Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

Tag: Marketing for Romance Writers

• #MFRWhooks Don’t “What” Me, Master Sergeant.

  Posted at 12:30 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 11, 2020

  

  Welcome to Marketing for Romance Writers Book Hooks Blog Hop.

  Today I bring you a snippet from one of my works in progress to be released this spring. This is my ranch matriarch’s book, but each of her sons have their own POV in the book because they all have opinions (about everything). We’re in Dane’s POV. Dane is the youngest son who has PTSD or PTSS as it’s sometimes called now. Modified from the original to avoid spoilers.

  ---

  Dane paced around the kitchen until Gracelyn placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him. He poured a cup of coffee. “What?”

  “Don’t ‘what’ me, Master Sergeant Carlson. Is something wrong this morning?”

  “I have stuff on my mind. Decisions to make. People to check out.” Dane couldn’t meet her gaze. He kept important matters from her. He wanted to make his decision before mentioning it. None of his family would like it if he said yes.

  Hell, he wasn’t even in the right state of mind to accept such a job. Not now. A lot was at stake here, including care for his rescue horses if he took the job. Not to mention investigating who the hell followed his mother home last night. He’d seen it firsthand while out on horseback to clear his head. Two men. He’d come close to shooting and asking questions later, but that would’ve landed him in jail. Like he needed more bullshit.

  “That’s it? Stuff? I don’t have to work today. We can visit Jase, but let’s talk about whatever’s going on.” Gracelyn wrapped her arms around him. “Dane, I know your moods. What troubles you?”

  Dane drew her against him, closed his eyes, and inhaled the unique scent of her. He ran his hand down the back of her silky hair. “A couple guys followed Mom home last night.” That’s all he had to say for now.

  She questioned. “Lost?”

  “Not this time. ” He lowered his forehead to her shoulder and drew her closer. His heart beat faster. “Mmm. You smell so good, honey. Is Will sleeping?”

  ---

  This is a blog hop with other authors participating. Click over HERE to see their book hooks.

  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. By sharing samples of your writing in a meme, readers will have the chance to jump from one author to another. Here’s your opportunity to hook some new readers!

   

   

  Dane’s book is the third in the series. Judy’s book will be number five. More details about the upcoming book and the series can be found on the Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight page.

  

  Thanks for visiting and reading today. Stay well and safe.

  Posted in #MFRWhooks, #WritersLife, Book Hooks | 13 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks Blog Hop, Don't What Me, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, Marketing for Romance Writers, mary j mccoy dressel, Of the Cowboy's Own Accord, work in progress

• #MFRWhooks Broken

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

  Welcome to another Book Hooks snippet.

  Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love series #2

  A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin off Novel.

  Finding Kimber.

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

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

  “No, not yet,” cried Tressa.

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

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

  ---

  

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

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

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

  Universal Buy Link

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  #MFRWhooks

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

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

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

• #MFRWHooks #MFRWauthor Book Hooks: Line in the Sand

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

  

  Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. Our chance to hook you with our words.

  ---

  Last week I brought you a snippet from Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart I called Turning Point. Now, it’s the next morning and back at the Two-Five Ranch after the lightning storm in Sedona.

  

  Tanyon and Karis exited the rental car. He headed to the barn to saddle a horse but glanced over his shoulder as Karis strode straight to the house. Yep, jeans on her wore as good the second day. Those not rounding up cattle had spotted them getting out of the car together. Nothing they said now would make a difference.

  He took another step but came to a halt, unable to drag his gaze away from her. Why had he left her last night? They could’ve slept in the same bed without having sex. Maybe it’s what they’d both needed to feel connected again. Tanyon chuckled to himself. No, they couldn’t, and that’s why he’d left her. To be truthful with himself, he didn’t know what to do from this point on.

