Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance
Sensual western romance. Heartwarming stories. Strong family ties.
Welcome to Week 14 in Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge.
The number one hobby I miss a lot is photography. I’ve taken classes at a local college, but I’ve forgotten much of what I’ve learned. However, sometimes my oldest son will ask me a question and I remember the answer. Both of my boys love photography as well. Self-taught, they’re good at it too.
One of the fun parts of the class were the field trips and learning to take night shots. It’s so easy now to take out a cell phone to snap a shot. I use my point-and-shoot digital occasionally like last fall for the scarecrow, fairy, and skeleton displays at festivals. When I worked, I’d take student photos for the school of kids in various activities like the Halloween parade or Christmas parties. Now, all my fancy equipment sits in my camera bag waiting and calling me sometimes.
My dad loved taking pictures so when he had a camera in his hand, look out! He gave me an old Brownie box camera when I was very young. I think it belonged to my step-grandfather. I loved looking down into the view finder in that old thing.
Since photos are mostly in digital these days, it’s been years since I’ve made a collage. The last one I made was for a boyfriend with pictures of him, us, all of our kids—his and mine not ours—and photos of all the places we had traveled to over a five-year span. He was a photographer, too, and a darn good one with a natural talent.
To construct, I’d use a large frame and situate the photos on poster board, because of the thickness, and glue the images on with a glue stick. I’d cut the photos with random fancy edges and set them in different angles so they weren’t all straight. They turned out nice. I always received compliments on them.
I have a couple more, but these are at the top of the list.
Here is the Link to visit the participating authors.
I’m slow to getting around to visit other blogs because I’m writing one book while getting another ready to publish, and to be honest, I’m distracted with the state of the world and my state. It’s bad here right now in so many ways, and saying “bad” is putting it mildly.
To all of you and your families– Stay Safe and well.
Thank you for coming by today.
All images are from Pixabay.
This week I’m not adhering to the topic for Week Seven in the 52-Week Blog Challenge Blog Hop. Last year we had a topic about our Bucket List and this week’s topic is Top Five Things on my Bucket List. Here’s the link to last year’s Bucket List post if you’re new to my blog and want to check it out. Instead, this week I’m going back to our 2018 Week Three topic, which is a week I missed this year.
Photography: Photography is my long-lost hobby. You’ll find many of my characters taking pictures 
even if it’s one brief shot, or they might say, “I forgot my camera!” One hero will take a picture of his subject and oftentimes paint or draw from the picture.
Poetry: A recent hero came to me as a poet. In my early years I called myself a poet. It’s been years since I’ve written a poem or had the urge to do so. It seems certain circumstances have to be at play in my life for my muse to write poetry.
Fear of Heights: The heroine in my current WIP has a fear of heights. Huh, who me?
Somewhere between here and there.
Flying: Yes, like me, I do have a couple heroines who do not like flying. They break out into a cold sweat before take-offs and landings. I, on the other hand, do like the take-offs but landings are meh. It’s being in the air that I don’t like.
Highways. Bridges. Mountains. Don’t judge. 🙂 I don’t like driving on the highway (anymore), over bridges, or in the mountains. I make sure my heroines DO NOT have this issue. I walked across the Mackinac Bridge, and the Blue Water Bridge from Michigan to Canada, but I wouldn’t be able to drive over them.
Reading: Some characters will be shown with a book or an eReader. Even rugged Zach Bryson in Finding Kimber has a stack of books beside his bed, and he’s read one that Kimber mentions.
Close-knit Family: I’ve strived to have a close relationship with my two boys and their girlfriends 
and/or wives. Not that they have a girlfriend and wife at the same time. Thought I’d get that straight. The men in my books who have a mother, have a great relationship with her. That doesn’t mean they agree on everything. If you know, Judy, my Double Dutch Ranch matriarch, you know what I mean. One of my heroines doesn’t have a good relationship with her mom, but she does with her mother-in-law.
By looking at what I wrote above, I’d say a lot of me is in my writing. There’s more, but we choose to keep them private on a public blog. 😉
Thanks for visiting today. Remember this is a BLOG HOP. Let’s visit the #MFRWauthor participating authors who did stick to the topic of the week– Top Five Things on my Bucket List. I’m curious because I know how hard it was to come up with my list last year.
Enjoy your weekend!
Thanks to Pixabay for the images.
I’m sure I took the shot of the plane wing.
