Pintip Dunn's Blog, page 6

Remember Yesterday Cover Reveal!

Yippee! I can finally share the cover for Remember Yesterday, and I couldn’t be any more excited! I love this cover so much, and I’m dying to hear what you think of it!

Well…?

This cover reveal is brought to you by YaReads Blog Tours and YA Interrobang.

Book Title: Remember Yesterday (Forget Tomorrow, #2)

Author: Pintip Dunn

Release Date: October 4, 2016

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

 

Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries, if only she’d let TechRA study her. But ten years ago, the scientists kidnapped and experimented on her, leading to severe ramifications for her sister, Callie. She’d much rather break into their labs and sabotage their research—starting with Tanner Callahan, budding scientist and the boy she loathes most at school.

 

The past isn’t what she assumed, though—and neither is Tanner. He’s not the arrogant jerk she thought he was. And his research opens the door to the possibility that Jessa can rectify a fatal mistake made ten years earlier. She’ll do anything to change the past and save her sister—even if it means teaming up with the enemy she swore to defeat.

 

Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26091228-remember-yesterday

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Yesterday-Forget-Tomorrow-Pintip-ebook/dp/B0166RX44O

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-yesterday-pintip-dunn/1122749494?ean=9781633754942

iBooks Buy Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/remember-yesterday/id1046514286?ign-mpt=uo%3D8

Kobo Buy Link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/remember-yesterday-1

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Remember-Yesterday-Forget-Tomorrow-Pintip-ebook/dp/B0166RX44O

Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Remember-Yesterday-Forget-Tomorrow-Pintip-ebook/dp/B0166RX44O

Entangled Publishing: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/remember-yesterday/

Forget Tomorrow (Forget Tomorrow, #1) Book Synopsis:

 

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 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 the hellish prison.

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.

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24804505-forget-tomorrow

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Tomorrow-Pintip-Dunn/dp/1633752380

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forget-tomorrow-pintip-dunn/1121154538?ean=9781633752382

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/forget-tomorrow/id1003220432?ign-mpt=uo%3D8

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/forget-tomorrow

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forget-Tomorrow-Pintip-Dunn/dp/1633752380

Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Forget-Tomorrow-Pintip-Dunn/dp/1633752380

Powell’s Books: http://www.powells.com/book/forget-tomorrow-9781633752382

Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Forget-Tomorrow/Pintip-Dunn/9781633752382

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Forget-Tomorrow-Pintip-Dunn/9781633752382

Entangled: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/forget-tomorrow/

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. Her debut novel, Forget Tomorrow, is a finalist in the Best First Book category of RWA’s RITA® contest. 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. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com

Author Website: http://www.pintipdunn.com/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/pintipdunn

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPintipDunn

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13442212.Pintip_Dunn

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pintip_dunn/

Newsletter: http://www.pintipdunn.com/welcome

The Darkest Lie releases today!

Yippee! It’s my book birthday today! I’m so excited about THE DARKEST LIE, and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do! Check out the book’s details and teaser, and be sure to enter the giveaway below!

The Darkest Lie

Publisher: Kensington YA

Publication: June 28, 2016

 

“The mother I knew would never do those things.

But maybe I never knew her after all.”

Clothes, jokes, coded messages…Cecilia Brooks and her mom shared everything. At least, CeCe thought they did. Six months ago, her mom killed herself after accusations of having sex with a student, and CeCe’s been the subject of whispers and taunts ever since. Now, at the start of her high school senior year, between dealing with her grieving, distracted father, and the social nightmare that has become her life, CeCe just wants to fly under the radar. Instead, she’s volunteering at the school’s crisis hotline—the same place her mother worked.

As she counsels troubled strangers, CeCe’s lingering suspicions about her mom’s death surface. With the help of Sam, a new student and newspaper intern, she starts to piece together fragmented clues that point to a twisted secret at the heart of her community. Soon, finding the truth isn’t just a matter of restoring her mother’s reputation, it’s about saving lives—including CeCe’s own…

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt from The Darkest Lie

“I’ve been researching the story of her suicide,” Sam says. “And I came across something in my research that nobody could explain.”

“What is it?” I say dully, even though I can probably guess. I mean, there’s lots that’s inexplicable about my mom’s behavior. Tons.

