Blog Posts | Mary J. McCoy-Dressel | Sensual western romance. Heartwarming stories. Strong family ties.

- Time Traveling: Strolling Through Pages
  
  Posted at 10:50 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 28, 2023
  
  The title is somewhat misleading. You know I didn’t time travel in a physical sense. Would you believe I did mentally and emotionally? The weirdest thing happened the other day. I’m calling it unplanned procrastination. Not so weird, huh? On Wednesday, I sat down to write in the afternoon. Out of the blue, I had the urge to go through one of my email folders.
  
  I have more email folders than any normal person needs. The one I’m mentioning today holds personal-to-me “stuff.” This covers, for example, saved reminders I email myself on occasion, among so many other email subjects. My list of “folders” holds a treasure trove of information from: Amazon news, to holiday gifts and shipping, to Writing Research with subfolders from Writing tools to Writing Weather Research, and beyond.
  
  Also, through the years, I’ve saved some messages from readers who have contacted me through my website to tell me they love my books. Their words make me so happy! Even the ones who tell me to write faster. LOL.
  
  Photo by Arshad Sutar on Pexels.com
  
  A Mom Thing
  
  To give you an idea of what else I found: Directions from my oldest son on how to make changes to the Excel sheets he makes for my business. Hey, I don’t know how to work Excel formulas. To avoid having to ask him over and over, I tuck his emails away under this “stuff” folder. Another example: In 2018, I searched for a poem I had written for him back when he graduated high school. A long time ago. I couldn’t find it. He had the original copy and emailed it to me. Now, it’s there with the other stuff and easy to find. There’s so much more, though.
  
  I like using this folder for anything important or special I want to find again.
  
  Anyway, I had over seven hundred—ten to a page—messages all the way back to 2009. Fourteen years of saved messages.
  
  See? Time Traveling.
  
  Some messages were nonsense, so I deleted them. Deletion became my primary goal for going through this folder. See how easy it is to convince ourselves to procrastinate? Am I the only one who does things like this?
  
  Friendship
  
  As I continued through the pages and years, I read special emails from my forever best friend. We’ve time traveled back to 2017 now. Including the email where one of her twin daughters told me she had passed away. This wasn’t an unexpected email. Another message came with funeral arrangements. These messages are far from happy.
  
  It’s a given… When we go back to memories of our previous years, we all have sad times intermingled with happy times. I save her daughter’s messages so I can remember the date of her death. Is it morbid if I want to remember?
  
  Then in the same folder, I found emails from back in the years 2013 and 2009. Email from my long-lost buddy who I’ve known longer than anyone who isn’t a relative. While strolling through the pages of years, I came across one of the first five-star reviews for Howdy, Ma’am from a beautiful Italian woman who loved the series and checked all the Italian language in the three books in the Bull Rider Series. Who could ask for more? Today, she’s a writer turned photographer.
  
  Precious Information
  
  Toward the end of 2016, my son’s fiancée, now my awesome daughter-in-law, sent me photos of her modeling her wedding dress and wanted my opinion on what shoes to wear. To connect this to their wedding, in 2017 in this folder, I came across my California son’s travel itinerary to come to his brother’s official wedding reception, which took place months after the wedding. (Only parents were invited to their small wedding.) Around this same timeframe, I found email messages from our vet who helped get our dog through some rough times.
  
  All Business
  
  Continuing, I came across correspondence with cover models who have given me permission to use their photos, and from models who sold images to me directly. One came from a cover model who asked her photographer if I could use her photo in promotional material for the book where she’s on the cover. The photographer sent me the photo with rights to use it, and to do whatever I wanted with it!
  
  Other emails are from the stock photo company Period Images. One message included our discussion for an exclusive photo shoot with one of their models, Jason Charchan (a Michigander too) for a book cover and promotion. Jason promoted my book with him on the cover when it came out. Now and then, when his post pops up in his Facebook Memories, he’ll post it again. Thanks, Jason! Here are two of the many poses from the shoot. With so many, I had a difficult time choosing the one for the cover. Photo manipulation in the second image is my own:
  
  In 2015, I saved an email from another author who gave me lifetime permission to use any of his quotes in my books. In 2014, I received permission from a song writer and singer to use a song title to one of his songs in one of my books. A younger me would never ask such a thing.
  
