Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance

Sensual western romance. Heartwarming stories. Strong family ties.
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance
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    • Questions, Blunders, Blue Snow, and Writing by the Seat of My Pants

      Posted at 5:36 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on June 27, 2022

      Not a Series – Not a Sequel?

      I posted the image below as my regular Facebook profile STORY post, but now I’m adding it here with an explanation.

      Yes, it’s true. Some readers asked for more after reading the first book. Yay, thanks! Big hugs. I’m writing a second book in the fictitious small town of Sugarton, North Dakota. Cullen Hollister, his family, and Elle from “Blue Snow in the Moonlight” will make their appearances. I can’t call it a sequel, I don’t think, but it is a SECOND BOOK.

      Or will it turn out to be the first book in a potential series? When it comes down to it, I’m not certain I can dedicate time to writing another series.

      Any suggestions as to what to call two books? It can’t be a duo because they’re one book with two stories (I think).

      Little Did I know

      At the time of writing Blue Snow, my new hero’s name popped into my head out of the blue as names do with me. I never expected to say or write his name again. The few lines with his name in book one were written to break up Cullen’s train of thought as he drove to his cottage. So, yes, to me he was just a name, and there was no reason to go further with him at the time. (Sorry, dude.)

      Things can change, can’t they? It took until a month ago to decide on a second book. As I jotted down a handful of ideas for this new book and my new hero, his name started sounding familiar to me. No wonder. I did a search and found a few famous people with his first and last name. Oh, great! Famous people? Duh. If I had plans on using him in the book or a second book, I would have completed a name search then.

      Since he is already mentioned in my already published book, I had choices: 1) keep his name, 2) come up with a new character never mentioned in Blue Snow, 3) change his name in Blue Snow in the Moonlight. Um, NOPE, or, 4) write a book in the same area not related to Blue Snow.

      Fixing the Name Blunder

      Pixabay by Tumisu

      The thing is, his first and last names are “first names.” Let’s take a first name and surname like John Roy (fictitious as far as I know). To fix my blunder, I separated my character’s first and last names with a hyphen and gave him a new surname. Lucky for me, I rarely have to mention the hyphenated name in the new book, because as it goes, he happens to hate his hyphenated name and insists on no one saying it like: “Don’t call me John-Roy! The name’s John.” Not my characters name.

      Moving On

      With this book, I’ve reverted back to writing “by the seat of my pants.” All I did was jot down a few paragraphs about what could happen, plus, I included character details. Let’s say, I finally got to know this hero. I’m looking forward to learning more. I changed my heroine’s name five or six times. Oh, I switched the spelling of her name three or four times. The poor girl is going to have an identity crisis.

      Next, I started writing. So here we are. I have no idea where the first 11,000 words came from, but boy-oh-boy was I glad when they poured out. Honestly, I’m not sure where it’ll go from here. Other than getting them to a happily ever after, of course. Did I mention I’m writing two other books? Long story there and maybe the “long story” might make it into a shorter blog post, cause this darn thing got long.

      Thanks for reading. Stay tuned to see how many more names I can change.

      It’s that time of year. Happy 4th of July Weekend, America. Also, Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends.

      Featured Image: Pixabay JolaKedra

      Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Blue Snow in the Moonlight | 7 Comments | Tagged #WritersLife, Blue Snow in the Moonlight Holiday Romance, cowboy, mary j mccoy dressel, Questions Blunders Writing by the Seat of Your Pants, western romance
    • Wordless Wednesday: Easy on the Eyes

      Posted at 12:08 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on June 8, 2022

      So much for a wordless post. I’m not ashamed.

      The strawberries are from a local grocery store. They were some of the best I’ve ever eaten. The ducks are in the back of the apartment building where I lived before here. A neighbor decorates the area every year. She had more flowers until the yard crew complained about her having too many plants and pots to cut around, so the manager asked her to remove some. The pretty indoor plant with marigolds is a gift from my youngest son and daughter-in-law at Easter. Now bugs are taking it over. How dare them!

