Chapter One
“I just need to get away for a bit,” Paige mumbled to her publisher as she stared at her computer screen. She was more than half way done with the novel she was working on, and she’d hit a major case of writer’s block. It had been nearly two weeks since she had written a single word. Her publisher was now calling every other day to bug her, since her deadline was quickly approaching.
“Paige, you have two weeks. You need to get this book done. Fans are anxiously waiting,” Sylvia said in a firm, yet sympathetic, tone. The director of the publishing company used to be an author herself, until her father had passed away and left the company to his middle daughter, the only child out of five who had a love for books.
“I promise it will get done. I’ve never failed you yet,” Paige reassured her as she bit her lip, because honestly, she wasn’t so sure this time. This would be her tenth romance novel—the last five were bestsellers—but this one wasn’t coming so easily.
“Good. Take a quick weekend getaway to relax and unwind. Get inspired and finish that book.”
Paige ended the call and put her cell phone back on the charger.
What had changed since her last book was released? Oh right, my heart got broken by my lying, cheating fiancé. She sighed and pushed those feelings and the blame aside.
I am a writer, dammit! I won’t let him take this from me.
While the first part of the book had flowed fairly easily, she was struggling on writing the intimate scenes between her characters.
How is my sex drought and heartache causing the same for my characters? This can’t keep happening.
Paige rubbed her hands over her face in pure frustration. She glanced out of the window for the millionth time today, this time taking note of a flock of geese in the pond. Her apartment complex was situated in a beautiful, private park in the heart of downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It was peaceful, a far cry from where she’d lived in New York City with her ex-fiancé, Justin. It was also close to everything the clean city had to offer. Paige enjoyed walking or taking the bus to wherever she needed to go. She had become a regular at the coffee shop around the block and the nearby market. They all knew her as Paige, not a bestselling romance author. She preferred it that way. She wore very little makeup and kept her clothes simple. She liked to keep to herself and didn’t want to stand out in any way.
She sighed and thought about a place to go for a long weekend. She didn’t have much time and didn’t want to spend money on a plane ticket. Then she recalled the barista at the coffee shop recently raving about her trip to Montauk, New York. Ally had explained it to her as a quaint little town with a big fishing problem . She’d said it wasn’t too commercialized, and the beaches were beautiful and never overcrowded, unless you were at Ditch Plains Beach, which was full of surfers.
Paige looked at hotels, pulled up a vacation rental website and searched for a place available this upcoming weekend. As she glanced through available dates, it wasn’t looking very promising.
“Damn, this place must be more popular than I thought,” she mumbled to herself as she scrolled through the rental listings.
She finally clicked on a two-bedroom condo across the highway from the beach. Luckily, it said it was available last minute due to a renter leaving earlier than expected. She made her reservation and arrangements with the owner. Excitement began to brew within her along with a little relief from the tension she had been feeling.
This was just what she needed.
She packed her bags and checked the ferry schedule. The high-speed ferry was set to leave New London at eight o’clock at night. Paige did a little shopping in the quaint, historic district. She treated herself to a new dress, a pair of handmade earrings and a book.
As she strolled through town listening to a band playing in the distance,
“I just need to get away for a bit,” Paige mumbled to her publisher as she stared at her computer screen. She was more than half way done with the novel she was working on, and she’d hit a major case of writer’s block. It had been nearly two weeks since she had written a single word. Her publisher was now calling every other day to bug her, since her deadline was quickly approaching.
“Paige, you have two weeks. You need to get this book done. Fans are anxiously waiting,” Sylvia said in a firm, yet sympathetic, tone. The director of the publishing company used to be an author herself, until her father had passed away and left the company to his middle daughter, the only child out of five who had a love for books.
“I promise it will get done. I’ve never failed you yet,” Paige reassured her as she bit her lip, because honestly, she wasn’t so sure this time. This would be her tenth romance novel—the last five were bestsellers—but this one wasn’t coming so easily.
“Good. Take a quick weekend getaway to relax and unwind. Get inspired and finish that book.”
Paige ended the call and put her cell phone back on the charger.
What had changed since her last book was released? Oh right, my heart got broken by my lying, cheating fiancé. She sighed and pushed those feelings and the blame aside.
I am a writer, dammit! I won’t let him take this from me.
While the first part of the book had flowed fairly easily, she was struggling on writing the intimate scenes between her characters.
How is my sex drought and heartache causing the same for my characters? This can’t keep happening.
Paige rubbed her hands over her face in pure frustration. She glanced out of the window for the millionth time today, this time taking note of a flock of geese in the pond. Her apartment complex was situated in a beautiful, private park in the heart of downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It was peaceful, a far cry from where she’d lived in New York City with her ex-fiancé, Justin. It was also close to everything the clean city had to offer. Paige enjoyed walking or taking the bus to wherever she needed to go. She had become a regular at the coffee shop around the block and the nearby market. They all knew her as Paige, not a bestselling romance author. She preferred it that way. She wore very little makeup and kept her clothes simple. She liked to keep to herself and didn’t want to stand out in any way.
She sighed and thought about a place to go for a long weekend. She didn’t have much time and didn’t want to spend money on a plane ticket. Then she recalled the barista at the coffee shop recently raving about her trip to Montauk, New York. Ally had explained it to her as a quaint little town with a big fishing problem . She’d said it wasn’t too commercialized, and the beaches were beautiful and never overcrowded, unless you were at Ditch Plains Beach, which was full of surfers.
Paige looked at hotels, pulled up a vacation rental website and searched for a place available this upcoming weekend. As she glanced through available dates, it wasn’t looking very promising.
“Damn, this place must be more popular than I thought,” she mumbled to herself as she scrolled through the rental listings.
She finally clicked on a two-bedroom condo across the highway from the beach. Luckily, it said it was available last minute due to a renter leaving earlier than expected. She made her reservation and arrangements with the owner. Excitement began to brew within her along with a little relief from the tension she had been feeling.
This was just what she needed.
She packed her bags and checked the ferry schedule. The high-speed ferry was set to leave New London at eight o’clock at night. Paige did a little shopping in the quaint, historic district. She treated herself to a new dress, a pair of handmade earrings and a book.
As she strolled through town listening to a band playing in the distance,
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