Interview with Cynthea Liu
THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, an exciting and charming debut novel by Cynthea Liu, is on bookshelves now!
Cynthea spent her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was a Whiz Quiz member, an Academic Decathloner, and a spelling bee champion. (Yes, she was very popular.) After attending college on the East coast, she worked at a corporate job where she mastered PowerPoint and racked up thousands of frequent flyer miles. Eventually, she traded in her suit for sweats to do the fun stuff-writing for children.
I caught up with Cynthea and asked her a few questions:
I understand you traveled to China to research your book.
Yup! I went twice. My brother lives in Xi'an so I had my inside connection.
What was something that surprised you on your visit?
Xi'an hardly gets any publicity in the U.S. when clearly, it should rank right up there with Shanghai and Beijing. If you go to China, people, DO NOT MISS the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, Hua Qinq Chi, the Muslim Quarter, and Big Wild Goose Pagoda. I'm sure I'm missing some other great landmarks, but Xi'an is truly a beautiful city rich with Chinese history and culture.
If you could visit any place and time (past/present/future) for a week, where and when would it be?
I'd really like to go to China again. When things calm down over here, I will be taking Baby Liu to the motherland. Can't wait.
Do you ever experience writer's block?
Hmm... I don't really let the term "Writer's block" paralyze me. I just call it "when nothing good comes out." If nothing good comes out for a while, I quit for the day and start again the next. I keep doing this until something good comes out. Then I keep writing until nothing good comes out once more. It's all just part of the process.
That's my secret.
What elements make up a perfect writing space for you?
When I was writing PARIS PAN, I'd play a song or two to get in the mood for certain scenes. But in general, I don't need music to write. I just need a laptop. Bonus, if I have the power supply with me!
That's very flexible of you, Cynthea! Thanks so much for stopping by.
More about THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA:
Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she's bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi'an, China, she jumps at the chance. She'll be able to learn about her passion-anthropology-and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots.
But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she's been looking for?
MORE About Cynthea Liu:
In addition to PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE and THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, Cynthea's nonfiction book WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS: A CRASH COURSE (how to write, revise, and publish your kid's or teen book with children's book publishers) is available in paperback
Have more fun with Cynthea. Visit her website and buy her book!
Author Web site: http://www.cynthealiu.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0142411345/?tag=cynthealiu-20
Cynthea spent her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was a Whiz Quiz member, an Academic Decathloner, and a spelling bee champion. (Yes, she was very popular.) After attending college on the East coast, she worked at a corporate job where she mastered PowerPoint and racked up thousands of frequent flyer miles. Eventually, she traded in her suit for sweats to do the fun stuff-writing for children.
I caught up with Cynthea and asked her a few questions:
I understand you traveled to China to research your book.
Yup! I went twice. My brother lives in Xi'an so I had my inside connection.
What was something that surprised you on your visit?
Xi'an hardly gets any publicity in the U.S. when clearly, it should rank right up there with Shanghai and Beijing. If you go to China, people, DO NOT MISS the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, Hua Qinq Chi, the Muslim Quarter, and Big Wild Goose Pagoda. I'm sure I'm missing some other great landmarks, but Xi'an is truly a beautiful city rich with Chinese history and culture.
If you could visit any place and time (past/present/future) for a week, where and when would it be?
I'd really like to go to China again. When things calm down over here, I will be taking Baby Liu to the motherland. Can't wait.
Do you ever experience writer's block?
Hmm... I don't really let the term "Writer's block" paralyze me. I just call it "when nothing good comes out." If nothing good comes out for a while, I quit for the day and start again the next. I keep doing this until something good comes out. Then I keep writing until nothing good comes out once more. It's all just part of the process.
That's my secret.
What elements make up a perfect writing space for you?
When I was writing PARIS PAN, I'd play a song or two to get in the mood for certain scenes. But in general, I don't need music to write. I just need a laptop. Bonus, if I have the power supply with me!
That's very flexible of you, Cynthea! Thanks so much for stopping by.
More about THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA:
Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she's bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi'an, China, she jumps at the chance. She'll be able to learn about her passion-anthropology-and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots.
But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she's been looking for?
MORE About Cynthea Liu:
In addition to PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE and THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, Cynthea's nonfiction book WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS: A CRASH COURSE (how to write, revise, and publish your kid's or teen book with children's book publishers) is available in paperback
Have more fun with Cynthea. Visit her website and buy her book!
Author Web site: http://www.cynthealiu.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0142411345/?tag=cynthealiu-20