Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

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

    • (Not) Short Snippet Saturday: No Need to Call Me Ma’am

      Posted at 12:31 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 6, 2017

      Waving hello! I hope you aren’t sick of me posting excerpts of late because I’m including one here for Finding Kimber. Earlier this year I had backed away from posting many Short Snippet Saturday posts. I haven’t scheduled promo for this new release like I have in the past other than social media and a sidebar cover promotion here and there. I guess we’ll consider this a promo post.  🙂  Sorry if I bore you to death.

      Note: Last week I participated in the Second Change Romance Promo and Book Cover Poll at Storyfinds. My book cover for Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas, won. Thanks to those of you who voted.

      For newcomers, Whispers of Forever is the first book in the Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series. (A Double Dutch Ranch Spin Off Series.) The following excerpt is from the second book in the series. Three is now available too.

      All right, that’s enough blabbing for now. Let’s get to the excerpt.


      In the release announcement, you met Tressa Garnett in the opening scene of Finding Kimber.  Let’s see how she deals with life on a ranch, and Zach, in her new identity:

      —

      “Canyon Junction?”

      “Ah, yeah. This is Canyon Junction. Arizona?” His eyes questioned for a moment, but he nodded toward the road again. “The store will be on your left off the highway. You’ll eventually find other places to shop.” He glanced at her vehicle. “Use GPS. Give me your phone. I’m fairly new here by the standards of this town. I was forced to find my way around.”

      “I’m a city girl. I’ll make my way.” She pulled her phone from her jeans pocket and handed it to her bossy foreman. No one told her she lived in Canyon Junction. She reflected on the name of the newspaper—Canyon Junction Gazette. Oh, boy.

      “I’m entering my phone number along with the name of the store. You’ll find it.” He handed it back. Glistening white teeth gave way to an inviting smile.

      “Thank you.” She read what he had written. “Assuming my vehicle has GPS.”

      “You don’t know if your vehicle has GPS?” Now he looked at her as if she were an idiot, which frustrated her.

      She rubbed at her arms. “It was delivered this morning. I haven’t looked inside yet.”

      “Lucky girl.”

      She left his side and hurried down the drive ahead of him. I’m a woman not a girl. And she didn’t feel lucky to have lost everything she ever owned and loved. Her new beginning brought a mouthy ranch hottie with an attitude. She glanced back, and he still stared at her. It made her want to growl out a few four-letter words at him. In fact, she might before the day ended.

      Back inside the house she got her keys, but when she came out, he was nowhere to be seen. Good. Kimber started the SUV and perused the dash, taking in the new car smell. Indeed, the vehicle had everything—more than her vehicle at home had. She’d set it before leaving, and she’d also check maps for the Double Dutch Ranch. Nothing would keep her away from the Equine Camp taking place there.

      Zach strutted up to her when she got out, his demeanor full of confidence. “Could I ask you something, ma’am?”

      “Certainly, but you don’t have to call me ma’am.”

      He tapped the brim of his hat. “Sorry, I’ll try to remember, Ms. Sinclair.”

      Kimber scratched at her arms, a habit she had when frustrated. She hadn’t wanted to be. Too much had happened in a short time, and her fuse shortened by the moment. “What did you want to ask?”

      His chest rose in a sigh, which she took for frustration of his own. “What do you plan on doing with this place? You have two horses. That’s barely enough to keep a foreman around. I want something steady.”

      “Well—”

      “And by the way. If I’m a foreman, who the hell am I a foreman to? There’s nobody here but you and me.”

      “I don’t have an answer to either of your questions.” She knew nothing that was going on here and didn’t like being out of control like this. “Maybe I’ll start a rescue, but I haven’t given it much thought. I need time here. I know I have only two horses.”

      “A rescue ranch has already been done. A rancher at the Double Dutch started a horse rescue some years ago. Does good for him from what I hear. Hard to believe how many horses need rescuing so they don’t get slaughtered.”

      “Ooh, that’s awful. Well, can’t we have two in this town?”

      “Do you know how big this town is? No, probably not since you don’t even know what town you live in.”

      Son of a bitching smart ass. Kimber fisted her hands at her sides. His rock-solid chest in that blue t-shirt looked like something good to pound. She peered into his blazing green eyes, then nodded toward the barn. “I’ll be back when I finish shopping. I’m sure something around here needs worked on. The barn needs fresh paint. The interior could use some repair, including the inside of my house. I’ll let you know when lunch is ready.” She tromped back toward the house.

      “Don’t bother.”

      So, this is how it’ll be? Damn hardheaded Idaho cowboy.


      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance


      Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful Wednesday. See you on Friday with a new 52-Week Blog Challenge theme. It’s already written.  ❤  I’m ahead of the game this week.

       

      Posted in #AmWriting, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Excerpt | 3 Comments | Tagged #WritersLife, Book Cover Poll, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, cowboy, cowpuncher, Double Dutch Ranch: Love at First Sight, Finding Kimber, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Second Chance Romance, StoryFinds, western romance, Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas
    • A Second Chance Romance ~Theme Week

      Posted at 9:23 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on November 29, 2017

      Howdy Hump Day!