  Many more business-related emails remain in there for reference from formatters to cover artists, to editors I’ve hired and fired. They have their own folders too for more pertinent info related to them.
  
  Counting Down
  
  How many can say they saved a Promotional Direct Message on Twitter from former President Barack Obama? Please. No political comments. Please!
  
  Clicking Back to the Heart
  
  Once in this folder, I knew I’d keep going and deleting until I got to the end of the “folder,” but I forgot what I had saved so many years ago. Then, I came to the final two pages: 2010 and 2009. I found a couple messages and a lot of photos sent to me from my husband. I hadn’t seen the photos in years. In fact, I forgot them. They were sent less than a year and a half before he passed away. I must have transferred them to this account from an old email provider and stuck them in there. In the old account, I had saved many, many of our emails because after all…we met through email.
  
  Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.com
  
  All in all, I deleted over three hundred saved messages that were either outdated for me, or something I wouldn’t want others to see, like in the case of… Ah, nope. Leave it to your imagination. 😉
  
  During my journey through new and old email messages, I discovered one can travel through time.
  
  Go ahead. Start your own journey. Thanks for reading!
  
  Maybe you’d like to read this post for more bittersweet memories.
  
  Featured Image: Photo by Sharad Kachhi on Pexels.com
  
  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Heartbreak's Reward, Meet Our Heroines | 16 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bittersweet memories., Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Heartbreak's Reward, mary j mccoy dressel, Of the Cowboy's Own Accord, Pexels images, Romance, Time Traveling: Strolling Through Pages, western romance
- Earth Day 2023
  
  Posted at 12:45 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 22, 2023
  
  Earth Day
  
  First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
  
  The official theme for 2023 is Invest In Our Planet.
  Wikipedia
  
  Simple Things ~~You~~ WE Can Do to Help Protect the Earth
  
  In order to post the infographic, I took a picture of it and uploaded it, so it turned out blurry. Its original format is in PDF. Click the following link to see and download the original at National Ocean Service: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. DISCLAIMER: Information presented on the National Ocean Service website is considered public information and may be distributed or copied, unless specifically noted otherwise. ~National Ocean Service.noaa.gov.
  
  I’ve been watching a lot of PBS shows on Climate Change and another channel I get called WorldChannel.org. I shake my head as I see how damaged Earth has become. Do you think the world can pull together to save our planet? I like to think the small steps I take puts a little dent in this worldwide problem.
  
  Here in my corner of the Midwest I’m finally seeing trees in bloom and plants above the ground. Yet, the weather is up and down with warmer afternoons and below freezing nights. I’m still grateful to wake up breathing each day. Thanks for reading. Enjoy your weekend.
  
  #EarthDayEveryDay
  
  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife | 7 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #EarthDayEveryDay, #WritersLife, Climate Change, Earth Day 2023, Mary J McCoy-Dressel
- Daily Prompt: Hair Dye and Front Row Seats
  
  Posted at 7:10 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 19, 2023
  
  What advice would you give to your teenage self?
  
  This Daily Prompt came out in April if I remember right. I see no rules saying a prompt must be answered on the day it’s posted. I don’t mean to fill my blog with prompts and an occasional Wordless Wednesday, but this way, you know I’m still kicking. I’m writing and putting most of my thought processes there.
  
  Advice to my teenage self
  
  If I knew then what I know now, the first thing I’d say to my teenage self is: You’re ENOUGH.
  
  It took until many, many years into adulthood before I could admit: “I’m enough.” If I had known then what I know now, I’d be a teenage leader instead of a follower. I’d say to her: Be the individual you’re meant to be.
  
  I’d tell my teen self: You’re smarter than you think you are. Sit in the front row in class. Oh, and: stay away from coloring her own hair in middle and high school. You won’t like the orange instead of the pretty blonde color on the box. Leave it to the pros. Wait. There’s more. Never get that perm when you’re fifteen, two days before school pictures. Or EVER.
  
  Middle school, and home life, during those years were the worst years of my life. I wasted a lot of time by taking the wrong direction too many times because I didn’t think enough of myself to stay on the right path.
  
  Another thing I’d tell my teenage self: Fifteen-year-old boys do kiss and tell.
  
  Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com
  
  Parents are right most of the time. I wish I could take back some of the arguments with my mom. In addition, I’d advise: Go easier on our mother. She has her own situations to deal with and doesn’t need a mouthy teen to make it worse. On the flip side, I’d tell my teen self: Continue to protect Mom. It’ll make you stronger too.
  
