Monday, August 8, 2016

FEATURED AUTHOR HAVEN CAGE


Happy Last week of summer vacation!!!! I am sure you are very excited for the school year to start, I know I am I have enjoyed my summer home with my minions but I am ready to get back to work !


This weeks Featured Author is Haven Cage I have been facebook stalking her this summer and have added her book to my kindle. So I hope you enjoy finding out more about her and her work.





Nevaeh and George have lived on the streets as father and daughter since he found her, alone and unconscious, many years ago. When they start a new life employed at Joe's cafe, Nevaeh experiences debilitating visions and frightening apparitions. Adding to the troubling path her life has taken, George suddenly becomes ill and an Animus demon takes his soul hostage in Hell. Unfortunately, the ransom may be more than Nevaeh can afford.
As Nevaeh spirals into this supernatural world, Gavyn—the handsome cafĂ©-owner—tries to convince her that she belongs to a hidden race of people with God-given gifts known as Celatum, and she may be a key player in the Celestial war. However, even after all the otherworldly events she experiences, Nevaeh continues to deny her part in it all.
Meanwhile, Archard—a stranger she feels undeniably bonded to—mysteriously wanders in and out of her life, offering none of the answers she suspects he holds.
Will Nevaeh attain the faith it requires to fulfill her fate as a Celata and take part in the Celestial fight? Or will she give into the darkness that calls to her for the sake of George's soul and damn herself to Hell?
Warning: this novel contains adult language and sexual content. Readers 18 years and older only




 
C:\Users\Christa\Google Drive\Falter stuff\Ad pics\1625738_289146681244387_889531371_n.jpgHaven Cage lives in the Carolinas with her husband and son. After many years of dabbling with drawing, painting, and working night shift in the medical field, she decided to try her hand at writing. Unfortunately, her love for books came later in life and proved to add a healthy challenge during her writing journey. Determined to hone her craft though, she soaks up as much information as she can, spends her free time tapping away in her favorite local coffee shop, and keeps a good book in hand whenever possible.
Years have passed since she began to write and sculpt her first novel, and now it is finally ready for debut. What began as a hobby has grown into a way of escape and the yearning to take her journey farther, her love for writing and reading deepening along the way.


Author Pages
Author site- www.authorhavencage.com
@havencage on twitter

Buy Links
Falter is now free on Kindle Unlimited!
Print edition is available on Amazon, or signed copies can be purchased from me directly at 



Interview Questions



Question 1 What inspires your writing?
I didn’t find my love of reading until I was around twenty-three years old. A friend gave me the first novel in the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer and was hooked. After that, I researched Mrs. Meyer and found that a dream inspired her to write. I thought, “Hey, I could do that. I have thousands of crazy dreams locked away in my mind. Why not write a book about one?” I have always struggled with my spiritual side, not so much doubting my beliefs in God, but more myself and the “man-made” side of religion. I felt like writing would be a good way to work some of those inner demons and doubts out.
After years of learning the craft, and reading new books that opened my mind to the many worlds I could escape to, I finished my first novel. Now that I’ve nurtured my mind and soul into that of a writer’s, I don’t see myself any other way. This is who I am now. Though it’s still hard for me some days, I get a little better each day.


Question 2 Have you always wanted to be an author?
I had no idea that I would be an author as a child. Reading and writing was something I was forced to do in school, not something I did for fun. I was more of a visual arts kind of person, using paint and pencils to express myself, but looking back now, I know that I just hadn’t found the right book to spark the yearning in me. Thank God, I did later on!


Question 3 Who are your favorite authors?
There are so many authors that I admire and enjoy, but Leigh Bardugo, Karen Marie Moning, and Jamie McGuire speak to my soul and inspire me to be a better writer.


Question 4 What would you say to someone who is starting out as a writer?
Being a new writer myself, I would advise those following me to research everything on writing, publishing, networking they can. Get a good grip on the reality of it because publishing is an intimidating industry, and if you are not serious about it, you won’t get far, unfortunately. Discouragement is an emotion you will feel often, but I firmly believe that if you are diligent, you can make it. You may not have a fat wallet in the end, but it’s better to try and fail, knowing you gave it your best than avoiding the trials of being a writer when you could have been magical.


Question 5 Do you ever put any part of yourself in your characters?
My characters are very much based on fears and doubts that I have all the time. I also instill my sarcasm and emotions in them pretty regularly. On the flip side of that, they represent parts of me that I can’t be, or won’t allow myself to be, in real life as well.



Question 6 How old were you when your first book was published?
My release day is actually the day before my thirty-third birthday. I set it up as a new year’s resolution goal, determined to get this damn book published before my birthday!


Question 7 What books do you have out, and what are you planning for future publications?
I currently only have Falter up for publication, however, book 2 in the Faltering Soul series is under way. I also have the beginnings of a stand-alone novel in toe.


