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Optimism: Happily-Ever-After-the-End-of-The-World
 Posted by Vivi Andrews Nov 22 2011, 12:01 am in post-apocalyptic romance, Ruby Release A couple years ago I heard Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Jayne Castle & Amanda Quick) talk about the difference between genre fiction and literary fiction. In a word, it was optimism. The happy (or emotionally satisfying) ending is what draws the line in the sand between romance and romantic fiction. The killer will be captured, the guy will get the girl, and the world will be saved. We demand it as genre fiction readers and we strive for it as writers. Belief in a happily ever after isn’t always easy to find. My latest romance takes place after an apocalyptic epidemic (not exactly an idyllic scene set for romance to bloom). It would have been easy to write The Road or any number of post-apocalyptic books with dour endings, but I believe love can happen anywhere. Even when things look most bleak. In the darkest hour, that’s when our real mettle shows through. That’s when a heroine learns to live and love again, rather than just survive the apocalypse. Happiness is there. Every romance novel is chock full of obstacles to that HEA and we as authors need the optimism to believe that happy endings are possible in this crazy world or we’ll never be able to see our characters through to The End. We have to be able to stare that black moment in the face and turn it into hope. That, I think, is why it can be so hard to write through divorce, loss and other real life hardships. It’s hard to feel optimism when life is smacking you around, but we as authors need that belief in Love and Happy Endings just as much as our characters do. Are you an optimist? Do you believe in happily ever after? Did you ever have a stumbling block to that belief? How did you find your optimism again? ————————– Today one lucky commenter will win a copy of Vivi’s latest happily-ever-after novella, Reawakening Eden, releasing today in ebook.
Librarian Eden Fairfax knows exactly where to find books about survival. None of them mentioned how to manage in the aftermath of a worldwide epidemic—with two young orphans in tow. On a journey south to warmer climes, she finds sanctuary for all three of them among a community of survivors in Seattle. Until she realizes the children are the centerpiece of their bizarre new religion. There’s no choice but to run as far and as fast as her stolen car will go. Former Army Ranger Connor Reed had planned to live out the end of the world in peace. Yet he can’t stand by and do nothing while a lone woman defends two children from an armed thug. Even if doing something means taking the trio in. Eden’s not sure if the armed hermit is her salvation or an even more dangerous threat. A blizzard forces her to trust him with their lives, and in Connor’s arms she remembers what it’s like to live. Just beyond the edge of the storm, though, the cult leader awaits his chance to get his hands on the children—and make Eden his next sexual sacrifice. Warning: This book contains a strong, silent action-hero, a tough, tenacious heroine, a pair of steal-your-heart kids, and a pony-sized dog named Precious. Buy from Samhain :: Kindle :: Nook Share:
              
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46 Responses to “Optimism: Happily-Ever-After-the-End-of-The-World”Leave a Reply |
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When life is a struggle, love is the ultimate luxury.
Great post, Vivi! It really is true that romance is the ultimate in believing happiness and human connection are always possible!
And Reawakening Eden sounds FABULOUS!!!!!
Thanks, Elisa! Romance can really showcase the bright side of humanity. How can we do anything but love it?
Congrats on the release of Reawakening Eden, Vivi!
An action hero and a pony-sized dog? You’ve won me over! I’m in the optimist, glass is half-full camp for sure.
Optimists unite! Perhaps that’s why I always find writing conferences to have such a positive atmosphere – get all those romantic optimists in a room and see what we can do.
Thank you for the release day wishes, Vanessa!
Oh, wow. I knew about this one, but the blurb is awesome! You know I’m not big on paranormal, but for some reason post-apocalyptic appeals to me. Maybe because there is realism embedded within. And that’s why genre fiction appeals to me, because even though sometimes life is shitty (excuse my French), things like love, honor and courage do wiggle their way to the surface and thrive among heartache.
Of course, that’s pretty easy for me to say being that I’m not facing much darkness in my life at present. Maybe I would feel differently if a loved one was dying or I was facing foreclosure, hunger, sickness or humiliation. But, still, I believe in good overcoming bad, even if it’s a bittersweet triumph.
Good post, Viv, and the book sounds fan-flipping-tastic!
I can’t exactly say my optimism is being threatened at the moment either, Liz, (as I write this from my family holiday gathering in Hawaii). I say as long as we’re still writing in the All You Need is Love genre, we’re on the right track to stay optimistic.
Congrats on your new release, Vivi. It sounds wonderful!
Laurie
Thank you, Laurie!
Wow–huge congrats on both a rockin’ title and amazing cover blurb. I would snatch this up in a moment. I so need to get an e-reader…for now, I’m downloading some ebooks on my computer. I think maybe the prices will drop even lower before or after Christmas.
