Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance

Tag: Two-Five Ranch Outlaws

• Short Snippet Saturday: Cold Heart

  Posted at 6:34 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 22, 2022

  

  Two-Five Ranch Outlaws

  Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart

  This short scene in italics takes place earlier in the day and leads into today’s snippet below the fence post: Karis shifted in the saddle to look back at Tanyon standing in the doorway. He pointed to his watch. She’d be having dinner with him in a few hours. The thought made her tremble inside to think the ranch boss might find it in his heart to forgive her.

  ---

  

  I’ve made a slight modification to the excerpt. This scene follows in Tanyon’s POV:

  The closer it got to dinner time, the more stressed he became. He wanted to skip dinner out. A lot of work still waited on the ranch. Regardless, he had planned to drive up toward the Grand Canyon but decided against it. His heart wasn’t into having a date tonight. Dinner at one of the bar restaurants in Williams sounded doable and was a short drive away. A pretzel burger or ribs and a beer flight sounded good. Then again, with his sour mood tonight, he didn’t want the busyness of Williams or the Grand Canyon.

  He couldn’t shake the heavy heart concerning Karis. Now, he’d given her the wrong idea by asking her out. Like Sedona hadn’t given her the wrong idea? He sighed, still conflicted over what to do. He’d hoped the more time they’d spent with each other, the better it would get, but he had this wall to scale first. Being together hadn’t set him free from decisions. In fact, after holding her close during the dance, he didn’t want to call it quits yet.

  Before driving home, he pulled off the road at the gate to the open field where he’d taken her… Where he should’ve taken her fully. Maybe she would’ve gotten pregnant that night. She’d still be here taking advantage of the shoulder he could’ve offered when she damn well needed one. Instead, the night had led to a magnificent quickie, if you wanted to call what they’d done that night, a quickie.

  

  He glanced out at the openness. How dark it got on a moonless night. Now, the memory made him crazy with anger. Not the memory, no, the memory…aroused him, but the events that happened afterward had left him cold and heartbroken. She’d left him. He clenched the steering wheel tighter.

  She’d left him, and his heart had grown cold.

  Then the answer popped into his head. If anything could bring him back, it’d be sitting beside her in the bed of his truck with the silent musings of that night in both of their minds when he’d loved her so much. Tanyon nearly called her to tell her to dress casually, but she sure wasn’t dressed casual then. He made a turn to go toward the grocery store deli in Wills Bend.

  Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, Book #1

  Read Now: Universal Buy Link

  

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  Book Description

  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?

  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?

  Available at Amazon

  UNIVERAL BUY LINK

  ---

  

  Thanks for visiting today. Stay heathy and safe.

  Fence Post Credit: Pixabay caitgreer. Girl in Black dress: Pixabay StockSnap. Featured Image Pixabay: Edited by Mary.

  Posted in #AmWriting, Short Snippet Saturday, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws | 3 Comments | Tagged Grand Canyon, Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart, mary j mccoy dressel, Sedona, Short Snippet Saturday, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, western romance, Williams Arizona

• Snippet: South of True North ~ Don’t Expect Miracles

  Posted at 1:26 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 13, 2022

  

  Hi! I could wait until Short Snippet Saturday to post this, but I should keep “short” snippets for that topic. This one isn’t short. I’m sharing an excerpt from my second new release, South of True North, featuring Cade and Faith. Faith isn’t in this, but she’s the topic of discussion.

  Book Description

  Townsfolk cheered when they fell in love. Then they destroyed them with rumors and lies.

  Rancher Cade Outlaw and his ex-fiancée share custody of their daughter, and they’re growing close again. Her ex-boyfriend’s vengeful attack on her seven years ago destroyed Cade and Faith’s happily ever after. When he asks for a do-over, he vows to protect the relationship from the pain that separated them—to keep her and their child safe from their past. But how can he take a step back if he gets the chance to settle the score? Is his love for Faith and Nadia strong enough to hold on to the second chance they deserve?

  Heartbroken, pregnant, fired from her job, and Cade’s focus on avenging the assault took a toll on Faith Ribeiro. To heal, she’d left him. Years later, a Fundraising Executive and single mom, she lives with emotional and physical scars. Cade is the only man she’ll love, and she can’t deny the powerful chemistry between them. However, rekindling a relationship may invite wickedness back into their lives. What will she do this time if Cade still wants to pay back her abuser? How much will her heart break if Nadia gets swept up in their chaos after striving to keep her from it?

  They’re stronger together, though they need to overcome the challenges standing in their way of a peaceful life—hate, heartache, vengeance, and family betrayal. But how will they hang on to the profound love they once shared if they don’t come out of this unscathed?