Like: How could a grown woman be sexually attracted to a boy? Or more importantly: Why would she act on it? And my personal favorite: Did she have any kind of moral fiber—even a few lost threads—at all?

But Sam bypasses all the obvious questions and picks up a lock of my hair. I feel the slight tug all the way to my roots.

“Her hair.” He rubs my strands between his fingers, and I suppress a shiver. “It was chopped off, jagged. One article said it looked like it was lopped off with a butcher knife.”

I shrug, but even that simple movement is infused with the awareness of his touch. Still, he doesn’t let go.

“They said she was crazy,” I say. “Out of her mind. Maybe she was disfiguring herself as a sign of her shame. Who knows what motivated her actions?”

But even as I repeat the explanation the detectives gave for just about everything, my dad’s words echo in my mind: I knew your mother. She wasn’t capable of those things. I don’t believe she did any of it.

All of a sudden, my excuses sound exactly like what they are—easy, surface-level assumptions designed to make it easier for the detectives to close the case.

Sam frowns. “I guess I could buy that if I hadn’t seen the interview with her hair stylist in one of the local papers.”

Oh. One of those. Every newspaper in a fifty-mile radius went berserk when my mom committed suicide. Every day, there was a new article, featuring interviews with her fellow teachers, former students, even our lawn guy, for god’s sake. If there was a story on her hair salon, I must’ve missed it.

“The stylist kept saying your mom’s haircut was inconceivable, and I couldn’t understand why. So when I was scooting past Cut & Dry the other day, I stopped to talk to her.”

“Did she confirm my mom was a natural redhead?” I raise my eyebrows. “Reveal the exact color of dye she used to cover her silver sparkles?”

“Not at all,” he says, and something about his tone stops me. The chill begins at the base of my spine and crawls its way up, one long spider leg at a time. “The stylist said she’s been cutting your mom’s hair for two decades. And in all that time, your mother never let her cut more than half an inch. In fact, she came into the salon two days before she died, and they had the exact same argument. The stylist tried to talk her into a bob, and your mom adamantly refused.”

Abruptly, he lets go of my hair, and the strands swing back over my shoulder, loose, unencumbered, and very, very cold.

Sam’s eyes pierce right into me. “So what I want to know is: What could’ve happened in two days that made her change her mind? Unless . . . she didn’t.”

About Pintip Dunn

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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. Her debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, is a finalist in the Best First Book category of RWA’s RITA® contest. 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. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com.

Giveaway

There are 2 prizes! One winner will win a signed copy of THE DARKEST LIE (US only), and another winner will receive a $50 gift card to Amazon or Book Depository (international)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The inspiration for Forget Tomorrow

The inspiration for the FORGET TOMORROW series came from two things, perhaps the two cornerstones of my life: my deep, unconditional love for my sister (and later on, my children) and my deep, unconditional desire to be a writer.

I have a sister who is twelve years younger than me, and I have always felt an extremely close bond with her. This fierce protectiveness was a precursor to the feeling I would have with my own children. Before I even stumbled onto the premise of this series, I knew I wanted to write my next story about the deep, maternalistic love that a girl can have for her much younger sister — and the lengths to which she would go to protect that sister.

I always tease my sister, Lana, that FORGET TOMORROW is my favorite book because I get to kill her in it. This isn’t true for a couple reasons. First, FORGET TOMORROW isn’t necessarily my favorite book, although I do consider it the book of my heart. Second, this book isn’t actually about how much I want to kill my sister; rather, it is about how much I love her. This is the reason FORGET TOMORROW is dedicated to her.

A short while after I decided to write a book about sisters, I was bemoaning my publishing fate to an editor friend. I was on submission to agents with my second manuscript, I had received over a hundred rejections, and I had been working seriously on my craft for years. It felt like I was never going to achieve my dream — that elusive book contract — and I was out of patience.

“I wish I had a crystal ball,” my friend said. “Then I could tell you that five years from now, you would be published, and you wouldn’t waste so much time worrying about it.”

This quote led me to the world of my series. A few days later, during an afternoon nap with my toddler son, as I was drifting in and out of sleep, I contemplated my friend’s words. “Wouldn’t it be great,” I thought to myself, “if I could send a memory back to my younger self? I could see that I was a successful published author and that my hard work and heartache were worth it.” My very next thought was: “Hey! That would make a cool premise for a book!”

