Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance

Tag: #AmWriting

• This or That Thursday #3 #WritersLife

  Posted at 12:34 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 11, 2021

  

  Here we are with February’s first “This or That” post. Please join me.

  

  Back in the day I played video games with my boys and loved it. Here are a few to almost give away my age:

  • Mario and Super Mario Bros.
  • Pac-Man & Ms. Pac-Man
  • Donkey Kong
  • Space Invaders or Asteroids.
  • Remember early Atari Games? Ping pong or Pong?

  Do you have memories of any of these games?

  Oh, boy, I had to look these up to remember. Here’s a link to one site. They weren’t like the video games of today. When married, we played a NASCAR video game. I wrecked my car more than I raced. It wasn’t fun to keep losing. About ten years ago, I played a video game with my youngest son. I haven’t played one since.

  At school, when kids earned free-time, I’d sit with them as they played an age-appropriate computer video game. They made me play sometimes, but I didn’t complain. It gave me a break too! We had small class sizes in this particular job–Special Education. Our students had learning disabilities in reading and math. One sixth grade boy had permission to bring his Sims game. Personally, I had to wonder about that one. It was an earlier version, though.

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  Growing up in an era before video games, I played many board games. To name a few I liked:

  • Sorry
  • Parcheesi
  • Scrabble
  • Chinese Checkers
  • Checkers

  We had the game of Yahtzee, but I never liked it–admittedly, because I never learned how to play. My older brother was nine years older than me, so he never stuck around to play games. That left my younger brother to be my opponent. We were opponents in many ways besides in a game, as we never got along as kids. Now we do. He’s all I have left other than cousins, and my boys, of course.

  It looks like I couldn’t choose a “This” or a “That” and instead chose both. How about you?

  Let us know your favorite.

  Thank you for your visit! Stay safe out there.

  PSA and FYI: New guidelines from the CDC say to wear two masks now. Count me in.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, This or That Thursday | 13 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Asteroids, Atari, board games, Checkers, Donkey Kong, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Parcheesi, Scrabble, Sorry, This or That Thursday, Video games

• #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?

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  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 to. 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.

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  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

• #MFRWauthor Warm and Cozy #WritersLife

  Posted at 12:15 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 22, 2021

  

  Marketing for Romance Writers

  Monthly Blog Challenge: January

  What inventive ways have you found to keep warm?

  

  Well, other than summoning a hot flash on demand, I can’t call my ways of keeping warm inventive. I’m not an outside-in-the-winter-for-fun person, so I’ll write about keeping warm indoors.

  Wearing fingerless gloves while writing in any season is nothing new or inventive (nowadays), but they keep our hands toasty.

  In my last apartment with no basement, drafts made the floors nippy. The heating system never kept the place comfortable when the temperatures plummeted. I used to use a heated throw until it quit heating. On some evenings when the temps dropped to the teens or below zero-degrees, I’d bundle up with a heavy blanket, extra thick socks, and an electric heater to supplement. My old doggie, Kasha, curled up on the blanket at my feet.

  

  However, to keep my dog warm, especially at bedtime, I’d roll out two throw rugs, then fold and drop a thick quilt on the floor to keep her warm. I’d toss a light blanket over her, but before daybreak, she’d be on top of them. Her age and illness kept her from jumping on the bed or sofa, and with a back injury at the time, I couldn’t lift my sixty-five pound fur-baby. In the mornings, after taking her for a quick trip outside, we’d come back in, and while she ate, I’d take my coffee back to bed to cuddle up under blankets. Before long, she’d mosey in for a pat to her head. Satisfied with a little lovin’ from Mama, she’d curl up on her blankets. I’ll forever remember the last winter with her.

  A year or two ago, my new apartment, with a basement and warmer floors, had an issue with the boiler, so we had no heat for over twenty-four hours. Once again, I dragged out an extra blanket to cuddle up for the night. Since I had power, I plugged in my electric heater and stayed warm and cozy until a repairman fixed the boiler.