  Having her in his arms for those brief moments told him what he wanted. Needed. Her. This self-betrayal pissed him off. She had no plans on sticking around when summer ended, thus adding to his confliction. The way their relationship had been before wasn’t enough anymore. He wanted all or nothing. The idea slapped him upside the head good and hard. Was he willing to let her go if she couldn’t, wouldn’t stay? He might as well draw the line in the sand now.

  End.

  Thanks for reading.

  ---

  About the Book:

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

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

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

  Universal Buy Link

  More information about this new series is on the book page HERE.

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  It’s a blog hop! Let’s get hooked!

  Visit the Marketing for Romance Writers Blog to discover more Book Hooks.

  

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks | 14 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, #WritersLife, Marketing for Romance Writers, mary j mccoy dressel

• #MFRWhooks Turning Point

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

  

  Two-Five Ranch Outlaws

  Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart

  Contemporary Western Romance

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

  ---

  

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

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

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

  Gulping, she mumbled, “No.”

  “You’re sitting in the dark?”

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

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

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

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

  “I know you are.”

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

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

  

  ---

  Blurb

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

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

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

  Rated R by Movie Standards.

  Universal Buy Link.

  Kobo |  Apple |  Nook

  All the Amazons but here a few:

  Amazon  Amazon UK  Amazon AU  Amazon IN

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   Thanks for visiting today.

  ⚡ Book Hooks Blog Hop ⚡

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

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks | 10 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks, Book Hooks #MFRWhooks Turning Point, Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart, Marketing for Romance Writers, mary j mccoy dressel, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws series, western romance

• #AmWriting Week 26: Getting the Call of Acceptance #MFRWauthor

  Posted at 9:44 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on June 28, 2019

  

  Sorry to have missed last Friday’s topic about planning a dream wedding. I was too busy planning a fictional wedding.  ❤  I did write the post though so maybe one day I’ll post it anyway.

  Week 26: How getting the call (or acceptance) changes lives.

  This really isn’t the topic for me though I’ve received the call of acceptance twice. Years ago, when publishing was soooo different, I turned down one call of acceptance. Yes, they actually called. Turns out, they wanted more money for editing than what they’d pay me. Yes, they made money on editing over publishing, though they called themselves a publisher.

  LISTEN TO ME if you’re just starting… Stay away from them. They should pay you not the other way around. I’m glad I had enough smarts to walk away.

  Another time, well, I can’t say I had a call of acceptance, but an editor at one of the biggest New York publishing companies had requested my complete manuscript. He suggested changes in the manuscript and then to send it back to him. That’s a big deal. It was a big deal!

  The way my luck runs, I shouldn’t have been surprised. #WritersLife Hah! I had finished with all his suggestions, and my manuscript had been ready to go, but I learned that he had moved to a different publishing company. OMG. Lickity split. He’d left me. Ha-ha. It felt like he’d left me.

  

  I still sent it to a different editor there and explained my plight, but two years later, after I had contacted them, they sent my manuscript back with a rejection. He or she, I don’t remember now, didn’t like my story as much as the first guy. Sigh.

  In the interim of searching for an agent and a publisher, I had received many rejections, requests to read more of my manuscript, and more rejections.

  Keyword here: I didn’t give up. Don’t give up.

  • I kept writing.
  • I continued submitting.

  However, I got another call some YEARS later and should have walked away then too. I didn’t, but it was my opening—my beginning, and how it changed my life. My new beginning wasn’t with them because later, I paid them to get my rights back to two books they’d published. I say it was my beginning because I left them to make my own dream come true.

  Did you pay attention? To make my OWN dream come true. Kindle Direct Publishing came around at the perfect time for me. I didn’t know anything about publishing on my own.

  • I learned.
  • I’m still learning.
  • I have a lot more to learn.

  Back then, and even now, some turn their noses up at self-published authors. Whether anyone wants to face it or not, it’s true.

  So, yes, I’ve received the call a couple times but I don’t like to talk about those times because as I said above: I made my OWN dream come true.