  The last few things I’d tell a teenage me is: Don’t hide and enable our baby brother’s drinking, at age fifteen and onward, from our parents. Speak up when you’re accused of stealing alcohol from our dad when it was our brother stealing it all along.
  
  You need to hear this as well, teenage self… First take a deep breath. Exhale… Do it again. Again. Now, clear your mind.
  
  I’ve saved this for last. Listen up to save yourself:
  
  Don’t loan our baby brother your car when he comes home on Military leave. I know you have a mind of your own by the time you turn nineteen. You also have a soft spot in your heart for him. So if you do loan it to him, which your stubborn self will, because you hope he’s changed, please don’t throw his six-pack of beer out the window and smash all the bottles when you find him in the wee hour in your wrecked car.
  
  Separating an alcoholic from his beer, can leave lasting memories. And whatever you do, don’t chase his friends away at that moment. You’ll need them. The Army made our little brother stronger… I think you, my young self, can read between the lines. Be smart. Stay strong. Life gets BETTER.
  
  Photo by Tim Samuel on Pexels.com
  
  Talk about taking a deep breath… Prompts do have a way of pulling things from our memories. Don’t they?
  
  No matter what happened in my previous life, I love my baby brother who now is the one who needs help. Years ago he stopped drinking, but a lot of damage had been done to him, both mentally and physically, and to those who love him. Little brother recently entered long-term nursing care. I don’t know if he remembers those days, but he’s good at remembering the past now more than the present. I’ve prayed for him for as long as I can remember, and it’s the only thing I can do for him today.
  
  Thanks for reading the Daily Prompt.
  
  Posted in #AmWriting, #daily-prompt, #WritersLife | 9 Comments | Tagged #WritersLife, Advice to teenage self, Daily Prompt, Daily Prompt: Hair Dye and Front Row Seats, domestic abuse, high school, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, middle school woes
- Wordless Wednesday: Old-timer
  
  Posted at 12:54 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 29, 2023
  
  Gorgeous 1880s safe. I couldn’t resist taking photos when I saw this. For privacy, I covered the name of the owner in the bottom slot.
  
  It now has a glass top and coasters sitting atop it for protection.
  
  Posted in #WritersLife, Wordless Wednesday | 12 Comments | Tagged #WordlessWednesday, 1880s safe, Mary J McCoy-Dressel
- Daily Prompt: Do It Yourself Ambitions
  
  Posted at 4:17 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 28, 2023
  
  Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
  
  I shouldn’t take the time right now to write this, especially when I have an unfinished prompt sitting in my Draft Folder. My blog has been lonely too long. Besides, I miss all of you. So, here goes:
  
  Projects
  
  I could have written a post for a manual labor project of remodeling a room, or rooms, an outside garden project, or installing a generator in a car. I chose something else. My first self-published book Howdy, Ma’am. The book has such a history, it took two blog posts to write the full timeline: Howdy, Ma’am: the Journey Part one and Timeline Part Two, the Journey of Book. It wasn’t my intention, but it reads like a chapter taken from my memoir, if I ever wrote one.
  
  Photo by Amanda George on Pexels.com
  
  Brain Work & Responsibilities
  
  When I say DIY, I mean the mental ~~anguish~~ work of plotting it out, writing the book, editing and revising it on my own. Proofreading and uploading it for publication. Add marketing to the DIY batch.
  
  Let’s not forget we have to find the time for sitting-the-fanny-in-the-chair. Do you have kids and a full time job? Good luck.
  
  Learning
  
  We could count all the studying and research necessary to do the aforementioned as a project too. Albeit, I can’t call the project in its entirety a Do It Yourselfer. If so, I would have formatted it myself, created the book cover, and edited it all myself. Big mistake on all sides – for me. I’m smart enough to know what I can’t do.
  
  Getting Out of Your Own Way
  
  This girl is creative but not talented enough to create a cover or good enough to edit my own book. Many of you do your own covers and formatting. Pat yourselves on the back, my friends. A while back, I had to learn how to format when my formatter retired. I still don’t call myself an expert. Every new book takes me through a multitude of emotions from the joy in finishing it to freaking out about preparing it, publishing it, and whatever happens next. I’ve accepted this will not change.
  