  What about you? Do you have any inventive suggestions for keeping warm?

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  Drop by the Marketing for Romance Writers Blog Hop to see how PARTICIPATING AUTHORS have used inventive ways to stay warm.

  

  Thanks for reading.

  Socks and dog Featured Image Courtesy: Pixabay 3025332. Kasha image poorly edited and manipulated by yours truly.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge | 14 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, inventive ways to stay warm, mary j mccoy dressel, MFRW monthly blog challenge

• Saturday Morning: Running on an (UN)Even Keel

  Posted at 10:19 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on May 30, 2020

  
  Waving. Good morning to all.

  Update:

  Some of you know I’ve been taking a break to let my eyes rest. I’m happy to say they are showing a bit of improvement. Giving them time away from hours of looking at the computer has helped, but my time at the screen is still limited. I’ve been able to spend a small amount of time each day working on one book while gearing up to format my upcoming book. In a nutshell, I have dry-eyes and macular degeneration, so I won’t take a chance with my eyesight.

  As much as I wanted Judy’s book, the fifth book in the Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight to be released in May, it isn’t going to happen. Book five takes place three years after book four ends.

  By the way, Cowboy Boss and his Destiny, book one in the Double Dutch Ranch Series is $0.99 cents. This is the new and revised edition–shortened A LOT yet combined with what used to be book 1.5. Not a bad deal for a book that begins a series where you’ll get to know the whole family including Judy, the ranch matriarch, who binds them all together. Welcome to the Double Dutch Ranch where no one is a stranger at their table.

  I’m grateful for any change for the better to my eyes and for time I can spend working on my books. However, I won’t push it.

  Thankfully, my Kindle reads to me, so I’m able to enjoy books written by other authors without having to stare at the screen. It’s a pleasant distraction, indeed.

  Thanks for your patience.

  ---

  Safe Space:

  On top of dealing with my eyesight and the pressure and stress on myself for NOT publishing a book, I was forced to enter a grocery store because of items I NEEDED and couldn’t get with my pick up order. That isn’t all. I HAD TO OPEN UP MY SAFE SPACE to maintenance when I developed a leak in my bathtub. I figured it would be a one-time thing, but after four visits, he still couldn’t fix the problem. This also means he had to go into my bedroom closet to access the pipes.

  I told my manager I would be wearing a mask and I hoped he would. Her reply did not make my day when she said it was up to him. Well, thanks, lady! Is that even legal? Prayers worked. He wore a mask and gloves. I thanked him. BUT, the problem isn’t fixed. Next week a plumber has to invade my space. God sure is teaching me patience while encouraging me to trust. I’m tempted to tell them all to forget it and let it drip, but if it gets worse or something breaks, then what?

  As my mom would say, “Things don’t run on an even keel all the time.” Something like that. Well, Mom, you were right!

  We’re all in this together.

  Enjoy your weekend, my friends.

  P.S. I didn’t even mention the fact WordPress is changing its editor on June 1st, so now it’s one more thing I don’t have the time or patience to learn. Even though some of you said the new Block Editor was simple, I don’t agree. I looked at it for five minutes and said screw it. Now, it seems I have no choice. On a positive note, the old editor will still be available, but I rarely use it, instead choosing to go into the dashboard and use the old, old editor. What do I do? Use my limited time on the computer to publish a book or learn something I don’t want to learn? The answer is simple.

  Signing off for now…

  Image credit: Pixabay – habunman
  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife | 12 Comments | Tagged #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, book publishing, Cowboy Boss and his Destiny, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, even keel, eyesight, Gentlemen Cowboys, mary j mccoy dressel, Saturday Morning: Updates - Running on an Even Keel, western romance

• #MFRWhooks Book Hooks: Hard to Refuse

  Posted at 2:15 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 25, 2020

  

  Book Hooks Blog Hop

  ~*~

  Howdy, Ma’am

  Bull Rider Series

  Sparks will fly!

