Before we get to the good stuff--don't forget to leave a comment on Pintip's question on the bottom for a chance to win an autographed copy of FORGET TOMORROW.
MEET PINTIP DUNN
Pintip Dunn graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in
English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law
School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL. She also published
an article in the YALE LAW JOURNAL, entitled, “How Judges Overrule: Speech Act
Theory and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis,”
Pintip
is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. She is a
2012 RWA Golden Heart® finalist and a 2014 double-finalist. She is a
member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, YARWA, and The Golden Network.
She lives with
her husband and children in Maryland.
Nan: I'm so impressed!
Let's talk about your Young Adult Debut--FORGET TOMORROW--Forget Tomorrow Series Book 1.
THE STORY BLURB
Imagine
a world where your destiny has already been decided...by your future self.
It's
Callie's seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she's eagerly awaiting
her vision-a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person
they're meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.
Or in
Callie's case, a criminal.
In her
vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can
process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo-a hellish prison
for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush,
Logan, a boy she hasn't spoken to in five years, she escapes.
But on the run from her future, as well as the
government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change
her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the
biggest threat of all-Callie, herself.
Nan: I love this premise!
BUY THE BOOK
Buy links at Entangled
Nan: I'm so frustrated. I have this on my Nook, but can't get the book open! Grrrrr. I have sent 2 messages to Nook support. I can't wait to read this book. But your cover is stunning!
A LIGHTING ROUND OF Q&A WITH PINTIP DUNN
NAN:
How often do you get lost in a story?
PINTIP: I
am (in my opinion!) a writer's dream reader. I very, very, very frequently get
lost in a story. It used to be that I would read nearly every book in one
sitting, simply because I could not put the story -- any story! -- down. This
has changed since I've had three kids because I simply don't have time. Still,
probably three or four times a year, I find a book that falls into this
category. The
holy-crap-it's-3-am-what-am-I-doing-I-have-to-get-up-early-oh-well-gotta-see-how-this-ends
category. Of course, this number doesn't include the times I have to scold
myself, "Put the book down. I mean it. Back slowly away from that
book!"
Nan: I can't put books down either!
NAN:
What’s the first book(s) you remember binge-reading?
PINTIP: Anne of
Green Gables. When I was a kid, we would fly to Thailand every summer to visit
my grandmother. The plane ride, for most people, was a torturous 24 hours. I
remember thinking when I was about ten years old that I would pay the airline
just for the plane ride alone. Why? Because it was the only time in my life I
could read as much as I wanted, and my parents wouldn't make me stop. On one
particular trip, my plan was to binge-read the entire Anne of Green Gables
series. I'm not sure how far I got, but I read almost every minute of those
flights. I'm pretty sure that's the most I've ever read within 24 hours in my
entire life!
Nan: Love those books and so envious that you spent so much time in Thailand.
NAN:
Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?
PINTIP: Yes! The
Forget Tomorrow soundtrack! Let me explain. Liz Pelletier, publisher of
Entangled Publishing, recently partnered with Grammy-nominated songwriter,
David Elliott Johnson, to form Entangled Music. This record label produces original
songs specifically written for books, and the first songs they released were
for FORGET TOMORROW! There are currently two songs in the soundtrack, but there
will be more.
I cried the first time I heard "Crystal Ball," sung by the stunning Kimberly Brown, because it exactly captures Callie's mindset at the beginning of the book. And the fun and catchy "I Am" encapsulates a major decision point about two-thirds into the book.
I love these songs SO much. They are perfect for the book. You can purchase the soundtrack on iTunes, or you will receive them for free when you purchase the e-book version of Forget Tomorrow.
To hear a sample of "Crystal Ball," click here: YouTube
I cried the first time I heard "Crystal Ball," sung by the stunning Kimberly Brown, because it exactly captures Callie's mindset at the beginning of the book. And the fun and catchy "I Am" encapsulates a major decision point about two-thirds into the book.
I love these songs SO much. They are perfect for the book. You can purchase the soundtrack on iTunes, or you will receive them for free when you purchase the e-book version of Forget Tomorrow.
To hear a sample of "Crystal Ball," click here: YouTube
Nan: This is so amazing. I love that you got this opportunity and that you were first!
NAN:
What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love
to pass on or did pass on to your children?
PINTIP: Hands-down,
one of my favorite memories as a kid was going to this stationary store in
Thailand with my aunt and being able to buy anything I wanted -- and I mean,
anything. Pens, erasers, little notebooks, pencil cases, scissors, rulers,
binders, folders. Everything was decorated with Hello Kitty or some other
adorable cartoon. It was the only time in my life I had been allowed this unlimited
indulgence, and I remember how absolutely thrilling it was.
So, when my daughter was old enough, I took her to the same store and told her she could buy anything she wanted. She very sweetly chose one pencil and one eraser and said she was ready. "That's all you want?" I asked. Her eyes widened. "You mean I can have more?" I repeated that she could literally have anything she wanted. She asked me two or three more times if I was sure, and even then, I had to coax her to choose more things. But man, the look on her face. It brought me back to my own childhood. As a parent, I certainly don't believe in excess, but as a limited, special occasion treat, the experience can be magical.
