Interview with Malinda Lo

So, this is an exciting week, because I get to share with you not one, but TWO interviews. Now I have the honor of introducing one of the ’09 debs, Malinda Lo. Malinda Lo’s novel, Ash, in the most simple of terms is a lesbian retelling of Cinderella. I read and reviewed this one awhile ago, so to hear more about Ash see my review.

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KB: First, can you tell us a little about your road to publishing?
ML: It's been about seven and a half years between first inspiration and my book hitting the shelves, so it's definitely been a long road! To briefly summarize, I wrote three or four drafts of Ash before I even submitted it to agents in 2007. My agent offered to represent me in December 2007; I did another revision for her by January 2008; and we got our first offers in February 2008. Since then, things have been moving at lightning speed, but I still did three revisions along the way. A lot of revising goes into publishing!

KB: Why did you decide to write fiction for young adults?
ML: I actually didn't make a conscious decision to write YA fiction. I simply wrote Ash the way I wanted to write it, and when I was finally ready to submit it to agents, I saw that it fit best within the YA genre. It's actually not so surprising because I was so inspired by other YA fairy tale retellings I read when I was a teen.

KB: The cover of Ash is gorgeous! What role did you play in its cover design?
ML: Pretty much none! I just wrote the book, and the talented Alison Impey took what she read and translated it perfectly into an image. I am so happy with the cover!

KB: Why did you choose the tale of Cinderella?
ML: Cinderella was always my favorite fairy tale when I was a kid. I've also long been a fan of Robin McKinley's fairy tale retellings, and I always wished she would write a retelling of Cinderella. Since she didn't (or hasn't so far), I decided to write the story I've always wanted to read.

KB: How did you decide to make Cinderella a lesbian? Did this make the Cinderella story more difficult to rework?
ML: Well, in the first draft, Ash (the Cinderella character) fell in love with the prince. But then I sent that draft to a friend to read, and she told me she felt that the prince was kinda boring, but this other woman (the huntress) was much more intriguing. I looked closely at the draft and realized that Ash was falling in love with this woman, not the prince. That's when I decided to rewrite it as a "lesbian Cinderella." It didn't make retelling the story any more difficult; in fact, I think it made it easier, because this was the story that was trying to get out of my subconscious.

KB: What was the most challenging part about writing Ash? What about the most rewarding?
ML: Honestly, the most challenging part about the actual writing of Ash was writing the romantic scenes. Writing romance doesn't come easily to me, and I have to spend a lot of time thinking about words and how to spin them into a romantic feeling without becoming overly sweet. Partly as a result of this, I think some of the most rewarding parts are when I finish those scenes and reread them. When they evoke the effect in me that I was aiming for -- that's when it's wonderful.

KB: Can you tell us a bit about what you are working on now?
ML: I am working on a companion novel to Ash. It's set in the same world, but several hundred years earlier, so there are no crossover characters. Or are there? (evil laugh)

KB: What do you do when writer’s block hits?
ML: Well, I usually encounter writer's block when I haven't given enough time to thinking about what I want to happen. Not what I want to write, specifically, but which direction the story should go in. Unfortunately, if I'm on a deadline, I just have to power through it -- I kind of force myself through the trouble spots, writing basically anything, and then go back and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. This is what I learned from being a reporter. Once there's something on the page, I can go back and work things out and improve it.
If I have a little more time, or if my deadline is a little farther ahead and I encounter writer's block, I'll take a break from it. I'll actually leave my desk and go for a walk in the woods or something. Being away from the computer is very helpful, actually -- sometimes I'll solve the block just by going to sit on the couch and writing longhand for a while. It's mostly about changing the physical situation I'm in, which seems to break through the mental block.

KB: If you had to pick one (or maybe two) song(s) to associate with Ash, what would you pick?
ML: KT Tunstall's "Universe & U" -- I listened to this song repeatedly when writing one scene in Ash. And "Bonfire" by Lamb -- this song makes me think of the character of Sidhean. Kind of creepy and weird. :) And I've created an Ash playlist; you can see it here.