  This snippet is from Chapter Two. The cowboy has a proposition any photographer would find hard to refuse. This is a three book series featuring the same hero and heroine. Readers have asked for another book in this series. It’s possible there will be a fourth book. Note: This is another book that has been through multiple revisions since its publication in 2012. My writing has changed and this book deserved a new chance. I had new covers made for the series too.

  

  Bull Rider Series 1

  “It pays a lot of money. Can you handle a nice income?”

  “I can… But why would I have to leave?” How good was his hearing? She had to ask twice.

  “You need to travel with me. You’re apparently used to traveling.”

  “I have prior engagements to take care of. I’ve already been paid half of my fee for some upcoming shoots. I’d have to take care of things before I do anything.” She twirled some ringlets of hair around her finger. “What are you thinking? I can pick up and ride off with you?”

  “Well, ma’am, it might be kind of nice if you rode off with me. You know what they say about riding off into the sunset?” He snickered. “You have to admit, the sunsets here are pretty nice.” He swept his hair back from his eyes and grinned.

  Humph! Velia rolled her eyes then cleared her throat. She stood.

  “Seriously, the season starts in February. I’d expect you there throughout the season which runs to November.”

  “Almost a year?” Could she have sounded any more shocked? Had she turned into a dimwit?

  He stood beside her and plopped his hat atop his head. “Yep. Nine months, almost a year if you count now.”

  Velia appraised him. Lord, to imagine photographing this man for a year. Her mind whirled, her imagination running wild with anticipation, with, with… She pictured his bulging pectorals sweaty and pumped. “Umm…can I think about it for a few days?”

  “You got time.”

  She tilted her head in question. “How’d you find me? I mean, for the record.”

  “Hey, stopped to get a tire fixed on the way to the Catalina Foothills. Saw your sign. It’s a whim.” He smirked. “Or destiny.”

  

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  About the Book:

  Bull rider Caulder McCutchen has a good chance of winning the converted buckle this year, knowing he has to ride harder, go bigger, or go home. Winning consumes him, but it doesn’t take away the pain from a tremendous loss less than two years ago. He hires a feisty photographer to travel the bull riding circuit with him for a season. A little extra publicity can’t hurt, and she’s easy on the eyes. When he finds himself passionately attracted to her, will this sassy little Italian prove to be just what his claim to fame needs—or a disastrous distraction?

  Velia Armano had the strength to walk away from an abusive husband but that doesn’t mean she’s free of him. She moves from Chicago to Tucson, Arizona and opens her own photography studio. Six months into her well-ordered life alone, a hunky cowboy saunters in with his howdy, ma’am and flame blue eyes, offering a job any photographer would find hard to refuse. She accepts his offer and discovers they both have their own obstacles to overcome. While trying to resist his heated embrace and gentle nature, she hopes to find the right answer before the season ends—to remain in her self-appointed exile, or give in to a happily ever after.

  When the season ends, who wins the real prize?

  

  Amazon Purchase Link

  Universal Link

  Authors, have you written a series featuring the same hero and heroine?

  

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  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. Please join participating authors at this LINK.

  Thank you for visiting!

  #StaySafeStayHome

  Posted in #MFRWhooks, Bull Rider Series, Howdy Ma'am | 17 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks: Hard to Refuse, bull rider series, howdy, Ma'am, mary j mccoy dressel

• #MFRWauthor Money to Spend Freely? Probably Not

  Posted at 10:03 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 20, 2020

  

  Oh, dear me. I missed the sign up for Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge. Again. I’m trying to get away from my computer more often these days so I forgot to go back, proof, and set my post to go out.  The topic this week is:

   

  Week 12: If you won the $10,000 lottery, you’d?

