Interview by Kirsten ScottCan I just say this? I love Angie Fox. I mean, I seriously do. First of all, she’s darn cute, super friendly, and a really great writer. She did hit the NYT Bestseller list with her debut novel, The Accidental Demon Slayer, so you might be tempted to hate her, but you just can’t. She’s that kind of person.
I “met” Angie as a virtual member of my local RWA Chapter, the Rose City Romance Writers, and then got to meet her in person last year at Nationals. But you really meet Angie when you read her work – and can’t stop laughing from page one.
I’m delighted to host Angie today, and she’s got some fabulous prizes for us – so stick around and say hello. She can’t wait to meet you.
Angie, how did you come up with the idea for The Accidental Demon Slayer?
I started off with a kernel of an idea that amused me. What if a straight-laced preschool teacher suddenly learns she’s a demon slayer? And what if she has to learn about her powers on the run from a fifth level demon? Ohhh and wouldn’t it be fun if she’s running with her long-lost Grandma’s gang of geriatric biker witches?
Sounds like you started with a great hook, and the perfect mix of quirky characters and a unique plot. When you’re developing your novels, does plot trump character for you, or is it the other way around?
For me, it’s both. When I sat down to write The Accidental Demon Slayer, I had no notes about a sidekick for my heroine. But in the second chapter, when she’d learned she was a demon slayer and all hell was after her, she took comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, ‘This is a sweet moment. Now how do I throw her off?’ Simple. I made the dog say something to her. Nothing big. After all, he’s only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where my heroine can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard).
It amused me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, my heroine can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier. I had fun with it. In fact, I suspect Pirate the dog is my editor’s favorite character. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Pirate helped talk my editor into buying The Accidental Demon Slayer.
So did plot influence character? Maybe there it did. But I can tell you that as the book evolves, Pirate the dog does his share of influencing the plot too.
I suspect Pirate is everyone’s favorite character – who can resist a Harley-riding dog? Which brings up an interesting question. How did you know you could put a dog on a Harley? Are you a Harley rider from way back, or did you have to do a lot of research for the book?
Loads, actually. I’d never been on a motorcycle before, and I had to figure out how to get Pirate the dog onto a bike! I went online and learned about the Biker Dogs Motorcycle Club, made up exclusively of Harley riders and their dogs. I ended up meeting some of them, along with a few other bikers along the way. These bikers were so great to me. They hoisted me onto the back of their Harleys (with dogs in tow). They took me to biker rallies (note to self: don’t wear pink). And they laughed at me when I tried to put my helmet on backwards (I still say I was distracted by the Pomeranian wearing a tiny pair of motorcycle glasses).
After a few outings with my new biker friends, I was able to make my geriatric biker witch characters a lot more realistic. And I took home some great pictures, too.
Now those are pictures we’d all love to see. ☺ Especially that Pom. But moving on, everyone in the Lair loves a Call story. Can you tell us yours?
I’d entered the beginning of the book in the Chicago RWA’s Four Seasons contest. Leah Hultenschmit from Dorchester was the finals judge and she requested the full. I quickly finished the last eight chapters and sent it off to her on a Thursday. Then I spent Friday on email queries to agents. When the 212 popped up on my caller ID the following Tuesday, I was elated and thought it could be an agent I’d queried. Nope. It was Leah wanting to buy The Accidental Demon Slayer.
It was the neatest feeling. But I could barely hear her because my two small children had picked that moment to battle over a lump of green Play Dough. Leah asked if I wanted her to call back and I said, “Nooo” and ducked into the garage. In August. I probably lost five pounds of water weight talking to her. So hey, a sold book and weight loss too! It was such a surreal moment to know an editor had read my book and liked it.
When I hung up with Leah, I immediately called my husband, who was in a meeting. So I called my mom, who was gone. I called several friends, who weren’t home. Then I looked at the clock and realized that we had houseguests due in just over an hour, so I grabbed a quick shower and hummed a happy tune while scrubbing toilets and picking green Play Dough off the kitchen floor.
The Accidental Demon Slayer is an absolutely hilarious and perfectly paced novel (something I could use some help with, by the way!). It was no surprise to me that it was an instant success. What was your reaction when you learned it was a New York Times bestseller?
Complete shock. The phone rang on a Friday afternoon, as I was writing the climax of the The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, which is the sequel to The Accidental Demon Slayer. I almost didn’t answer the phone. After all, who would call in smack dab in the middle of a demon invasion?
Luckily, I picked up because it was my agent, saying that The Accidental Demon Slayer would be #34 on the New York Times list the next day. I didn’t know what to think. Heck, I’d just wanted to sell enough books so that I could keep writing about biker witches, demon slayers and talking terriers. I had to ask my agent to please email me too, just to make sure I wasn’t phone-hallucinating.
How does your family feel about your career as a romance author?
Well, I admit I had these fantasies of my husband saying things like, “Oh let me fix dinner. You look like you’re really focused on getting that dialogue right.” Or my kids saying, “Wow. Mom is a published author. We’d better not use her laptop cord as a jump rope.” Alas, my home life hasn’t changed at all. Well, other than the fact that it might be a bit strange that my four-year-old knows what an editor is. She gets calls from her “editor” on her Tinkerbell play phone.