  Available at Amazon

  ---

  

  Setup: On the way home from an auction, Cade’s dad, one brother, and his sister are with him, so he decides it’s a good time to blast some news.

  As they pulled out of the diner, a truck horn bellowed. Their big rig hauling new cows pulled around to the larger parking area. Jesse waved. Cade chatted with Nadia at her bedtime before blasting his news. They neared home now. Time ran out.

  He rubbed his hands on his knees as chatter from Ronni and Dusty blurred in the back seat. He turned the volume down and gave a sidelong glance to his dad leaning against the front door. “Listen up. I have news to share you aren’t going to like, but keep it to yourselves until we get home, or I’ll put you out of my truck.”

  “Uh, this is my truck. Nobody’s getting out, son.”

  He took a deep breath. “Faith and I are considering a second chance. We have a daughter together and want it to work between us.”

  His dad canted his head toward the side window. “It’ll kill your mama.”

  “Daddy,” Ronni said from the back. “No, it won’t. I agree with Cade. Nadia needs a mother and a father to parent her together. We don’t want to see another man raising our flesh and blood. You talk to Mom.”

  Cade dragged his palm across the steering wheel. For sure he didn’t want another man parenting his kid. “Thanks, Ronni, but I’ll tell her myself.”

  Dusty shoved the seat behind Cade. “You sleep together for two nights and think you can start over?”

  He just about blew a brain gasket. Cade slid to a stop on the shoulder of the road, got out, and pulled the seat forward. “I haven’t slept with nobody. Get your ass out of the truck.”

  Dusty narrowed one eye and remained sitting. “I told you you’d start a shit-storm. Happy now?”

  Jesse raised his voice. “Get in the truck. Your brother isn’t walking home. You’re a grown-ass man. Act like it!”

  “You can join him, Dad. I mean it. Pay attention.” Idiot. Shit. He kicked his dad out of his own truck. He grabbed his hat off his head and shoved his fingers through his hair and repeated Faith’s phrase. “You don’t have to like her, but you need to accept she’s with me.”

  “Get in the damn truck, Cade Lee Outlaw, or I’m coming around there to drive, and I don’t see well at night.”

  Cade turned his back on them and gazed upward. Then he faced his dad, lifted a foot to the running board, and laid his eyes on Dusty.

  His dad continued, “All right. Fine. You’re back together. You’re old enough to make your own decisions whether they’re right or wrong. I know how we raised you, so most of them are right.”

  “This one affects us all, Dad,” Dusty warned.

  “Shut up, Dusty!” Ronni leaned forward. “What’s the big deal? Get your damn facts straight. Hear me, Dad? Here we are all these years later still hashing out the same shit. How do you see Faith being at fault when an asshole started the whole thing to get back at Cade? He beat her!”

  “Calm down, darlin’.”

  “No! I consider her a friend. If you want to turn your backs on me, go ahead. I’ll miss you all a hell of a lot if you do. Like Cade, I’ll come to work every day because my name is on the flippin’ business too.”

  “Nonsense. You’ll always be my little girl. Ladies don’t curse like that, honey.”

  “You raised me to be a cowboy, not a lady. Give Faith and Cade a chance. Why make it hard on them? Now, they have an innocent little child. I hope you can find it in your hearts to do the same.” She sat back and folded her arms. “I thought Outlaws stuck together.”

  Well, obviously, Dusty wasn’t getting out, but wow, his sister let loose. Cade shoved the seat back and got behind the wheel, continuing to drive toward home. “I’ll have Nadia from after work tomorrow through the weekend. Please, for her sake, don’t bring this up because if you speak bad about her mom, you’ll lose her. If you can’t, I’ll keep her at Faith’s while she’s out of town.” He glanced in the mirror at Dusty who nodded. Wow.

  “You have my acceptance,” Dusty said in a calmer tone. “You’re right. This foolishness has gone on long enough. Everybody should be able to love who the hell they want to love. Right, Dad?”

  “No comment. You aren’t the one going home to talk to your mother.”

  Cade scoffed. “She’s wrong about her, Dad, and always has been. Let me handle Mom.”

  “No one handles your mother. You know, Cade Lee, I’d do anything for your little girl. If this is what it takes, so be it. I wish you the best, and I honestly mean it, but it’ll take time. Don’t expect miracles overnight, boy.”

  “We’re determined to make it work this time. No matter what, and I’m telling you up front, if Garrett returns to town, he’ll pay for what he’s done to her.”

  “I got your back, bro.”