   

  A ten-thousand-dollar win won’t be ten grand by the time taxes come out. Once my uncle won that amount in the Michigan Lottery. If my memory serves me correctly, he shared it with his six kids. My dad told me it turned out to be around seven thousand. To some, $10,000 is nothing. To me, it’s a good chunk I’d take in a heartbeat!

  I rarely ever do anything for myself, so maybe this would be my time. My boys, daughter-in-law, and I talked about a trip out West. This amount would be terrific for a journey without leaving the country. I’d foot the bill whenever I could and try not to think about “watching my pennies” as I’m known to do which comes from a necessity to survive. This trip would be a gift from me to them, and we’d create wonderful memories.

  

  Great! What a dream come true. Now, let’s face reality.

  Above I say “watching my pennies.” Yes, I’m afraid if I won the money, I’d stick it away in the bank and let it sit for a “rainy day.” However, I know how much my brother and his family struggle each day, and I like to think I’d share some of it with them. Even before COVID-19, I’ve been frugal and forced to plan for the future for the sake of having money to fall back on. Seven-thousand would cover nearly a year of rent to keep a roof over my head. I fear if I spent the money foolishly, I’d feel guilty.

  Oh, but I’d love the chance to find out and deal with it when it happened. Don’t you have to buy lottery tickets to win. Ha-ha. I don’t. Maybe it’s time to start?

  How about you? Have you ever thought of what you’d do if you suddenly came into TEN GRAND?

  

  This is a blog hop. I know you know by now. Find the other THREE participants HERE. This 52-Week Blog Challenge seems to be falling by the wayside this year. I bet I’m not the only one who didn’t get signed up in time but still wrote a post.

  Stay safe, my friends. Stay well. Practice Social Distancing.

  #StaySafeStayHome

  Posted in #AmWriting | 10 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #MFRWauthor 52-Week #Blog Challenge, #StaySafeStayHome, #WritersLife, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Money to Spend Freely? Probably Not

• #MFRWauthor 52-Week Blog Challenge: Saving Daylight

  Posted at 12:27 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 13, 2020

  

  I made it this week after all. However, I wrote this post on Wednesday. You won’t find my name on the Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge page though because I’m late posting and missed the sign up time. This week’s topic is:

  Week 11: Keep Daylight Saving Time?

  I guess it comes down to liking more daylight in the morning or evening. Since the question asks, my answer is “I’d rather do away with Daylight Saving Time.” I can’t give a specific reason as to why. Sure, like most others, I like long summer evenings, but we’ve had this change for so long, I don’t remember what a winter evening is like without a time change. My oldest son mentioned to me the other day that he now has time to mountain bike ride after work because it’s still daylight in the mountains. Those who work all day get to see sunsets.

  How about a history lesson? Apparently, Daylight Saving Time isn’t as new as we might think:

  Daylight Saving Time has been used in the U.S. and in many European countries since World War I. At that time, in an effort to conserve fuel needed to produce electric power, Germany and Austria took time by the forelock, and began saving daylight at 11:00 p.m. on April 30, 1916, by advancing the hands of the clock one hour until the following October. Other countries immediately adopted this 1916 action…

  From WebExhibits website: http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/e.html

  The 1960s:

  According to the WebExhibits website, in the early 1960s in the US, time changes were quite inconsistent until a dedicated time-frame had been figured out. One survey by the Committee of Time Uniformity found:

  …on the 35-mile stretch of highway (Route 2) between Moundsville, W.V., and Steubenville, Ohio, every bus driver and his passengers had to endure seven time changes!

  Also from WebExhibits website: http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/e.html

   

  By 1966, some 100 million Americans were observing Daylight Saving Time based on their local laws and customs. Congress decided to step in and end the confusion, and to establish one pattern across the country. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S. Code Section 260a) [see law], signed into Public Law 89-387 on April 12, 1966, by President Lyndon Johnson, created Daylight Saving Time to begin on the last Sunday of April and to end on the last Sunday of October. Any State that wanted to be exempt from Daylight Saving Time could do so by passing a state law.

  http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/e.html

  Here’s a good tidbit of information at this History Channel link. https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-daylight-saving-time

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  This is a blog hop that happens on Friday from Marketing for Romance Writers. Click HERE to visit participating authors.

