(Note, this page contains spoilers for the entire series)
What Happens When the Coming of Age Story Ends? A Playlist for Gabriella
(Released with Roses Manor, Weston (NCPU#9))
Oh, Gabriella. Possibly the most divisive character in the series, which I find very interesting. Honestly, I can see why and it is the entirety of Book One. She is immature, coming into her first post-college job in her early twenties, assuming the authorities know what they’re doing. And this naivete fails her in ways that impact everyone.
But I Iove stories where a character has to find their way again after an enormous screwup (in case you can’t tell) and it is so fun to follow that journey beyond the redemption arc, beyond the coming of age, and into whatever comes next.
Pet Sematary – The Ramones
“And the night when the moon is bright / Someone cries, something ain’t right”
Linger Longer – Emily Barnes
“Just a little girl of merely four / Waiting patiently for you by the backdoor”
Linger – The Cranberries
“You know I’m such a fool for you / You’ve got me wrapped around finger”
Find the River – REM
“There’s no one left to take the lead / But I tell you and you can see / We’re closer now than lightyears to go”
The Lonely Life of a UFO Researcher – Tullycraft
“Well, I’ve seen evidence no one would dare dispute / Witness accounts make up my life’s pursuit”
Do You Like Being Captain? A Playlist for James
(Released with 72 St. Margaret’s Way (NCPU#10))
James was never intended to be a POV character when I started writing North County Paranormal Unit. Of course, a lot of things changed between writing the first draft and publishing the first book. Originally, Gabriella was the only POV character. James was a side character, a cheerful, protective older cousin. In his first appearance, Gabriella describes him as looking like a suburban dad and I wanted him to just be this ordinary guy in this extraordinary world. He has the most common name in the United States, he enjoys time with his family, and he just wants to do his job well.
But by the time I was midway through writing Book 1, I knew that James was going to be a far bigger part of the story than I intended. I wanted an older POV and I loved the idea of alternating between the newcomer and the longtime team member thrown into a brand new role. James is both sharper than he’s given credit for and wildly oblivious to certain things. He’s extremely bisexual, takes everything to be his responsibility, and he’s a six foot bag of anxiety in jeans and a flannel shirt.
So of course Character Playlist #2 is James. And it’s grounded in classic rock with Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac, because of course.
Never Let You Down – The Verve Pipe
“Doesn’t matter how it ended or began / Sometimes the best that you can do is change your plans”
Songbird – Fleetwood Mac
“And the songbirds are singing like they know the score / And I love you, I love you, I love you / Like never before”
You Can’t Hurry Love – The Supremes
“She said ‘Trust, give it time’ / ‘No matter how long it takes’”
Psalms 40:2 – The Mountain Goats
“Lord, send me a mechanic / If I am not beyond repair”
Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
“Together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness / I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul”
Someday Captain: A Playlist for Amelia
(Released with O’Toole House (NCPU#11))
Then there’s Amelia. Interim captain at twenty-six years old, seemingly effortlessly capable even as things go to hell around her. She’s ambitious, with her eye on an official captaincy someday. But she loves her team deeply and when the opportunity did arise, she wasn’t ready to leave. I’ve only written some micros and one very short story from her point of view, (I’m not even sure that counts as a short story, it’s more of a deleted scene from Book 1 that obviously couldn’t be used because Book 1 is Gabriella’s POV) but she’s so fun. Gabriella gets to be young and immature sometimes. But Amelia, who is maybe a year older than her, doesn’t. As second in command, then interim captain, she frequently has to keep things from exploding, often disregarding her own fears in the process. And James always forgets how young she truly is until that little bit of vulnerability unexpectedly peeks through.
Amelia’s playlist is a bit of a mashup, ranging from Springsteen to Sophie B. Hawkins to They Might Be Giants (who, FYI, are named after my favorite movie of all time. Go watch it [ignore the Letterboxd description, it’s misleading) and learn where I shamelessly steal everything from). While Gabriella is the main character of O’Toole House, Amelia might be the heart of it.
