Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance

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

    • #AmWriting Update and Snippet

      Posted at 4:21 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 17, 2018

      What the heck have I been working on since the major revision of Cowboy Boss and his Destiny? Well, folks, for those of you who are interested, I’m back to working on book three in the spin off–Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series–Wade’s story. No, Wade’s story isn’t the title. The title is a whole other deal going on here in my head.

      I have three titles sitting at the top of my manuscript in fancy font looking as pretty as can be, but I can’t select the right one. They’re okay, but they don’t feel like “the one.” The other night I typed a good line… “Hmm, well, now,” I said to myself . “This could be my title.” It’s growing on me.

      By the looks of things, this might be the only book I publish this year. I had a goal of two. Of course, I’m not giving up on the goal yet, but with all the medical stuff going on in my life right now, I’m not sure what lies ahead besides more tests.

      Anyway, for readers of my spin off series, you have met Wade Emory in the first book. He works Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romancewith Jake Lawton as a foreman and now owns part of Jake’s ranching supply business. However, his luck with women sucks. Isn’t it awful for a romance hero’s love life to suck? In all fairness, he hasn’t been a book hero, but I’ve had so much fun turning him into one. Wade is worthy of being called a romance hero now.

      As a secondary character in Whispers of Forever, Wade began a serious relationship with a woman in the Air Force who lived in Las Vegas, but nope, luck evaded him. In Finding Kimber, his buddy, and best friend, Dane Carlson, set him up with a, well, ahem, let’s move on, and say Wade wasn’t big on dating someone recently out of college who had a drinking problem. In this case, he made sure there wouldn’t be a second date. Oh, and then… Blah, blah,  this is the story of his life.  In his book, he takes a trip, but it isn’t for a vacation. It all boils down to… Will he have to travel four hundred miles from home to meet “the one”? Coming in 2018.

      Here’s a little tidbit from my draft: UPDATE: This book is available!

      #3

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Pixabay, western romance series

      Wade hurried down the stairway, taking two steps at a time, through the lobby, and out the door. He caught the guy getting into a shuttle bus and yanked him off before he got to the second step. “You’re not going anywhere.” The smell of alcohol filled the air between them. Wade held his arm and dragged Clay back up the stairs without anything more than a missed swing from the drunk, and a few eyes from hotel patrons. Wade pounded on her door, and when she opened it, he shoved the guy inside. “Give the lady her money, or you won’t leave here walking.”

      She shoved Wade in the chest. “What in the hell are you doing?” She clasped her hands together and faced her brother. “Give me my money, Clay. You didn’t even care how me and Tanner got home. Do you think I’ll forget this?” She reached into his pocket for her money. “Get out of my life.”

      Her brother glared back and forth at her and Wade. “You’ll be sorry.”

      “I was sorry when I came to get you out of jail. Oh, if Dad were here, he’d beat you silly.”

      “I can do the job.” Wade shifted his stance and smirked.

      “You? Who are you? No, never mind.” She flipped her hand toward the door. “Would you get out of my room?”

      Wade held his stubborn ground. “Not until he leaves.”

      She glared at her brother. “You heard the man.”

      Wade shoved him toward the door and watched over the balcony railing until he staggered out of the hotel. He peered at her and shook his head, then left for a dinner he didn’t feel like eating.

       


      “Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” ~Author unknown

      Thanks for sticking around to read. 🙂

      #TuesdayThoughts

      Solitude coaxes magical things from our souls. ~Terri Guillemets

      Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series | 8 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, Arizona, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, contemporary western romance, first draft, hero, mary j mccoy dressel, Romance, series romance, Snippet, spin off series
    • Snippet: Finding Kimber: An Unexpected Encounter

      Posted at 1:10 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on February 25, 2018

      For this excerpt, Kimber meets her dog for the first time. It doesn’t sound like an interesting excerpt to read about Kimber meeting her dog, but there’s more going on here, especially after what happened earlier in this scene. Now, after this second revelation, she’ll have some explaining to do in the near future. It isn’t an explanation she ever wanted to give to anyone. Picture Kimber leaving the barn after turning out the horses this early morning. She hadn’t expected to see Zach standing there, and especially hadn’t expected to meet his brother for the first time. She’s standing in a knee-length cotton robe with a thin gown underneath. Introductions happened earlier in the scene. The guys are getting ready to leave.


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

      Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series

      A Double Dutch Ranch Spin Off Series.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance, cowboys

      At that moment, a dog whined. Kimber widened her eyes. “I didn’t know you had a dog, Zach. Tyler?”

      “We don’t here in Arizona.” Zach headed to his truck. He opened the door and brought out a mid-size, long-haired dog. “You do.” He plopped the dog into her arms.