KB: Thank you so much for joining us! I love that playlist for Ash and highlighted it yesterday in my Feed Your Ears post :)

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Malinda Lo’s debut release, Ash, was released this past Tuesday, September 1st, so get it NOW in stores. Also, she keeps a really awesome author blog, which you can find here.

Feed Your Ears XVI: Ash

To read about the origins of Feed Your Ears, check out my first post.


This week's selection is Malinda Lo's debut, Ash. About a month ago, Malinda Lo posted a playlist of some of the songs she listened to while writing Ash. Today's Feed Your Ears post is going to be a sample from this really great playlist.

1. Moved Through the Fair” by Loreena McKennitt

2. “Far Away” by Martha Wainwright

3. “Lust” by Tori Amos

4. “The Unforgettable Fire” by U2

5. “Universe & U” by KT Tunstall

And to think... there are 14 songs on Malinda Lo's playlist. That means you should head to her blog to check out the Ash playlist in its entirety.

P.S. Check back tomorrow for my interview with Malinda Lo!

They like me! They really like me!

First, I want to thank J. Kaye! She's an incredible book blogger (one of the first I ever followed) and I am so honored that she chose to feature me last Friday (July 10th) as part of her 'A Book Blogger's New Discovery.' So again, thanks J. Kaye!


I've also found links to my reviews by two authors fairly recently (okay, so from June, but I only found them recently, so that counts, right?) and was so excited I just had to share. :)

The first mention of one of my reviews I found was by Jim C. Hines At the beginning of June, I reviewed the anthology Terribly Twisted Tales, and his story "The Red Path" was one of my favorites, so he linked to that review from his LJ.

Then, I found out that Malinda Lo has seen my review of Ash. I found one of her June twitter updates that quotes my review!

Thanks everyone!

In My Mailbox: Week 3 and More

First, thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for this meme. Here's what I've found in my mailbox, at the bookstore, and at the library this week. Summaries are taken from Amazon and B&N.

^These Susane Colasanti books were won from a contest held by Amanda at A Patchwork of Books and I won The September Sisters from Kelly Parra at YA Fresh. Thanks both of you!!

Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti (ARC) - At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road—including her parents' unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek—test Marisa's ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school's ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is—or does she?

Take Me There by Susane Colasanti (ARC) - In one short week . . . three lives change. Rhiannon is devastated after the breakup with her boyfriend and wants him back. Nicole's ex is still in the picture, but she can't help having a new crush. James and Rhiannon are just friends, though he may try to take it to the next level. Will their desire to take a mean girl down a notch bring these three friends what they want . . . and more? Set during one life-altering week and told in three realistic perspectives, this engaging, witty novel by the author of When It Happens shows the ups and downs of love, friendship—and karma.

The September Sisters by Jillian Cantor - Abigail Reed and her younger sister, Becky, are always at each other's throats. Their mother calls them the September Sisters, because their birthdays are only a day apart, and pretends that they're best friends. But really, they delight in making each other miserable. Then Becky disappears in the middle of the night, and a torn gold chain with a sapphire heart charm is the only clue to the mystery of her kidnapping. Abby struggles to cope with her own feelings of guilt and loss as she tries to keep her family together. When her world is at its bleakest, Abby meets a new neighbor, Tommy, who is dealing with his own loss, and the two of them discover that love can bloom, even when it's surrounded by thorns.

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy - Tabitha and her four best friends all wear purity rings, symbols of the virginity-until-marriage pledge they made years ago. Now Tab is fifteen, and her ring has come to mean so much more. It's a symbol of who she is and what she believes — a reminder of her promises to herself, and her bond to her friends. But when Tab meets a boy whose kisses make her knees go weak, everything suddenly seems a lot more complicated. Tab's best friend, Morgan, is far from supportive, and for the first time, Tabitha is forced to keep secrets from the one person with whom she's always shared everything. When one of those secrets breaks to the surface, Tab finds herself at the center of an unthinkable betrayal that splits her friends apart. As Tab's entire world comes crashing down around her, she's forced to re-examine her friendships, her faith, and what exactly it means to be pure.