What do we have to look forward to next from you?
I’m really excited about the release of book 2 in the Accidental Demon Slayer series, called The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers – look for it on April 28th (available for pre-order NOW on Amazon.com!). In it, the straight-laced Lizzie decides she’s going to learn everything about her powers, and at the same time, write the proverbial book on demon slaying. And, as you might have guessed – things don’t quite go according to plan.
Right now, I’m writing book 3 in the Accidental Demon Slayer series and also writing a short story for the next Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance.
Angie has generously offered to give away a signed, first edition copy of The Accidental Demon Slayer, along with a “Kiss My Asphalt” t-shirt like the one that appears in the first chapter of the book. She’s also going to be around all day to answer any questions you might have about demons, biker witches, how you get little dogs onto the back of Harleys, or how you remove green playdough from the carpet (that’s actually my questions, not Angie’s--LOL)!
Thanks so much, Angie!
I’m delighted to host Angie today, and she’s got some fabulous prizes for us – so stick around and say hello. She can’t wait to meet you.
Angie, how did you come up with the idea for The Accidental Demon Slayer?
I started off with a kernel of an idea that amused me. What if a straight-laced preschool teacher suddenly learns she’s a demon slayer? And what if she has to learn about her powers on the run from a fifth level demon? Ohhh and wouldn’t it be fun if she’s running with her long-lost Grandma’s gang of geriatric biker witches?
Sounds like you started with a great hook, and the perfect mix of quirky characters and a unique plot. When you’re developing your novels, does plot trump character for you, or is it the other way around? For me, it’s both. When I sat down to write The Accidental Demon Slayer, I had no notes about a sidekick for my heroine. But in the second chapter, when she’d learned she was a demon slayer and all hell was after her, she took comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, ‘This is a sweet moment. Now how do I throw her off?’ Simple. I made the dog say something to her. Nothing big. After all, he’s only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where my heroine can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard).
It amused me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, my heroine can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier. I had fun with it. In fact, I suspect Pirate the dog is my editor’s favorite character. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Pirate helped talk my editor into buying The Accidental Demon Slayer.
So did plot influence character? Maybe there it did. But I can tell you that as the book evolves, Pirate the dog does his share of influencing the plot too.
I suspect Pirate is everyone’s favorite character – who can resist a Harley-riding dog? Which brings up an interesting question. How did you know you could put a dog on a Harley? Are you a Harley rider from way back, or did you have to do a lot of research for the book?
Loads, actually. I’d never been on a motorcycle before, and I had to figure out how to get Pirate the dog onto a bike! I went online and learned about the Biker Dogs Motorcycle Club, made up exclusively of Harley riders and their dogs. I ended up meeting some of them, along with a few other bikers along the way. These bikers were so great to me. They hoisted me onto the back of their Harleys (with dogs in tow). They took me to biker rallies (note to self: don’t wear pink). And they laughed at me when I tried to put my helmet on backwards (I still say I was distracted by the Pomeranian wearing a tiny pair of motorcycle glasses).
After a few outings with my new biker friends, I was able to make my geriatric biker witch characters a lot more realistic. And I took home some great pictures, too.
Now those are pictures we’d all love to see. ☺ Especially that Pom. But moving on, everyone in the Lair loves a Call story. Can you tell us yours?
I’d entered the beginning of the book in the Chicago RWA’s Four Seasons contest. Leah Hultenschmit from Dorchester was the finals judge and she requested the full. I quickly finished the last eight chapters and sent it off to her on a Thursday. Then I spent Friday on email queries to agents. When the 212 popped up on my caller ID the following Tuesday, I was elated and thought it could be an agent I’d queried. Nope. It was Leah wanting to buy The Accidental Demon Slayer.
It was the neatest feeling. But I could barely hear her because my two small children had picked that moment to battle over a lump of green Play Dough. Leah asked if I wanted her to call back and I said, “Nooo” and ducked into the garage. In August. I probably lost five pounds of water weight talking to her. So hey, a sold book and weight loss too! It was such a surreal moment to know an editor had read my book and liked it.
When I hung up with Leah, I immediately called my husband, who was in a meeting. So I called my mom, who was gone. I called several friends, who weren’t home. Then I looked at the clock and realized that we had houseguests due in just over an hour, so I grabbed a quick shower and hummed a happy tune while scrubbing toilets and picking green Play Dough off the kitchen floor.
The Accidental Demon Slayer is an absolutely hilarious and perfectly paced novel (something I could use some help with, by the way!). It was no surprise to me that it was an instant success. What was your reaction when you learned it was a New York Times bestseller?
Complete shock. The phone rang on a Friday afternoon, as I was writing the climax of the The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, which is the sequel to The Accidental Demon Slayer. I almost didn’t answer the phone. After all, who would call in smack dab in the middle of a demon invasion?
Luckily, I picked up because it was my agent, saying that The Accidental Demon Slayer would be #34 on the New York Times list the next day. I didn’t know what to think. Heck, I’d just wanted to sell enough books so that I could keep writing about biker witches, demon slayers and talking terriers. I had to ask my agent to please email me too, just to make sure I wasn’t phone-hallucinating.
