BLAST, BLITZ, PROMOS, REVEALS, & TOURS . . . : SPOTLIGHT w/EXCERPT - SWEET CONTEMPORARY

One summer. Three separate love stories. And summer doesn't last forever.

Montana Beach Series

by D. Allen

Genre: Sweet Contemporary Romance

Summer Stay

Montana Beach, #1

Jessie moved back to picturesque Montana Beach after a heartbreaking split with her ex. She's since thrown herself into her grandparent's inn, which has been struggling financially thanks to the town having seen better days. With few options available, Jessie considers accepting a developer's offer to buy Montana Manor, seeing it as a way to save her family's legacy, until she learns that he wants to tear it down.

Meanwhile, Mason's tired of working at his father's advertising firm in New York City, although his father wants him to become his replacement. Unsure if that's the course he wants his life to take, Mason escapes to Montana Beach and the only inn in town to consider the proposal. But after he meets Jessie, he seems to gain only another reason not to take up his father's offer.

When Mason offers to help Jessie launch a campaign to save Montana Manor, the two quickly find themselves relying more and more on each other. But summer doesn't last forever, and Mason's stay is coming to an end.

The best part of waking up at five in the morning is getting out on the beach for my run before the other joggers, walkers, or scavengers get out here and get in my way. Often times I don’t even play music, preferring instead to listen to the waves crash along the shore. It helps me relax and prepare for the day ahead of me. The only thing on my mind is the sand under my feet and my breathing as I run my usual two-mile stretch.

It’s not an easy run, that’s for sure. The traction I get in the sand is quite different from what I used to get on the treadmill when I lived in the city. But the extra exertion is what I need to make this precious time count. There aren’t any gyms in Montana Beach. There isn’t much of anything, really.

When I reach the end of the beach where it starts to get marshy, I see that the sun is sitting just on the horizon over the Atlantic Ocean. As I turn around to head back to Montana Manor, my long shadow stretches inland, interrupted only when I pass under the pier.

Grandma Ethel is sitting on the back patio with a cup of coffee watching the sunrise as I come up. I’m sweaty but energized.

“Enjoy your run, Jessie Girl?” she asks.

I nod. “The sunrise is really beautiful today.”

She smiles. “It always is.”

Knowing that I’m short on time, I tell Grandma, “I’ll be back down soon to help you with breakfast. Just going to run up and take a shower real quick.”

“Take your time, dear. I’m content right here.”

Racing up the steps to the attic apartment I share with her, I head straight for the bathroom and hop in the shower.

This is the same routine I do every day. Up with the sun, run on the beach, quick shower, and then start breakfast for the guests. It’s the same routine I’ve had for most of my life. My grandparents built Montana Manor when they first got married and have been running the small inn ever since.

It’s the only place for overnight accommodations in town since the Montana Motel closed down several years ago. Well, it’s the only one if you don’t count the many rental houses that sit throughout the small village now that a lot of the permanent residents have moved away.

Like Montana Beach, the Manor isn’t perfect. It could use a new roof, updated fixtures, and I’m sure the wiring isn’t up to code. But it’s home.

Braiding my wet hair, I make my way back down to the kitchen where Grandma is already frying up some eggs. I grab a pan, throw some bacon on it, and fire up the burner next to her.

“How many do we have this morning?” I ask.

“Only the Harmons. Janet said they’re early-risers, so I expect them to come down anytime now.”

“How long are they staying?”

“Until tomorrow night, although they still have to pay the rest of their bill. They mentioned something about paying today, but I told them they can wait until they check out, too.”

“Okay.” I wish Grandma wouldn’t tell people that. They’re our only guests and it’s the middle of June, which should be the start of our busy season, but we haven’t seen an uptick in guests yet. When I was a little girl the Manor used to be filled with guests from May into October. Now we’re lucky if we can fill up in July.

Grandma reaches around me to grab two plates and flips the eggs onto each of them with a spatula. “Now, if they do pay today, I want you to run to the bank to deposit some of it. The rest will have to go toward groceries.”

“Did we get another reservation?” I toss the bacon onto a plate and dab away as much of the grease as I can with a paper towel.

“One couple, yes. They’re arriving tomorrow. I think they may be honeymooners.”

“What makes you say that?” I ask.

Grandma picks the bacon from the paper towel and arranges it on the plate while I pop some bread in the toaster.

“Their reservation came through as the Newmans, but her credit card was under a different last name.”

“Then they probably are.”

There isn’t a lot to do in Montana Beach, but we still get a lot of honeymooners. I guess the quiet beach town is a lure to many newlyweds. Still, most of the guests we used to get are now more interested in the many activities up on North Beach, which is highly-commercialized nowadays.

The toaster pops and we hear footsteps on the stairs.

“I’ll get them started with drinks,” Grandma tells me. She pulls a pitcher and a Tupperware of fruit out of the fridge and sets it on a tray with two glasses. “Can you cut this up, please?”

“I’m on it.”

“Thank you, dear.”

When she disappears into the dining room to greet them, I pop open the Tupperware and start cutting the fresh pineapple and cantaloupe into cubes.

“They want to eat out on the patio,” Grandma tells me when she comes back in. She sets the plates on the now-empty tray.

“I can’t blame them.”

“Neither can I. Now hurry up with that fruit, dear, their food is getting cold.”

Summer Job

Montana Beach, #2

When Robyn was promoted to manager of the Montana Beach Pier amusement park, she helped save it from near extinction. But her employees are still having a hard time adjusting to her new leadership role. With her father gone and only a few friends in Montana Beach, the stress at work carries over to the rest of her life. That is, until her newest employee steps through the door.

Jaden’s just looking for a summer job until he can find something more stable in the fall. Montana Beach might be a slower pace than his hometown, but his new boss and the romance that sparks between them makes the sleepy little town exciting.

When a coworker discovers their relationship, he threatens to reveal their secret, which could put their jobs and the future of the Pier at risk.

Summer Nights

Montana Beach, #3

On the surface Adrian has it all: he’s the owner of the Nine—the only source of nightlife in Montana Beach—and he has his boyfriend Malcolm. The only problem is: Malcolm’s married. Although he promises to leave his wife, Adrian still wonders if he’ll always be “the other lover,” and whether that’s enough for him.

Tyler has watched his best friend pursue his relationship with a married man knowing that it won’t end well. He knows that he could treat Adrian better, but he’s never expressed his feelings to anyone, let alone Adrian.

After Adrian and Tyler share a special evening together, Tyler sees a future for them, but Adrian is still loyal to Malcolm.