Gail Priest's Blog

As I celebrate the 5th Anniversary of completing the Annie Crow Knoll Trilogy, it occurs to me that the middle book, Sunset, doesn’t get my attention as much as Sunrise and Moonrise do. Today, as the Anniversary Sale continues, I’d like to share a favorite part of Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset.

Although this book is primarily Nate’s story, the friendship that develops between June, Nate’s wife, and Beth Ann, his childhood friend, is special to me. Both women are dealing with huge challenges which bring them together.

June’s desperation to have a child and Nate’s devotion to his restaurant business in Manhattan have taken a toll on their marriage and on June’s fragile mental health. After her deep depression drives her to desperate measures, Nate gives up his business and brings her back to Annie Crow Knoll in hopes of saving her and their marriage.

Beth Ann won her battle against cancer in Sunrise. It has returned, and this second round of treatments has been unsuccessful and taken away any quality of life. She returns to the Knoll seeking hope and healing on the bay.

Here’s a short selection between Beth Ann and June when they have taken a sunset canoe paddle and pulled over on a beach.

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“The bay always improves everything.” Beth Ann removed the bandana she’d worn covering her patchy downs of hair. “Won’t get sun burned now.”

Without thinking, June reached over and touched the top of Beth Ann’s fuzzy head.

“No one is as comfortable around me as you are,” Beth Ann said.

“That’s funny because most people make me uncomfortable.” June let her hand drop back into her lap.

“But not me?”

“No.”

“I usually feel like I have to help people to be at ease around me.”

“How’s that?”

“They look at me, and they don’t know what to do or say.” Beth Ann leaned back on their beach blanket.

“They’re sorry for you.”

“No. It’s something else. I see fear in their eyes. Like they’re afraid this might happen to them. So I end up trying to assure them that they’ll be okay even if it does. But I don’t see that kind of fear in your eyes.”

“That’s because I’m not afraid to die. Sometimes I think it would be a relief.”

*****

I hope you’ll take advantage of this Anniversary Sale! All the Annie Crow Knoll eBooks are marked down.

Here’s an Amazon review on Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset.

Victoria Marie Lees 5.0 out of 5 stars Learning to Let Go Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset by Gail Priest is the second novel in this contemporary three-book series. Sunset continues the reader’s relationship with the loveable characters who vacation at the summer rental cottages at Annie Crow Knoll in the Chesapeake Bay area. Sunset is the story about Annie and her friends’ children coming of age. It’s about Annie’s relationship with her son, Nathan Bo Bidwell.

But Priest doesn’t stop there. Many characters “come of age” in this moving story. And they are not all children. The characters have their own arcs with desires, experiences and learning all their own.

Priest doesn’t shy away from difficult topics in her book; such as, racism, divorce, depression and cancer. She offers tangible experiences. But she also offers hope. And hope is what many people look for in life. Priest allows for people to be loved for who they are and not what others want them to be.

Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset by Gail Priest can be read as a standalone book. But the characters are so interesting; I suggest you read the series.

Not that I’m a romantic, but there are Chesapeake Bay weddings in each of the Annie Crow Knoll novels. In case you haven’t read Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise, I won’t tell you who gets hitched, but I will let you know that it’s a man asking a woman to marry him.

When it came to writing the popping-the-question scene, I put in everything that I think makes the perfect marriage proposal. A private, romantic setting is a must. A delicious meal is a bonus. Family and friends are involved pulling off the plan. Their energy adds to the excitement. She has been led to believe they’re going out for dinner, so she’s dressed up. The man wears a suit to mark the occasion. It has to be a complete surprise with a sense of suspense, so the woman walks through the woods filled with white lights strung in the trees and lanterns illuminating the path. She doesn’t know what’s happening, but she’s intrigued by the intimate environment. When she reaches the destination, he is waiting by a beautifully decorated white tent where they drink champagne and dine. When he asks her to marry him, he gets down on one knee and says the sweetest preamble. He opens the ring box to reveal a stunning and unique engagement ring. Nothing flashy, but it’s a one of a kind ring that’s specific to her. Should I tell you her answer?

Here are some of the images I used for inspiration.

In today’s anniversary blog, I’d like to share the inspirational pictures I collected for Moon Harbor Inn, Nate and June’s restaurant and inn from Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise. You’ll remember that at the end of Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset, the young couple purchased the inn with plans to convert the old barn into Nate’s restaurant. Moonrise begins about twenty years later. A lot has happened in those years, and I selected several pictures to help me imagine the inn and restaurant where Nate and June live, run their businesses, and raise their daughters Breezy and Jemma.

The Inn at Osprey Point in Rock Hall, Maryland was my inspiration for Nate and June’s Moon Harbor Inn in Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise.I put an old barn on the property that Nate converts into his family’s home upstairs and his restaurant downstairs.I wanted Nate’s restaurant to have rustic elegance with lot of glass for views of Moon Harbor.The Pavilion at Rat’s Restaurant, Grounds for Sculpture, NJ inspired the design for the wedding pagoda June is having built at Moon Harbor Inn in Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise.This is the interior of the Pavilion at Rat’s Restaurant. I thought it was the perfect design concept for June’s pagoda at Moon Harbor Inn. This includes the large, rustic chandelier hanging above. I knew the character of Atticus was a blacksmith artisan, and when the pagoda idea came to me, I realized June would commission him to build the chandelier.

In today’s blog, I’d like to share my inspiration for the Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise character of Liam McAllister. Below are photographs I selected to support the creation of this character.

Liam’s backstory is that he was a talented cyclist in college, and that’s where he met Professor Drew Bidwell, Annie’s ex-husband. Drew saw Liam’s talent, and he supported Liam’s dream of pursuing professional cycling. However, Liam’s dad, Colonel Bartlett McAllister, had other ideas. His father pressed Liam to go to Officer Candidates School directly out of college, and Liam went. Ultimately Liam served in Afghanistan and lost men under his command. After Liam returned to civilian life in the US, Drew, who stayed in touch with Liam, hired him as his granddaughters’ cycling coach as they prepare for the 2016 Summer Olympic.

Liam has PTSD which is triggered by the charity race cowbells in Chapter One. They sound like the Afghan goat bells that rang after a horrific firefight and he carried the bodies of young soldiers off the field. Liam is trained to noticed the signs of a potential bomber, so he immediately hones in on the suspicious guy at the charity race.

I’m celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise being published. If you haven’t read the Annie Crow Knoll trilogy, all the eBooks are on sale for $0.99 each! Just click the book images on the sidebar or go to the Books by Gail Priest page for links.

Kindle Book Awards Semi-finalist Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise

I collected the photographs below for inspiration when I was writing Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise. I knew Annie’s granddaughter, Breezy, would be a cyclist. Then Jemma presented herself as Breezy’s adopted sister from China. The Boston Marathon bombing influenced the tragic event in Chapter One, so the young women became world-class cyclists preparing for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Their grandfather Drew, Annie’s ex-husband (I’m so glad I didn’t kill him off in Sunrise as written in the first draft because he became a key player in Moonrise), gets them involved in cycling when they visit him in California. Drew hires Liam to coach his granddaughters, and Liam and Breezy begin to fall in love. There you go, the beginning of Moonrise. I’ll be sharing more history and photographs from the final novel of the Annie Crow Knoll trilogy during this 5th Anniversary celebration. All the trilogy eBooks are on sale for a limited time.

I’m celebrating the release of the Annie Crow Knoll trilogy box set!

Below is a sample from Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise, which was a Kindle Book Awards 2017 semi-finalist. I hope you enjoy it, and you can purchase the entire collection at Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

 

ANNIE CROW KNOLL: MOONRISE by Gail Priest

Autumn 2014

Chapter One

Working his way through the crowd of spectators clogging the sidewalk, Liam Mc Allister lost track of his friend Drew Bidwell. Assuming Drew would catch up, Liam didn’t bother to text him. Instead he searched for an opening against the police barricade near the finish line where he could watch for the cyclists he coached. He noticed a guy wearing a brown winter parka hobble away from a spot next to a group of rowdy teenagers. These avid fans, outfitted in expensive cycling paraphernalia and carrying cowbells, pointed and snickered at the odd way the man walked.  He leaned forward with his torso hunched as if he carried something weighty, but his arms were empty. His hands were stuffed deep in the coat pockets.

