Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance

Category: Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

• Short Snippet Saturday: On the Run

  Posted at 3:25 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 17, 2021

  

  Hey there. Happy spring. I’m still here living the life. <waving>

  It’s been a while since I’ve posted or visited my fellow bloggers, but I’ve been writing. I can happily say I finished book two in the Two-Five Ranch Outlaws series. It’s sitting now before I go back to rip it apart and cut a lot of words. I overwrote. Or maybe I didn’t. Let’s put it this way: I said what had to be said, but it’s a higher word count than I wanted, so maybe I didn’t need to say it all. I’m also 12K words into a holiday western romance. However, that has nothing to do with today’s post. 😊

  Re-cover Reveal

  Since I’ve been away from my blog, I had new covers made for four of my books. I haven’t officially revealed the other three yet, but they aren’t hard to find.

  Today I’m introducing the new re-cover for Finding Kimber, Book Two, from Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series—a spin off to the Double Dutch Ranch Series. As the title says, they’re on the run. I’ve changed two names to avoid spoilers. Kimber mentions Stormy. He’s the dog Zach gave her.

  ---

  First the Blurb

  She’s wary of her future. He’s burdened by his past.

  Zachary (Zach) Bryson arrives in Arizona with hopes of leaving the ghosts from his past behind. Hired by a stranger to run a ranch, he meets the owner—a secretive woman with no ranching experience. He’s seen her before, but she wasn’t a redhead with green eyes. In their first encounter, she swept him off his feet without their exchanging a word. Why did she change her appearance? What secrets lay behind those heart-stopping eyes? Seeing this job as a challenge, he sticks around to tackle this hottie head-on.

  Kimber Sinclair is forced to flee her lush Oregon county for a small town in Arizona with sand, saguaros, and dusty cowboys. She settles in to live a lie—to discover the person behind her new identity while she mourns the death of Tressa Garnett—her given name at birth. However, keeping a distance from her ruggedly handsome, broad-shouldered, wise-cracking ranch foreman, isn’t easy. She struggles daily to hide her secret from Zach who demands answers. By telling him the truth, his life could also be in danger.

  If trouble finds her, will she choose fight or flight? Can Zach set aside his own issues, or will his nightmares prevent him from doing what he was unknowingly hired to do?

  

  Snippet

  Thunder growled in the near distance, and heavy clouds rolled in. “Cool. Let’s get this tent put up, cowgirl.”

  She helped him unload the truck but wouldn’t let Stormy out. “Dave wanted us to get burner phones so we can’t be tracked. I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary on my phone.”

  “Wait. What? The guy thinks your phone has a tracker on it? Rebecca could’ve done it when she visited you. He’s already called you multiple times. What if he’s in on it? Get in the truck.” Zach tossed the bags back into the bed of the truck and sped out of the campground. Hard, blowing rain came down as they pulled out. He drove away from the mountain.

  “What’s wrong? Where are we going?”

  “Away from here. If someone is tracking your phone, or his—”

  “I called his go-phone, but I get it. No camping.”

  “We are camping. While we’re heading west, call him back. Write down the immediate numbers you need from your phone, then write down Tyler’s, Randy’s, Jake’s, and my mom’s from mine. When you’re finished, turn our phones off. I want to open yours up to look for a tracker, or for whatever the hell else could’ve been used.” He stopped at a gas station and checked her phone. “Bastards. I’m deleting this hidden app. Somebody added it to your phone.”

  She was angry enough to growl like the wolves in the desert.

  He checked his own. “There’s nothing on mine. I have a better idea. I’ll download a burner app for any other calls we make. Then Dave will think we’re using a disposable phone. The app acts as a burner phone. We can pay extra for a different area code and use a Boise number like we do now.”

  Kimber sat back and sighed. Tiredness caught up with her. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. No worries. Tyler uses the app.” After taking care of the app and the new number, he continued driving until they ended up in traffic miles away.

  Now she’d made Zach suspicious of everything.

  They headed back to the campsite and unloaded. “Randy gave us a blowup bed. Looks like we have to sleep together, partner.”

  “No problem, Zach.” In this awful predicament, his words sparked a glow in her heart. She flashed him a smile and helped him make up the bed. “I’ll never be able to thank you for what you’re doing.”

  Zach glanced at the bed and winked. “My heart’s the only thing you have to thank, sweetheart. Well, maybe one other body part.”

  ---

  Here’s the entire spin off series to date. Read Finding Kimber now: Universal Buy Link for your country. Amazon Series Page.

  

  Amazon Reader Reviews for Finding Kimber

  This book has it all. Attention grabbing, many twist and turns. All the romance intertwined. I recommend this book. Enjoy!!

  This lady tells wonderful Cowboy Romance Stories…

  …I loved this book! I loved the depth of this story! It Had so many different elements included in it.

  Very different and kept me interested to the end. Very good suspense story and very different from most books I have read.

