Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

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

    • Short Snippet Saturday: A Merry Christmas at Love House

      Posted at 8:42 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 21, 2019

      Hello, blog readers. Our Bull Rider Series snippet today is fitting for the holidays. This series follows the story of one couple through happy times, sad times, horrific times, steamy times, and everything in between. My hero and heroine have been together for seven years now. Join Velia Armano, her bull rider Caulder McCutchen, their families–including Caulder’s cousin *Jase and Aunt Judy from the Double Dutch Ranch series. A bull riding friend, Reece “Foley” Wilson is also in attendance as they sit down to Christmas dinner at Love House—their log home in the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania.

      Christmas at Love House:

      A Bittersweet Interlude, Book #3.

      ALERT: I decided not to avoid some SPOILERS in this heartwarming excerpt. However, I did make a couple changes to keep some surprises for those planning to read the series.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel

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

      Caulder came through the doorway and sauntered to the refrigerator for the ale. He set the bottles on a wooden tray waiting on the island counter and wrapped his arms around Velia. “How you doing, babe? Everything smells delicious. You’ve outdone yourself again.”

      She took a minute away from perfecting the ham presentation, to turn into his embrace. The familiar smell of his cologne lingering with a bit of sweat, was one she’d never tire of. “I had so much help. We’ll be ready as soon as I carry in the ham. Will you gather everyone?”

      “Most are already at the table. These smells are hard to resist, as are you.” He gave her a kiss on the forehead. Caulder lifted the tray with ale and waited at the door for her to walk in together. She set the platter in front of his place at the head of the table. He opened the bottles and handed one to who wanted ale then pulled her chair out, but she held up a finger.

      “I need my camera. I’ll be right back.” She rushed into the office and came back with it. Caulder waited at her chair to the right of him, but she pulled it away from the table. “Come here.” She pressed her hand against his shoulder to stand on the chair. “Okay, take a seat, sweetheart.” Velia peered at their entire family around the large rectangular table that needed two dining leaves added.

      “Mommy, why are you standing on the chair?”

      “Taking a picture. Smile, sweetie. Let’s see that McCutchen charm, Granny Garnet.”

      “Thank you for another beautiful holiday, you sweet girl.” Granny’s glowing smile could’ve warmed the whole room. Velia had grown to love this dear lady.

      Kase cocked his head and gave her one of the biggest, toothiest grins.

      “Up here, everyone.” Perfect. Click. Focus. Click again. “Thank you. I’ll send one to all of you.”

      “But you aren’t in it. Set the timer, so you’ll be in it, too.” Caulder lifted her off the chair.

      Velia set the camera on a shelf, peeked around to the viewfinder to be sure everyone was in the picture, set the timer, and rushed back. At the table, Caulder yanked her onto his lap and splayed his hand over her abdomen. “Say giggles everyone!”

      After the shot, Caulder stood and lifted his glass, first to Velia then slowly peering over the crowd of people at their table. He winked at his grandmother. “Merry Christmas. As Velia would say, buon appetito!”

      Glasses remained high as everyone around the table, repeated, “Buon appetito! Salute.”

      They tapped their glasses together. Even Kase lifted his glass of milk and tapped it against anyone who reciprocated. His outgoing personality caused chills to spread from Velia’s head to her toes. She smiled at Caulder, met him halfway, and their lips touched in a heartfelt kiss.

      Laughter, chatter, giggles, and Christmas carols in the background all mingled and filled the room. Velia observed Foley lean over to give Natale a kiss. The smiles they had for each other echoed love. The same look in Foley’s eyes was what she saw in Caulder’s eyes when he looked at her. Real love had been ignited at Love House during this holiday interlude.

      Velia smiled warmly as she glanced across the table. Granny’s gold tablecloth with silver thread intermingled, captured the reflection of candlelight.

      All of their family together brought an overwhelming peacefulness to her soul, but when she peered at her own son, tears welled. His messy, dark hair went all over the place–in his eyes, inside his collar, and poking out from behind his ears–like his dads. Caulder cut a piece of ham for himself but picked it up, holding it in front of Kase’s mouth. Instead of giving it to their boy, he teased by popping it into his own.

      Kase giggled at his dad, then muttered, “That was mine, papa.”

      Velia picked up her glass of sparkling juice, stood, and gave Caulder a squeeze. With a cheery smile, she surveyed those around the table. “I love each and every one of you so much. I’ll reiterate Caulder’s greetings. Merry, merry Christmas.” Her dad nodded and gave her a wink.