Question 9 What do you hope readers will take from your books?
I hope they find enjoyment in my story while considering the uncontrollable circumstances that drive people to make bad decisions. Life is not black and white, right and wrong.

Question 10 What do you do to get ready to write?
I am very much a creature that needs a good atmosphere. I mostly write at a fantastic local coffee shop, listening to rock music, and drinking the writer’s drug of choice…coffee! I personally don’t plan much when it comes to preparing. I’m more of a write-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal, leaving my outlining to a time after most of my thoughts are already on the paper.


Question 11 Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you get past it?
I’ve been fortunate to avoid the dark abyss of writer’s block. If I do happen to be in a particularly difficult time of finding words, I tend to leave the work for a few days. Sometimes a little vacation can clarify the tunnel vision. This is also when the outlining comes in handy. I start going back through the chapters and summarizing them one by one, focusing on my plot and details. This usually brings me out of the slump.


Question 12 What is your favorite type of book to read? Does that type influence your books?
My favorite genres are fantasy and romance, and yes, it absolutely influences my own writing. I love being to get away from reality, to escape to worlds where anything is possible. As far as writing styles, I gravitate toward authors that use a lot of descriptive words. I need to play the scenes in my mind like a movie, which makes me a slower reader, but I enjoy it so much more.






Fun Facts/ Favorites
  1. Food- Anything pasta
  2. Color- Purple (you can probably tell by all the purple I use in my graphics )
  3. Sweet Treat- Dark chocolate
  4. Mixed Drinks- Forget the mixing, just give me some vodka and a lemon with sugar, or a glass of Duplin wine.
  5. Favorite things to shop for- Fingernail polish (not a big shopper like most girls)
  6. Number- Seven
  7. Book- Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
  8. Movie- It’s impossible for me to answer this question…so not fair to make me choose only one.
  9. Song- I Am The Fire by Halestorm



I hope you have a great last week of summer and have added another great read to your kindles!! Next week we will be checking out author Michelle Rabe.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

BRENDA TETREAULT THIS WEEKS FEATURED AUTHOR

I am excited for this week I adore this Author she is super friendly and an amazing writer. I hope you enjoy her work and add them to your TBR list!


 
Tempted: A Nightshade Novel (Nightshade #1) 
 *For mature readers only due to graphic language and sexual situations*
    He spotted her in club Nightshade, a beautiful goddess among the mortals, and from that moment on she was his everything. She tempted him. She intrigued him. He wanted her.
Sabrina Donahue knew she was playing with fire from the moment their lips met, but something about Roman Arceneaux made it difficult for her to care.
    Sensual and darkly intense, Roman is every woman’s fantasy come to life. One by one, Sabrina’s reservations fall prey to his skilled seduction, leaving her dreaming of a future she never imagined.
    When monsters and mayhem intrude upon their lives, Sabrina’s fragile existence is threatened and Roman is left to wonder if their love will survive.





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Salvaged: A Nightshade Novel (Nightshade #2)
   
 



A man on a mission to obliterate his existence.

A woman bent on eternal punishment.

Once in love, separated by Fate.

Can Caius and Wren forget the pain of the past and forge a new future for themselves?

*For mature readers only due to graphic language and sexual situations*


 


 













Beloved: A Nightshade Novel (Nightshade #3)


Caine and Gaela's love is a love twisted by Fate, but it has somehow endured.

Through pain and loss, lies and death, their love has burned brightly through the darkness, leading them into each other’s arms once more.

But Gaela has a secret, and there are forces beyond Caine's control driving them apart once more.

Cursed and star crossed, if Caine and Gaela want a love worth dying for, then they're going to have to fight for it!

*For mature readers only due to graphic language and sexual situations*
















Fated: A Nightshade Novel (Nightshade #4)
  
  It was supposed to be a night of mind blowing sex- a night without strings or traps- and nothing more. But somewhere along the way, both Gideon Romanov and Gianna Ellington found more than just unbridled passion in each other's arms. Now neither knows how to escape the trap without causing the other more pain.
With their fates intertwined and written long before their births, Gideon and Gianna must decide what is most important in their lives and fight for what they want.
Even if it means breaking the bonds of love and loyalty that have bound their hearts and fates together.
*For mature readers only due to graphic language and sexual situations*
















COMING SOON!!!  
 Destined. Mated. Bonded.
Justice Winchester isn’t interested in forever, not after the way her last relationship ended, and she tries to resist the growing attraction she feels for the tall, blond Viking Karas to no avail. With every touch, and every kiss, she finds herself falling further under his sensual spell.
Karas doesn’t understand why the green eyed woman fascinates him or why he’s so drawn to a female he should despise, but his Dragon does, and Glaceaphylax isn’t going to allow anything or anyone to stand between himself and his Consort.
Undeniable desire, need and passion burn hot and combustible between Karas and Justice, but they both have their doubts.
Can she forget the pain of the past and find the courage to love once more?
Can the great-granddaughter of his greatest enemy be the woman who finally tames both the man and his beast?
BONDED- (Nightshade #5)




 Excerpt
“…Justice Wainwright stood on the front stoop of the townhome her friend Ariel shared with her brother, Boone, and rang the doorbell once more. Light shone brightly from the windows of the brownstone home, and until a moment ago, Justice was certain she had heard someone inside. So why was no one answering the door?

