Tag: contemporary fiction

Women’s Fiction vs Romance: Understanding the Difference

~ tinthia ~ Leave a comment
Woman reading The Silent Echo in a cozy armchair beside a window

I write Women’s Fiction. Let’s just get that out of the way.

Women’s Fiction doesn’t have to have a female protagonist, but it does have to have an emotional journey. Men struggle with inner turmoil too. If you don’t believe me, check out An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. But male protagonists in Women’s Fiction are a topic for another post. Today I want to focus on love.

Recently, I asked someone if she would present my newest novel that I’m publishing in January to her book club. Her response took me aback.

‘Oh, they don’t read romance novels.’

‘I don’t write romance novels,’ I countered. (Could she tell I was hurt from my texted response?)

She texted back, ‘Well, your books are about love.’

I had to take a breath before I thanked her and moved on. Yet her comment rattled around in my brain. The book I’m about to publish, I’ll Be Seeing You, is about an emotionally fragmented Manhattan lawyer, a dead WWII soldier, an 82-year-old widow, and how their stories intertwine. Yes, there is love, in many of its glorious forms. But the genre romance? Nope.

What’s the Difference Between Women’s Fiction and Romance Novels?

Book without author name

The question is a valid one, so allow me to explain. The confusion stems from a fundamental misbelief that a romance novel and a novel about a woman (or man) drawing on inner strength and undergoing emotional growth, while also finding love, are the same thing.

Shout this from the rooftops: They are not!

While both genres deal with the beautiful, albeit messy reality of human connections, they operate from different literary blueprints. There is a humorous, loose saying rattling around the publishing industry that sums up the difference.

Romance ends with a wedding, but Women’s Fiction ends with the protagonist and her besties drinking mimosas over brunch.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Not all women’s fiction novels have the characters enjoying festive drinks on the porch. Think Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.

But there is a kernel of truth to the statement.

The Ironclad Rule of the Romance Novel

A romance novel must, I repeat, must, end in a Happily Ever After (HEA). Or, at least, Happily For Now (HFN). This is the nonnegotiable, unspoken contract romance novel readers expect.

Also, in the romance genre, the romantic relationship is the plot. External obstacles, like an annoying boss, a family feud, a failing farm or bookstore, exist to test and ultimately strengthen the blossoming love between the two leads (be they a woman and a man, two men, or two women).

If you pull the love interest out of the book, the story collapses. If the couple separates or one of them dies, it may be a beautiful piece of fiction, but it is no longer a romance.

Hold on, Tinthia, you might be saying. The Notebook is a romance novel! This is how Nicholas Sparks describes The Notebook on his website: “… a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments, and fundamental changes that affect us all.”

What is a Love Story?

Ah, does that question make you think of the 1970 romantic novel by Erich Segal? I still cry when I watch the movie adaptation.

Notice what I wrote, though: a romantic novel, not romance novel. Love Story is a, well, a love story.

In a love story, romance is one piece of the larger narrative; a subplot, if you will. The protagonist’s goals have nothing to do with finding a partner. Instead, the protagonist is searching for a better life, like Shannon in my novel, Breaking the Rules. She was struggling to escape an abusive marriage while keeping her son safe. Or, the protagonist might be dealing with an empty nest, like my first protagonist, Annah, in A Midsummer’s Wish, who dealt with the emotional emptiness that resulted when her son moved across the world to live with his father.

Furthermore, a love story is under no obligation to hand you a neatly wrapped, happy ending. The ending is determined by what serves the protagonist’s long-term personal growth. The reason Women’s Fiction aligns with love stories rather than romance novels is that authors are rarely writing about just one kind of love.

Consider the book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It is filled with love stories, but the core of the book is Evelyn’s personal evolution.

And that’s the distinction I want readers to understand about my own work. Sometimes my protagonist’s do find love, but the romantic relationship is not the central plot of my novels.