      Pride beamed from his face. “Velia, dear, this seems like a good time to tell you something.” He held his glass of wine toward those at the table. “Your mamma and I have decided to look for a part-time place around here. Maybe a time-share.”

      “We’d love to have you here,” said Aiden, Caulder’s dad. “I’ll put you in touch with a good friend of ours from way back. Tell us when you’re ready.”

      “It won’t be for a while,” Lidia said. “Maybe by the time Caulder retires from bull riding. We’ve talked about this for some time. We’ll go to Italy every couple of years, and of course, visit with our boys and sweet nieces and nephew in California.”

      Velia remained standing, trembling now due to the joy bubbling over inside. What would they do when Dante had children, or even Bobby if he found the right woman who wanted to settle at the winery? Her parents might have to get a couple time-shares. Sitting again, she stroked her throat. “Now, let’s finish dinner. The girls made tiramisu for dessert, and I can tell you it tastes fantastic!” She glimpsed Foley. “I have to agree with something Foley had said last night. ‘This is the best Christmas.’” She caught her breath before continuing. “I’ll miss you all so much when you’re gone.”

      “Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll keep you busy on the road for the next half a year at least before you have to come back to this lonely house.”

      “Honey,” Velia said as she lovingly caressed his arm. “I want everyone here as much as possible, and I have a feeling it will never be lonely at Love House. A Merry Christmas night it is indeed!”

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

      *NOTE: For those unfamiliar, Caulder is a cousin to the Carlson cowboys. However, these series are not connected, but, on occasion, the cousins will crossover or are mentioned in each other’s books. Christmas at Love House is one of the books.

      Thank you for reading! Merry Christmas.

      Wishing you tons of peaceful joy and happiness during the holiday in whichever way you celebrate–Kwanzaa Hanukkah, Christmas and more…

      La vita è bella. Ciao!

      Posted in #AmWriting, Bull Rider Series, Short Snippet Saturday | 7 Comments | Tagged bull rider series, christmas, Christmas at Love House: A Bittersweet Interlude, Fictional family Christmas, Holidays, mary j mccoy dressel, saga, western romance
    • One Week with a Tracker #WritersLife

      Posted at 1:19 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 15, 2019

      Is my title deceiving? Have I been traipsing through the woods with a tracker? Is it a book title for a new book? Neither. It could be a book title one day, I suppose

      However, once I ran through the woods with a county sheriff carrying a rifle, as he tracked… It’s a true story, so I won’t say who the deputy tracked. I will say it was someone close to me, and I hopped in his car to make sure he didn’t shoot said escapee. True story. 😏 Whew, I wish I hadn’t remembered such a moment in my history of life. It will surely have to go into a book.

      Oh, sorry for the flashback. Today I’m talking about a fitness tracker.

      This is my first fitness tracker. How about you? Have you used one?

      My personal goal is to be healthy and get some weight off.

      A friend I walk with has a watch that includes a fitness tracker. She doesn’t know how to set it up, so while walking, we never know how far we go or how many steps we’ve taken. Yours truly is good at reading directions and figuring out tech stuff so I bought myself a Christmas gift.

      Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with this company and receive nothing for mentioning the product. I purchased and use this for my own use. With that out of the way, I bought a *Fitbit Inspire™ wristband tracker. I admit, mine is one of their lowest priced, but I didn’t want to dive into a more expensive model to begin. So far, I’m impressed. This isn’t a review. Nothing more than my take and how I use it. It might be enough information for you to decide to try one of your choice.

      Getting Started:

      Turn it on by using a button on the left side. Once on, text scrolls across the touch screen with a link to get started, which entails setting up an account and downloading an app for a computer, Apple, or Android device. The app is how you see your stats. I do see stats on my touch screen without looking at the app, but the app is more in-depth. Android syncs via Bluetooth. I chose to put an app on my laptop and phone. The app is free. I use the tracker’s free version.

      After a week and two days, I’m happy with what it does, but I have nothing to compare it to.

      The stats are interesting. My main goal is to get up and move—get in steps and movement. These knees and feet rebel after seven thousand steps in ten hours. At least seven thousand per day is my goal, but I strive for more. I have control over the number of hours I can set to be notified to get off my butt and get in those steps.

      12/15/2019-9:46 a.m.