  “Appreciated.”

  His dad laid his hand on Cade’s shoulder and flicked his gaze back to Ronni. “We do stick together, honey. And, Cade, if the day comes when Faith becomes your wife, she’s included. You’ve got my word. However, I repeat… Don’t expect us to change at the snap of your fingers.”

  Cade’s throat closed up in emotion at his dad’s words. He could’ve done this the first time. “Don’t worry. I know better. It’ll break my heart if I leave my family. I’ve had a broken heart before.”

  Ronni tapped his shoulder with her water bottle. “Here’s to no more heartaches for us Outlaws.”

  End of Excerpt.

  

  ---

  I try not to post long excerpts like this, but since South of True North and Blue Snow in the Moonlight are new releases, I made an exception. Find a recent snippet for Blue Snow HERE.

  Thank you for reading. Have a peaceful rest of your week. ~MJ

  Posted in #AmWriting, South of True North, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws | 3 Comments | Tagged amazon, mary j mccoy dressel, Snippet: South of True North ~ Don't Expect Miracles, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, western romance

• New Reads for the New Year ~ Two New Releases

  Posted at 3:28 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 1, 2022

  

  Grab a beverage and a snack. This is long. 😊

  Can you believe it? I published these books in the nick of time to get a 2021 release date. I’ve never in my years of publishing on KDP had a book uploaded and then published as fast as these two. I took it as a good sign. I uploaded them both on December 30th one after the other. Odd, that one book has a publication date of December 29th and the other the 30th. Either way, they’re out in the world now! For the first time ever, I’ve put one of my books in Kindle Unlimited–the holiday romance. Both books are released only on Amazon.

  Both book covers were designed by Dawné Dominique at DusktilDawn Designs. She’s my hero!

  So, now I present to you my two new releases. Big breath in and big breath out.

  Blue snow in the Moonlight: A Holiday Romance

  California woman with Midwest roots. Hot cowboy in cold North Dakota. If anyone needs Christmas magic, it’s Cullen and Elle.

  

  Without kids, a cattle ranch, and a renter in his cottage, Cullen Hollister would hibernate during Christmas. Instead, he’s holding a detonator to brighten Sugarton in a festive display of lights. Then a stranger’s forever smile speeds up the beat of his wounded heart. An acquaintance introduces his niece with a heart seemingly as cold as Cullen’s. They’re thrown together in a cottage he loathes, but he’s drawn to her, admiring her assertiveness, down-to-earth nature, and sexy blue-snow eyes. He discovers a yearning more powerful than stubbornness. But it’s hard to trust after being burned once. If Christmas magic is real, maybe making memories with Elle will lead to a forever love after all. First, he needs to know he can trust her with his and his kid’s hearts.

  Elle Palmer-Shaw uses her cousin’s wedding in North Dakota as an escape from sorrowful memories. Her aunt and uncle beg her to move back to her roots. With her work, she can live anywhere. When she meets the handsome green-eyed owner of the cottage, a simmering attraction grows, and Christmas takes on a new meaning. His memories of the cottage are painful, yet he makes her an offer she can’t refuse. It’s a simple solution until she’s called back home. She tries to convince Cullen to keep the rental cottage available—to give them a chance when she returns, even after dropping a bombshell on him about her past. But will he destroy his walls and let her in, or will he continue to exist instead of live and love?

  Read free with Kindle Unlimited. Available on Amazon.

  ---

  My Second New Release:

  NOTE: If you read “Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart” book one in this series, you heard rumors and lies about Cade’s ex-fiancée, Faith. She never made an appearance in the book. I had no intention of making Faith the heroine, but as characters are known to do, she kept nudging me until I gave in. Then I realized I had started their story in the first book. They deserved to have their story told.

  Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, #2

  South of True North

  Townsfolk cheered when they fell in love. Then they destroyed them with rumors and lies.

  

  Rancher Cade Outlaw and his ex-fiancée share custody of their daughter, and they’re growing close again. Her ex-boyfriend’s vengeful attack on her seven years ago destroyed Cade and Faith’s happily ever after. When he asks for a do-over, he vows to protect the relationship from the pain that separated them—to keep her and their child safe from their past. But how can he take a step back if he gets the chance to settle the score? Is his love for Faith and Nadia strong enough to hold on to the second chance they deserve?

  Heartbroken, pregnant, fired from her job, and Cade’s focus on avenging the assault took a toll on Faith Ribeiro. To heal, she’d left him. Years later, a Fundraising Executive and single mom, she lives with emotional and physical scars. Cade is the only man she’ll love, and she can’t deny the powerful chemistry between them. However, rekindling a relationship may invite wickedness back into their lives. What will she do this time if Cade still wants to pay back her abuser? How much will her heart break if Nadia gets swept up in their chaos after striving to keep her from it?