  Each of us has to do what works best for us. Me? I’m too old now to wait for others to make decisions about my writing career, and I’ll be even older on Saturday.  🎂

  ---

  Thanks for stopping by to read another #MFRWauthor post in the blog hop. Find links to the other authors in the hop, HERE.

  Enjoy your weekend!

  I’m excited over recent news– My November release has been edited and is with the proofreader now.

  A brand-new heartwarming Christmas Novella moments ago came back from my editor and a cover is being made for it. Yay.

  And two weeks ago, a frightening call-back to have a test redone freaked me out. It came back fine. How scary and stressful that previous week had been.

  Last but not least, my daughter-in-law has been in town this week for work, and she took me out for a birthday dinner last night. How sweet! (They live out of state.)

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge | 8 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge, blog hop, Indie publishing, Marketing for Romance Writers, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Publishing, Week 26: Getting the Call of Acceptance

• #AmWriting True Love? #MFRWauthor #WritersLife

  Posted at 8:07 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on June 7, 2019

  

  Week 23

  True Love: Do you think it really exist?

  Well now. Interesting topic for this 52-Week Blog Challenge Blog Hop. Do I think true love really exist? Darn right I do. I believe it with all my heart. How do I know? Simple answer. I’ve experienced true love. What kind of romance writer would I be if I didn’t believe true love existed? Songs are sung. Classic and modern-day novels and poems are written about true love.

  

  *This way to my son and daughter-in-laws wedding reception almost two years ago to the date.

  How could I create a hero and heroine falling in love on the page and in my head and heart if I didn’t believe it existed? (Yes, in my head and heart.) True love comes in many shapes, sizes, ages, genders, species, but no matter who you love, I don’t only think, but I know true love exists. My heart tells me so.

  To this day, my heart still experiences (and pines) for a special true love. The ache in the pit of my belly, the extra beat of my heart, tears behind my eyes, and a knot in the throat—the yearning—at the…memories. Sometimes we don’t realize how true a love is/was until it’s gone.

  I see true love when I observe how my youngest son and daughter-in-law look at, speak to each other, and laugh together.

  True love, comes in many forms. We can experience a true love with our Lord, a friend, lover, our child/children, or other relative like an aunt or an uncle, sister or brother, grandma or grandpa… Our parents. Our dogs, cats, horses, etc.

  Our partners. If the kind of emotion we feel upon experiencing love, isn’t true love, what else would you call it?

  

  Have you ever had a best friend? Did you love the person—truly love them? Mine passed away a little more than two years ago. We were best friends since I was eighteen. I wrote about her in my first Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge post. This kind of true love is a different kind of love than how you love a spouse or partner, but it’s true love, nonetheless.

  What about chocolate? Ha-ha. Thought I’d throw that one in to see if you were paying attention.

  

   

  I could go on and on about this topic. Don’t worry. I won’t. Since I’ve poured my heart out, let’s see what other authors in the Marketing for Romance Writers Group have to say on the topic. Find out HERE. #MFRWauthor

   

   

  Have a wonderful weekend.

   

  Image Credits: Pixabay

  Happily Ever After Sign: Copyright Mary J. Dressel.

  *This sign was also used recently for my #WordlessWednesday post.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge | 12 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge, best friend, heart pounding emotion, love and romance, Marketing for Romance Writers, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, partner, Romance, spouse, True Love

• #AmWriting Week 18: What About Apps? #MFRWauthor

  Posted at 9:54 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on May 3, 2019

  

  Week 18: Apps: Time Wasters or Savers?

  I thought I wouldn’t have much to write for Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge Blog Hop for this topic. #MFRWauthor.

  Then I picked up my phone and tablets to view my apps. Whether or not apps are time wasters depends on how we use them. Wasting time is beneficial at times. A fun game app can be a good escape as can a Kindle or other eBook reading tablet, or a music app for relaxation. Many apps are necessary for business. I wonder how I got along without some of them.

  The topic doesn’t ask for the apps I use though I listed them.
  Apps I use: 

  Pleasure:
  Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn Internet Radio App
  Amazon Music to listen to my purchased Music
  Kindle app on my computer and iPad – Pleasure and Business
  iPad – Pleasure and Business

  Note Taking:
  Google Keep – Note taker but so much more. Keep has so many options. Check it out.
  iPad Notes

  Social Media
  Twitter –
  Buffer – For scheduling Tweets (If only I used this more often.)
  Facebook –

  Business
  KDP Rocket – Keyword Generator for my Amazon Ads. This app both kills time and saves time.
  WordPress – Access to my website and blog when not on my laptop.
  Kindle – Other than reading, I use this to proof my own books by having it read to me. It’s amazing how many times I use though instead of through. I check my formatted docs on the Kindle app too.

  One of my favorites is Google Keep—a note taking app but it’s so much more. Here are some links with information about Google Keep to give you an idea why I like it so much.

  Lifehacker
  You Tube

  Grab it here if interested.

  Google Play

  Apple iTunes

  Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with Apple, Google or Google Keep, nor am I being compensated for mentioning this app. Simply, I like the app. Maybe you will too.

  A few of my apps are time wasters. Most aren’t.

  I could live without some of these but I choose not to today.

  

  Since this is a blog hop, other authors are participating. Links to their blogs can be found HERE.

  All the counties around me, including mine, are in a State of Emergency due to flooding. You might’ve seen some of the Metro Detroit area on the nightly news. It’s bad for some. Luckily for me, I’m at a higher elevation. Near where my brother lives, it’s flooded around them, but not their immediate area though my sister-in-law said getting out takes some strategy in navigating. My brother is living on oxygen 24/7 now, so it’s important that they can get out if necessary.

  Stay dry. Everyone stay safe no matter where you live.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, 52-week blog challenge | 20 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, 52-week blog challenge, Apps for Pleasure, Game apps, Google Keep, Marketing for Romance Writers, Note Taking Apps, Social Media, Week 18: What About Apps?

• #AmWriting Week 17: Using Real People in Stories #MFRWauthor #WritersLife

  Posted at 8:45 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 26, 2019

  

  Join us again at Week 17 in our Blog Challenge Blog Hop with Marketing for Romance Writers. This is like a topic I replied to in 2018 about using our friends, family, or fur babies in our books. Last year’s post gives an explanation of how I might use the idea of a friend or family member in a book.

  The topic for 2019, is:

  Week 17: Putting “real” people into stories. The pros and cons.

  You’ve heard about authors teasing and saying something like: “You better watch it or I’ll put you in my book and _____. Fill in the blank.

  Is it teasing? 😉

  Pro:
  Face it. Real people are quirky, fun, weird, hilarious, sexy, silly, so on and so forth, and they can make great characters for the right story. They say no two people are alike. (They who?) Why wouldn’t an author want to use a real person as a character in a novel? I’m not saying if I have or haven’t, but I like to use my characters as they come to me.

  On that note, I have written my “real” dog into a series with her characteristics and personality.

  If using a real person, the character would be easy and difficult to write because we’d know how said person reacted in certain circumstances, both negatively and positively, but because we know, does that give us the right to write it?

  If we don’t tell them we’ve used them, then we can play around with their persona anyway we want by adding or taking away from their personality. If the person we use reads the story and suspects it’s them, we don’t have to admit it to them. Do we? I told my doggie. She approved. ❤

  Even if we don’t use a “real” person in a story, a friend or family member might suspect a book character is them even if it isn’t.

  If we keep this little secret to ourselves, we can disguise them by combining personalities and characteristics from more than one person, and our imagination.

  Con:

  If we tell them we used them in a book:
  Telling them wouldn’t allow us any leeway in writing their character, and we wouldn’t want to write them negatively. It wouldn’t be fair to our book character if we had to create them using specific rules to avoid hurting the “real” person. (Unless we hated them and didn’t care, I guess.)