  Enjoy your weekend. Thank you for visiting.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series | 9 Comments | Tagged Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Finding Kimber, Mary J McCoy-Dressel Western Romance, western romance, witness protection

• #WritersLife Decisions and Dilemmas

  Posted at 12:48 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 5, 2021

  

  Hiya, folks. It’s me pondering again. Oh-oh!

  I’m wondering how many series writers ask themselves: When do I end a series? Ending a series also affects readers who are fans of the books. As a reader and author, I, too, have saddened to see a series end.

  Writers, have you ended a series?  How did you come to the decision?

  Readers, what do you think when a much-loved series is over?

  ---

  Decisions:

  Forgive me for making this about me, me, me. Haha. I might have mentioned this before, but early last year, I asked a few of my dedicated readers if my original subtitle Seasoned with Destiny: BILL’S FINAL GIFT sounded like the final book in the Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight.  

  My oldest son first pointed this out to me when he asked if this was the final book. Bless his heart. He’s great with critiquing my titles. Indeed, the readers I asked agreed it sounded like the last book in the series. Therefore, I changed the subtitle to “A Gift of Love” because lo-and-behold, I didn’t want it to sound like the last book in the series. I asked my cover designer to change the subtitle, and even she thought the first one sounded like the series would end.

  HOWEVER…

  Since then, and after days of contemplating whether I wanted to write more books in this series, I asked myself if book five should end it after all. The series can stop where it is without another book. But after two new and unexpected characters popped up in the story, and a surprise declaration from another, I mentally made a plan for a sixth and seventh book. Maybe eight.

  Should we step back from making major decisions at certain times in our lives? Wouldn’t illness be one of those times? Living in a pandemic when so many “normal” things change in our lives, also has an impact on decision making. Shouldn’t this be another time to take a step back and weigh all the options? This is what I’m trying to do. To me, these are rhetorical questions because I know the answer is yes.

  Way before the end of writing book one, I planned on a long series. I’d be sad to see this one end. An author who I admire has advised others to wrap it up if sales dry up. Sales almost had, but to be fair, I blame myself. One needs to put books in front of readers, and I neglected to do this for many months–nearly a year. Therefore, I can’t base a decision on low sales until I put my heart and brain back into my job and promote myself and my stories.

  When I promote, sales go up across the board and across all of my series books. My new book did push sales to all of my books. Needless to say, this encouraged me.

  

  Dilemmas:

  Another thing driving me to say farewell to the Carlson family is: I feel like I’m called to write something new.

  Do you know this feeling, writers?  

  This new idea rolled out of my head like a red carpet at an awards show. A little part of me thinks I can extend the spin off series with the new books that popped into my head. I’m sure this harebrained idea is me (or my muse) trying to hang on to the series??? You see, the spin off series takes us off the ranch and introduces us to friends and acquaintances who live and love in and around Canyon Junction. 😉

  I tell myself “The books can fit into the series.” Just in case, I wrote a short scene in Seasoned with Destiny: A Gift of Love for the second unexpected character who would begin with this “new” idea.

  I can make it happen if I want it to. I’m a writer!

  After all, I transformed an old draft for Finding Kimber into a western to fit into the spin off series. A new western setting changed everything especially my hero Zachary (Zach) Bryson, who is now a cowboy. He’s a mighty fine cowboy, too, though a stubborn–the way I like them–alpha. He was not named Zachary in the draft. The major parts of the story that I kept was Kimber’s name and her needing witness protection. Read her tempestuous beginning HERE.

  The Truth Is:

  It’s 2021, and I’m feeling a bit better than last year and thinking clearer now. The thing is, I have a new series to build in the Two-Five Ranch Outlaws. I’m behind in this series. Instead of writing the draft for book two, I should be writing book three, but in 2020 life got in the way… The same as it did for all of us. At this point, I don’t want to begin another new series. Shame on my muse for nudging me at the wrong time. Hmm. I’m leaning toward writing the next Double Dutch Ranch story and to go from there. Maybe the new series idea is for another life.

  So much to write. So little time. All I can say is “Stay Tuned.”

  Time goes, you say? Ah no!

  Alas, Time stays, we go.

  ~Henry Austin Dobson

  I’ve been writing and revising this post since last year. What does that say about decision making? So, if you continued this far, I thank you kindly for reading. 💖 Enjoy the rest of your day.

  ---

  Readers? Authors? Any thoughts on the ending of a series?

  Image credits: Featured image- Geralt. Signs & mountain-Pixabay JanBaby. Quote from The Quote Garden.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Double Dutch Ranch Series | 8 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Contemporary #western romance series, Decisions and Dilemmas, mary j mccoy dressel, Romance Series books

• #MFRWhooks Book Hooks: Farewell

  Posted at 2:13 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 22, 2020

  

  Book Hooks Wednesday.

  Hi, I hope you don’t mind another snippet from Whispers of Forever, but I’m continuing with a post taking place a few days later from last week’s post. Jake had invited Paige to dinner before she left them. Before she and her boyfriend flew across the country to their new home. It had been a pleasant evening between, Jake, their son Trace, and Paige. Jake faced his true feelings about losing her.

