Release Day--SLAY BELLS RING by Karen Rose Smith

Hi, readers! I'm so excited to announce my new release to you. SLAY BELLS RING, my seventh Caprice De Luca Home Staging mystery is a holiday cozy. It is available in print and ebook. I hope I have captured the warmth of the holidays and multi-faceted characters, as well as sentiments of the season.

The Santa cabin in SLAY BELLS RING is based on the cabin in Hanover, PA where both my husband and son visited Santa when they were children.










The Merriweather's house that Caprice stages looks something like this! 

The dog is SLAY BELLS RING plays an important role. His name is BLITZ and he's a white Malamute.










Join me for my Facebook launch party on October 31 from 7 to 9 P.M. EDT.  There will be chat, prizes and details about SLAY BELLS RING.  Click on this link  Karen Rose Smith's FB Author Page to attend the party!!!

Preview of SLAY BELLS RING

Christopher and Sara Merriweather have the perfect life.  They are selling their beautiful historic home that Caprice De Luca stages with the theme Christmas Delight. They plan to downsize.  Their grown children are in the vicinity and their craft shop is doing well.  Blitz, the white Malamute Chris rescued, is always by his side.  A Vietnam veteran, Chris has come to terms with his PTSD and even plays Santa Claus.  When he is murdered at the sleigh on Santa Lane not far from Santa's cabin, everyone is shocked.  (Blitz may have seen the murderer.)  As Caprice delves into the Merriweathers' lives, she discovers more than one secret. 

Click on the link below to read an additional blog entry by Karen

every Thursday on the Cozy Chicks blog

Cozy Chicks Blog

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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. This award-winning and bestselling author will have her 100th novel released in 2018.  At present she is working on two mystery series for Kensington Books--Caprice De Luca Home Staging cozies and Daisy's Tea Garden mysteries. From time to time, she also writes romance for Harlequin Special Edition.

Karen and Paddy

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks and does watercolor paintings 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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Sign Up for Karen's newsletter!

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Karen's Facebook Author Page

Karen Rose Smith's romance website 

Karen Rose Smith's mystery website 

Karen on Twitter

©2017 Karen Rose Smith

Make Everyday Caturday--Mysteries With #Cats by Karen Rose Smith

I'm a cat lover.  My husband and I adopted 4 rescued cats who are inside cats.  We also take care of a sibling pair who are stray brother and sister.  My life mostly revolves around this furry crew so it's almost a given that they will appear when I write.  All my Caprice De Luca mysteries spotlight cats as characters. But right now, two of those book are ON SALE!  The books are a series but each book can stand alone.

In DRAPE EXPECTATIONS, this beautiful Persian cat named Mirabelle becomes a regular in the series.  In GILT BY ASSOCIATION (a Valentine's Day mystery) a kitten named Valentine modeled on our on senior cat London is rescued by Caprice.  She finds homes for all the animals she rescues.

Enjoy cat stories any day of the week!

These days, home stager Caprice De Luca's calendar is a full house. Her grandmother's health is failing, her wayward uncle is stirring the pot, and she's torn between two equally eligible suitors. With so much drama in her personal life, Caprice is grateful to have Ace Richland, a former 80s rock star, ask her to stage his girlfriend's house. But Alanna Goodwin is a tough customer who balks at Caprice's ideas and all but commandeers the staging. Caprice almost isn't surprised when the snappish Southern belle is strangled to death with a tieback from her tacky velvet drapes. But just as she draws back the curtains on the truth, Caprice realizes she may be next on a murderer's set list… 

DRAPE EXPECTATIONS on Amazon

DRAPE EXPECTATIONS on Barnes and Noble

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 cocker spaniel 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.

GILT BY ASSOCIATION on Amazon

GILT BY ASSOCIATION on Barnes and Noble

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 97th novel will be released in 2017.

Karen and Paddy

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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Sign Up for Karen's newsletter!

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Karen's Facebook Author Page

Karen Rose Smith's romance website 

Karen Rose Smith's mystery website 

Karen on Twitter

©2016 Karen Rose Smith

SALE $1.99 SILENCE OF THE LAMPS by Karen Rose Smith--Amazon Women #Sleuths Bestseller List

This fifth Caprice De Luca mystery combines murder, mystery, recipes, Tiffany lamps and a pregnant stray cat in a fast-paced plot line. The De Luca family welcomes you with open arms as they cook, tease, protect and bond with each other. I'm particularly attached to the story line because our rescued stray cat Halo appears in it! Caprice will be finding her a home and you'll see more of Halo and her kittens in mysteries to come. As always, Caprice's sidekick cocker spaniel is involved in her search for clues.

And Caprice's relationship with Grant... There are twists and turns in every romance and theirs is no exception.

In each Caprice mystery, I become more emotionally invested in her and her sleuthing skills. I hope you become invested too!

Remember, the first four Caprice De Luca Home Staging mysteries are on sale too

until December 1.

Happy mystery solving. I always like to hear from my readers about whether or not they guessed Who-dunnit! And if you leave reviews on Amazon, I'm especially grateful.

Caprice's house staging is disrupted by Drew Pierson, her sister Nikki's business rival. The caterer opened Portable Edibles and plans to bury Nikki's Catered Capers. His successful launch deal for his blackberry barbecue sauce must have stirred up his enemies. When Nikki visits the house where Drew lives with his grandmother to resolve differences, she and Caprice find him dead--murdered with the base of a valuable Tiffany lamp. And Nikki is the police detective's #1 suspect. 

