Today’s guest blogger is the very talented Angie Fox! Welcome, Angie!
Angie has a great new paranormal, The Accidental Demon Slayer, scheduled to be released from Dorchester on July 29th. The book sounds like it will be a hilarious, wild ride. One lucky commenter will win an ARC of The Accidental Demon Slayer (very cool). (The winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 28th).
Now, on to Angie’s post…
How I sold my first book
Or: Everything I needed to know, I learned from George Costanza
I’ve always loved to read, so it was no surprise to anyone when I eventually decided to write a book of my own. When I did, I attacked it head on. I planned, I worked, I outlined more than any woman should. The end result? I wrote three mysteries that didn’t sell.
I don’t know how many of you watch Seinfeld, but there is a time in George’s life where he decides what he’s been doing hasn’t been working, so he decides to do the opposite. That’s what I did with my books. I’d been writing serious mysteries, with lots of science and research involved. They’d generated some interest, enough to almost, almost sell. But nothing quite happened.
To take my mind off the latest mystery making the rounds with agents, I decided to write something completely different, a funny paranormal romance where I could build my own world and make up my own rules. I fell in love with the idea of a preschool teacher who is forced to run off with a gang of geriatric biker witches and The Accidental Demon Slayer was born.
Instead of a 20-page plot outline, I had a 5-page list of ideas, one of which included “but little did they know, all the Shoney’s are run by werewolves.” Instead of following the rules, I broke a few. Instead of painstakingly writing over the course of a year, I giggled my way through the book and had a complete manuscript in five months.
The opening chapters did well in contests and caught the eye of an editor, who asked to see the whole thing. That same editor bought the book less than a week after I finished it.
I still can’t believe The Accidental Demon Slayer will be a July 2008 release.
While I’m not sure Seinfeld is the best place to go for life lessons, I really do think there’s something to be said for following your instincts – in writing and in everything else.
Angie Fox
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If you’d like to win an ARC of The Accidental Demon Slayer, leave Angie a comment–you can tell her about the life lessons you learned from Seinfeld–or any other place/show! 
May 24th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Hi, Angie! I can’t believe you had a complete manuscript in five months - that’s so great!
The Accidental Demon Slayer sounds like a really fun read so I can’t wait to read it!
May 24th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Congrats on the sale and the upcoming release, Angie!
Regardless of whether it’s Seinfeld or anywhere else, the idea of taking a hard look at whether what you are doing is working or not, is excellent advice. To (mis?)quote the *ahem* colorful *ahem* Dr Phil, “how’s that working for ya?” is a good question to ask when things are not going the way we want them to.
What have I learned from unlikely places?
Lemme see…
I gather we are not talking about the well-known “don’t go down to the basement in your nightie in the middle of the night when you hear an unexplained noise and you are alone in the house” right?
Or the even better known “never get involved in a land war in Asia”?
Oh, I know, I know!!! “I’ll think about it tomorrow!”
May 24th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Hi, Angie! Thanks for guest blogging with us today! And have I told you that I love you cover? I think it is absolutely gorgeous!
Hmmm…Azteclady and I must be channeling each other today because she listed a few of my fav lessons.
Especially the basement one!
May 24th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Thanks for having me here. I had a ball writing this book and it’s been even more fun to get out and meet all kinds of new people.
Glad the Seinfeld life lesson is working for you. Because you’re right - regardless of how it hits you, it’s important to remember to stop and take a good look at what you’re doing from time to time, just to make sure it’s still working.
Oh an another good lesson from Better Off Dead, as John Cusack is about to take on the K-12 hill: Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way - move.
May 24th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I learned a lot of life lessons from watching reruns of the Brady Bunch. Remember when Marsha says “something suddenly came up” to cancel a date and then she goes on a better one, only to find her expectations become dashed? I took that one to heart because I’ve always came and left with the person who invited me any place, any where. I’m very loyal that way.
I do agree with you, sometimes you have to step back and take stock of your life and see where you want it to go. Your books sounds fab- congratulations!
