Malinda Lo

It’s time for one of my irregularly scheduled news roundups.

1. My first short story publication!

I’m so pleased to announce that my short story, “The Fox,” will be published in the Summer 2011 issue of Subterranean Magazine Online, which is a special YA-themed issue edited by Gwenda Bond.

The other stories in the issue are written by some truly fantastic writers, and I’m honored to be in their company. Here’s the full table of contents, in alphabetical order:

“Queen of Atlantis” by Sarah Rees Brennan
“Mirror, Mirror” by Tobias S. Buckell
“Younger Women” by Karen Joy Fowler
“Their Changing Bodies” by Alaya Dawn Johnson
“The Ghost Party” by Richard Larson
“Valley of the Girls” by Kelly Link
“The Fox” by Malinda Lo
“Seek-No-Further” by Tiffany Trent
“Demons, Your Body, and You” by Genevieve Valentine

“The Fox” is the first short story I’ve written in 15 years, and it was a thrill to write. It actually grew from a deleted scene in Huntress (my next novel, coming out in April 2011), and features one of the main characters from that novel.

Wait! I hear you saying. What does that mean? Is it full of spoilers? Is it set in the middle of the book? Well, “The Fox” is set a couple of years after Huntress, but I believe you could actually read it before Huntress and not be spoiled. I mean, a lot of stuff can happen in a couple of years. You never know what might have happened between the end of Huntress and the beginning of “The Fox.” (Well, I know, but I’m not telling. )

However, if you’re worried about spoilers, “The Fox” will be published this summer, which means it’s coming out after Huntress, so there will be plenty of time for you to read Huntress first. Then you can guarantee you won’t be spoiled. And, if you read Huntress and enjoy it, you might really like to know that there is a story set two years later. Because, well, you just might.

So. Yay! My first published short story! And because it’ll be published at Subterranean Magazine Online, that means everyone will be able to read it for free. Sometimes, the internet is truly wonderful.

2. In preparation for the Huntress launch (I seriously can’t believe I’m writing this), I’ve been starting to schedule book events. As you probably know, I’ll be going on tour in May with Diversity in YA, and we’ll be announcing the details of our event locations and dates very soon. But in addition, I’m doing a separate, solo book launch for Huntress with the fabulous Not Your Mother’s Book Club in Palo Alto, California! Details:

April 5, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Huntress Book Launch!
Books Inc
855 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA

Mark your calendars, Bay Area peeps! (For those of you not in the Bay Area, you won’t be left out: There shall be “virtual” shenanigans, too.)

3. You still have until February 15th to enter my giveaway for Cindy Pon’s Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix. Enter here.

4. Monday is Valentine’s Day, and I’ll have a little something for my readers. So, if you’ve read and enjoyed Ash, please come back on Monday!

That’s all, folks. See you on Monday!