The unshaven man appeared to be about forty. Greasy hanks of long, blond hair poked out below his woolen cap. His filthy face wore an anxious expression, and his eyes darted at Liam for a split second before he stared straight ahead. Although parka man was likely one of many mentally ill people now wandering the streets without care or medication, something about the situation got Liam’s hackles up. He didn’t know if his unease was initiated by the rude kids, who were now ringing their cowbells and jeering, or the actual guy in the parka, who was quickly swallowed up by the mass of people jockeying for a good view of the cyclists when they came in.

Before someone else took the open space, Liam wedged himself between the teens and a harried couple whose two small children were arguing over a cowbell.

“I’ll go get another one,” the father said.

His wife shook her head.  “No, I don’t want two cowbells with that bank’s insignia on it.”

The dad picked up the younger boy in an effort to distract him with a better view, while the older sister hid the prize cowbell behind her back before her parents changed their minds.

At six foot three, Liam easily scanned the sea of people packed between the storefronts and the curbside barriers lining this side of the race course. Still no sign of Drew.

The first annual East Bay Women’s Race for the Cure, coupled with ideal weather on this warm, autumn day, brought out more fans than anticipated.  Top riders from all over the country were attracted to the event, including Drew Bidwell’s granddaughters. Breezy Bidwell, was a rising star in the world of women’s cycling. As usual, Jemma Bidwell was riding domestique for Breezy today. She would lead out her sister, while allowing Breezy to conserve energy by using Jemma’s slipstream. At the last few hundred meters, Breezy then had the power to break into a sprint for the finish line.

The California hills and mountains separating the inner East Bay and outer East Bay were perfect for a challenging and exciting sixty-five-kilometer course. The towns in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, located across the bay from San Francisco, were as diverse as the race terrain with deep economic divides between the haves and the have-nots. The selection of the race start and finish locations in these boroughs became a hot topic.  In the end, race organizers were persuaded to place the finish line on the main street of a disadvantaged neighborhood north of Berkeley in hopes of bringing some business to the hard-hit area. Drew Bidwell and Liam McAllister had been among the key supporters of this decision.

Liam had grumbled to Drew when one of the big banks that had foreclosed on many of the area’s mortgages and reneged on hundreds of thousands of student loans became the main race sponsor, but charities make for strange bedfellows. After forcing students to drop out of college and driving families out of their homes, it was obvious to Liam the bank’s Board of Directors was attempting to stem the flood of bad publicity.  They shelled out only peanuts for the race compared to what they had stolen from the community, but their image would improve.

From where he stood at the finish line, Liam had a clear view of the bigwigs from the bank all seated in designated risers directly across the street. He raised his eyebrows. Most of them weren’t even watching for the cyclists, who would be arriving soon.  They were too busy chatting up the town commissioners and other area politicians. Scrutinized the faces, Liam noticed Drew shaking hands with the mayor.  How the hell did Bidwell get up there? Liam figured his former college professor and friend must have crossed the course and schmoozed his way into the private seating area. Well, it probably didn’t take much.  Professor Bidwell was popular with the locals and friends with everyone and anyone in authority.

While Liam was fond of Drew and grateful for all his older friend had done for him, he wondered what had happened in Bidwell’s past that made him obsessed with being accepted by the powers that be.  Drew likely had dinner with some of these people last week.  Those connections, along with his granddaughter Breezy being favored to win the race, made it easy for the professor to join everyone in the VIP seating area.

When the men made eye contact across the course, Drew gestured for Liam to come join him.  Liam checked his phone.  The riders were several minutes away.  He did have time to slip under the barricade and cross the course.  He’d have a better view from up in the risers, but he shook his head no.  A flash of disappointment crossed Drew’s face, but he gave Liam the thumbs up, then slapped one of the bank managers on the back and laughed. Bidwell could charm a snake out of its skin. Knowing he wouldn’t be waiting at this finish line if it weren’t for the man’s persuasive powers brought a wry smile to Liam’s face. He wasn’t sure where he’d be if it weren’t for Drew Bidwell.

