Saturday, May 16, 2009

You Went Where?


Angie is back!!! Please help me welcome New York Times Best Selling author, Angie Fox. And guys, remember to jump over and take Angie's "Are You Part Demon Slayer" quiz and post your score in the comment section for a chance to win a free book. Here's the link: http://quiz.angiefox.com/dangerous-demon-slayer-book/ and here's Angie.
You went where?
And did what?
With who?

Okay, so that was my mom’s reaction to the writing of The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers. And I have to give her a break. She is a mom. Besides, research for The Dangerous Book was, well, slightly unusual.

It’s not my fault. Honest. I mean what would you do if you had to research Las Vegas from the point of view of a bunch of biker witches? Oh and a preschool teacher turned demon slayer.

See, when I was writing the end of my first book, The Accidental Demon Slayer, this joke about Las Vegas popped into my head and I thought, “why not?” Lizzie is just about to kiss her man when she’s interrupted and told she and the gang have to head to Las Vegas to save her long lost uncle from marrying a succubus. Kind of fun. At least it made me smile. I was an unpublished writer at the time.

But then the book sold. Better still, The Accidental Demon Slayer hit the New York Times bestseller list. All of the sudden, I had this big responsibility to get it right. Good thing I like odd adventures. And my friends do too.

One in particular – my friend Aileen – is a sucker for anything strange and unusual. So I talked her into a long weekend and we headed to Vegas to see and experience the biker witch version of Sin City. We stayed in the cheesiest hotels we could find. We ate at Bob’s Big Boy. We even visited a dude ranch with armadillos, a boar and several very old chickens.

We were able to talk our way into some behind-the-scenes places as well. The climax of The Accidental Demon Slayer takes place inside the Hoover Dam, and we were lucky enough to be invited to see first-hand what I’d be writing about. A guide took us far down into the inspection tunnels they used in the 1930’s and 40’s, when the cement was still curing. It was amazing to see the notes these inspectors made on the walls, to hear the stories of those that didn’t quite make it out and to walk the same old metal steps that they did. All of that made it into The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, along with lots of things I had a blast making up (this is fiction after all).

To continue the fun, I’ve developed a highly un-scientific Are You Part Demon Slayer? quiz. Post your score below and enter to win a copy of The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers.

30 comments:

Christie Craig said...

Angie,

Thanks so much for joining us. You've got spunk girl. I can see you and a couple of friends doing the sleezy side of Vegas.

CC-who is off to take the quiz.

Christie Craig said...

Okay...

I'm 45% demon slayer. Hmm? Is that good or bad?

CC

Gemma Halliday said...

Thanks for coming to play with us, Angie! And, I'm so jealous of your Vegas trip - sounds like total fun! I recently took a research trip there, too, but since I was doing research for a book about a meg-millionaire movie star I think I was on the other side of town. Lol!

Turns out I'm 61% Demon Slayer. Suddenly I have the urge to kick some supernatural booty...

~Gemma

Anonymous said...

Hi, Angie,

Great blog - I'm really looking forward to reading about Lizzie's latest adventures!

Faye, who's off to take the quiz now.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I'm 65% demon slayer. I think it's because my cats talk to me in complete sentences. Christie says I'm imagining it but I know, "I want ham" when I hear it! LOL.

Here's to hoping you have another best-seller, Angie!

Faye

Suzan Harden said...

Hmmm... My score is 78% demon slayer, laregly because my beagle, Dax, refuses to speak English. He thinks it's beneath him.

Looking forward to your next book, Angie!

Unknown said...

Hi Angie,
Nice to see your here! I am 61% demon slayer! I am not sure I would have went to the sleezy side of Vegas but who knows. We can do alot of things when we have to.

Refhater said...

I'm 74% demon slayer.

Can I tag along on the next trip to Vegas?

LuAnn said...

Well, I guess I'm 41% demon slayer. I'm not sure if that's a good score or not.

CrystalGB said...

Hi Angie. I am 70% demon slayer. :)

Tori Lennox said...

Your trip sounds like so much fun!

I'm 49% demon slayer. Does this mean I am one but I'm really average at it? *g*

Caroline said...

I'm more of a demon slayer than I thought---57%
But I think I need to practice up a bit!! Your Vegas trip sounds like a blast!! How fun.
Congratulations on your great success! You’re a NYT Bestseller!! Woo Hoo!

~Caroline

Lori P. said...

Thanks for the blog post, Angie!

I am 74% demon slayer.

housemouse88 said...

Hello Angie,

I'm 70% demon slayer. Have a great day.

Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews said...

Welcome back Angie!

I'm 82% demon slayer.

Judith said...

I'm 82% demon slayer. This really doesn't surprise me. I probably would have scored higher if I'd chosen griffin-man over a sense of humor. And I don't have a pet, but an animal has never spoken to me -- that I will admit to.

Angie Fox said...

45% demon slayer is great, Christie. Just enough to cause trouble.

Angie Fox said...

Shoot, Gemma. I could have given you directions to the broken down dude ranch. The armadillo was quite cute.

Angie Fox said...

Thanks, Faye. And tell your cats I said, "hi." They'll understand. :)

Angie Fox said...

Thanks, Suzan. And if you ask Lizzie, she might say it's a good thing when dogs like Dax don't feel the need to talk, and talk...and talk.

catslady said...

I'm 78% demon slayer - woohoo! My cats and I have conversations all the time roflmao.

Angie Fox said...

LOL Virginia. I didn't mind. The sleezy side of Vegas is still Vegas. And greasy spoons do have yummy food.

Angie Fox said...

Sure thing, Refhater. I like your avatar, by the way.

Angie Fox said...

Well, LuAnn, it's 41% more than you were this morning! Not sure I'd want to be 100% demon slayer anyway. That's when strange creatures start following you around. Besides the kids.

Angie Fox said...

LOL, Tori. Well nobody is 100% demon slayer except for Lizzie in the books (and a few others she hasn't met yet).

My Facebook friends were teasing me because I took the quiz there and scored 50-something percent. I'm not a demon slayer, either! I just write about one. :)

Angie Fox said...

Thanks, Caroline. Yes, the NY Times bestseller list was a real surprise. I'm very grateful.

Angie Fox said...

See, vicariousrising, that was my problem too - I didn't answer like a demon slayer. Doesn't mean I wouldn't mind hanging with a hot griffin, though... ;)

Angie Fox said...

LOL catslady - that's how my dog was. He had so much to say. In fact, Beau is the one who gave me the idea for Pirate.

Caffey said...

Hi Angie! I got your book here ready to read! So can't wait!! I played that and I'm like 78% Demon, I wonder about me, LOL. Hey that's why I must feel so much like the heroine sometimes, LOL

Angie Fox said...

Awesome, Caffey. And I tell you, Lizzie and the gang can use all the help they can get. Feel free to jump right in.