Pressing the doorbell once more, Justice leaned close until she had her ear pressed against the door, and closing her eyes, she listened hard. Ariel had seemed distracted and upset the last time Justice had seen her at the coffee shop, and worried, Justice had thought she would stop by and see if Ariel wanted to grab a movie or dinner together. Sometimes the best way to deal with a problem was to let it all out over Pad Thai and hot rice wine.

Another minute passed and still no one came to the door. With a sigh, Justice decided the sounds she’d thought she’d heard minutes before had been her imagination and with a sigh, she turned to walk down the short flight of steps to the sidewalk and trying calling Ariel in the morning. Just as her foot landed on the first downward step, however, she heard a god awful roar followed by a terrified shriek.

Without stopping to think, Justice pivoted and ran back to the door and started pounding; it wasn’t the sound of the scream drove her, but rather, it was the bestial roar that ignited her protective instincts. That rumble had sounded frightened and confused, and she had to comfort whomever or whatever had made the sound. Grasping the doorknob, she was startled to find the door unlocked, and without a second thought, she pushed the door open and rushed inside.

To her right and ahead, was a staircase that led to the second floor. Before her was a hallway that led to the back of the townhouse. Moving down the hall, Justice followed the sounds of splintering wood and breaking glass. Interspersed amid the sounds of destruction was the lowing, keening sounds of a trapped animal, and it was those sounds, more than anything else that drew her deeper down the corridor. She passed the empty living room without as much as a glance inside; she wasn’t interested in any place other than the room those forlorn noises were coming from. She couldn’t ignore them; it was as if the noises reached into her chest and grabbed hold of her heart and tugged her on until she came to another open doorway. Beneath the sporadic sounds of things breaking and the continual sound of something large whimpering, Justice could now also hear the occasion human moan.

Ariel.

Fearing her friend was hurt, Justice rushed into the room, only to come to a complete standstill as her mind struggled to take in the sheer enormity of the creature before her.

The first thought that crossed her mind as she craned her head back to look up at the creature was that looking at it was like looking at the Aurora Borealis as it was reflected in snow. It stood staring down at her, its crest of spikes brushing the ceiling and tangling in the chandelier. The effect would have been comical if it hadn’t been for the aura of embarrassed misery emanating from the poor creature.

“Hell…hello, Dragon,” she whispered up at it, in sympathy and awe, “My- my name is Ju-Justice; I’m glad to meet you.”…”






 Lets meet the lady behid these wonderful stories...


Brenda Tetreault grew up on the southern Oregon coast.

All through school, she wrote but put it aside when a school counselor informed her that, while she had a nice little hobby, she would never be good enough at it to pay the bills. After a short stint in the Air Force, during which she met and married her husband, Brenda settled down to be a military wife and the mother of a precocious little boy. She began writing again in her mid-thirties and in 2009 her first book, The Witcher Legacy: Book One of The Bounty Cove Chronicles was finally published.

In 2012 Brenda completed her first paranormal romance series, The Bounty Cove Chronicles, and is currently working on an entirely new series. On September 23, 2013, 'Tempted', the first book in The Nightshade Series was released through Kindle Direct Publishing, and was followed up with the second book in the series, ‘Salvaged’, on May 16, 2014. ‘Beloved’, the third in the series, followed soon after on October 28, 2014. The fourth and most recent book in the series, Fated, hit the shelves July 14, 2015.

Today, Brenda is enjoying a small amount of success, and has even paid a few bills with her writing! While she is unsure how many adventures there will be in this new series, Brenda does promise that it will feature all of the fun, adventure, love, steamy sex, and happily ever afters that have been the hallmarks of her writing from the beginning!









TEASERS



































These teasers GAH!! I love them I decided I couldnt just pick one or two to share so you get to see them all , I hope you enjoy them as much as I do ! 

So now the most important part of this post where can you find Miss Brenda?? I have all her links listed below go give her a like and say hello ! 


***STALKER LINKS***
Goodreads- http://bit.ly/1KZcNvs
Amazon Author Page:  http://amzn.to/1hU1bhp 

I hope you have enjoyed our post this week please share with your friends and book clubs !

Featured Author Tinthia Clemant

This week SMBB has the chance to share with you The Summer of Annah: A Midsummer's Wish

I hope that you enjoy this post we are having fun this summer getting to know several authors and their books I know I have read 11 new books this summer and I am loving it.