Ash by Malinda Lo - Cinderella retold. In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.
^I've already written a review for this one (SO GOOD), so check it out.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen - It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live. A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their
friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn - Talia fell under a spell . . . . Jack broke the curse.
I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic. . . .
I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.
I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.
I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.
Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!
Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels. . . .The good news: My parents will freak!
Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers - Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott - When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over. Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her. This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

So those were the books that made their way into my room this week. What did you find in your mailbox?


Also, here are a few contests on other blogs going on this June and early July.

To start with, of course: YA Book Carnival hosted by Shooting Stars Mag with TONS of contests (including my own for Hunted, plus two more coming up to keep an eye out for). This is also a great way to support and discover other bloggers, so head on over.

Ending June 22nd at Read This Book! is a contest for a signed copy of Julie Kraut's Slept Away. There's also a great interview with Julie Kraut about writing, camp, and superpowers ;) Check out the interview and enter for a signed copy over here.

There's another BC Book contest going on for Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog. Head over here for a chance to win the ARC (the book comes out this coming Tuesday), plus lots of awesome swag if you enter by June 26th.

Harmony Book Reviews is holding a "summer is contest time" giveaway. If you like surprises, this contest is for you. Enter for a chance to pick a few books of your choice off a list that will be e-mailed to you. Cool, huh? Enter here by June 31st - entries are unlimited.

The Book Blogger is giving away some great fantasy-type books over here. Enter by July 1st and you'll have a chance to win a hardcover of one of the following: Wings by Aprilynne Pike, The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong, or Stargazer by Claudia Gray.

This next one isn't really YA, but I'd consider it a crossover as her books can certainly appeal to a YA audience (I mean, I started reading her Kushiel series years ago). So, The Book Butterfly is giving away Jacqueline Carey's latest, Santa Olivia, right over here if you enter by July 1st.

GreenBeanTeenQueen is celebrating her birthday with us in a nice big giveaway of summer reads and romances! The giveaway includes Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols, Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker, The Wedding Planner's Daughter by Coleen Murtagh Paratore, and Slept Away by Julie Kraut. Enter here by July 1st for your chance to win these books.

Bloody Bookaholic is currently holding not one, but two contests! First, you can enter for a chance to win Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev here. Enter by July 1st for a chance to win this Theatre Illuminta book. Bloody Bookaholic is also hosting a contest for the YA Book Carnival so check out that contest here. To mix things up a bit, this contest is giving away The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge as well as a suprise book (which you won't know until you pick it). Sounds like fun to me! So, enter to win either book by June 27th.

P.S. Sorry this post was SO long!

Ash

Malinda Lo’s debut novel, Ash, introduces Aisling, better known as Ash, who loses her mother and father at a young age. Forced into servitude by her stepmother to repay her father’s debts, Ash struggles to overcome her grief while trying to understand her woodland heritage through the land’s fairy tales. While trying to come to terms with her mother’s death, Ash finds herself drawn to the Wood and the cunning fairy Sidhean who promises to grant her desires though she does not know the cost. In the same woods, Ash meets the King’s Huntress, Kaisa, who becomes a mentor and friend while the reader watches their relationship delicately evolve into more.

Ash is standout debut from Malinda Lo. Of all of the retellings of Cinderella that I have read (and as a fan of fairy tales, I assure you I have read many), this one is a truly unique adaptation. To begin with, the cover is absolutely breathtaking. Ash has one of those covers that will immediately draw your eye in a bookstore and then leave you staring for several minutes before you finally reach out to pick it up. Malinda Lo’s descriptions are luscious and the imagery vivid. Beyond this, her words flow wonderfully, drawing the reader in so that you just have to read the entire book in one sitting.

