https://henrylien.com/">Henry Lien

Henry Lien, Author

WHAT ARE THESE PEASPROUT CHEN BOOKS ALL ABOUT?

They’re a middle grade fantasy/adventure series about a girl determined to take top ranking at Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword where she studies Wu Liu, a form that blends figure skating with martial arts. Everyone says the books are like “Harry Potter Meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon . . . On Ice!” That’s pretty spot-on but they’re also about immigration, girl power, sibling relationships, leadership, teamwork, and the importance of friendship. My publisher Holt/Macmillan says they’re for ages 10-14, but they won’t be checking i.d.s. The first book, PEASPROUT CHEN, FUTURE LEGEND OF SKATE AND SWORD, came out in April 2018 and the second book, PEASPROUT CHEN: BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS came out in January 2019. Here’s a whole lot more info about them, including excerpts from both books for free: MORE

THOSE SOUND LIKE BOOKS I NEED IN MY LIFE IMMEDIATELY, WHERE CAN I BUY THEM?

Just skate on over to these links:
Indiebound
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Books-A-Million
Target

ARE PEOPLE SAYING NICE THINGS ABOUT PEASPROUT?

Oh wow, yes. Smiley emoticon. Publishers Weekly’s starred review called the first book “massively entertaining . . . Peasprout Chen is a future legend, indeed.” Kirkus’ starred review called the second book “a riveting second act.” The New York Times said, “It’s Hermione Granger meets ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ meets the Ice Capades meets ‘Mean Girls.’ . . . PEASPROUT CHEN: FUTURE LEGEND OF SKATE AND SWORD . . . speaks in a single, strong voice, thanks to its spirited heroine.” Here are links to reviews and awards:

Book 1
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
New York Times
Booklist (starred review, audio version)
Booklist
Booklist Top 10 First Novels on Audio
Bulletin of Center for Children’s Books
Cooperative Children’s Book Center (best-of-the-year)
Kirkus
Horn Book
Parents’ Choice Foundation (silver medal, audio edition)
Barnes and Noble
AudioFile (Earphones Award)
Nebula/Norton Award Finalist
An Amazon Top 500 Books Bestseller
#1 in Multiple Amazon Children’s Book Categories
Amazon Prime Book Box Pick

Book 2
Kirkus (starred review)
Parents’ Choice Foundation (silver medal, audio edition)
Booklist
Horn Book
AudioFile
Nebula/Norton Award Finalist

OMG, IS IT REALLY TRUE THAT IDINA MENZEL SANG THE THEME SONG YOU WROTE FOR THE FIRST PEASPROUT CHEN BOOK?

Shhh. Keep your voice down, please. Yes, it’s 110% true! But it’s a secret so I’m only telling you. Yes, you. Here you go: MORE. There are also two new songs for the second book and they rock so hard that they cause tsunamis. Grab onto something and click HERE and HERE.

I JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOU AND THIS PEASPROUT CHEN, NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY. WHERE CAN I LEARN EVEN MORE?

If you want to see my electrifying live, in-person author performances in full 3-D, or virtually, in the privacy of your own home in gorgeous 2-D,
here’s a LIST.

If you want to see the highlights video from the launch of PEASPROUT CHEN book 2, including my performance of the two new theme songs, then it would be auspicious for you to click here:
FACEBOOK or YOUTUBE.

If you want to see a video of highlights from the launch of PEASPROUT CHEN book 1, then I don’t understand why you haven’t already clicked HERE.

If you want to read an interview with me in Publishers Weekly about the series, then perform an iron scorpion finger stab HERE.

If you want to see the gorgeous map of the wu liu academy and hear the original recording of book 1’s theme song, you might want to think about clicking HERE.

If you want to read about the devastating injuries I suffered to my ego when I took kung fu and figure skating lessons as research to write the books, then you’re probably a mean person and would enjoy clicking HERE.

If you want to hear me go blah, blah, blah for an hour about PEASPROUT CHEN on the Books and Boba podcast, then kick off your skates and click HERE.

If you want to read an interview with me in Lightspeed Magazine about the series, then press firmly HERE.

If you want to read an interview with me in UCLA’s Daily Bruin about the series, then it would be super-auspicious for you to press HERE, ok?

If you want to hear an overcaffeinated author go roaring off the rails and see him get drawn as an irritable oracular monkey, then for goodness’ sake, click HERE.

If you want to read about PEASPROUT CHEN and quidditch, lightsabers, and girl power, then click really hard HERE.

If you’re interested in how “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” influenced PEASPROUT CHEN, then skate on over HERE.

If you want to listen to me talk about Harry Potter, video games, the childhood adventures we all wish we’d had, and how they all inspired PEASPROUT CHEN, then this podcast will make you smile over HERE.

If you love Taiwan, then you totally rawk, and would be interested in reading this interview with me in honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month over HERE.

If you want to watch me (and my birds) not cry as I unbox book 1 for the first time, then how about clicking HERE.

If you’d like my army of robot assistants to automatically send you updates, you should make beeping sounds and then click HERE.

Oh, hey, can we give a deep bow to Afu Chan for the ferocious cover art and decorations?