Blog Tour: THE PUMPKIN BUTTER MURDER by Meg Benjamin

 

The Pumpkin Butter Murder

by Meg Benjamin

 

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GENRE: Cozy Mystery

 

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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.

 

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EXCERPT

 

 

Across the room, Herman’s head came up. But he wasn’t looking at Uncle Mike. He made a sound low in his throat.

 

“Herman?”

 

Herman’s growl became louder. He came to his feet quickly, stalking toward the door. And then he started to bark.

 

Herman’s normally a very relaxed dog, although he’s a very large relaxed dog. He seldom barks at things unless it’s something unusual. Now he was barking his head off, stalking toward my front door as he did.

 

“Herman, shut up,” Uncle Mike snapped.

 

“What going on, dog? It can’t be trick-or-treaters.” I started across the room toward him and a dark shape moved across the front window as I did.

 

“There’s something out there.” As soon as I opened the front door, Herman shot by me into the rain-sodden yard.

 

“Herman, damn it, get back here,” Uncle Mike yelled. “Now he’s going to get all muddy.”

 

I was more concerned about the person I thought I’d seen going by the window. I started out the door after Herman, but Nate grabbed my arm. “Let me go first.”

 

I stood aside to let him get by, then followed him out onto the front porch. “I don’t see anyone,” Nate said.

 

I looked around the yard, rubbing my arms against the cool air. “I don’t either. But somebody was at the front window. I saw them move away when I got to the living room.”

 

“Well, there’s nobody here now. Herman,” Uncle Mike yelled, “come on back.”

 

I stared out into the darkness, trying to decide if I’d actually seen something or if I’d gotten spooked by an animal or a bird. We do get deer at night sometimes, and occasionally coyotes and raccoons. I thought I heard a car driving away on the main road, but it was a county highway. Cars went by regularly.

 

Herman finally padded up, thoroughly wet and muddy. “Damn it, dog,” Uncle Mike muttered, “now I’ve got to take you up to the house and hose you off.”

 

Nate stepped into the house and then re-emerged with the flashlight I kept near the door. “Let me check the window.”

 

I followed him out into the light drizzle. He played the flashlight across the muddy ground near the window, then paused. “Footprints. There.”

 

I looked where he was pointing and saw two distinct footprints in front of my window. I shivered with a sudden chill.

 

“What the hell?” Uncle Mike squinted in the darkness. “Who’d come out here at this time of night?”

 

“Prowler?” Nate asked. “I can’t think of any legitimate reason for a person to be standing out here when we were inside.”

 

“Why would a prowler come here? There’s nothing to see.” 

 

“There’s you,” Nate said flatly. “He could be looking for you.”

 

A moment of silence stretched after that. My heart was pounding so loudly I was amazed they didn’t hear it.

 

 

 

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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 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.

 

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 The Pumpkin Butter Murder are:

 

https://shorturl.at/LTVZ0

 

And  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143832530?ean=9781509250592

 

 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway