Happy Book Birthday, The Lotus Flower Champion by Pintip Dunn and Love Dunn!

    THE LOTUS FLOWER CHAMPION

by Pintip Dunn and

Love Dunn

Entangled Teen

Young Adult Fantasy

400 pages

No escape. Follow the rules. And don’t count on reality—in this uniquely vibrant romantasy from NYT bestselling author Pintip Dunn and daughter Love Dunn…

It looks like paradise…only it’s not.

This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Thailand. One last wish for my dying mama. Instead, we’re stranded on a lush, stunning island with ten strangers—held captive as Thai mythology unfolds around us…and within us.

Now we’re being tested. We’re expected to face our greatest fears—and possible deaths—in hopes of awakening some kind of dormant gift…or curse. One by one, we’re transforming, echoing the strange and sometimes wondrous abilities found in Thai folktales.

But my mama has only days to live, my papa is missing, and I’m forced to trust a group of strangers…including our evasive, dark-eyed tour guide, who resembles a minor god. Toss me in the ocean and feed me to the naga now.

Only I’m no hero. My days are managed by numbers and the compulsions that used to keep me safe.

I have to prove how far I can go. To survive. To protect my family.

And to find a way off this perilous island where everything is a lie…including reality.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON   

    MY TIDBITS

Thai mythology slams into a teen's desire for her mother and herself to survive on an island, which is filled with dangers...and not all come from the nature around them.

Alaia has only two goals during her family's vacation, to spend every possible moment with her mother and to keep a smile on her mother's face. After several rounds of chemo, it's clear her mother won't hold on much longer. While Alaia's OCD is making the stay in Thailand challenging, it's worth every effort for her mother. When an ship excursion turns into disaster, Alaia and her mother find themselves stranded with several other passengers on a deserted island. It may look like paradise, but every part of it holds unexpected dangers. Add a madman's desire to use them as guinea pigs in testing myth's reality, and Alaia isn't sure that any of them are going to survive. 

While this one didn't really hold the promised Squid Games atmosphere (the stakes are nearly high enough for that), it is a quick-paced read with enough tension to keep those pages turning. The beginning takes a little bit to settle in, but after that, the stories flows leading from one situation to the next. The island is as beautiful as it is deadly, and the other characters add the right spice at the right times. Several of these were especially strong and really dug in. The romance wasn't the most exciting, but it settles fine along the way for the extra touch. It's the Thai mythology and Alaia's own struggles, which stick out in these pages to make it worth a glance.  

Review: Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn

DATING MAKES PERFECT

by Pintip Dunn

Entangled Teen

YA Romance

400 pages

COMING...

AUGUST 18th!!!

The Tech sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they’re not asked. Not because they’re not interested. Not even because no one can pronounce their long, Thai last name—hence the shortened, awkward moniker. But simply because they’re not allowed.

Until now.

In a move that other Asian American girls know all too well, six months after the older Tech twins got to college, their parents asked, “Why aren’t you engaged yet?” The sisters retaliated by vowing that they won’t marry for ten (maybe even twenty!) years, not until they’ve had lots of the dating practice that they didn’t get in high school.

In a shocking war on the status quo, her parents now insist that their youngest daughter, Orrawin (aka “Winnie”), must practice fake dating in high school. Under their watchful eyes, of course—and organized based on their favorite rom-coms. ’Cause that won’t end in disaster.

The first candidate? The son of their longtime friends, Mat Songsomboon—arrogant, infuriating, and way too good-looking. Winnie’s known him since they were toddlers throwing sticky rice balls at each other. And her parents love him.

If only he weren’t her sworn enemy.

          

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MY TIDBITS

Enemies become best friends and more in a super cute back-and-forth, which leaves giggles, smiles and all sorts of good feelings

Winnie is the third of three Tech sisters (Tech because their last name causes difficulty for most Americans to pronounce). Her older, twin sisters are perfect in every way, leaving her in shadows she can never surpass. There's only one problem. The older sisters insist they won't get married for at least twenty years thanks to not being allowed to date in high school and having no 'guy' experience. The parents realize that their rule of not dating in high school (but yet, they expect their daughters to be married quickly thereafter) might have backfired. So, Winnie gets the chance her sisters never did; she should date. Of course, the usually dating process in the US won't do. Instead, they want her to 'practice' date...which would be weird but okay. Unfortunately, they choose the one guy Winnie would rather die than date. They choose her worst enemy.

This book is sweet and oh-so-cute. The setting—parents from India trying to maintain the ethics and culture in the US—might strike some readers as odd, since the idea of marriage is a bit different. But that makes the story that much more fun. The girls aren't really against their parents' ideas...not completely. But on the other hand, they do have some of their own ideas they stand up for. There's a wonderful sense of family as especially Winnie struggles to find her own way when stuck between the very two different worlds. I love the fact that she never loses respect for her parents and the traditions, but tries to weave everything together as best as she can.