Last week y’all met Velia Armano, my heroine from the Bull Rider Series, in a short blog series I named Meet the Heroines. I thought it was time to show a little of the spunk that adds to her personality. Look out, Mr. McCutchen. He might be able to handle a two-thousand pound bull, but I wonder how he’ll handle this feisty photographer. Hey, he was the one who hired her… Live and learn! *wink*
Snippet:
He went to the door then right back to her with a deep breath. His hair fell into his eyes but he didn’t seem to care as he usually did. “We have a contract. I’m holding you to it, or I’ll sue for breach.”
“You’d sue me? You’d keep me from helping my cousins’ mental state?”
“Excuses!” He took another deep breath. “If I have to. I need your skills, and you signed a contract.”
“Great. If this is how you want to do it, fine. I’ll hold up my end of the bargain.” She dropped her luggage, and it landed with a thud. She moved closer to him. If ever there could be a hateful glare, she had it. “But you remember I’m continuing on this mission because you leave me no other choice.” Velia moved even closer. Her bravery increased, and she proved it with her index finger as she jabbed it into his chest. “This is only a business deal. And don’t forget it.”
Caulder picked up her bag. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And stop calling me maa’aaaaamm.”
“Yes, ma’am. I mean, yes, Ms. Armano…ma’am.” He smirked and tried not to smile.
Velia glared right back. Go ahead, I dare you to crack a smile. She seethed as he attempted to hold it in.
Caulder set her bag down and strode to the window. Lifting both hands, he pushed his hair back from his face. “Damn, women drive me nuts sometimes.” He lowered his voice, talking more to himself than to her, “This hot-blooded, Italian spitfire does more than most.”
She grabbed her jacket and slipped her arms into the sleeves. “I do believe this hot-blooded Italian is ready then.” She gathered her purse, laptop, and carry-on bag and went out the door ahead of him.
Thank you for reading.
Oh, Howdy, Ma’am just happens to be on sale for a limited time in eBook format. 🙂
Happy EASTER to those of you who celebrate. Happy Weekend to everyone!
Camera/ Luggage image from Pixabay.
Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn. ~Quoted by Lewis Grizzard in Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You
Painted under an overpass along the Kalamazoo River
I’m a writer. Yes, we all know that, and most of you know I’m into photography, too. This is something I do for fun, not money. My heroine in the Bull Rider Series is a photographer. Not just by coincidence. Her view finder is filled with a cowboy. Wish mine was. But, I digress.
Equipment:
My best camera is a DSLR Canon Rebel T3i. (Digital Single Lens Reflex) This is not my dream camera, but a camera I’m happy with for now. Prior to this I used a 35mm Canon Rebel film camera. I loved that camera so much. I have many lenses and filters, and other accessories. 
Thankfully, it all transferred over to my new Canon—my reason for purchasing the same kind of camera.
Of course, the problem today is if you don’t use a digital camera, you’re stuck in the dark ages. You know that place—the place that existed when everyone put their pictures in real book albums, and not the Internet. Even when I used film, I kept a small digital with me.
On my last trip to California—my small digital quit working. It worked on the plane.
Somewhere between here and there.
I took pictures out the window. Okay, I’m one of those people. I discovered this in the airport in San Francisco while waiting for a hopper to go farther north to where my son lives. Here I was on vacation and going to a beautiful place without a camera! Fortunately, my son had an extra one that was better than mine. Yay!
When I returned home I went back to an old digital with hardly any special features, but at least I had a camera along with two memory cards, extra batteries, and a case.
I have another new Canon now, a point and shoot. It has lots of options and is small enough to drop into my purse—a gift from my oldest son.
Creativity:
Being a creative person, I love creative photography—not only to snap a picture because it’s something to take a picture of—but to look for something different in an everyday occurrence. My advice to capture creative photos is to start looking at things in a different way.
In an old life, I’d I walk along a river trail with my camera. There’s always something to see and so often I’d hit the shutter button. See an old fallen tree? Look close. I found one once… The way it had fallen against another tree, it looked like tree “A” was holding tree “B” in its limbs. (arms) See, that darn romance writer muse slips out all the time. Trees embracing! Kinky.
Capture the Moment:
A few years ago I took a photography class called “Capture the Moment.” It was one of the best classes I ever had! Field trips with this class was all kinds of fun and a great learning experience. The instructor taught us how to take pictures creatively. My instructor had an expensive DSLR—my dream camera—my goal.
