Author Meg Benjamin is joining us today for an interview. Fans of cozy mystery series will enjoy her latest novel, Tangerine Marmalade Murder, the third installment in her Luscious Delights series.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Tangerine Marmalade Murder
Author: Meg Benjamin
Genre: Cozy mystery
BLURB:
When a stranger is murdered near Roxy Constantine’s farm, she’s sure it has nothing to do with her. But the investigation turns up surprising links to Roxy’s past. As if that weren’t enough, Roxy’s quarreling with her Significant Other, Nate Robicheaux, and facing a possible break-up. Just when the stress begins to ease, the murderer strikes again, sending Nate to the hospital. Now Roxy needs to figure out the link between the Constantine Farm and a blackmailer before she becomes the killer’s next target.
INTERVIEW:
Welcome! It is my pleasure to feature your novel.
What was the inspiration behind your latest release?
Tangerine Marmalade Murder is the third book in my Luscious Delights series, and I had a few series threads I wanted to pull. First, my heroine, Roxy, has a hot chef boyfriend, Nate, and I decided to throw a few problems their way (I know—nasty author). I didn’t want to break up the relationship entirely, but I wanted the problems to be serious enough to make them think about where they wanted to go next. And then there was the problem of my heroine’s mother, who deserted her and her father when she was a toddler. I wanted to play around with that a little, to maybe raise a few questions about the past that Roxy has never examined. And I wanted Roxy to make marmalade, which is a true pain to do, even though tangerine is a little off the beaten track.
Have you ever traveled when researching information for a book?
Oh my, yes. All my Luscious Delights books are set in Colorado, in the fictional town of Shavano. But Shavano is based on a real town, Salida, where I’ve spent some time. Last summer the hubs and I stayed a couple of nights there on the way home from Mesa Verde, and I had a great time reminding myself of what the town looks like and just how many artisan breweries there are around the area.
When did you begin writing?
I used to be a college teacher, so I wrote scholarly stuff as part of my job (publish or perish is real, y’all). But I always wanted to try writing fiction, so when I retired, I decided to give it a whirl. Since then I’ve written contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and now cozy mysteries (with a romantic subtext). Much more fun than the history of technical writing, believe me!
How many hours do you dedicate each day towards writing?
Afternoons are my writing time, and I usually spend three or four hours a day at the keyboard.
What has been your biggest challenge?
I had a knee replacement this year, and it was surprisingly tough to keep writing when I couldn’t go upstairs to my office. I adjusted to using my iPad with a keyboard, but I sure missed my normal setup. It was a real inspiration for working on my PT so I could make it up and downstairs whenever I wanted to.
What project are you currently working on?
I’ve got another Luscious Delights mystery in the pipeline (tentatively titled The Honey Jam Murder), and I’m working on more. I’ve also got another in my indie published Konigsburg, TX series that I’d like to get out sometime this year.
AUTHOR BIO:
Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance. Along with her Luscious Delights series for Wild Rose Press, she’s also the author of the Konigsburg, Salt Box and Brewing Love series from Entangled and the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy (Berkley InterMix) and the Folk series (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 loves to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Jill Piscitello 
Thanks for hosting me today!
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