Author Interview Meg Benjamin: The Pepper Peach Murder

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Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Author Interview

1. How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book?

I enjoy reading mysteries by women authors (they really are different from those written by men), and I particularly enjoy cozies. I like the fact that along with the chills, cozies usually have humor and, sometimes, romance. I wanted to try writing a cozy myself, but one that had some romantic elements since I’m a romance writer, too.

2. Writers write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a firstborn, middle or last child, and how does this shape your view of the world?

I’m the youngest of two, and I suppose it gave me the need to excel. My older brother was a real striver, and I wanted to be in his league. Both of us write, but he’s more into YA.

3. Where is your favorite place to write?.

My study is on the upper floor of our house, so I can look out at all the backyards on our block. It’s warm and sunny, full of books and Post-Its, with room for a cat at my feet beneath the desk.

4. How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains?

I used to be a writing teacher, and one of the things I’ve absolutely learned is that your first draft is never your last draft. I even have an editing draft where I go through and eliminate words that I repeat too much (soul-destroying, believe me). It doesn’t usually hurt to cut stuff, but if I think I might actually use the material I’m cutting sometime in the future, which happens, I save it as a separate file.

5. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them?

I would love to have met the late Jane Haddam, one of my favorite mystery authors. And if I did, I’d probably ask her why she took so many books to get Gregor Demarkian, her hero, to understand he was in love with Bennis Hannaford.

6. Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows.

I love Americana music. One of the things I miss about living in Texas is being able to drive an hour up the road and listen to Joe Ely at Gruene Hall.

7. You are stranded on a deserted island with only a backpack for company. What three items are in your survival pack?

My Kindle, first of all, with charger. And probably a wifi hotspot so that I could keep downloading books. And a pillow, because leaning against a palm tree to read would most likely be uncomfortable.

8. If you could have one superpower in your existence, what would it be?

Probably the power to not worry about what other people think. That’s a real super power, believe me.

9. Favorite snack?

Popcorn. I prefer the hulless type.

10. Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit?

I’m the map type. I need to know where I’m going and how to get there.

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.”

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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)

Twitter (http://twitter.com/megbenj1).

Meg loves to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.

Buy links for Pepper Peach Murder:

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

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pepper-peach-murder-meg-benjamin/1142562360?ean=9781509246922

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In The Key Of Love

I should have known I would end up here... Give me a good book and I'm in heaven. Especially romance, mystery, mayhem, the fantastic and the fey. Give me a laptop and I'm writing any one of these, and not in any particular order.

12 thoughts on “Author Interview Meg Benjamin: The Pepper Peach Murder”

  1. It’s a pleasure to have you here Meg! I love the title of your book – a pepper peach sounds yummy. Congratulations on this exciting release!

  2. Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading The Pepper Peach Murder. Is the story a stand-alone or part of a series?

  3. The excerpt was intriguing and the cover is wonderful. Can’t wait to read this one!

Comments are closed.