  So, yes, in conclusion, I still say one of the biggest DIY projects I’ve taken on is my dream job of writing and publishing a book.
  
  Dear friends and visitors, can you think of an ambitious DIY project you have taken on?
  
  Thanks for reading!
  
  Mic drop and out. 😎 Peace.
  
  Posted in #AmWriting, #daily-prompt, #WritersLife | 7 Comments | Tagged #daily-prompt, #WritersLife, book publishing, bull rider series, Daily Prompt: Do It Yourself Ambitions, DIY Project, Howdy Ma'am, mary j mccoy dressel
- Reboot – Guarding Generations: A Writing Prompt
  
  Posted at 8:38 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 16, 2023
  
  Hello folks. I’m publishing this previous post from 2012 as a Reboot. It’s Thursday, but I’m not calling it Throwback Thursday. Instead of using “Press This” or “Reblog,” I made a copy of it to start fresh. Besides, all “older” comments are turned off on my blog and the original post. The first title for this post was “The End of the Story.”
  
  This was first written for a word prompt from a site I used to follow called Write on Edge. I don’t think they’re still operating. The site didn’t show up in a search. I’ve updated bits and pieces to bring parts of it up to date, and also because the original had a word count of 400, so I added a few more words this time. At the time of writing this in 2012, I followed a prompt from the info below:
  
  This week is PERSONIFICATION. The dictionary defines personification as “the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.”
  
  Why Reboot This post?
  
  I rediscovered this post when it showed up in my Stats as a click, so a visitor to my site came across it. This brought it to my attention again.
  
  My take on the prompt – Personification:
  
  Here I sit in the cold again. I’ve seen it all – cold, heat, sun, rain, and snow. But I don’t even care. You see, I’m just an old yard pump now. Oh, in my day they depended on me for water. You betcha, I’m that old. After the grandma sold the farm I went with her family to the next house where they used me for my looks. The middle son, “E.H.” and his wife, took care of me after a while because his mother thought I would look nice in his flower bed. She was right, for I looked grand.
  
  E.H. painted me blue. Nice! Years later, he painted me yellow. I beamed like a ray of sunshine all year long. I sat in his flower bed for a lot of years in two different homes. The family reminisced about grandma and the farm house when they sat in lawn chairs, looking at me standing there like a yard guard. Secretly, I did guard them. hehe.
  
  Then came grandsons. Five of them, but after five months and one day, the number dropped to four. Sadness encompassed their family. Later, the four boys went back to playing with my handle; up and down until I thought I’d break.
  
  Boys will be boys.
  
  Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels.com
  
  E.H. tossed small fireworks in my direction at least once a year. Being a hard piece of cast iron, I guess they thought I could take it. Wrong! His wife kept weeds from overtaking me until she disappeared.
  
  After another while, I didn’t see E.H. much. His kids were grown and the grandkids didn’t play with my handle anymore. One day a big black car pulled into his driveway, and I never saw him again. His daughter, Mary… Excuse me, I mean her husband, because he had more strength, pulled me out of the ground, and I landed in her yard right beside the garage as you see below. Often, she’d sit on her deck top step and look at me. She cried sometimes.
  
  A few years later, and without warning, I didn’t see her anymore. Her husband called an ex now, yanked me out of the ground and tipped me over on my side for a long time! One day she appeared again and took me on a long ride. Lo and behold I had my life back in another yard. Mary had a gigantic dog at that house. Whew, I’m glad it wasn’t a male!
  
  Then, some years later, Mary disappeared and something bad must have happened in the house because everything got moved out. No one remained, not even the dog, the little girl, or the man who lived there with Mary. I saw the day they got married and took pictures near me, but… he was really gone. I got shoved in a cold garage on a concrete floor with some of his tools. What would become of me?
  
  Almost a year later she came back for me. Happiness reined! I lived again to guard Mary in a new yard. One of those boys who used to pull my handle lived there, so there I was with another generation. Again, their dog wasn’t a male! Somehow I knew she was a part of E.H., and he was a part of Grandma who started it all.
  
  A final word: “Somewhere along the line, I had a white paint job, so yes, the pump, aka guard, in the photos is yours truly.
  
  2022 UPDATE: Two moves ago when I had no place to keep “the pump” we parted ways. I hope wherever he is, he has forgiven me. MJ
  
  Thanks for taking the time to read. It may look like I haven’t visited your blogs, my friends, but I’ve been reading them without commenting. I hope to get back to commenting on them soon. I’m taking some “me” time and writing or thinking about writing.
  