      The fitness goal is ten thousand steps a day. Well, that number is iffy in my world, especially in the winter though I can see them adding up quickly while shopping or walking for exercise on purpose. Which reminds me… This tracker has the ability to determine a strenuous activity versus walking to get steps in and tracks activity longer than ten minutes.

      Average steps to date: 52,661

      There is no way I’d accumulate this many steps without my new tracker to remind me. Yes, it does motivate me in many ways throughout the day almost to the point of obsessiveness. Until the newness wears off, I’m happy to accommodate the need to be obsessive. Each time I check my app, computer, or touch screen, I look for my step total, amount of water consumed, how many steps I need to make my hourly quota, calories burned, and miles. I pay less attention to calories burned and activity, but I do think more about choosing the right food throughout the day to get back on my healthy eating plan.

      I’m reminded to get up to walk two hundred and fifty steps in an hour for at least ten hours of the day. I add more. My tracker reminds me to “feed it steps” ten minutes before the hour is up. Often though, I’m involved in my story, setting, or research and characters. An hour goes by quickly while writing, so there are times I need to jump up to do two hundred and fifty steps. Steps add up when you’re walking outside with a place to go or just to walk for exercise like I do when it isn’t sixteen degrees with a single digit wind chill.

      Another interesting statistic is how much sleep I don’t get. I knew I didn’t get enough, but after looking at the stats, I see why I’m tired all the time. There are awake moments, which I am aware of through the night, and there are restless times tracked I’m not aware of.

      I read that there is a setting to include naps in sleep tracking. I haven’t found the setting, but naps are rare, anyway. However, I believe the tracker got confused when I fell asleep watching TV at nine o’clock because it showed I went to bed at that time. Don’t I wish I went to bed at nine o’clock, I say rhetorically. If I did, I’d be up at two. No thanks.

      Average sleep for the first week: 6 hours 2 minutes and includes sleep, restlessness, and waking up during sleeping hours.

      Another stat I measure is water intake. Sixty-four ounces is recommended, but it’s too much for me or I’ll be up all night doing you know what, so I set my goal to forty-eight ounces and get it in before it’s too late.

      Weekly miles as of this morning: 17.4. The farthest was 3.31 miles in one day.

      Also, if you have time, and you’re the person who enjoys imputing the food you eat daily, there is also a place in the app to track food and input weight. I don’t. You do have to identify your weight in your account.

      This tracker knows the difference between activity and steps. For example, if I am doing exercises or riding a stationary bike for more than ten minutes at a time, it records it as an activity.

      Mine doesn’t monitor heart rate. I haven’t checked to see if a monitor is available for purchase.

      My average stats won’t seem like much of an accomplishment to an active person who gets out to the gym or walks and runs on a regular basis.

      However, for me, these numbers are fantastic because I sit at my computer many hours during the day forgetting to get up and move around. In the evening, to relax, I’m sitting again (or falling asleep) with TV or a book for a few hours before I go to bed.

      HEED THE WARNINGS:

      DISCLAIMER: Important Warnings come with the fitness tracker for those with heart issues, so be sure to read and heed the details.

      Of course, like anything else, instructions say to talk to your doctor before using. My doctor tells me I need to exercise. She told me thirty minutes of walking everyday, will lower my blood pressure. Eating right doesn’t hurt, either. Check with your own doctor for the best advice for you. I take that as her approval. Maybe I mentioned this before, but it’s worth mentioning again. Sometimes in life, we hear or read something that acts as a trigger word or inspiration acting as a wake-up call. Mine was when after a conversation with my doctor, she said:

      The best gift you can give your kids is to be healthy.

      Thanks for reading.

      It’s 12:02 p.m. now and since beginning the post this morning, I now have 3,139 steps equaling 1.25 miles.

      *“Fitbit Inspire is a registered trademark or trademark of Fitbit, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries.”

      The only images here related to this tracker is the box with the black Fitbit Inspire™ wristband tracker, which is what I purchased and the snip of “Step stats for Today.” Other image credits goes to Pixabay.

      Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife | 18 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, christmas, exercise, fitness tracker, healthy, mary j mccoy dressel, One Week with a Tracker, wristband tracker
    • Short Snippet Saturday: Book #3- Bull Riding on the Ranch

      Posted at 8:01 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on June 22, 2019
      long stem red rose laying on sheet music, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Western Romance, Blog Post Short Snippet Saturday

      Christmas at Love House:

      A Bittersweet Interlude #3

      2 test Untitled (1)

      This month on my website and blog, I’m sharing a short snippet from the third book in the series.  These are the new covers for anyone who hasn’t seen them yet. I love the font my designer used for the titles.

