Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance

Sensual western romance. Heartwarming stories. Strong family ties.
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance
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  • Tag: Christmas at Love House

    • On Rebranding Covers for a Book Series

      Posted at 8:37 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 8, 2019

      I’m stealing this Friday spot from my 52-Week Blog Challenge #MFRWauthor spot to write about and introduce you to my new rebranded book covers.

      Now, for today’s post:

      Hey there. I’m dropping in to say in way too many words, that I have rebranded my Bull Rider Series book covers and Boxed Set. My wonderful cover designer did all the work, but I chose my hero and heroine, along with the additional cover images for books two and three.

      Before I get into what I went though, please know, if you’re only switching out covers it’s simple. All you do is upload the covers. Click publish. You’re done. Unless you have a boxed set with images inserted within the book file itself. Then you need to switch covers out in your book file.

      Some Reasons Why I Rebranded:

      • It was time for something new. Howdy, Ma’am, my first indie book, needed an update.
      • Howdy, Ma’am has been around since December 2012. It was the first book where I had control over the cover. Since then, I’ve learned a lot. I’m more in tune to what I want my covers to look like and what I can and can’t do. Since it was my first indie book, it has been revised more than once. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge since publishing Howdy, Ma’am, so hopefully, revisions reflect that.

      Contrary to what some people think, stock photo images CAN be used over and over unless they are purchased exclusively, which I do now when I can.

      What Did I Know in 2012? Nothing Much About Covers.

      Nope, I knew nothing about creating a cover or what I wanted, so I found someone who did. However, I did choose the images and still choose my hero and heroine and some of the additional images for each and every cover.

      About the Original Covers:

      The original couple image for Howdy, Ma’am wasn’t a rare image and has been seen on many other books. My designer gave this series a grittier look to let it stand out both in the before and after look.

      OLD original covers

      The cover for Hey, Cowboy wasn’t a cover you’d see because I chose the images separately. One image on the cover was popular and made its rounds in the western romance genre.

      The image of my couple on the third book was purchased as an exclusive image. However, the model selling the image told me the same image had been purchased once, so somewhere out there, is the same image, but I doubt it has the same background. Per license specifications, I can always use this exclusive image again for another book, and I will. None of that matters now.

      You might recognize my new Caulder as the model for Jase in Heartbreak’s Reward. I knew one day I would have him… Oh, um, ah…oh my. I mean have him on a cover again.  ❤  When it came time to rebrand, his stock photo company was where I headed.

      The Thing About Rebranding with a Different Couple:

      I have the image of couples in my head from the get-go. All of a sudden, after three books, I now had to visualize someone else as my Velia and Caulder. It takes a while, folks. Seriously, as I’ve been going around and deleting the old covers to prevent confusion, my heart twisted a little lot. For years and three books, these characters shared a part of my brain and muse. Regardless, I wanted a change, and the change was good. My new covers work for me!  ❤

       

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

      Book #1

      I sent a picture of the new hero to a close friend and asked her if he could pass as Caulder because she loves Caulder. Not one of the pictures you see here. I purchased six stock photos.

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

      Book #2

      Ha-ha. I thought I might have to go over there to wipe the drool off her mouth after she replied, that yes, he was “definitely Caulder McCutchen.” Then I sent her a picture of them as a couple. She approved!

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

      Book #3

      I hope readers do, too. Everyone has their own opinions, and some of you might like the old better, but this is what I had to do.

      This Could Happen to You:

      Now for my dilemma. What about my boxed set? The old images were in the interior of the manuscript! Oh, no.

      I emailed Draft2Digital (D2D), an aggregator I use to distribute my books to Nook, Apple, and Kobo with a round of back and forth questions and answers about inserting covers internally into a document.

      Now the new problem had been solved. Deep breath. Exhale. Again.

       

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books, western romance author. New covers for boxed set website and retailers.

      3D cover for most retailers.

      “Apple” will only accept a Flat (2D) cover upload.

      *Some authors create one boxed set cover as a 2D with images of the books or one common image on the cover instead of a 3D like my Bull Rider Series cover. See an example at the end of this post. Maybe this is what I’ll do the next time I make a boxed set.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel books, western romance author. Image for website and retailers.

      Boxed Set Cover for Apple.

      All in all, I’m happy with my decision to rebrand this series.

      With another unexpected project out of the way, I’m ready to move forward to brand-new covers for brand-new books.

       

      There is always something new to learn. Learning is the fun part.