So, when my daughter was old enough, I took her to the same store and told her she could buy anything she wanted. She very sweetly chose one pencil and one eraser and said she was ready. "That's all you want?" I asked. Her eyes widened. "You mean I can have more?" I repeated that she could literally have anything she wanted. She asked me two or three more times if I was sure, and even then, I had to coax her to choose more things. But man, the look on her face. It brought me back to my own childhood. As a parent, I certainly don't believe in excess, but as a limited, special occasion treat, the experience can be magical.
Nan: I love this.
NAN:
Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to
them, or let them influence your writing?
PINTIP: Ha. This
is such an interesting question for me, because I can't believe how quickly my
attitude has changed. If you had asked me a few months ago if I had intended on
reading my reviews, I would have said, "Of course!" I like
information. All kinds of information, and I much prefer to know than not know
-- even if it's bad news. In the beginning, when the reviews were trickling in,
I read every single word. And I took them to heart. But now, just a few short
weeks later, I can honestly say that I don't read all my reviews anymore. More
importantly, the critical parts I come across don't bother me. Instead, I just
shrug and think, "That's too bad. But you can't please everybody, and most
people like this book, so oh well." This is a huge statement for me! Being
as sensitive as I am, I'm probably more surprised by this than anyone else. I'm
very proud to be able to say, NO! I don't let reviews influence my
writing.
Nan: Great attitude!
NAN:
What does it mean to love someone?
PINTIP: Ah, I love this question! It is one of the very things that motivated me to write FORGET TOMORROW. When I had kids, my understanding of love changed -- and yet, in some ways, it stayed exactly the same. I realized I'd felt this grand, all-consuming, unconditional love before -- with my twelve-years-younger sister, Lana. I wanted to write a book about the deep, maternalistic love that an older sister can have for her much-younger sister -- and the lengths she would go to in order to protect her.
So, to me, how much you love someone is the amount of sacrifice you would be willing to make for that person.
PINTIP: Ah, I love this question! It is one of the very things that motivated me to write FORGET TOMORROW. When I had kids, my understanding of love changed -- and yet, in some ways, it stayed exactly the same. I realized I'd felt this grand, all-consuming, unconditional love before -- with my twelve-years-younger sister, Lana. I wanted to write a book about the deep, maternalistic love that an older sister can have for her much-younger sister -- and the lengths she would go to in order to protect her.
So, to me, how much you love someone is the amount of sacrifice you would be willing to make for that person.
Nan: Okay now you're making me tear up.
NAN:
What would you say is your most interesting quirk?
PINTIP: Another interesting question. To us, our "quirks" aren't really quirks, right? They are just a fact of life. But the thing that surprises people the most is that I write all my books on my smart phone -- and I have for my last four books. In fact, I do everything on my smart phone -- emails, critiques, interviews (lol). I have a physical condition, fibromyalgia/RSI, which means I cannot type on a keyboard without intense pain. I've been living with this condition for nearly twenty years now, and like I said, it's a fact of life. I got through college and law school by hiring a typist and taking my exams orally (I even took the bar exam orally). I used a voice recognition program, Dragon Naturally Speaking, for years, and I hated every moment of it. When I realized I could type on an iPhone, locked in portrait position, without pain, I celebrated. Finally, I could write the way I wanted -- by hand.
PINTIP: Another interesting question. To us, our "quirks" aren't really quirks, right? They are just a fact of life. But the thing that surprises people the most is that I write all my books on my smart phone -- and I have for my last four books. In fact, I do everything on my smart phone -- emails, critiques, interviews (lol). I have a physical condition, fibromyalgia/RSI, which means I cannot type on a keyboard without intense pain. I've been living with this condition for nearly twenty years now, and like I said, it's a fact of life. I got through college and law school by hiring a typist and taking my exams orally (I even took the bar exam orally). I used a voice recognition program, Dragon Naturally Speaking, for years, and I hated every moment of it. When I realized I could type on an iPhone, locked in portrait position, without pain, I celebrated. Finally, I could write the way I wanted -- by hand.
Nan: I know you have talked about this before and I am amazed by this. (I pretty much hate typing on my phone because of the auto correct errors!)
NAN:
What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?
PINTIP: My kids.
They are the joy of my life. To give a concrete example: my sixteen month's old
smile. If we tell him to "yim wan" (translated roughly: "give a
sweet smile"), he lifts his little face into the air, scrunches his nose,
crinkles his eyes, and grins from ear-to-ear. It melts my heart every. single.
time.
Nan: Ahhh enjoy those fabulous moments. Too soon they are teenagers!
NAN: GOTTA ASK: How
do you put on your bra? Clasp in back or front and spin?
PINTIP: GOTTA ANSWER: Front
and spin! Never tried any other way!
Nan: LOL!
UP NEXT FOR PINTIP
THE
DARKEST LIE, a YA contemporary thriller (June 28, 2016, Kensington)
Nan: Another great cover!
I'm so excited you are celebrating your debut with us, Pintip. Thanks for spending the day here!
FIND PINTIP DUNN:
Contact: pintip@pintipdunn.com
Website: www.pintipdunn.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorPintipDunn
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/pintipdunn
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/pintip_dunn
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=pintip
PINTIP WANTS TO KNOW: If you could send any memory back to your younger
self, what would it be?
Pintip will be giving away an autographed copy of FORGET TOMORROW to one lucky commenter. US only.