  They’re stronger together, though they need to overcome the challenges standing in their way of a peaceful life—hate, heartache, vengeance, and family betrayal. But how will they hang on to the profound love they once shared if they don’t come out of this unscathed?

  DISCLAIMER: This story contains references to domestic abuse that happened outside of the book. Our hero, Cade, is NOT the abuser. Brief scenes and memories play out in Faith and Cade’s thoughts and narration, and may be troubling for some readers.

  Available on Amazon

  Check out Book One in the Two-Five Ranch Outlaws Series:

  

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  Wishing You A New Year, Bursting With Joy, Roaring With Laughter And Full Of Fun. ― Happy New Year 2022.

  I wish the new year’s blessings were my words, but the credit goes to: New Year Wiki.

  New year image credit: MAKY_OREL @Pixabay.

  Mockups from MockupShots.

  Featured Image Credit: Raventhorne @Pixabay.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Cover Reveal, holiday, New Release, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws | 8 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Blue Snow in the Moonlight, Cowboy Romance Series, Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, New Release, South of True North, Two New Releases, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, western romance

• Short Snippet Saturday: Listen for once!

  Posted at 3:32 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 16, 2021

  

  Hello again. I’ve decided to stick to my Short Snippet Saturday posts on an occasional Saturday instead of participating in the weekly Book Hooks Blog Hop.

  ---

  Today, I’m bringing you a snippet from Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart, Book One in the Two-Five Ranch Outlaws Series. With this book, I have a clear understanding of why series books sell better to a lot of readers. Book two was supposed to be published in 2020, and book three this year, but book two never made it in 2020. Therefore, I see less sales without another book in the series for a reader to rush into. I’ve heard that readers prefer to buy an entire series, or at least more than just one book. I think low sales on this book proves that to be true. Who knows, really.

  This snippet features Tanyon and Karis, our hero and heroine in this book. Tanyon’s baby brother, Levi, and his older sister, Veronica, or Ronni to family and friends appear in this snippet. Tanyon is speaking to Ronni and Karis. Young punks Logan and Rudy, also make an appearance. They are troublemaking ranch hands, but Logan is bad to the bone. Tanyon has good reason not to like him. Rudy is tolerable. The babies Karis refers to are bottle calves.

  

  Book Description

  *Plunge into the first book in Mary’s Brand-new Western Romance Series—Two-Five Ranch Outlaws.

  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?

  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?

  *Heat Level: Rated “R” by movie standards – Steamy

  ---

  

  Logan and Rudy, the double-trouble duo, rounded the barn on horses. Logan glanced their way, waited, then nodded. Tanyon ignored him. “I’ll tell you later. Please, listen to me for once?” He glanced at Karis. “Both of you.”

  Karis responded with a nod. “I’ll saddle Joanie. You better have a talk with Max, as well, Tanyon, because of Brielle.” As she left them, Tanyon asked Levi to go into the barn with her until he finished with the calves.

  “I’ll be happy to kick his sorry ass if he tries anything,” Levi muttered on the way.

  In the barn, she walked past Logan and into the tack room for Joanie’s saddle and bridle. Levi brought his horse, Thunder Bay, a white paint gelding into the cross ties and brushed him. Logan and Rudy did the same with the horses they had ridden, but they finished way too soon to have done a thorough job. No surprise.

  “How do you like feeding those babies?” Levi asked Karis.

  She smiled as she used the round brush on Joanie. “I don’t know what it is… Feeding them with a bottle is remarkable, like I’m their mom!”

  “Maybe one day you will be. I wouldn’t mind having another little niece or nephew around here.”

  Karis gasped. “Shame on you, Levi. What a big assumption.” If she hadn’t left a year ago, maybe she’d be pregnant with Tanyon’s child by now. She shook her head to clear it from thinking of such things that had been out of their control.

  Ronni entered the barn to get her thoroughbred from the stall. Logan strode over to her, offering to brush him down and tack the horse for her.

  Ronni smiled at Logan, and Karis reckoned her smile had been fake. A keep their enemy closer type thing.

  “Sure, you can help me.” Ronni replied, winking at Karis across the way.

  Karis eyed them, hoping for Ronni’s sake it was a fake smile. If something went on with those two, no one would be able to keep the shotgun out of the Outlaw men’s hands, if he had anything to do with the lawsuit, but she couldn’t picture Ronni as a cougar.

