Comments on: Reminders and newsy bits

By: M.Harvey

M.Harvey — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:55:20 +0000

I finally got around to looking at your blog again!
I’m from Ireland and I heard about Ash through Meg Cabot’s website. I can’t wait to read it! (We have to wait a while for it here!).
That commercial is cute. There is, unfortunately, homophobia still in Ireland, but then again condoms only became legal about 20 years ago, and that was only for families.
But you should still come here because it is really quite stunning.
Just to warn you, its rainiest here in summer, winter and especially spring. Its actually not that bad in autumn. Best time to come if your set on summer is early June, exam time, when the sun shines just to spite you.
Depends on where your going I guess, but I suppose the best places to see are Newgrange, Glendalough in Co.Wicklow, its a monastery and a valley. Ireland’s lovely if you walk around all the sites, albeit in rain gear. Going up north is always a good idea, there’s the glens of antrim and the giants’s causeway and the mountains are gorgeous. Glenveagh is worth a visit.
You should look on heritageireland.ie, it will tell you all the best places to go. A heritage card may be worth buying.
Renting a car might be a good idea, but on busy days, weekends its hard to get parking in the cities.
If you’re travelling around the country, spend a night or two in a family run b &b, sometimes they’re lovely. Be warned about renting a mobile home, it can be cold.
Bring clothes, lots of clothes.
And enjoy!

By: Malinda Lo

Malinda Lo — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:27:27 +0000

Thanks so much for translating! Wow, they give a lot away. Good thing they don’t necessarily give away the truth.

Also, I *love* that they say ASH had a launch as big as TWILIGHT’s. LOL!!

By: Malinda Lo

Malinda Lo — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:26:05 +0000

Thanks for the rec for Killarney Abbey! Sounds magical.

By: N.P.

N.P. — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:33:50 +0000

Malinda, I’m sure your Italian is way better than my Chinese but here’s a translation to the “something” for you, in case you were wondering. I’m really glad you’re getting published here, by the way!

Romantic and magical, “Ash” is Malinda Lo’s debut novel for modern Cinderellas

Hold on to your seats, all you modern days princesses and Cinderellas: a new book is coming, in 2010, that promises to capture our hearts and minds. We’re talking about Malinda Lo’s “Ash”, a novel that perfectly represents the new trend in young adult literature of speaking to and about contemporary kids by resorting to an intimate style closer to classic fairytales than urban cinematic montages.

The American launch had as much visibility as Twilight’s, with Amazon and Barnes & Noble shortlisting “Ash” among the best new books for young adults. “Ash” it’s more than a retelling of Cinderella; it’s a love story that, brilliantly trascending time and gender, portrays the confusion and the struggle for self-definition that’s so typical of adolescence.

In a realm beyond time, Ash lives alone with her father in a big house by the forest’s edge. Her beloved mother has only recently passed away and all that’s left of her is the wonderful stories that she used to tell Ash. For Ash, however, those are not just pretty fairy tales: they’re the realm where her mother still lives, surrounded by magical creatures. One day, Ash’s father decide that it’s time for him to marry again and so he and his daughter leave the forest behind to move into the City.
Sadly, Ash’s father dies shortly after and the young girl becomes a house slave to her stepmother and her two daughters.
At times, though, Ash manages to slip away and go back to “her” forest to visit her mother’s grave. There, she has two encounters that will change her destiny forever: Sidhean – mysterious young man, ambiguous and gifted with magic powers – and Kaisa, the young and beautiful King’s Huntress. Transfixed by the beautiful huntress and desperate to see her again, Ash strikes a pact with Sidhean: she will give herself to him but not without him using his powers to turn her into a princess first – so that she can be invited to the Prince’s ball and see Kaisa one more time. At the ball the Prince only has eyes for Ash, but she spends the whole night in Kaisa’s arms, dancing. But what will happen when midnight comes and Ash will have to face the consequence of her choices in the forest where Sidhean is waiting for her…?
Romantic and magical, “Ash” is an outstanding debut that reminds us in an unforgettable, enthralling way, what it means finding ourselves and falling in love.

By: A. Grey

A. Grey — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:42:33 +0000

Congrats on everything, yay for the new list of books for me to sort through, and you’re going to LOVE Ireland, regardless of their political issues. Make sure you take paper or your computer, there wasn’t a single spot I went when I visited Ireland that didn’t inspire me to write. You have to go to Killarney Abbey. It’s beautiful, mysterious and the nuns make ridiculously good chocolate! Oh, and I love the video! That’s a great commercial!