How does your family feel about your career as a romance author?
Well, I admit I had these fantasies of my husband saying things like, “Oh let me fix dinner. You look like you’re really focused on getting that dialogue right.” Or my kids saying, “Wow. Mom is a published author. We’d better not use her laptop cord as a jump rope.” Alas, my home life hasn’t changed at all. Well, other than the fact that it might be a bit strange that my four-year-old knows what an editor is. She gets calls from her “editor” on her Tinkerbell play phone.
What do we have to look forward to next from you?
I’m really excited about the release of book 2 in the Accidental Demon Slayer series, called The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers – look for it on April 28th (available for pre-order NOW on Amazon.com!). In it, the straight-laced Lizzie decides she’s going to learn everything about her powers, and at the same time, write the proverbial book on demon slaying. And, as you might have guessed – things don’t quite go according to plan.
Right now, I’m writing book 3 in the Accidental Demon Slayer series and also writing a short story for the next Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance.
Angie has generously offered to give away a signed, first edition copy of The Accidental Demon Slayer, along with a “Kiss My Asphalt” t-shirt like the one that appears in the first chapter of the book. She’s also going to be around all day to answer any questions you might have about demons, biker witches, how you get little dogs onto the back of Harleys, or how you remove green playdough from the carpet (that’s actually my questions, not Angie’s--LOL)!
Thanks so much, Angie!
109 comments:
hi?
Yay - thanks for visiting with us today, Angie! The premise for your Accidental Demon Slayer series sounds so interesting! And the geriatric biker gang of witches is something I don't even think I can imagine. :) The talking dog makes me think of Wishbone. Does he assist her at all?
Congratulations on your upcoming release, and the book after that too!
Well done limcello enjoy your day with him I am sure it will be lots of fun maybe you could try putting him on a Harley LOL
Great interview Angie and Kirsten this book sounds great I love the dog Pirate I have a little mini fox terrier called Tootsie and I don't think she would like riding a Harley at all but I am sure she tries very hard to talk to me at times she was my Mums dog and when we lost Mum Tootsie came to live with me and is so part of our family she rules the roost and the other 2 dogs we have.
Loved the call story and congrats on the NYT list that is awesome I will be adding the books to my must get list I love hearing about new authors and books as I say you can never have too many books and over the last year I have read a lot of different genres than what I normally read and have really enjoyed them.
Have Fun
Helen
Wow, Angie, what a wonderfully amazing Call Story! Loved it!
Welcome to the Lair. Your debut book sounds phenomenal and funny and a great escape book. Another Amazon purchase!
So did you finally get your agent LOL? After or before you signed the contract?
So cute about your 4 yo calling "her editor"!
Congrats on the rooster limecello. He's had quite a week, I understand.
Hi, Angie! Thanks for the terrific interview! I'm cracking up at the thought of a Pomeranian wearing tiny motorcycle glasses! And awesome call story! Glad that Play Dough was over the kitchen floor, which is presumably uncarpeted! :)
So, how do little dogs ride on Harleys? (I've never ridden one myself...)
Congrats on the GR, Limecello! Do roosters ride Harleys?
Limecello! Again? He must have decided he LIKES you! Watch out - he's scary when he gets you in his sights!
Kirsten and Angie, what a fun interview. I must say I think Pirate would be my favorite character too. He sounds absolutely enchanting in a smart-mouthed kinda way. How can you not love a Jack Russell who rides a Harley?
Angie, congratulations on the NYT. That must have felt like a dream come true! Yay, you! And the next books sound fantastic too. You have great titles, by the way. Do you come up with them or do they come from the publisher?
Congrats on the GR, Limecello!
This book is awesome, I so want to read the Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers Angie! Where's my copy? LOL
The whole geriatric biker witches is great. Why should men get all the fun? Women in their 60s can do just about anything they want and if they want to wear thong undies and leather mini skirts with rhinestones then good for them.
I loved Pirate's sense of right and wrong. Oh and the demon coming out of her toilet to slay her? Well let's just say I've walked into my bathroom and thought the lower levels of Hades had been released a time or two since I've been married to a Thai Curry addict. It wouldn't surprise me in the least.
Do yourself a favour and buy this book.
Hi, Angie! So glad to see you here. I am really intrigued by your series and wonder about two things: How many books do you think will be in the series? And where do you see the series going - i.e., do you have it all mapped out or is just developing as you go along?
Margay
Kirsten, great interview!
Angie, I think The Accidental Demon Slayer is brilliant and so much fun! So to add to all the questions, how long had you been writing before the Demon Slayer came to you, or was this your first try at romance? And how did you keep that awesome secondary cast from taking over the story--they are all so fun, they could have stories of their own!
Thanks for spending the day here. :)
Hi, Angie! The Accidental Demon Slayer sounds like too much fun--moving to the top of my TBB list! Geriatric biker witches, a talking dog, what's not to love about that?!
I loved your call story. LOL on the "weight loss". And your daughter talking to her editor on the Tinkerbell phone is priceless!
How many books do you plan to have in this series?
