A Great Summer #Recipe -- Lime Cheesecakes

Lime Cheescake, a great summer treat--Hi, all.  I haven't posted a recipe for a while.  In this season of fresh produce, beautiful flowers and fluttering butterflies, I thought I'd share a new favorite dessert.  A friend gave me this one for lime cheesecakes that are great for a summer picnic or gathering.  We had friends in and even the kids liked them!  For refreshing lime cheescakes, here is the recipe.

1 box vanilla wafers
2-3 limes, depending on size
2-8 ounce packs of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 8oz. tub of Cool Whip
18 muffin pan liners

Place liners in muffin pans. Add a vanilla wafer to each muffin cup.
Squeeze the juice from 1-2 limes, depending on how limey you'd like these!
In the mixer, mix softened cream cheese, sugar and juice from one lime until smooth.  Taste after mixing to see if you'd like more lime flavor.  Add a teaspoon more.  Too much will make the mixture too liquidy.  After mixed, fold in the 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip until it's all mixed.  Fill the muffin cups.  Refrigerate at least two hours.  Slice lime very thin and then cut in half.  Place a half slice on each cup before serving.

Another great way to serve this that I haven't tried yet is to buy a graham cracker pie shell and fill with lime-cheesecake filling.  Decorate with lime slices around the edges.  Perfect for a more formal get-together.

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HER SISTER, Week 4, Blog Tour and Give*ways

 

During the month of July, I'll be participating in a blog tour for HER SISTER.  You'll be able to read a blurb and make comments.  When you comment, your name goes into a drawing.  I will be drawing two names at the end of the tour--one for a charm bracelet and the other for an Amazon gift card.  In the midst of the tour as I add my comments on the blogs, I will randomly give a Smashwords coupon code for a free ebook.

Here are this week's blog links:

July 29:  <http://www.its-raining-books.blogspot.com/>It's Raining Books
July 30:  <http://www.jhthomas.blogspot.com/>Welcome to My World of Dreams
July 31:  <http://wp.me/p2ZcT9-5ek>Long and Short Reviews
August 1:  <http://www.reneeluke.net/>Renee Luke
August 1:  STOP 2  <http://judy-ree.blogspot.com/>Musings and Ramblings
August 2:  <http://dalenesbookreviews.blogspot.com/>Dalene's Book Reviews

Looking forward to seeing you there.

©2013 Karen Rose Smith

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Team Caprice contest 1

Hi, team!  Since I'm grateful to have you, I'm running a contest.  Here is what you have to do to enter.

For each idea you email me with a strategy to promote STAGED TO DEATH, I will add your name to a prize basket.  The idea doesn't have to be complicated.  It can be as straightforward as--handing a bookmark to a friend.

Here are the prizes you could win:

A signed ARC (advance reading copy) of STAGED TO DEATH

A quilted turquoise flowered tote bag, Caprice's favorite color.

A signed print copy of  my recent release HER SISTER.

A Bella Ryann bracelet with a cat charm

A leopard print luggage tag

Simply email me your promotion ideas until July 31, 2013. You can email me at karen@karenrosesmithmysteries.com.

Good luck!

Storyfinds--Explore #authors and #books during Romantic Suspense week!

Are you looking for great new authors and summer reads?  Do you like Romantic Suspense?  Then I'm suggesting a website for you to visit--Storyfinds.  Storyfinds is spotlighting HER SISTER in their themed Romantic Suspense week from July 21 to the 27th.  You will not only find HER SISTER, but other books you might want to consider reading.  You can click on the badge below or the one on the right to zip to my page on Storyfinds.  Once you arrive at my page, you can check out other romantic suspense books for the week as well as the daily special and a free read.  I'd love to hear about the books you find there. Please come back and comment and let me know what new book or new author you've discovered!

Remember, HER SISTER is available in print, in an ebook and in an audiobook!

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The Gift of a #Butterfly

Butterflies and Remembrance: 
It's July...which always brings a mixture of emotions for me.  My mom passed on eighteen years ago this month and the missing still grabs me this time of the summer.  My husband and I planted a garden in her memory with some of her favorite plants and flowers.  This week I spent time there--remembering, wishing, thanking.  Often I ask for little signs that reassure me she's watching over us.