  ---

  His heart beat fast and strong. It took all the strength he had to stand there straight-faced, feigning calm as if he didn’t care. He cared. Even if he had wanted to hate her, he couldn’t, but it slowly brewed in his body and mind, especially after seeing the pain in his boy’s eyes—pain she had caused. He wanted to tell her she didn’t have to do this, but it would be worthless. She loved the other guy enough to have his baby. To give everything up for him. Yep, hate began to boil now. “Take care of yourself, Paige. I’ll take good care of our boy.”

  “I know you will, sweetie,” she said softly with a tenderness in her eyes he hadn’t seen in ages. Paige released Trace and hugged Jake, whispering, “A part of me will always…well, you know.”

  “But not enough.” Jake took a deep breath and left her embrace. “Come here, bud.” He lifted his son who was more than half of Jake’s height, and carried him outside to see her off. Trace didn’t object, now crying on his shoulder as Paige drove away.

  “Daddy?”

  “What, son?” he gulped out as the taillights faded.

  “Will Mom come back?”

  Trace’s heart beat as hard and fast as his did. He hugged him tighter, a desert-sand dryness blocking a normal swallow. “She said she would.” Jake gulped again. “Let’s take a walk through the barn.” He started to put T.J. down, but he tightened his hold around his dad’s neck.

  “No.” He cried and Jake stood right there holding him and he cried internally.

  ***

  After feeding and watering their horses, they came in from the barn. Trace got a bath and then Jake took a shower while his boy ate ice cream in front of the TV. He stood at the mirror in the small bathroom downstairs about to put shaving cream on his face.

  A shattering scream ripped from Trace’s throat, “Daddy! Daddy? Dad…”

  What the hell? Jake dropped his razor and rushed into the living room. “What’s the matter? Why are you watching the news, bud?” He glanced at the screen. Breaking News. “What happened?”

  Trace stood in front of the TV pointing. He didn’t say anything more, but his chin dimpled and quivered.

  Jake’s feet had been knocked out from under him. He dropped to the sofa. Blood drained from his face, and it all dropped to his feet. His head spun. He was unable to believe what he saw. Oh, my God. “Come here, T.J.” He reached out to bring him close, to hold him, to embrace him.

  ---

  

  Next week, Lord willing, you’ll meet Beth. Then we’ll be finished with Whispers of Forever for a while. <grin> Find information about the book and the series on the series page.

  Visit participating authors HERE. Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week to hook readers on your current WIP or any previously published book.

  I appreciate your visit. Stay well.

  I’ve been under the weather for the 4th day now. Ugh. Super scary!

  Featured Image at top: Pixabay – 272447

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series | 13 Comments | Tagged #MFRWhooks, A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off novel, Book Hooks, Book Hooks: Farewell, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, mary j mccoy dressel, Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

• #MFRWhooks Book Hooks: How Would You Feel?

  Posted at 12:29 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 15, 2020

  

  For today’s Book Hooks post, I’m continuing with Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas. I’ll reiterate that this book takes place from October to past Christmastime, but it isn’t considered a holiday story. Last week’s post can be found HERE:

  We’re picking up after last week’s snippet. Tom Brandt is Jake’s new lawyer hired to fight to keep his son in the state. Jake recently found out a truth he’d suspected. He may sound hardhearted in this snippet, but how would you feel?:

  ---

  

  Numbness enveloped his body. Fuzz filled his brain. None of this had come out in court. He took his phone out to call Tom Brandt. “You won’t believe this,” he said to his lawyer. “I have something for you to add to your notes.” Jake proceeded to tell Tom the newest bit of information.

  “This changes everything, Jake. I’ll be in contact with you soon.”

  She was having another man’s baby, but it wasn’t the guy he had seen her with last night. A ball of confusion settled into a corner of his brain to figure out later. He checked his watch. It was almost time for Trace to get out of school. Jake went back into the tack room to wash his hands, then into the house to brush his hair and put on a clean shirt. His dirty jeans would have to do. Tonight, his son was moving back home. Let her try to stop him.

  Pulling onto the 60 toward school, he called Paige. “Have Trace’s things ready. Leave the door unlocked, then find someplace to go,” he barked out when she answered. “My boy is coming back home with me, and I don’t want to see your face when I get there in a couple hours—”

  “But—”

  “Don’t try to fight me on this, Paige, because there’s no way you’ll win. You did this to yourself, lady. Nothing left but to accept it.” Let that sink in. Remaining calm now was important. Name calling would solve nothing and would only get his blood to boil and steam to shoot from his ears.

  “All right. Tomorrow I’ll file to dissolve our marriage.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me this time.” At the school, he parked and then sat a minute until his breathing got back in check. He went inside to the office to ask for a meeting with the principal. A few minutes later, the secretary escorted him through a narrow walkway to his office.