I then asked myself: what would be the worst memory a heroine like mine could receive, a heroine whose main goal in life is to protect her little sister? That answer was also clear and immediate. The worse memory she could receive was one where she saw her future self killing her little sister.

Presto, FORGET TOMORROW was born.

* Incidentally, this quote is also the inspiration for “Crystal Ball,” the song that Grammy-nominated songwriter David Elliot Johnson and Kimberly Bell wrote for FORGET TOMORROW. This is one of Entangled Music’s first released songs, and it is absolutely stunning. If you haven’t heard it yet, you can check out a sample here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0qpJyUltrs

** For a limited time only, FORGET TOMORROW is on sale for a mere 99 pennies! And guess what? If you buy the edition with audio/video, you also get the “Crystal Ball” song + one other song for free. This is a steal! Grab it now before the sale ends!

Buy links:

Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Kobo     iTunes

Forget Tomorrow on sale for $0.99!

Have you been wanting to read FORGET TOMORROW? Here’s your chance! For a limited time only, this RWA RITA® nominee for Best First Book is on sale for a mere 99 pennies! If you like YA sci fi with complex moral decisions, this is the book for you! This sale won’t last so grab it now while you can!

Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Kobo   iTunes

Synopsis:

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.

YA Scavenger Hunt – Spring 2016

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! I’m Pintip Dunn, author of YA sci fi, FORGET TOMORROW,  and the upcoming YA contemporary thriller THE DARKEST LIE, and your hostess for this stop on the hunt.

This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 5 days!

The Gold Team!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are NINE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GOLD TEAM–but there is also a pink team, a green team, a red team, a silver team, an orange team , a blue team, a purple team, and a teal team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE
 
Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the gold team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by Sunday, April 3, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

THE  SCAVENGER HUNT

 



Today, I am thrilled to be hosting Lisa Maxwell! Lisa Maxwell is the author of Sweet Unrest, Gathering Deep, and Unhooked. When she’s not writing books, she’s an English professor at a local college. She lives near DC with her very patient husband and two not-so patient boys.

 

 

UNHOOKED

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home. Her mother believes they are being hunted by brutal monsters, and those delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. Gwen’s only saving grace is that her best friend, Olivia, is with her for the summer.

But shortly after their arrival, the girls are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and dragged to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey. And Gwen begins to realize that maybe her mother isn’t so crazy after all…

Gwen discovers that this new world she inhabits is called Neverland, but it’s nothing like the Neverland you’ve heard about in stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through your fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and tries to find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the captivating pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to finally face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But can she save Neverland without losing herself?

 

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT:

When I originally wrote UNHOOKED, it had a series of short “interchapters” that told Rowan’s story before he arrived in Neverland. Those mostly got cut from the final version of the novel, but I’ve decided to put them together and share them for a limited time for the YASH!

Here’s the first couple. Hope you like getting to know Rowan a bit better!

The screaming whine of the train’s brakes jerked him from what little rest he’d had. Hours it had been, far too many hours. But he was right enough, he supposed.

Still groggy, he grabbed for his pack, which he’d tucked beneath him, and picked up the now-rumpled box his mother had sent. Bread—a heavy brown loaf, and newly knitted socks and mittens for the winter ahead. Mothers think of that sort of thing. His father had given him a small flask when his mother wasn’t looking. That was safe in his pack.

Down the narrow aisle, down the folding stairs, and out into the teeming mass of unwashed sweat and heavy soot that was London. Kingsbridge was fine enough, he supposed, but it certainly wasn’t as fine as this. No, this was more than just fine—this was a wonder. He’d never seen such a sight—the towering ceiling of glass that made the whole of the station look like it was capped by the sky. Like God himself deigned to direct the comings and goings of the trains.

Everywhere he looked, the drab Khakis of Tommies milled about, waiting. He had no idea the time—probably quite late considering the delay. But certainly Michael would have waited for him? If not, he had the address that had come with the letter. He’d figure it out.

But before he had to, a familiar voice rang out above the flatly accented voices around him. “Rat!” it called. “Over here!”

He turned toward the sound, not bothered now by the nickname he’d always hated. Happy, perhaps for the first time, to own it.

“Mick?” A Tommy was pushing through the crowd, making his way toward him. He had the face of his brother—or not quite of his brother. His brother wasn’t so lean and angular. Nor were his eyes so hard and creased about the edges. No, this man looked far older than twenty and far more serious than Michael had been in his entire life.

