Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance

Tag: Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

• Short Snippet Saturday: On the Run

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

  

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

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

  Re-cover Reveal

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

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

  ---

  First the Blurb

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

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

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

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

  

  Snippet

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

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

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

  “What’s wrong? Where are we going?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Now she’d made Zach suspicious of everything.

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

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

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

  ---

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

  

  Amazon Reader Reviews for Finding Kimber

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

  This lady tells wonderful Cowboy Romance Stories…

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

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

  Enjoy your weekend. Thank you for visiting.

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

• #MFRWhooks Book Hooks: Farewell

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

  

  Book Hooks Wednesday.

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

  ---

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

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

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

  “Daddy?”

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

  “Will Mom come back?”

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

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

  ***

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

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

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

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

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

  ---

  

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

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

  I appreciate your visit. Stay well.

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

  Featured Image at top: Pixabay – 272447

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

• #MFRWhooks Book Hooks: How Would You Feel?

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

  

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

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

  ---

  

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

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

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

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

  “But—”

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

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

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

  ---

  Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off

   

  What can stand in their way this time?

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

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

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

  Thanks for reading.

  Universal Buy Link

  ---

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

  

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

  See you all the next time.

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

• #MFRWhooks: Book Hooks: It’s Not Over

  Posted at 5:29 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 8, 2020

  

  Well, darn. I missed the sign up for Book Hooks again. Looks like I’m on my own this week without my fellow Book Hooks authors, but we can still join them at the Link below.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Spin Off Series

  Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

  This book does cover the holiday season, but it isn’t necessarily a holiday novel and can be read anytime.

  Set up: In this snippet, Jake is having a conversation with his wife, who is leaving him and taking their son to another state with no intentions of returning. She digs at Jake the best way she knows how to take the blame off herself. We’re in Jake’s POV. See my cute doggie on the cover? She lives on this this series:

  

  “Maybe your precious Beth would be satisfied, but I’m not.”

  All right, there it was. What a surprise. Not. “Why do you keep throwing her up to me? She’s been gone from Canyon Junction for thirteen fu…damn years—”

  “The rumors about her never stop—”

  “Maybe because they aren’t rumors. She and I are a part of this town’s past. People like to reminisce. I don’t!” Jake lifted his hands to his head. “My relationship with her happened way before I met you, Paige. You’re the one I married.”

  “Because you had to.”

  “Regardless, you’re the one I married with no regrets—”

  Paige shook her head and stomped away. “I wanted to travel, but then…then Trace came along and before I knew it, I was a tied-down wife and mother.”

  His cheeks puffed out as he held his words in, but not for long. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Yeah, I get it more every time I see you. Maybe you’re fooling yourself. It’ll come out eventually. Let me fix what needs fixing. If you don’t think I’ve done—”

  “You have, and you’ve had a complete turnaround from who you used to be, but…”

  Jake swallowed another gulp of beer, set the half-filled bottle on the counter, and headed toward the living room. Her but didn’t go any further. He picked up his hat from the table and stopped at the exit door. She wasn’t getting off that easy. “But?”

  Her eyes remained fixed on the floor. “I want more. I’ve had enough of ranching.”

  “The ranch used to be all you wanted. That’s why I took it over from my parents and built it up. For us.” He blew out a breath and glanced at the lighted pumpkin in the living room. Jake sighed. “Well, go get your more, but leave my son with me. He never said he wanted more. Have you asked him? He wants to stay with me.” Jake paused to catch his breath. “I’ll pick up Trace after school Friday.” He strutted out and down the steps until he got to his truck. Stopping for a moment, he glanced back. The door slammed. He’d hire a new lawyer. This wasn’t over.

  

  ---

  A few Amazon Reviews:

  Best ending ever!

  This book did not have any boring stretches!!!

   I could not put the book down till I finished reading the whole wonderful story.

   

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  About the Book:

  Second Chance Romance.

  What can stand in their way this time?

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

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

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

  UNIVERSAL BUY LINK: books2read.com/u/3JKo0A

  

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  Visit the other authors in the Book Hooks Blog Hop 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.

  Thanks for your cyber visit this week.

  Stay home. Stay safe.

   

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks | 7 Comments | Tagged #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks: It's Not Over, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Double Dutch Ranch Spin Off Series, 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.

  ---

  

  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

  ---

  

  #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

• #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

• Short Snippet Saturday Oops Redo: Hooked by Sundown

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

  

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

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off

  Hooked by Sundown

  

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

  ---

  Excerpt/ Snippet:

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

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

  “Get in here.”

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

  “Good morning, Mr. Emory—”

  He corrected her, “Wade.”

