One of my projects is a Small Town Women’s fiction series. The basic idea is that each book in the series highlights one woman’s story. The good, the bad, and the ugly of being a woman.

Women’s fiction is defined as a story in which the main character overcomes some obstacle like a divorce or abusive relationship, maybe cancer or job lose. And, also means, the woman saves herself.

I love this idea, but I don’t think it should only be the woman doing the saving. I don’t see anything wrong with a friend, family member or love interest giving her a hand, support, and a push forward.

We all get stuck and stop believing in ourselves at times. It doesn’t only take a village to raise a child, but sometimes to help us get through life.

In my first book, Mandy’s Story, she has pretty much raised herself from the age of 8 to the start of the story at 17. I realize this could be classified as Young Adult. However, I think the themes of the story are more adult in nature and to fit into the series, I feel it is Women’s fiction.

At 17, she is running her own business and raising her two siblings all while trying to live in the house with their abusive, alcoholic mother. One night things take a turn she didn’t expect and they find themselves free of their abuser. Mandy is both elated and anxious at the thought of being completely on her own. She lacks confidence her in herself.

As she tries to learn to live in the World without her mother, things take a turn when CPS steps in and takes her siblings from her. She works hard to do all the things required to get them back, but it seems hopeless.

Enter Jimmy. He is the father to her siblings, no relation to her. He helps gets the kids back and is there for Mandy, building her confidence, and helping her push herself to be a better Mandy.

It is something she has been all along, but just needed to have someone reach out a hand. She never thinks of herself as a damssel in distress even though others might. She works hard and takes care of herself as well as her brother and sister.

I still think this counts more as Women’s Fiction than any other genre, and how I plan to sell it.