But the soldier smiled, exposing the crooked front tooth that had been loosened in one of their endless bouts and threw an arm around his shoulder and suddenly, all at once, the last eighteen months disappeared, and he found himself in his brother’s arms.

“Dog’s bollocks it’s good to see you, Rat.”

****

The pub wasn’t comfortable, not in the way a pub should be. It didn’t have the warm, worn brokenness of their favorite one back home, but Michael didn’t seem to notice. Hunched over the dark ale, his brother’s bright eyes crinkled at the edges as the others told their stories one by one.

“Fecking Hun didn’t have a bleedin’ chance. Came up over the top and, right then, he met his maker. Right between the eyes he did.” The speaker was a heavy-looking, potato-faced man. His hand was wrapped in a bandage that might once have been white, and his eyes had a wild look about him. But he was funny. Christ, he was funny. He made death sound like a game.

“Was that before or after he shot your finger off, eh?” another man quipped.

The whole table went quiet, suddenly. Like someone had cursed in a church.

“Before,” the potato-faced man said. But he turned into his cup and away after that.

Michael turned to him. “Tell me about Mum. How is she?”

“Worried, like you’d imagine. But she’s proud of you. Tells everyone who will listen and many who won’t how brave her boy is.” He tried to smile, but his face felt stiff.

“Does she, then?” Michael smiled at that. “You’ll give her my love, of course. And thank her for whiskey.”

“That was Da.”

Michael laughed. “Of course it was. And you, Rat, you’re well?”

Well enough he supposed. “It’s strange without you there, you know? It feels like you’ve just gone to town, but then you don’t come back at night. It’s quiet.”

Michael lit himself a cigarette and took a long drag, squinting against the smoke. “All this will be over soon enough. I’ll be home before long.”

“You’d better. I’m tired of picking up the slack for your sorry ass.”

Michael smiled around his cigarette, letting the smoke curl out from his nose as he let out a laugh. “When you put it like that, I think I’ll take my time and stay a bit longer.”

He took a sip of the ale that had long since gone warm from his hands. It was bitter and dry. “What’s it like there, really?” he asked in a hushed voice. He’d heard so many stories. Amazing stories.

The smile dropped from Michael’s face—just for a second. But then it was back, the crooked tooth winking at him in the dim light. “It’s like nothing you can believe, Rat.”

He heard the words, drank up the tales, but never saw that his brother’s eyes weren’t laughing. It was like they’d forgotten how.

****

The day had turned cold and wet as he trudged through the crowded London streets.

“Son?” A voice called out behind him. “You there!”

He turned, cautious, pulling his sack closer. His train left in two hours. He couldn’t be late. “Yeah?”

The woman who bustled up to him was short and square, and clad in a dark overcoat that made her look half in mourning. Her graying hair was pulled back away from her face in a tight knot at the back of her head, and her hat had wilted in the moist air. “I’ve something for you.”

“I’m sorry?” He didn’t recognize the woman. Didn’t know anyone, save Michael, in London.

She pulled from her pocket a single, white plume and handed it to him, her eyes filled with the scorn. “Here’s a gift for a brave soldier.” And then, without another word, she walked away.

He looked down at the downy white bit of fluff in his hands. Soft between his fingers as he felt. Useless, like he was.

He tucked the feather into his pocket and started walking.

If you’d like to read more of Rowan’s backstory, you can find the rest of Rowan’s story at http://www.lisa-maxwell.com/yashcontent/  You’ll need to use the password YASH to access the content!

Are you as intrigued by this book as me? You can buy it here!

Follow Lisa on Twitter and Facebook!

MY FAVORITE NUMBER…

 Don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Lisa Maxwell, and more! To enter, you need to know that I wish I had met Lisa FOUR years ago, but the truth is, it’s only been a couple years. Because FOUR is such a nice number, isn’t it? In fact, it is my very favorite number. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the Gold team and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!



BONUS GIVEAWAY 


Before you go, be sure to enter my bonus giveaway! In celebration of my upcoming thriller, THE DARKEST LIE, I  am giving away a prize pack of FOUR of my favorite YA contemporary thrillers (because, again, isn’t FOUR such a nice number?)



