Today’s special guest is middle grade author A. Y. Chan to chat about her new action-adventure martial arts novel, The Legendary Mo Seto.
During her virtual book tour, A.Y. will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn participant. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
A. Y. Chan grew up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area reading all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favorite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored other martial arts, such as Wing Chun, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.
Welcome, A.Y. Please tell us about your new release.
This is the blurb:
Mo Seto, martial arts movie star! Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? Too bad there’s a height restriction to audition. But 12-year-old Modesty (Mo) Seto has never let her height get in the way before, not when she became a black belt, or when she fought the meanest boy in her class, and she’s not going to let it stop her this time! Now if only she can figure out a way to grow five inches and fool everyone at the auditions…and find time to search for her missing father (who just might be harboring a dangerous secret of his own). Join Mo on an adventure (and audition) of a lifetime and find out if powerful things really do come in small packages!
Publishers Weekly calls The Legendary Mo Seto “Adrenaline pumping”, Kirkus Reviews says it “Packs a punch”, and Booklist calls it “Remarkably relatable.” Leap in and join the fun!
Where did you get the idea for this book?
The idea for The Legendary Mo Seto came from my first (and only) taekwondo competition. I had to choose between poomsae (forms) and sparring, and I chose sparring. We were grouped by age and belt level, not size, so I ended up facing a boy much bigger than me in the finals. I was intimidated and lost, taking home a second-place trophy and the heavy feeling of failure. That experience made me not want to compete again.
Writing this book was my way of taking back that situation and turning lemons into lemonade. I wanted to tell my younger self—and any kid who feels like giving up—that getting knocked down is part of the journey, but persistence and determination lead to success. I wanted to write a story of resilience, grit, and the power of never giving up.
Excerpt from The Legendary Mo Seto:
I tap the arm of a boy next to me. He’s around my height, though he looks like he’s probably a good couple of years younger. “What’s everyone looking at?”
The boy cocks his head toward the crowd and frowns. “There’s a poster about auditions for a Cody Kwok movie, but—”
Cody Kwok? Cody Kwok! Aaaaaaaah! Every thought inside my brain disappears, except for the words “CODY KWOK” in capital letters, surrounded by flashing lights.
I need to see that poster.
I crane my neck, but it’s no use. What would Cody Kwok do? Cody wouldn’t let buildings or bridges or trains or nuclear explosions stand in the way of what he wanted—let alone a few people.
“Nacho, meet me out front. I’ll be right back.” Slipping through cracks, under armpits and between legs, I duck, crawl, and push my way through until I’m standing in front of Cody’s magnificent face. I’d recognize it anywhere. His black eyes are narrowed, and his lips are curled, as if daring his opponent to strike. His fists are held in a classic fighting stance.
“Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.”
Below the picture are the words:
CASTING CALL FOR THE PROTEGES PRESENTED BY FLYING FIST STUDIOS
Inviting all young martial artists to participate in our open auditions to star alongside CODY KWOK in his next movie.
Sign up for an audition spot on Sunday, July 7
2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Auditions begin Saturday July 13.
Sign-ups are—I double-check my phone—in a week.
What, in your opinion, is the most important aspect of writing?
Writing is like taekwondo—except without the bruises (unless you count a bruised ego!). While some people might have a natural gift for storytelling, the craft of writing takes a lot of practice. You need to hone your skills, learn the techniques, and keep going, even when your story feels like a tangled mess. That’s why I believe the most important aspect of writing is persistence. Never stop, never give up, and keep improving. Write like your keyboard is on fire and the only way to quell the flames is to pound the keys with everything you’ve got!
What do you do to destress?
When I need to destress, I love playing Tetris on my phone. It’s my favorite game, and I like to think I’m pretty good at stacking those blocks just right. It helps me focus on one thing and block out (no pun intended!) all the thoughts and anxieties running through my brain. I always play with the sound on because the classic Tetris theme song puts me in a meditative state. There’s something incredibly soothing about those familiar tunes and the satisfaction of clearing lines.
What’s your favorite Taekwondo maneuver?
My favorite taekwondo maneuver is the spinning hook kick. There’s something so exhilarating about its power, elegance, and speed—like a tornado!
Now, if I were to answer this same question for my protagonist, Mo Seto, I would say that Mo’s favorite move is the roundhouse kick. It’s lightning-fast, versatile, and it’s the best move to score a quick point in a sparring match. Her second favorite would definitely be any kind of jumping kick—for the extra height advantage and the sheer thrill of being airborne!
Links:
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Great interview. This looks really good.
Cute book.