I’m an optimist. The tornado in Joplin shook me (we don’t live there but very close, and have many family members there) but when you see how people reach out and pull together–how can you not have faith in the world?
HEA is definitely my line in the sand where books are concerned. After I finished college I swore I’d never read another book that didn’t contain some measure of happiness or humor.
It’s amazing what people do when they pull together, isn’t it? So glad you were safe from that tornado (just the idea of those things scare the bejeezus out of me).
And thanks for the Eden-love! I’m psyched to see ereaders getting more and more reasonably priced, but they are still a big splurge item. I’m hoping for some good after-thanksgiving sales.
Congratulations on your new release! I can’t wait to read it!
I’m definitely an optimist, and I like genre fiction for the times when I’m not feeling so optimistic.
Long live the optimists! (I actually heard of a study of a correlation between optimism & a good immune system – but maybe that’s a chicken/egg type issue.)
Thank you, Rebe!
I totally learned something today! Thanks, Vivi, and congrats!!!
This book sounds amazing and I love post-apocalyptic stories. Have a few running around in my head as well. What a fantastic setting for love, in a reality harsh and almost void of hope. So excited about this!
Now I’m trying to figure out what you learned. I didn’t think I was being very educational.
Dude, I love post-apocalyptics! You should totally write one… just as soon as you finish the eleven million other books you’re working on.
LOL! Oops, I might should have said. Optimism. It was like a light went off in my head. A bright one. haha
And I def have a post-apocalyptic on my list! Right after my alternate 1930s reality one.
I love them!
I read your excerpt. Oh my gosh, LOVE!!!!! So excited!
Aw, thank you! Glad you liked the excerpt!
And an alternate 1930s? Color me intrigued. But now I have to ask, why that decade?
ooh…alt-1930s…weren’t there a couple Star Trek episodes like that?
What are you going to alt about them?
I LOVE those Star Trek episodes!!!! LOL
Why the 1930s? I’m fascinated with the Dust Bowl and everything that accompanied it. And I love the traveling carnivals of that time. So I’ve combined the two, created an alternate reality where a man went back in time (long before the 1930s) and tried to recreate technology and biological experimentation from his time to get rich. He goofed and instead created a world where some people were “touched” with powers. To try and cover it up, he uses his super corporation to hunt down those that have powers. And he created a biological disaster where the Dust Bowl has now covered over half of North America. The landscape is vastly different. Stark and unforgiving.
Okay, stopping now. LOL.
sounds cool!
That does sound awesome! And quite apocalyptic-y too.
Vivi:
Congrats on your new release – this book sounds wonderful! And I LOVE that cover – it is so evocative.
I think you’re so right – the satisfying ending is why I love reading genre fiction and why I love writing it.
Addison
Thank you, Addison, for the cover love! Gotta have a little grunge on your Rambo after the end o’ the world.
You’re right; you do have to believe that love is out there somewhere even while you’re kicking arse and taking names, or protecting others. Congrats on the beautiful cover new release!
Arse-kicking, name-taking, HEA-making. I think that is officially my new motto.
Thanks, Sebrina!
I love that end of the world stuff (or beginning of a new world stuff – because I’m such an optomist). I love The Walking Dead, I saw The Road, The Book of Ely, and I even have an post-apocolyptic story stuck in my head dying to get out. But I’m actually a total love stinks, men are jerks and life sucks kind of girl. But I must have romance and I require a happily-ever-after ending when I’m reading or writing.
Love the cover, ther title, the blurb. Can’t wait to read it.
It is the beginning of a new world part that really appeals, isn’t it? The What If of starting over. So easy to get caught up in the possibilities. I’d love to see some post-apocalyptic lovin’ from Ms. Kelly Fitzpatrick. Get on that, woman!
Woot! Congratulations on the new book.
For me optimism and love are what powers us to take the next step. The next breath. If you look around you can find enough misery to crush you. You can also find enough happiness to keep you going. We make our choices what we want to see and do.
Reawakening Eden is the first Ruby book I purchased with the Fire. Geeze! I bought RE, powered on the Fire and it was there. What fun to see another Sister book out there.
Wishing you many sales
Oh wow, Rita! I’m so honored to be your Fire’s virgin Ruby purchase. Thank you. I hope you enjoy it!
And I *LOVE* what you said about what we choose to see. Life really is about what we open our eyes to – the good that lives alongside the bad. A book that sets the two right next to each other – like a post-apoc or a serial-killer hunt or a dark paranormal – really brings the goodness and light into sharp focus, in contrast to the dark.