In the summer, our gardens are usually filled with butterflies, mostly orange and black swallowtails.  But this year, even the butterfly garden with its butterfly bush, zinnias and cone flowers didn't seem to draw them in.  However, as I stood quietly in my mom's garden, just being present to the beauty and peace there, this delicate blue butterfly landed on the mulch right in front of me!  Not even on a flower but simply right there where I couldn't miss it. (By the way, my favorite color has always been blue.)

A sign from mom?

I like to think so.  Little gifts often mean the most. <3

©2013 Karen Rose Smith

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Books, Books, #Books galore Give*way by Karen Rose Smith

Why I give away books!!!

I appreciate each and every one of my readers.  Over the years, many of them have followed me through changes in lines, editors and publishers.  Lots of my readers still like to hold a book in their hands instead of reading an ebook.  That's why I'm putting some of my ebooks into print.  HER SISTER is the first and it's what's called "trade paperback" size which is a little larger than a mass market paperback.  It's a women's fiction novel about a family in crisis 27 years ago and now in crisis again.  It's a story about a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter finding their way back to each other.

Soon, at the end of July, Harlequin Special Edition will release the first book in my MOMMY CLUB series, WANTED: A REAL FAMILY.  You'll be seeing more MOMMY CLUB books.  The Mommy Club is an organization in the town of Fawn Grove, California, started by a mysterious benefactress. This group of volunteers helps families in need.  In WANTED: A REAL FAMILY, my heroine's house burns down.  But the hero (who she met when she helped him in physical therapy) offers her and her daughter Amy the guest house on Raintree Winery.  Sara is a widow.  Jase is a former photojournalist whose specialty was photographing children in refugee camps.  Both free now, except for past romantic shadows, sparks ignite leading to bonds that will never be broken.

For the month of July, I'm having giveaways for both books on Goodreads.  The links for each giveaway are below.

Goodreads Giveaway--HER SISTER


Goodreads Giveaway--WANTED: A REAL FAMILY


In addition to these giveaways, here on this blog I will be giving away five more print copies of WANTED: A REAL FAMILY.  If you leave a comment, I will put your name in a drawing for a print copy of this first MOMMY CLUB romance.  Please leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win.  And keep watching my blog for future giveaways. 

Good luck on all the giveaways and have a happy, reading-filled, rest of the summer!


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©2013 Karen Rose Smith 

Shelters for #feral or homeless #cats

I love animals.  I'll be including cats and dogs in my mystery series which will begin in December.  But I have to admit, I especially love cats!  We have three rescue cats who are an integral part of our family.  Each came to us as a kitten.  Ebbie was very sick on a friend's farm in winter.  London was a half sister who we brought home a few months later.  Last summer we found Zoie Joy in our backyard, only a pound and a half, hungry and dehydrated in 100 degree heat.  I've had cats all my life and each and every one was a blessing in some way.

Zoie Joy

We live in a semi rural area with a farm in our backyard.  Last winter, seeing a black cat with a quirk in her tail like Zoie, we put out a feeder.  We saw paw prints on snowy mornings, but didn't spot cats on our patio.  However, this summer a Momma and kitten began coming to the feeder in the evenings.  We set up an igloo for shelter but I don't think they used it.  After about a week, only Momma came.  Both were skittish and ran at the first sound of noise.  I'm hoping the baby was rescued by a cat loving family.  They were yellow tabbies and another yellow tabby, even more feral, began eating from the feeder, too, but on a different schedule.  We're able to watch from a window.

Now, Momma will eat when we're on the patio, though sudden movement or loud noise will make her disappear quickly.  The other tabby watches for us about a 1/2 acre away under a tree.  After we go inside, he makes his way to the feeder.  (I'd highly recommend Feral Villa feeder .  We've had one outside throughout the summer.)

In preparation for the next season, we have set up another shelter from Feral Cat Shelter.  We have a deck with stairs that has a landing.  Under the landing near the house seemed to be the best place to put it.  It is protected by phlox and a forsythia now and the landing will act as a second roof to shelter it from rain and snow.  It has a pathway on the bottom for the cat to enter and two doorways.  Then a hole  leads to the protected, insulated raised loft.  We laid barn-like straw as the bottom layer and then some softer hay on top of that.  A dash of catnip, too, which I'll replenish.  The roof can be removed to clean out the shelter, but that's only recommended every 3-4 months.

I'd like to capture Momma and have her spayed.  But we'll see how trust progresses the next few months.  At least with the shelters, we know we've done what we can to help protect these homeless cats from the elements.