The romance side of this one is simple adorable. Winnie's dislike for Mat, her arch-enemy, has history, and it's easy to understand why things have run amok between them. But the chemistry is also there from the very start. It's hilarious to watch the two go back and forth as they try to handle the situation. All along there are the other issues surrounding her family and friends. It slides together nicely to form a tale, which is easy to read and simply a delight to join in on.

Cover Reveal: Malice by Pintip Dunn

Happy Book Bday, Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn with Giveaway

I'm thrilled to take part in the release launch for Pintip Dunn's REMEMBER YESTERDAY (Forget Tomorrow #2)! Check out the book's details and teaser, and be sure to enter the giveaway below

REMEMBER YESTERDAY 

(Forget Tomorrow #2) 

Entangled Teen 

October 4, 2016

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 after they kidnapped and experimented on her as a child, cooperating with the scientists is the last thing Jessa would do. But when she discovers the past isn’t what she assumed, Jessa must join forces with budding scientist Tanner Callahan to rectify a fatal mistake made ten years ago. She’ll do anything to change the past and save her sister―even if it means aligning with the enemy she swore to defeat. FORGET TOMORROW: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo REMEMBER YESTERDAY: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo

Excerpt from Remember Yesterday

I lift my eyes to meet his, and I reach into the future—his future. The vision pours into me. The future Tanner grabs me and kisses me. Without warning, without hesitation. It is hot and searing and exquisite. And I like it. Oh, how I like it. “No!” I fall out of the vision and scoot away from him, so far that I approach the edge of the platform. My pulse is thundering; my nerves are jumping. Oh, Fates. What’s wrong with me? Is it because I don’t want him to kiss me? Or because I want it too much? His eyes turn watchful. "Come back here, Jessa. You're too close to the sky." I look into the open space, fluffy with wads of cotton-ball clouds. I take a breath, hoping to inhale some of the sky's serenity. He doesn't know about the kiss. Why would he? In the vision, he acted impulsively, without premeditation. The desire to kiss me hasn't arisen in him yet. Maybe I can prevent it from cropping up altogether. "Look, you don't want to kiss me," I babble, staying where I am. And hope I sound more reasonable than I feel. "It's only because we talked about kissing the other day. When you talk about something, you give it life. Make it real. Like an annoying song you can't get out of your head." He creeps toward me, his eyes flicking between my face and the sky. "So you can't get the idea of kissing me out of your head?" "I said it was annoying. Like a song. Not based on anything real." He stops five feet from the edge of the platform. "So let me get this straight. You saw into the future and we kissed. Right?" "Y-yes,” I stutter, shocked that he guessed the truth so easily. “But it doesn't have to happen that way," I add quickly. "As my sister proved, we're in control of our own fate. We can make any future we wish." "Unless this is our Fixed." His voice is low, rough. And yet, every syllable imprints into my memory forever. "Unless this kiss is so important, it happens in every one of our worlds." "It's just a kiss. How can it be that important?" His eyes glitter with the challenge. With one last look at the platform's edge, he crawls to me, slowly but steadily. "The path of our particular world might depend on this kiss. Would you risk our future just to be stubborn?" And then, he's right in front of me. He rests his hands lightly on my back. They slide down to my waist, until his fingers brush against the strip of bare skin between my pants and top. I shiver, and my skin pebbles into a million goose bumps. He pulls me against him. So much of my body is touching his that I can't think; I can't breathe. All I can do is feel. His trembling breath. My hammering heart. His shaking hands—or hell, maybe that's me, vibrating against his touch. Our lips are inches apart. Time blends together. You couldn't move me from this spot if the world were crashing down around us. "I thought I wasn't your type," I whisper. "You're not," he says. "But for the fate of our world, I'm willing to make the sacrifice." And then, he closes the gap between us.

About the Author

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, and received her J.D. at Yale Law School. Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. Her debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. Her other books include THE DARKEST LIE and REMEMBER YESTERDAY. 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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New Release: The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn with Giveaway

The Darkest Lie

by Pintip Dunn 

Kensington YA

 June 28, 2016

256 pages

  “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…

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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

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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.

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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)!

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Excerpt: The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn with 2 Giveaways

 

THE DARKEST LIE

by Pintip Dunn 

Kensington Publishing 

YA Contemporary/Thriller

256 pages

COMING. . .

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…

  

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“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.

And here she is. . .

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


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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

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The Darkest Lie

by Pintip Dunn

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

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