  Tanyon came in behind Ronni, frowning when he saw she and Logan brushing the horse together. Karis and Levi exchanged glances as they lifted saddles onto their horse’s backs, but neither said anything. She listened to what Tanyon had to say though.

  “Hey, Logan, I heard you were in the loft with that little girl, Brielle. She’s fifteen years old. Unless you want to go to jail or get shot in the head by her dad, you better wipe that smug grin off your face and listen up. Stay away from her and the others.”

  “You got it all wrong—”

  “No, I don’t. I know everything that goes on around here. Everything,” he said narrowing his eyes. He strode over to Joanie to put her bridle on. “You almost ready, Karis? Fox is feeding the calves.”

  She couldn’t picture hard-nosed Fox feeding any baby. “Uh-huh, but I need to get a bottle of water.”

  Tanyon had taken Joanie out of her stall while Karis was gone and had waited outside the barn. The three of them mounted the horses and left the barn at a slow pace. Karis shifted in the saddle to look back at Tanyon standing in the doorway. He pointed to his watch. She’d be having dinner with him in a few hours. The thought made her tremble inside to think the ranch boss might find it in his heart to forgive her.

  Read now: Amazon or Universal Buy Link

  Thank you for visiting today.

  Enjoy your weekend. Stay safe out there.

  Posted in #AmWriting, Short Snippet Saturday | 7 Comments | Tagged Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart, mary j mccoy dressel, Short Snippet Saturday, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, western romance

• #MFRWhooks Book Hooks ~ Who is Knocking?

  Posted at 2:22 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 1, 2020

  

  I almost didn’t participate in Book Hooks this week. Then when I realized it was Tuesday instead of Wednesday, I had plenty of time and no excuse. Do you mix up your days?

  BOOK HOOKS

  Two-Five Ranch Outlaws series.

  

  Featuring Cade Outlaw and the rest of the family.

  That evening at the auction, Cade received a text from Faith. He left the sales barn, reading on his way out: Leftovers tonight? Remember, it’s your favorite. Nadia will eat this again.

  Cade replied: Don’t count on me for dinner. I’ll be late. After Nadia’s bedtime if things don’t pick up speed here.

  I’ll save you a plate to warm up in case you’re hungry or save it for the ranch?

  He sighed. How could he take Faith’s leftovers to the ranch? Ah hell. His dad, sister, and one of his brothers were all in one place. This was his chance to tell part of the family at once. The ride home might be hell, but he had to get it out in the open before Nadia spilled it tomorrow. He answered: Sure. Appreciated.

  Cade put his phone in his back pocket and sauntered inside with his hands sweaty and his stomach churning. He could sit no longer than a few minutes. “I’ll be right back,” he said to his dad who hadn’t looked away from observing the goings on with their cow up for bidding. Outside, he headed to his truck, turned on the radio, and did some deep breathing. Chaos sucked life from his soul.

  Fear wasn’t what it was that made him doubt telling them. Nothing would change his mind now that it’s come this far. The transformation of the family makeup is what bothered him. The bond with his siblings would disintegrate, and he’d live with the daily bullshit he’d hear all day at work. He’d never let them push him out of the business. Weighing the options again, he knew what he had to do, and do it tonight. He jerked at a knock on the tailgate.

  ---

  I have no pre-order links or even a blurb written for this book, and a tentative title. It isn’t finished yet. However, book #1 is available. Book one hints at the issue Cade is having with the mother of his child and his family. Cade’s feelings may have never died. Had Faith’s?

  ---

  Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart, Book #1.

  

  #1

   

  Universal Buy Link

  Amazon Review:  A very good read.. Loved the characters in the Outlaw family plus the drama within a drama. The details of my birth state was amazing.

   

   

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  Thanks for stopping by on Book Hooks Wednesday. Participating authors can be found HERE.

  Keep the ones you love, and yourself, safe and well. Stay Home. Stay Safe.

  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.

  Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWhooks, #WritersLife, Book Hooks | 12 Comments | Tagged #MFRWauthor, #MFRWhooks, Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart, mary j mccoy dressel, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws

• Short Snippet Saturday: Bad Outlaws Know the Truth

  Posted at 1:03 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on October 19, 2019

  

  Hi! Happy weekend. I’ve returned this Saturday with another excerpt from Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart. This one is a fun scene on the Two-Five Ranch between Karis and Tanyon with a couple other family members who make their appearances. Haunted House is mentioned and is one of the Five Common Elements used in the book. The haunted house episode referred to happened earlier which is another scene I love in the book. Oh, Max is an element too!