      Snippet Set Up: Reece (Foley) Wilson was the youngest bull rider on Caulder McCutchen’s team. He appears in each book in the series. Caulder has taken the kid under his wing. Now it’s Christmas and four years after the second book, and Foley is spending the holiday at Caulder’s family ranch in the Snowy Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania. The guys decided to do a practice bull ride.

      Caulder and Velia have many family members visiting at Love House for Christmas. They never expected a new love to bloom between two of their guests. Velia’s three younger cousins, Torre, Natale, and Alba are in this scene. Natale recently turned eighteen.

      If you haven’t met Velia and Caulder by now, how come? Haha, teasing!

      Available at Amazon.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel

      Let’s ride!


      “Both you girls, step back,” said Caulder. “Pictures later. You don’t just come up here to take pictures. Did you ever see a bull bucking in the chute for crying out loud? A horn could take you out in a minute. Ask Velia all about it.”

      Alba made a face and wrinkled her nose at Caulder. “Okay, bossy.”

      Teenagers! He’d give her bossy later. Aiden stood beside Caulder when Foley eased down on the bull. He held tight to Foley’s vest. Torre came over to act as the front safety guy, ready to hold him back if the bull bucked in the chute while Foley rosined his rope.

      “Come on, Foley,” said Caulder. “Like you told me on my last ride of the season, ‘you can do this.’”

      “Got it.” Getting the bull rope rosined up, he tightened, wrapped, and secured it in his hand. “This feels damn good to be on a bull again with all y’all around.” Once the rope was how he wanted it, he glanced at Natale then nodded to the gate man. “Go!”

      Caulder stepped back when the bull bucked out the gate. “Looking good!” This was like old times when Foley had been his teammate, but either way, he held his breath and said a silent prayer. “Come on, hold on, Foley. Hold on to that rage…”

      The eight second buzzer rang. He loosened the rope on his hand. The crazy bull gave one last buck. Foley got hung up. He ended up running, or more like being dragged alongside the bull. Natale screamed from the sidelines. One of Aiden’s ranch hands followed with the horse and Jase rode another one.

      Foley got his hand free on his own and fell back on his ass. Sitting in the sand, he removed his helmet, got up slowly, and slapped his chest with pride. A flashing smile lit his face as he held his helmet above his head. The first thing he did was seek out Natale.

      “Yeah, baby, you did it!” She jumped up and down at the chute shoving her fists into the air.

      western romance, Mary J McCoy-Dressel

      Baby? Caulder glanced back and forth from Foley to Velia’s cousin. Their gaze stayed connected until Foley came out of the ring. She took two steps down at a time and ran to him the second her foot hit the ground. Caulder shook his head but cheered to himself. Those two reminded him of him and Velia back some years ago when this had all been new to her. Like Velia, Natale had it bad for a cowboy.

      He went down the steps and to where they stood to break them up. “All right, all right, let me in here you two. Damn, Foley that was a good ride.” Caulder embraced them both and when he parted, he took both of their shoulders to bring them back together. “Carry on.” He winked at Natale and mussed up Foley’s hair like he was a kid.

      Christmas at Love House: A Bittersweet Interlude #3.

      Read a sample.


      Thanks for stopping by today!

      Here’s a short video showing how to wrap the tail of the bull rope in your hand. Remember, the bull is not standing there waiting for you to take care of business. One of your buddies is standing on the gate pulling the end of your rope tight between wraps. Sometimes, if the rider takes too much time, a judge sets a timer for, I think, sixty-seconds. If you don’t make it out of the chute, you forfeit the ride and points if you would’ve ridden the bull for eight-seconds. Haha, this excites me so much, I could talk about it forever!

      Images: Dreamstime.com

      Posted in #AmWriting, Christmas at Love House, Short Snippet Saturday | 2 Comments | Tagged Allegheny Mountains, Bull ride, bull rider, bull rider series, bull rider series boxed set, christmas, Christmas at Love House: A Bittersweet Interlude, cowboy, Family Christmas, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Steamy romance, western romance
    • #AmWriting Bring on the Holiday (Food) #MFRWauthor

      Posted at 10:39 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 1, 2018

      Favorite Holiday Food

      I almost didn’t participate this week, but since I did, we’re back with another Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge post for Week 48. I was too late signing up with Linky, but I managed to get this posted! 