      Wishing you all a beautiful day!

      Posted in #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Wordless Wednesday | 6 Comments | Tagged #WordlessWednesday, #WritersLife, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Wordless Wednesday: Easy on the Eyes
    • Wordless Wednesday: Chill Time

      Posted at 12:15 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on May 18, 2022
      February 2022.
      Close-up of the globe on the top of the sculpture in the previous image.
      I love this dog sculpture.
      Ahh, Love!
      Part of the nose and tail broke off.

      Thanks for visiting. Enjoy your day!

      Posted in #WritersLife, Wordless Wednesday | 5 Comments | Tagged #WordlessWednesday, #WritersLife, February 2022, ice sculptures, mary j mccoy dressel
    • Day 31 Bloganuary The End

      Posted at 6:23 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 31, 2022

      Oh, I love writing “The End” sometimes, but it’s bittersweet today. Time has flown by since I signed up for WordPress Bloganuary on January 15th and published my first post on January 16th. I’m glad I participated, even for only half of the month. For those of you who read the post I wrote after signing up, I’m proud to say that, yes, I did post my blog links on the #daily-prompt page for all to see.

      I found it easy to fall into the routine of posting over fifteen days. With that said, since today is the end of the month, I’ll miss reading posts by other participants while I’m drinking coffee each morning. This brings us to the last January Bloganuary prompt:

      How do you feel when you look at the stars?

      Looking at the night sky has always been a favorite pastime of mine. Memories of sitting and watching the stars… Wait. “Watching the stars” sounds weird, but that’s exactly what we do, isn’t it? But yes, I have many memories of sitting outside at night taking in every bit of the sky.

      Being at peace and feeling small in a big world is how I feel when looking at a star-studded sky, but I also feel lucky to know what a sky filled with stars looks like. If I ever lose my eyesight, I hope I can hold the sight in my memories.

      I’m almost certain at least one of my characters in each book makes a comment on the night sky. I’ve always pointed out stars and planets to my boys. Now they both use star apps on their phones.

      Photo by Hristo Fidanov from Pexels

      Living in an apartment complex like I do, it isn’t dark enough to see many stars. I feel like I’m missing out. It’s been a habit for years to look for the Big and Little Dippers and Polaris. I’ve never been able to find the many other constellations within our viewing range. I’ve found satellites, though.

      I guess this is where I’ll end this post and say farewell to Bloganuary and to the other participants. I don’t know if this is the first Bloganuary, but I’ll likely participate next year, too, if it comes to pass.

      Stay well. Be safe. See ya! ~MJ

      Featured Image credit: Sindre Strøm @ Pexels

      Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary | 3 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Big Dipper, Bloganuary, Little Dipper, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Night sky, Polaris, Starry skies
    • Day 29 Bloganuary: Simple Acts

      Posted at 6:21 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 29, 2022

      This is Day 29 for Bloganuary. I can’t believe there are only two days left both in January and Bloganuary. Today’s prompt is:

      How are you changing the world?

      Let’s face it… On a planet of billions, little old me trying to change this big old world is beyond my limitations. If I can change someone’s day, human (or animal), with an act of kindness or a smile behind my face mask, I’ll be happy to lift their spirit the best way I know how.

      How about this? In a grocery store, if someone stops their shopping cart to let me pass in front of them, I’ll say, “Thank you! I’m smiling behind my mask.” I see their eyes brighten and can tell they’re smiling, too. That’s a simple act, but kindness is remembered.

      When I have to throw away the drink carrier plastic we find on a four, six, or eight pack of bottles, I cut it into pieces so it doesn’t become a problem for wildlife like in this video. Recycling would, of course, be better if I lived closer to a recycling facility.

      In addition, I like to think that after all the years I taught children life skills and how to read, I had a part in giving them tools to contribute to changing their little part of the world, too, but who knows if one day they’ll want to take on a larger piece of the world.

      Shopping at smile.amazon.com helps to support a charity you care about. At this point, my charity is Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. In the past, it was Make a Wish Foundation and will be again one day.