  ---

  Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off

   

  What can stand in their way this time?

  Rancher Jake Lawton never expects to become a single dad to his nine-year-old overnight. However, one last malicious act his wife had done before leaving them, could affect both he and his son’s lives. By chance, he runs into his high school sweetheart, never expecting the same old yearnings to return with one “How are ya?” embrace. Has their unanticipated meeting arrived at the perfect time, or has years apart put an end to what should’ve been years ago?

  Beth Marconi arrives home to help care for her ailing father. In town, she inadvertently runs into her first love—the cowboy she nearly married after graduation. Sparks ignite before they say hello, but how do they start over when life has left them so bruised? When her ex comes to town, she’s forced to explain the secret surrounding her short-lived marriage. Is Jake the kind of man who will understand, or will he revert to the hell-raiser he had become when Beth left thirteen years ago?

  Filled with both anguish and hope, a young boy and two lonely hearts pursue a second chance.

  Thanks for reading.

  Universal Buy Link

  ---

  Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog.

  

  Participating authors can be found Here, and there are a lot of them doing Book Hooks. At least they get signed up on time. I missed it again this week.

  See you all the next time.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series | 5 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks Blog Hop, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off Novel, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance, Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

• Short Snippet Saturday Oops Redo: Hooked by Sundown

  Posted at 6:32 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on November 3, 2019

  

  Sorry for the snafu with the last Hooked by Sundown post. At least I didn’t lose it like I lost another draft. Anyway, this ISN’T the post that went out yesterday on the official Short Snippet Saturday correct day. I haven’t mentioned Wade and Sophie much since their book had been released.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off

  Hooked by Sundown

  

  Snippet is self-explanatory without the need for a set-up.

  ---

  Excerpt/ Snippet:

  Wade finished breakfast in his room, poured a cup of coffee, then opened the balcony door one last time to sniff the air and enjoy the cool breeze. Hell, he didn’t have to leave here. His thoughts went to sitting with Sophie and her boy last night. She was nice enough, sort of, and damn pretty. Emmett’s physical characteristics resembled Wade’s with brown eyes and the same thick hair like his but a shade lighter from the sun.

  Curiosity about her life filled his musings. He’d come to California only to meet a woman from home? Interesting. His flight left Saturday, if what the nurses said about his brother came true. In his mind he made a pact with himself. If they were on the same plane heading home, he’d search her out in baggage claim in Phoenix to pursue a date.

  “Get in here.”

  Wade glanced toward her voice. “Mornin’.” With her hand holding her son’s arm, she turned toward him and smiled. Wow, what an attractive morning smile. Better than what he’d seen on her face when he’d left them last night.

  “Good morning, Mr. Emory—”

  He corrected her, “Wade.”

  “Are you getting ready to leave?”

  “Yep, one last cup of coffee.” He raised it to her. Leaving this extravagant place wasn’t a necessity. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it, but this place wasn’t him. He didn’t need a thick robe to don after getting out of the shower or fancy sheets on the bed with a piece of chocolate on his pillow each night, though the chocolate tasted special.

  She told Emmett to go inside. “Can I talk to you?”

  He nodded then entered his room without hesitation. Wade changed out of running shorts and pulled on jeans. Before he had time to get a shirt to go into the hall, he answered the knock at his door. She and Emmett stood there. He held the door open, sweeping his hand forward.

  Her gaze glued to his chest first off. “No, I don’t want to come in. Y-you didn’t tell me where you were staying.”

  Was he supposed to? “Just a minute.” He nearly jumped up and clicked his heels together. Instead, he pulled on a t-shirt and wrote down the hotel name. “We still watching the sunset tonight?” Damn, how manly had that sounded?

  “Yeah, if you come.”

  “Sounds like a date…I mean, not a date, but a plan. Sorry.” He couldn’t win for losing.

  She gave a shy smile he hadn’t seen before though she’d seemed direct and not shy last night. “I know what you mean.”

  Wade handed her the slip of paper with the name of where he’d be staying. He was surprised and glad she wanted to know. “In case you need anything, do you want my phone number?” He didn’t retract his gaze. Neither did she. Say yes.

  She handed her phone over, and he took no less than a few seconds to enter his number. “Here you go. Well, I better get outta here. Hey, Emmett, don’t forget the cups for your sand castle tonight.”

  The kid had a cute smile like his mom. “I won’t. Mom? Don’t forget.”

  “It’s your responsibility, boy.” She brushed his sun-streaked, brown hair from his forehead then glanced at Wade. “See you later.”

  “Do you swim?” He asked without a thought.

  “Yeah, but I don’t like Emmett to swim in the ocean. Rip currents, you know. We’ll go to the pool later.”

  “All right. I thought it might be a nice night for a swim.” In man speak, he’d like to see Sophie in a bikini.

  “Have fun if you do. We don’t mind watching.”