  ---

  

  Karis went downstairs to wait for Tom and wandered into the kitchen. When had she eaten last? Lunch on the trail? A scrumptious sweet-cinnamon aroma filled the house bringing on an inkling of a memory from childhood. The oven was still warm when she walked by. It must’ve been dessert, so she opened it to see what Max had made. Mmm, apple pie.

  “Where’s the pie,” Tanyon asked, entering the kitchen, soaking wet. “Something smells delicious.”

  She laughed at his wet clothes and hair plastered to his head. Albeit, she didn’t mind his wet shirt hugging his abs. “Maybe you’ll patch your floor in the truck now?”

  “Yeah, I don’t remember until it’s raining. Bring the pie over here. I’m starved.”

  “No way. I’m not dealing with Max. He made this pie for a reason. I know dinner is around here somewhere.”

  “Yeah, because I asked him to make apple or cherry pie.”

  She blocked the oven. “No. I have to hear it from him.”

  He strode over to her, set his hands on her upper arms and attempted to move her. She held her ground, but he hadn’t tried hard, or she would’ve been moved. She giggled. “Stop.”

  Tanyon tickled her in the ribs. “I know how to get you out of the way.”

  She fought off his hands, laughing and protecting her ribs at the same time. “I’m not ticklish, anymore.” Like hell.

  “Hey, what’s going on here?” Max’s big voice roared. “You’re after pie, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t worry, she’s protecting it like her life depended on it.” Tanyon chuckled.

  “It does!” Max bellowed.

  Tanyon raised his hands. “Come on. Didn’t you make it because I asked?”

  “Well…”

  “Ah, ha.” He gazed at Karis with a devil grin on his face then lifted her off the floor and moved her.

  “Get it out and come on over here, you two,” Max called. “I’ll get the ice cream. Tanyon, change your damn wet clothes. Go on. You’re worse than a kid dripping on the floor.”

  “You’re bad, Outlaw.” Karis chuckled when Tanyon and Max said, ‘No, I’m not’ at the same time. “You both know the truth.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Tanyon hurried out of the kitchen.

  Max made the cut. “You get the first bite, and we’ll rub it into his face.”

  “Literally?”

  Max reconsidered. “Ah, better not.”

  She got plates from the cupboard. “You’ll get me in more trouble. He’s already mad at me.”

  “He’s always mad at somebody, but darlin’, he isn’t mad at you. He was worried because you broke down in front of the haunted house.” Max snorted as he sliced the pie.

  “Not you too.”

  Tanyon entered the room with a dry shirt and the same wet and muddy pants, but he’d combed his hair. He raised a brow at Karis. “You two will do good to remember who signs your checks.”

  “Yeah, Ronni signs the checks.” She defiantly held eye contact with him until Max waved a spoon between them.

  “I’m glad you asked for pie this morning, Tanyon. I’ve been wanting to make apple or cherry.”

  She dished out ice cream. “Me too! Cherry would be delicious.” A grumbling tummy wasn’t necessary to know she was ravenous.

  “That’s why I made both. With this bunch, how could I only make one?” Max howled. “I made four.”

  Cade came in, ducking through the doorway with Nadia on his shoulders.

  Karis poured her, Tanyon, and Max a cup of coffee. “Nadia, have you been playing in the rain?”

  Nadia flicked her smiling gaze to Cade. “Me and Daddy danced in the rain.”

  “Sweet!” Karis said.

  End of excerpt.

  

  I wanted apple pie while writing this scene. Mmm, even I could smell it. No, I haven’t had any yet. LOL.

  I appreciate you taking the time to visit. Thank you. ❤ ❤

  ---

  A Common Elements Romance Project Novel

  Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart (Two-Five Ranch Outlaws #1)

  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?

  Enjoy your weekend.

  Posted in #AmWriting, Common Elements Romance Project, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws | 4 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, Five Common Elements, Haunted House, Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, New Release, Short Snippet Saturday, The Common Elements Romance Project, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, western romance

• Short Snippet Saturday: Karis Returns (Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart)

  Posted at 12:19 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on October 5, 2019

  Pay no mind to the word short in Short Snippet Saturday today. I’m presenting to you the end part of Chapter One in one of my new releases this week. I love this story so much. I’m having withdrawals or I’m homesick for not being on the ranch, or in Wills Bend, and Sedona. This includes being with Tanyon and Karis and the whole crew of characters. Does that happen to you?

