The Pepper Peach Murder
by Meg Benjamin
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GENRE: Cozy Mystery
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BLURB:
Roxy Constantine is the jam queen of Shavano, Colorado, and she’s fine with it. Not that things couldn’t be better. Her social life is a bust, and she’s still recovering from a bad experience as a line cook in Denver. But things are looking up when she meets local chef Nate Robicheaux. Roxy would like to get closer to Nate, but she’s fending off the unwanted attentions of another local, Brett Holmes, who won’t take no for an answer. When Brett threatens to derail Roxy’s appearance on a national cooking show, the two have a very public fight. A few days later, Brett is found murdered in his restaurant kitchen, and suddenly Roxy’s a prime suspect. Now Roxy, Nate, and her other friends must find out the truth about Brett’s background and his murderer before the town of Shavano decides Roxy’s reign as jam queen is over for good.
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EXCERPT
It would be better for him to hear it from you than to discover it on his own.
Nate’s voice still echoed in my ears. For a moment, I wished I’d asked him to come with me. But I had to face this on my own. It was my disaster, after all.
I climbed up the stairs to the front door, pausing for a moment to check the directory on the wall inside. The chief’s office was on the first floor, right down the hall. Once I turned in that direction, there’d be no going back. I’d be committed to confessing.
I walked down the corridor, feeling like I was going to the executioner’s block.
There was a receptionist for the chief’s office along with the county attorney and the sheriff. I didn’t recognize her, which was just as well. This visit wasn’t something I wanted shared on social media.
She looked up expectantly. “Yes?”
“I need to see Chief Fowler.” I was amazed that my voice was steady.
“Do you have an appointment?”
I shook my head. “He’ll want to talk to me. Tell him it’s Roxy Constantine.”
The receptionist picked up her phone and dialed a number, turning away from me as she spoke.
Of course, I wasn’t absolutely sure Fowler would want to see me. Maybe he’d be too busy. Maybe he wasn’t interested. Maybe…
The receptionist glanced up at me. “Go on in. He’ll see you now.”
So much for hope. I opened the office door and stepped inside.
Fowler was sitting at his utilitarian, city-issued desk. He gazed up at me with that same unsmiling, inscrutable look he always seemed to wear. I wondered if he ever smiled. Probably not at people like me, people he suspected of murder.
I cleared my throat. “I have some things to tell you.”
He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down, Ms. Constantine. I’ve been expecting you.”
A Word With the Author
1.Did you always want to be an author?
In a way, I think I did. I’ve always loved to read and I’ve always loved stories. When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by the idea I could be a storyteller, too. I tried writing some fairytales when I was in grade school, but I never got too far with them. Now I get to write another version of fairytales full time.
2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.
My first book was a romance, Venus In Blue Jeans, that I published with Samhain Publishing (it’s now with Entangled since Samhain went out of business). I’d been casting around for a romance plot idea and someone told me the hero and heroine had to meet within the first ten pages of any romance. I didn’t think that was true, and it annoyed me. So I wrote a first chapter in which the hero and heroine wanted to meet each other but couldn’t seem to make it happen. The rest of the book just blossomed from there, and Samhain contracted it a year later.
3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?
I like a lot of cozy writers, but Kerry Greenwood is probably my favorite. She’s the author of both the Corrina Chapman and Phryne Fisher series, which have the virtue of being sort of exotic to me since they’re set in Melbourne. She also weaves romance into all her cozies, which makes them more interesting from my point of view. I particularly like that Corinna is a full-figured heroine who has a gorgeous boyfriend and takes the world in stride.
4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?
The best part is being able to write stories. Like I said, I’ve loved stories from an early age and I love creating them myself. The worst part is putting the meat on the bones of the story. Writing isn’t exactly a breeze, but it’s an interesting way to spend your time.
5.What are you working on now?
The second Luscious Delights mystery, The Pumpkin Butter Murder, will be out later this year and I’m working on more adventures for Roxy. I’ll also bring out another in my long-running Konigsburg, TX, series, Take That Ride, this summer.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing). Her new cozy mystery series, Luscious Delights from Wild Rose Press, concerns a jam-making sleuth based in the mythical small town of Shavano, Colorado. Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix and the Folk trilogy from Soul Mate. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers. Meg’s Web site is http://www.MegBenjamin.com. You can follow her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/meg.benjamin1), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/megbenjamin/), Instagram (meg_benjamin) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/megbenj1). Meg loves to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.
The buy links for Pepper Peach Murder is https://www.amazon.com/Pepper-Murder-Luscious-Delights-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BKYJPN22/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PHU83N6E7I8N&keywords=meg+benjamin+pepper+peach+murder&qid=1668885185&s=books&sprefix=meg+benjamin+pepper+peach+murder%2Cstripbooks%2C105&sr=1-1
And https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pepper-peach-murder-meg-benjamin/1142562360?ean=9781509246922
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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