Night – Bruce Springsteen
“And the world is busting at its seams / And you’re just a prisoner of your dreams, holding on for your life”
As I Lay Me Down to Sleep – Sophie B. Hawkins
“I’ll whisper your name into the sky / And I will wake up happy”
Be Afraid – Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
“Be afraid, be very afraid / Do it anyway”
Cardigan – Taylor Swift
“And when I felt like I was an old cardigan, under someone’s bed / You put me on and said I was your favorite”
Birdhouse in Your Soul – They Might Be Giants
“There’s a picture opposite me / Of my primitive ancestry / Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free”
Not Strong Enough – boygenius
“There’s something in the static / I think I’ve been having revelations”
A Long Way Down – A Playlist for Madelyn
(released with Lancaster Green (NCPU#12)
I mentioned this in an author letter a while back, but it’s extremely important to me that Madelyn’s character does not revolve completely around her disability. She’s very disabled and yes, it plays a significant role in her life (hence the title of this playlist). But she’s not just the inspiration for the abled characters, or the perfect victim. She’s flawed and human and wants to have a life of her own. She’s also one of two main characters who have managed to find a happy, healthy (though again, not perfect) relationship while working at the Foundation.
(I’ll be honest, a lot of this series and New Winslow has been inspired by me going, “What do I want to read?” and being as self-indulgent as possible within the framework I’ve given myself. And as someone with significant disabilities, I badly want to read about characters like Madelyn. I want people who get pissed off at the fact they can’t climb that flight of stairs, then goes on to play an integral role at her workplace.)
Madelyn’s playlist is rooted in 2000s pop punk, opening with Fall Out Boy’s Sugar, We’re Going Down and ending with Move Along by The All-American Rejects. I also had a lot of fun starting to explore Brazilian rock for her playlist, a genre I’m not hugely familiar with, but have been enjoying. Marcas de Expressȃo by NX Zero digs into that exhaustion and fear she has for the future, even as she holds onto her happiness. This is tempered by Who You Share It With by Layup, which is just joyful and feels like a good representation of hers and Graham’s relationship.
I feel like Hunger by Florence + The Machine fits many, many women, that idea of being dismissed and shoved down by others while shoving down your own wants and appetites at the same time. And before Graham, Amelia made it clear that Madelyn has done this far too often. And then there’s You’re Dead by Norma Tanega because, well, who on the team has come closer to death than she has?
Madelyn has an important role in Lancaster Green, something that was kind of teased in O’Toole House. And I like how it ended up playing out here.
Sugar, We’re Going Down – Fall Out Boy
We’re going down, down in an earlier round / But sugar, we’re going down swinging / I’ll be your number one with a bullet / A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it
Marcas de Expressȃo – NX Zero
Eu que sempre fui o cara que quis ser o cara / Vi que a cara é ficar bem com o que tem dentro de vocȇ / Isso eu demorei pra entender
Who You Share It With – Layup
And it’s life, and the point is / Enjoying who you share it with / Joy is who you share it with
You’re Dead – Norma Tanega
Run fast, don’t stand in the sun / There’s too much work to be done / You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re dead / You’re down and out of this world
Hunger – Florence + The Machine
Oh, you in all your vibrant youth / How could anything bad ever happen to you?
Move Along – The All-American Rejects
When all you got to keep is strong / Move along, move along like I know you do
Yes, Professor – A Playlist for Graham
(Released just before Pinewood Corner Kitchen (NCPU#13)
Graham is a teacher. At the very core of his being, no matter what else about him changes, he is a teacher. Unlike all the other main characters, Graham doesn’t appear in the series until Book Two, where he shows up as James’s good-hearted roommate. He’s turning thirty and works as an adjunct psychology professor at a nearby university. He’s feeling lost and the solution (maybe) arrives in the form of a bear cryptid on his university campus, which leads him to work for the Foundation for Paranormal Studies. From there he becomes an integral part of the North County team.
Graham is probably the most well-adjusted member of the team. He has a life outside of the Foundation, though the Foundation is doing its best to creep in. He’s a deeply sensitive and sentimental man, but he’s also confident, comfortable in his own skin, and in love with Madelyn, who’s just as in love with him. But in Pinewood Corner Kitchen, it’s looking like maybe the Foundation isn’t the answer to Graham’s question about what to do with his life after all.