      Tyler chuckled. “I found her on the road between here and Boulder City. The poor girl has no tags, and she looks like she’s been neglected. My mama would whoop my behind if I left her there. I took a picture and left my phone number at the nearest rest stop.”

      “But—”

      Zach cut in, “You said you were lonely at night. Now you don’t have to be. I can’t keep her in the loft all day while I’m working, and she didn’t take kindly to Jake’s dog, Kasha.”

      “You’re giving her to me?” Kimber’s gaze followed Tyler out the back door and down toward the fence where she took the horses.

      “Maybe. You’re not allergic to dogs, are you? If it isn’t a problem, can you keep her here for me? It’s better for her here than locked up in the loft.”

      Kimber put her down before dropping her. She tickled the dog under her white chin. “She’s so cute, but she needs a bath and a good brushing. Have you named her?” She kept one hand on her in case she bolted. “You could bring her here daily with you, but I’ll keep her here. I hope she likes horses.”

      “She acted like they were no big deal over at Jake’s. I haven’t named her.” He called Tyler to leave. “Naming is your job, Red.”

      The dog rolled over, and Kimber patted her gray belly. “I can’t tell what she is. Part border collie? But the gray—”

      The pooch got up and shook sand from her stormy gray and white coat. “Looks a little like one. We have a couple on the ranch. She’s mixed though.”

      “I’ll have a name for her by time I see you for dinner tonight. Do either you or Tyler have any food allergies?” She got a dumbfounded look from Zach.

      “The reason I ask is because I’m allergic to turmeric. Weird, I know. I don’t know anyone else allergic to it. It can be a problem, but I carry an auto-injector with me.”

      Zach blinked. His Adams apple got stuck trying to swallow, it seemed. He chewed at a corner of his bottom lip, snapped his fingers and pointed at her. Then he closed his hand, bringing it to his chest.

      She repeated, “Do you or Tyler have food allergies?”

      He cleared his throat, came closer then lowered his gaze to her lips. His eyes flicked back to hers. Usually, his dreamy orbs sparkled in the sunlight, but not now. They darkened like grass in an oil spill. Tyler headed toward them.

      “Zach?” She asked again, nervous now due to his menacing glare, and she wished to be somewhere else. On the other side of the planet would work. Had he figured it out?

      “Uh uh.” Zach crouched and lifted the dog, squeezing her in a gentle hug.

      She looked small in Zach’s strong arms. Kimber stroked her fur, but Zach fell back a step. “Thank you for this. I’ll take good care of her for you.”

      His voice changed to a somber tone. “There might be something in the tack room to tie around her neck and a rope to keep her from running off until she gets to know you.”

      “I hope she’s housebroken.”

      “I’m positive she is.” Zach carried the dog with him. He glanced back at her with a frown, then he and Tyler entered the tack room.

      Kimber trembled as he walked away. She folded her arms, squeezing them. Something happened. A wrinkle interrupted their… Their what? Their working relationship that finally worked for a short time? The fact he was kind to the dog said something about him, but his instant melancholy veneer said the opposite.

      She rushed to her bedroom to dress for the day. She’d love to have a new dress to wear tonight, but now dinner was the last thing she wanted. Tonight, she wanted to be alone, but dammit, she’d blurted out the invitation. She couldn’t back out. This business meeting was her future. Hurriedly, she put in her contacts so he didn’t have to stare at her blue eyes any longer when he brought the dog up to the house.

      My dog Kasha is on the cover of Whispers of Forever. I suppose the other books in this series will have to have a dog, too.  🙂  ❤

      If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

      Posted in #AmWriting, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series | 4 Comments | Tagged #Cowboy series, #WhatToRead, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, dogs, Dogs in books, Finding Kimber, full-length novel, mary j mccoy dressel, Romance, series romance, Snippet, Snippet: Finding Kimber: An Unexpected Encounter, western romance
    • Get Hooked Wednesday~ Nothing is the Same ~ #MFRWHooks

      Posted at 7:14 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on May 3, 2017

      Short Snippet from my new Release!

      Well, hello I haven’t done Book Hooks for a long time.

      Join me and the other authors at Marketing For Romance Writers Blog who would like to hook you on their book with only a few lines… Since I have a brand NEW RELEASE, I’m posting more than a few lines from:

       

       

      Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight #4

      Lassoing the Last Dance

       

      She’s too proud to ask him to change his life for her. He’s too stubborn to let her give up.


       

      Set Up: Roxanne recently returned to Canyon Junction. She and her best friend, Nora, are having a discussion before getting out of Nora’s truck. Nora is planning a get-together. Modified from the original.

      “While you’re at it, drop the hint we don’t want Randy there.”

