Interview

Hi Angie and welcome. I am so glad you could join us here at Romance Junkies. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your current projects?

 

I just turned in the second book in the ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER series, called THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR DEMON SLAYERS. 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. It’s due out in May ’09.

 

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?  Who most encouraged your dream?

 

Oh geez, I wish I had one of those moments. That sounds so neat. I’ve just always been a big reader, and have always loved to write. My degree is in journalism and I’ve worked as an advertising writer for more than ten years now.

 

And as far as encouragement, I think most people in my life thought I was a bit crazy for pursuing fiction writing – especially when I got the idea for THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER while feeding my five-month-old son in the middle of the night.

 

I mean, non-sleeping babies are a good reason to put off a writing project, don’t get me wrong. But, I couldn’t get it out of my head, this idea about a preschool teacher forced to run off with a gang of geriatric biker witches. Just because my first three novels didn’t sell didn’t mean this one wouldn’t, right? Perhaps that’s the hallmark of a true writer – endless optimism.

 

Every unpublished writer dreams of getting “the call”.  How did yours come about?  What did you do to celebrate?

 

Well, a good friend of mine is an English professor and when I showed him the first chapter of THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER, he thought I was nuts. In the most supportive way possible, he told me the intro was too quirky, too different. I needed to tone it down. But I really liked the beginning. And lucky I belong to Romance Writers of America (RWA). So while I was writing the rest of the manuscript, I entered the beginning of the book an RWA contest.

 

It made it to the finals, where Leah Hultenschmidt, a senior editor at Dorchester read it. She contacted me and asked me to send her the whole book. I was over the moon, even though I was only on Chapter 15 (out of about 24 chapters). I told her it was coming soon, and quickly finished the rest of the book.

 

I emailed it to Leah on a Thursday, she took it home and read it over the weekend and made an offer on the next Tuesday.

 

“The call” caught me in the middle of cleaning for five houseguests, due to arrive in a few hours. In fact, when the phone rang, my first thought was, “Oh no! They’re coming early.” But it was Leah, offering to buy THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER. After we hung up, I was left to finish scrubbing toilets with a huge smile on my face.

 

How do you go about researching?

 

I had a ball with research for THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER. The biker witches ride Harleys, and I’d never been on a motorcycle before. Plus, 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.

 

It seems to happen to everyone…what is your secret tip for dealing with a dreaded rejection letter?

 

I have this theory that you need rejection letters. Everybody has a certain number of rejection letters that you have to get before you get “the call.” It’s a different number for everybody and every rejection I got (and believe me, there were a lot), took me one step closer to that first sale.

 

I tossed most of my rejections. Let’s face it – they’re depressing. But I did keep the ones with good advice. Like the ones that told me my serious mystery was too funny. Looking back, it was. Good rejections helped me realize that I was fighting my natural voice.

 

A rejection letter from a well-known agent also told me that he thought my third book (which now resides in my closet) might sell. In fact, he thought the odds were good. But he hoped it didn’t sell because it wasn’t the book I was supposed to write. I hadn’t pushed myself hard enough, taken enough chances. That rejection hurt. He was a dream agent and one of the first to see that unsold book. I also knew (after a few days of denial) that he was right. I pulled the book from consideration and decided to fix it, after using every last bit of his advice to craft this new novel I was currently in love with, called THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER.

 

What is the one thing you’d love to do, but haven’t yet tried?  What about the one thing you’ve done that still amazes you today?

 

I’d love to take a year off and just travel – go to the places I’ve always wanted to visit, everywhere from Leadville and some of the other ghost towns in Colorado to the Taj Mahal in India.

 

I’m still amazed that THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER made the NY Times Bestseller list when not too long ago, it was an idea on the back of a Macy’s sale day envelope, written by an unpublished writer.

 

Yahoo!  You wake up and look out your window into your driveway, and there is a new car sitting there!  All for you!!  What does this new vehicle look like?

 

Ohhh. That’s easy. I want a hot pink Harley, all chromed up, just like the one Lizzie gets to ride in THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER.

 

Oh, oh…Fast food munchies strike!  There is no avoiding them…but the good news, fat grams and calorie content have been waived!  What are you going to fill up on?

 

White Castle hamburgers with a mound of crispy onion rings. Heaven.

 

How did you and your husband meet?  Who fell for whom first?

 

We met at the University of Missouri homecoming, years after we both graduated. He was looking good from across the room and luckily he knew a friend of mine. Turns out, we’d also met about six months before, but I’d been too busy with my friends to talk with him. He’d been wanting to meet me since, so I guess you can say he fell first. But I fell shortly afterward.

 

Which do you like better, and why:  a sunrise or a sunset?

 

A sunset – I’m definitely a night person. Put me out on the back deck with a glass of wine and a gorgeous sunset and I’m happy.

 

How do you describe Angie Fox?  How does Angie Fox’s husband describe her?

 

Hmmm…I’m laid back, I like to have fun and if your crazy cousin showed up on his Harley, I’d be the one egging you to hop on the back and take a spin.

 

My husband would probably describe me as the woman who knows everything about the 500+ novels on my bookshelves, but can’t seem to remember to dust them.

 

MORE FUN…

 

Who is the person who has had the biggest influence on your life?  Whom will you pass this “influence” on to?

 

My dad. He was an illustrator and went out of his way to teach me about the joy of creating something new, whether it be with paint or with the written word.

 

I’d love to pass this on to my daughter, who at the age of four, already wants to be a princess fairy author.

Where are your car keys right now?  Are they always in the same spot?

 

They’re on a key holder in the kitchen. They’re usually in the right spot. If not, I have a backup set on the same key holder.

 

Are you a wristwatch person or a clock person…or neither?

 

I haven’t worn a watch in years. I used to have a cheapo, just for business trips with the creative director at the advertising agency where I worked. He never had a watch, either and since he outranked me, I figured I’d better have an answer every time he asked me, “What time is it?” 

 

Now, I don’t worry about it so much.

 

And lastly, no interview of a writer would be complete without this question:  what is your favorite comfort food?

 

Laughing Cow cheese on crackers. I eat it way too much when I write. I swear it helps with plotting.

Hmmm… think I’ll try that!  Thank you, Angie, for chatting with us.  Best of luck with your writing career!

By Brooke Wills

Romance Junkies Publishing Editor

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