      Hmm. A favorite holiday food. This isn’t easy when I’ve had a lifetime of cooking holiday meals, so on that note, I put this question to both of my boys. They each came up with a list of cookies. Yay, for Mom. They loved my cookies and remember them!

      However, my oldest son, Chris, mentioned the breakfast bake casserole I used to make on Christmas Eve and would stick it in the oven Christmas morning. The idea that he had memories of me doing this, warmed my heart. Multiple Breakfast Bake recipes can be found on the Web. I use bread cubes instead of hash browns and ham instead of the sausage you’ll find in many recipes. A prepared casserole comes in handy on a busy morning.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance, Blog Post Favorite Holiday Food

      Pixabay Image: TerriC

      Since both of my boys chose Church Windows as one of their favorites, that’s the recipe I’ll include here today. You can find clearer directions and variations of the recipe online because my recipe is basically a list of the ingredients with a brief set of instructions. I love the combination of chocolate and marshmallows together. Coconut is an added treat for me. If you don’t like the ingredients, you won’t like this recipe.

      Without specific amounts for walnuts and coconut, I know this recipe won’t help much. I wing it. The ingredients I use for Church, or sometimes called Cathedral, window cookies are:

      • A bag of colored mini-marshmallows. I can never find these if I wait too long in the season.
      • 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips
      • Walnuts
      • Coconut
      1. My recipe says to melt six ounces of chocolate chips at a time, but I don’t remember if I have melted them in two batches. I use a microwave.
      2. When melted, add nuts and marshmallows.
      3. Spread coconut on waxed paper.
      4. Pour chocolate, marshmallow, and nut mixture over coconut. Now use the wax paper to help roll the mixture into a roll.
      5. Set in the refrigerator until cool. This will take an hour or more. Longer is better.
      6. When the roll has hardened, remove it from the fridge and slice.
      7. Enjoy. This recipe is doubly sweet as you can imagine.

      Here’s a Church Window recipe from CD Kitchen® where you can see a picture of how cute they look. (They call them Cathedral Windows.) I’ve also heard them called Stained-Glass Window cookies. Sorry for not including the recipe or image, but due to their copyright notices and sharing policy on their site, I will direct you to visit their page. It sure is hard to find a stock photo with a church window cookie image.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance, blog post favorite holiday food, Deposit Photo image licensed by meIn all fairness, I should say my favorite holiday cookies are thumbprint cookies Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance, blog post favorite holiday food, deposit photo image license purchased by mewhere I stick a Hershey Kiss in the middle of a delicious cookie rolled in nuts, and another is a modified recipe from my first husband’s mother called—apricot horns–similar to the picture here.

      One of my favorite “Christmas” holiday foods to make for a sit-down meal, is a spiral ham and scalloped potatoes as the two main dinner choices. If I’m having more of a buffet, I still like the spiral ham for sandwiches combined with other typical buffet items. These days I don’t eat red meat, so I might have to roast a turkey breast, too.


      I’ve gone on long enough. Do you have a favorite holiday food? Come on. I bet you do.  🙂

      Please visit the other authors in this Blog Hop at Marketing for Romance Writers. Remember, you don’t have to be a romance lover to see what others are up to and maybe find some new recipes.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books, 52 Week Blog Challenge Blog Post Week 24 Don't Take it Away,

      The cookie images licenses have been purchased by me via Depositphotos. Others were found on Pixabay.

      Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, 52-week blog challenge | 10 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge, apricot horns, blog hop, Breakfast Bake Casserole, Bring on the Holiday (Food), Buffet Dinner, cathedral window cookies, christmas, church window cookies, Favorite Holiday Food, Marketing for Romance Writers, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, thumbprint cookies, western romance
    • Short Snippet Saturday:

      Posted at 2:41 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on November 11, 2017

      I am posting a Short Snippet Saturday post on the actual day this time. Hehe. This excerpt, not snippet, comes from Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas. This is book one. Finding Kimber is book two. I thought it was fitting to post from a holiday themed book since it’s getting closer to Christmas each day.

      This is one of my favorite books. Oh, darn, who am I fooling? I say the same thing about all of them. Really, though, this one is about first love and second chances. It’s close to my heart.

      Before this scene happens, Beth, Jake’s first love in high school, recently moved back to town. Is it the perfect time, or has too many years apart put an end to what should’ve been years ago? 


      Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series: #1

      Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

      The excerpt speaks for itself: 

      “Santa will be coming before you know it, and you’ll be here with your dad over break,” said Paige.