  Who sees themselves as other people do? We could offend them if they think the character isn’t who they are. Heaven forbid, they could sue us if their character had been used negatively.

  I’m reminded of an episode of Blue Bloods on TV where the Police Commissioner’s partner from way back, wrote a tell-all book from their early career when they were young and new on the force. However, Frank Reagan read the book before publication. The antics the partner wrote would reflect badly on the department and Frank as the Police Commissioner. He threatened to sue if the book came out. It’s “TV” but this happens in real life.

  What if a best friend decided to write a tell-all book including us?  This brings up another question: Is writing nonfiction using real people different from writing them as a fictional character? I say, hell yes.

  If you used a real person in your story, would you tell them?

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  Join the others participating in this week’s topic. Find the link to their blogs on the main Blog Page.

  

  Authors, I’m so sorry I haven’t been around to most of your blogs to comment on your challenge posts. You all know what’s it’s like while finishing books. I’ve tried to tweet, but Twitter and I are almost like strangers now. One book is close to going to the editor, so I will catch up.

  Have a nice weekend. 

  Would you believe snow is forecasted here? The local weatherman swears it won’t stick other than on grass. We’ll see.

  Posted in #AmWriting, 52-week blog challenge | 13 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge, Marketing for Romance Writers, mary j mccoy dressel, Real People in Stories, western romance

• #AmWriting Saying It With Pride #MFRWauthor

  Posted at 2:06 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 5, 2019

  

  It’s me. I’m back. Wow. Many of the topics for Marketing for Romance Writers #MFRWauthor this year have been the same or similar to previous years. I skipped them and finished writing a book, revised and updated another already published book, and have been typing away at yet another work in progress.

  Look what week we’re up to already.

  Week 14: The Difference Between Bragging and Marketing.

  I replied to a similar topic in 2018. You can find the post here. And this post in 2017 when we were allowed to brag.  🙂

  Here is what Dictionary dot com says about bragging:

  brag
  verb brags, bragging or bragged
  to speak of (one’s own achievements, possessions, etc) arrogantly and boastfully

  I believe the “keywords” here are ARROGANTLY and BOASTFULLY.

  Of course, I had to look up marketing too.  🙂

  Marketing
  noun
  the act of buying or selling in a market.
  the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling.

  There is no mention of boasting or arrogance.

  However, I’d like to mention the difference between bragging and PRIDE.

  Being proud isn’t usually done in an arrogant or boastful fashion. (IMHO) What if someone said, “Wow, I got twenty, five-star reviews but I see you have twenty, one-star reviews.” (Oh, OUCH!) Or, “I was good enough to win a gold medal, but my competitor only received a bronze medal.” Is that pride or bragging? Arrogant? Boastful? You decide.

  Another example: What if every time we saw one of our friends, they boasted about their beautiful flowing and thick hair when they know we/us have thinning and thin hair, and it hurts our soul to think of losing our hair? Boasting? Pride?

  It’s because of what others may think, that I rarely mention raving reviews for the sake of mentioning them. People tell me to be proud and post them. Of course, I am silently proud, but I don’t want readers to think I’m bragging although I know that wouldn’t be the reason. Hah, I don’t have enough confidence to brag. Maybe I’ll change this and say “What the f#$%” and change my way of thinking. I should. You’re right. Okay. I will. ☮ Peace, baby.

  Which brings me to Marketing.

  In marketing, I will on occasion post a Tweet with lines from a review. For the rest of us who must market by saying glowing things about our books, we aren’t doing it to be boastful or arrogant. We/ I do this with hopes of encouraging a reader to look at the book then, fingers crossed, buy it.

  When I mention wonderful things about my books, it’s for marketing purposes done with PRIDE for MARKETING. When authors do this, It’s in no way bragging. Heck, we’re trying to sell books, and for some of us, to keep our careers afloat. Please don’t hold it against us.