  ---

  

  Set-up: Karis had arrived at the ranch tonight a year after suffering a tremendous loss. Grief had destroyed her and during that time, she’d let Tanyon slip away. Now, she’s back seeking a second chance. They came in contact earlier at the campfire. It didn’t go well. Later in the evening, she learned that the cabin she and two of her friends usually stayed in, was no longer available. She also learned some devastating news about Tanyon’s ranch. This excerpt is later that evening…

  Two Five Ranch Outlaws, Book #1

  Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart

  Excerpt from the end of Chapter One

  

  Coming toward her, he barely stopped before exiting the barn. “I’ll be right back.”

  Should she stay or go? Go where? She couldn’t walk into his house and upstairs until she knew for sure where she’d stay. Karis sighed.

  Upon his return, he continued his chores. “I’ll have to get your key. Like I said, I didn’t know for sure if you were coming.” He continued mixing the horse’s feed and nutrients. “If I’d seen your application before Carmen, I’d a torn it up. Did you not have dinner?”

  Go ahead, let his words beat her up. She deserved his harshness from walking away from the best man she’d ever find. “I ate on the way. Is there anywhere else I can stay on the ranch?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I’ll get a room near Williams.” She took out her phone to search for a number and attempted to leave the barn.

  He caught her arm and placed his hand over hers holding the phone. “You don’t need to stay at a hotel for crissakes.”

  She broke her hand free, continuing to search. “I’ll try the motel I stayed at a few years ago. They have great mountain views there.”

  He shook his head. “Look around, dammit. You have forested mountain views here. Don’t be silly. Stay at the ranch.”

  Karis glanced around at the updated interior. The barn had been organized since he’d returned and had order now. Hay nets hung above short stacks of hay bales. Feed bags had their own place at the rear of the good-sized room. Windows had been cleaned. He took better care of this barn than he had himself lately. “All right. At least for tonight. Need any help out here?”

  “Nope. I hire people to do this when I can’t.”

  She had to get away. The urge to be close to him became too much, and now she longed to feel his touch again. “I’ll wait on the porch.”

  Tanyon called, “Karis? I’ll be over when I’m done here.”

  Her name on his lips was more than she could bear. She shouldn’t have come. This would be hard, and she didn’t need hard right now, at least not that way. Karis picked up the handle of her suitcase, grabbed her backpack, and trudged through the sand over to his moderately sized house with newly painted steps and new shutters on the second-floor windows. In fact, the whole house had been painted.

  She sat on the third step up out of eight. A white railing enclosed the wrap-a-round porch, separated by four white, wood pillars. The house sat high in the front and atop a two-car garage beneath it with an extended storage area. The rear of the home had a slight slope and a fancy patio his mom had designed.

  How dare he assign her to the room next to his. Tiredness settled in, and she leaned back on her elbows to relax. Tomorrow she’d deal with this situation. She glimpsed the star-studded sky, forgetting how black it got up here, and already missed her niece and nephew. Karis moved from the steps and took a seat in a dark-stained Adirondack chair facing away from the lighted porch. Her clothes and hair had captured the smell of the campfire.

  Thinking of her family now, and according to everything she’d learned, and would advise her grieving patients, they shouldn’t have gone through her brother’s belongings yet. Albeit, his house had to be emptied and there’d been no choice but to go through his beloved items—paintings and writings—photographs from around the world, the kid’s toys, their clothes, and bedroom furniture they’d need at their new home with Aunt Karis.

  Later, she jerked when a foot tapped hers. She lifted her sleepy eyes to his. Oh, how she wanted to bring his face down to kiss his lips. Hers had been so needy these days.

  

  “You ready?”

  His voice held no compassion. She’d lost him. Omigod. He stood there looking so ruggedly handsome with that damn old hat, nice-fitting jeans though looser now, a t-shirt that clung to his strong upper physique, and his worn western boots. Karis stood. Tanyon’s released breath couldn’t be unheard. Had it come from frustration or something else? They grasped her luggage handle at the same time.

  “I got this.” He yanked it away.

  She slung her backpack over her shoulder and strode in beside him. His familiar all-male scent and sweat wafted through the air straight to her heart. “Give me a chance to explain what happened.”

  “Out of sight out of mind is the way I see it. A fling that meant nothing.”

  “So untrue! You know better. You certainly were not out of my mind, nor were you a fling. There hasn’t been anyone else. It was my mom and… My brother—the grief.” The word murdered remained unsaid. What had it mattered now whether he believed grief had destroyed her? Because it does.

  At the bottom of the wide polished stairway with a carpeted runner up the middle, he removed a key from the antique table in the foyer, took the backpack from her shoulder, and nodded up the stairs, then right at the top, and down a long open walkway, past her two friend’s rooms and to her door. Tanyon’s suite encompassed the whole end of the upstairs on this end.