Coming January 2027

In I’ll Be Seeing You, love is at the heart of the story, but it isn’t a traditional romance. Ryan’s journey is about rediscovering his dignity and finding a reason to live beyond the life he’s built for himself. Connie’s story reminds us that love doesn’t necessarily end when life does. And somewhere between their two journeys, we discover that love can reach across generations, time, and even death.

That’s Women’s Fiction. It’s about the human heart, in all its complicated glory.

What is Love?

Drawing of a mother and child

The ancient Greeks had multiple words for love, and in women’s fiction, authors are free to explore them all.

Eros (Romantic/passionate love): That heart-racing, chemical attraction that dominates traditional romance novels but is not the main theme of women’s fiction.

Philia (Deep Friendship): The love between friends. In women’s fiction, a woman’s, or man’s, relationship with someone other than a romantic partner is just as central to the protagonist’s journey.

Storge (Familial Love): The bond between parents, children and family that is full of history, obligation, and unconditional acceptance.

Philautia (Self-Love): To me, this is the heart of Women’s Fiction. It is a character learning about self-worth, and how to stand on one’s own feet.

In a pure romance novel, Eros is the undisputed queen, but in Women’s Fiction, a heroine’s (or hero’s) journey involves navigation of Storge (fixing family drama), might include Philia (leaning on or establishing deep friendships), and ultimately achieving Philautia (discovering one’s own strength).

The arrival of Eros might add a bit of spice to the pot, but it isn’t the main ingredient.

Adding salt to a pot of soup

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Let’s chat: Have you or your book club ever skipped a fantastic book because you thought it was ‘just a romance’? What is your favorite book that features a great love story but isn’t a traditional romance novel? Would your book club like to read my novels? Drop your responses in the comments and, please, follow me. I have many more stories to tell.

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The $7,000 Inbox Trap: New Scams Targeting Indie Authors

~ tinthia ~ Leave a comment

The Publishing Parasites: Watch Out for Scams

P.T. Barnum once said that there is a sucker born every minute. I’d like to expand on his thoughts by adding: And there is an asshole born every second.

I apologize for my language, but I’m damn mad. Lately, the number of scammers invading my inbox is growing out of control. I am constantly targeted by people claiming to be with legendary, traditional publishing houses like Little, Brown, Random House, and HarperCollins.

These jerks promise massive, completely unrealistic advances—ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars—or “100% royalties.” The catch? They want $5,000, $6,000, or $7,000 upfront from you to kickstart the process.

🚨 The Automated Flattery Trap

publishing scams

Modern scammers are way more sophisticated than in my younger days. Thanks to AI, these scum don’t just send generic spam anymore; they use automated tools to scrape a book’s description, title, and metadata to generate hyper-specific praises designed to make an author feel validated.

Here is a real example of an email I recently received from a woman claiming to be “Kate Whitfield” at Allen & Unwin:

Subject: Inquiry regarding Catharsis: One Woman’s Journey to Healing

Dear Tinthia Clement,

I hope you’re doing well. My name is Kate Whitfield, and I am a Senior/Commissioning Editor at Allen & Unwin. While my primary focus is children’s and young adult books, I also pay close attention to distinctive nonfiction voices…

When I came across Catharsis: One Woman’s Journey to Healing, I was deeply moved by the simplicity and sincerity of the premise. What particularly caught my attention was the decision to tell such a personal journey through both words and illustrations… Natalia Lavrinenko’s involvement as illustrator also particularly interested me…

[The email continues with several paragraphs of deep, butt-kissing praise about the themes of trauma recovery, healing, and solidary.]

Warm regards,
Kate Whitfield
Senior Editor (Books for Children & Young Adults) – Allen & Unwin

How To Spot Scams

First off, I wouldn’t trust “Ms. Whitfield” as far as I could throw her. The book she is referring to, Catharsis, is my deeply personal account about surviving sexual assault. It is absolutely not, I repeat NOT a book for children or young adults. The automated system just saw the word “illustrations” and blindly assigned a Children’s/YA template to it.

