About
My mom said my first word was “highchair.” I’m pretty sure she misheard, or I was just that eager to eat, but from as far as I can remember, I’ve loved words. And books. I read so much my parents couldn’t keep up with my library visits, and soon I was pestering them to take me to Goodwill so that I could buy books to keep forever. I still remember the giddy excitement I felt walking into a Goodwill, the comforting smell of antiques, and the weight of paperbacks piled high in my arms. Books ranged from 10 to 25 cents, and I went bananas. I discovered some of my favorite authors during those visits, authors who have remained my favorites to this day, including Lucy Maud Montgomery, Gordon Korman, Judy Blume, and many others. Despite all the books I went through (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 when I was a young reader. 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. Why Middle Grade? There’s something really special about the charm and innocence and joy of children’s books and how they delight the spirit, and leave readers with a warm, cozy, hopeful feeling inside. It is my goal to convey this optimism through my writing.
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Mo and Me: My Journey with Martial Arts
I started training in martial arts (Taekwondo) when I was six years old. I still remember my mom saying, “You need to learn how to protect yourself.” And little me shrugging, “Ok.” I didn’t know anything about kicking and punching, but it didn’t matter because, as it turns out, it was fun. The adrenaline rush when making contact with a target paddle, the snapping sound of my uniform when executing a proper move. My inspiration for Mo came from a real city-wide competition, where, like Mo, I faced off against a bigger, stronger boy during the final match. At that time, pairings were determined by belt-level and age, not by weight class. I ended up losing. I remember feeling so crushed by my second-place finish, and I kept replaying the fight in my head, wondering what I could have done differently. I was also inspired by martial arts movies—especially the stunt actors and body doubles, and the thugs in the background serving as punching bags for the protagonist. As an introvert, I never wanted to be the main character…but to get beat up by the main character? That seemed awesome. After achieving my black belt in Taekwondo, I explored other types of martial arts, starting with Wing Chun, a Southern Chinese style of kung fu. I found this form fascinating because it relies on getting in very close to an attacker and does not require brute strength. The clincher Legend has it that it was created by a woman, a Buddhist monk in the Qing Dynasty named Ng Mui. Another martial art that captured my interest was Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art with elements of acrobatics, rhythm, dance, and music. The high-energy and physicality of its artists is truly mesmerizing. I’ve also trained in Hapkido (a Korean martial arts that makes use of grab attacks, twists, falls, and pressure point strikes), and Muay Thai (a full-contact martial art from Thailand) and have tried out Karate. I came away with an appreciation for the similarities and differences in the different forms, and how each has a unique philosophy linking the physical to the mental (and spiritual). Martial arts is about discipline and practice, but it’s also about respect (for oneself and for others) and integrity. And, of course, indomitable spirit, the all-encompassing light within us all that shines with determination and hope and an unshakable optimism for a brighter tomorrow.
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