Malinda Lo
Blog
Aug 3, 2009
An excerpt from ASH
Today, August 3, is a pretty nifty day for several reasons.
First, I am recently back from my honeymoon, which was wonderful. I read a bunch of books (including Kristin Cashore’s Fire, which was fantastic), went kayaking, ate delicious food, and enjoyed every minute I spent with my amazing partner, Amy, who puts up with the fact that basically all I ever want to do is read books and eat good food.
Second, today is my birthday! I’m writing in the morning and dining in the evening, so it’s going to be another great day.
Third, it’s now less than one month before Ash is officially released (although it might sneak into some bookstores by the middle of the month). All during August, I’ll be doing special Ash-related posts on Mondays. Today I’m going to share with you the first chapter of the book.
The beginning:
Aisling’s mother died at midsummer. She had fallen sick so suddenly that some of the villagers wondered if the fairies had come and taken her, for she was still young and beautiful. She was buried three days later beneath the hawthorn tree behind the house, just as twilight was darkening the sky.
Maire Solanya, the village greenwitch, came that evening to perform the old rituals over the grave. She stood at the foot of the mound of black soil, a thin old woman with white hair bound in a braid that reached her hips, her face a finely drawn map of lines. Aisling and her father stood across from each other on either side of the grave, and at the head of it, resting on the simple headstone, was the burning candle. Aisling’s father had lit it shortly after Elinor died, and it would burn all night, sheltered by the curving glass around it. The gravestone was a plain piece of slate carved with her name: Elinor. Grass and tree roots would grow up around it as the months and years passed, until it would seem as if it had always been there.
Go here to read the entire first chapter.
More, more, more!!! I cannot wait to read this book, Malinda! And I’m so happy you had a lovely honeymoon. Happy birthday!!!
Happy birthday, Malinda!!! I’m glad that your vacation was wonderful, and that your post-vacation seems to continue the wonderfulness. Hope you have a great day! I’ve been talking to various people on Twitter who read the ASH excerpt and were super-excited about it.
Have an awesomely fun birthday Malinda! I can’t wait for Ash to come out, I’ve heard great things about it so I’m really eager to read it! Your honeymoon sounds so fun (esepcially the reading and eating good food part!), I wish teens could have a honeymoon(I suppose that’s what summer break is for, except for the whole summer school/job aspect). Thanks for the excerpt from your book!
I had the extreme good fortune to read your book via the amazon vine voice program. (Don’t worry- I gave you a good review!) I just had to visit your site & tell you how much I really enjoyed it. For a first published book it is amazingly well done. Paraphrasing Star Wars, “I shall watch your career with great interest”!
Happy Belated Birthday Malinda!! I’m glad you had a wonderful honeymoon, it sounds like you had a really fun time! Yay, the first chapter! I can’t wait till September 1st so I can read the rest of it!!! Not that much longer.
That’s great! Thanks for letting me know.
Don’t worry, Ari, you’ll get your honeymoon.
It’s worth the wait!
Thank you so much! And I love Star Wars, so extra thanks for that.
Happy Birhtday, one day late; but if I think slow, does that give me more time???? Also Happy Wedding/Honeymoon to you and your partner. You mean, there’s more to life than reading good books and eating good food?
Great first chapter ~ I enjoyed it; even though I’m not a YA….
Malinda…really, really enjoyed the first chapter. I’m not big into fantasy novels normally…but I love YA fiction and I thought this first chapter was a great teaser!
Can’t wait to get a hold of my own copy!
Congrats again on your marriage…and happy birthday!!!
Wow Malinda!
Belated Birthday Blessings and Wedding Joy.
Ash, the first chapter, was an awesome read thank you for being so generous. Gold dust huh? I know I have to but…I can’t wait to read the rest. Very enticing end to the chapter, lots of symbols and deeper meanings, great storytelling.
And to top it all off you’re a star wars fan.
Made my day
Cheers
Inger
What a wonderful first chapter, Malinda! Your writing is so lyrical I fell into Ash’s world without realizing it, then the chapter ended and there wasn’t any more to read and I felt jolted out of a dream I was really enjoying. Can’t wait to read the rest when it’s released!