  Enjoy your weekend.
  
  Posted in #AmWriting, Word Prompt | 12 Comments | Tagged #WritersLife, generations, grandkids, grandma, Guarding Generations, mary j mccoy dressel, memories, parents, personification, yard pump
- Daily Prompt: Canopy Walk
  
  Posted at 4:27 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 26, 2023
  
  Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t visited.
  
  January 26, 2023 Daily Prompt
  
  In a town named Midland, Michigan, there is a place called Dow Gardens with a Canopy Walk and other activities. I’ve visited Midland for breakfast or lunch on my way up north.
  
  One thing I want to do while there is experience the Canopy Walk on the grounds in Whiting Forest. Read more about Whiting Forest at this link.
  
  Guests of all ages and abilities are immersed in the forest on the nation’s longest canopy walk, 1,400 feet long, soaring up to 40 feet above the ground.
  Dow Gardens https://dowgardens.org/forest/
  
  The Canopy Walk is a walk through the forest but this walk is high above the ground. Since I’ve never been there, I can’t describe it to you or give my experience. It’s on my agenda to go next spring. I’m trying to talk my cousin into going with me. We both like to walk, and he likes to drive. Win-win for me. Ha-ha.
  
  Note: The photo above is there for effect and isn’t related to Dow Gardens.
  
  Here’s a video with a great explanation!
  
  Dow Gardens is approximately two hours from where I live, so it’s close enough for a day trip. Apparently, you have to walk over a mile from the parking lot to get to the Canopy Walk, so keep that in mind. Oh, and they’re open year round except for major holidays. They also have an admission fee. With so many other things to do at Dow Gardens in Midland, Michigan, I plan on making a day out of it to see as much as possible like Butterflies in Bloom happening in March and the first part of April.
  
  Photo by Cindy Gustafson on Pexels.com
  
  The video and links above will tell you more than I can, but one day, I’ll have my own story to tell.
  
  Doesn’t Dow Gardens sound like a fun place to visit?
  
  Posted in #AmWriting, #daily-prompt, #WritersLife | 10 Comments | Tagged #WritersLife, Butterflies in Bloom, Canopy Walk, Dow Gardens, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Pure Michigan, walking trails, Whiting Forest
- Writing Prompts at Your Fingertips
  
  Posted at 9:58 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 22, 2022
  
  Bloganuary
  
  Well, in January 2023, Bloganuary begins again. I’m not sure if I’ll participate this year because I have enough writing to keep me busy. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, and doing it again would force my procrastinating mind to not procrastinate (maybe) at least for thirty-one days. I enjoyed reading the other participants posts too.
  
  If you followed my blog posts all of last year, then you know in January I participated in Bloganuary. My post at this link explains it. Or in the search bar, type in Bloganuary and you’ll see my month of posts in 2022. Oh, wait. Oops, I didn’t post throughout the entire month of January because I started late.
  
  Check it out and let me know if you will participate.
  
  Weekly Prompt
  
  You may not know, but WordPress has a weekly prompt. I wanted to participate in the weekly prompt in 2022 but never remembered to look. It’s posted on Facebook. This week’s prompt is Travel. Use Word Prompt with a hashtag to tag your post and on social media. You will need to scroll through the posts to find the prompts or click to view photos. They aren’t hard to find because a photo accompanies the prompt post. They will post other information there too, so it isn’t only prompts. Notice you can share other media besides writing. Here’s what they say:
  
  WordPrompts are designed to help inspire your creativity. We’d love to see what new recipes, photos, blog posts, or stories this week’s word inspires…
  WordPress on Facebook
  
  FYI Update about the above Weekly Prompt. It looks like the Facebook page has replaced the daily prompt with Bloganuary. Maybe they’ll bring the weekly prompt back in February.
  
  Daily Prompt
  
  Recently, I noticed Daily word prompts in the back-end of my blog where we find announcements and news. For example, today’s daily prompt is: “What was the last thing you did for play or fun?” When did daily prompts begin, anyway?
  
  On another topic, WordPress sent out a post about writing and posting newsletters. If you’ve read about it, have you considered checking it out? I asked a couple questions in the comment section and received a reply. I might look into it after the new year. It sounds like it’s a regular blog post with newsletter themes. Subscribers from other platforms can be imported.
  
