Fight Clubber Lisa Kessler's Interview with Angie Fox

With a degree in Journalism and a background in television news, when did you decide you wanted to write about Demons and Biker Witches?

Well, I've always loved to read, and write - so writing a book of my own was a natural transition for me. As for demon slayers and biker witches? I figured if I'm going to write a whole book, I might as well have a lot of fun doing it.

The Accidental Demon Slayer, which is the first book in the series, started off as 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 while on the run from a nasty, fifth level demon? And wouldn't it be interesting if she's running with her long-lost Grandma's gang of geriatric biker witches?

I started writing and let the story evolve based on the characters and that central issue of what happens when a reluctant heroine is thrust into a series of extraordinary situations. And I knew the story was working when I couldn’t wait to get back to the keyboard every day.

Most authors publish many books before they reach the New York Times Bestseller list.  Besides writing a fun, cutting edge paranormal, what else do you attribute to reaching this achievement so quickly?


I was incredibly lucky to have found an amazing readership. Seriously, my readers are some of the most fun, interesting, kick-butt people you'll ever want to meet. They're also quite insistent about recommending my books to their friends, book club buddies and even strangers they "meet" in the bookstore. (Some of those bookstore stories crack me up). In short, I owe it all to my readers and I couldn't be more impressed or grateful.

What can readers expect from future Demon Slayer books?  Is there new territory you're aching to cover?


The main thrust of the new books is that Lizzie has come into her own as a demon slayer. That doesn't mean there aren't a lot of surprises along the way, but she really is steeling herself for the final battle ahead. I've always had a very specific direction that I wanted to take with this series, and I've always known it would take five books to complete the story arc.


That said, there have been a lot of surprises. Like Pirate, the dog. Readers familiar with my work know that Pirate wasn't even a planned character - he just showed up in the beginning of the first book. Stubborn dog. In the second chapter, when Lizzie learns she's a demon slayer and there are some very scary, very angry creatures on her tail, she takes comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, "This is a sweet moment. How do I throw her off?"


I made the dog say something ot her. Nothing big. After all, he's only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where Lizzie can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard). It tickled me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, Lizzie can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier.


And he's been evolving ever since. I was going to try and keep him quiet in A Tale of Two Demon Sayers (book 3). After all, he did have a bit too much fun in The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers (book 2). But then in Book 3, Lizzie finds this dragon egg and it hatches and suddenly Pirate thinks he has a pet. Lizzie tries to explain to the dog that he can't have a pet. He is a pet. But Pirate schemes to keep the dragon and suddenly I have this new dragon character on my hands and a dog that doesn't want to give him up. In the end, Pirate won - he got to keep his pet (who incidentally ended up playing a nice role in the finale of the book) and I suddenly have a new character. So while I plan the overall story plots and character threads, the dog always manages to surprise me.

You've got 3 Accidental Demon Slayer books so far...  How many books do you see being in the series?


There will be five books total in the Accidental Demon Slayer series. The book that is coming out in January 2010, called A Tale of Two Demon Slayers, is the keystone book in the series. That's where our accidental demon slayer, Lizzie, comes into her powers and accepts who she is going to have to become in order to master the demons she'll face in the final confrontation (books 4 and 5). I'm writing book 4 right now, which I'm calling The Last of the Demon Slayers. Titles do change, though, so we'll see if that one sticks. The final two books will come out in 2011.


Oh and incidentally, I have this pet peeve as a reader. It drives me crazy when I pick up a cool book and then find out it's book 7 in some series and I'm hopelessly lost. Each of my books is a complete story and can be read as a stand-alone.

Tell us about your favorite reader email ever...


I suppose the award has to go to intrepid reader Marcie, who named her new Jack Russell puppy after Pirate and then proceeded to tell me that her Pirate ate her autographed copy of The Accidental Demon Slayer. Oh, the irony.

Lastly, what is the best piece of advice you ever received before your first book was published?

Make the story big. I had an agent tell me that if I wanted to sell, my characters had to take bigger chances, have more to risk and lose. It’s easy to say, but a hard thing for a writer to do. It’s a vulnerable, risky place to be. I knew The Accidental Demon Slayer was big enough when instead of ending my writing sessions thinking, “I hope that’s good enough to impress an editor.” I ended them thinking, “No. I didn’t not just write that. I did not just make my character defend herself with a toilet brush and a can of Purple Prairie Clover air freshener.”

--
Angie Fox
New York Times bestselling author
THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR DEMON SLAYERS - just released!
www.angiefox.com


Are You Part Demon Slayer?
Find out at: http://quiz.angiefox.com/dangerous-demon-slayer-book/

Don't Miss Lisa's Story Across the Veil here on Romance in the Backseat