May 24th, 2008 at 11:19 am
life lessons learned from watching tv… if you walk down a dark alley you will be jumped by five guys with knives. the first person to enter the alley is dead for sure, the second might live and the third has to go scream for help. ( all horror movies showed me this)
if you have duck tape and a pen you can get out of anyroom (mcguiver)
anything made with glue and spagetti is a good thing ( martha stewart)
and if you put more than one woman on a talk show the claws come out
(the view)
May 24th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Hi Angie,
“Better Off Dead” is one of my favorite movies. Congrats on your upcoming release. I can’t wait to read what the geriatic biker witches are going to do.
May 24th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Hi Angie. The Accidental Demon Slayer sounds awesome. I love that you have geriatric biker witches.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Thanks, I had a ball writing those geriatric biker witches. I never know what they’re going to say or do next. For me, this book was a lesson in not holding back, simply having fun and writing the kind of book that had me anxious to get back to the keyboard every day.
When I wrote those mysteries, I remember ending my writing sessions thinking, “I hope that’s good enough to impress an editor.” But with The Accidental Demon Slayer, I was walking away from the keyboard 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.”
And that, at least for me, made all the difference in the world.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Oh and to Jane:
I think my favorite Better Off Dead line has to be, “I’ve been going to this high school for seven and a half years. I’m no dummy. I know high school girls.”
May 24th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Hey Angie,
Congrats on your upcoming release! You had me with “geriatric biker witches”. I’m soooooo buying this book!
May 24th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Congrats on your release!!! I don’t know about lifes lesson but usually if something isn’t working for you. You need to do something totally different and it looks like thats what you did.
May 24th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Congrats on your release.
I just love your title and with the dog is great!
One of lifes leasons is to make the most of everyday.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
The dog, Pirate, is one of my favorite characters. And he came out of one of those moments where you just have to go with your gut and take the writing to a different place.
I’d written the opener, where the heroine is coming to terms with the fact that she has to run off with her long-lost Grandmother and Grandma’s gang of geriatric biker witches. The heroine is in a vulnerable place and takes comfort in her Jack Russell terrier. It was a neat moment, but then I had to do something to throw her off a bit.
So I had the dog say something. Thanks to the heroine’s new powers, Pirate can talk, and talk…and talk. He doesn’t want much, just the leftover fettuccine. And he knows just where to find it - back of the fridge, left of the mustard, behind the lettuce crisper. Of course that’s not all he wants. As the story went on, I found he was such a fun character to write because he can say the kind of things that my main character can’t.
I have a sneaking suspicion he’s one of my editor’s favorite characters. Her edit notes to me actually included, “don’t change a thing about Pirate.” And, of course, he made the cover (front and back).
May 24th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Angie,I love the idea of geriatric biker witches. Can’t wait to read the book.
I guess the latest lesson I’ve learned from TV would be from Two and a Half Men’s Charlie Harper. “If it isn’t fun, don’t do it.” Writing has few enough rewards. If you’re not having fun, why bother.
Lynn
May 24th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
congrats on the book.. it looks awesome..as for life lessons.. well..being married to a soldier that has deployed twice and getting ready to go back to Iraq this fall, all i can say is live life… dont waste it.. because we know first hand how fast it can be taken away..
May 24th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
congrats on the release. The cover is cute, the title is catching and the concept is hilarious! i’m
May 24th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Sorry, computer hiccuped on me. I’m definitely going to put this on my list. Went by your site and checked it out - very nice. Good luck with the garden. BTW, have you consider container gardening? Supposedly MUCH less weeding.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Thanks for the gardening wishes, Stacie. I need all the help I can get in that department. I’m doing some containers this year. Last year the squirrels (and one persistent turtle) stole most of my container tomatoes. But like I said (and like I say every May) this year will be different!
May 24th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Congratulations!! Life lessons learned from TV - always listen to the dog or dolphin (Lassie/Flipper), set your phaser to stun (Star Trek (the original)), and try to make the best of whatever situation in which you find yourself (Gilligan’s Island).
May 25th, 2008 at 8:14 am
And oooh a life lessons I’ve learned - duct tape can solve practically any problem.
May 25th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I think every tv show can teach you a life lesson or two. Can’t wait to read your book.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I know I’m late to this posting, but I sooooooo want to read this book! I love the cover, I love the idea, and I think you deserve a huge buy the book campaign. As for life lessons from TV, I can tell you that pearls and high heels are not easy for washing dishes, cleaning house, or much else for that matter. I was raised on Leave it to Beaver and Father’s Knows Best. Later in life, all my lessons came from romance novels. Who knew?