  DISCLAIMER: I’m mentioning it a lot here, but I’m not affiliated with WordPress or Automattic in any way other than having this dot com website/blog. I wrote this post because if I’m interested in word prompts, maybe you are too. A simple search for writing or word prompts can be found in many other places as well.
  
  Thanks for reading. Stay warm, healthy, and happy! Peace and Love.
  
  Happy Holiday Wishes!
  
  We have a blizzard headed this way. Oh my!
  
  Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com
  
  As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessèd world.
  ~Terri Guillemets via The Quote Garden
  
  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary | 11 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Romance, Word Prompts
- Let’s Get Real
  
  Posted at 5:28 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 15, 2022
  
  It’s hard, sometimes, when nothing’s stopping you, to know what’s stopping you. ~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com
  
  Are you stressed in your rush to meet a goal before the year ends? I haven’t decided if I am or not. Sure, I’m stressed, but it’s not the same stress I experienced the last two years of rushing to get books out before the year ended. It’s not stress of meeting any goals before this year ends. It isn’t illness, though I’ve had my share of doctor appointments in 2022.
  
  This Year it’s Personal Stress
  
  My oldest son learned of a major eye condition. I came close to hopping on a jet bound for California. He’s going through treatment which includes shots in his eye. After the specified number of shots, they’ll determine if he needs more treatment.
  
  A very ill close friend I’ve know for years is having a difficult time with her health and is losing everything she has including her cat because she can no longer care for herself. Giving up her cat at this stage isn’t good for her mental health. Of all times, she needs her cat. She’s devastated.
  
  Another friend and I communicated with one of her family members, as we bounced ideas off of each other to find the best place for our friend to live. Her family member found a place two days ago. She’s moving in today. Through her illness, I’ve learned a lesson about doing a better job of caring for myself so this doesn’t happen to me.
  
  Whoever this new me is, has had a lazy year. It isn’t like I haven’t been writing, but four partially written books later, not one of them is ready to publish. It’s no different with reading books with none finished. The year started out in a new apartment, so for the next ten months, I “waited” to see where I’d be at the end of the year and dreaded making a decision on moving or staying. It’s good to know this is no longer a stressor.
  
  Photo by Ann poan on Pexels.com
  
  Back to the First Paragraph Above
  
  Maybe I am in a rush to see a new year arrive, but can it change me back to me? Since COVID came to my state, I’ve lived as if I’m waiting for something. Know what I mean?
  
  Next, it’s procrastination that has me stressed and the fact I can’t find a way to move on from it. Have you heard of Decision Fatigue? I think I’m experiencing this. Combining this with procrastination seems like a losing battle. Again, this has been common in people since COVID too.
  
  One of my best friends is a psychologist. The other day on the way to the hospital to visit our ill friend, I asked her about Decision Fatigue. She wasn’t familiar with the term. As I described the definition, she said she wasn’t surprised that it exists and was familiar with the symptoms. Have you heard of it?
  
  Here’s some info:
  
  “Decision fatigue is “the idea that after making many decisions, your ability to make more and more decisions over the course of a day becomes worse,” said Dr. MacLean, a psychiatrist. “The more decisions you have to make, the more fatigue you develop and the more difficult it can become.”
  Lisa MacLean, MD via Sara Berg, MS
  Senior News Writer at AMA.
  
  Distraction
  
  For the last half of this year, I’ve turned my TV on earlier and earlier in the day. To my credit, this doesn’t happen every day. This is odd for me, since I’ve never been a Daytime TV watcher since watching soap operas with my mom. It doesn’t help though I’m grateful – but my cable provider gives us the Premium Peacock streaming app as part of the package. Now, it has the Hallmark Channel on the app and free to me. Admittedly, it’s a nice distraction.
  
  It took two years to make the decision on when and where to get my hair cut since my regular person retired. It’s been six months now since the haircut, and I’m procrastinating and questioning where to go this time. It’s a simple haircut! Ekk.
  
  Here’s another article with a quiz:
  
  “Decision fatigue is a new term based on studies finding that the more decisions we make, the worse our judgement gets as we become increasingly worn out from, yes, the very process of decision making.”
  Ellie Hughes via Women’s Health
  
  The article in Women’s Heath was written in 2013, so I guess Decision Fatigue isn’t as new as I thought. I know I’m not the only one going through this. It’s too personal of a question for me to ask, but I wonder if any of you are experiencing anything similar. Maybe it is time to set goals for next year so this doesn’t happen in 2023. Then again, I’ll need to do more than look at a goal list.
  
