Here's The Loving Season

The Loving Season (The MacLeans) is the first book of the MacLean series.

Originally a Desire, it is now epublished for your enjoyment. I hope. We're working on Angel vs MacLean and The Daddy Candidate, books 2 and 3 now.

Here's the story:
Author Rating--Sweet/Sensual. First of MacLean series, published as Desire, 1989. The Wyoming B&B is filled and on a voyage of self-discovery after a bad marriage, Diana is re-routed to a ranch home. She's not expecting a bagpipe-paying grumpy rancher. But she looks like a stray and Mac is keeping her. He's determined not to love again, and with 2 grown sons, Diana isn't planning romance, or physical attraction. And then, guess what happens?

Mac needs a fake romance with Diana to throw the judges into his favor. He's in a chili cook-off and desperately wants the prize against an old-time chili-contest foe. With Diana in his corner, he just might win.

I love to cook and you can find all my homemaking stuff at MyJamJar, my other blog. I've been so busy writing and getting my older books into epublishing that I had to let that go. But there's plenty of stuff there about baking, sewing, squash, etc. And cookies, perfect for this time of year.

Last night I watched a program on bagels, so that may be coming up.

But for now, here's My chili recipe. It's loosely measured, as I'm a pinch of this and a scoop of that cook.:

Slowcooker:
Soak black dry beans through the night. (I see no reason to pay higher for canned, when you can make a whole slowcooker and use them as you go, i.e. tacos, chicken tortilla soup, etc.)

Cook until tender. Add browned hamburger (or not). Add tomatoes, canned or not. (I can my own.) Add 1 whole onion, chopped, garlic. Add green pepper.* (see below) You can brown the previous with hamburger., small can green chiles, then start spicing: chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika.

Simmer for hours.

For variety, skip meat, add mushrooms, Rotel, etc. Top with Doritos, then cheese, or just cheese. Or chopped green onions. I like that fresh taste.

I think Mac's secret ingredient in The Loving Season (The MacLeans)
is not only Diana, but paprika.

What do you think?