Andie M. Long's Blog
December 21, 2021
Gnarly Fell. The story behind the village.
Your brain is a scary yet amazing place, you know that right?!
I laughed yesterday when I got this message from a friend because it’s a comment I get quite often as the author of not only paranormal romantic comedy, but also of psychologically disturbing suspense. I am after all the author of MInE, the book for which my mother told my father, “If this is in Andrea’s head, I think she needs to see a psychologist,” and a blogger said, “Even Satan wouldn’t know what to do with Andie M. Long.”
But it got me to thinking, where did Gnarly Fell come from, and the main answer is: my imagination.
A couple of years ago I was writing the first book in The Paranormals series and I wrote in a character called Mya who sired the band’s bass guitarist. The moment I wrote Mya, with her sassy wit and ‘take no crap’ banter, I knew I had to write more of this character. Having already written a series set in a seaside town with a host of supernatural creatures (Supernatural Dating Agency), I felt I wanted a whole different setting and cast of characters. I made Mya’s love interest Death himself (the ultimate tall, dark, handsome and broody!), and decided to put her in an old- fashioned castle on top of a hill where I pictured trees with gnarled branches. The village appeared beneath me in my mind; more of the gnarled trees that would give the village its name: Gnarly Fell.
I let the first book take me on its wild ride with no fixed plot other than she needed to end up with Death at the end in a Happy For Now, given that in The Paranormals set 11 years later their relationship is said to be off-and-on. For two people who will live together for eternity I see no rush in their story and while all the other villagers get their happy ever afters, Mya and Death’s story will continue to weave around them. After all, she’s only been the Queen of the Wayward for two months as we come to the story of Sucking Hell, Book 3 in the series.
Characters have surprised me as they have appeared. Santa himself turned up, along with tooth fairies, dragon shifters, a whole clan of vampires who live in Chelsea but through marriage are now intertwined with Gnarly, and in Book 4 which I’m currently writing, a money-grabbing vampire is currently ‘in hate’ with an artist zombie (who currently hates her right back).
As I write this short blog post, I have to say, my brain surprises me as much as it does you. But the characters give me the giggles and the setting gives me peace. A place to go to when the real world gets too much. There will be at least six books in the series. I hope you continue to enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
This third book that released yesterday is a feel-good Christmassy tale. Perfect for the holiday season.
Andie
21 December 2021
I laughed yesterday when I got this message from a friend because it’s a comment I get quite often as the author of not only paranormal romantic comedy, but also of psychologically disturbing suspense. I am after all the author of MInE, the book for which my mother told my father, “If this is in Andrea’s head, I think she needs to see a psychologist,” and a blogger said, “Even Satan wouldn’t know what to do with Andie M. Long.”
But it got me to thinking, where did Gnarly Fell come from, and the main answer is: my imagination.
A couple of years ago I was writing the first book in The Paranormals series and I wrote in a character called Mya who sired the band’s bass guitarist. The moment I wrote Mya, with her sassy wit and ‘take no crap’ banter, I knew I had to write more of this character. Having already written a series set in a seaside town with a host of supernatural creatures (Supernatural Dating Agency), I felt I wanted a whole different setting and cast of characters. I made Mya’s love interest Death himself (the ultimate tall, dark, handsome and broody!), and decided to put her in an old- fashioned castle on top of a hill where I pictured trees with gnarled branches. The village appeared beneath me in my mind; more of the gnarled trees that would give the village its name: Gnarly Fell.
I let the first book take me on its wild ride with no fixed plot other than she needed to end up with Death at the end in a Happy For Now, given that in The Paranormals set 11 years later their relationship is said to be off-and-on. For two people who will live together for eternity I see no rush in their story and while all the other villagers get their happy ever afters, Mya and Death’s story will continue to weave around them. After all, she’s only been the Queen of the Wayward for two months as we come to the story of Sucking Hell, Book 3 in the series.
Characters have surprised me as they have appeared. Santa himself turned up, along with tooth fairies, dragon shifters, a whole clan of vampires who live in Chelsea but through marriage are now intertwined with Gnarly, and in Book 4 which I’m currently writing, a money-grabbing vampire is currently ‘in hate’ with an artist zombie (who currently hates her right back).