Cowbells clanged in the distance, indicating the front riders were several blocks away. The crowd nearby responded by ringing their cowbells and chanting, “Breezy, Breezy, Breezy.” The professor’s granddaughter had a solid fan base present.

Liam detected sudden movement about thirty feet past the finish line.  The guy in the heavy parka was crossing the course toward the grandstand. A race volunteer, in an orange vest, shooed him back to Liam’s side of the street. Liam’s unease returned. It was parka man that bothered him.

When the teens on his left shook their cowbells, Liam’s entire body tensed. To the right, the young parents cheered, and their little girl shook her coveted bell with both hands wrapped around it. The muted jingle momentarily transported Liam back to his Infantry Unit in Afghanistan following an ambush and particularly hellish firefight.  The relentless hammering of automatic weapons fire was followed by random, distant pops. As Liam hoisted the lifeless body of one of his men onto his shoulder, goat bells jangled from a herd ambling past the dead marines.

Liam wiped sweat from the back of his neck, half expecting to see his hand bathed in the blood of the Marine he’d carried years ago.  Settle down. He pulled himself back to the present. He took several deep breaths and worked on calming himself down. He scanned the street and didn’t see parka man anywhere. Don’t worry.  If there is a problem, race officials are handling it.

Fans repeated, “Breezy, Breezy, Breezy.” Relieved by the distraction, Liam leaned over the barrier to check for riders. He was expecting Breezy to be in the lead. The wind was in her favor, but there could be an unforeseen challenger.

When Liam had begun coaching the Bidwell girls two years ago, they were just teenagers with a lot of talent. Over time, he felt privileged to witness their maturity as cyclists and as women.  Breezy’s development into adulthood was, however, beginning to complicate his nearly ideal rapport with her.  At twenty, she wasn’t a kid anymore, and Liam had started to observe things about her that a man notices in a woman he finds attractive.

Gun-shy after his divorce, it took him awhile to acknowledge the effect Breezy was having on him.  Even before he was married, Liam had taken his time with women.  He wasn’t one to hop into the sack over a drink.  He’d found it more satisfying to know the person with whom he shared his bed.

Liam always behaved in a professional manner with his riders, and the last few months, he’d had to be especially diligent with Breezy. More and more, he was finding it difficult to mask his true affection.

Liam was wrenched from his thoughts and back to the East Bay charity race when someone shoved directly between him and the couple with children to his right.

“Take it easy, buddy.” The father of the young family jostled around manipulating a new spot for his wife and two kids against the police barricade.

The intruder was parka man, who made no eye contact with anyone now, his gaze fixated on the bleachers across the street. The hair on the back of Liam’s neck stood on end.

Shit. No way. Not here. Not now.

Cowbells rang only a block away. The riders were bearing down.  Their legs pumping like pistons.

Sweat cleared away tracks of dirt on parka man’s face, and he was panting like a cyclist pushing up a steep climb.

Not with all these innocent people around for God’s sake.

Liam glanced around for an instant.  He couldn’t believe no one else was seeing what he was. It didn’t make sense, but Liam understood what was about to happen.  His eyes shot down to locate the man’s hands.  The left hand remained buried in his coat pocket.

Parka man lurched down and darted under the barrier. He began rushing across the course toward the bank officials and Drew Bidwell. There were too many fans pressing up against Liam. He couldn’t jump over the barricade. Liam was forced to duck under in pursuit.

The chanting of Breezy’s name and the clanging of cowbells surged to a crescendo as the two lead riders made their appearance, well ahead of the peloton.

********************

Drew cheered as his two granddaughters neared the finish line.  He was surprised Jemma hadn’t dropped off after her sister sprinted. The crowd went wild when Breezy seemed to launch ahead. Drew studied the move carefully. Breezy was about to win because Jemma had backed off. While pondering this, Drew became aware of a man dashing across the course and heading directly for the bleachers. Liam tore after the intruder and tackled him, just as Breezy came across the finish line.  Drew heard no sound but saw the flash before the force of the bomb punched him back into the people and benches behind him.