Here are some pics of setting up the shelter that might be of interest.

Ebbie

copyright 2013 Karen Rose Smith

London

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HER SISTER, Week 2, Blog Tour and Give*ways

During the month of July, I'll be participating in a blog tour for HER SISTER.  You'll be able to read a blurb and make comments.  When you comment, your name goes into a drawing.  I will be drawing two names at the end of the tour--one for a charm bracelet and the other for an Amazon gift card.  In the midst of the tour as I add my comments on the blogs, I will randomly give a Smashwords coupon code for a free ebook.

Here are this week's blog links: 

July 15:  Read Your Writes Book Reviews
July 16:  Sarah Grimm, Author
July 17:  Pink Fluffy Hearts: Diary of a Coffee Addict
July 17:  STOP 2  Rogue's Angels
July 18:  Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
July 19:  Book 'Em North Carolina

Looking forward to seeing you there.

©2013 Karen Rose Smith

HER SISTER Paperback on Amazon

HER SISTER Kindle Edition on Amazon

HER SISTER Audiobook on Amazon

Blog Tour for HER SISTER

For the next month, I'll be participating in a blog tour for HER SISTER.  You'll be able to read a blurb and make comments.  When you comment, your name goes into a drawing.  I will be drawing two names at the end of the month--one for a charm bracelet and the other for an Amazon gift card.  In the midst of the tour as I comment on your remarks in the blogs, I will give a Smashwords coupon code for a free book.

Here are this week's links.  Looking forward to seeing you there.


July 8:  A Writer's Life
July 9:  Andi's Book Reviews
July 10:  United By Books
July 11:  Reading In Twilight
July 12:  Deb Deb Reviews
July 12:  STOP 2  A to Z Reviews

HER SISTER Paperback on Amazon

HER SISTER Kindle Edition on Amazon

HER SISTER Audiobook on Amazon

©2013 Karen Rose Smith

An Invitation To Join Team Caprice, #Mystery series

I'm inviting you to join TEAM CAPRICE which is a "street team" for my Caprice De Luca mystery series which will be released by Kensington Books.

Just what is a street team and what do members do?

A street team is a loyal group of readers who want to spread the word about an author, book, series or all of the above!  Street team members can help authors spread the word about a book by sharing on Facebook, tweeting and retweeting on Twitter, pinning on Pinterest, or sharing news on blogs.  Your reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble are appreciated, too.  The choice of what you'd like to do is up to you!

I appreciate each and every one of my readers.  Twenty years ago when my first book was released, I earned romance readers one at a time. Now I'd like to do the same with mystery readers.  If you become part of TEAM CAPRICE, you will be the first to know about a new release, the first to glimpse my covers, the first to hear about the plot of my latest mystery.  The object of each member of the team is to create discussion, fanfare or quiet recommendation for the mysteries and the series.

As a thank you for your help in creating a buzz, I'll send involved members tokens of my appreciation from signed cover flats, to advance copies, to retro souvenirs my sleuth Caprice enjoys--like Beatles refrigerator magnets--to cute kitty and doggie mementos.  Caprice adores animals and takes in strays.  Anyone can join TEAM CAPRICE, but due to present postage costs, swag will only be mailed to United States members.

You can sign up for street TEAM CAPRICE on the form on my website by clicking HERE and filling in the form.  I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have if you email me by clicking on "CONTACT KAREN" on my website's homepage or at karen@karenrosesmith.com.  I will be accepting the first 20 requests to belong to TEAM CAPRICE.  After the initial launch, I hope to increase the size of the team.  I'll send confirmation of your acceptance into the launch team.

I hope this will be a fun and rewarding adventure for all.

Again, you can become part of my TEAM CAPRICE by clicking JOIN STREET TEAM CAPRICE and filling in the form.

©2013 Karen Rose Smith

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Caprice and Dylan, Book 1

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IN TOUCH with Karen Rose Smith newsletter, Summer Edition

I've posted the summer edition of IN TOUCH with KAREN ROSE SMITH at the link below.  Click on it to learn the latest news, see new photos, and enter a brand new contest for a Landau charm bracelet and print edition of HER SISTER, which is available in ebook and audiobook, too!  I hope you enjoy your summer and good luck with the contest!

Summer 2103 Edition of IN TOUCH with KAREN ROSE SMITH

©2013 Karen Rose Smith