Publisher: River Lady Press
Date of Publication: June 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0997437119 for paperback  
ASIN: B01DDRLARS for ebook
Number of pages: 328
Word Count: 102,000
Formats available: ebook and paperback
Cover Artist: Covers by Karen    http://coversbykaren.com/

Blurb/Book Description: “The true love I desire shall come to me. I am the lock, he is the key. As mine to him, his soul shall speak to me. This I seek, so mote it be.”
When 55-year-old earth-witch, Annah-Belle Henderson, cast a spell for love she never envisioned her wish would be granted in the young nephew of her longtime friend. With a face that rivals the Norse god Thor, and a body to match, the charismatic Eric Ashworth draws Annah into a dizzying current of emotions. Should she accept the chance for love with a man twenty years younger or reject her feelings?

As a past darkness threatens to destroy her, Annah makes a decision that begins a journey fraught with judgement, betrayal, and perhaps death. 


Prologue
 
The orange head of the match ignited with a flash. Slender fingers held it under the dried kindling. Within seconds, the splintered wood was ablaze, licking up the sides of an oak log, triggering the release of rose-scented oil. Except for the glow cast by the blaze, darkness shrouded the night. Brown eyes peered out from beneath long black bangs. Dressed in white with a pale shawl wrapped around her shoulders, Annah resembled a specter—one who had traveled from outside the realm of the living to watch the dance of the flames. She held a single red rose—an offering for Aphrodite, the Goddess of love.
When the fire reached its fevered peak, she dropped the rose into the inferno and murmured, “Aphrodite, accept my gift as I cast my wish on this Midsummer’s Eve.” The rose stem coiled, and the petals withered under the heat of the hungry flames.
Annah slid her hand into the pocket of her pants and removed a piece of green paper, two cones of sandalwood incense, and five apple seeds. On the paper, in scarlet ink, were written the words to a love spell. “The true love I desire shall come to me. I am the lock he is the key. As mine to him, his soul shall speak to me. This I seek, so mote it be.”
To reinforce the spell two additional recitations were required. During the second reading, she allowed the paper to float onto the engulfed log. The incense cones and seeds followed as she recited the spell a final time. When Annah ended with ‘so mote it be’ a breeze swept through the fire pit and the flames extended scorching fingers toward the heavens. Her canine companion released a soft whimper. “Shh,” she whispered. “It’s okay, Lexy.”
Annah stared into the blaze. “Druids believe it’s possible to see the faces of loves and enemies in an enchanted fire. I wonder.” At first she saw just the ravenous flames but soon an image took shape. A smile emerged. Loving eyes peered back at her as one of the incense cones exploded, sending hot sparks into the perfumed air. The smile turned into a sneer as the wail of a lone coyote pierced the night, bristling her fifty-pound Australian Shepherd’s composure. A series of responding growls emanated from Lexy, but they did little to assuage the sense of unease that passed through Annah. She backed away from the chimenea and sat on the nearby stone bench. “Probably best to leave the fire reading to the   Druids.”
Next to the bench rested a small wicker basket. Its contents, in addition to the bottle of rose oil, included a thermos, teacup, and her cell phone. Annah dropped the box of matches into the basket and withdrew her phone. With a swipe of the screen, she found the song she wanted to play. While the voice of Etta James accompanied her Annah opened the thermos and poured amber-colored liquid, still steamy and hot, into the cup. Before taking a sip, she raised it high, toasted the Goddess, and then bid the ashes that ascended into the starlit sky success as they delivered her wish. The current returned and spiraled within the fire. It carried the scented heat toward her, enveloping her in its warm embrace.
It was past one when Annah switched off the bedside lamp and lay in the darkened bedroom. Behind her bed, an open window granted access to the night air. A quiet breeze breathed life into the backyard’s wind chimes. Entering the room, it carried a subtle hint of sandalwood on its gentle waves. Circling Annah, it stroked her cheeks, softly caressing her lips. Entering that hazy place between dreams and reality, her mind gave shape to her last thought of the day. This will be my summer, a summer for true love.



 NOW LETS MEET TINTHIA



Tinthia Clemant was born in Medford, Massachusetts, over sixty years ago. In other words, she's old! As a child, she lived happily in a loving home with her three siblings and mother and father. She always wrote. From the time she first picked up a pencil, or perhaps it was a crayon, she wrote. Love stories. Happy stories. Stories about love with happy endings. Her first book was self-published. (At the tender age of seven, she stapled the pages together and presented it to her mother on Mother's Day.)

As contemporary women's fiction's newest author, Tinthia fell in love with love stories and true love when she first learned about true love's first kiss. That did it for her! Unfortunately, she has yet to find that special kiss. Throwing her arms up in defeat, she decided to write about it and live vicariously through her characters.

