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Today I have an extremely talented writer and all-around wonderful person. Psst...she also happens to
be a New York Times Bestselling author. *applause*
be a New York Times Bestselling author. *applause*
Meet her latest book baby:
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Seize Today (Forget Tomorrow #3)
by Pintip Dunn
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Description:
Seventeen-year-old Olivia Dresden is a precognitive. Since different versions of people’s futures flicker before her eyes, she doesn’t have to believe in human decency. She can see the way for everyone to be their best self-if only they would make the right decisions. No one is more conflicted than her mother, and Olivia can only watch as Chairwoman Dresden chooses the dark, destructive course every time. Yet Olivia remains fiercely loyal to the woman her mother could be.
But when the chairwoman captures Ryder Russell, the striking and strong-willed boy from the rebel Underground, Olivia sees a vision of her own imminent death…at Ryder’s hand. Despite her bleak fate, she rescues Ryder and flees with him, drawing her mother’s fury and sparking a romance as doomed as Olivia herself. As the full extent of Chairwoman Dresden’s gruesome plan is revealed, Olivia must find the courage to live in the present-and stop her mother before she destroys the world.
Hi Pintip! I can't even come up with the words to say how excited I am to have you here. I love this story! So let's start by you giving the readers a brief idea of how you structured the inner force of this story from book 1 to this book?
All three books revolve around the concept of future memories. In short, a future memory is a vision that your future self sends to your younger self. It is meant as a guide, so that your younger self can make the right decisions and focus his or her energies most efficiently. No reason to pursue your dream to become a professional basketball player, for example, if you're meant to be an accountant.
Hmm...logical.
In FORGET TOMORROW, every seventeen-year-old receives a future memory on his or her birthday, and all of society is structured around these visions. Future memories are scanned by prospective schools, employers, even spouses. They are more than just a recommendation; they serve as a guarantee.
My heroine, Callie, has been waiting for her future memory all her life, but when she receives it, she sees the unthinkable -- her not-so-distant future killing her little sister. The actions she takes threatens the invention of future memory.
REMEMBER YESTERDAY takes place ten years later, and society is trying to re-build itself now that future memory no longer exists. Jessa and the rest of the Underground do their best to prevent its invention -- but when they fail, they have to deal with the deadly ramifications.
SEIZE TODAY picks up six months later. Future memory is back in place, but it no longer looks the same as it did ten years previously. Rather, people are getting sick as a result of its receipt. Olivia and her friends discover an unintended consequence of future memory that threatens their very world -- and their very existence.
Wow, you did a fantastic job of moving the story forward and creating a complex world full of surprises!
When I read the first paragraph of your book blurb, it made me think of people I know who just can't give up on someone even though they've done them wrong or been mean or are cruel to others. Olivia has to be a hopeful person, but that must be exhausting. Does this sort of thinking fit in with Seize Today? Or how does it differ?
Exhausting is the right word! Olivia holds the weight of the world on her shoulders -- not just one world, but all the possible worlds! She is a precognitive who sees not just one future, but all of them -- every single pathway that a person's future might take, flickering before her eyes.
She is a hopeful person, but I don't think it's accurate to say that she is one of those people who never learns from the cruelty of others. Rather, because she literally sees the goodness of others play out in alternate pathways, she doesn't have to put blind faith in human decency. She's realistic about the likelihood of a person "reforming" because she knows the exact likelihood of that happening. Her belief in her mother is certainly shaken throughout the course of the book, but ultimately, her initial optimism will prevail.
What would you like readers to take with them from this story and the entire series?
From the first book to the last, this series is about fighting for your future. It suggests that no one can tell you who you're going to be and what you're capable of -- not even your future. I hope my readers will feel inspired to reach for their potential -- and be the strongest, bravest, and most capable version of themselves.
What a powerful message to send to young adults.
What's it like to write a book #3, and how do you feel that the story is at its completion?
Seize Today was the most difficult book I've ever written. Not only did I have to tie up all the loose ends of the series, but my heroine, Olivia, is a precognitive who sees everything! It was quite a challenge to keep the twists and turns surprising to Olivia, from whose POV the story is told, when she should've foreseen them!
Another challenge was the number of characters who had to have a strong presence. Book 1 features Callie and Logan, while Book 2 stars Jessa and Tanner. Seize Today focuses on Olivia and Ryder. Even though each book has a new couple, I knew that my readers would be looking for the previous characters they got to know in earlier books. Thus, each book got progressively more difficult. While Book 2 had to include enough mention of Logan and Callie to satisfy my readers, Book 3 had to give page time to Callie, Logan, Jessa, and Tanner, in addition to the main characters Olivia and Ryder! That's a whole lot of characters to squeeze into a huge plot with limited pages.
At the same time, however, the biggest sense of accomplishment I've ever felt is when I finished SEIZE TODAY, and I am so proud of this body of work. I really am. That's not something we're allowed to say very often, but when I look at these characters and this world and these intertwining stories I've created, that's how I feel: proud.
Give a sneak peek into what readers can expect from you next.
I am so excited about my new sci fi series, FIT TO DIE, which launches next June. This was actually the first book I sold, and I put my whole entire heart into the writing of it. The reason it is only coming out next year is because my publisher wanted FORGET TOMORROW to be my debut, and we had to publish all three book in that series first.
FIT TO DIE is about a world where nutrition can be transferred via a pill, and society is split into Eaters and Non-Eaters. Princess Vela has been tasked with finding someone "fit to die" so that her father the king may continue to live...only to discover that the best candidate is the boy she's loved all of her life.
I cried buckets of tears while writing this book, and I absolutely can't wait to share it with my readers!
Oh I bet! Congratulations on reaching the finish line. It's been such a pleasure having you visit us. Thank you, and all the best to you always.
Oh I bet! Congratulations on reaching the finish line. It's been such a pleasure having you visit us. Thank you, and all the best to you always.
Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She 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. Pintip's debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. In addition, it is a finalist for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, and the MASL Truman Award. THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, the novella BEFORE TOMORROW, and GIRL ON THE VERGE. She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com
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What do you think about the idea of future knowing?
Future memories - interesting concept.
ReplyDeleteIt is up to us to choose our own destiny.
Congratulations, Pintip!
I thought so, too! Definitely made me think.
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