Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

Sensual western romance. Heartwarming stories. Strong family ties.
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
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  • Tag: Book Hooks

    • #MFRWHooks Family Ties

      Posted at 3:43 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 6, 2021

      Hey there! Most of last year didn’t go as planned, so I had to take an unwanted break from Book Hooks and #MFRWauthor 52-Week Blog Challenge. The 52-Week Challenge is monthly this year instead of weekly.

      Guess what? I published a book amid all the chaos life threw at me. My Book Hook today is for my December release—”a later in life or seasoned” romance. Our heroine Judy Carlson is the matriarch of the Double Dutch Ranch. She appears in all the Double Dutch Ranch books and the spin off series books.

      Seasoned with Destiny: A Gift of Love

      Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight #5

      Book Description

      Heartaches, hot flashes, and new beginnings.

      Content with her family and new grandbabies on the way, Judy Carlson is happy—despite day-to-day struggles of running a ranch and memories of sadness they share. Menopausal changes remind her birthdays arrive too doggone soon. On sleepless nights, she longs for a partner to snuggle up beside. She never minds gazing at a strong cowboy, a man with a handsome smile, or with an intellectual touch of silver in his hair. She observes this daily in their seasoned ranch foreman, Selva Rosado. Though she won’t admit to an attraction until an emotional and physical warming encompasses her when he’s around.

      However, after dancing a night away with Dale Connor three years ago, she’d considered settling down again. Then he disappeared on a clandestine trip, only to return with intentions as mysterious as his journey, and trouble from his past. She learns how right her family is to worry and how wrong she is to ignore intuition. Yet she can’t overlook their loyal foreman in the background who waits and watches with his own mysteries.

      Two men vie for her hand. How can a cowgal decide which one will park their boots beside hers at the end of each day? Before making any decisions, she aims to discover all of their secrets.

      Heat Level: Rated “sensual–intimately sweet and personal.”

      Universal Buy Link


      I changed a name in the following to avoid spoilers. Judy’s idea. The name I chose to use for the hero in this excerpt is in capital letters.

      Excerpt

      Tears came to her at the awful sight that met them. She shielded her eyes with her palm. Our lovely ranch may never be the same. Dane drove under the signpost and pulled to the side.

      He faced her. “Sit tight. We’ll take care of this.” A yellow banner saying Sheriff’s Line Do Not Cross had been attached to one side of the signpost when they’d arrived home. The guys got out to take it down. Dane gathered it up and tossed it into the truck bed.

      “Are you ready for this, Mom?” Dane asked, after getting back in. “Stay with us tonight, and you won’t have to deal with the mess. We’ll take care of straightening up inside after authorities had gone through and released it.”

      Judy prepared herself to see more yellow tape on the barn and her once safe home. How would she overcome this? “No, I have to face the demon. Avoiding it won’t make a difference.”

      “Yeah, it will,” Jase said. “Dane, drive to my house so Mom and Brenna can get the baby settled. The three of us will clean up here.”

      Judy clasped JOHN’S hand but kept quiet as Dane turned around and drove the long way toward Jase’s home to prevent her from seeing more. They were right to do so.

      “It’s the best thing to do, Judy,” Brenna said. “I don’t want to see it, either.”

      “I understand, honey.”

      JOHN held her. Instinctively, she leaned into the crook of his arm. She closed her eyes for the duration of the ride.

      At Jase’s, they escorted Brenna, the baby, and Judy inside. Judy had to admit that she liked this idea better. She released JOHN’S hand, got a glass from the cupboard, and filled it with water from the tap. She took a long drink. “You’ll come back to get me when you’re finished?”

      Dane jangled his keys as if impatient. “Of course. It’s easier said than done, but try to relax.”

      “Go get your pistol out of the lock box, Bren.” Jase laid the shotgun down on the coffee table near them. He kissed Brenna and his child farewell. They exited in a flash.

      Clasping her hands at her waist, Judy watched after them until they disappeared out of the driveway. They could’ve lost us. What can be going through their minds?

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      What is Book Hooks? From the Marketing for Romance Writers Website: 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.

      Visit more Book Hooks from participants at this LINK.

      Thank you for stopping by today. Happy New Year!

      I’m at a medical center having a test, so I’ll visit your “Hooks” posts throughout the week.

      Don’t forget to update your website/blog copyright year.

      Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, New Release | 21 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, Book Hooks, Book Hooks Blog Hop, mary j mccoy dressel, New Release eBooks, western romance
    • A Book Title, BINGO, and a Snippet

      Posted at 4:26 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on June 24, 2020

      I missed Book Hooks Wednesday again. The post almost made it, yadda yadda yadda…

      This isn’t the snippet I had written for Book Hooks. Instead, this one stemmed from an upcoming post I trashed about Book Titles, which included Hey, Cowboy. The scene you’re about to read is why the title for Hey, Cowboy, Book two is what it is. However this scene is from Howdy, Ma’am, Book One. The snippet explains.

      In the beginning, I didn’t want either of these titles to be for the books, but in the end, they were the perfect choice. I have no regrets. 💙

       

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books, western romance author, Website Header New Bull Rider Series Covers


       

      Caulder and Velia got to know each other before the season began. She fought the attraction forming between them, but she only fooled herself.

      Set up: Velia did her best to deny what had happened between them the night before, on their first night on the road, no less. She promised herself and him, it would never happen again. We turn the page to the day after: Modified a bit from the original.

      As soon as Caulder came out to practice wearing Wranglers and a shirt with the sleeves cut out, and pumped muscles filling her viewfinder, she almost choked on her own lust. “Focus, dammit!” He strutted around the arena like he owned each grain of sand. He went to every bull and talked to them. When he came nose to nose with one big, ugly critter, she had it in her sights.

      She videotaped him around the horses, patting them on the back, and sliding his hand down their flanks. Like he slid his hand down my flank. “Focus.” She got him on video when he wandered to the other side of the arena. Yes, she got one fine part of him strolling away from her—his tight and toned, nice-looking, feel good ass. She stomped. “Why, dammit, why?” Her camera dangled from the neck strap as she watched him.

      She followed and caught him inside the doorway. “Hey, cowboy?”

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Bull Rider Series new cover, western romance

      He turned toward her with a slow glance over her body, and she was aware of the longing in his eyes. She hurried to him and slid her arms around his neck.

      End of excerpt.

      And that, my friends, is where Hey, Cowboy got its title.

      Thanks for reading. Find more on the Bull Rider Series book page.


      Here’s a cute story about the title for Howdy, Ma’am.

      A while back, a long while back, when this book was new, I sent a gift basket to a reader conference with this book included. Cover models were leading a BINGO game. The card squares had book titles on them. I don’t know which cover model, but I heard from the winner of the basket, that the model had a lot of fun calling my book title for this gift basket. When he drew out HOWDY, MA’AM for a spot on the BINGO cards, he’d repeat the title over and over with his deep voice and drawl. He, and the book, got a lot of attention. It made me glad to have kept the title!

      Enjoy the rest of your week!

      Posted in #AmWriting, Bull Rider Series | 5 Comments | Tagged #WritersLife, A Book Title BINGO and a Snippet, Book Hooks, bull rider series, cowboy, Hey cowboy, Howdy Ma'am, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance
    • #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.


      western romance, Mary j McCoy-Dressel, cowboy, Arizona

      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 Wednesday: Conference Room

      Posted at 12:15 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 18, 2020

      Hi, is it Wednesday again? Ah, it must be time for another Book Hooks post. Today I bring you the first book in the Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight:

      Cowboy Boss and his Destiny

      The grandma he mentions is Tristan’s mom, our ranch matriarch who is featured in book five: Seasoned with Destiny: A Gift of Love. Snippet modified to avoid spoilers.


      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance, website

      Oh, my God. “I can’t talk right now, Destiny. We have to get there.” His child’s pain hit him like a spear to the chest. He wanted to be supportive while she cried, but he needed support. I have to get there. Have to get there. At the emergency room parking lot, he unhooked Destiny and carried her inside.

      “I have to see her. Nora Trinity. Just brought in…”

      “Just a minute, please.” She glanced at Destiny who still cried. “Do you have someone coming for your child?”

      “Yes, but I can’t wait.” He released Destiny to the floor. She held him as tight as she could.

      The lady called back there and told him it’d only be a minute. A doctor came out and glanced at Destiny. Tristan knelt. “Honey, you have to wait here for a minute. Grandma will be here soon, real soon.” He pointed to a chair. “Go sit right there and don’t get out of it. Don’t talk to anybody.”

      “No, Daddy. Don’t leave me.” She clung to him with both arms.