Tinthia lives on the banks of the Concord River and spends her time teaching science at a local community college, gardening, painting, feeding her multitude of Mallards (follow her natural history blog at: concordriverlady.com), reading, and, of course, writing contemporary women's fiction about romance, relationships, and true love. She also enjoys Chunky Monkey and American Dream Cone and other enticing flavors produced by Ben and Jerry.


I hope you have enjoyed this peek in to this story here are all the links you need to be able to follow and buy this gem of a story.





Sunday, July 17, 2016

Featured Author Gail Priest

Hello I am so excited this weeks author is new to me. I am so happy to be able to share her with you all and to find out more about her books before I meet her in October at Indie Bookfest. I hope you all are enjoying our weekly spotlights and are finding books for your summer reading. She has been added to my summer reading list and I hop you add her to yours .

This week we have Gail Priest and her Annie Crow Knoll series.



Annie Crow Knoll: Sunrise (Book 1) 
   
Annie Crow Knoll: Sunrise is a story of loss, grief, survival and the healing powers of friendship and nature.  Annie is a strong-minded girl, who battles with her secretive mother to uncover the truth about her grandmother’s suicide.  At nineteen, she goes against social convention and trusts and relies on Bo, her family’s African American friend and her surrogate father, as she struggles to save the fourteen summer rental cottages left to her by her parents. When the family legacy of depression emerges in her early adulthood, and Annie faces estrangement from her husband and young son, will she be able to embrace the love and acceptance that is offered by someone who has been there all along?

Annie Crow Knoll: Sunrise is the first novel in a literary fiction series by Gail Priest. In this family saga, the ties that bind and tear us apart twine together the people whose lives are changed by Annie’s fierce determination and the beauty of her knoll nestled along the head-waters of the Chesapeake Bay.


Excerpt


1967
Annie’s water broke as she was standing in the kitchen making a shopping list for Thanksgiving dinner.
“Well, that was convenient,” she said to herself with relief that she hadn’t let loose on the new living room rug.
“Bo?” she hollered out the front door.
Bo was heading to his car which was parked in the circle by the flagpole. Annie had invited him out to discuss capital improvements she wanted him to make on the Knoll. The sun had set, and he had just finished checking all the cottages on the property before he headed home.
When Bo heard his name, he turned to see Annie waving from the front porch.
Suddenly her face squeezed tight, and he ran to her.
“Can you take me to the hospital?” she asked when she caught her breath. "I'm going into labor."
He took her arm to lead her to his car, but she stopped.
“Not yet. There are a couple things we have to do first,” she insisted, and they headed back into the cottage. “Please get the overnight bag by the table and put it in the car while I call Drew at the college. He can meet us there after his last class.”
After carrying Annie’s bag to his car, Bo hurried back into the cottage expecting her to be ready to go, but she was still on the phone.
“We’d best be going, Annie,” Bo said anxiously.
“Just one minute, Bo. I’m having trouble getting through.”
“You can call him from the hospital,” Bo insisted when he noticed the puddle on the kitchen floor.
“Hello?” Annie said into the receiver. “Yes, this is Drew Bidwell’s wife. Please tell him to meet me at the hospital. The baby is coming.”
Finally when Bo had Annie in his car and was pulling out of the Knoll, she grabbed the dashboard with both hands and a tiny cry escaped her throat.
“Go ahead and scream, Annie,” Bo advised. “And keep breathing. Don’t go holdin’ your breath like that.”
The contraction passed, and Annie slumped back in the car seat with sweat rolling down her face.
“I’m not one for screaming, Bo,” she said bravely.