 

The Annie Crow Knoll Complete Collection e-book box set is available at Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

ANNIE CROW KNOLL: MOONRISE has been selected as a semi-finalist in the literary fiction category of the 2017 Kindle Book Awards!

I hope you enjoy this teaser from EASTERN SHORE SHORTS! I absolutely love the Eastern Shore towns where these stories are set. This preview is from Drama Queen, which is set in Chestertown, MD.

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DRAMA QUEEN

PHILLIP

I’ve always liked women, but not for the usual reasons men like them. The girls didn’t want to beat me up when I was a kid; they wanted to dress me up in their clothes and put lipstick on me. The boys, however, did want to beat me up and did so every chance they could. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that my best friend is a woman.

When I should have gotten off the Eastern Shore for college, I instead went to Washington College here in Chestertown, where again, I pretty much stood out as weird. Although I was able to stand up for myself by then, it was comforting when Kate accepted me. We became best friends the first week of freshman year and remained so all through college and into adulthood. It’s hard to believe we graduated nearly forty years ago; I haven’t aged at all. I can’t wait for that reunion. It will take a dancing bear carrying a blow torch to get Kate off her couch to go to the reunion with me, but first things first.

Kate’s been hibernating ever since Brad the Bastard left her for a younger woman a few months ago. Talk about stereotypes. Anyway, I’ve gotten Kate to agree to meet me for lunch today at The Kitchen at the Imperial Hotel. I’ll ply her with expensive wine before springing my plan for her relaunching. She’s going to fight me. I’d be worried if she didn’t. Her resistance will prove to me that she really hasn’t given up. I’m ready. I’ve moved mountains before with her; I can do it again.

When Kate arrives, I ask the hostess to seat us some place quiet and private. She leads us down the hall, past the crowded dining rooms and out to the garden seating.

“It’s too hot out here,” Kate complains.

That’s just the point. It won’t get crowded. But I say, “You need some sun. You’re too pale from hiding inside your house.”

“I haven’t been hiding. I’ve gone to work every day.”

“Inside. You need some air. Get some color back into those lifeless cheeks.” I pinch her face.

“Okay.” She slaps my hands away and takes a seat. “I didn’t come here to argue.”

The hostess leaves us with menus. I think she’s glad to get away.

“Don’t let me order dessert.” Kate pats her tummy.

“Get whatever you want.”

“No, I’ve been eating too much. I need to cut back.”

“I hope you’ll drink some wine.”

“Are you kidding? Wine doesn’t count; everyone knows that.”

“Good.” I pick up the wine list to make a selection. Something dry and refreshing.

Kate shuts her menu. “I’m going to order a salad so I can have dessert.”

I look over the menu. “I’m going to order an oyster po boy, so I can have potato salad.”

Kate looks me over. “You never gain weight.”

“High metabolism, I guess.”

“I hate you.” She smirks and reopens her menu. “But yum, that does sounds good.”

I keep my mouth shut. Kate always looks lovely. Brad the Bastard is an idiot.

She snaps the menu shut. “Nope. I’m sticking with a salad because the chocolate bread pudding is calling my name.”

“Whatever makes you happy.”

The waitress arrives, takes our orders, and returns with the wine.

Once Kate has a few sips, she begins to relax. “Thanks for getting me out of the house, Phillip. I feel better.”

“I’m glad.”

“Tell me how plans are coming for your niece’s wedding.”

“Chelsea has approved my design and the fabric for her bridal gown. My sister and her pushy friend, who is also the mother of the groom, tried to influence Chelsea’s decisions, but I kept her on the right track. It’s going to be stunning.”

“How exciting for her to have an uncle who is an award-winning Broadway costume designer. I hope she realizes how lucky she is that you’re doing her gown.”

“I love all my nieces to pieces, and my retirement from full-time work in New York has given me the time to make Chelsea’s wedding gown. I’m delighted.” This is the perfect segue into my plan of action for Kate. “I plan to keep busy. I’ll be designing the costumes for Sweeney Todd at the Garfield Center. They’re holding auditions soon.”

“I love Stephen Sondheim musicals.”

Our food arrives, and I pause from my strategy to try my oyster sandwich.

