Mac and Cheese ala Marin Thomas Plus Contest!

I'm delighted to welcome Harlequin American Romance author Marin Thomas. Marin's latest book, A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE, is available now. Marin will choose a random commenter today to win a free copy of A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE (US and Canada only). Be sure to post a comment, and then check back tomorrow morning to see if you've won. She will post the winner's name in a comment, along with her email address so you can claim your prize.

Buy from Amazon: A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE

Hot, Young Cowboy...
Winning dominated Riley Fitzgerald’s mind...until the day he met Maria Alvarez. Now, all the rodeo champ can think about is winning Maria’s heart--a task that may be tougher than busting broncs.
Beautiful, Older Teacher...
As a struggling teacher of at-risk teens in an impoverished, gang-infested neighborhood, Maria doesn’t trust the affections of a rich, hot-shot cowboy, especially one who’s ten years her junior. But she can’t deny the attraction between them--and luckily, Riley’s never been one to back down from a challenge.
Is She Out Of Her Mind?
There’s only one thing that’s more important to Riley than earning another world title, and that’s earning Maria’s trust. He’s got one chance to prove to Maria that he’s all the man she’ll ever need, and she’s the only woman he’ll ever want.

Three Random Questions for Author Marin Thomas

Susan: You’ve lived in a lot of different places and recently moved again. What’s the hardest adjustment for you to make when you move to a new state, a new town, a new home?

Marin: New State…Adjusting to a change in political climate…whether it's a red state or blue state every aspect of our lives is affected by the predominant political party of the state we live in….school districts, social programs, taxes, TV news coverage and general laws specific to that state.

New Town…Finding new doctors and dentists.

New Home…Starting from scratch creating that "homey" feel. I hate having to prioritize my wish list of home repairs and makeovers…I want everything done now!

Susan: What’s a non-writing accomplishment that makes you proud?

Marin: My Academic-All American status when I played basketball at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Susan: You write wonderful cowboy heroes, including this month’s A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE. What’s something interesting that happened to you in real life while learning about cowboys and rodeos?

I attended my first rodeo at age 16 in Colorado. I was wowed by the good looking, larger-than-life cowboys strutting their stuff around the arena. My uncle knew the father of one of the bull riders so he took me down to the cowboy-ready area and introduced me to the bull rider. The cowboy grinned, flashing his missing front teeth then dug around in his gear bag until he found his dental bridge. He stuck it in his mouth and said, "There, now I can talk." That took all the romance out of my cowboy fantasies. When I began writing rodeo stories I decided then and there that my cowboy heroes would not be missing any of their pearly whites!

Marin Thomas's Mac and Cheese

1 (12 oz) container cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Sharp or Mild)
½ cup 2% Milk
1 green onion, chopped
½ Teaspoon pepper
½ Teaspoon salt
1 Egg
Topping
½ cup Breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon paprika

Mix cottage cheese and sour cream in blender until smooth. Combine all ingredients with the noodles and pour into greased baking dish. Mix bread crumbs and paprika, sprinkle on top of casserole then coat top of dish with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Variations: You can use low-fat dairy products in this recipe and it tastes just as good. For a heartier “crunch” use homemade croutons instead of the bread crumbs. Lightly toast croutons in butter and garlic salt spread over casserole and sprinkle with paprika. My husband loves the flavor of crisply browned croutons as you can see in the photo.