      There was no expression on the doctor’s face whatsoever.

      “Listen to me. Only for a few minutes. I have to go to the back.” He held her face. “This is the time you need to be big.”

      She shook her head erratically, and shouted, “I’m not big.”

      He picked her up and hugged her. “Take me back, please.”

      They went through the doors to a conference room. “I’ll put a chair outside the door for your daughter,” the doctor stated matter-of-factly. He dragged a chair out of the room, pushing it against the wall beside the door while Tristan fell apart inside.

      Tristan lowered her to the chair. He demanded that Destiny stay. “I’ll be right inside. Right here.”

      She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the floor.

      The doctor closed the door behind him but leaned against it for what seemed an eternity. Silence.

      Tristan’s heart shattered. They were in a conference room. Ah, damn, this couldn’t be good.

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      From his experience with women, Tristan Carlson learned that some don’t want a ready-made family, and he and his four-year-old daughter come as a package. Then he falls hard and fast for Nora, but if she isn’t going to give him the trust he needs, their relationship won’t last. Without a warning, darkness falls over the entire Carlson family when a near-repeat of a devastating memory comes back to haunt them, and Tristan fears he and his child will have to suffer all over again.

      When Nora Trinity returns to Canyon Junction, she doesn’t expect to fall for the handsome cowboy she lends a hand to in a parking lot. However, since then, she learns about a past that nearly destroyed him. Now she can lose everything if she can’t find it in her heart to trust he’s a changed man. Then why does he disappear at a time when Nora needs him more than she’s ever needed him before? Has she lost him, anyway?

      Tristan and Nora’s bond is put to the test. They need to be strong enough to overcome issues of trust, family complications, and painful memories. They vow to prevail when circumstances beyond their control attempt to prove them wrong.


      This book has gone through multiple changes since the first edition. In fact, in 2016 I revised the entire book and cut the length by… Hmm, A LOT. That isn’t all. I gave it a new cover. I removed so much for the purpose of adding book numbered 1.5 to make it one complete book and doing away with the original 1.5.


      Thank you for reading. While here, click the image below to visit participating authors in this Marketing for Romance Writers Book Hooks blog hop.

      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.

      Image credit – Father and Daughter: Pixabay – platinumportfolio

      Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks, Double Dutch Ranch Series | 11 Comments | Tagged #MFRWhooks, blog hop, Book Hooks, Cowboy Boss and his Destiny, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance
    • #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.


      FindingKimber_2021_MED

      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


      Book Hooks Blog Hop banner used as featured image on Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books Book Hooks Blog Post

      #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
    • Book Hooks Wednesday: A Seasoned Romance WIP~ Be Careful #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

      Posted at 12:03 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 26, 2020
      Book Hooks Blog Hop banner used as featured image on Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books Book Hooks Blog Post

      We’re into another week of Book Hooks. I nearly mixed this post up with the 52-Week Blog Challenge post.


      Today’s snippet features my ranch matriarch of the Double Dutch Ranch. This is book #5 in the series. Enjoy a snippet from my work in progress (WIP). I’m waiting for this book to come back from the editor any day now.


      What’s an aging cowgal to do when two men stand in line to park their boots beside hers at the end of the day?

      “Love ya, Mom, behave tonight.” Dane, her youngest and a protector of everything, gave one of the smiles he’d used to get his way as a boy. She couldn’t help but return it.

      Selva trailed through the kitchen behind them all, holding up at the door. He met her gaze. “You look nice tonight. Is it Dale Connor who you’re dating? Roxanne’s father?”

      “Yes, but I wouldn’t say dating. He’s been gone. Do you remember him from the wedding a few years back?”

      “Yes ma’am, and for other reasons. Be careful, Judy.”

      Judy tilted her head inquisitively. “Whatever for? Is there something I should know?”

      He put on his hat, opened his mouth as if to speak, but nodded, then left.

      Hmm. What had that been about? Judy eyed his tall frame and muscles a senior personal trainer might die for until he entered the barn ahead of Tristan. She padded over to lock the back door. Sighing, she wrung her hands at her midriff. Her mood lightened upon spotting the flowers on the island. She picked up the mixed spring bouquet, got a vase from the china cabinet on the far wall, and arranged them in water. Tonight, Selva wore the familiar cologne. His beautiful flowers were what she needed to bring a calm over her, but it didn’t last long. Dale’s car rolled into the driveway three years too late.


