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Annie Mack, with the help of her “kids” and a talented staff, owns and manages a bed and breakfast, a cafe and other businesses on the south side of The Avenue. She has lived in Chelsea for only a few years, but her ancestral roots to the town date to the Civil War era.

Austin and Angela live in another state. They are the parents of Chris and have not been supportive of his career in the Coast Guard or his choice of a woman. Annie.

Ben and JoJo are college students. They work part-time all over town, including most of Annie’s businesses.

Boone is the person to call if you need anything: mowing, snow removal, landscaping, maintenance, preventative maintenance, and just about anything else. He is married to Harriet (Hilly), who provides business cleaning services. His sons Daryl and Donny work for him. Their roots are in rural Appalachia, and they are so much more than people think.

Brian and Janet Thomas own the Chateau Simon Winery in rural Chelsea. Their biggest competition is the Blue Bottle Winery. Jesus and Minnie are their silent partners.

Candice is the head waitress at Mo’s Tap. A native of Chelsea, her long, thick, dark hair is the envy of most women who meet her. She is married to George.

Carlos is the manager and baker at Mr. Bean’s Confectionary. He is a citizen of the US but was originally from Mexico. He supports his mother and younger sisters, who still live there. He is married to Isabel.

Cheryl inherited The Marina from her parents. It’s a small deep water marina with basic amenities. Cheryl is married to Ray. She has known Annie since they were children.

Chris is Annie’s special friend. They have committed to a permanent relationship that doesn’t necessarily include marriage. He is the Officer in Charge of the Coast Guard Station. His stress relieving hobby is art. His watercolors and sketches – in charcoal, pencil and pastel – are sold for charity.

Clara owns the flower and gift shop, Bloomin’ Crazy. She is a citizen of the US, originally from Haiti, and has an ebullient personality. She keeps The Avenue decorated with fresh and silk flowers year-round. Her special friend is Ramon.

Cookie was an excellent cook at Mo’s Tap. Worried he would think his talents wasted, Annie opened a fine dining restaurant on weekends. The restaurant was a hit. Cookie has moved on, but he may be back….

Daniela is a former professional baker from Mexico. She has been a mother figure to Isabel, who is married to Carlos. She and her adult daughters, Rosa and Valeria, now live in Chelsea.

Daryl and Donnie are sons of Boone and Hilly. They work with their father while attending college parttime.

Diana is the chief instructor at L’Socks’ Virasana (Veer AHS ana). She is Mem’s daughter. Diana left home right after high school and did not speak to her mother until her return ten years later. Their relationship, while tenuous, continues to grow stronger.

Felicity is the chef at Tiger Lily’s Café. She is young, perky and extremely talented in the kitchen. She manages the Café, the upstairs catering facility and outside catering operations.

Frank owns an antique shop, Antiques On Main. He and Mem are in a relationship.

Gema owns Gema’s Creations. She makes and sells unique jewelry pieces from a space in the front corner of Antiques On Main.

George is the bartender and manager of Mo’s Tap. He is a top-notch bartender and can be counted on to keep confidences. He is a volunteer with the local Coast Guard and is married to Candice.

Georgia is the head cook at Mo’s Tap. Her father, Fred Calendar, comes to town on occasion to see her and her daughter Frederica (Little Fred).

Geraldine – through most of the books a complete thorn in Annie’s side – has turned a corner. She has developed community spirit. Somehow. It’s a mystery…. Everett is her on-again-off-again husband.

Ginger is the daughter of Pete, the Chief of Police, and Janet. She works part-time at L’Socks’ Virasana. Because she moved to town as a teen (when her father retired from the Marine Corps), and because she is one of the few African American teens in town, she sometimes feels like an outsider.

Grace owns Design By Grace, a photography and web design business.

Greg is a progressive realtor in Chelsea. His goal is to get the right property to the right owner, always moving Chelsea forward.

Gwen is Annie’s accountant. A motherly figure, her financial acumen is hidden from all but those lucky enough to have her in their corner.

Hank is a former member of the Town Council. He opposes Annie in every way.

Harriet (Hilly) provides cleaning services to all of Annie’s businesses on The Avenue. Her crew takes care of most of the businesses, but she makes certain the KaliKo Inn is up to snuff. She is married to Boone.

Harrison Jones was a guest of the Inn who met and established a relationship – long distance – with Diana.

Harry is the regular driver for the rental company used almost exclusively by folks on The Avenue.

Henrie is co-owner of the KaliKo Inn and the General Manager of Hotel Scott. His accent is French, from his native Cameroon.

Holly and Jolly, twins, own DoubleGood, an electronics and hardware store. Holly lives in a wheelchair. Natives of Chelsea, they used to hate the names given them by their parents. Now, they enjoy the novelty of it.

Howard is a perfectly awful resident of Chelsea who cannot help but be the worst criminal in town.

Ian is a childhood friend of George. He coordinates local sporting and community events. He is light-hearted and fancy-free, especially for a loan officer at a local bank.