      “No, Roxy, you’re the one who doesn’t want Randy there. We all like him. He’s a nice guy. How soon you forget how you lost your mind the day you met him.”

      It was true, and she’d lose her senses upon seeing him again if she allowed it. His longer ebony hair, those damn eyes. Roxanne chuckled to herself. Upon meeting him, she had visualized his eyes as blue, but they couldn’t be further from blue. How did she make such a mistake—missing those sexy brown, long-lashed orbs? She had been blinded to his handsome face, that’s how. “I admit he’s a nice guy. I never said he wasn’t. You aren’t making it any easier.”

      “I don’t intend to, either. I saw the way you two were with each other, and how content you looked around him.”

      “The past.” Roxanne held Nora’s sleeve, and her eyes misted. “I mean it. The past. Nothing is the same. Please let it go. I’m destined to be alone now.”

      End

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Western romance, series romance

      About

      Savvy horse trainer Randy Drake never loved a woman like he loved Roxanne, but after more than a year of a long-distance relationship, she cut off communication without explanation and broke his heart. Now she’s moved back to Canyon Junction without telling him, proof she’s not interested. But his stubborn heart can’t seem to let go.

      Professional dancer Roxanne Connor has a good reason for not letting Randy know she’s back. An accident nearly destroyed her, and she’s not the same person Randy knew. Avoiding him, she chooses to live in a self-appointed exile, if she can ignore the craving for his touch and the memory of his kisses.

      But secrets in a small town are never truly safe. When Randy learns the reason Roxanne cold-shouldered him, he’s willing to give their love another try, but someone else is determined to keep them apart. Will their rekindled love be strong enough to withstand the obstacles mounting against them, or will the embers that glowed in their past grow cold under the pressure?

      UNIVERSAL Buy Link: books2read.com/u/4N1BlY


      First Amazon Customer Review:

      5.0 out of 5 starsLoved it!!

      By Amazon Customer on May 2, 2017
      Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
      Love this book and all the ones before it!!! Can’t wait for more from you Mary!!!

      Thanks for visiting today. Enjoy your week!

      Remember this is a blog hop so please pop over to the Marketing for Romance Writers blog to read more.

      1.
      Daryl Devore
      2.
      Get Hooked Wednesday~ Nothing is the Same
      3.
      Rebecca’s Lair
      4.
      Iris Blobel
      Posted in #AmWriting, Double Dutch Ranch Series, Excerpt | 12 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, Book Hooks, Double Dutch Ranch Series Love at First Sight, excerpt, Full Length Novel, Lassoing the Last Dance, mary j mccoy dressel, New Release, romance series, Snippet, western romance
    • Short Snippet & Etc, Etc, Etc…

      Posted at 11:25 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on June 3, 2016

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books, Western RomanceWhile (still) waiting for edits to come back on Bull Rider Series #3, and don’t get me going on this, I’ve been working on the fifth book in the Double Dutch Ranch Series. My publishing schedule has been delayed on Christmas at Love House, so I have to keep busy on another book to keep from going insane–because of the delay. I’ve been down this road before.

      I’ve passed the 50K word count mark in Lassoing the Last Dance, so the book is well on its way. Wait! Back Up… What the heck is Lassoing the Last Dance? *Smiles* Well, it’s a  new title!<3

      This has been a hard book for me to write and I don’t know why. Working on two other books at the same time might have something to do with the reason. More than likely, huh? At least two books out of the three are written. This takes a bit of a load off my shoulders, but I can honestly say that I need a break.

      This morning I added a new page for this upcoming Double Dutch Ranch Series romance. A brief tidbit about Randy, one of my newest cowboys, can be found on the page. Here’s an unedited snippet from the book.

      Set-up: Randy, our hero, is about to do something he is unsure of doing, but he won’t be able to think straight until he makes this visit.


      Albeit, he trudged up the steps, knocked on the door—hoped for the best. To his surprise, a man opened. Well, hell, this is uncomfortable.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel Books, Western Romance

      “Yeah?” was all the stern-faced guy said when he pushed open the outside door.

      “Is Roxanne around tonight?” Randy held eye contact with the man, having no clue who he was, or why he answered the door. Of all people, he hoped like hell it wasn’t her ex-husband. If so, he might deck him right there just for the reason of all the things he had done to Roxanne in the past. Then he’d be disappointed in her for having him here.

      “I’ll get her. Hold on.”

      All he did was yell for her, not go get her. Asshole.


       Thank you for reading.

      It’s been a gorgeous week here. Enjoy your weekend!

       

      Images: Pixabay and Glitter-Graphics

      Posted in #AmWriting | 6 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, contemporary romance, Cowboy Romance, Double Dutch Ranch Series, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, romance series, Snippet, western romance, work in progress
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