  He nodded and closed the door. Wade checked the bedroom again, washed the cup, and sat it on the counter to dry. In a way, he hated leaving this nice place, but the other place was four-star, too, however not on the ocean and with no fluffy robes. Maybe he’d have a whiff of the salty air. Admittedly, he missed the dry, baked smell of the desert.

  End of excerpt.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off Novel

  HOOKED BY SUNDOWN

  Universal Link:

  Available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Apple Books.

  ---

  If you’re in a participating state, don’t forget to turn back your clocks if you haven’t. Ugh, do we have to? I don’t like when it gets dark so early.

  Enjoy your weekend.

  Posted in #AmWriting, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series | 7 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Finding Kimber, Hooked by Sundown, mary j mccoy dressel, Short Snippet Saturday, Short Snippet Saturday Redo: Hooked by Sundown, western romance, Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

• Short Snippet Saturday: Hello?

  Posted at 11:14 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on July 20, 2019

  

  Howdy! It’s a record-breaking heat wave where I am along with much of the country.  🔥  We’re used to heat but not this high. Stay cool! I don’t remember if I ever experienced 107 degree temps before, but once while visiting Sacramento, CA, it was 104. I noticed! We had a storm roll through last night and many are out of power. They need prayers to get it connected. Another one is expected today. Recently I told my oldest who lives in California that I’d probably move there in a couple years. I guess Mother Nature is breaking me in and preparing me for the summer temps.

  THIS MONTH, I’m featuring Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas, a Second Chance Romance—the first book in the Spin Off to the Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight. Wow, a featured book I haven’t mentioned yet this month. Shame on me. Bad blogger!

  I’ll change that today.

  It isn’t necessary to save Whispers of Forever for Christmastime reading because it doesn’t only revolve around the holiday. It revolves around two people and a young boy getting a second chance.

  I love this book, but where did I get the idea?

  Simple answer. From a song that interrupted that “almost asleep” stage. I grabbed my phone and jotted down the idea, but once I started writing, it went in a different direction.

  Who doesn’t deserve a second chance?

  Beth and Jake do. Especially when it should’ve been them all along. Against their will, they had been ripped apart from each other. Thirteen years later, Beth moves back to Canyon Junction, our small-town setting. Jake never left, except for those few years after Beth moved—the times he doesn’t like to remember—the times when he attempted to drown himself in a bottle or kill himself as a reckless cowboy with a passion for saddle bronc riding.

  The snippet doesn’t feature Beth, but in the book, by now, they had unexpectedly come face-to-face since she had returned. This short piece deals with Jake and his child.

  Short Snippet:

  After feeding and watering their horses, they came in from the barn. Trace got a bath. Then Jake took a shower while his boy ate ice cream in front of the TV. He stood at the mirror in the small bathroom downstairs about to put shaving cream on his face.

  A shattering scream ripped from Trace’s throat, “Daddy! Daddy? Dad…”

  What the hell? Jake dropped his razor and rushed into the living room. “What’s the matter? Why are you watching the news, bud?” He glanced at the screen. Breaking News. “What happened?”

  Trace stood in front of the TV pointing. He didn’t say anything more, but his chin dimpled and quivered.

  Jake’s feet had been knocked out from under him, and he dropped to the sofa. Blood drained from his face, and it all dropped to his feet. His head spun, and he was unable to believe what he saw. Oh, my God. “Come here, T.J.” He reached out to bring him close, to hold him, to embrace him.

  “A plane crash. Is it Austin’s plane?” he asked, close to hysteria. “It is his! Dad?” He read out loud, “Piper PA32,” as information scrolled across the bottom of the report. Trace turned toward his dad, his face wet with tears, his body trembling.

  “Here, let’s change the channel.” Jake’s phone rang before he got the remote. He lost all focus, but his gaze couldn’t leave the TV screen. What was left of the plane looked like the one in the picture he had held in his hand earlier, and he let the phone ring.

  Trace answered before Jake could grab it, “Mommy, is it you?” He held the phone out to his dad with a terrified blankness in his eyes. “Grandpa Bill wants to talk to you.”

  Jake took the phone. Everything moved in slow motion from that point on. “Hello…”

  End of excerpt.

  Sorry for the cliffhanger ending here.  😁  You’ll never find a cliffhanger ending at the end of one of my books.

  ---

  Description

  What can stand in their way this time?

  Second Chance Romance

  Rancher Jake Lawton never expects to become a single dad to his nine-year-old overnight. However, one last malicious act his wife had done before leaving them, could affect both he and his son’s lives. By chance, he runs into his high school sweetheart, never expecting the same old yearnings to return with one “How are ya?” embrace. Has their unanticipated meeting arrived at the perfect time, or has years apart put an end to what should’ve been years ago?

  Beth Marconi arrives home to help care for her ailing father. In town, she inadvertently runs into her first love—the cowboy she nearly married after graduation. Sparks ignite before they say hello, but how do they start over when life has left them so bruised? When her ex comes to town, she’s forced to explain the secret surrounding her short-lived marriage. Is Jake the kind of man who will understand, or will he revert to the hell-raiser he had become when Beth left thirteen years ago?

