Post-Apocalyptic Romance
Apocalypse + Romance = Compelling Fiction you can’t put down!
I’ve always enjoyed good apocalyptic stories—both in literature and film. Not for the scenes of chaos and destruction, but for what they reveal about the resilience of the human spirit and what really matters in life. These stories show what remains of our innate humanity when the familiar structures of society fall apart.
Adding romance to the mix combines emotional intimacy with high-stakes survival. Themes of forced proximity and found family set the stage for romantic tension, where characters share trauma and quickly learn who is trustworthy.
The word “apocalypse” comes from the ancient Greek word apokalysis. It means to uncover, reveal, lift the veil.
Whether caused by environmental disaster, war, disease, alien invasion, or technology run amok, when the rules and order of modern society devolve into chaos, a person’s true character is revealed. To quote Tim, a character in my novel, AspenRidge, “Times like these either bring out the worst in people, or the best.”
Imagining a scenario in which the comfort and order of modern life is suddenly stripped away, makes me appreciate the small everyday things so easily taken for granted. My novel has a scene where the characters share what they miss the most about life before a power-grid collapse. They mention little things like beer, televised sports, and stores stocked with art supplies, as well as important things like the absence of loved ones and the ability to communicate with them.
In apocalyptic stories, the characters discover an important truth—we may be able to survive on our own, but to thrive, we need meaningful relationships with others.
Writing and art-making often feel like solitary activities, and for me, interacting with groups of writers and artists is essential. The creative energy in these groups is inspiring and infectious, and the members are unfailingly generous. They’re willing to share what they’ve learned, and happily celebrate each other’s success. In that spirit, I want to use this blog to highlight the work of other writers and artists I appreciate.
This month, I’m featuring author, Lena Gibson.
A good apocalyptic novel is always a page-turner for me. Lena Gibson’s excellent, and very successful, post-apocalyptic romance series, Love and Survival, is a perfect example. In The Edge of Life, the first book of the series, a planet-killing asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. A desperate attempt to nuke the asteroid before it strikes, causes it to fragment and hit multiple locations in America. The result is widespread destruction and governmental collapse as well as decades of devastating and unpredictable weather patterns.
Each book in the series stands on its own, with different time frames, characters, and locations, but some characters and locations appear in all the stories. I enjoyed the non-stop action, steamy romance, relatable characters, and Lena’s brilliant world-building in all three books. Like AspenRidge, they’re stories of hope, with characters working to restore civilized society.
I was privileged to read an Advance Reader Copy of the third book in the series, No Home Without You, releasing on July 9. It’s available now for preorder here —> Amazon
I’m currently reading the audio version of Switching Tracks, Book One of Lena’s other post-apocalyptic romance series, Train Hoppers. It’s another fast-paced, beautifully written novel, imagining a dystopian future society with a heroine who literally holds the key to a better future for humanity.
Lena Gibson is a gifted and prolific author with an impressive catalog of nine published books. Here’s a link to Lena’s website
Celebrating Summer Solstice
Speaking of appreciating things easily taken for granted, I’m writing this on the Summer Solstice—a day to celebrate the Earth’s gifts and beauty. The Birds understand. From dawn to dusk, they fill the air with joyful song. Summer visitors like orioles, hummingbirds, and grossbeaks join resident cardinals, goldfinches and woodpeckers at the feeders. My gardens are at the height of summer beauty—impossibly lush, green and burgeoning with life. Clusters of blossoms on vegetable plants promise tomatoes, zucchini and peppers at harvest time.
I hope you’re finding something beautiful to celebrate today!