May 25th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Your books sounds great, Angie. I really love funny paranormals. I always remember an episode of Seinfield where he talked about socks. They don’t hang around in pairs. One always goes off on an adventure and you can never find it! My socks do that all the time.
May 25th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Beautiful cover! This sounds like a terrific book that I would love to read. As for a life lesson don’t double dip.
May 25th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
LOL You guys are making this so much fun. I’ve never tried to clean the house in heels and pearls. Heck, things barely get done around here in jeans and a t-shirt.
And I totally forgot about the socks Seinfeld episode. Too funny. And of course George’s double dip is a classic. Many, many lessons to be learned from the show about nothing.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:36 am
Hi Angie,
Your’re writing journey into comedy sounds like you had a blast. I’m excited for the book release,waiting for a good laugh out loud comedy read.
As for life lessons from Seinfield, i can’t think of any personally, but my husband is a big Seinfield fan and he’ll laugh at something he sees or does and I’ll ask him why he was lughing. He tells me he was reminded of a seinfield episode.
I hope your Memorial weekend is going well.
Hugs, Danette
May 26th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Congratulations on your coming release of ‘The Accidental Demon Slayer’.
I have learned some life lessons from various people and places I have been and many when I least expected it. A person never knows what will come out of each experience we have…sometimes nothing except the enjoyment of the event and sometimes something so profound we will never forget it and it makes a change whether large or small in everything we do from that time forward. One lesson I learned years ago was patience…which I was in short supply for me and often I still work at it, but years ago I was fortunate enough to help care for horses at a stable and learned a big lesson in having patience to work around these beautiful animals which I will always be grateful for and try to use each day in my daily life. I also discovered what a love I have for horses and although I don’t own one, I try to ride whenever I have the opportunity to do so…a wonderful and relaxing time I enjoy tremendously.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:46 am
This book is super-fun. Whoever wins this ARC is going to have a blast with it.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Hi Angie!
I read the first chapter of The Accidental Demon Slayer on your website and loved it! Sounds like the perfect blend of humor and adventure. I can’t wait to read it.
The only life lesson I can think of from an Seinfeld episode would be to never piss off the cook, because then there’ll be “NO SOUP FOR YOU!”
We use that expression frequently in our house, substituting anything we are denying the other person for the word SOUP.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Hi Angie,
Your book sounds really good and I love the cover. I have your book on my wish/want list. Ever since I heard about it I been dying to get my hands on it. I can’t wait for it to be released. I have a teaser booklet with the first chapter in it and I enjoyed reading it. I can’t wait to read the whole book now
For a life lesson. I learned how to know if my man is cheating on me from watching hours and hours of Ricki Lake. I learned everything I need to know to get a proper paternity test done from watching Jerry Springer.
Hugssss
LindaH
May 27th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Ohmigod, Linda - I LOVE YOU. HAHAHAHA.
xo,
Wendy.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Hugssss
LindaH
May 27th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I recently bought all 8 seasons of Charmed on DVD so I have PLENTY of life lessons to share with you.
1. Do not trust any man no matter how good looking he is.
(he is probably a soul sucking demon who wants you dead)
2. Do not trust strangers.
(again they are soul sucking demons who want you dead)
3. Do not try to banish your demon boyfriend into the other world because it will backfire on you and cause you alot of pain.
4. My top lesson learned from watching Charmed is that I need a new hobby.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Does the audience still chant, “fight! fight! fight!” on Jerry Springer? Forget it. I don’t want to know.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. I had a ball with this book and hope everyone else will too.
Off to go try to banish my demon boyfriend to the other world…or is that a bad idea?
May 28th, 2008 at 2:33 am
A life lesson learned from a TV show? Hmm well, I’ve watched Seinfeld. The Soup episode is my favorite. I know cooks like that. So I guess I’ve learned to always smile and never say a bad word about any meal I buy/try. And for life in general, Seinfeld has taught me that although some things in life can be complicated and crazy…your not the only one who goes through them. So do your best and just sort the rest of the trouble out later.