  “Are you getting ready to leave?”

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

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

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

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

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

  “Yeah, if you come.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  End of excerpt.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off Novel

  HOOKED BY SUNDOWN

  Universal Link:

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

  ---

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

  Enjoy your weekend.

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

• Short Snippet Saturday: Hello?

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

  

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

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

  I’ll change that today.

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

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

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

  Who doesn’t deserve a second chance?

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

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

  Short Snippet:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  End of excerpt.

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

  ---

  Description

  What can stand in their way this time?

  Second Chance Romance

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

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

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

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin off novel.

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

  Thank you for visiting!

   

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

• Meet the Heroine: Secretive Kimber Sinclair

  Posted at 9:07 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on June 15, 2019

  

  Meet the Heroines

  A Mini Blog Series

  Tressa Garnett/Kimber Sinclair

  Finding Kimber #2

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

  A Double Dutch Ranch Spin off Series

  

  Kimber lives with a secret.

  Tressa Garnett’s secret began the night she’d intended on turning in her criminal boyfriend to the cops. She’s college educated and an intelligent woman, but she never saw his betrayal coming.

  Her plan backfired. His succeeded.

  Now, because of him, she has an image behind her eyes she’ll never forget.

  The event that night, took her away from everything and everyone she loved.

  Due to this betrayal, Tressa Garnett changed her identity and her appearance in order to survive and make a new life as Kimber Kay Sinclair.

  Kimber had been employed as a traveling credit union auditor, so she was used to rules. However, her new words to live by are: Tell no one. Trust no one. Follow the rules, follow the rules, follow the damn rules and you’ll survive!

  Swept away from Oregon to a rundown ranch in a small town in Arizona, she’s starting over. The only thing making her life bearable is two horses that remained with the ranch, and the quaint little adobe home on the property.

  Zach Bryson, the ranch foreman hired to help her, and show her the ropes, so to speak, is nothing more than a hot-headed smartass too handsome for his own good…and too nosy for her liking.

  Coming in contact with Zach before her identity change, makes keeping her secrets twice as hard.

  Uncomfortable around him, she watches each step she takes, each word, to prevent from triggering his memory of her. Except for that one time…

  She lives in fear of being found out, but she’s a fighter. Her life depends on her not being a quitter.

  
  

  She’s friendly but careful.

  Tressa loathes living a lie.

  She tries to find Kimber and forces Tressa out of her life.

  Kimber wants to be a mom and have her own family one day.

  She misses her parents and younger sister so badly and sometimes wants to throw her hands up at this new life and return to them.

  Kimber fears anyone she befriends will also become a target if she is found out, so she keeps a tall wall around herself.

  However, soon after, and doing her best to acclimate to this new life, the Carlson family from the Double Dutch Ranch befriend her. Kimber’s leery and untrusting at first though she’s willing to give friendship a try.

  Against her will, she envies their happy family when she is so alone.

  As if she didn’t have enough problems, she finds it hard to resist Zach’s cocky charm. She doesn’t know if she can ever trust a man again–especially when her ruggedly handsome foreman keeps digging for answers. Not to mention, his shoulders are damn strong and desirously comforting.

  Kimber wakes each day with one question. Will this be the day she gets a bullet in her head.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series #2

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off Novel.

  Universal Buy Link

  
  
  

  ---

  Meet our other heroines by clicking this link.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Meet Our Heroines | 2 Comments | Tagged Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Contemporary #western romance series, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off Novel, Finding Kimber, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance, Witness Protection romance

• #AmWriting Short Snippet Saturday: Whispers of Forever~ Probability of Paternity…

  Posted at 3:14 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on November 10, 2018

  

  Hi, Welcome back. If you’re expecting Part 2 this week as I mentioned last week when I posted Part 1, you won’t find it.

  I thought about the post and the rest of the scene all that weekend and decided not to extend the scene here. In fact, I deleted the entire post. For one reason, the scene was taken out of context for those of you who don’t know the story. You missed the beginning when Jake went though accepting the changes about to overtake his and his son’s lives.

  In hindsight, it wasn’t fair to the book. Maybe it gave you the wrong impression about the story, when in fact, it is not about what Paige did. It’s about what happens after Paige did Jake wrong. It’s about a first love coming back into a broken-hearted cowboy, and a little boy’s life. That’s what the story should convey.