Congrats on the GR, limecello! He spent yesterday indulging in some guilty pleasures, so he may be a little hard to handle today. ;)
Yes, limecello is joining the GR's inner circle harem. That could be a good thing or a bad thing!
Terrific interview Angie and Kirsten! I love the sound of this book!! Now I am having visions of putting the canine terror of the free world - my chihuahua, Frodo, on the back of a Harley. He already has a little biker jacket!
Your biker research sounds like a blast! And your call story is a hoot!
You really did your research for the biker witches aspect of your story. What sort of research did you do for the demon slayer aspect or did you create your own parameters for that?
Did you always know you wanted to write paranormal or were there other genres of romance that attracted you first?
What did you do to celebrate being on the NYT list?? I think it is AWESOME that you made it with your first book!
Oh my gosh, how did I miss this book? It sounds fantastic!
Great interview! Congrats on that NYT placement first time out. How cool is that?
You daughter sounds adorable. I just love that she talks to her "editor" on her play phone.
As a mom of two dogs I adore any book that has a dog in a prominent role. Your little guy sounds like a winner.
Congratulations Limecello for nabbing the bird! But be careful with him. After all the shenanigans over at RNTV, and the talk yesterday of mudpits and such, I imagine he is feeling pretty fiesty! :-)
Helen, isn't it amazing how our dogs talk to us? And I definitely find that the little ones are the bossiest. I'm sure a little fox terrier would be particularly good at being in charge. :-)
We've got a big lab, and I'm pretty sure all he says is, "I love you guys. Walk now? Huh? I love you guys. Boy I'm tired. But I really do love you guys."
Hey Jo! Yes -- TADS is definitely a great escape. Have you read any of Stephanie Rowe's books? Sort of a similar wacky romp that you just can't put down because you're having way too much fun. :-)
Fedora, I was also absolutely captivated by the image of the Pom on the back of the bike. Does it get any cuter than that? I wonder if you'd also need to get those poor little dogs earplugs -- those Harleys are loud!
The talking dog and geriatric biker witches sold me. I have to read this book!
Since I have a three-year-old grand who told his older sister last week, "If you're not bleeding, I'm busy," I have a special appreciation of your daughter's call to her "editor." :)
Congratulations on all the success.
Anna, do you think when Angie writes her next book she could come up with a title fairy to go along with all those demons? Coming up with titles drives me crazy!
But this one I think Angie actually came up with on her own..am I right, Angie?
Angie, thanks for sharing your call story. Sent it on Thursday and called on Tuesday, wow, that's awesome!!
My question is this, Did you have many editorial edits and if so, were they easy to do?
Don't included in the contest since I've got the book and gave one away from my blog as well.
Now, if you decided to put up an ARC, oh yeah, I'm wanting to read that bad... :)
Totally forgot...congrats limecello on the GR!
Natalie, I think this interview might have come about because of a comment you had made about TADS -- I recall seeing an unsolicited happy comment from someone who loved the book, and I thought, hey, I know Angie! Why haven't I invited Angie to guest blog before? So voila!
Just goes to show you, BBs. Tell us who you love and maybe we can bring your favorite authors to you!
Margay, great questions. I am similarly baffled by the process of writing a series. I was really impressed by our guest the other day, Jessica Anderson, who is writing a 9 book series. Yeesh! I can barely keep two books together at a time. It's particularly challenging when you never know how many books the publisher will ultimately let you write.
Hi Gillian! Thanks -- and great questions! I also wonder about how you strike the right balance with the secondary and primary characters. I'm a big fan of storyboarding myself. When I'm writing, I have a big board that I look at that I breakdown by scene and chapter. I give each character a color. Then I go through and mark up each scene by the primary colors who are in the scene. That gives me a visual for which characters appear at what points in the story. If I see that there's a lot of one color clumping in a certain area of the story, I try to smooth it out.
But that's just me. ;-)
Gannon, what kind of guilty pleasures do you think our bird indulged in, hmmmm? Anything you need to share with the group? :-)
Louisa, you are killing me! You seriously have a biker jacket for your chihuahua? What about the other boys? Do they get jealous?
And LOL for the demon research -- I hope we don't find that Angie has serious depths we didn't know about before this interview!
Hi PJ! You know, your humble Banditas are here to serve...(I bow before you) we exist to find fabulous books to add to your toppling TBR pile! :-)
Janga, that sounds like a precocious three-year old! And that sounds like something I'd say to my kids when I'm trying to get some writing done!
Vicki, we were hoping to give away an ARC of the Dangerous Book but I don't think Angie got them in time. Sorry about that!!
Great interview! Looks like I have to add yet another book on my TBB list.
#6 ANGEL - Die Another Day [David Boreanaz]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pBpSrGT6Mk&feature=related
Wow, I'm so glad I stopped by today. Angie, your book sounds delightful and your story is do dang inspirational, how could I not want to rush out and pick it up? Congrats on your success and thanks for being somebody I can point at and say, "Yes, I can!"
Thanks for having me! Sorry I'm a bit late. I was doing some kid wrangling and time got away from me. As I write this, though, I do have a really cool new hairdo, courtesy of my 4-year-old, the budding beautician.
Hi limecello! The biker witches have been a blast to write. Pirate too. Thanks to my heroine's new powers, she can hear him talk, so he basically gets to say all of the things she can't.