      I didn’t expect to write this much, but here it is. Today’s prompt wasn’t easy for me to answer until I broke it down into simple things that can be done to change the world, even if only through one small act at a time.

      Have a wonderful night. ~MJ

      Featured Image Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

      Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged #daily-prompt, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel
    • Day 27 Bloganuary: Alone Time

      Posted at 8:14 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 27, 2022

      Hello. Welcome. This is the 27th prompt for Bloganuary. The month sure is moving along at a good click. FYI: If you’re asking what the heck is #Bloganuary, click here to learn more.

      Let’s get on to today’s Prompt.

      Where do you go when you need solitude?

      Solitude distracts me from the norm. For me, it’s walks in a park, near a lake, or uptown. Many people walk in my town. On some days, it’s rare to find an empty place there, but people watching and overhearing a bit of their conversations are part of my solitude, if that makes sense.

      Copyright Mary J. Dressel

      I live in a four season climate with harsh winters, so walking year round is often too cold. When possible, I walk to get away and breathe in fresh air. Since I’m alone a lot of the time, anyway, I don’t always need to be outside of my home to find solitude. If I stay inside, I read a book or watch TV. That escape acts as a distraction from what is my norm and gives me peace of mind. It might be hard to believe, but getting lost in writing is a form of solitude to me, too, because it takes me away to whatever setting I’m writing and gives me an escape the same way reading does.

      How do you find solitude or peace of mind?

      This link takes you to other bloggers’ posts who are using today’s prompt. Thanks for popping in today. ~MJ

      Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged #BloganuaryDay27, #daily-prompt, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel
    • Day 24 Bloganuary: Dreaming Dreams

      Posted at 5:47 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 24, 2022

      Our Bloganuary prompt for today is:

      Write about a dream you remember.

      This prompt can be taken a few different ways. To actually dream while you’re sleeping, a daydream, or a dream come true. Hmm. What does Merriam-Webster say?

      Some memories of dreams while sleeping escape me when I wake. If it’s a dream about a writing idea, and I wake right up, I write it down.

      Common dreams have me running away from or toward something and stumbling and falling. Or the falling off a cliff kind of falling. Fearful dreams because I’m running to get help or trying to call an emergency number. I rarely reach the phone or get the help needed for whatever my subconscious mind thinks I need. Sometimes someone is preventing me from running. You’d think I write horror with such dreams!

      Credit: mprietou/ Pixabay

      Other dreams are with the similar fearful energies where I need help for myself or someone else, but my voice freezes. This happened again two nights ago. I can’t remember the dream, but I had to sound threatening. Other people were in the dream and near me, but I don’t know who, why, or what they were doing, but it wasn’t good…

      Over and over I tried to yell, but my words barely came out and when they did, they couldn’t be understood because of my fear. I remember trying, trying, trying to get sensible words out, and finally, I yelled, “GO! GET OUT” as loud as I could… In reality.

      I woke myself up!

      I know others have dreams of running or falling, too. Please tell me I’m not the only one who screams out in the night. I have heard one of my boys yell out in his sleep before.

      So, there’s my Day 24 response to a dream or dreams I “sort of” remember. Have a good one, folks!

      Pleasant dreams.

      Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 5 Comments | Tagged #AmReading, #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, dreams, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, memory
    • Day 23 Bloganuary: Advice To My Teen Self

      Posted at 12:36 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 23, 2022

      The true prompt for today is or should have been: “Interview a Fictional Character.” I wasn’t feeling it, so I backtracked to January 1st. It was the first quote for Bloganuary 2022 before I signed up.

      What advice would you give to your teenage self?

      My mom and I had a rocky relationship during my teen years. As I grew older, I realized our dysfunctional family wasn’t like other families. Mom did what she could to keep me and my brothers safe. What I mean is, my mom was an abused woman and did anything to avoid a confrontation. To this day, I’m sorry that I gave her a difficult time during my teen years, especially when I was fourteen. Eighth grade was one of the worst school years of my life, and I contributed to making my mom’s life miserable that year, too.