      Information about the book and the rest of the books in the series, can be found on the Double Dutch Ranch Series page.


      Thank you for reading. Check out the other Book Hooks 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.

      Book Hooks Blog Hop banner used as featured image on Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books Book Hooks Blog Post

      Hey, authors? Do you use Trigger Warnings in your books if you think it’s necessary?

      Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks | 16 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks, contemporary western romance, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, mary j mccoy dressel, Seasoned Romance, senior citizen
    • #MFRWhooks Turning Point

      Posted at 12:15 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 5, 2020

      Two-Five Ranch Outlaws

      Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart

      Contemporary Western Romance

      Hi, there. It’s my first time participating in Book Hooks in a long, long time. Today I’m bringing you a short snippet from Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart, released in early October, 2019. This book is part of the Common Elements Romance Project group of over seventy authors who each wrote our own books with five common elements connecting them–nothing else. My excerpt today uses one of those elements—a scene involving a “lightning storm.”


      A thunderous crash-like rumble startled her, forcing her to hug herself and squeeze her arms. Lightning lit up the landscape, brightening the distant red rocks. The entire stormy dark-clouded sky glowed with streamers of white streaks. She glanced over her shoulder. Had there been a tap? Thunder? No, she hadn’t imagined it. Oh, she jumped at another bright flash.

      She peeked around as she opened the door between their rooms. “Yes?”

      “Did I wake you?” His voice held a softness she’d longed to hear.

      Gulping, she mumbled, “No.”

      “You’re sitting in the dark?”

      “I’m watching the powerful lightning storm. It’s surreal the way it lights up the red rocks.”

      He pushed the door open. Karis gasped. “I’m not dressed.” She rushed to the chair for her jeans, but he grasped her arm, jerking her to a halt. She held her breath. What is this?

      With heavy breaths, he closed his eyes but snapped them open—his grip tightening. “Why, you asked earlier? I can’t stay away from you. I wanted to. Honest I did, but you stood in the barn looking beaten and so damn hot, gorgeous, making me remember things I wanted to forget.” He drew her to him and whispered, “I’m conflicted over us.”

      She placed her hands against his face and peered into his eyes. The lightning storm flashed in a wild rampage outside their window, reminiscent of her heart pounding against her ribs. “To this day, this moment, I regret what happened. The way I allowed it to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Knowing what I had done to you, hurt me too. I hope you can forgive me. At least understand?” Karis lowered her gaze to his lips. She wanted nothing more than to taste them this moment. This moment. Her breath caught with him so close. “I’m sorry.”

      “I know you are.”

      Karis collected a tissue from her purse and went into the bathroom to blow her nose. Tanyon stood at the window when she returned. Why had she left his arms when she needed his embrace? She stepped closer to where he waited. “It’s eerie to stand here and witness this sight. We would’ve missed it all if we’d gotten rooms on the other side of the hotel.”

      “Maybe.” He came to her, holding their hands between them. “I forgive you, but I don’t know if I can trust you. In a few months you’ll be leaving all over again, and then what?”


      Blurb

      Four knife-piercing words in a frantic phone call from her mother, caused Dr. Karis Sutton to leave her cowboy in Northern Arizona to return home. While grief-stricken over a tragic loss, she’d let the man she loved slip away instead of allowing him to console her in a time of need. Now, a year later, and ready to break free from her world of gloom, she drives north to seek a second chance with the moody yet irresistible alpha-owner of the ranch. But she’s forced back to Phoenix to fight to keep two fatherless kids. While doing so, will Tanyon think she’s leaving him again and give up on any chance they might’ve had? She’s pulled in different directions. How will she make it right with so much distance between them all?

      Tanyon Outlaw never thought he’d see her again. Now, she’s returned as part of the summer crew on the Two-Five Ranch. In her sad eyes, he sees straight through to her pained soul while memories of their past love invade each thought. What will it take for his cold heart to grow warm toward her again? Then, when bad things happen on the ranch, it comes in droves. Karis is called back home. A lawsuit looms over his head. Fences are cut to maim or steal his cattle. Someone else has an eye for the woman he longs to love. He’s running out of time. How can he discover why people are out to get him, while figuring out what his heart wants before he loses her forever?

      Once again, Karis and Tanyon have separate, life-changing matters to attend to, so how will they keep it all together and still find a way to capture the love they once shared?