He does assist her, but he doesn't have any powers. He's just a dog who seems to be way more at home in any given situation than any person would be. Oh and he swears he's been talking his whole life. It's just that Lizzie, the heroine, hasn't been listening until recently.
Hi Helen! You know, that was the whole point of Pirate the dog. I had a poodle for years who had so many things to say. Of course, he did it without words. But still, we all know our dogs have their opinions. Lucky for my heroine (or unlucky depending on the situation)Pirate is free to say whatever is on his mind.
Hi Jo! Yes, it was not at all how I'd pictured "the call" in my mind. Truth be told, I was hoping the contest final and the fact that the book was with an editor would help me break through and land an agent. I had no idea the book would sell. After three books that didn't, I tried not to get my hopes up too much.
It was worth every minute in that garage...and what the kids did to the kitchen. Oy. I was finding bits of green Play Doh for weeks afterward.
The next week, I did finally get an agent. Jessica Faust from Book Ends had emailed, requesting the full at the same time I was out in the garage getting "the call."
I remember sharing a mattress on our kitchen floor with my husband (we'd given the houseguests our bedroom, and their three kids were sleeping upstairs in the extra room) I'd lay there and stare at the ceiling and hope I'd have someone to help out with the contract.
Luckily, Jessica liked the ms and the rest is history. Whew!
Hi flchen! Believe it or not, there are all kinds of ways for dogs to ride motorcycles. I had no idea, either until I started meeting Harley dogs.
For the smaller dogs (like Pirate), bikers will use these carriers, kind of like tricked out baby carriers. The dogs ride with the biker on their body.
Bigger dogs ride in specially-designed sidecars, or in specially-designed dog seats that fit right onto the bikes. It's the wildest thing.
And the dogs love it. You should see how excited they get when they're about to ride. Pan-de-monium. You know how dogs like to stick their heads out of a car window? Riding a Harley must be like sticking their entire bodies out the window.
I always like some humor in my reading and your book sounds like just the ticket! I love finding new authors :)
Hi Anna, I think Pirate is my editor's favorite, too. In fact, the other day, I accused her of liking him more than she likes me. She paused and said that technically, it's an invalid question because Pirate isn't real. Not exactly a vote of confidence, right?
I do come up with my own titles. Well, so far. We all know how they can change. But luckily I've been able to keep The Accidental Demon Slayer and The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers. The title for the third book, A Tale of Two Demon Slayers, is still up in the air. Fingers crossed on that one.
Aw, thanks, Natalie. Totally blushing here. :)
Hi Margay - great question! There are going to be five books in the series and I did map them out. I had to do it in order to make sure each book tells it's own part of the story.
Lizzie is a demon slayer by accident and in the beginning. That's hard on her because she's learning about all of her powers while trying to save the world. But as we get into the books, she's using her own brand of magic to learn what she needs to know. As it turns out, having that fresh perspective and knowing what needs to change in the magical world (i.e. shaking things up) can help the "accidental" demon slayer become the greatest demon slayer of them all.
Or so I've heard...
That is so cool. The reason I asked is because I am going through a similar process myself and came to the conclusion that it would be better to map it out as if it's one book separated by different titles and then write it, as opposed to submitting a book at a time and letting it unfold one story at a time. I think this way, it'll be easier to keep it all on track. I just like getting other authors' impressions and to get a glimpse of how they proceed. Nothing like the behind the scenes stuff, whether it's books or movies!
Margay
Hi Gillian - I'd been writing for eight years before The Accidental Demon Slayer sold. During that time, I'd completed four manuscripts. The first one took three years. The second one took three years. The third one took a year, and this last one, I fell in love with the manuscript and wrote it in about five months.
It probably would have taken longer, except that an editor had requested the full out of that contest. I was only on Chapter 16 out of 24. Yeek. And then I ran into the editor at RWA nationals soon after and she actually asked me if I'd turned the manuscript in. I mumbled something about polishing it right up. Then I hit the keyboard when I got home.
Because I have small kids, and can only write during nap times, I started setting the alarm for 4:00 a.m. I'd write from 4:00 a.m. until7:30 a.m. or so - whenever the kids woke up. Some days, I'd walk down the stairs in the dark and wonder if I was nuts. But I finished the manuscript in three weeks and sent it off. Now I'm really glad I did!
And it was tough to keep the biker witches in check, not to mention Pirate. They're such fun characters to write. Luckily, my heroine whips them into shape (at least long enough to have her story told).
Thanks, Gannon - hey, anytime I can lose weight, that's a good thing. Even if it's in the sweat lodge we call a garage.
And there will be five books in the series. :)
Hi Louisa! Frodo sounds like he'd make an awesome biker dog. Pirate and the Red Skull biker witches will be dropping by your house this afternoon.
I like to say I did my demon slayer research in 12 years of Catholic school, but really - I took full creative license on that part. I made hell cold (as it is the absence of all love and affection) and made up my own rules.
As far as choosing a genre - I decided to write a paranormal because I love the worldbuilding, but I have written other things. My first two (unpublished) books were romantic mysteries and the third manuscript is a paranormal mystery.