I have another scammer posing as a Little, Brown representative who has been hounding me for weeks. I tell her to go away and she, like toe-nail fungus, just keeps reappearing. Give me a break!

How to Protect Yourself as a Writer

Scammers will always exist; that’s just the reality of living in a world with other humans. However, we can protect ourselves by remembering the golden rule of traditional publishing: Money always flows to the author, never from the author. If a real publisher wants you, they pay you. If they ask for thousands of dollars upfront for marketing, printing, or editing, it is a scam. Period.

How to Protect Yourself as a Human

Keep in mind the old saying: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Never give money to ANYONE. Okay, maybe your sister, but never someone who you’ve never met. Unless, of course, you’re buying candles from Yankee Candle. That’s perfectly fine.

How You Can Help Indie Authors

If you want to support real art and real writers, you don’t need thousands of dollars. You just need to do this:

  • Buy our books
  • Leave honest reviews
  • Spread the word to help other readers find our stories

And watch out for scams. Just because a sucker is born every minute, you, and I, don’t have to be one of them.

🛡️ Where to Check Before You Sign

If you ever receive an email that feels even slightly off, do not rely on your gut alone. Head over to Writer Beware, a phenomenal watchdog site sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA). They maintain an updated database of active vanity press schemes, impersonators, and fraudulent agencies targeting indie authors.

What do you think?
As an indie author, reading community support is what keeps me going against these grifters. If you’ve ever discovered an indie book through a review or word-of-mouth, let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear what brought you to our stories!

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Misplaced Modifiers, Dangling Participles, and Grammatical Demons—Oh My!

~ tinthia ~ Leave a comment

Think about the last book you read, or the book you’re currently reading. Have you noticed any misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers, or dangling participles?

What the heck is a misplaced modifier?

A misplaced modifier is when a descriptive word or phrase is placed too far from the noun it is meant to describe.

I don’t know about you but I was not a grammar nerd in high school.

Here’s an example of a misplaced modifier: Covered in chocolate, the boy eagerly ate the cake.

I never coated my son in chocolate.

What the heck is a dangling modifier?

https://proofreadany

A dangling modifier is when a descriptive word or phrase does not logically connect to the subject of the sentence phrase or word it follows. (OMG! Grammar headache!)

In human-speak, it’s when the descriptive word or phrase connects to the wrong noun.

Example: The cat ran after the mouse wearing a red collar.

I know Cinderella dressed her mice up in clothes (yup, I’m a Disney princess at heart), but real mice don’t usually wear collars.

What the heck is a dangling participle?

Dangling participles happen when an introductory phrase with an -ing or -ed word modifies the wrong noun.

I don’t know about you but I always zoned out when my English teacher talked about modifiers.

Running down the street, the cell phone slipped out of her pocket.

My cell phone has never once run down the street. Has yours?

Grammar Shades of Grey

One of my favorites from a wildly popular novel is: “Leaning forward, his breath fans across my neck.”

I hate it when my breath starts leaning!

How about: Gasps erupt from my throat, clutching the sheets.

I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself.

Lazy Writing

I’ve read many books where inanimate objects do all manner of strange things, from running to sitting to reading to leaning. To be honest, I’m guilty of these grammar transgressions as well! However, it’s up to authors to avoid lazy writing as much as possible and because of this, I’m on a hunt for these demons in my current manuscript and when I find one, I’ll eradicate the little devil.

If you find one in my books let me know. But be gentle, because I’m tired after chasing my cell phone down the street.

Dangling Modifier Quiz: Test Your Skills

Test your editing eyes! Spot the mistake in these three sentences.

  1. Walking through the park, the trees looked beautiful covered in autumn leaves.
  2. I served steak to the guests on paper plates.
  3. Wrapped in bright foil, the toddler devoured the candy bar.

Drop your fixed versions in the comments below, and let’s see who can catch them all! (Oh, I love Pokemon!)

Happy reading, and writing!

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