Avery from Dull Boy totally ditched the pageant to save the world or something, but luckily we have another contestant lined up for this week: Paris Pan from Cynthea Liu’s Paris Pan Takes the Dare.

Character name: Paris Pan
Age: 12
Biography: Awkward, but extremely bright, smart-mouthed 12-year-old yearning to be free.

What is your talent?
I am excellent at drawing bad facsimiles of horses.

What will you wear for the evening dress competition?
Hopefully nothing as tasteless as my sister Verona would wear. But most-likely a second-hand outfit from her closet anyway.

Who is your escort?
Why, Tom, of course.

And now for the interview portion . . . what’s the biggest challenge facing today’s youth?
People my age spend way too much time torturing each other versus enjoying each other’s company. We could also make the world a better place by removing the words Freak, Stupid, and Brain-Damaged from our vocabulary. Thank you.

Thank you Paris and Cynthea!

Paris has a big heart, and so does her creator. Cynthea is hosting an online launch party at her website: Take the Dare, Show you Care! She is raising money for a Title I school in her home state of Oklahoma: Tulakes Elementary. So head on over and enjoy the party while supporting a great cause.

Today’s contestant is Jessica from Cynthea Liu’s debut, The Great Call of China. Cynthea is something of a superstar: she has both her YA debut and her first middle grade novel, Paris Pan Takes the Dare, coming out this year. On top of that, she developed AuthorsNow! an online venue for authors and  illustrators of children’s and young adult literature.

And now . . . the pageant!

Name: Jessica Ye
Age: 16
Biography: I’ll admit it. I’m spoiled. I get practically everything I want, except I don’t get to decide where I’ll apply for college. My parents have it all laid out for me.

What is your talent?
I can work a sewing machine like nobody’s business. But my parents think fashion design is just a hobby.

What will you wear for the evening dress competition?
A Jessica Ye original, of course.

Who is your escort?
Will, naturally.

Now for the interview portion . . .If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
There oughta be more Jessica’s in the world. We would band together and eliminate sweatpants from our society.

Thank you Jessica and Cynthea!

To learn more about Cynthea, please visit her website or AuthorsNow!

The Great Call of China is available now. Buy it at your local bookstore, or through Amazon.