      I love watching movies or reading about a second chance romance! Maybe that’s why I wrote a book about a couple who met again after thirteen years of being apart. Did their love ever die? Was it meant to be? The townspeople in my small town of Canyon Junction think so, and everyone is rooting for Jake and Beth.


      First, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty:

      This week Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas is over at StoryFinds for their Second Chance Romance Theme Week. Along with the book promotion, Whispers is also in a cover contest. I know, I know, I said I wouldn’t do these cover polls anymore when I had to ask for reader votes, and I haven’t for a few years. The pages are slow-loading, so be patient.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel western romance

      At StoryFinds, the site owner does a lot of promo for the cover poll. With a new release in this series, I wanted to do a bit of promo for the first book too. If you’re up to visiting the Theme Week Cover Poll, here is the link.   🙂 I’ve also included an excerpt from Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas. There is also an excerpt to go with the promo on StoryFinds.


      Moving On

      Set-up:

      The following excerpt comes from Chapter Five. Oh, boy, a lot has already happened since Jake and Beth ran into each other unexpectedly a few chapters ago. They’ve met for coffee, with his son along, on occasion, and Jake visited her home once. Now, weeks later, Jake Lawton and Beth Marconi are about to go on their first date in thirteen years.  They aren’t teenagers anymore. ❤

      What can get in their way this time?

      She brought out a part of him no one else could. No matter what it was, or what bothered him, she had found ways to dig it out. She should’ve been a damn psychologist. Well, he was about to cave again. “The first night at the restaurant when you walked out the door, I told myself you wouldn’t get away this time. Now, you’re talking about leaving.”

      A softness lingered on her face, and her lips slightly parted as she peered at him. “I’m home, Jake. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve wanted this since my divorce. San Antonio wasn’t for me if I had to be there alone. All I wanted was to have my own place here.”

      “Well, darlin’, there are a lot of condos in Canyon Junction. If you think that’s the old Jake being pushy, I guess you’re right.” When the radio went off, he put his arm around her shoulder and strolled to his truck to turn it back on. “This song and you in my arms is like old times.”

      Beth removed his arm from her shoulder and leaned against his truck. “A lot of things have changed. We’ve changed. But it didn’t take long to know a part of us hasn’t.” She smiled and his heart skipped a beat, for she said what he had been thinking.

      “I’ve noticed.” Jake gave her a cocky grin.

      Beth folded her arms over her chest and crossed her legs at the ankle while leaning against the truck. “Are you coming to my house? We can always get Italian to go. Tonight I’d like to kick back and relax.”

      “Nah, I’m not in the mood for Italian anymore. You got a grill at your house?”

      She shook her head. “My parents stopped grilling years ago. They turned into the frozen-dinners-at-3:00 p.m., crowd. Yes, it’s true, my Italian mother heated frozen dinners on occasion.”

      “No way. Wasting all the good cooking she used to do? You still like steak, Macaroni? Because I got a grill.” So much for being unsure of spending time alone together, because now it was all he could think about. The magnetism began to sizzle in a heartbeat, or it had never left.

      “Sometimes. Let’s do this.”

      The way her gaze ran over him as she spoke, caused a shudder. What had she seen in him? Jake placed his palms against the truck bed, one on each side of her and leaned close. “Let’s drop your car off, and you ride to my ranch with me. I’ll take you back home later on the way to pick up Trace, or you can go with me to get him.”

      Beth set her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes sparkled. “I made cheesecake last night.”

      Jake licked his lips, moving in closer. He wanted to kiss her so damn badly. “All right. I’ll follow you to your house.” For a moment, their gazes held, and it took all he had to pull away. If he didn’t know himself better, he’d swear he was shaking. Being close to her, smelling her, caused a rousing he wanted to let loose.

      On the way back to her car, she wrapped her arm around his waist. “Do you think we went through a time warp or worm hole? It almost seems like thirteen years hasn’t passed.”

      Jake slipped his arm around her shoulder, and he had a hard time swallowing. He opened her car door. When she got in and glanced up at him with those shamrock green eyes, his heart ached. Not a heartache, but an ache in his heart because that quick, he wanted her in his future. Enough time had been wasted between them, when it should’ve been them, all along.

      “Want to know a secret?” Beth held the door from closing.

      Jake blinked a couple times. “Oh, yeah, baby, I like secrets.”

      “If I’d had a son, his name would’ve been Trace, just like you and I had joked about. Named after the country singer you used to like. I loved the name, but not so much the music.”

      “Our kids with the same name would’ve been fantastic in such a freaky way.” He nodded and went back to his truck. Jake drove behind her all the way, and as they drove down her road, that big old Superstition Mountain to his left reminded him of the many nights he drove that same road to pick her up for a date, and then the last time, to run away with her—to marry her. What would’ve happened if that night had taken place?

      Western Romance, Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, Series RomanceY’all have a great week.

      Heart Image: Pixabay

      Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Excerpt | 13 Comments | Tagged Cover Poll, cowboys, Dating, first love, Mary J McCoy-Dresel, Second Chance Romance, small town, StoryFinds, Theme Week, western romance, Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas
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