      I’d tell myself as a teen to be kinder to my mother. Her life wasn’t her own, and she did the best she could with what she had.

      Regardless, whenever abuse came into the picture, and my older brother wasn’t there to step in, I took his place and did what my young self could do to protect her. As I got older, we became close and our relationship strengthened even more when I became a mom. My mom became a wonderful grandmother to her grandkids.


      Whew, I didn’t expect to write all this personal stuff, but it’s here now. Maybe someone else will pop in one day to read it and give advice to their teenage self.

      Is there any advice you’d like to give to your teenage self?

      Thanks for reading today, folks. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. ~MJ

      Featured Image Image by Rebecca Scholz from Pixabay

      Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 3 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #WritersLife, Bloganuary, Day 23 #daily-prompt, Mary J McCoy-Dressel
    • Day 22 Bloganuary: Sharing a Quote

      Posted at 1:31 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 22, 2022

      Prompt of the day for Bloganuary: What is your favorite quote and why?

      Day 22. Today’s quote is one of my favorites by Robert Brault. Why did I use this quote? Sometimes we have to appear strong even when we aren’t. What about the times we’re vulnerable? Don’t we all need a safe place to fall when we need others to be strong for us, even if it’s with nothing more than a hug? I love hugs. I think Robert explains it perfectly in his quote.

      Robert Brault hasn’t written a quote I haven’t liked. Not that I’ve seen every quote he’s written. A visit to his blog today left me with bittersweet feelings. He’s calling it quits. See below the quote.

      He says:

      After 13 years of blogging and tweeting (and as I push into my mid-80’s), I’ve decided it’s time (and probably past time) to call it a day.

      Robert Brault

      I’ll miss his posts and news. As well as quotes on his blog, he also has books available on Amazon in multiple countries.

      Wow, I’ve dropped two posts in your inboxes today. It’s not a record. Haha. Thanks for reading!

      Featured Image credit: Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

      Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged #AmReading, #AmWriting, #daily-prompt, #WritersLife, amazon, Bloganuary, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Robert Brault, Robert Brault Quote
    • Day 21 Bloganuary: Back or Forward in Time?

      Posted at 5:44 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on January 21, 2022

      Today’s Bloganuary writing prompt is:

      If you could, what year would you time travel to and why?

      Have you thought about time traveling? I’m not ashamed to admit I’d travel to the Victorian Era.

      If I knew the precise year I needed, I’d tell you. You see, I have a chalk drawing of my grandmother at eighteen. I believe it’s a chalk drawing. Before I was old enough to know any better, I destroyed a small area of the background by rubbing at it.

      The photograph is in horrid condition now, but I can’t part with it. The drawing is in full color with a slate colored muted background. The size of the drawing is around 16×20. I don’t know what the material is, but it crumbles and breaks after all these years. Let me tell you the story my grandmother told me about how the painting came to be, and why I’d like to travel back to ride the train with her.

      She traveled a lot as a young girl. One day while getting off the train at a station, an artist thought she was so beautiful that he asked if he could draw her. She grew up in Brookfield, Missouri, so the portrait could have been done in St. Louis. We’ll never know. I’d love to go back in time to ride the train with her and witness this event. Her hair is auburn in the drawing and styled similar to Jane Seymour’s hair on the cover of my Somewhere in Time CD.

      In the drawing, she wore a pink dress with a high neck. If I remember correctly, she wore a cameo broach. Could the cameo broach she had in her jewelry box when I was a child be the same one? A hat sat more toward the back of her head. She’s posed facing forward, but she wasn’t gazing at the artist.

      What do you think, readers and friends? Is there a year, an era, or event you’d like to experience? Let us know in the comments. Until the next time, stay well and be safe.

      Train track credit: Image by Peter Mayer from Pixabay

      Posted in #AmReading, #AmWriting, Bloganuary | 0 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #Bloganuary, #BloganuaryDay21, #daily-prompt, #WritersLife, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Time Travel
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