Welcome, Preslaysa. So happy to have you visiting today!
Thanks for having me!
As a fellow romance & women’s fiction hybrid writer, I’d love to hear your take on the subject.
When I began writing Healing Hannah’s Heart, I intended for the story to be a romance, but as I underwent changes as a writer, I shifted the focus of the story from a romance to a women’s fiction. The main difference being the following: a romance focuses on the growing relationship between love interests while a women’s fiction focuses on the development of a female character, with or without a love interest.
Although I made the artistic decision to change my story to a women’s fiction, many readers view it as a unique, romantic story. I believe this speaks to the fact that Healing Hannah’s Heart blurs the lines between the two genres. There is a love interest in the story, but there are two factors which cause those lines to blur:
1) The heroine is rough around the edges.
I put my lead character in a tough situation (she suffered burns as a result of a fire). This forced her to be snappy and worrisome and fretful about her future. She not only had to push past the wounds of her past, she also had to deal with this present crisis. Many readers expect female lead characters to be likeable, and so my decision to not portray the heroine in this light pushes back on cultural norms.
2) There’s a bittersweet happily ever after.
When I wrote this story, I wanted it to mostly reflect real life while giving a touch of happiness at the end. Since I tackled tough topics, I wanted to ensure that the reader didn’t walk away from the story thinking that there were easy answers to the questions which the story poses. Blurring the lines between the two genres felt right, given my aims for the story.
Question for you…
If you’re a reader, do you enjoy stories that push genre boundaries? If you’re a writer, do you write across genres? Let’s talk about it!
Find it on Amazon & Barnes and Noble.
Hannah Hart may have been burned by the breakup of her rocky marriage, but the ambitious Afro-Filipina model has big plans for her future. Her stunning looks and flawless skin provide the opening she craves to become a celebrity in the fashion world. Then an arsonist’s match brings Hannaha’s world crashing down around her.
Recovering from the burns that destroyed her skin, Hannah is forced to accept help from the last person on earth she wants, her estranged husband, Jake Hart. Jake isn’t ready to give up on their marriage. The return of Jake’s teenage son from a one-night stand had been the catalyst for their breakup. How can he help both the son who resents his abandonment and the woman he still loves? He can do nothing about the scars on her skin, but can he heal Hannah’s heart?
As she struggles to rebuild her life from the ashes of her shattered dreams, does Hannah have the courage to give Jake a second chance? And is the world ready for a differently-abled model who will redefine what it means to be beautiful?
About Preslaysa…
Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author who writes contemporary romance and women's fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. Proud of her heritage, she loves sharing her culture with her readers. She is currently earning her second graduate degree, a MFA
in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. She holds an undergraduate degree in Spanish Language & Literature from Columbia University.
Preslaysa is also a professional actress, a planner nerd, an avid bookworm, and a homeschool mom who often wears mismatched socks. To follow along with her busy life, visit her at www.preslaysa.com where you can sign up for her newsletter community.