  

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  Stay safe and well everyone. Four days ago when I wrote, Worldwide Alarm and Anxiety: Coronavirus, Covid-19 had not reached my state. So much has changed since then, and it has reached us, my county, and many surrounding counties. After confirming two cases the first day, overnight, we had a dozen cases with over one hundred more being tested. Last night, our governor ordered all schools be closed for three weeks so far beginning Monday the 16th. Other states are doing the same thing.

  Please be as safe as you can. Think of those whose health is in jeopardy and keep healthy for them. We all have to do our part in helping to stop this Pandemic. How many of us have never heard that word used in our lifetime? After this, I hope we never hear it again. Remember, the percentage of those who survive this is much higher than those who do not.

   

  Featured Image Credit: Pixabay by Syaibatulhamdi

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, 52-week blog challenge | 14 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-Week Blog Challenge: Saving Daylight, blog hop, Daylight Saving Time, History Channel, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, WebExhibits

• #MFRWhooks Broken

  Posted at 1:03 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 4, 2020

  Welcome to another Book Hooks snippet.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love series #2

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin off Novel.

  Finding Kimber.

  No, no. “NO. I love you all!” she shouted out to a closed window. “I’ll miss you…” Tressa scooted over and held her hand up to the dark window. She sobbed in painful gulps. What she saw out the window was like watching a movie play out before her eyes. A movie with a sad, sad ending.

  From here, they’d leave Oregon and go to Boise, Idaho to have her mole removed, change her hair color, and wait for the credentials with her new name of Kimber Kay Sinclair. Then, it’d be onward to Arizona. “It’s time to go,” Melinda said to the driver.

  “No, not yet,” cried Tressa.

  He drove away. She couldn’t remove her eyes from what they left behind. Firetrucks passed them by. Jerry would meet them later. Never in her life had she known he had connections to do such a feat. But being a retiree from law enforcement, he pulled the right strings to set up her death—to protect her and her family—all under the table and for a large fee to some of the connections he’d made throughout his career.

  To the world, Tressa Garnett had died in a revenge killing. Sam would have no reason to search for her now. Jerry had vowed to take care of her from the day he had become her godfather. He had promised to protect her. To keep her safe. And he had. She, on the other hand, would never see her family again and would remain broken for the rest of her life.

  ---

  

  Cattleman 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.

  After her life is threatened, 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?

  Universal Buy Link

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  #MFRWhooks

  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.

  Come along! Check out participating Book Hooks authors at this LINK.

  Posted in #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks | 16 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks, Broken, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Double Dutch Ranch: Love at First Sight, Finding Kimber, Marketing for Romance Writers, mary j mccoy dressel

• #MFRWauthor 52-Week Blog Challenge Week 8: What Are You Reading?!!

  Posted at 12:05 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 21, 2020

  

  Welcome to Week 8 in Friday’s Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge.

  Reading outside your comfort zone—what is it and why?

  As a rule, I stay within a handful of genres—my comfort zone. Reading rules are meant to be broken, though, and I have broken them because I like to believe I’m not small or close-minded or prudish. I believe in “never say never.”

  However, there are areas outside of my reading comfort zone. Like fiction with Injustice and cruelty to humankind or animals, or aliens, or dragons. Oh, I wanted to see if you were paying attention. Sorry! I get enough of it in the news.

  And SOME, I repeat, SOME taboos that publishers say we can’t submit if we want to publish with them–some are out of my comfort zone. Look it up if you don’t know what isn’t allowed in some or many publisher guidelines.

  What you write and like to read is your choice. I admire people who fight for what they want. Thank God, we still have a choice.