While Ash in a sentence has been condensed to “a lesbian retelling of Cinderella,” I believe that reducing this debut to such oversimplifies and underestimates this beautiful tale. This rendition of Cinderella is rooted in folklore, especially as it layers multiple tales within the whole tale itself, and introduces the element of fantasy through fairies. Furthermore, while the GLBT theme is clearly key to the novel’s development, I did not find it to be popping at the surface of the story, but rather subtly woven throughout the text. Instead of pushing an agenda, Ash teaches that love and friendship can take you by surprise, are sometimes out of your control, and that both can be found in unexpected places. I also appreciated Ash’s strong will and that Malinda Lo did not stick to traditional concepts of good and evil (for example, Ash finding a sympathetic stepsister in Clara). Overall, Ash brilliantly recreates the story of Cinderella in an elaborate world where nothing is simply predictable. This is a 2009 debut that you will not want to miss. 10 out of 10.

P.S. Check out the British cover at Malinda Lo’s site here. It’s so much different than the US cover! Though I like the British one, I don’t think it really compares to the US one.

Teaser Tuesday: Week 2 and Contests

Teaser Tuesdays is sponsored by MizB of Should Be Reading. Teaser Tuesdays go like this:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this Tuesday is...

"When she emerged from the Wood, she looked toward the grave and knew with a sense of rising dread that something was wrong. She took the last few steps, her legs shaking, and saw that there was a gaping hole where there should have been earth and grass."

--page 118, Ash by Malinda Lo

What's your teaser this week?

Also, here are some more contests going on at other blogs, in more or less chronological order:

First, though I have no idea when this one ends (all the more reason to rush over there now), Reviewer X is giving away Lisa Mantchev's debut (that's been getting a lot of attention), Eyes Like Stars over here. Review X also did a great pub story with Lisa Mantchev that you can read here. I love how acting and reading (and dreams) seem so interconnected.

Ending June 17, as one of their Contest Mondays, The Brain Lair is giving away a SIGNED ARC of The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong here. You know, the sequel to The Summoning. I haven't read this one, but the first was entrancing, so I'm sure this one isn't to be missed. And I did mention that it's SIGNED, right?

Now a big hit: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. You know you've been dying to get your hands on a copy of this one, and now you can. Head over to Connie's blog LitMuse by June 19th for a chance to win a copy. It's right over here.

For those of you who have read Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind (and even for those who haven't), Zafon's next book just came out (today!) and Reading and Ruminations is giving you the chance to win an ARC of this book, The Angel's Game (along with The Shadow of the Wind if you haven't read it or a gift card to a bookstore). So, head over here by June 20th to sign up for the giveaway.

Next, Fantastic Book Review is hosting a contest called Magicians, Demons & Selkies – Oh My! (I know, I love the contest title, too). If you enter by June 20th, you have the chance to win a copy of either The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan or Sea Change by Aimee Friedman.

And now, here's a chance to win an updated (and very unique) retelling of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast - Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. Head over to The Story Siren for a shot to win this adaptation as long as you enter by June 26th.

In Bed With Books has a pretty massive contest going on that you can check out right here. If you post why you're life could be a good reality TV show, you could win: the complete Elite series (The Elite, In Too Deep, and the soon-to-be-released Simply Irresistible) by Jennifer Banash, Don't You Forget About Me (Gossip Girl #11) by Cecily Von Ziegesar, Envy (Lux #3) by Anna Godbersen, and Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.

And the last one for today, Jessica at Eat Sleep Dance Read is having her first contest (yay!) celebrating the beginning of summer over here. She's giving away Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles and you can enter until June 30th.

P.S. Upcoming reviews include Fragile Eternity, Ash, and Storm Glass. I'll try to have them all up by the end of the weekend.