knows of Megan's Rainbow Bridge dog. 

Max offered his hand to help her back up. -- See, this is an instance of taking a hand that doesn't make me uncomfortable because it's too intimate a gesture for having just met someone. There's a real reason to do it. 

Yeah, great matchmaker story. My confusion about running errands was solved when I realized it was a matchmaker story. Of course, it was fishy.