We’re back with another one of our favorite young adult authors! Pintip Dunn is a New York Times Bestselling author of young adult dystopian and contemporary thrillers. In 2016, Pintip won the prestigious RWA Best First Book RITA award for the first novel in her Forget Tomorrow trilogy. She’s has been flooding the YA market with amazing fiction ever since. Next week, we’ll be sharing our own review of the final book in the Forget Tomorrow series, Seize Today, which releases October third.
Today, we’re happy to have Pintip Dunn stopping by and sharing some fun tidbits!
1. Tell us about your latest project.
The third — and final — book in my Forget Tomorrow series, titled SEIZE TODAY, releases on October 3! This series is about a future world where memories can be sent back in time to your younger self. In the first book, FORGET TOMORROW, my heroine Callie sees a vision of the unthinkable — her not-so-distant future self killing her beloved younger sister. Book 2, REMEMBER YESTERDAY, follows that sister, Jessa, as she tries to change the past and involves lots of time travel fun. Book 3 features Olivia, the Chairwoman’s daughter, and we get the climax I’ve been building up to since the first moments of Book 1 — a showdown between Olivia and Chairwoman Dresden, the seemingly evil leader of the governing agency, as the fate of the entire world hangs in the balance.This is the series of my heart, and I am so excited to share the culmination of this story with my readers. I hope they love Olivia and Ryder as much as I do!
2. What was your favorite childhood book?
Anne of Green Gables. I was one hundred and fifty percent obsessed. Gilbert Blythe was my very first book boyfriend. In fact, I distinctly remember being excited about a 24-hour plane trip to Thailand — because then, I could read Anne (and the sequels) for 24 hours straight and no one would tell me to stop!
3. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Funny you should ask, as this is the primary motivation of my Forget Tomorrow series! About seven years ago, I was lamenting the frustrations and self-doubt of publishing to an editor friend of mine, and she said, “I wish I had a crystal ball. Then, I could tell you that five years from now, you would be published, and then you wouldn’t spend so much time worrying about it! Instead, you could channel your energy into something more productive.”
The next day, I was contemplating her words and wishing my future self could send me a memory, so that I could see myself as a successful author. My next thought was: “Hey! That would make a cool idea for a book!” Presto, the Forget Tomorrow series was born.
The memory I would choose to send my younger self? Nora Roberts presenting me with the RITA® award for Best First Book, in front of an audience of 2000 people in black tie. That moment has by far been the most surreal experience of my life!
4. Do you hide any secrets in your books that people who know you might find?
Yes! They are usually inside jokes to myself that most people won’t notice. So, I was completely caught off guard when my friend and critique partner, Meg Kassel, commented on an early draft of SEIZE TODAY: “I find it really amusing that you made the day of the apocalypse your birthday.” I didn’t even realize she knew my birthday! That was when I knew she was a true friend.
5. What is one piece of advice you have for aspiring teen authors?
Persevere. If writing is in your heart, if being a published author is your dream, don’t give up. Earlier, I alluded to the fact that my path to publishing was long and twisty. It was fifteen years between the time I wrote my first manuscript and the day my debut novel released. I received 150 rejections before I got my first offer. If I had given up after any one of those rejections, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t be living my dream.
Thank you, Pintip! That’s wonderful advice for all of us, no matter what our dreams look like. And thank you for stopping by the Chronicles, today.
Here’s how to connect with Pintip Dunn:
