Celebrate 2016: Play Author Trivia Hunt (Day 3)

You've reached Day 3 in our 2016 Author Trivia Hunt. The last day to play! 

How much do you know about your favorite authors? 

If you need help with finding the answers to these questions, click on the link and scroll down to their interview. 

Put your answers in the comments and we'll enter you into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. Answer as many questions as you can to earn more chances (and don't forget to leave us your email address).

Let's get started!

HEIDI RICE

Avril Tremayne is a mad Heidi Rice fan, so was thrilled to feature her on Get Lost in a Story during the year.

USA Today bestselling author Heidi Rice’s first love was watching movies so, not surprisingly, her first proper job was as a film journalist. But after spending years sneaking off to read romantic fiction when she was being paid to watch some crappy B-movie or other, she decided to try writing a novel of her own. 

Her first book was published by Harlequin Mills & Boon in 2007. Since then she’s published a total of 24 novels, novellas and short stories, nabbed three RITA nominations, sold over two millions copies of her books worldwide and never has to watch crappy B-movies now unless she wants to. 

She lives in London with her husband and two sons, and lots of other gorgeous men who are entirely in her imagination (unlike the laundry, unfortunately). Connect with Heidi via her website.

What was the name of Heidi's modern Rapunzel-esque romance, which was a 2016 RITA finalist?

Click here to find the answer...(and scroll down to her interview)

NANA PRAH
Lara Lacombe has been blogging friends with Nana for a few years, and she was excited to celebrate Nana's debut novel with Harlequin Kimani earlier this month!

Nana Prah first discovered romance in a book from her eight grade summer reading list and has been obsessed with it ever since. Her fascination with love inspired her to write in her favorite genre where happily-ever-after is the rule.

She is a published author of contemporary, multicultural romances. Her books are sweet with a touch of spice. When she’s not writing she’s, over-indulging in chocolate, enjoying life with friends and family, and tormenting nursing students into being the best nurses the world has ever seen.  Check out Nana's blog!

Nana's latest book is called A Perfect Caress.  What is the hero Dante obsessed with?
Click here to find the answer...(and scroll down to her interview)

JENNIFER BERNARD

Lizbeth Selvig has interview USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Bernard three times on GLIAS. Jennifer is an incredibly popular author of contemporary romance--famous for her firefighter heroes and baseball hotties. 

Jennifer is a Harvard grad and former news promo producer who left big city life in L.A. for true love in Alaska where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters.

Since her first interview on Get Lost in a Story, Jennifer has written multiple series including the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel novels, the Love Between the Bases series, several novellas, and her brand new series Jupiter Point--about a crew of ultra hot Hotshot Firefighters!

Check out Jennifer's website and blog for all the details! Let's go back to Jennifer's second interview and find out...

In Jennifer Bernard's Love Between the Bases series, which star a whole lot of very sexy baseball players, what is the name of the minor league team featured in the books?

Click here to find the answer (and scroll down to her interview).

PINTIP DUNN
Nan Dixon has interviewed Pintip Dunn twice since her first book was released. Her fabulous debut FORGET TOMORROW won the Best First Book RITA in 2016 and also made the New York Times Bestseller list. This is a Young Adult you shouldn't miss. The series is incredible. 

So--my question is...

In FORGET TOMORROW, why is Callie arrested and placed in Limbo when she receives her future memory? 
Click here to find the answer (and scroll down to her interview).


DARCY WOODS
Nan also interviewed her friend Darcy Woods about her fabulous YA debut SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS. As always, when talking to Darcy, craziness ensues. We did learn about her main character-Wilamena. (And Darcy also tempted us with some incredible looking cupcakes.

In THE SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS, what is Wilamena obsessed about and what does she base her search for a relationship on?
Need a little help?  Click here for the interview (and scroll down to her interview).

ROBYN PETERMAN

She's a NYT and USA Today best-selling author who writes snarky, sexy, funny paranormal and snarky, sexy, funny contemporaries. Her addictions include laughing really hard with friends, shoes (the expensive kind), Target, Coke Zero Cherry with extra ice in a Styrofoam cup, bejeweled reading glasses, her kids, her super-hot hubby and collecting stray animals. A former professional actress, with Broadway, film and T.V. credits, she now lives in the south with her family and too many animals to count. Join Zelda in her crazy Magic and Mayhem world: Magic & Mayhem World.  Robyn is such a fun person to know! I'm so glad I met her. ~Angi

Name two authors from Robyn's Kindle World. 

Click here for the answer (scroll down to her interview).

CARIDAD PINEIRO

Caridad is a NY Times and USA Today Bestseller AND a Jersey Girl. She writes romantic suspense, military romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and vampire suspense. Caridad loves to travel, cook, & spend time with family & friends. She writes dark and sexy novels and novellas for those who live to love on the edge. Her sweet, but still naughty side, Charity Pineiro, writes contemporary romances packed with emotion and humor. Follow Caridad on Amazon. Getting to know more about this amazing woman has been so much fun. Sucha a creative person. Love her on Facebook !! ~Angi

What's something that's always on Caridad's desk?

Click here for the answer (scroll down to her interview).

DANICA WINTERS

The bestselling author and winner of multiple awards for writing books that grip readers with their ability to drive emotion through suspense and occasionally a touch of magic. Most recently, Danica was the winner of the Paranormal Romance Guild's Paranormal Romantic Suspense Book of the Year Award and Chanticleer Media's Paranormal Book of the Year for her novel Montana Mustangs. Follow Danica on Amazon. I met Danica in July after she sold to Harlequin Intrigue. She let me read her January release WILD MONTANA and WOW !! You're going to feel like you were actually there. Great Story! Great Woman! ~Angi

What joke makes Danica laugh even writing it?

Click here for the answer (scroll down to her interview).

~ ~ ~

To enter the drawing, leave your answers in the

comments. A winner will be selected from among all comments from Dec. 28 through Dec. 30. The more questions you answer, the more chances you'll get!

THE WINNER OF THE $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD IS:
JUDY TUCKER! 

CONGRATULATIONS JUDY!

Thank you to everyone who played our trivia game. We hope you'll join us in 2017 for more great author interviews and stories to get lost in.

Get Lost on Facebook   @GetLostInAStory  #GetLostStories

AND OUR NEW Facebook Group: The Readers’ Spot

RITA Finalist Pintip Dunn Talks About Her Next Book--THE DARKEST LIE

 I'm so excited to welcome back Pintip Dunn, a Golden Heart sister, to Get Lost in a Story!  If you haven't read her RITA Finalist debut FORGET TOMORROW run, don't walk, to grab it! But today we're talking about Pintip's latest book THE DARKEST LIE - which released this week. 

Before we get to the good stuff--don't forget to comment below for a chance to win a Kindle copy of FORGET TOMORROW her stunning debut.


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.

Nan:  Impressive credientials!  

Let's talk about THE DARKEST LIE.

THE STORY BLURB

Is it better to live with a lie, or risk everything for the truth?

In Pintip Dunn’s gripping and timely novel, a young woman whose life unravels in the wake of her mother’s alleged suicide sets out to clear her name.

“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 resurface. 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…Nan: I started the book last night. I love it!

READ A LITTLE

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.

Nan: I missed the significance of her mother's hair when I started the book. (You will all have to buy the book to find out what I'm talking about!)

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | B&N | BAM | IndieBound | Target | Walmart | Hudson Booksellers | Book Depository

Add THE DARKEST LIE to your GoodReads shelf.

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 scold myself, "Put the book down. I mean it. Back slowly away from that book!" 

Nan: I know what you mean!

NAN: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book? 

PINTIP: Ha! This question is very timely because I just finished a book two days ago! (Girl in Between, out next July.) So the first thing I did was text a few of my writing friends, who have been following along with my goals and cheering me on. Then, I ran downstairs and hugged my kids and swung them around in a dance. And then I proceeded to beam for the rest of the night and feel a sense of complete and utter pride. I have just written another book! This book now exists in the world because of me.

Nan: Prosecco is usually involved when I finish a book. :-) 

NAN: What’s the last show you binge watched?

PINTIP: The 100! I am so freaking obsessed with this show. I watched the first two seasons back-to-back, and then for season 3, I had to wait an entire week in between episodes, which was just torture! Once season 3 ended, I still needed my fix, so I read the books, which are really different but still super fun. And once I finished those? I started watching season 1 all over again. 

Why do I love The 100? This show features complex characters who make really tough moral decisions. (Gee, that sounds kinda like my books! No wonder I love it so much!) 

Nan: Fun!

NAN: Who is your celebrity crush and why?

PINTIP: Bob Morley, who plays Bellamy Blake on The 100. Why?

1. Because I'm obsessed with the show (see answer above.) 

2. Because he is extremely cute. 

3. Because he loves his sister and will do anything to protect her. (Bellamy, not Bob. Perhaps Bob does, too. I have no idea.) 

4. Because he struggles with his morality. He tries to do what's right but doesn't always make the right decisions (Bellamy, not Bob). 

5. Because he is part-Filipino. (Bob, not Bellamy). 

6. And, because he is extremely cute. Oops, did I already say that? 

Nan: I'm sensing a recurring theme here! 

  

NAN'S GOTTA ASK:   What book are you currently reading?  

PINTIP: GOTTA ANSWER: Touching Fate, by Brenda Drake. I’m about halfway through this book and absolutely loving it! It’s a fun, super-fast read, about the extremely intriguing world of fate changers. As always, I am so impressed by the creativity of Brenda’s mind, and I love her easy flowing writing style. 

Nan: I don't think I've read any of her books.

UP NEXT FOR PINTIP

REMEMBER YESTERDAY, book 2 in the Forget Tomorrow series, will release on October 4, 2016! 

Nan:  I can't wait!

I'm so excited you are celebrating your release with us, Pintip.  Thanks for spending the day here!

FIND PINTIP DUNN:

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Goodreads

PINTIP WANTS TO KNOW: Is it better to live with a lie, or risk everything for the truth?

Pintip will be giving away an Kindle copy of FORGET TOMORROW to one lucky commenter. 

Get Lost in Forget Tomorrow with Pintip Dunn

 I am so excited to welcome another of my Golden Heart sisters to Get Lost in a Story!  Please welcome Pintip Dunn.  I first met her when I judged the 2011 Finally a Bride contest.  Her Young Adult entry blew me away.  The only way I knew her name, was that she sent me a thank you note for judging.  Which meant I had an email contact to congratulate her when she was a 2012 Golden Heart finalist and then met her at the RWA conference that year. It was lovely to be a finalist with her in 2014.

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

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.