  Let’s turn this around. “Why” should we read out of our comfort zone? Can we stay in one little box and never experience what other authors have to offer, or experience different and new to us, stories and genres we might love? To experience emotions that words give us whether uncomfortable or not?

  Can we read and still be a “little” uncomfortable? I think some of us can.

  With so many genres to choose from, we have a choice.

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  We’re blog hopping so that means other authors are responding to this topic too. I’m curious to see if I replied to the topic the way it was intended, or did I get it all wrong. So, I’ll be hopping over. You can find participants with a click of the mouse to this LINK.

   

   

  I’m glad you stopped by today.

  I’m still making my rounds visiting this and Book Hooks blog hop.

  ---

   

  Credit image: Pixabay – Pexels

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, 52-week blog challenge | 8 Comments | Tagged #AmReading, #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #MFRWauthor 52-Week Blog Challenge Week 8: What Are You Reading?!!, 52-week blog challenge, mary j mccoy dressel

• #MFRWhooks One Fool and a Weaker Idiot

  Posted at 12:03 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 19, 2020

  

  Hooked by Sundown is book three in the Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off. Meet Wade and Sophie.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off

  Hooked by Sundown

  

   

  Setting the stage: Wade and his best friend Dane went to rescue Sophie’s brother from a bar fight not long after Sophie had an argument with Wade which her brother also caused.

  ---

  Wade shook his head. “I don’t know. I can’t stand when one fool takes advantage of a weaker idiot. He was incapacitated before he got here.”

  Dane got a bottle of water from his truck. “What will you do with him?”

  You’re an idiot, Emory. “I’ll take him to my place.”

  Sophie grabbed his arms. “No, take him to my house, please. Who knows what’ll happen when he wakes up?”

  Wade gave her a stern glare. “Let go of me.”

  Dane nodded at Sophie. “I’d let go of him if I were you.” She did, and Dane said to Wade, “I’ll follow you back and help you get him inside.” He left for his truck.

  At home, they brought Clay into the house and tossed him on one of the spare beds downstairs. Then someone banged on the door.

  Dane answered it to let Sophie in on his way out. “See ya later.”

  “Thanks, Dane.” Wade narrowed his gaze at Sophie, “Go home. He can sleep it off here.”

  “Why did you get involved?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Go on. I’m going to bed.”

  “I want to stay here with him tonight.”

  “Whatever.” He stepped up one step before she called him.

  “Thank you on behalf of my dad, too.” She rushed toward him and stepped up two steps until she was at his eye level. She draped her arms over his shoulders.

  He continued standing there with his hands at his sides. “Why are you doing this? I know what good-bye means. Let me go to bed.”

  “It was a mistake to tell you what I did tonight. I was distraught.”

  Another mistake like the “my kid” incident? “Of course, it was a mistake. A foolish one. I gotta go to bed. Lock the door before you settle in then put a towel under his head so he isn’t bleeding all over my blanket.” He removed her arms from around him. “You’re welcome to the bed in the other bedroom or the couch.”

  Sophie placed a palm against his chest and clenched his shirt. “I’m sorry. I meant it at the time, before I thought straight, but…I need you.”

  “You’re always sorry after the fact. Think first, Sophie. See me for who I am. This on and off shit has to stop. I expected more from you.” He stepped up two steps but she clenched his shirttail.

  ---

  

  Universal Link:

  About the Book:

  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 Wade steps into their lives. 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.

  ---

  What readers are saying about Hooked by Sundown:

  Readers of romance, especially western romance, will find this a satisfying, well-written tale, and I doubt they’ll stop at one. Amazon Review

   I fell in love with the characters right away. Wade and Sophie make you never want to give up on love. Amazon Review

   I couldn’t put this book down until I finished it. Amazon Review

  ---

  #MFRWhooks

  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.

  Enjoy your weekend. Thanks for reading.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks | 8 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Hooked by Sundown, mary j mccoy dressel, Short Snippet Saturday, western romance

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