As I write this short blog post, I have to say, my brain surprises me as much as it does you. But the characters give me the giggles and the setting gives me peace. A place to go to when the real world gets too much. There will be at least six books in the series. I hope you continue to enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
This third book that released yesterday is a feel-good Christmassy tale. Perfect for the holiday season.
Andie
21 December 2021
July 25, 2020
HEX FACTOR EXCERPT!
We began our version of Taylor Swift's Wildest Dreams. They listened to thirty seconds and then Bill raised a hand and stopped the music.
"Okay. Here's what's going to happen." He told us. "You're good enough to go through."
We all beamed and Rex growled, "Yes," only to receive a withering look from Bill. I glared at Rex hoping he realised it meant shut the hell up.
Bill continued. "Make up will change your image a little before you come back on. Also, I'm going to suggest a name change, nothing much different, just taking the 'not' out. You'll agree." He scratched at his chin. "You know Paradise City?"
We nodded.
"You'll do that first but not well. I'll stop the process and ask if you have anything else. Then you'll blow the roof off with Wildest Dreams. Okay, thanks."
And that was it. Clipboard guy took us back off stage and through to meet the team from make-up and hair.
"Right, I'll leave you here. Congrats, guys." He said and with that he was on his way.
We all stared at each other speechless.
"What just happened?" Rex eventually muttered.
"I think we just got to see a glimpse of what really happens behind the scenes of a TV Talent Show." Roman sighed. "No one said the path to the top was paved with gold."
Indeed, it was not. It was paved with going along with a reality show script and we agreed between us as we progressed through hair and make-up that if it led to the glory of a recording contract, we'd do whatever it took within reason. Like Zak said, he'd already sold his soul to a devil so what did he have to lose?
Hair and make-up parted Rex's hair down the middle so he had curtains. I could see that after this he was going to have to let off some major energy and probably hunt because I just knew that deep inside his wolf was growling for permission to take the hair stylist guy's head off. Zak's was crimped, and mine was gelled so much it looked greasy. They put clear round glasses on Roman, making him look like Harry Potter's older brother and then finally they dressed us in clothes that took me right back to my old days at school, pre-turning.
"We don't say a word about this. It's never, ever mentioned." Zak glared at us all. "Not one word."
"Okay. Here's what's going to happen." He told us. "You're good enough to go through."
We all beamed and Rex growled, "Yes," only to receive a withering look from Bill. I glared at Rex hoping he realised it meant shut the hell up.
Bill continued. "Make up will change your image a little before you come back on. Also, I'm going to suggest a name change, nothing much different, just taking the 'not' out. You'll agree." He scratched at his chin. "You know Paradise City?"
We nodded.
"You'll do that first but not well. I'll stop the process and ask if you have anything else. Then you'll blow the roof off with Wildest Dreams. Okay, thanks."
And that was it. Clipboard guy took us back off stage and through to meet the team from make-up and hair.
"Right, I'll leave you here. Congrats, guys." He said and with that he was on his way.
We all stared at each other speechless.
"What just happened?" Rex eventually muttered.
"I think we just got to see a glimpse of what really happens behind the scenes of a TV Talent Show." Roman sighed. "No one said the path to the top was paved with gold."
Indeed, it was not. It was paved with going along with a reality show script and we agreed between us as we progressed through hair and make-up that if it led to the glory of a recording contract, we'd do whatever it took within reason. Like Zak said, he'd already sold his soul to a devil so what did he have to lose?
Hair and make-up parted Rex's hair down the middle so he had curtains. I could see that after this he was going to have to let off some major energy and probably hunt because I just knew that deep inside his wolf was growling for permission to take the hair stylist guy's head off. Zak's was crimped, and mine was gelled so much it looked greasy. They put clear round glasses on Roman, making him look like Harry Potter's older brother and then finally they dressed us in clothes that took me right back to my old days at school, pre-turning.
"We don't say a word about this. It's never, ever mentioned." Zak glared at us all. "Not one word."
