I bury the fact in a few interviews I've given that I have
a condition called fibromyalgia which affects the muscles. I've had it for
thirty years and it's one of the reason I began writing. After back surgery, I
participated in years of therapies from biofeedback machines and swimming to
meditation and self-hypnosis. A few years ago I fractured vertebrae in my back
and had to keep looking for alternatives. I consider cooking to be one of my
therapies. Lifting pots and pans, pushing cookie sheets into the oven, reaching
to the cupboards all work. But I needed more physical activity that I'd have
the motivation to do.
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| The Patio |
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Tomato plants I started indoors ready
to be transferred to the garden |
My husband created a patio in our backyard. I love colors
and flowers and vegetables for healthy cooking, so gardening has become part of
my yearly routine. I love the Christmas holidays but not the winter days
afterward. The first year I started with planting tomatoes. Nothing is better
than fresh tomatoes to cook and to freeze for winter. I was clueless about
planting and harvesting. To my amazement, the seeds I planted in my kitchen for
Romas, Big Boys and Beefsteaks came up! My husband dug a yard garden and I was
thrilled with what the 15-20 plants produced. Planting the seeds and watching
them grow was as enriching for me as writing a book. The process drew me away
from the computer to more standing time in order to water and transplant and
stake and eventually move outside to the patio.
The past few years, I've grown heirloom tomatoes from seed. I watch
cooking shows and chefs often talked about their enhanced flavor. I found a
site online that had so many varieties I didn't know where to start. I choose
them randomly according to color, variety and the story behind the seeds that
had been handed down from generation to generation. I use a plant heat pad and
my husband rigged up a workshop light to help them grow in our basement after
they are started. I end up with around fifty plants. My husband gifted me with
a small greenhouse for Mother's Day one year. We give plants to family, friends
and neighbors.
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Flower seedlings started
in my basement |
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| Columbine |
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| Snapdragons |
Besides tomatoes, I
grow from seed a few varieties of flowers--snapdragons, petunias, columbine and, this year, lemon cat mint. Some years are
better than others. But no matter how many flowers and herbs I transfer to my garden, I
take pride in and enjoy their colors and beauty.
I plant over a thousand zinnia seeds by using my cane. Zinnias grow without much
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| Zinnias |
encouragement or care. They usually surround our patio and brighten up any other garden. The best part about raising my flowers and tomatoes from seed is that they are all pesticide free.
My sleuth in my Caprice De Luca home staging mystery series gardens on a small scale, making her own
yard colorful. Her mom raises heirloom tomatoes. I write not only what I know but what I have a passion for.
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| The McCartney Rose |
My life spills over
into my novels. We have feral and stray cats who come to our gardens and that's
why I raise the varieties of flowers I do for the felines' safety and
well-being. Last year we started to remove lilies which are toxic to cats. Our gardens
mostly consist of cone flowers, snapdragons, zinnias, phlox and roses, all of
which are cat safe.
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| Phlox and roses |
Planting a seed,
watering and nurturing it, watching it peep up from the potting soil is so
satisfying. Each plant has a unique
quality, from its stems to its leaves. Shades of green vary. Each variety of
flower has a unique scent. There is wonder in gardening and that is why it's
the best therapy.
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NOW AVAILABLE
DRAPE EXPECTATIONS, book 4
Caprice De Luca's former client and now friend Ace Richland--an 80's rock star--asks her for a favor. Can she quickly stage his girlfriend's house to sell? Widow Alanna Goodwin, a transplanted Southern beauty, will be moving in with him! Immediately Caprice realizes Alanna's southern charm can be turned on and off at will. Caprice agrees to stage Alanna's Kismet antebellum-styled mansion for Ace's sake. But she soon learns Alanna doesn't have a genuine love for her cat Mirabelle and also uncovers a plot her new client is hatching to sabotage Ace's comeback. However, before she can tell Ace, Alanna is murdered and Ace is the prime suspect.
As Caprice investigates, she learns Alanna had more secrets than pie safes. With her Cocker Spaniel Lady by her side, she tracks down clues and adopts Alanna's cat. In the midst of some of her own family upheaval--her uncle has moved in with her parents--she finds herself with a dilemma. Grant Weatherford, her brother's law partner, advises Ace and reveals more of his past to her. Seth Randolph, the doctor she dates, wants her to meet his family. She must choose between them.
Danger stalks Caprice. Will her refresher self-defense course save her life? Only if she keeps her wits about her and Lady by her side.
********************
My cozy mysteries--with irrepressible sleuth Caprice De Luca--include a murder to solve. But as Caprice finds the answer to each investigation, she takes in stray animals and finds homes for them, stages houses, spends time with her large Italian family and cooks. She also must solve her own romantic dilemma--choosing Mr. Right. Readers will find recipes along with love and caring in each novel.
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STAGED TO DEATH, book 1
Caprice De Luca stages houses for high-end clients. When she discovers a body in the castle-mansion she staged to sell and starts asking questions, she finds herself in danger. On the way to solving the murder, Caprice's large Italian family helps and hinders. She also finds romance with Dr. Seth Randolph. But does her brother's partner, attorney Grant Weatherford, care about her, too? Or is he just worried she'll get herself killed and her family will blame him?
Enjoy solving the mystery with Caprice, cook along with her, see her find homes for the stray animals she protects, be a part of the De Luca family...in STAGED TO DEATH.
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DEADLY DECOR, book 2
Quiet Kismet, Pennsylvania, may look like any other small town, but as a home stager, Caprice De Luca can see behind closed doors--and it seems someone has designs on murder. . .Life is a full house for Caprice these days. She's dating, she's rescuing adorable cocker spaniels, and she's decorating the roomy interiors of Kismet's most well-heeled residents with fun fantasy themes. But she's worried about her pregnant sister. Bella's marriage is coming apart like a bad wallpaper job, and to make matters worse, she's decided to meet up with a former flame Bob Preston, a house painter Caprice frequently employs. When he's found dead in a pool of green paint swirling with blood, it's time for Caprice to stage an investigation. With all eyes trained on Bella's husband, Caprice shifts her attention from finding the perfect curtains to finding the perfect culprit. . .
Caprice De Luca's latest house staging is all about hearts, flowers, lace and chintz since Valentine's Day is around the corner. She never expects her client to be murdered in the greenhouse the day of the open house.
With her six-month-old pup Lady by her side and her own love life in disarray, Caprice ferrets out clues from the victim's best friend, Caprice's mother, the housekeeper and a special male friend who insists his relationship with the victim was platonic. However, as Caprice digs deeper, she finds the victim's past is filled with secrets that she kept from her husband for thirty years.
The past isn't merely history. The present isn't always what it seems. When hearts are involved, passion and even murder aren't far behind.
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USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 87th novel will be released in 2015.
Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens. And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.
Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below.
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One of my favorite relaxation pastimes is growing, then appreciating our butterfly garden around our patio. If you've ever watched butterflies cavort in the sunshine, you know the beauty of the sight. The season began with dark pink cone flowers attracting butterflies. Next the purple butterfly bush developed full blooms that drew these wondrous creatures. Now zinnias are becoming bushier. There are pink, purple and yellow pompom zinnias as well as regular blooms in all shades of pink, yellow and orange. The fuchsia phlox are also a big hit with these fragile, beautiful creatures.