  Filled with both anguish and hope, a young boy and two lonely hearts pursue a second chance.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin off novel.

  Check out this book and the other spin off series books HERE.

  Thank you for visiting!

   

  Posted in #AmWriting, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Short Snippet Saturday | 10 Comments | Tagged Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Finding Kimber, Hooked by Sundown, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Second Chance Romance, Short Snippet Saturday: Hello?, western romance, Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

• Release Day: Hooked by Sundown

  Posted at 7:41 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on September 28, 2018

  

  You recently joined me when I did the cover reveal a couple days ago. Now, you can read the book because it’s AVAILABLE. I’ll get right to the point and post the cover and blurb with a universal buy link to your favorite retailer and your country, and Amazon. com. Hooked by Sundown is available at Apple, Kobo, Amazon, and Nook, and at Walmart eBooks via Kobo. I’ve released this book at a discounted price for a limited time only.

  Forgive me for reiterating the info here, but if you’re new and didn’t see the cover reveal post, here we go with Release News:

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series #3

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off

   

  

  Blurb:

  Wade Emory falls fast for women, yet it’s a well-known fact his relationships don’t last. On a trip to the Pacific Coast to visit his ill brother, he slips into his bad habit when he meets a hotheaded mom with a son who spews four-letter words. However, after enjoying nearly a week with them, she and the boy leave early. Before she’s gone forever, he convinces her to meet up again to pick up where they left off on the beach. Then, at home, an unexpected visitor pops in, and he learns the past harbors secrets and lies that don’t always stay hidden. Life’s lessons have taught him that people don’t stick around, so how can he prevent a relationship with Sophie from becoming another failure?

  Sophie Price-Daniels needs a change of scenery. The opportunity arises when she flies to California to bail her troublemaking brother out of jail. When he directs his anger at her and her boy, a stranger steps in, but a hero is the last thing she wants. She’s alone and living in her self-appointed prison of grief, until…until she peers into his warm yet saddened eyes. As desires long forgotten force their way to the surface, she’s faced with a dilemma—to give in to her needs and accept a new future is possible for her and her son—or back away and continue to believe she’s betraying a man who is no longer with them.

  Two lonely people need to trust each other—and themselves—to overcome their unfortunate pasts.

  ---

  Universal Buy Link

  Amazon. Com

  Check out the Series PAGE for info on all the books in this series.

  Visit the page below for information about the series that led the way to this Spin Off:

  Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight

  I’m happy you took a moment to stop by today. Thank you. Enjoy your weekend!

  Posted in #AmWriting, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, New Release | 9 Comments | Tagged Arizona, Beach vacation, bronc riding, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, cowboys, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Fiction, Hooked by Sundown, iBooks, Kindle, Kobo, mary j mccoy dressel, New Release, Nook, ranchers, Walmart eBooks, western romance

• Western Romance Spin Off Series Book 3~ Hooked by Sundown #CoverReveal!

  Posted at 8:53 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on September 26, 2018

  

  Howdy. I won’t dilly-dally here today. Why not start with something I’ve been talking about for too long now? Ha-ha. A Cover Reveal. How about that! By the way, this is the week Hooked by Sundown will be released. I’m excited!

  ---

  So, without further delay, I’m proud to introduce you to Wade (swoon-worthy) Emory and Sophie Price-Daniels.  ❤  You’ve met Sophie’s son Emmett in snippets throughout the past few months.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series #3

  A Double Dutch Ranch Spin Off Series

  Cover Reveal

  

  Hooked by Sundown

  Blurb

  Wade Emory falls fast for women, yet it’s a well-known fact his relationships don’t last. On a trip to the Pacific Coast to visit his ill brother, he slips into his bad habit when he meets a hotheaded mom with a son who spews four-letter words. However, after enjoying nearly a week with them, she and the boy leave early. Before she’s gone forever, he convinces her to meet up again to pick up where they left off on the beach. Then, at home, an unexpected visitor pops in, and he learns the past harbors secrets and lies that don’t always stay hidden. Life’s lessons have taught him that people don’t stick around, so how can he prevent a relationship with Sophie from becoming another failure?

  Sophie Price-Daniels needs a change of scenery. The opportunity arises when she flies to California to bail her trouble-making brother out of jail. When he directs his anger at her and her boy, a stranger steps in, but a hero is the last thing she wants. She’s alone and living in her self-appointed prison of grief, until…until she peers into his warm yet saddened eyes. As desires long forgotten force their way to the surface, she’s faced with a dilemma—to give in to her needs and accept a new future is possible for her and her son—or back away and continue to believe she’s betraying a man who is no longer with them.

  Two lonely people need to trust each other—and themselves—to overcome their unfortunate pasts.