       

      Velia and Caulder thank you for viewing their new covers. Yeeha. Let’s ride.


      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance author website page for the series

      Enjoy your day!

      *Here’s one example of a flat or 2D cover with a book cover by one of my favorite western romance authors and my inspiration to finally put pen to paper. Her omnibus includes four books, but this type of cover can be added to all the retailers.


      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance author, example of Linda Lael Miller's Ombibus to add to my blog post about boxed set covers

      Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bull Rider Series | 10 Comments | Tagged #WritersLife, bull rider series, Christmas at Love House, formatting, Hey cowboy, Howdy Ma'am, la vita e bella, mary j mccoy dressel, On Rebranding Covers for a Book Series, Rebranding covers, western romance
    • New Release: Bull Rider Series Boxed Set

      Posted at 10:53 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on July 29, 2018
      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Blog Post New Release Bull Rider Series Boxed Set

      💕 Announcing My Newest Release 💕

      Bull Rider Series Boxed Set

      I’m sorry to say the Boxed Set is unavailable for now. The individual books ARE available.

      When you have an adrenaline-charged bull rider, then mix in a classy, feisty Italian photographer, sparks will fly…and sizzle.

      Caulder McCutchen, our hero in this three-book series to date, hires photographer Velia Armano to follow him on the circuit in a sport that won’t let him go. Come along with them as they chase after the coveted gold buckle.

      Journey with them through romance and passion and danger and excitement. Through the sad times—their worst times. The happy times—their best times. With the last buck off of the season, retirement looms closer, but will Caulder hang up his spurs and accept that chasing gold buckles can’t last forever?

      Amazon

      Universal Buy Link

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books, western romance author. New covers for boxed set website and retailers.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel books, western romance author. Image for website and retailers.

      Boxed Set Cover for Apple.

      Includes Three Full-Length Novels

      Howdy, Ma’am #1

      Six months into Velia Armano’s well-ordered life alone, bull rider Caulder McCutchen saunters in with his howdy, ma’am and flame-blue eyes, offering a job any photographer would find hard to refuse—to travel the circuit with him for a season and photograph a year in his life. On the journey, they discover they both have their own obstacles to overcome. Staying out of each other’s arms is only one of them. When the season ends, who wins the real prize?

      Review: A contemporary western peppered with heart, heat, excitement and drama. Amazon Reviewer

      Hey, Cowboy #2

      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 must go. He learns that sometimes a hero has to prove he is one.

      Review: I recommend reading this in order of the book series. I love Velia using her Italian language in both books. Also Caulder being strong but gentle at the same time. These two show what passion they have not only in each other but in their interest as well. I enjoyed how they brought both families together. I can not wait for the next book in this series. Amazon Reviewer

      Christmas at Love House: A Bittersweet Interlude #3

      Four years later, Velia and Caulder finish up another year of bull riding. They settle into their comfy abode on the McCutchen Ranch in the snowy Allegheny Mountains to celebrate the Christmas season with a houseful of guests. La vita è bella! But why does their happily-ever-after have to come with an expiration date? Without warning, their most chilling nightmare comes true. A misunderstanding, and a startling realization discovered too late—puts their contented little family at risk.

      Review: The plot was well done and the love of his family for the best future. The author captures your imagination and runs with it happily to the end. Amazon Reviewer

      Universal Buy Link


      This boxed set came out of the blue. It had been on my mind for a couple years, but I wasn’t all that serious about it. While waiting on my upcoming new release, which is still with the editor, I figured it had been long enough without a new release. As if I didn’t have enough to do with moving and packing and working on a brand-new book, I couldn’t think of a better time to put together this boxed set.

      Everything else fell in line like lining up my formatter and cover designer and figuring out exactly how to create a boxed set. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds, but here we are. You can find the same thing as above on the Bull Rider Series Page Here, but I wanted to do this announcement up right and the page will remain while this post will eventually get lost in the shuffle. You can read longer blurbs on the Bull Rider Series page with the individual books. 🤠🐂

      UPDATE: Hooked by Sundown has been released.

      Thanks for visiting!

      Cover Design: DusktilDawn Designs

      Posted in Bull Rider Series, New Release | 14 Comments | Tagged Allegheny Mountains, anthology and collection, belt buckles, Book Bundle, Bull Riding, Christmas at Love House, contemporary romance, cowboy, Hey cowboy, holiday, Howdy Ma'am, Log Home, Romance, Rull Rider Series Boxed Set, three-book series, western romance
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