SILENCE OF THE LAMPS on Amazon

SILENCE OF THE LAMPS on Barnes and Noble

These days, home stager Caprice De Luca's calendar is a full house. Her grandmother's health is failing, her wayward uncle is stirring the pot, and she's torn between two equally eligible suitors. With so much drama in her personal life, Caprice is grateful to have Ace Richland, a former 80s rock star, ask her to stage his girlfriend's house. But Alanna Goodwin is a tough customer who balks at Caprice's ideas and all but commandeers the staging. Caprice almost isn't surprised when the snappish Southern belle is strangled to death with a tieback from her tacky velvet drapes. But just as she draws back the curtains on the truth, Caprice realizes she may be next on a murderer's set list… 

DRAPE EXPECTATIONS on Amazon

DRAPE EXPECTATIONS on 

Barnes and Noble

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 cocker spaniel 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.

GILT BY ASSOCIATION on Amazon

GILT BY ASSOCIATION on Barnes and Noble

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 when a house painter Caprice frequently employs is found dead, it's time for Caprice to stage an investigation.  She must shift her attention from finding the perfect curtains to finding the perfect culprit.

DEADLY DECOR on Amazon

DEADLY DECOR on Barnes and Noble

Welcome to Kismet, PA, where home stager Caprice De Luca helps her clients shine in a lackluster real estate market—and where someone may only be in the market for murder...

Caprice De Luca has successfully parlayed her skills as an interior designer into a thriving home staging business.  So when her old high school friend Roz Winslow asks her to spruce up her mess of a mansion to perk up a slow buyer's market, Caprice is more than happy to share her skills.  But when Roz's husband Ted is found skewered by one of his sword room's prized possessions, it appears the Winslows have a few skeletons in their palatial closets.  With the stage set for murder, Caprice will discover she can track down an antique tapestry and a cold-blooded killer with equal aplomb—as long as she's not the next victim.

STAGED TO DEATH on Amazon

STAGED TO DEATH on Barnes and Noble

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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 97th novel will be released in 2016.

Karen and Paddy

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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Sign Up for Karen's newsletter!

******************

Karen's Facebook Author Page

Karen Rose Smith's romance website 

Karen Rose Smith's mystery website 

Karen on Twitter

©2016 Karen Rose Smith

Providing Winter Shelters for #Cats by Karen Rose Smith

It's that time of year to think about shelters for outside stray cats.  We've been feeding a feral stray sibling pair since fall of 2015. They came running into our yard with their ears clipped so I knew they had been neutered and spayed.  When they began coming regularly, I decided to attempt to socialize them.  Hubby dubbed them Bonnie and Clyde because they ran together.  

The socialization process has been exceedingly slow.  A year later, they come regularly for wet food twice a day.  Clyde stays around our property most of the time.  But Bonnie is flighty and goes off on her own to be reunited with him at times during the day.  I don't know where she goes.  We tried confining them in the basement one night when Clyde's paw seemed to be hurting, but they ran out like the devil was chasing them the next day and didn't return for a few more days.  They were even wary about eating.  The thing about ferals is that they want to retain their independence.  

A year later, Clyde especially will rub against my legs at mealtime. Now and then if I don't move too fast, he'll let me pet him a few strokes.  But they are still not ready to be handled or brought inside. We've taken care of strays before.  It's not easy to "let go" and give them freedom but that's how they are happiest.  

The best scenario this year would be to let Bonnie and Clyde stay in the basement on terrifically cold or bad weather nights.  But as you know, cats don't often cooperate with humans' intentions.  So what my husband and I are going to do is give them options.  Hopefully they'll choose one or two.

We have a patio sunroom that we keep open throughout the year. For winter, we put a shelter and a heated bed inside in one area, a heated pad in another. ExtremeWeatherHeatPad 

I lay thermal heat pads on the furniture in the sunroom.  Outside over the years we've added different types of shelters.  Those closest to the house have low wattage heat pads inside.  Among them are an igloo and cedar shelters.  If you'd like to consider making a shelter yourself from a cooler, here is a link.  

DIY Shelter

FerralVillaShelter

Ally Cat Allies has pages of prebuilt and DIY shelters to examine, many with instructions. AlleyCatAlliesShelters

One caution about multi cat shelters. Feral and stray cats don't usually like to share.  Our sibling pair might be an exception.  But roaming loners like their own spot to stay safe, rather than sharing a shelter.  And sometimes a stray would prefer to have the whole property to himself or herself.

We use straw bales as buffers and protection for the shelters against the elements.  Since the flowers are gone and plants don't provide much cover, the bales are also useful on the patio to break the wind. 

Straw is the preferred bedding if the shelter doesn't have a heat pad. Hay, used as animal feed, gets soggy. Straw is sturdier than hay, usually a golden color. Moisture rolls off of it rather than sinking in. Towels and carpet become damp and mildew.  Cats can nest in straw and it keeps them warm with their body heat. 

Also important in winter are heated water bowls. We notice the strays drink more water in winter than summer because it's harder to find a water supply.  Here is one option we use but many kinds and brands are available.

Heated Bowl

Keeping these stray fur babies safe is a challenge. Hopefully they'll take advantage of our hospitality.

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Read about Caprice De Luca, her family

 and her penchant for solving murders in 

the Caprice De Luca Mystery series.

Staged To Death

Deadly Decor

Gilt By Association

Drape Expectations

Silence of the Lamps

Shades of Wrath--December 2016

Caprice De Luca Home StagingMysteries on Amazon

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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 95th novel will be released in 2016.

Karen and Paddy

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. 

*****************

Sign Up for Karen's newsletter!

******************

Karen's Facebook Author Page

Karen Rose Smith's romance website 

Karen Rose Smith's mystery website 

Karen on Twitter