      What the hell? Why had she said that? Christmas was a freaking two months away. Jake shot her a condescending glare.

      “Will you be here for Christmas, Mom?”

      Paige glanced at Jake, and then answered, “Not me, but you have your father, your horses, and of course, Kasha. That’s enough to keep you busy. I’ll send a big Christmas present for you, though, so you’ll have one from me, too.” At the mention of her name, Kasha got up and moseyed over, shoving her nose beneath Paige’s hand resting on her lap, forcing a pat. “That’a girl. You’re a good dog.”

      Trace stared off at the pepper grinder in the center of the table, a frown on his forehead—a probable awakening—guessing she’d be gone for a long time.

      Yeah, Christmas present all right. A baby half-brother or sister. Now he wanted to punch something or gag. The longer she sat there in the kitchen they used to share as a couple, the more pissed off he became. In fact, he had to leave. He slid his chair out. “I forgot to take care of a chore in the barn. I need to double check on an order, too. You two finish dinner. There’s some cherry-chocolate ice cream in the fridge for dessert.” Jake mussed T.J.’s hair and winked at his kid. “Finish dinner. I’ll be in soon.” He left out the door in a calm manner.

      Dammit. Why’d he offer her to come to dinner? With a palliative breath, he knew why. He checked his phone. No messages. Since he hadn’t had anything to check in the barns, he turned on the conveyor and sent hay bales to the loft, then went up there to stack them. Jake believed the chance for her to come back for Trace was slim, and in fact, he expected her to cut ties with her old life. Maybe it was his gut telling him that.

      An hour and a half later, he entered the back door. Paige and Trace were in the living room, and someone plugged in the lighted pumpkin. Without a Halloween display like the one Paige had at her place, this one looked bare over on the square table near the bay window.

      “What’s going on?” he asked as he entered the living room with a beer. “Nice pumpkin.”

      “I like it, Dad. I plugged it in. We’re looking at pictures. Come see them!” He held up a picture and shoved it into Jake’s hand. “This is Austin’s plane.”

      Yeah, great. “Hmm, not that small.” He turned it over and read “Piper PA32 Small Aircraft.” Screw it. He handed it back to Trace. “Nice.” In reality, he was about to vomit. The guy had a freaking Piper PA32. That wasn’t cheap.

      Paige stood. “Well, it’s time I go. Our flight is scheduled to leave in a couple hours. Trace, come give Mom a hug, honey. I’m going to miss you.” She bent to hug him. Over Trace’s shoulder, she lifted her eyes to Jake.

      A lump stuck in his throat. This was it. He turned her over to another man like a father at a wedding. She was leaving them. The tear-filled look in her eyes was one he’d never forget.

      Trace cried when they parted. “Mommy…”

      “Shh,” she said, placing her finger over his lips. “I know you’re sad. I’ll call you later, big guy.” She hugged him again. “Don’t ever forget I love you, sweetheart.” Again she peered up at Jake who glanced away.

      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.


      Thanks for reading.

      Image credits: Pixabay. Little boy: © Michael Klenetsky | Dreamstime.com. Graphics created by me.

      Posted in #AmWriting, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Short Snippet Saturday | 6 Comments | Tagged christmas, cowboy, first love, full-length novel, Halloween, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Romance, Second Chances, series romance, Short Snippet Saturday, Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas
    • #NewRelease: Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel #MFRWauthor #AmWriting

      Posted at 1:10 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on November 18, 2016

      NEW RELEASE

      Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series #1

      Second Chance Romance.

      What can stand in their way this time?

      Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas

      New Release, Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, western romance, small town romance, first love. second chances

      Amazon  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  Amazon CA  | Amazon IN 

      Nook  |  Kobo  |  Apple

      Blurb

      A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off Novel.

      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 at Christmastime, a young boy and two lonely hearts pursue a second chance.


      Author Note: Canyon Junction is the fictional small town where our cowboys from the Double Dutch Ranch series live. In this new series you’ll meet friends, acquaintances, other people who reside in Canyon Junction, and anyone else who may amble into town.


      Arizona, Goodreads, Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books, western romance

      Remember how important reviews and word of mouth are to authors.


      Up Next

      • Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight, Bk #4 – Lassoing the Last Dance
        Early 2017
      • Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Bk #2 – Finding Kimber
        2017.

      Mailing List Sign Up to be notified of new releases and important book updates.


      Thank you for stopping by today! Have a rocking weekend.