  To wrap this up, I’ll go back to the beginning with the keywords arrogant and boastful. In my opinion, I see these two words as the difference between marketing and bragging. To see what others have to say on this topic, click over to get links to their blogs.

  It’s a pleasure to be back. I missed all of ya.

  However, as much as I do miss y’all and writing in my blog, I fear book writing will keep me busy since I’ve added new works in progress this year. Plus, my youngest son and daughter-in-law will be visiting soon, and I’d love to clear my schedule for them. I’ll post when I can. ❤

  Thanks for reading!

  Posted in #MFRWauthor, 52-week blog challenge | 10 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge, blog hop, Bragging, cowboys, Gentlemen Cowboys, Marketing, Marketing for Romance Writers, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, pride, Saying It With Pride, Selling, The Difference Between Bragging and Marketing, western romance

• #AmWriting Week 49: Food, Family & Memories #MFRWauthor

  Posted at 7:57 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 7, 2018

  

  Week 49: The Best Dish I Cook.

  December is upon us. The year and Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge is counting down. Hmm. About this week… I don’t only have one best dish, so how do I proceed? Of course, I’ll use a dish and meal from happy moments in my life. What’s better than food, family, & memories. Does it matter if it isn’t my own creation? This year I’m posting a recipe for Meaty Macaroni Bake.

  Meaty Macaroni Bake is great for crowds. This is a #recipe my sister-in-law and/or I would cook when our families got together. We had five kids between us–her three, my two. Include our husbands and usually a single brother-in-law and we were ready to sit down for dinner.

  We’d fix a green salad and often have the Pineapple Sheet Cake for dessert. When my family visited my in-laws in Pennsylvania, we’d always get a red devil’s food cake from Isaly’s because we couldn’t get that here then. Another thing we’d have to have while there was a Klondike ice cream bar because they weren’t available here, either.

  Let’s get going:

  

  *Meaty Macaroni Bake

  1-pound ground beef
  ½ cup chopped onion
  1 16-ounce jar spicy spaghetti sauce. (I never use spicy.) I always swish a little water around in the jar to get all the bits then add to the mixture to thin a little.
  1 4-ounce can mushroom pieces, drained
  6 ounces elbow macaroni, divided
  1 cup sour cream, divided
  4 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
  4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

  Serves 6. It’s been so long, but I’m sure we had to double this recipe with the hungry bellies we fed.

  I was lucky to find this image on Pixabay that resembles my dish. We didn’t add the garnish, but it does make it pretty.

  

  Pixabay Image

  Instructions:
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add beef. Cook, stirring until brown and crumbly; about 5 minutes. Drain fat.
  2. Add onion to skillet; cook for 2 minutes. Stir spaghetti sauce and mushrooms into skillet. Simmer, covered for 5 minutes. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Layer half the pasta, half the sauce and half the sour cream in prepared baking dish. Layer PROVOLONE cheese slices over the top.
  4. Continue layering remaining pasta, sauce, and sour cream. Top with MOZZARELLA. Cover loosely with foil sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove and let stand about ten minutes if you can wait that long.
  5. Enjoy!

  I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine did.

  Remember, this is a Blog Hop. Can’t wait to see the other recipes.

  

  *My sister-in-law has since passed away. We’ve had this recipe well over twenty years, and I don’t know where she found it, so I don’t know who to credit. If this infringes upon someone’s copyright, contact me, and I’ll be happy to remove it from my blog. I found a similar recipe HERE using a few extra ingredients.

  Let me know how you like this if you make it and if you varied the ingredients. Thanks! Enjoy your weekend.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, 52-week blog challenge | 8 Comments | Tagged 52-week blog challenge, A Meal That Comes With Memories, blog hop, Cooking Up Some Memories, Family & Memories, food, Marketing for Romance Writers, mary j mccoy dressel

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