  Thanks for reading. Many of you are taking a blogging break for the holidays. Wishing all who celebrate a Happy Holiday season.
  
  Don’t forget to take care of you, my friends.
  
  Photo by Ann poan on Pexels.com
  
  Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, new year | 18 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Decision fatigue, Let's Get Real, mary j mccoy dressel
- Whatever it Takes
  
  Posted at 11:55 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 6, 2022
  Hello. Are you all doing well? Having fun. Staying warm?
  
  Here we go: During the summer, I posted this post and this post where I mentioned a new holiday story as a second book to Blue Snow in the Moonlight. I’m no longer in a hurry to get this book out in 2022. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t get it finished and edited in time for the holiday season.
  
  Fork in the Road
  
  So, I will continue writing it with no intention of publishing in 2022. Am I sad? Yes and no. Well, more yes than no. This way, I can give it the time it deserves. It’s the holiday season, so I’ll finish the draft of this book now while the inspiration of the season surrounds me. 🎄🎁⛄❄❄❄🎅🤶🤠 On a positive note, it’s nice revisiting Cullen’s family from book one while writing this, since my hero is his best friend.
  
  Take a Good Look
  
  Blue Snow in the Moonlight sales had stalled in the beginning of the season. Why bother with book two if no one reads book one? On a side note, after tweaking my Amazon ads, sales mildly increased on both holiday books.
  
  I know what experts say about low sales:
  - Take a good look at the book cover. Check.
  - Examine the book description. Check.
  - Get reviews. It has barely any reviews and ratings. The last time I looked on Goodreads, it had a 4.67 rating and on Amazon it has a 4.7. Not bad, but there aren’t many.
  First, I took a course on creating A+ Content for Amazon retail pages. Some of my author friends have created A+ Content on their pages. I saw the A+ Content on your latest book, Jacquie B. Any advice? I’m guessing you used Book Brush. Second, I took my own advice and published it wide to see if new eyes on it will make a difference.
  
  To Date
  - I tweaked my description in hopes of making it clearer to the reader.
  - I talked with my cover designer and mentioned I had a few things to try first, but if nothing changed, I’d want to tweak my cover.
  A day or two later my cover designer sent me a couple of cowboy stock photo images we could use to replace the first one. I chose one to have ready. Well. Well… WELL!
  
  Then this happened when I opened my email:
  
  I almost did a “Which do you like best” poll. The answers might’ve made my decision harder. Truthfully, I was afraid to ask.
  
  I could have uploaded this new cover and book description weeks ago, but I didn’t until yesterday. Again – procrastination came into play. This cowboy fits my hero’s attitude about Christmas, and the cottage is a better fit for Cullen’s rental cottage. Don’t get me wrong. I love my other cover, but maybe I like it more than readers do. A single hero on a cover is appropriate for my genres. I’ve included the revised book description if you want to read it.
  
  Revised Description
  
  He makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
  
  If it was up to Cullen Hollister, he’d hibernate this time of year. But he has a renter in his cottage, cattle to tend to, and kids waiting on Santa Claus. So, instead, he’s in the town square, ready to light up Sugarton in a festive Christmas display. In the crowd of onlookers, a stranger’s smile captures his attention and awakens lost desires. After the hoopla, an acquaintance introduces her, but her heart seems as cold as his.
  
  As his luck goes, a blizzard forces them together in the cottage he loathes. He’s drawn to her and admires her assertiveness, down-to-earth nature, and blue-snow eyes. Cullen discovers a yearning more powerful than stubbornness. If Christmas magic is real, will it show him how to trust again, or is it as fake as his previous marriage?
  
  Elle Palmer-Shaw uses her cousin’s wedding in North Dakota as an escape from sorrowful memories. She meets the handsome green-eyed owner of the cottage, and a simmering attraction grows. Christmas takes on a new meaning while spending time with Cullen and his kids.
  
  His memories of the cottage are painful, yet he makes her an offer she can’t refuse. It’s a simple solution until she’s called back home. She tries to convince Cullen to keep the rental cottage available—to give them a chance when she returns—even after dropping a bombshell about her past. But will he destroy his walls and let her in, or will he continue to exist instead of live and love?
  