“Well, you’ll be hollering before the night’s over,” Bo said with a laugh and sped up a bit when he turned onto Center Street. The hospital in Chester Landing was at least forty-five minutes away, and he was not going to deliver this baby! Then he saw the red lights flashing in the rear view window.
“Damn,” Bo said.
Bo never cursed, so Annie pulled herself up to see what was behind them. Bo slowed down, and then stopped on the side of the road.
“Oh, no,” Annie said when she saw Bunky Watson step out of the patrol car.
Patrolman Watson pounded his fist on the top of Big Black Bo’s car and then directed the blinding beam of his flashlight into the driver’s side window.
“Roll down your window, boy,” he demanded.
Bo obliged, and Annie noticed that he immediately put his left hand back up on the steering wheel next to his right.
Bunky Watson’s face then appeared in the open window.
“What are you doing here in town, boy?” he snapped.
Before Bo could say anything, Annie leaned forward.
“For God’s sake, Bunky, he’s drivin’ me to the hospital.”
“Annie, what are you doing in this Negro’s car?”
“What I’m going to be doin’ is having a baby if you don’t let us get on to the hospital.”
“Is it his baby?” Bunky asked sarcastically.
“Now Bunky, you know that my husband is Drew Bidwell, and he’s at the college so Mr. Bo, who works for me as I’m sure you also know, was kind enough to drive me into the hospital where Drew will meet me.”
“Why aren’t you sittin’ in the back seat?” Bunky asked.
“I-I don’t know, Bunky. I was having a contraction when he helped me into the car so I just sat where he put me.” Annie immediately regretted the wording of her explanation.
“You put her in the front seat with you, boy? What were you thinking?” Bunky asked and waited for an answer.
“I thought I could keep an eye on her up here,” Bo explained.
“You know the sun set fifteen minutes ago?” Bunky stated with authority.
“Yes,” Bo answered.
“And you were going ten miles over the speed limit.”
Annie saw Bo's hands grip the steering wheel tighter just when pain started again deep in her spine. She leaned forward in her seat.
“Bunky, you stupid ass, I’m about to have a baby, and if you don’t let us pass now, you and Bo are going to be delivering it together right here on Center Street.” Annie seethed between her teeth, and then she let out a blood-curdling scream as the contraction peaked.
“Go!” Bunky ordered and stepped back from the car.
Bo threw the car back into drive and pulled away. Annie leaned back against her seat again, panting. After a moment, she started to laugh.
“You were right about the screaming, Bo. It does help.”
Bo smiled. He reached over and squeezed her hand. Annie held onto it, and he let her. In all these years, they had never touched.
Annie couldn’t remember a time in her life when she didn’t know Bo. He’d been her father’s closest friend, but there was always a boundary. It hadn’t stopped the connection, the trust, or the love, but it had made physical displays of any emotion taboo. Annie thought of the time that she had discovered her mother and Bo embracing. What made it wrong? Bo’s race? Her parents’ marriage? Annie didn’t know and was almost relieved when another contraction came and erased any more thoughts of her mother in Bo’s arms. The baby was coming soon.
When the pain subsided, Annie realized that she had been crushing Bo’s hand. When she released her death grip, he didn’t remove his hand, so she continued to hold on. It was like when she was little and her mama would have to pull out a splinter or take off a Band-Aid, and her daddy would let her squeeze his hand as tightly as she wanted. Daddy never complained.
Her parents had always been there whenever she was hurt or scared. Annie felt the full weight of their absence during this important moment in her life. But Bo was there. He always was. She trusted him as if he were her father. But there was no one to mother Annie now. Who could she talk to when she needed advice about the baby? There was no woman to reassure her now when the wave of pain started again. Annie cried and gripped Bo’s hand again until the contraction ended. “It’s all right, Annie,” Bo reassured.
Annie could barely hear his voice. It was as if she were under water, and Bo was calling from the beach.
“Don’t worry,” Bo continued. “We’re almost to the hospital, and Drew will be there.”