  Therefore, the quote I included in the post, should’ve started later:

  When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” ― Alexander Graham Bell

  So this week, I choose to post a different scene from Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas. I hope you don’t hold it against me for not continuing with the scene from last week. If you didn’t catch that post, all the better. LOL.  ❤

   

  ---

  In last week’s Short Snippet Saturday excerpt, Paige had mentioned something awful she had done to ensure Jake would let her take Trace to live out of state. If only she could’ve seen into the future. Well, this is Jake dealing with the aftermath of the last cruel thing she had done… 

  

  Beth’s thoughtfulness lightened his heart, but with a shrug, he stood straight. “I want you to be there.”

  Agreeing, she followed him to where Trace watched TV. “We’ll be in my office for a few minutes if you need anything.”

  “All right, Dad. I like this show. It’s a marathon tonight.”

  “Enjoy it.” In the hallway, he stopped and placed his palms against the wall like he needed to hold it up, when in fact, it held him up. His head lowered toward the floor. He closed his eyes, breathing deep. “I’ve been thinking about this moment all evening. I don’t want to know now.” After a few minutes he continued to the office, closed the door, and took his phone out. “I’m sure this message is notification to check my account, not the actual result over voice mail.”

  Beth took a seat in a leather chair near the window that looked out at the front of the property, and she remained quiet.

  Jake dialed. Listened. He played the message with his eyes closed, one hand against the desk to prop himself up. His body felt numb. Disconnecting the call, he nodded and took a seat at his desk. The strength he depended on most of his life dissipated into the hard wood floor beneath his feet. “Yeah. I have a message in my account.”

  Beth came to him and put her arm around his shoulder. He logged in with his computer password and went to his account, again logging in there too. She placed her other hand on his shoulder and spoke softly. Sweetly. “Do you want me to read it?”

  His heart raced faster with each letter of the password, and by time the account opened, he might have a heart attack or stroke. Each move was forced, because this was all done against his will, or his better judgement. Why had this happened? Had Paige hated him that much? “I have to do this myself, but thanks.”

  “Jake, wait.”

  He peered up at her, motionless, his hands still on the keyboard, his little finger ready to hit enter. His voice was sandpapery hoarse. “What?”

  “What will you do… God, forgive me for saying this, but if the result is the same?” Beth stood behind, hugging him, and she leaned down until her cheek pressed against his head.

  “How can I honestly answer? I love that kid, but to know he isn’t my flesh and blood, I don’t know how I’ll respond. Nothing can make me stop loving him…I hope.” Jake leaned his head back against Beth’s body, and she slid her hand over his shoulder to rest against his chest. Yeah, he was glad she was there. “I don’t want to feel any different, but what if I do? What do I tell him if I’m different toward him? He’s already lost his mother, for God sake.”

  “He’s your son. My mom and dad loved me like their own child. I never felt like they didn’t. Honey, Trace won’t know, because I see how you are with him—I can’t imagine you changing. That boy is in your heart, your soul.”

  “Because for almost ten years he was my child. That’s why I’m…” He hesitated.

  “He is your child. You’ve raised him—have loved him through all the ups and downs…and he loves you.”

  “There’s only one way to find out. Either way, he’s never going to know, Beth.” Jake blew out the breath building up inside his body like a gas ready to explode. He had never been afraid of anything, but he was terrified of this. What if the results turned out the same as her rigged test? He dropped his hands to his knees. What if he did tell Trace? Would he want to find his real father one day? “I don’t know if I can do this. I could lose him.”

  “No one would know except you and I. If you want, I can leave the room so only you know.”

  He grasped her hand. “No. You’re a part of this with me.” How could he ask her to love his son if he wasn’t sure himself that he could? Dammit. He was sure. One hundred percent sure. No matter what, that child was his, and he’d love him until the day he died, flesh and blood or not. Jake hit enter and clicked open the PDF attachment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. He read: “Child, Trace Lawton. Father, Jake Lawton. Are you reading this, Beth?”

  Still standing behind him, she whispered with empathy in her voice, “Yes,” and squeezed his shoulders.

  Jake scrolled to the bottom of the test, and read: “Probability of Paternity…

  ---

  Thanks for reading!

  If you want to know the results along with Jake, you know what to do. This first book in the series is $0.99, and it kicks off the Spin Off — Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series. For new visitors, please know it’s rare for me to write anything with a cliffhanger, but I couldn’t give away the results. 

  A Double Dutch Ranch: Love at First Sight Spin Off Novel.

  

   

  Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’ve had a whole inch and a half of snow already, and this morning was 24 degrees! Bah humbug.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Short Snippet Saturday | 2 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, DNA test, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, First in a series romance, Full Length Novel, mary j mccoy dressel, Short Snippet Saturday, Short Snippet Saturday: Whispers of Forever~ Probability of Paternity, western romance, Whispers of Forever

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