Reviewing “A Match Made in Winter”

“A Match Made in Winter”
   by
  Tina Radcliffe

Soft, Subtle, and Oh So Cute

I think writing for Woman’s World is like making a perfect soufflé. It may look easy but it takes great skill and any disturbance can make it fall apart.

In analyzing over 100 Woman’s World Romantic Fiction stories I have concluded that they don’t do different or dramatic. What Woman’s World likes is the commonplace done uncommonly well. And what every story must have is an abundance of ‘tugs’. 'Tugs' are emotional pulls on the old heartstrings. I’d say you’ll need a minimum of one ‘tug’ per 80 words to have any hope of being published.

“A Match Made in Winter” starts with the heroine, Lacey, shoveling snow. In just a few words the reader gets to feel the cold, hear the snow crunch under foot, see the snow on the walkway, hear the scraping of the snow shovel, feel the effort as the snow is tossed to the side, and hear a door squeak open. Talk about five-sensing copy! This is how to do it.

When the door opens an old lady, thankful that Lacey is helping her with the snow removal (tug) offers her a hot cocoa (tug).

It’s freezing but the cocoa mug is steaming. It tastes delicious. (Another sense. This is a story you experience with all your senses.)

The special chocolate is “Timmy's” favorite (tug). Timmy is a cousin of David! (tug) David is a blind date gone wrong. The old lady is a matchmaker. (tug) They reminisce about the ‘date’ (tug). The old lady wants to set Lacey up with Timmy.

At this point we are just getting into the story.

There are many more ‘tugs’ to come. You'll just have to read the story.

When you watch the wonderful job of 5-senseing the author achieves and you see one ‘tug’ follow another and notice how everything reads so simple and consider how ordinary and downright cute the story is, you have to marvel at how anyone can write this way! But then Tina Radcliffe is not just anyone. Read her wonderful new novel, “The Rancher’s Reunion” for more examples of great writing. But first, pick up the current,  December 27th issue of Woman’s World for ‘the rest of the story’.

Vince