Interview and recs: Lisa T. Bergren and Heather Sunseri

HEA contributor Serena Chase goes behind the scenes with the authors of recommended dystopian romances Remnants: Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren and Emerge by Heather Sunseri.

Serena: Welcome to HEA, Lisa and Heather ... and congratulations on your new YA dystopian romance releases! If you were placed in the world of your book, what would be your biggest fear?

Lisa: Honestly? I'd worry about food. And not just because I love food, which I do ... but just getting enough to survive. I've never been hunting. But, hey, I can fish — maybe that's how I'd survive ... If I could get a fishing pole and line and hook ...

Heather: The easy answer would be contracting Bad Sam, the virus that killed off more than 99% of the population. But really, I think my biggest fear would be to have survived Bad Sam only to see it reappear. To live constantly looking over my shoulder, afraid of watching the life I've struggled to rebuild crumble all over again. That would be maddening. Also, like Cricket in Emerge, I would never want someone I love to have to watch me suffer and die from a horrible illness. On the flip side of that fear, though, is the fear of surviving only to be alone in a quiet world. As humans we crave community. With the population destroyed, what if I never found a person or group of people to spend my life with?

Serena: And while in your story world, what would be the hope that would see you through?

Heather: That even after most of the population was destroyed by the devastating virus, good people still exist and desire to help each other and rebuild society. For many of the people on the outside of the utopian city in Emerge, that's what life was for them. They just had to find a community of people to live near — to survive with. But at the same time it had to be a community of people they could trust.

Lisa: My greatest hope is that people in the Remnants Series are recognizing that together, they are stronger than they thought. That if everyone uses the gifts they've been born with, together, they can fight the powers that threaten the world.

Serena: Every once in a while we hear rumors that this or that subgenre is dying or "played out" for now. What do you see as the future of dystopian romance or even dystopian YA books over the next few years?

Heather: Dystopian fiction has been around for centuries in one form or another. I think as long as we have governments that make decisions for their citizens and citizens who disagree with those decisions, we'll have dystopian fiction. There's a little bit of truth in every dystopian. It wasn't an enormous leap from where we are today in America to the world(s) I created in Emerge. I think when people read Emerge, they'll see some parallels with the state of health care and segregation of social classes in the United States and how that would impact the prospect of battling an Ebola-like virus.

Lisa: I think writers are going to continue to seek the unique angle that will make their dystopians special. No one says, "Romances are tapped out." Or, "Sci-fi is too crowded a genre." There's always a fresh take on a story, regardless of the genre.

Serena: Do you think romance plays a big part in what makes for a satisfying dystopian story for the YA audience?

Heather: I know it does for me! However, I don't think romance is 100% necessary for a satisfying dystopian story. The genre, as so many others, demands compelling writing, a dynamic and well-developed set of characters, and lots of conflict. And a touch of corrupt government is nice, too! Add to that mix a romantic element and you've got a story many different types of readers, especially YA, will enjoy.

Lisa: I think romance plays a part in any satisfying story, period. But in particular, for dystopians, I think we need that core hope that even when all seems like it's the worst, the best can blossom.

SERENA'S RECS

Emerge by Heather Sunseri

What it's about (from the author):

Six years ago, a highly contagious virus wiped out more than ninety-nine percent of the country's population. The only person to contract the virus and survive, Cricket fled her identity and the safety of New Caelum, an airtight city. Now eighteen, she watches the city where the wealthy cocooned from the devastating outbreak. When the city's rumbling incinerator wakes her one night while she and her friends are camping just beyond the city walls, she alone knows what the fiery machine means: the lethal virus is back.

Only eighteen, Westlin Layne is already being groomed to succeed his mother as New Caelum's next president. Suddenly West's sister develops symptoms of the deadly virus thought to be eradicated years ago. Placed under quarantine, the president confesses to West a long-held secret: Christina Black, West's childhood friend and first love, survived the virus, and her body alone holds the precious antibodies to save his sister.

Now West must leave the city to find Christina. But Cricket has no intention of being found.

Why you should read it: Plagues and politics and romance, oh my! Dystopia meets science-fiction in Emerge, the first book in a new series from popular YA author Heather Sunseri. This extremely visual, well-paced read contrasts survivors of the crumbling past against the futuristic elite, balancing two separate worlds on their commonly shared fears of biological annihilation.

Spending years apart in vastly different communities, Cricket and Westlin straddle the fence between the leadership roles thrust upon them and the childhoods they were forced to abandon too soon. For every ideology they share, another finds them at opposite poles of agreement. As enemies try to drive their growing romantic attraction toward political gain, both Cricket and Westlin wonder if the friendship they once shared is still deserving of something so tenuous and fragile as trust ... and if it can grow toward love, granted they both survive the renewed dangers facing their world. Truly, a well-crafted dystopian romance! Don't miss this one!

Remnants: Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren

What it's about (from publisher Blink):

After tackling her first mission and coming to terms with her power of empathy, Andriana discovers her first battles were only a taste of what is to come. She and her knight, Ronan, have admitted their feelings for each other, but their bonds are tested when Dri is captured by their mortal and spiritual enemy—Sethos—and his master, Keallach, emperor of Pacifica. Andriana is certain Keallach can be convinced to follow the Maker's plan and join the other Remnants … but in time, she must decide whether she really can pull him back to the Way, or if Sethos's web of darkness has slowly and thoroughly trapped them both … forever.

Why you should read it: I highly recommend you read the first book (read Serena's HEA rec of Remnants: Season of Wonder) before diving into this second volume of this unique dystopian series, but once you've been introduced to this world and its characters, you will be absolutely compelled to travel the rest of this dangerous road with them!

The post-apocalyptic setting is described in a way that puts you right in the heart of it. The accelerating action and heart-pulling surprises of this book will not only pull you directly into the story, but will make you feel the fear, ache, exultation and wonder right along with Andriana and Ronan. This is a book that takes your heart up a hill of joy and hope ... only to remind you that it's because you're on roller coaster ... and about to plummet into a dark tunnel that might very well kill you, along with the characters you love. Violent, romantic and faith-inspiring, this is a dystopian series you will want to share.

A writer, performer and accomplished partaker of dark chocolate, Serena Chase lives in Iowa with her husband and two daughters. Her Eyes of E'veria series — The Ryn, The Remedy and The Seahorse Legacy — is out now. You can find out more about her at serenachase.com.