 

Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset (Book 2) by Gail Priest      
Return to Annie Crow Knoll . . . a place where people come to restore their spirits, heal their pain, and reclaim their lives. Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset is the second novel in this literary fiction series by Gail Priest. In this family saga, the healing powers of nature, art, and friendship offer courage to those facing loss and grief.

Nate Bidwell blamed his mother Annie for his parents' divorce.  Buried hurts and resentments between mother and son make Nate reluctant to risk his heart when his childhood friend Beth Ann offers him her own. Instead, he allows himself to fall in love with the fragile and dependent June, and Annie's opposition to their marriage reignites years of unresolved conflict with her only child. Nate swears that he will never return to Annie Crow Knoll, his family home on the Chesapeake Bay. He and June move to Manhattan where he opens his dream restaurant and tirelessly works to build his career as a chef.

When near-tragedy strikes their lives, though, Nate is forced to return to the one place he hopes may save his wife: Anne Crow Knoll. There, surrounded by the love and support of his mother, their friend Packard, and Beth Ann, will Nate and June be able to face their doubts and fears about themselves, their marriage, and their future?


Excerpt:

1995
A few days later, June heard the familiar voice in her head as she sat alone in No Name Cottage. Fall asleep and never feel the pain again.  Slide into the subterranean, seductive waters of painlessness. Nothingness.  Take the step, make the decision.  Let go, let go.
The water rose up like a lover, beckoning for her to come into his arms.  I’ll take it all away. The voice was sexy, soothing.
I mustn’t listen, June told herself.  I’m sitting in the living room.  I’m not in the water.  
Then the lover became disturbed.  The waters began to swirl.  She felt the strong sucking at her feet.  A vortex of energy pulled at her body.  Angry now, the voice raged at her. Come in now.  Its roar vibrated in her head and in her chest.  She grabbed hold of the chair arms, her fingers white and her knuckles red with pressure.
A sudden knock at the screen door made the water recede behind the old plaster walls.  The room became quiet.  The knock again.
Then June heard her own voice. “Yes?”
“Hello, I’m looking for June.”
Letting go of her grip on the chair arms, June forced herself to focus.
“Just a minute." She spoke barely above a whisper and stood slowly, walking onto the porch where the heat hit her.
A bald-headed woman was outside her porch door. "Hi, I hope I'm not disturbing you."
“No.” June took a few steps toward the door.
“Did I wake you from a nap?”
“No. Yes.”
“I’m sorry.  I can come over another time.” But the woman didn't move.
June waded through the thick air and pushed the screen door open. "Please come in."
"I'm Beth Ann Jakimowitz.  My mom and I just got in late last night.  We're from Cockatiel Cottage."
She shook June's hand.  June felt energy and heat in the woman's grip.
"Mom and your mother-in-law are old friends," she continued. "I played with Nate when we were kids.  Well, I followed Nate around really.  He was a couple years older."
“He's not here right now.” June realized that the woman was her own age.  She looked at her bald head again.
“Kind of shocking, isn’t it?” Beth Ann said.
“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to stare.”
“It’s okay.  I’m used to it.”
“Nate won’t be back for a while.”
“Good.  I came to meet you.  Aunt Annie told me that Nate and his wife were in No Name. I wanted to see who had landed him.”
“Like a fish?”
“I thought that he was quite a catch.  Just about every girl on the Knoll had a crush on him, especially Chatty Cathy from Tockwogh Cottage.  You'd better keep an eye on her even now." Beth Ann winked.
"You call her Chatty Cathy, too?"
"Well, she's been talking since she was born and rarely comes up for air."
June suddenly came to and smiled.  She felt an instant connection with this woman. “Sit down, won’t you?  Can I get you some iced tea?”
“That’d be great.” Beth Ann followed her into the kitchen.
June noticed how messy everything must look to this stranger and wished Beth Ann had stayed out on the porch.  None of the glasses were clean so June started washing two from the pile in the sink.
“I’m sorry this place is such a mess.”
“Are you kidding?  This is nothing compared to the damage I can do.” Beth Ann laughed, an easy, open laugh. "And I never make my bed because I like to keep all my options open."



Praise for the Annie Crow Knoll: Sunrise and Sunset

"Nuances of the human experience spring forth from the pages of the Annie Crow Knoll Series and especially this second book, Sunset. A spiritual journey that makes no assumptions, but lets the reader inflect his or her own understandings to the experiences of the characters. I laughed, I cried. These are books I know I'll read again and again." - Olivia Hardin, Author of the Bend-Bite-Shift Series

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading SUNSET and SUNRISE. I loved getting to know these complex and interesting characters. The story and relationships captured my attention and imagination from the beginning and never let them go. Priest's passion for nature was expressed beautifully throughout each book. She is an exceptional writer with a bright future ahead.”-Amazon Review




****COMING AUGUST 9TH****
Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise (Book 3)



Return once again to Annie Crow Knoll . . . a place to grieve loss, accept change, and rebuild a life worth living.
 

Breezy and Jemma, are world-class cyclists until violence at a race leaves Breezy with permanent physical disabilities and kills the man she loved. With her Olympic dream shattered, guilt and shame threaten to destroy her future happiness. Her sister Jemma escapes with only minor injuries, but the psychological damage she experiences shakes her self-worth, her Olympic potential, and her capacity to accept love.
 

The young women return to Annie Crow Knoll, their childhood home on the Chesapeake Bay, to heal and reclaim their lives, and with their parents and grandparents, struggle to make sense of life after this tragic and irrational incident.
 

Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise, the third novel in this fiction series by Gail Priest, is a story about the power to reinvent life after surviving loss and trauma. (This novel can be read as a stand alone.)




Excerpt:


Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise (Book 3) Can be read as a stand alone.