      Rated R by Movie Standards.

      Universal Buy Link.

      Kobo |  Apple |  Nook

      All the Amazons but here a few:

      Amazon  Amazon UK  Amazon AU  Amazon IN


       Thanks for visiting today.

      ⚡ Book Hooks Blog Hop ⚡

      Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. Find other Book Hook Participants at this LINK.

      Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks | 10 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks, Book Hooks #MFRWhooks Turning Point, Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart, Marketing for Romance Writers, mary j mccoy dressel, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws series, western romance
    • Get Hooked Wednesday~ Nothing is the Same ~ #MFRWHooks

      Posted at 7:14 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on May 3, 2017

      Short Snippet from my new Release!

      Well, hello I haven’t done Book Hooks for a long time.

      Join me and the other authors at Marketing For Romance Writers Blog who would like to hook you on their book with only a few lines… Since I have a brand NEW RELEASE, I’m posting more than a few lines from:

       

       

      Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight #4

      Lassoing the Last Dance

       

      She’s too proud to ask him to change his life for her. He’s too stubborn to let her give up.


       

      Set Up: Roxanne recently returned to Canyon Junction. She and her best friend, Nora, are having a discussion before getting out of Nora’s truck. Nora is planning a get-together. Modified from the original.

      “While you’re at it, drop the hint we don’t want Randy there.”

      “No, Roxy, you’re the one who doesn’t want Randy there. We all like him. He’s a nice guy. How soon you forget how you lost your mind the day you met him.”

      It was true, and she’d lose her senses upon seeing him again if she allowed it. His longer ebony hair, those damn eyes. Roxanne chuckled to herself. Upon meeting him, she had visualized his eyes as blue, but they couldn’t be further from blue. How did she make such a mistake—missing those sexy brown, long-lashed orbs? She had been blinded to his handsome face, that’s how. “I admit he’s a nice guy. I never said he wasn’t. You aren’t making it any easier.”

      “I don’t intend to, either. I saw the way you two were with each other, and how content you looked around him.”

      “The past.” Roxanne held Nora’s sleeve, and her eyes misted. “I mean it. The past. Nothing is the same. Please let it go. I’m destined to be alone now.”

      End

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Western romance, series romance

      About

      Savvy horse trainer Randy Drake never loved a woman like he loved Roxanne, but after more than a year of a long-distance relationship, she cut off communication without explanation and broke his heart. Now she’s moved back to Canyon Junction without telling him, proof she’s not interested. But his stubborn heart can’t seem to let go.

      Professional dancer Roxanne Connor has a good reason for not letting Randy know she’s back. An accident nearly destroyed her, and she’s not the same person Randy knew. Avoiding him, she chooses to live in a self-appointed exile, if she can ignore the craving for his touch and the memory of his kisses.

      But secrets in a small town are never truly safe. When Randy learns the reason Roxanne cold-shouldered him, he’s willing to give their love another try, but someone else is determined to keep them apart. Will their rekindled love be strong enough to withstand the obstacles mounting against them, or will the embers that glowed in their past grow cold under the pressure?

      UNIVERSAL Buy Link: books2read.com/u/4N1BlY


      First Amazon Customer Review:

      5.0 out of 5 starsLoved it!!

      By Amazon Customer on May 2, 2017
      Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
      Love this book and all the ones before it!!! Can’t wait for more from you Mary!!!

      Thanks for visiting today. Enjoy your week!

      Remember this is a blog hop so please pop over to the Marketing for Romance Writers blog to read more.

      1.
      Daryl Devore
      2.
      Get Hooked Wednesday~ Nothing is the Same
      3.
      Rebecca’s Lair
      4.
      Iris Blobel
      Posted in #AmWriting, Double Dutch Ranch Series, Excerpt | 12 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, excerpt, Full Length Novel, Lassoing the Last Dance, mary j mccoy dressel, New Release, romance series, Snippet, western romance
    • Book Hooks: ~ Stop by for a Hook!

      Posted at 7:27 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on July 1, 2015

      #MFRWHooks

      Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. My chance to hook you? Today I’m here with another excerpt from my #Western #Romance newest release, Of the Cowboy’s Own Accord. At the bottom of the post you’ll be able to visit other participants in the weekly Meme. Thanks for stopping by.

      Here we go:

      “You are giving me a lot of orders. I’m not one of your soldiers. No one can control my emotions—apparently not even me.” She swiped tears from her cheeks.