Isabel is married to Carlos. She is attending classes to become a citizen. She works in several places on The Avenue, including, of course, Mr. Bean’s Confectionary.

James lives at Hotel Scott. Laila’s son, he manages the food court for Henrie and the mini mart for his mother.

Janet is Pete’s wife. She spent twenty years as a Marine officer’s wife. She traveled the world and is now living in Chelsea. She is an outsider, not having grown up here like Pete. She is the ultimate community volunteer.

Jeff Bennett is a Special Agent with the FBI. He visits on occasion to help with local investigations.

Jennifer and Marie, sisters and nurse practitioners, own The Drug Store and The Clinic. Folks call the sisters before calling nine-one-one. Chelsea natives, they know everyone. And their secrets.

Jenny is an attorney who focuses on family law. She enjoys taking on cases that will right an injustice. She is always ready to engage in battle with those who don’t believe a woman, much less a woman of color, can dance with the big boys.

Jerry learned how to make candy in a minimum security federal prison. He was not an employee. Jerry works hard to overcome his shyness, particularly around women.

Jet is the assistant manager at Sassy P’s Wine & Cheese. He is from Puerto Rico and lives with Holly.

Jesus manages Sassy P’s Wine & Cheese and also selects the wines. His family, famous vintners in the Napa Valley, owned, farmed and made wine for generations before California became a part of the United States. He and his wife, Mem, now have a daughter, Cassie.

Joan is President of the Town Council. Clara’s pet name for her is “Joan of Chelsea,” a take on her feisty support of the town.

Juanita is a reporter for the local newspaper, the Chelsea Register. As every reporter on every small town paper, she also sells ads, develops and places the ads, does photography and…reports.

Julie is a dog, cat, rabbit, you-name-it, pet groomer. She also offers kennel services.

Justin is a former bully boy who now works for Boone. Justin is making a break from his former bad partners and misplaced energy. He attends community college part-time.

Laila owns Babar Foods. A traditional Pakistani, she is raising her children without the assistance of a husband. Her children are James, Ava and Carl, who lives with Autism.

Maggie is the animal control officer from Marsh Haven, the county seat.

Marco is a police officer in Chelsea. He is “second in command” because he was the only officer that didn’t go off-kilter during a hostage situation. Marco prides himself on being one-hundred-percent-Italian-American.

Martha used to own a bed and breakfast. The cottage was renovated to add an apartment suite, now occupied by Georgia and Little Fred. Martha is retired and enjoys spending time at the Inn.

Mem has rebranded her business; it is now Mem’s Tea Ship. She is the most mature business owner on The Avenue.

Mikki is the manager of Mo’s Tap. She makes a wicked martini.

Minnie chooses perfect cheeses to accompany the rotating wine selections at Sassy P’s Wine & Cheese. She comes from several generations of cheese makers in Wisconsin. She and her husband Jesus have a daughter, Cassie.

Nancy and Sam are Annie’s mother and step-father. They have been married since Annie was a child. They moved to Chelsea to be closer to Annie.

In addition to her parents, Annie has an extensive family. Her half-sister Patti is married to Fritz. They have a daughter, Jessica, married to Paul Jessica and Paul have twins, Jerome and Sally. Patti and Fritz have several other children; Percy, Allen, Grace, Ella, and Ollie. Holidays spent with Annie and Henrie at the Inn are … raucus. Yes. That’s a word that could work.

Pete is a native of Chelsea. He retired from the Marine Corps and is now the Chief of Police. Like Annie, his ancestors arrived in the Civil War era. His, however, came up via the Underground Railroad. He and his wife Janet have three children, the eldest of whom is Ginger. Clarice and Tamara are in high school and junior high.

Ramon is Clara’s boyfriend. A Jamaican by ancestry, he plays saxophone with a jazz fusion band called Bergamasco (after the breed of his dog). He and Clara work hard to maintain their mostly long-distance relationship.

Ray owns and operates The Escape, a yacht fashioned into a cruiser for fishing, diving and pleasure. He is married to Cheryl; Chris is his best friend.

Tank is the Chief of the local fire department. He grew up in Chelsea and knows everyone in town.

Teresa came to this community to serve. She pastors a small church, Soul’s Harbor, and pastors the community through her outreach.

Terrence and Jerald Timmer-Schmidt are recent arrivals to Chelsea. Terrence is a heart surgeon; Jerald is a psychiatrist. They opened a medical office building in town.

Trudie is the barista at Tiger Lily’s Café. She is from Jamaica and ended up in Chelsea when a former boyfriend dumped her at the campground. Felicity saved her, and they have been the best of friends ever since.

WQVX Channel Two. “The Lake Region’s good news station” used to be anchored by Charles Veritone. Charles got crosswise between the “ace onsite reporter” and that reporter’s family, the station owners. Trevor Moses has come on, and it looks like he is there to stay. The “ace onsite reporter” is Dan Tapper. His cameraman, Jake Haller, loves to quietly stick it to him. The weather is handled by a hapless Felix.