This prize pack includes:

LIES I TOLD, by Michelle Zink
SIX MONTHS LATER, by Natalie Richards
FIND ME, by Romily Bernard
FROM WHERE I WATCH YOU, by Shannon Grogan



If you haven’t read these four books, YOU SHOULD. And what better time to start than now? This contest is U.S. only and will run during the same time as the YASH competition, which mean it will end on Sunday, April 3, at noon Pacific time.

Enter now: a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONTINUE THE HUNT
 
To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author on Team Gold, Heather Young-Nichols!


HAPPY HUNTING, AND THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

THE DARKEST LIE Excerpt & Giveaways!

I’m so excited about my upcoming YA thriller, THE DARKEST LIE! Check out the book below, along with the teaser excerpt, and be sure to enter the TWO giveaways! I’ll be giving away a five-pack of books, which include my favorite YA contemporary thrillers, along with FORGET TOMORROW. Kensington books is also giving away 5 ARCs in a Goodreads giveaway!

THE DARKEST LIE

by Pintip Dunn

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Release Date: June 28, 2016

“The mother I knew would never do those things.

But maybe I never knew her after all.”

Clothes, jokes, coded messages…Cecilia Brooks and her mom shared everything. At least, CeCe thought they did. Six months ago, her mom killed herself after accusations of having sex with a student, and CeCe’s been the subject of whispers and taunts ever since. Now, at the start of her high school senior year, between dealing with her grieving, distracted father, and the social nightmare that has become her life, CeCe just wants to fly under the radar. Instead, she’s volunteering at the school’s crisis hotline—the same place her mother worked.

As she counsels troubled strangers, CeCe’s lingering suspicions about her mom’s death surface. With the help of Sam, a new student and newspaper intern, she starts to piece together fragmented clues that point to a twisted secret at the heart of her community. Soon, finding the truth isn’t just a matter of restoring her mother’s reputation, it’s about saving lives—including CeCe’s own…

Goodreads | Pre-order from Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

“This one will tug your heart and leave you breathless!”

–Natalie D. Richards, author of Six Months Later

Excerpt from THE DARKEST LIE

It’s time to view the body. Family first.

Well, technically, me first. There was always only three of us in the nuclear unit, and Dad’s been locked in the den for the past seventy-two hours. I’ve only seen him once, when he shuffled upstairs like a pajama-clad zombie and asked me if I’d eaten.

That was it: Did you eat?

Not: I prefer the cherry wood casket. Or: Let me make your grandma’s travel arrangements. Or even: I know this was Mom’s favorite dress, but isn’t the neckline a little…low?

Did I eat?

Yes, Dad. I had soup from the can and microwaved pizza rolls and a bowl of cereal. The food sloshes in my stomach now as I walk down the runner to the casket I picked out because of its mauve tint.

Calla lilies pile in urns around the viewing room, and the air-conditioning wars with the sweat along my hairline. My mom smiles at me from a portrait erected behind the casket. Her eyes are hesitant and a little wary, as if she knew, somehow, some way, she would wind up here. Lifeless. Pumped full of formaldehyde. About to be gawked at by a town full of gossips.

This was only going to end one of two ways—with Tabitha Brooks dead or in jail. I never thought I’d say this, but I’d give anything to see my mother behind bars.

I wade through the dense, chilly air and stop a few feet from the body. Behind me, my grandmother and aunt sit, a box of tissues between them, blowing their noses like it’s a sport.

“Look at our Cecilia,” Gram sniffs. “So brave. Not a single tear shed.”

If she only knew. I’m not brave. Fifteen minutes ago, I was retching into the toilet bowl. Five minutes from now, when the doors open for the visitation, I’ll be long gone, leaving Gram to shake people’s hands and deal with the bit lips, the knowing eyebrows, that inevitable speaking-in-a-funeral-parlor whisper. I can hear the titters: “Is it true? Tabitha’s heart stopped while she was boffing the high school quarterback? Why, she must’ve been twenty years his senior!”

Twenty-three years, to be exact, and a high school English teacher to boot. But she didn’t actually die during sex. Instead, a few days after Tommy Farrow came forward with their affair, my mother took her own life.

What could be a clearer admission of guilt? She might as well have been caught in the act. The investigation was shut down before it even began.