  Learn more at Amazon and at this Universal Link.
  
  So, here we are. It can’t hurt to try something new. If nothing changes, I’m giving up. Ha-ha. I’m not a quitter. Let’s say we’ll see what happens.
  
  Off topic, but as of yesterday, I published “wide” the Two-Five Ranch Outlaws series books too. They aren’t available at all the retailers yet. The holiday season is likely slowing down the publishing process. It shouldn’t be long. Whatever it takes, right?
  
  It seems like ages ago already, but I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. Can you believe we’re on a countdown to Christmas now? I’m not ready! Are you?
  
  Apologies for not getting around to your blogs, my friends.
  
  Enjoy your week. Thanks for reading. 💖
  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Blue Snow in the Moonlight | 8 Comments | Tagged #eBooks, #WritersLife, Christmas romance reads, cowboy, Forced Proximity, Holiday romance reads, Kindle eBooks, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance
← Older posts
- This Site is Not Intended for Children Under the Age of 13.
- COPYRIGHT 2007 – 2023 by Mary J. Dressel All Rights Reserved
- Search this Site
  
  Search for:
- Follow Mary J. McCoy-Dressel on WordPress.com
- Click to sign up for Mary’s Newsletter. Powered by MailChimp.
- - Facebook
  - Twitter
  - Link
- THANK YOU READERS!
  
  I appreciate your support.
- Bull Rider #1
  
  #2
  
  #3
  
  #1 Double Dutch Ranch
  
  #2
  
  #3
  
  #4
  
  #5
  
  Single Title
  
  #2
  
  #1 Two-Five Ranch Outlaws
  
  Book #2
  
  Spin Off Series #1
  
  #3
- Top Posts & Pages
  - Welcome Hi, I'm glad you found your way her…
  - Memory Lane: Mark Twain and my Dad
  - Reboot - Guarding Generations: A Writing Prompt
  - Daily Prompt: Hair Dye and Front Row Seats
  - Daily Prompt: Do It Yourself Ambitions
- Follow Mary J. McCoy-Dressel on WordPress.com
- Website Last Updated May 1, 2023
- Terms of Use & UPDATES FOR MAILCHIMP NEWSLETTER Privacy Policy
  
  Terms of Use
  
  Privacy Policy
- © Mary J. Dressel, Author Mary J. McCoy-Dressel and Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books 2007 – 2023. All Rights Reserved.
  
  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and prospective copyright holders, e.g., guest posters, is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mary J. McCoy-Dressel and Mary J. McCoy-Dressel Books and/or the author of guest posts with appropriate and specific direction to the original content with this Site’s URL.
  
  Read additional Terms of Use.
- Follow Blog via Email
  
  Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
  
  Email Address:
- Search this Site
- - Facebook
  - Twitter
  - Link
- Blogroll
  - a) Professional Bull Riders (PBR)
  - Apache Trail
  - Automattic Inc.
  - Bloganuary 2023
  - Chicago Manual of Style
  - Marketing for Romance Writers Blog MFRW
  - Military Working Dogs: Facebook
  - MockupShots
  - Romance Writers of America
  - South Mountail Park Stables
  - Suguaro Lake in Arizona
  - Superstition 1 Arizona State Parks, Lost Dutchman State Park
  - Superstition 2 Superstition Mountain
  - Superstition 3 Apache Junction Public Library
  - Superstition 4 Welcome to the Superstition Wilderness Trails
  - Superstition 5 Superstition Search & Rescue
  - Superstition 6 Hiking Flatiron
  - Superstition Mountain Trail Rides
  - The Writer's Forensic Blog by D.P. Lyle, MD
  - Tonto National Forest, Arizona
  - WordPress.org
- Follow Mary J. McCoy-Dressel on WordPress.com
- Meta
  - Register
  - Log in
  - Entries feed
  - Comments feed
  - WordPress.com
- Mary’s Publishing Imprint
- Follow Mary on BookBub

Click to Subscribe to Mary’s Newsletter. Powered by MailChimp.
© 2007 – 2023 by Mary J. Dressel, Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

© Mary J. Dressel, Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, and Mary J. McCoy-Dressel Books, 2007 – 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mary J. McCoy-Dressel and Mary J. McCoy-Dressel Books with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.