Truth be told, I was too shocked to celebrate the NYT list too heartily. I kept thinking it was a mistake and until the list was actually out the next day, I refused to tell anyone that wouldn't think I was a complete fool if I called them back and said, "Yes, it was all a mistake."
So I fixed a meatloaf, while my husband kept asking me, "so what does it mean, really?" and me saying, "it means I'm not eating lima beans tonight" (his favorite, and a vegetable I like to avoid)
Later, when it had sunk it, he took me out to a nice dinner.
Thanks, PJ! Yes, I think Maddie is the only four-year-old who talks to imaginary people about copyedits. She wants to be a princess fairy author when she grows up. I told her I'd like to be one too.
I have The Accidental Demon Slayer in my notorious TBR pile. I'll have to quickly move it to the top!
Hey Kristin - If you like that pom on the bike, you have to check out the Doggles website. www.doggles. com They sell all kinds of doggie riding glasses and the doggie models are adorable.
LOL Janga. I'm going to borrow that line. Right now, the kids are playing jump rope with my laptop cord again.
You're right, Kirsten. This was actually a case of coming up with a title as I came up with the idea for the book. The fact that she's not intended to be a demon slayer is a huge factor in all of the books, so I wanted to have that front and center with the first book.
And I'm from an advertising background, so I actually like coming up with titles (you may commence the tomato throwing now). Titles remind me of advertising headlines.
Congrats limecello for nabbing that rooster. Have fun with him today. He wouldn't like it at my house right now because we have been without power and heat for several days this week. Just now getting things back together.
Great interview Angie. First off let me say I have read The Accidental Demon Slayer and loved it. It is a fantastic read, so keep up the good work. Congrats on the NYT list!! I am so looking forward to you next book!
Hi Vicki - I was hoping that I could give away the first ARC for The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers today, but alas - I don't have them yet.
There weren't many copyedits to The Accidental Demon Slayer, which was lucky because it was a challenge for me to write the second book while learning about the publishing process with the first book. It was a tremendous learning curve, at least for me.
The three things I was asked to do to The Accidental Demon Slayer were (my editor gave me this list, literally):
1) make hell less scary
2) add another sexy scene with Dimitri, the hero
3) don't change a thing about Pirate the dog
Wow - Jessica Anderson is writing a nine book series? Yow. I don't think I could wrap my brain around nine books at once.
Thanks, Pam! If I can do it, then anybody can. For me, it was about writing something I love, having a bit of luck and knowing how to get green Play Doh out of the cracks in my window sills.
Thanks catslady - The Accidental Demon Slayer was a blast to write.
Exactly, Margay. I needed to know the five book arc in order to decide exactly what Lizzie needs to learn in each book. I'm a fan of series books, but I have this personal thing where it drives me crazy when each book doesn't stand on its own. Reading is my escape after an often hectic day, so I want a happy ending every time.
In order to do that with the Accidental Demon Slayer series, I had to map each story arc as it relates to the 5-book arc. I'm normally not a huge planner, but I knew I had to do it this way or I'd be the type to fall in love with a subplot and write myself into a corner.
Thanks, Treethyme. If your tbr pile is anything like mine, you'll be lucky to find it. :)
Hi Angie and welcome to the Lair. I love the premise of your books and now have to get a copy to read about Pirate. How totally fun! Its fabulous to see comedy in romance is still selling. YAY!!!
Congratulations on all your amazing successes!
Thanks, Virginia! I'm so glad you liked The Accidental Demon Slayer. After hearing all of these great comments, this afternoon's writing session is going to be much more fun.
Sorry to hear you've without power and heat this week. Where are you? It's bitter cold here in Missouri.
Thanks, Tawny! Yes, I kept hearing about how funny paranormals were on the way out - as I was writing mine. Whoops.
But, really, I was starting to get so frustrated with my lack of success in selling all those other manuscripts, that I was like, what the heck? I'm going to write what I want to write.
It just goes to show that you have to write for yourself and not always listen to what people say about the market. Not that it means I'm going to be writing about space poodles on Mars, but I did have to write The Accidental Demon Slayer.
Oh and I'll have you know as I was writing to you all, my two-year-old son decided to try on my lipstick. Help.
Hey Limecello! You got the GR! Go you!
Hi Angie! Welcome to the Lair. What a great interview Kirsten! I love this concept and have been meaning to pick up the book since I saw it. I love the title, I love the dog, the whole deal. :>
I have to say that I'm going to *POUT* because Banditas can't win the loot. That T-shirt cracks me up.
Anyway, WTGo! on the leap into your writing career and love the call story!
Angie, welcome to the Lair! This series sounds like such fun. I'm amazed at other people's fabulous plots. I'm so character-driven that plots are tough for me! I think it's great you got to do the dog/Harley research. Any chance you'll be buying a Harley of your own someday?
And Limecello, enjoy the GR!!
Hi Jeanne - glad you're liking the t-shirt. I wanted one, so I figured why not make some more? Yes, I'm easily amused.
Angie, had to LOL about the lipstick. My youngest son and I spent last evening ridding the house of (invisible) killer ducks. He just couldn't sleep until he'd "brought them to justice!"