I take a shuddering breath. Two more minutes. A hundred and twenty seconds and then I can leave. I steel my shoulders and walk the final steps to my mother’s body.

Oh god. It’s even worse than I thought.

The room whirls around me, and nausea sprints up my throat. My hands shoot out to grab the casket, stopping short of actually touching the corpse.

This . . . this thing . . . can’t be my mother. She never smiled like that, all serene and peaceful-like. She never wore this much makeup; her red hair was never chopped so closely to her head. My mother was chaos and passion, devastation and joy. Dad used to say you could reach deep into her eyes and pull out a song.

Well, her eyes are closed now, and I’m not sure there’ll be any music in my life, ever again.

About the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com.

Giveaways (2!)

One winner will receive a prize pack including the following 5 books: Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn; Six Months Later by Natalie Richards; Find Me by Romily Bernard; and From Where I Watch You by Shannon Grogan; Lies I Told by Michelle Zink

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

 

 

The Darkest Lie

 

by Pintip Dunn

 

Giveaway ends March 28, 2016. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

 

Enter Giveaway

 

 

#WeLovePurpleAndGreen Giveaway

I am so excited to team up with Brenda Drake, the author of THIEF OF LIES, for a very special giveaway! For the past couple months, our books have been found in bookstores next to each other (courtesy of our last names) —  and well, we think our books look awesome together! Who doesn’t love purple and green?

We are offering a prize package to one lucky winner, consisting of a hardcover each of THIEF OF LIES and FORGET TOMORROW, along with this gorgeous purple and green clutch.

To enter, just click on this rafflecopter link:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This contest will run until March 16, 11:59 pm EST, and it is only open to U.S. residents.

Thanks for entering!

 

Hurry! FORGET TOMORROW is on sale for $2.99!

For a limited time only, FORGET TOMORROW is on sale for $2.99! Sale ends soon!!

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 prison. The only person who can help is her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn’t spoken to in five years.

Logan breaks her free, but can she trust him? He’s almost the same boy she remembers, but now he’s a whole lot hotter. And he’s got his own past to deal with. Callie’s falling for him, fast, but she soon learns he has secrets of his own. Secrets that mean they can never be together.

Now, Callie’s on the run not only from the government, but also from her fate. If she wants any hope of a future with Logan, she must first find a way to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all—herself.

Praise for FORGET TOMORROW:

A Goodreads “Best YA Book of the Month” (November)

“This gripping read is sure to have you on the edge of your seat.” – Buzzfeed

“A YA adventure with ethereal prose and appeal characters.” – Kirkus Review

“A page-turner full of adventure and danger.” – USA Today

“…a twist ending that will catch most readers off-guard…” – School Library Journal

“[A] top pick for readers who love action and themes around fate and the future.” – YA Books Central

BUY NOW! Sale ends soon! Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Kobo   iTunes

 

 

 

Fourteen Book Giveaway!

 The YA Story Sisters are having a fabulous 14 book giveaway, which consists of every book you see in the above graphic. This giveaway includes some of our own books, as well as books for which we are thankful.

You’ll see the FORGET TOMORROW cover in the top row…and the book I’m thankful for? Holly Bodger’s 5 to 1. Half-verse, half-prose, this book is simply stunning in its writing. What’s more, it’s an awesome dystopian story. What more could you ask for?

One lucky person will win ALL of these books. So what are you waiting for? Click on the Rafflecopter below to enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

U.S. only. Giveaway ends Dec. 20.

 

 

Sharing My Book Birthday!

Just a few more hours until my debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, is released into the world!

What makes this release day even more special is that I am sharing it with three of my Dreamweaver sisters. The Dreamweavers are the 2014 finalists in the prestigious Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart ® contest. The best thing about placing in this contest was to meet the other amazing finalists. We call ourselves the Dreamweavers because that’s what we do. We weave dreams into reality.

This group of talented women have been such a source of support and encouragement. So it is with special happiness that I share my book birthday with Laura Trentham and Shelly Alexander, who are several books into their careers. Asa Maria Bradley and I are actually sharing our debut day. Yay!

And here, alphabetical by title, are books and the authors in their full birthday glory!

IT’S IN  HIS TOUCH, by Shelly Alexander

She came to Red River to win a case. . . but she never thought the town would win her heart.