  She’d known where it was but had never been in it on a personal basis. However, she and Tanyon had attempted to go in there one night until they were interrupted by two of his brothers dragging each other’s drunk asses up the stairs. All three of their rooms were to the left of the stairway, and Cade had the largest on that end. Ronni had a master suite downstairs next to an office since she had divorced and moved back home.

  She paused outside the door, wishing to see a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Karis spoke softly. “Why did you give me this room?”

  “I don’t answer work-related questions this late.” He unlocked the door and dropped the key into her hand. “Breakfast is at the usual time.”

  He entered his room yet he’d glanced back at her with a frown before closing the door. Good thing she’d slept a half hour in the chair because lying in bed a wall away from him would drive her mad.

  End of excerpt.

  ---

  You can always use the Look Inside feature on Amazon or order a free sample. Or, you know, buy the book.  ❤

  Enjoy your weekend.

  Posted in #AmWriting, Common Elements Romance Project, Excerpt, New Release, Short Snippet Saturday, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws | 7 Comments | Tagged #CommonElementsRomance, Common Elements Romance Project, Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart, mary j mccoy dressel, New Release, Northern Arizona, Romance, Short Snippet Saturday, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, western romance

• Release Day! Cowboys and Snowstorms

  Posted at 6:31 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on October 3, 2019

  What kind of author would I be if I didn’t announce Release Day! This is not a traditional new release announcement.

  It isn’t often I get to release two books in one day. Wait, what? I NEVER have! I might not again, either. So, here we go today, folks, and then I probably won’t bother you for a couple days. I’ll post excerpts later when I’m not posting these two together. Both books are on Goodreads.

  Is it weird to post both of them in one post since they’re so different from each other?  I never said I wasn’t weird.

  First up:

  Full-length Contemporary Western Romance

  Two-Five Ranch Outlaws, Book #1

  Imprisoned in a Cowboy’s Heart

  Cover Design by DusktiDawn Designs.

  I dedicated this book to my daughter-in-law.

  My heroine is both a psychologist and a cowpuncher. I have no idea how that happened. Ha-ha!

  One of the Five Common Elements was a “lightning storm.” That element turned out to be one of my favorite scenes in the book. So much, that I had to have it on my cover. It was either that or a sunrise in Sedona.

  

   

  Here’s the description so you don’t have to click over to the BOOK PAGE here on my site. However, if you want to learn more about The Common Elements Romance Project and the Five Common Elements, you’ll find it there.

  —

  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

  ---

  ---

  

  Next:

  Single Title – Two-hour read

  A Feel-good Holiday Romance Novella

  Secret Santa’s Rundown Sleigh

  Cover Design: DusktilDawn Designs

  I dedicated this book to my cousin and his family who live “up north” and grew up in the village in this book. Three of his brothers live there too. We had fun times when we were kids.

  I had fun writing this book and would like to write more like this.

  

  Description:

  A feel-good holiday romance novella. The heat level in this little tale is on the lighter side. Contains kissing, mild cursing, and alcoholic beverages.

  Why does a stroke of bad luck happen now while on her way to Mackinaw City, Michigan on a blustery weekend? Two days before Christmas, Terra Westbrook and her young daughter have nowhere to stay. How can she convince her child that Santa will find her while sleeping in their car in a gas station parking lot—if they don’t die from hypothermia first? For her child’s sake, she accepts an invitation of a warm home from a resident in the village, but Terra soon learns, the kind person had no right to offer. However, she never expects the homeowner to be a lonely widower who hides tenderness and a big secret under his hard-hearted exterior.

  Jude Overton isn’t interested in a relationship let alone a wife. He tried marriage once. Sometimes his heart still aches. Now, if only his sister would get the message to stop matchmaking him with single women. His life is complete raising his daughter. He’s doing the best he can to make her happy. Jude accepts this as enough until he gazes into a stranger’s melancholy eyes that hold an unspoken yearning. As the big day rolls around, he expects it’ll be just another day like the past five Christmases as a single dad, but maybe this year, he wants his sister to ignore his wishes.

  Universal Buy Link

  ---

  On the book page here on my site, I have a list of the differences between this book and the other books I write. I surprised myself when I wrote this novella. Maybe it’s a new calling.

   

  Thank y’all for reading this non-traditional and weird new release announcement.

   

  Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Common Elements Romance Project, New Release, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws | 5 Comments | Tagged A holiday romance novella, book one, contemporary western romance, Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, New Release, Secret Santa's Rundown Sleigh, Two-Five Ranch Outlaws

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