I’m happy to welcome award-winning author Meg Benjamin. Today, Meg shares her new release, The Pumpkin Butter Murder.

Blurb

Their gourmet dinner turned deadly. And now the murderer is after her. Roxy Constantine is looking for a way to spend her winter down time. Her true love Nate Robicheaux has a suggestion: she can serve as his sous chef when he prepares a dinner party for possible investors. But when several guests become ill and the hostess herself dies after eating their food, Roxy and Nate could be in deep trouble. Now they need to find out what really happened, and who wanted their hostess dead, before their culinary reputations go down in flames and the murderer turns his attention to Roxy herself.

Excerpt

I collapsed onto all fours, trying to get my breath. And then I started to sob, great wracking gasps that made my throat hurt even worse.

Susa dropped to her knees beside me. “My God, Rox, what happened? Who did this?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Call the cops, Suz. Just please call the cops.”

The patrol car was there within ten minutes. By then Susa had helped me to the gym and found me a place to sit. I was surrounded by concerned exhibitors, none of whom could agree on what they should do. I was handed multiple cups of water and coffee and dampened paper towels. Some of the exhibitors checked the hall but said they couldn’t find anybody, which didn’t surprise me. A campus security guard showed up, but he seemed as helpless as everybody else. I was almost ready to give up and drive home when the doors across the gym burst open and Fowler strode in, followed by a couple of awed patrolmen.

He stopped when he saw me, his eyes widening. “Who did this?”

“I don’t know. He had something over his face and he wore a hoodie covering his head. He was male. That’s all I can say.”

Fowler glanced around at the crowd, apparently noticing them for the first time. “Y’all can move on now. We’ll take care of things.”

Most of the people began to drift away. There weren’t many left since it was so late in the afternoon. Maybe that’s what the guy in the hall had been counting on.

“Go check the halls,” Fowler said to the patrolmen. “See if there’s anyone around who saw anything. Look for anyone who doesn’t seem to belong here.”

The patrolmen jogged off in opposite directions, covering the two halls off the gymnasium. I doubted they’d find anyone either way, but I was just as glad they weren’t hovering around Fowler.

Susa maintained her position behind me, her hand on my shoulder. “I’m not moving. Roxy needs me.”

Fowler raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t make her leave, for which I was thankful. She was right—I did need her. He grabbed a folding chair from another booth and sat down beside me.

“Okay, tell me what happened. And then I’ll take you home.”

“I can drive myself,” I mumbled.

“Nope. Nonnegotiable. So what happened?”

I told him. The footsteps in the hall, the hand grabbing my shoulder, the hands on my throat. And how I’d fought or tried to. I was pretty sure Susa had saved my life. If she hadn’t come to see what I was yelling about… That wasn’t something I wanted to consider. Although I was pretty sure I’d be dreaming about it that night.

Buy Links

Master List | Barnes & Noble

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 and from Meg’s indie line). 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.

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Email

Giveaway

Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

Follow Meg on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.