There’s nothing that Angelique Barbetta can’t handle, no illness she can’t recover from, not one item on her outrageous bucket list that she can’t conquer—not even alligator wrestling! But after discovering her fiancé in a less-than-professional position with their perky assistant, even tough-as-nails Angelique needs a break. Her law firm sends her to Red River to work on a case that should be a piece of cake. Until she meets her sexy neighbor Blake Holloway . . . one of the proprietors who will lose everything if Angelique wins.

On opposite sides of a hostile legal battle—with a pair of Angelique’s silk undies ending up in Blake’s hands—undeniable chemistry swirls between them. As Blake shows Angelique just what Red River has to offer, her heart begins to melt for the people whose businesses make up the soul of the town. Can she put aside her feelings to win the case? Or will he convince her there’s much more at stake than winning—like love?

About Shelly

Shelly Alexander grew up traveling the world, earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and worked in the business world for twenty-five years. With four older brothers, she watched every Star Trek episode ever made, joined the softball team instead of ballet class, and played with G.I. Joes while the Barbie Corvette stayed tucked in the closet. When she had three sons of her own, she decided to escape her male-dominated world by reading romance novels and has been hooked ever since. Now she spends her days writing steamy contemporary romances while enjoying the arid climate of the beautiful Southwest. Visit Shelly at www.ShellyAlexander.net

Get Your Own Copy of IT’S IN HIS TOUCH

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RxZ4fI

B & N: http://bit.ly/1Ltfhxx

MELTING INTO YOU, Falcon Football #3 by Laura Trentham

Alec Grayson returns home to Falcon, Alabama, to rebuild his life after a knee injury ended his NFL career. As the Falcon high school quarterback coach, Alec’s love for the game is reignited. Meanwhile, he puts his hard-partying past and the betrayal of the people he trusted most behind him, and adopts a hard demeanor. That is, until a spitfire artist with soulful eyes and a body that haunts his dreams gets under his skin and threatens to crack his armor.

Lilliana Hancock is forced to leave her struggling-artist lifestyle in New York and return to Falcon after her father’s unexpected death leaves her a decrepit family mansion. Determined to use her skills to turn the home into a successful bed and breakfast, Lilliana is stopped at every turn by the town contractor, who happens to be Alec, the gorgeous and arrogant jock to whom she lost her virginity in college. Except Alec doesn’t remember, which infuriates her. Too bad she can’t forget the way his body felt against hers or how his heated gaze follows her…

Will they be able to put their pasts behind them for a future together?

About Laura

Laura was born and raised in a small town in Northwest Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation! So, Laura chose the next most logical major – Chemical Engineering- and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years. Now she lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. In between school and homework and soccer practices, Laura loves to get lost in another world, whether it’s Regency England or small town Alabama. Visit Laura at www.lauratrentham.com.

Get Your Own Copy of MELTING INTO YOU:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Md3kwf

B&N http://bit.ly/1K6kaM5

iBooks: http://apple.co/1Ov0N7j

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Md3tzS

VIKING WARRIOR RISING by Asa Maria Bradley

Immortal Vikings are among us.

Leif Skarsganger and his elite band of immortal warriors have been charged to protect humanity from the evil Norse god Loki.

Under attack from Loki’s minions, Leif is shocked to encounter a dark-haired beauty who fights like a warrior herself. Wounded and feverish, the Viking kisses her, inadvertently triggering an ancient Norse bond. But when Naya Brisbane breaks away and disappears before the bond is completed, Leif’s warrior spirit goes berserk. If Leif doesn’t find her fast, he’s going to lose himself to permanent battle fury.

But Naya doesn’t want to be found…and he’ll do anything to track her down. Because they’re both running out of time.

About Asa

Asa Maria Bradley grew up in Sweden surrounded by archaeology and history steeped in Norse mythology, which inspired the immortal Vikings and Valkyries in her paranormal romances. She also writes romantic suspense and currently resides on a lake deep in the pine forests of the Pacific Northwest with a British husband and a rescue dog of indeterminate breed. Visit Asa at www.asamariabradley.com and sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date on news, receive exclusive content, and be entered in a monthly drawing for fabulous prizes.

Get Your Own Copy of VIKING WARRIOR RISING

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1WqexiX

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/viking-warrior-rising-asa-maria-bradley/1121863785?ean=9781492618843

Indie Bound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781492618843

kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/viking-warrior-rising