It was a busy night, I tell ya'
It's also hilarious to hear him on his "cellphone" calling my sister (AKA Aunt Sis-sis) to chat, and telling her that my subplot isn't working. I didn't really realize that I mutter stuff when I work until I heard that.
Snork.
Love that your daughter wants to be a fairy princess editor. Excellent career path on that one.
Angie
My 3 year old grandson everytime he comes to my place gets my lipstick because he wants to be a clown LOL they are amazing kids and animals.
Have Fun
Helen
Hi Caren, I wish I could have a Harley of my own someday. The bikers I've met are so much fun. Problem is, they love to tell crash stories and I'm a bit of a klutz, so now I'm not so sure. :)
For now, the books are a great excuse to ride along. Oh the things an author must do for her books.
Grins about the shirt. I'll join you then, on the "easily amused" bandwagon. Ha!
LOL Jeanne - they're observant, aren't they? You forget until they start talking about subplots and dialogue. A few days ago, my daughter was complaining that her Barbie wasn't saying what she wanted her to say. I was like, yeah - I know the feeling.
And little Jimmy was actually pretty good with the lipstick - he was covered from the chin to the nose, but he at least knew where it went! And he proved (once again) that mom can't turn her back for a second.
LOL Helen. Is it bad that I was simply glad to see Jimmy hadn't decided to paint the carpet?
Ah, the "easily amused" bandwagon. We should make t-shirts.
*wince* lipstick + carpet = BAD
In my case, the dog, not the kid. He crunched up the lipstick, then, not liking the feel of the stuff on his muzzle, proceeded to rub it off onto the carpet. In sixteen places, give or take.
Good thing I hated that carpet or the dog would have been in biiiiig trouble.
The idea of Pirate is so fun, BTW. I have a friend who has to JRTs and I don't know how anyone keeps up with them. I have a Dalmatian and an IWS - Irish Water Spaniel - who are mischievious enough. I don't know if I could outwit a JRT. Ha!
Angie Fox said: Ah, the "easily amused" bandwagon. We should make t-shirts.
LOL!! As soon as I typed it, I thought, wow, that would make a great T-shirt. Great minds, I tell ya'...
Limecello, congratulations!
The dog does kind of resemble Wishbone, doesn't he?
How's that new phone (sorry if you told us and I missed it!)?
Thanks for the great interview, Kirsten and Angie.
Angie, welcome to the Lair! Your books sound like tremendous fun. I notice that you're into worldbuilding, and that's something that sets a book apart for me. If the story is set in a world that has definite rules and cultural traditions, even if it's part of our world, I tend to prefer that.
We have a weakness for talking dogs at our house. It's a little-known fact that we talk for for our dog. Really. Her favorite word is "very," and her sentence structure is, well, a bit Yoda-ish.
What a great call story! Thanks so much for sharing it and your day with us.
E-yikes, Jeanne. I think I would cry. Good thing you didn't like that carpet. When I saw my son go into the bathroom, I knew I was in trouble, but I kept thinking, one more post...one more post...
And, yes, Pirate had to be a Jack Russell Terrier - there is just something about that breed that I love. They have a certain spark. I doubt I'd be able to keep up with Pirate in real life.
We used to do that with our dog too, Nancy. Only for some reason, Beau the poodle sounded like an old Italian man. It just seemed to fit.
And, yes, worldbuilding is one of my favorite parts of writing a paranormal. It fits into our reality, yet it's different and fun. It's one of my favorite things when I read a paranormal too.
Thanks for posting. I loved the first book and cant wait to read the new one. How many are you planning in the series?
Hey, Angie--
Thanks for being with us in the lair today! We're so pleased to have you! I love the sound of your books--you must have some awesome voices talking to you in your head during nap time. :-) (And I say that as one mother of little ones to another--the voices in my head are often the best part of my day.)
Congrats on the NYT list! As a debut author in this difficult economic climate, what are you doing in terms of publicity? Aside from writing an awesome book, which you've clearly done, is there anything you'd recommend to a new author that really worked for you?
Thanks!
#1 ANGEL - Love Song For A Vampire [David Boreanaz]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Je6r9zJUw&feature=related
Hi Angie, welcome to the Lair! Thanks to Kirsten for such a great interview.
Congratulations on you wonderful success with The Accidental Demon Slayer, Angie. Wow, to make the NYT list on your debut novel must be out of this world. It sounds like you had a lot of fun writing the book and that comes through in the humor on the page.
Why not wear pink when out with the bikers, btw? And yeah, I'd like to know how you remove green playdough from carpet.
On the green playdough...ice. Or, if it's wool, you can try the iron and a cotton cloth method like you do with candle wax, but I've never been brave enough to try that...
Speaking of dogs talking, there's a great YA book called "The Knife of Never Letting Go," where everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts -- including the dogs. But the hero's dog just goes around thinking things like, "Poo Dan, Poo? Poo?"
Add me to the list of easily amused, obviously.
By the way, I noticed no one offered any suggestions for the playdough carpet extraction process.
Any thought? Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves. :-)
Oh, sorry -- so you come up with suggestions when I'm not looking! Iron the carpet? Hmm...I'm going to have to think about that one...