“Oh my God, you have to have a bite of this.”

“No, thanks.” Kate stabs at her salad. “Brad and I saw the production of that Edward Albee play the Garfield did a couple of years ago. It was depressing but well done.”

“Albee plays are always depressing. They ought to put a suicide hotline number in the program.”

*****************************************************

Eastern Shore Shorts will be available in paperback on April 15, 2018!

The characters in this collection of short stories visit familiar restaurants, inns, shops, parks, and museums as they cross paths through the charming towns and waterways of the Eastern Shore. From a female barber who runs into an old flame to a man who’s held out for love for too long, and from a cranky dog trainer to a meddling mother-of-the-bride, these folks will make you laugh, cry, and cheer as they follow their hearts and their dreams.

Coming April 15, 2018!

My Love of the Eastern Shore

The skies on the Chesapeake Bay are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. This picture was taken at the headwaters of the Bay after a storm at sunset. My love for the Eastern Shore began in 2000 when my husband and I began renting a cottage at Evergreen Knoll in Betterton, MD. This community of seasonal cottages overlooks the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Sassafras River. Before I knew it, I was writing a novel, which turned into the Annie Crow Knoll trilogy. Last May, Nancy Sakaduski, from Cat and Mouse Press, invited me to write a collection of short stories set in different Eastern Shore towns. I had spent seventeen years wandering around many of these locales, and the few I didn’t know well, I enjoyed visiting during this past year while writing Eastern Shore Shorts. The collection will be released on April 15, 2018, and it’s my joy to share this new adventure with you! Please visit me at www.gailpriest.com for more information. Cat & Mouse Press

 

Do you have some favorite films that you’ve watched several times? I have a collection of DVDs I watch every summer at the cottage we rent on the Chesapeake Bay.  After sixteen years, I know the dialogue by heart. My list includes Tootsie, Witness, Stage Beauty, all of the Harry Potter films, Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson version), Shakespeare in Love, The Big Chill, Bird Cage, The King’s Speech, and On Golden Pond.

 

I saw the original Broadway production of On Golden Pond in 1979, shortly after my father died the previous November. I was twenty-five years old.  Although my dad and I had a much better relationship than the characters of Norman Thayer and his daughter Chelsey, I certainly had a boatload of unresolved issues with my dead father when I saw the play. That combined with Norman’s angina attack in the last act (my dad suffered from angina and heart problems for years, with his first heart attack when I was ten years old), the performance with Tom Aldredge and Frances Sternhagen just about unhinged  me . . . in a good way. What I felt at the curtain was the beginning of my healing process, which took many years.  And I think I felt a hint of a possibility. Maybe I could write plays that moved an audience from laughter to tears and back like Ernest Thompson’s play had that night.

 

But back to the film version of On Golden Pond with Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Jane Fonda.  Why do I watch it every summer? Since I was a child, I wanted a Golden Pond type cabin on a lake or cottage on a beach.  These many years renting our cottage at Evergreen Knoll became that for me.  In addition, my exploration of difficult family relationships in the Annie Crow Knoll series was likely influenced by the healing process that takes place between Chelsea and her estranged father at their family cabin on Golden Pond. The place of Annie Crow Knoll on the Chesapeake Bay certainly has healing powers.

 

I also watch the film because I’m reminded of my own father every time I see Henry Fonda in the role of Norman Thayer.  In this one moment captured in the photo to the right with Katharine Hepburn, I see my dad sitting there. The resemblance between Henry Fonda and Jerry Priest in that pose with his hand up at his mouth is remarkable.

 

 

Every time I watch near the end of the film when Norman gives Chelsea his old debate medal, and she calls him “Dad” instead of “Norman,” and then he reaches out to hug her for the first time, I cry.  I feel my father hugging me.  Luckily he was a big hugger, and I never felt neglected in that department until he passed and I missed his hugs.

 

As summer officially winds down this Labor Day, perhaps there’s a movie you’d like to watch again. Tell me about the films you’ve watched several times and what they mean to you. Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

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Visit my website for the links to buy the books. You can also click on the covers in the sidebar of this blog. The first book, Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset, is free!