      Crying? So, she cried. Of course she didn’t want him to go. He held his hand out for hers, and she entwined their fingers when she took it. “It’ll be okay. We’ll take the next days as they come. Worry about the last day on the last day.”

      “Yes, we will. We’ll take the next nine months of your deployment as they come, too, until you get home. It sounds like a plan to me. Time will go by fast, right?”

      “Of course.” The first night they’d met—the song they’d danced to—the words haunted him. “I want to make love to you tonight good enough to make it last until I get home.”

      <>

      What’s This Book About?

      Sensual Contemporary Western Romance Series

      Army Ranger Dane Carlson never means to fall in love before leaving for another tour of duty, but unexpectedly, he does. While deployed, he finds himself being sent home early to the family ranch to make a heartrending decision. Little does he know he isn’t the only one making decisions. His first priority is to rekindle the flame after losing communication with Gracelyn Clark. The woman who owns his heart and has since the moment their gaze connects. But now, nothing is the same as when they met.

      The first round of news is surprise enough, yet Gracelyn continues to release shocking information detrimental to their future. Can they make it work after so few days together seven months ago? Adjusting to many new things in his life isn’t easy as it is, so to pull himself back to the man he’s become, could be the biggest test of all—in order to protect his own.

      Challenges abound even as Dane and Gracelyn come to terms with the decisions they’ve made. Whatever tomorrow brings, their only choice is acceptance—to take one day at a time and face life as it comes.

      Amazon #1 Best Seller in Contemporary Western Fiction

      Where Do I Buy It?

      Find at AMAZON or your favorite retailer. (More links can be found on the book page.)

      Sign up for my Mailing List to be notified of new releases or important book updates.

      More Blog Posts and excerpts can be found HERE.

      Visit the other BOOK HOOKS participants by Clicking Below or Here:


      1.
      Iris Blobel
      2.
      Mary Mccoy-Dressel – New Release
      3.
      Victoria Adams
      4.
      Kathryn R. Blake
      5.
      Barb Caffrey’s Elfyverse
      Posted in #AmWriting, Of the Cowboy's Own Accord | 7 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, Alpha hero, Arizona, Book Hooks, contemporary western romance, cowboy rancher, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, mary j mccoy dressel, Sensual western romance series, western fiction, western romance
    • If This Wasn’t Love… MFRWHooks Meme Hey, Cowboy, Bk 2

      Posted at 7:45 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on July 16, 2014

      It’s time for #MFRWHooks

      d76e0-logobookhooksYes, I’m here to hook you. It won’t hurt, I promise.

      Hey, Cowboy, Bk #2 (Bull Rider Series)

      I can’t call this a WIP anymore. It will be on the way to the formatter shortly.

      No explanation needed…

      low resolutionBlurb

      Velia and Caulder are back in the compelling and emotional sequel to Howdy, Ma’am.

       In Hey, Cowboy, a break in the season finds Velia Armano and Caulder McCutchen back in Tucson, Arizona. Family, friends, and rowdy cowboys are brought together to share in their joy…and sometimes their pain.

      The last year with Caulder has given her trust and strength like she’s never known. But, her strength is weakened. Enemies harbor a vendetta against her and her family…and anyone who gets in their way.

      Caulder vows to protect Velia, yet little does he know the lengths he’ll have to go— He learns that sometimes a hero has to prove he is one.

      He’d like to give her the world, be the man she needs, but an injury during break threatens his career. How can he give her everything when his future hangs in the balance?

      All they ask for is a peaceful life together—and their happily ever after. Happiness is within reach if their burning love is strong enough to overcome enemies plotting against Velia’s family—and a possible career-ending injury for Caulder.

      Come along and see what happens when the feisty Italian takes a longer ride with the rowdy bull rider.

      You’re always welcome to join my blog via email updates or by using the Follow button. I also have a Mailing list to be notified of new releases and important book updates. Link is in the menu or top right. Have a wonderful day.

      Please visit the link below to visit the other participants. Enjoy.

      d76e0-logobookhooksPowered by Linky Tools

      Click here to view the list of participants.

      Posted in Bull Rider Series, Hey Cowboy Bk 2 | 4 Comments | Tagged #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks, bull rider series, Bull Riding, cowboy, excerpt, mary j mccoy dressel, meme, romance novel, western romance
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