   

  Also in this series:

  

   

  Check out the series where it all began:

  Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight

  ---

  This is one of my favorite covers to date. Hooked by Sundown turned out to be another of my favorite books, as well. Giving this secondary character in the series a book was the right choice. I knew he had a story lurking inside. Poor guy.

  

  ---

  Thanks to:

  My talented cover designer, Dawnè Dominique at DuskTilDawn Designs, for creating more than a dozen covers for me. When she sent me the first draft for Hooked by Sundown, I accepted it with no changes to be made. She has a way of getting into my head and seeing my vision, but with her artistic eye to keep me focused. You know you’ve met the perfect team member when this happens. You have no idea, and I’ll never tell, all the special things she did to create certain aspects of this cover.

  Thanks to the male cover model, Mathias, for bringing Wade to life. As soon as I saw him, I knew he was the same Wade I had in my head. I swear, he walked out of my head and into the door at Period Images. VJ Dunraven sure knows how to capture a moment with her camera.

  Dreamstime Images.

  Thanks so much for coming around today to join me in showing off my newest cover to the world. I’ll return with links when the book is available.

  Enjoy the rest of your week!

  
  

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Cover Reveal, New Release | 10 Comments | Tagged #CoverReveal, #NewRelease, Alpha hero, amazon, Apple, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Close-knit families, Cover Reveal, cowboy, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Dreamstime, Finding Kimber, grieving heroine, Hooked by Sundown, iBooks, iTunes, Kobo, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, New Release, Nook, Pacific Coast, Period Images, small town, spin off series, Spin Off Series Book Three~ Hooked by Sundown #CoverReveal, Walmart eBooks, western romance, Whispers of Forever

• Short Snippet Saturday: Sundown on the Beach

  Posted at 10:42 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on September 22, 2018

  

  Well, hello there. I feel like I’m coming out of retirement by posting a short snippet today, but I wanted to share something from my upcoming book before y’all forget who I am. Without me giving away the title or cover reveal yet, I hope this makes sense to you. Trust me, it’ll be soon, very soon. Maybe Probably even this week. In fact, the post is already written.

  No, Sundown on the Beach is not the title of the book. It’s only the title of this post.

  Note: In a previous excerpt from this book, our little boy’s name was Tanner. It’s since been changed to Emmett.

  Set-up: Wade and Sophie have previously met and had a run-in twice in the same day. See the Snippet here for one of those run-ins. We’re into that evening now for this new snippet.

  

   

  Sophie held her son’s hand as they walked along the shoreline. Cool waves lapped at their feet in flip-flops. “I’m sorry you had to see Uncle Clay this way.”

  “He was drunk?”

  “Oh, Emmett. You know more than you should.” She glanced to the right to find Wade watching them. Why had she been so rude to him when he’d tried to help? It wouldn’t have been long before she’d ended up on the ground if Clay had his way. She nearly gave him a knee where it counted. His temper got the best of her brother. That’s what landed him in jail. Temper and booze never mixed well. “Come on, Emmett.” They headed toward Wade. The sun lit up his face, the burning glow reflecting in his sunglasses. He removed them to reveal warm brown eyes.

  “Emmett, why don’t you build a sand castle. We’ll only be a minute.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Mom.”

  She peered at Wade. He stood, and it took a second before she reached for his hand. “Sophie Price-Daniels. This is my son, Emmett.”

  “Nice to officially meet you, ma’am. Emmett.”

  He had a strong grip and incredible smile. His faint leather fragrance mixed with the sea and sand. His cologne smelled like what her husband used to wear. She withdrew the memory.

  “Care to have a seat? Sunset’s closing in on us. Be a shame to miss it.”

  “Sure.” She took a seat beside him in the sand. “Did you find an adventurous spot for lunch or dinner?”

  He glanced at her son playing in the sand then at others in the water. “Nothing special tonight. I saved adventure for another day.”

  They sat in silence. Sophie was at a loss for words—so unlike her. He remained quiet, but she sat close enough to feel the warmth from his body and the dampness of the sand. Out of the corner of her eye, she viewed him sitting with his knees bent and arms resting across them, his fingers loosely entwined. She leaned back on her elbows and stretched out her legs on the warm sand. His gaze went to her legs.

  “How long is your vacation?”

  “More than likely this week.” He turned to her. “How about you?”

  His eyes looked so caring and full of sincerity but kind of sad at the same time. “I’m heading out Saturday. Thanks for getting my money back. I would’ve had to contact my sister to ask for a loan and change my flight. She didn’t want me to come, so I’d have to grovel for years.”

  “I take it your family isn’t close.”

  “Well, my sister and I are, but my brother…” Sophie paused, sighing. “He’s another story.”

  “Every family has one, Sophie.”

  It sounded nice the way her name rolled off a stranger’s lips.

  Emmett stood in front of her blocking the sun. “Mom, can I go get some water for my castle?”

  “Honey, we don’t have a bucket here.”

  The young boy begged, “I’ll hold it in my hands.”