       
      • Exclusive image- Models: Ben and Gezzilyn from Period Images
      • Cover Design by DusktilDawn Designs
      • Background Dreamstime
      Yes, that is my dog on the cover.
      Posted in #AmWriting, New Release | 12 Comments | Tagged Alpha hero, Arizona, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, christmas, Contemporary fiction, cowboy, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, first love, holiday, mary j mccoy dressel, Second Chances, series romance, western romance, Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas
    • Greeting Card Overload Equals A Lifetime Of Memories

      Posted at 12:02 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on September 7, 2015

      Earlier, I had posted a blog about writing love letters. It reminded me of the greeting cards I’ve saved throughout the years. If I had love letters, trust me, they’d be saved.

      As I began cleaning out ‘stuff’ to move, I came across a box with greeting cards I’ve saved over the years. I compiled them all into a box, and wrote a note on the outside to my sons who will one day have to go through that box. (*Maybe) The cards represent the many people who have loved, or cared for me, for one reason or another.

      They go back as far as my early adult years—starting with wedding congratulations, high school graduation cards, and college graduation cards. (I graduated as an adult with children.)

      Also included are “welcome new baby cards,” homemade/purchased birthday cards, and wedding anniversary cards. Oh, of course I have a multitude of ❤ Valentine’s Day ❤ cards. I have many from my best friend—who is still my best friend. I have funny, sad, and photo cards. Of course, you can’t live a life without sympathy cards involved, too.

      This isn’t to say I’ve saved every single card I’ve ever received.

      One in particular stands out. A handmade card that came straight from someone I knew in prison. The card is absolutely gorgeous, and was created by an artist who made cards for inmates—an inmate himself.

      My goal has always been to make a large collage out of those cards that show me as a wife—an ex-wife once and a widow another time. Therefore, I have step-mom cards from my second marriage. Cards that show me as a mom, aunt, niece, sister, friend, teacher. Many are from people who have passed away.

      I told my youngest son if I made them into a collage, he could show it at my funeral instead of making a photo board. Of course, if they do make a photo board, I’d instruct them to add all my book covers. 🙂 That’s a big part of my life so I believe it would be necessary. Do you agree?

      Everyone can look at my sexy cowboys and maybe not be sad because I died. I might be off to cowboy Heaven for all I know.

      This collage is a visual in my head. It might be on a big poster board, or maybe something sturdier. I’d cut out the reason for the card, be it mom, wife, etc. Then, I’d cut out who the card was from and add it beside the title of the card. I’ve loved creating photo collages for a long time, so this would be easy and fun. After the collage was finished, it could be laminated so it’d last. Depending on how it was made, it could even go into a frame. I know there are sites online where you can do Scrapbooking. Maybe I could also do a collage online instead. It isn’t like I have time to scan all those cards, though.

      Why bother? The collage would be more important to me than anyone else, so after I was gone, they could trash it along with the funeral flowers if they chose.

      file000695143241My youngest son and his girlfriend recently helped me get my storage tubs and smaller items moved before my movers came for the heavy load. I showed my boy’s girlfriend the box of cards. Her reaction surprised me…

      Her grandmother had recently passed away and she told me that she and her family had to go through every card, letter, and pieces of old, saved mail, etc., and trash it all. “No one will want to go through that stuff,” she said. In reality, she’s right because as I said, the cards are more important to me. *Hmm, on some cold winter day, I’ll create the collage for myself. No harm in letting it hang on the wall for a time. If I get sick of looking at it, the Dumpster is right down at the end of my parking lot.

      What do you do with Greeting Cards?

      • Do you save all of your greeting cards?
      • Are you choosier about the ones you do save?
      • Do you save them at all?
      • For a long time?
      • A short time?

      Is it just me?

      My son says I’m weird. Does this make me “weird”?

      It’d be my pleasure to have you follow my blog if anything I’ve said here is of interest to you.

      If you’re interested in my novel writing at all, I also have a Mailing List. This mailing list is to be notified of new releases or important book updates. In other words, I don’t bombard your Inbox with newsletters.

      Thanks for stopping by today. 🙂

      Moving Van Photo: http://morguefile.com/, Greeting Card #1 Photo credit: © Retro Clipart | Dreamstime.com, Greeting Card #2 Photo credit: © Vladimir Ovchinnikov | Dreamstime.com

      Posted in #AmWriting | 19 Comments | Tagged #AuthorsLife, christmas, collage, Contemporary Western Romance stories, cowboys, Easter, family, friends, greeting cards, Halloween, mary j mccoy dressel, memories, Romance, valentine's day
    • A Belated Christmas Surprise, SOC Sunday (Meme)

      Posted at 1:00 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 8, 2012

      First five minute brain dump of the year.