2015
Jemma stopped her bike next to the copse of trees, where she was dazzled by wind chimes of various sizes, shapes, and designs. There had to be over fifty of them suspended around her dangling among the leaves. Each time the branches swayed in the breeze, the jingling and dinging tickled her senses. For several luxurious moments, Jemma wandered around on foot admiring the craftsmanship of each charming wind chime. Many had bird themes; others were fashioned out of old silverware, glass, metal tubes, and ceramics. One or two were constructed from hunks of bamboo which generated haunting, hollow resonances. The light breeze also carried the smell of pine from a stand of evergreens several feet away. She ambled, hypnotized by the music and aromas surrounding her.
From beyond the pine trees, deafening clangs suddenly obliterated Jemma’s equilibrium. Instinctively, she squatted down on the ground. The pounding continued. Jemma yanked off her helmet, tucked her head, and covered her ears. She squeezed her eyes tight, struggling to close out all the memories forced to life by the terrifying sounds. Cowbells, an explosion, screaming, and sirens all crowded into her brain.
Just as abruptly as it started, the hammering stopped. Jemma stayed curled up for several moments before realizing quiet was restored. She opened her eyes and listened. The wind chimes played. Cautiously she rose and rubbed her sweating, shaking hands on her riding shorts. She sucked air into her lungs like someone who had nearly drowned. I have to get control of myself.
Jemma forced herself to focus. Her helmet landed in a pile of pine needles. Bending down to retrieve it, she spotted a log building partially obscured behind the trees. Although the disturbing noise could reoccur, Jemma was drawn to the rustic structure, perhaps by the need to find out what had caused the previous pandemonium.
In the clearing around the building, large iron sculptures dotted the property, but Jemma couldn’t pull herself away from the whimsical design of the building itself. A unique log structure stood before her, with the cut ends of the logs facing inside and outside like stacked firewood. Where windows would be, the necks of various colored wine bottles were plastered tightly together with chinking. Two large open barn doors flanked the entrance. Jemma read on the sign above, Forge at Mockingbird Farm. She decided to inch her way into the shadowy interior. Waiting for her eyes to adapt to the dark, Jemma was drawn to daylight filtering through the bottoms of the colored glass bottles. The effect was reminiscent of stained glass windows.
An ear-splitting clang, accompanied by sparks flying across the space, sent Jemma crouching down on the dirt floor. Her heart pounded when another clang rang out. Jemma willed herself to look up. At the anvil was a tall African-American man wearing a Baltimore Orioles’ baseball cap backwards and safety glasses across his face. Seeing who produced the disturbance allowed Jemma’s mind to stay present although her body struggled with its own agenda. Jemma inhaled, grabbed at the edge of a nearby table, and hauled herself up. A heavy leather apron covered the man’s jeans and bare chest. His hammering hand was uncovered, but he wore a leather glove on his holding hand. After hammering the tip of the rod a few more times, the blacksmith nimbly turned to the fire pot. A sheen of sweat glistened down the skin of his strong back. Jemma swallowed.
When he had reheated the metal to the desired temperature, he carried the rod back to the anvil. Jemma didn’t think he’d seen her, but before raising the hammer again to bend the hot metal to his will, he said, “Hold on a minute. This won’t take long.”
She couldn’t control herself from flinching when he struck with controlled force. Her mind raced as she worried what he must think of her having hunkered down on the floor of his forge.
The hard rod yielded to the heat of the fire and the power of his well-developed arm. Finally satisfied, he quenched it in a barrel of water. Steam hissed. Jemma couldn’t catch her breath.
The blacksmith took off the glove and his safety glasses, removed earplugs, and ran a rag across his sweaty face.
“Hello, Jemma Bidwell.” His smile reached his dark eyes and revealed white teeth and dimples.
“Atticus?” She recognized him now that her eyes had fully adjusted and he’d removed the safety glasses.
Atticus Grant had been two years ahead of her in school, but other than the fact that she was the only Asian kid in the county, she never imagined this gorgeous man would remember her name.
“I was sorry to hear about what happened to you and your sister. It’s a crazy world. How’s Breezy doing?”
Of course he knew Jemma by association with her popular and now-famous sister. “It’s been rough. But she’s doing better. Thanks for asking.”
“At least you’re able to ride.”
Guilt associated with Breezy’s condition instantly rose in Jemma’s throat. “Today’s my first time on a bike.”
“That’s great. Congratulations.”
Jemma stuffed down a sob. “What are you working on?”
Atticus walked to a worktable covered with various sketches, art books, and tools. “Would you like to see?”
“Yes.” Jemma followed him.
“It’s my first commission for Queen Anne College.” He cleared a few items revealing a detailed drawing with an elaborate filigree of birds, lizards, snakes, leaves, and vines. “It’s the gate into the courtyard for the new science building they’re constructing.”
Jemma found it delightful. “You’re an artist.” Her skin warmed, standing this close to him. “It’s hot in here.”



I am super excited to start this series. I hope you have enjoyed our little promo please share with you friends and family. Now lets meet the woman behind these books.



Gail Priest is the author of the Annie Crow Knoll series.  For many years, Gail and her husband have rented a cottage in Betterton, MD on the Chesapeake Bay in a cottage community that is the inspiration for the novels. Annie Crow Knoll: Sunrise debuted in 2013. Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset was released in 2014. Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise is the third book in the series.
Gail is honored to have a selection from Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset in 50 Over 50, a PS Books anthology celebrating the wise and experienced feminine voice of fifty women writers over fifty.
Her play Eva's Piano was produced at the Dayton Playhouse in their 2000 New Play Festival. The Church Hill Theatre in Church Hill, Maryland staged a reading of her play A Thing with Feathers.  
Gail's career in performing arts and education has allowed her to enjoy a combination of roles:  teacher, adjunct college professor, guidance counselor, actor, director, and writer.  
 
Want to meet Gail in person come see her at Indie Bookfest get your tickets Here