Kalamazoo River
Along with creative photography, I like nature photography. That’s why the river trail was so awesome. Things along the river are always changing—trees fall, water rises, or goes 
down, and colors change. It can be dry and brown or pretty Kelly green. Yes, in this climate, there is also snow and ice. The river trail used to be my favorite place to take pictures at that time in my life. Then this happened. I’ve since moved. ↓
Kalamazoo River
Allegheny Mountains:
Allegheny River & Mountains Tidioute, PA
When I had a place in the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, I loved taking pictures of sunsets dropping below the mountains, the Allegheny River, or the path in the forest with crispy brown and/or yellow and red leaves, animal tracks, boulders that seemed to come out of nowhere, and blue sky through the canopy of trees.
Even the black bear that visited the cabin against my wishes would have made a great photo. If only I had my camera the day I came across a big black bear while walking all alone. I wished to be able to document my death as his claws raked over me. Oh, back to the story—no attack. Whew, that was scary though. By the way, the Enchantment Series books take place there. (Out of Print)
Memories:
There’s nothing like looking back at photos and reliving the memories. At times I do take people pictures, and my main purpose for that is for memories or gifts. Especially photos of my kids who changed as fast as a heartbeat.
Safe Keeping:
Most of my photos are in my computer now, on flash drives and an external hard drive. On occasion, I will look through my photo albums. Yes, the ones you have to flip through page by page. Some are weathered and worn, but I’d never trade them. Sometimes, I’m quite proud of my photos. Other times, like when I just snap a picture without planning–well, I’m not so proud, but I still have the memory. I went through a lighthouse phase and photographed nearly all of the lights in my state. It was a blast.
In the Blood:
My picture taking started as a child. Maybe it was because my dad always took lots of pictures. He gave me my first camera when I was very young. I don’t know what the reason is for my love of photography, but I’m glad for it. Both of my boys are excellent photographers. I guess it must be in their blood.
If you have a hobby that you love, find time to have fun with it, too. Nowadays, I need to practice what I preach, for my DSLR hasn’t been used for way too long.
Thirteen
pieces of camera equipment I own. *See the bottom of this post for details about why I’m telling you.(Camera Photo license)
My 13
1.Canon Rebel camera body (film) Hey, UPDATE! Canon EOS Rebel DSLR
2. Long lens 70-300mm DL Macro Super W/ sun shield
3. 28 -104mm Wide angle lens w/ sun shield
NEW+Canon 18-55mm IS Macro
4. Filters (3 UV, 2 Polarizing, Orange Color Conversion 85B,
5. Dual Swivel Zoom Flash
6. Lens covers
7. Tripod
8. Teleconverter 2X
9. Sun Shield
10. Camera Bag NEW huge camera bag
11. Kodak Digital point and shoot
12. Batteries, batteries, batteries…
13. Kodak Digital Easy Share Point and Shoot with zoom
Most of the time when I do something I do it for a reason. Let’s take this list of camera equipment. It all pertains to photography, which happens to be my hobby. Something I love almost as much as I love writing.
*Since I wrote Howdy, Ma’am and Hey, Cowboy, it’s 
important that you know my hobby is photography because my new heroine is a photographer. She’s a former travel photographer, settling down in her own business now. I have never been a travel photographer although I have done some traveling and took a lot of pictures.
Traveling and taking pictures doesn’t make me a travel photographer. A while ago I took two photography classes at a local community college. I do know a little bit about taking pictures.
I wanted you to know that as the writer I have some experience with photography which I believe qualifies me to create a character who is a photographer. I would love to trade my film camera body in for a digital SLR because I love the lenses I already have and can’t see giving them up. (UPDATE: I now use the Canon Rebel Digital SLR with my old lenses.) I must admit these 13 items are a lot of weight to carry around. With this being one of the reasons, I’ve since been looking at smaller digital cameras. The last time I took a flight, every piece of my camera equipment was manually checked.
Getting through Detroit Metro Airport was bad enough, but getting through security at a small airport in California to come home was worse. Every piece of my camera equipment was gone over–checked and double checked. So was I! Not to mention, I was the only one on the plane to be pulled aside. Therefore, I was the last one on the plane, a small prop job going to San Francisco. A trip to remember either way. Since I got a little off topic here, I will end this now. 🙂
For your own Thursday Thirteen Meme, here’s what you do–
!
1. First list item starts here…
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
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