Snicker...you SPOT iron, Kirsten. Ha! I've done it with candle wax. You put a cotton cloth over the wax, then iron the cloth, the wax melts into the cotton...voila. I've read that you can do it with playdough, but haven't be that brave, obviously.
Then again, we have a weird relationship with playdough around here. I can hardly bear it when the colors get mixed and turn that ugly bleeeech brown...I let the babysitter and the DH deal with the playdough play.
It's about omy only Mommy Dearest trait - the playdough thing...quit laughing Jo. You too, Anna & Cassondra
Thanks, Donnas! The series will have five books total. :)
Hi Susan! Yes, the little voices we hear all day are quite different from the ones we hear in our heads. For me, writing is something I get to do to take a break from the day.
As far as how to get the word out about a debut book, I think the biggest thing that helped is that my publisher really got behind the book. That's something you hope for as an author, but you really can't control.
I tried to do my part too, though. I did a lot of guest blogging - although not well since I missed the Bandits! (bad Angie) I also had fun with a little quiz I did called What's Your Biker Witch Name? It's up on my website if anybody wants to try it. Other than that, I think in my case it was a lot of luck that people tended to like biker witches and talking dogs. ;)
Hi Christine! That was exactly my point - why not wear pink to a biker rally? Evidently, the answer is so that you don't "embarrass" guys named Stone who have promised to show you around. Little did I know.
Thank goodness I've never had to learn how to remove green Play Doh from carpet, as so far, it's mostly been in my window sills, cabinets, that crack in the kitchen table, ground into the heating/air conditioning vent, etc.
Ice is also good for lollipop in the carpet.
You're not allowed to look at our Play Doh, Jeanne. Ever. You wouldn't survive. About once a month, it gets dry enough that I have to replace it with brand new, but the kids don't get new Doh just for messing up the colors. If I did that, I'd be buying it every week.
Heehee. I promise, I won't look.
Like I said, it's one of my few Mommy Dearest-hair-standing-on-end things. I pitch the tubs into the trash and buy new with virtually every playdoh adventure. :>
Don't. Mix. The. Colors.
And still, they do. Sigh.
Hi Angie, sorry I am just getting back to you, but I have been busy playing catch up with cleaning and laundry today. I am in Kentucky and we had a winter storm this past Monday with a whole lot of ice and everyone has been without power. It looks like a war zone here right now with all of the tree limbs falling. They still have a lot of power polls down and there is still a lot of people without power and heat. I was one of the lucky ones to get my power back on real late Thursday night.
Virginia, glad your power is back! Several people in the lair have struggled with utility outages because of this storm.
I find all these Play-Doh issues fascinating. The boy was never much into that, so I've clearly missed many challenging experiencse.
I have a vague memory, which I'm reluctant to explore to deeply, that Play-Doh might taste salty?
We've been seeing pictures on the news, Virginia, which I'm sure doesn't cover it. Take care of yourself. We had a storm like that a few years ago and it was really tough.
And, Nancy, I'm (thankfully) not sure what Play Doh tastes like. I'll bet my kidlets could tell you.
Congratulations on making the New York Times bestseller list! Sounds like a neat story. One that is going on my wish list.
I enjoyed reading your post and hearing about your book. Had to laugh about the "editor" and Tinkerbell phone. How cute!
Have to get this book - a talking terrier? It's totally right for
me! Thanks for your visit to the
Lair, Angie!! Great interview,
Kirsten!!
Pat Cochran
Angie, that's okay on the Play-Doh taste. Probably one of those things it's better not to know for sure.
Thanks for offering to check with the kids, though!
Wow you girls have been busy. I just finished a Young Adult novel by Kiki Lon called 'Enter the Parrot' about a young white girl who's brought up Chinese - White girl in the Wong family is a by line. It's got the same rolicking pace as TADS without all the sensuality.
I for one am glad there's romantic/paranormal/comedies being published. Especially when you have characters that steal scenes - aka Pirate and Ant Eater (mean woman that one).
Thanks, Kammie. It's amazing to me how observant a four-year-old can be. She can repeat conversations I've had with my editor, yet she can never seem to find her shoes.
Thanks, Pat. Pirate the terrier is the only character who is on the front and back cover of both books. That dog has been sweet talking my editor, I just know it.
LOL Nancy - I'm afraid if I asked them, they'd go ahead and eat some for me.
LOL on the shoes, Angie. My 4 y/o is the same way. He can tell me exactly who is winning/will win/ he wants to win on a WWE Wrestling match - complete with sound effects and descriptions - but give me the blankest look when I ask where his shoes are. It's even more irritating when I've told him not to take them OFF in the first place. Grrr. *rolling eyes*
Or when you hand them the shoes and socks and say, "Put these on, please. We're leaving soon." Two minutes later, you see them without shoes and say, "Where are your shoes?" They don't know.
I never had gray hair until I had kids.
Angie,
Great story! Very interesting interview.
Hawk
Thanks, Hawk. I'm really enjoying my time with the bandits!
What a great interview! I remember reading about your book from your agent's blog -- and though I'm not usually a paranormal reader, your answers here have convinced me this is a fun book I don't want to miss. LOL
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