Jennifer Brown

Today I’m lunching with a truly inspiring Deb. Cynthea Liu is not only a terrific writer, but has tons of creativity, energy, passion… and she’s just so darn nice, too. Have you checked out her launch yet? Well, before we lunch, get to it!

So today, as part of my “Lunching with Leads” blog series, I’m Sunday brunching with Paris Pan, the main character in Cynthea Liu’s PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE.

About Paris Pan Takes the Dare

Twelve-year-old Paris Pan's life is a mess. She's just moved to a tiny town in Nowheresville, Oklahoma; her family life is a comical disaster; her new friends are more like frenemies; and the boy she has a crush on is a dork. Things couldn't possibly get worse, until she discovers that a girl mysteriously died years ago while taking a seventh-grade rite of passage–the Dare– right near Paris's new house. So when Paris starts hearing strange noises coming from the creepy run-down shed in her backyard, she thinks they could be a message from the ghost of a girl. But while she has no plans to make contact with the great beyond, her two new friends have other thoughts. Everyone who's anyone takes the Dare, and now it's Paris's turn.

Oh! Fun! I gotta know what the dare is! Maybe Paris will whisper it to me. Here she comes... let's eat! Where are we eating?

We're sitting outside on some concrete steps, overlooking the school playground. Forget the cafeteria. Sugar Lake Elementary doesn't have one.

No cafeteria?! Boy, that is Nowheresville. What's on the menu?

Mom's leftovers. *Sigh*

*frowns* That doesn't sound great. Well, I guess we could make it a little better by making a party out of this. Who else should we invite to join us?

Mayo and Dana. My newfound friends. But watch for Mayo though. You don't want to get on her bad side.

Uh-oh, now I'm nervous. And I always say the wrong thing when I'm nervous. Tell me... What is the one subject you hope I don't bring up?

Let's not talk about the notes I've been passing to Tom Cox--everyone thinks he's brain-damaged.

Pretty dorky, huh? Okay, I'll leave Tom out of it. What is the one subject you hope I will bring up?

How about anything not related to The Dare? That'll work.

Awww, c'mon! I'm dying to know what the dare is! Guess I'll just have to read the book like everyone else. And speaking of everyone else... You're sure getting tons of attention from fans. How do you feel about all this limelight?

Fans? Me?!

Eat your heart out, Verona!

Awesome! I love a girl who eats up her admirers. But... How do you eat a Reeses?

There should be great care taken when eating a Reeses. 1) Make sure your dog isn't within 50 feet of you or she'll be eating it and not you. 2) Start from the middle and punch a hole through the center with your thumb. 3) Consume the punched-out part. 4) Next work around the outside. 5) Finally, wonder how on Earth you got lucky enough to eat a Reeses? Assume it was on super-sale on a triple-coupon day and Mom was feeling nice!

I've never tried that method before. I'm going to do it right now! Good luck, Paris, with the dare! And Good luck, Cynthea, with your book!

To purchase a copy of PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE, click HERE.

About Cynthea Liu

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. 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. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1605301140/?tag=cynthealiu-20

Visit Cynthea at her website: www.cynthealiu.com

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Check back on July 1st for lunch with the main character of Cyn Balog's FAIRY LUST.