The Legendary Mo Seto A fast-paced, high-kicking Middle Grade, Martial Arts debut by A.Y. Chan Book Tour with Guest Post and Giveaway
THE LEGENDARY MO SETO
A.Y. Chan
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GENRE: Middle Grade, Martial Arts, Action/Adventure
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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!
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Excerpt :
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author Interview
Can you
describe your dream home?
This home comes straight out of
my favorite book. It’s Green Gables, from Anne
of Green Gables. I discovered Anne when I was in middle school and was
immediately drawn into her world of nature and beauty. Author Lucy Maud
Montgomery had a way of capturing the essence of a place with startling acuity
and breathtaking beauty.
I was enthralled and entranced by
the way Anne (via L.M. Montgomery) saw the world, and I longed to step into
Anne’s home and view her world through her eyes, starting with her beloved
Green Gables. A home is not only the physical structure itself but also the
love within and the beauty around.
To me, Green Gables, surrounded
by willow trees and cherry blossoms, and the splendors of Prince Edward
Island’s red-sanded coastline, is where I return every time I pick up a L.M.
Montgomery book (I might have almost all of them!).
My dream home would be just like
Green Gables, with its cozy charm and scenic surroundings. Imagine a white
farmhouse with green shutters, nestled among rolling hills and blossoming
gardens. The air would be filled with the scent of lilacs and the sound of
birds singing.
Inside, it would have a warm,
inviting kitchen where friends and family gather, a library filled with my
favorite books, and a sunroom where I could sit and write. The windows would
offer views of the beautiful landscape, and there would always be a comfortable
nook to curl up in with a good book.
That’s my dream home—a place
where nature and beauty are just outside the door, and where the love and
warmth inside make it truly special.
If we
were to come to your house for a meal, what would you give us to eat?
If you were to come to my house
for a meal, I’d treat you to some amazing take-out ramen. I’m a huge fan of
noodles in soup, but ramen is definitely my favorite. Imagine savory pork-bone
broth with chewy noodles, topped with bamboo shoots, dried seaweed, and
melt-in-your-mouth pork belly. And of course, we can’t forget the onsen
egg—perfectly soft-boiled with a runny yolk.
Ramen is my comfort food. It's
like filling my stomach with a warm hug. So, come on over, sit back, relax, and
enjoy a steaming bowl of deliciousness with me!
Say
your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on
an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?
If my publisher offered to fly me
anywhere in the world for research, I'd head straight to a martial arts
training camp in a monastery high in the mountains of China. I've always
dreamed of this experience—waking up with the sun to meditate and reflect, followed
by a day of rigorous, regimented training.
The idea of being surrounded by
the peace and tranquility of the mountains, breathing in the crisp, cool air,
and feeling the gentle mountain breeze sounds like pure bliss. Imagine ending
each day battered in body but full in spirit, under the vast, starry sky. It’s
a perfect blend of physical challenge and spiritual renewal, and I can’t think
of a more inspiring place to gather material for my next book.
Who
designed the book cover for the book you are touring?
The
book cover for The Legendary
Mo Seto was created by the
amazing Amber Ren. Amber brilliantly captured Mo’s fighting spirit with her
artwork, infusing it with fluidity, grace, and incredible vibrance. The
striking red and yellow hues in the background really make it pop and convey
the energy and dynamism of Mo’s journey. Amber did a fantastic job bringing the
essence of the story to life on the cover!
Why did
you write The Legendary Mo Seto?
Despite
all the books I went through when I was a young reader (and my love for all the
characters inside), I think deep, deep down, little me longed to read about
kids who looked like me. Every time someone was described as having “black
hair,” I would instantly and enthusiastically see myself in this character…only
to read the next description (“with green eyes”) and feel my heart sink. It
fills me with so much joy to see books with diverse heroes on my bookshelves
today. I wrote THE LEGENDARY MO SETO to fill that hole I felt many, many years
ago. But even more than that, I wrote this story in the hopes that it would be
relatable to everyone. Every kid who has ever wanted to give up. Who has ever
felt they weren’t big enough, or strong enough, or wise enough, or capable
enough, or something enough. Every kid with lofty dreams and light in their
eyes. Who want to be inspired and delighted and lose themselves in the joy of
reading, much like I did all those years ago, sitting in a corner of the
library or at a Goodwill store, surrounded by stacks of books, and feeling like
I was in another world.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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.
Book
Buy Links:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Legendary-Mo-Seto-1/dp/1665937327
Barnes
& Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-legendary-mo-seto-a-y-chan/1144226905
Bookshop.org:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-legendary-mo-seto-ay-chan/20699961
A.Y.
Chan Social Links:
Twitter/X:
https://x.com/AYChanWrites
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/aychanwrites/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/aychanwrites/
About
Book Links:
Website:
aychanwrites.com
Simon
& Schuster Author Page:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Legendary-Mo-Seto/A-Y-Chan/The-Legendary-Mo-Seto/9781665937320
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GIVEAWAY
One
randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Thank you so much for hosting THE LEGENDARY MO SETO today.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a fantastic read. Thanks for sharing and hosting this tour.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover art. Looks great.
ReplyDelete