      SOCSunday2012My oldest son is always on time for everything, but this year he was way behind in buying Christmas presents for his brother and I. Not that we cared, but he sure did. Keep in mind they have to be shipped from California so he’s always early. This year, he fell short of time. He’s been running half marathons and training in his running for a full marathon. But, guess what? When the package did get here, he went overboard for his mommy. He sent my first Kindle Fire. (Now, I have two and an iPad.)

      I fell in love with it before bedtime and I still didn’t know much about it. It’s an amazing device. Everyone needs a tablet. The Kindle Fire is a tablet, whereas the other Kindles are readers. I can read, buy movies, music, apps, and surf the web, plus more. The 7 inch screen is just the right size for reading. Today I read while walking on the treadmill. Perfect distraction! I’m still learning things I can do with this thing. I love, love, love it.

      It’s so much fun to play with when you don’t want to turn on the laptop. Now I can save my laptop for my writing and add apps to the Fire. Thank you, Chris!

      This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

      • Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
      • Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
      • Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
      • Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
      • Link up your post below.
      • Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

      Now…

      1. Grab the button

      (it’s over in the sidebar)

      2. Write your post.

      3. Link up here. All Things Fadra

      Posted in #AmWriting | 10 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, apps, books, christmas, cowboy, Kindle Fire, love, mary j mccoy dressel, memories, read, sensual contemporary western romance, web, western romance
    • Wishing You a Joyful Holiday Season

      Posted at 4:50 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 23, 2011


      glitter-graphics.com

      See you after the holidays.

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged christmas, holiday, merry christmas, new years, season
    • Christmas Memories

      Posted at 12:01 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 20, 2010

      Did you believe in Santa Claus when you were a child? I don’t know if I did. I remember picking out a lot of my own Christmas gifts, but that was when I was older. My earliest memory (I think) was a snowy night in Detroit. It was my parents, my little brother, and me. We lived with my grandmother then. It was nighttime and the side street we lived on was covered with snow. There was only car tracks up and down the road with nothing shoveled or plowed; the snow was deep. I remember the snow covered street because that evening, Christmas Eve, my parents took my brother and I down the street to the hardware store before they closed. They bought us a wagon. A shiny red wagon. They pulled us home in it down that snowy street through the car tracks. It wasn’t easy to pull two kids in a wagon through the snow.

      I don’t know if my parents believed in surprises. Wrapping my own Christmas gifts, and putting them under the tree was really the only way I knew Christmas at my house. I did it many times, and my mom did the same thing with her gifts even after us kids grew up and left home. She said that way she could choose
      her own gift. Christmas morning was never a surprise at my house as a child. Christmas at my aunt and uncles was always different. We visited early and always had surprise gifts to unwrap. I watched as my cousins opened gift after gift and were surprised at each one. I envied them. I felt like Santa came to their house and not mine. I loved being at their house, whether it was Christmas or not.

      Did I carry on that tradition with my own kids? Not at all. Everything was wrapped and nothing got opened until Christmas morning. Everything was a surprise for my boys and everyone else. And they believed in Santa Claus. I encouraged them to believe in Santa. We’d go to the mall and have pictures taken with the jolly man in a red suit.

      When we grew up, on Christmas Eve my brother and I always took our families to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It was then we got to unwrap surprise gifts. I don’t know the reason behind us picking out our own Christmas gifts as children. I suppose it was something my parent’s agreed on and figured we would get what we wanted that way.

      But, times changed when they became grandparents. The grandchildren had fun times at their house, and we did too. Even though all the kids are grown now and grandma and grandpa are both gone, I still carry many Christmas memories. Maybe they were different but Christmas was still Christmas. We still had gifts and food and love.

      I had step-grandchildren for a time and Christmas with them was a joy, exciting, and filled with love. It was the true meaning of Christmas to see the sparkle in their eyes. When the day comes that I have my own
      grandchildren, they will know surprises and believe Santa Claus brought them. Of course they’ll always have their own Christmas memory of Grandma’s love.

      Blessings to you all. Have a wonderful Holiday Season.


      Graphics from : glitter-graphics.com

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged brother, christmas, gifts, grandkids, grandma, grandpa, love, mary j dressel, memories, parents, presents, surprises
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