Optimism as a choice. Love it.
Happy release day! your new book sounds great. I am sure I will fall in love with the pony sized dog. I try to be an optimist, but I’m not always successful. I do believe in HEA, my husband and I lost our way for a while a few years ago, and after some hard talks and working together we have pulled back together.
Optimism can be a process, or like Rita said, a choice. Congrats on finding your way through the rough bits, Traci, and thank you for the release day good wishes!
Congrats on your much anticipated release, Vivi. I am immensely intrigued!
And you have hit it right on the head—the HEA is the reason I love the romance genre. There is more than enough injustice, prejudice, avarice and disease in the world, so when I read, I love to share the hero and heroine’s triumphs over all the horrible obstacles life has thrown at them.
And I am an optimist as well. I am that weird person who says the glass is not only half-full, but always full—the other half just happens to be filled with air. Its my way of telling myself to look for the hidden opportunities in life.
Congrats again and all the best with your new release. Cheers!
What a great way of looking at things, Elizabeth. Thank you for the release day congrats! May our characters (and our own positive attitudes) continue to triumph.
Congratulations, Vivi, on the release! What an awesome cover. I love post-apocalyptics as well. I think it has to do with that whole new-start idea. It’s one of the reasons I love reunion stories. Who doesn’t sometimes feel the need to hit the do-over button?
I’m definitely in the optimist camp. Funny thing is, I’m married to someone who’s less optimistic, and it makes for an interesting partnership. In a strange kind of way, though, I feel like we balance each other out.
It is a tempting premise for an author, isn’t it? Hitting the reset button on life. So many possibilities.
I don’t know if I would love or hate being in a relationship with someone who was the Pessimistic Yin to my Optimistic Yang, but it sounds like you guys have found a way to make the balance benefit you both.
Vivi,
This book sounds wonderful. Congrats on your pub day.
As to this question of optimism — I’ve been working on a Christmas book these last few months that is surprisingly dark (considering that I write sweet romances). Anyway, I’ve got a playlist of various winter solstice songs that I’ve been listening to for inspiration. And one of them has wormed its way into my thinking, and it applies to your theme today. The song is called The Longest Night. It’s by singer-songwriter Peter Mayer.
The ending lines go like this:
Maybe peace hides in a storm
Maybe winter’s heart is warm
And maybe light itself is born
In the longest night
And isn’t that what we celebrate at this time of year? So let’s hear it for happy endings.
And a happy beginning to the holiday season to all.
As a lover of winters with abnormally long nights, I can say that there are tons of positives to be found in them.
I hope your Christmas book goes well, Hope.
Hi Viv! I’ve been waiting for this book:)
I do believe in happy endings, but know they don’t always come easily. I was almost 30 before I met my husband, and I was so discouraged with a 6 year horrendous relationship beforehand that I’d given up on the idea of a family. Well, we have 3 kids and have been married almost 23 years. Sometimes we just have to wait for the right person:) Meeting him gave me back hope– he was everything I thought didn’t exsist in a man.
Brenda! So glad you stopped by. I hope you enjoy Eden!
On a more personal note – as a 31yo single girl who would still like to do the kids/family thing myself, it’s nice to hear stories of others who’ve found their hero a bit later than the average romance heroine. Thank you.
I’m another who married at 30-something. Had my daughter when I was 34, my son at 40. Life is grand!
I’m such a pessomist. The biggest ever. If one thing goes wrong I write off teh entire day as horrible. I try not to. I really, really do, and I believe that mgiht be the reason that all my heroines and heros are optomists. I need to know that, yes, good things happen to good people and people get their comeupins (sp?). I believe that’s why drew my to romance to begin with. The characters go through so much but in the end, fall in love, they get their HEA and one of my biggest fears is not getting a HEA in the end. And there goes my pessomism rearing it’s ugly head
That’s so interesting that your characters are optimistic where you have a naturally pessimistic inclination, Tia. Perhaps they represent the optimistic part of you, even if it isn’t the dominant part? Either way, I’d say, trust their optimism to guide you to their happily ever after. They’ll help you find it.
ach, late again! Sounds great, Vivi!
Thank you, Diana! There is no “late” in blogs. They live forever.
And the randomly drawn winner is….
Darynda! Congrats! I’ll email you shortly to deliver your prize.
Vivi, I’m getting here days late. Sorry, but you know why. Yes, I’m the optimist in my family. I always look for that slice of light.It’s hard sometimes, but you got to do what you gotta do and you might as well do it with the right attitude.
Congrats on the new release! It sounds like a great read. I’ll spend my black Friday buying Rubie books. (((HUGS)))