  “You can try, but it’ll all fall out before you get back.” She stood and brushed off her shorts and legs. “Let’s go.”

  Wade got to his feet with great speed. “Here, I have an idea. Mind if I go down there with you?”

  Sophie nodded her approval. “Hold on, Emmett. This is Mr. Emory.”

  “Hey, mister. Come on.” Emmett took off running.

  Wade ran past him, took his shirt off, and doused it in the water. He dove in the waves and came up some yards out, shirt still in hand. “Take your shirt off, Emmett. We’ll squeeze the water out onto your castle. It won’t be much, but a few trips will help.”

  Emmett giggled and removed his shirt without asking. He followed Wade back to the sand castle and they squeezed out their t-shirts. Sophie laughed with them and did her best to ignore the bare-chested stranger dripping beside them.

  ---

  Thanks for reading. I’ll see you all again real soon.

  ---

  My book formatter lives in North Carolina and had been without power for days, but she has survived living through another hurricane. She still doesn’t have internet, so my book is a little more delayed than I’d planned. Her cable company tells her the internet should be back up today. (Saturday)  I’ll send her my manuscript as soon as she lets me know.

  Readers, thanks for your patience.  ❤

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Short Snippet Saturday | 4 Comments | Tagged #AmReading, #AmWriting, Beach, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, mary j mccoy dressel, ocean, Pacific Coast, sand castle, spin off series, Sundown, western romance

• #AmWriting Update and Snippet

  Posted at 4:21 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 17, 2018

  

  What the heck have I been working on since the major revision of Cowboy Boss and his Destiny? Well, folks, for those of you who are interested, I’m back to working on book three in the spin off–Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series–Wade’s story. No, Wade’s story isn’t the title. The title is a whole other deal going on here in my head.

  I have three titles sitting at the top of my manuscript in fancy font looking as pretty as can be, but I can’t select the right one. They’re okay, but they don’t feel like “the one.” The other night I typed a good line… “Hmm, well, now,” I said to myself . “This could be my title.” It’s growing on me.

  By the looks of things, this might be the only book I publish this year. I had a goal of two. Of course, I’m not giving up on the goal yet, but with all the medical stuff going on in my life right now, I’m not sure what lies ahead besides more tests.

  Anyway, for readers of my spin off series, you have met Wade Emory in the first book. He works with Jake Lawton as a foreman and now owns part of Jake’s ranching supply business. However, his luck with women sucks. Isn’t it awful for a romance hero’s love life to suck? In all fairness, he hasn’t been a book hero, but I’ve had so much fun turning him into one. Wade is worthy of being called a romance hero now.

  As a secondary character in Whispers of Forever, Wade began a serious relationship with a woman in the Air Force who lived in Las Vegas, but nope, luck evaded him. In Finding Kimber, his buddy, and best friend, Dane Carlson, set him up with a, well, ahem, let’s move on, and say Wade wasn’t big on dating someone recently out of college who had a drinking problem. In this case, he made sure there wouldn’t be a second date. Oh, and then… Blah, blah,  this is the story of his life.  In his book, he takes a trip, but it isn’t for a vacation. It all boils down to… Will he have to travel four hundred miles from home to meet “the one”? Coming in 2018.

  Here’s a little tidbit from my draft: UPDATE: This book is available!

  

  #3

  

  Wade hurried down the stairway, taking two steps at a time, through the lobby, and out the door. He caught the guy getting into a shuttle bus and yanked him off before he got to the second step. “You’re not going anywhere.” The smell of alcohol filled the air between them. Wade held his arm and dragged Clay back up the stairs without anything more than a missed swing from the drunk, and a few eyes from hotel patrons. Wade pounded on her door, and when she opened it, he shoved the guy inside. “Give the lady her money, or you won’t leave here walking.”

  She shoved Wade in the chest. “What in the hell are you doing?” She clasped her hands together and faced her brother. “Give me my money, Clay. You didn’t even care how me and Tanner got home. Do you think I’ll forget this?” She reached into his pocket for her money. “Get out of my life.”

  Her brother glared back and forth at her and Wade. “You’ll be sorry.”

  “I was sorry when I came to get you out of jail. Oh, if Dad were here, he’d beat you silly.”

  “I can do the job.” Wade shifted his stance and smirked.

  “You? Who are you? No, never mind.” She flipped her hand toward the door. “Would you get out of my room?”

  Wade held his stubborn ground. “Not until he leaves.”

  She glared at her brother. “You heard the man.”

  Wade shoved him toward the door and watched over the balcony railing until he staggered out of the hotel. He peered at her and shook his head, then left for a dinner he didn’t feel like eating.

   

  ---

  “Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” ~Author unknown

  Thanks for sticking around to read. 🙂

  #TuesdayThoughts

  Solitude coaxes magical things from our souls. ~Terri Guillemets

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series | 8 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, Arizona, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, contemporary western romance, first draft, hero, mary j mccoy dressel, Romance, series romance, Snippet, spin off series

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