Jadmin-1

I guess to start with we need to look at how PWF or Paranormal Women’s Fiction started. Here’s what I know. Or, what I think I know…thirteen intrepid authors decided that we needed magical books about women in their midlife. They call themselves the Fab 13 and you can check them out HERE.

Love it! Being a woman in her midlife and being someone who’s always loved magical books of all kinds, PWF sounds great! However, having read many of these authors PWF books I don’t think they fit into Women’s Fiction at all At least, not the way I’ve always thought of it. When I’ve read Women’s Fiction it’s books about women surviving cancer or divorce or something suitably terrible like the death of a spouse, best friend, child. Yikes!

So does PWF fit into Women’s Fiction?

Yes, technically, the PWF books I’ve read are about women well into adulthood, i.e. middle age or above. That checks off the women part. But when I read Women’s Fiction I find it’s generally about the search for identity through crisis…hmm, maybe that’s it.

Okay, yes, most of the heroines have gone through a divorce or a spousal death. But really, that’s an instigating event for the first book. And maybe even the story of the first book in the series, but then, most of them move on to the supernatural adventure. And that’s why if I were to pick a genre to tuck these lovely books under I think I would have chosen Urban Fantasy. Or, Cozy Witch Mystery, because those are the genres I think they’re most like.

Take Shannon Mayer’s Forty Proof series. I absolutely have adored every one I’ve read. It’s got all the Urban Fantasy tropes: feisty heroine, magic, adventure, lots of supernatural villains. It even has a love triangle (not the typical UF werewolf and vampire mix…you’re gonna love it!). But is it Women’s Fiction?

I had to look at the definition of Women’s Fiction to be sure…

From Wikipedia:

Women’s fiction is an umbrella term for women centered books that focus on women’s life experience that are marketed to female readers, and includes many mainstream novels or women’s rights books. It is distinct from women’s writing, which refers to literature written by (rather than promoted to) women. There exists no comparable label in English for works of fiction that are marketed to men.

The Romance Writers of America organization defines women’s fiction as, “a commercial novel about a woman on the brink of life change and personal growth. Her journey details emotional reflection and action that transforms her and her relationships with others, and includes a hopeful/upbeat ending with regard to her romantic relationship.”^[1]

The Women’s Fiction Writers’ Association gives a broader and more inclusive definition, in which romance elements are not mandatory:

“Our stories may include romance, or they may not. They can be contemporary or historical and have magical, mystery, thriller, or other elements. Whereas the driving force of a romance novel is a love story, a mystery’s is the exposure of an event, a thriller’s is a fear-inducing chase or escape, etc., the driving force of women’s fiction is the protagonist’s journey toward a more fulfilled self. “Women’s fiction as defined by WFWA is reflected in our guiding statement: Women’s Fiction Writers Association is an inclusive organization of writers creating layered stories in which the plot is driven by the main character’s emotional journey.”^[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_fiction

OKAY…now maybe I get it.

I now understand why the Fab 13 decided to nest PWF under the Women’s Fiction genre. Would it have been my choice? No, I don’t think so. Why? Well, because ultimately, even though the stories are about women exploring mid-life, maybe divorce, and some possible trauma, I think it’s tough for readers to find the books under the Women’s Fiction category. That’s why, when I post info on Amazon about my Paranormal Women’s Fiction: Mercury Rising, I’m going to be marketing under Urban Fantasy and Cozy Witch Mystery. And I’ll be hoping that Amazon eventually adds a Paranormal Women’s Fiction category so that those of us who know what we’re looking for can find it.

J.B. Aspen writes Cozy Mystery, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Women’s Fiction for lovers of cats, magic, and all who think women get more powerful as they get older. Remember, your magic starts at midlife!