For Graham’s playlist, I decided to base it on his love for movies. In the books, he has an enormous DVD collection that takes up several shelves in his and James’s living room. So I spent some time exploring classic movie songs from several decades. It starts with “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel, an emotional, romantic song that fits his sensitive personality, as does “As Time Goes By,” sung by Billie Holiday.
This hasn’t been discussed in the series yet, but Graham’s favorite movie is 1959’s Some Like It Hot, so the third song on his list is “Runnin’ Wild,” sung by Marilyn Monroe in the movie. I actually have a scene written that takes place during Roses Manor, Weston, when Graham and a painkillered-up Bradley watch Some Like It Hot together while Bradley stays at their place after getting hit by a car. The movie is a pretty small part of the scene and I haven’t released it because it contains a blatant spoiler for later, but I like the image of Graham coming home from work, making a cocktail, and watching old screwball comedies in his living room.
Then there’s Prince’s “When Doves Cry” from Purple Rain, a movie that oozes style the entire time. Graham is more subtle about it, but beyond the terrible teeshirt collection, he’s got a lot of style and confidence. But then we’re right back to sentiment and love with “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie.
In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel (Say Anything)
Without a noise, without my pride / I reach out from the inside
As Time Goes By – Billie Holiday (Casablanca)
It’s still the same old story / A fight for love and glory / A case of do or die
Runnin’ Wild – Marilyn Monroe (Some Like It Hot)
Runnin’ wild, lost control / Runnin’ wild, mighty bold
When Doves Cry – Prince (Purple Rain)
Don’t make me chase you / Even doves have pride
The Rainbow Connection – Kermit the Frog (The Muppet Movie)
What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing / And what do we think we might see?
The Logistics Make No Sense – A Playlist for Bradley
(Released before Pinewood Corner Kitchen (NCPU#13)
Bradley quickly became a fan favorite character. I’m not entirely sure when I started getting so many comments about him, but it was probably around the time Jarvis Street came out. So about ten books ago. The oldest member of the team, running the branch logistics and transferred on a broken promise, Bradley is about forty percent cynicism and sixty percent yearning. He’s genuinely irritated on a regular basis, has no patience for anything he deems stupid or pointless, and is not shy about telling his teammates his (usually negative) opinion on anything they’re doing. He insists on privacy and likes to think he’s made those walls strong enough to keep anyone out. But as soon as anyone shows him the least bit of tenderness, it’s over. James is aware of this, Gabriella less so. So when it comes to POV characters, they have very different views of Bradley, especially earlier in the series. Gabriella finds him intimidating, while James develops a protective affection and devotes a fair amount of time to fighting with him as the team deals with their new reality post-Robin.
Bradley keeps his secrets locked down as much as possible because nobody can know about the biggest one. And no, it’s not about his very obvious psychic abilities. The ones he definitely does not have.
For Bradley’s playlist, I wanted to play with these contradictions in his character. It opens with Dragula by Rob Zombie. While I never say it specifically, the hard rock he plays while working out that James hates so much is supposed to be Rob Zombie. And if James was to listen to the lyrics, he’d be mystified because it’s all horror imagery. But from there it drops immediately into Dar Williams’ Iowa (Traveling, Part 3), full of soft secrets and the urge to drop the façade and share. Then Je fais le mort by Juniore. Like with Madelyn’s playlist, I was not very familiar with French indie music, but I wanted to explore it because of Bradley’s connection to France, something only discussed in passing so far, but one of his private details that’s important to him and he generally doesn’t discuss with the others. The bass-y, stylish sophistication of this song was very fitting for his character. That sophistication drops away immediately during the desperation in Darren Hayes’s A Conversation with God and the aching yearning of Crowded House’s Fall at Your Feet as it closes out the playlist.
Dragula – Rob Zombie
Dead, I am the dog / Hound of Hell you cry / Devil on your back / I can never die
Iowa (Traveling Part 3) – Dar Williams
But way back where I come from / We never mean to bother / We don’t like to make our passions other people’s concerns
Je fais le mort – Juniore
Mais dehors, il faisait si bon / Tu t’en souviens encore / Commes les jours étaient longs / Et dehors, il fait si froid
A Conversation with God – Darren Hayes
I hear it / The Voice of God is laced with sarcasm / In your hands
Fall At Your Feet – Crowded House
Let it go / I’ll be there when you call / And whenever I fall at your feet
