with Karen Rose Smith
We are delighted to welcome mystery author Karen Rose Smith to Omnimystery News today.
Karen has written over 80 romance novels but this month she begins a new mystery series with Staged To Death (Kensington Books; December 2013 Mass Market Paperback and ebook formats).
We recently had an opportunity to catch up with the busy author and talk about her new book.
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Omnimystery News: Introduce us to your new mystery series character.
Photo provided courtesy of
Karen Rose Smith
Karen Rose Smith: Having a recurring character seemed the best way to me to keep readers interested in the series. I want them to become invested in my sleuth Caprice De Luca's life, in her triumphs and foibles. The fact that she has a large Italian family and lives in Kismet, PA, a small community-oriented town, will enable my readers to share her life as well as local Kismet characters.
Caprice's personal life will change from book to book. I don't see her love life becoming settled anytime soon. Right now she is torn between two very different men who aren't in the best emotional place for marriage. However, at some point in the series, I see Caprice's biological clock ticking faster than she'd like it to. So she will definitely change as the series progresses.
OMN: So would you categorize the books as romantic suspense?
KRS: I categorize my books as cozy mysteries with suspense and a touch of romance swirled through. Relationships have always fascinated me. That's why I've written romances for twenty years. Relationships will be at the core of my mysteries, too. There are advantages to labeling the novels as cozy mysteries because my readers will know the type of story to expect — one with murder yet not graphic violence.
OMN: Tell us something about the book not mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.
KRS: Something not mentioned in the synopsis are my views about the pharmaceutical industry and medical establishment. I tried to remain balanced about them both in Staged To Death but a bit of an edge might have shone through!
OMN: How would you tweet the synopsis to your followers?
KRS: Staged To Death @KarenRoseSmith. Cozy mystery with an irrepressible sleuth who loves her family, staging houses, animals and cooking.
OMN: Have you included any of your own personal experience into the book?
KRS: This series probably has more of me in it than any series I've written. Because Caprice likes retro fashion, music and design, I can incorporate my love of the years that were integral to my growth. Because Caprice comes from a large Italian family, I can write about my family customs, draw on my memories of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and even revisit my childhood home. Caprice's parents live in the house where I spent my first five years and Caprice lives in the house my parents built. No characters are based on people I knew or know, but rather they are based on the sense of family and relationships that surrounded me.
OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery author and thus I am also …".
KRS: I am a mystery author and thus I am also a complex woman with a mind that never stops running!
OMN: Describe your writing process.
KRS: My writing process has developed out of physical necessity. I have always plotted because I started writing to escape pain. I had back surgery and afterward spent four years in a hospital bed in our family room. Even after extensive rehab, I couldn't sit for long periods. I wrote longhand, pinned loose leaf sheets on a tall waste can and laid flat on the floor typing in on my computer. Having a book plotted scene by scene enabled me to write. Fibromyalgia affected my muscles, including eye muscles, so about fifteen years ago, I began using a tape recorder to write. I tape and a typist transcribes. Then I edit the hard copy until I'm satisfied with it. My husband inserts those changes into the text on the computer. Because I tape, a quiet environment is important. My cats keep me company wherever I do it. I do a lot of writing late at night or on our garden patio.
OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your story?
KRS: As far as fact checking … For a few years I sold Home Interiors and Gifts and was involved not only with the retail aspect but with decorating. I've always decorated the places I've lived and enjoyed mixing colors and styles. The hardest part of writing mystery for me is making sure my research is correct. Fortunately, I have consulted with two police officers who have helped with my crime scene accuracy and criminal procedures. I always try to find two sources to fact check my research. For Staged To Death, I delved into the subjects of collectible swords and daggers. Most of that research came from the Internet.
OMN: Is Kismet, PA, the setting for the series, based on a real place?
KRS: I chose to set my mystery series in the fictional town of Kismet, Pennsylvania. However, I situated the town near the city of York and the Susquehanna Valley where I grew up. I know this area of Pennsylvania. As a child I had access to my uncle's farm. On weekends my mom, dad and I would take rides through the countryside, stopping at local growers' fruit stands along the road. The city of York still feels like home to me and I know its neighborhoods and shopping areas well. It made sense to me to create a fictional town which could hold the exact businesses and characters I needed, yet I had access also to a beautiful area that was familiar to me with further services residents in a small town like Kismet would need.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And do any of these find their way into your books?
KRS: My hobbies are inside cats, as well as feral ones, gardening, cooking and photography. My husband and I have three inside cats we rescued. Two are twelve and the baby is a year and a half. In addition, we have a feral feeder and outside shelters. Because of ongoing muscle and osteoporosis issues, winter is challenging. A few years ago I began starting geraniums, petunias and impatiens from seed. As the season progresses, I plant heirloom tomatoes, raising plants for family and friends. My husband likes to garden, too. So in spring, summer and fall. out yard is rich with color. This year our patio was surrounded by zinnias I scattered here and there that created a beautiful garden haven where I could write and communicate with our stray and feral cat visitors.
Photography was an organic development from my other hobbies. I shoot photos for my blogs about cats, gardens and recipes. Most recently, I visited a wolf sanctuary. Shooting photos of the wolves was fascinating.
Cooking has been a pastime since I was a child, learning from my mom and grandmother. Baking fills the house with wonderful smells. My mom was a teacher. In the winter when we had "snow" days, she would bake bread and simmer soup. At Christmas, we made dozens of cookies. Inviting friends for a full-course Italian dinner was a common occurrence.
My hobbies have dotted my romances over the years. But now in my mysteries, I can really delve into them, describe them and bring them fully to life for my readers.
OMN: Tell us more about the cover.
KRS: I love Stage to Death's cover design. It is a facsimile of Caprice's living room — sixties design with an overstuffed large fuchsia chair and a floor-to-ceiling turquoise-carpeted cat tree for her long-haired calico feline, Sophia. The dog, Dylan, is a stray who Caprice took in. The title comes from Caprice's profession which is staging houses to sell quicker. She chooses unusual themes for high-end clients and her sister Nikki provides her catering services which match the theme. The murder takes place in one of the houses she has staged.
OMN: What kinds of books did you read when you were young?
KRS: As a child, I read classic Golden Books and Archie comic books. I was an only child so I read a lot. Horses fascinated me as did relationships between animals and humans. So The Black Stallion was a favorite. I waited for each new Nancy Drew book and bought those with my allowance.
As a teenager, I began reading teen romances. I graduated to Emilie Loring, Glenna Finley, Danielle Steel and Kathleen Woodiwiss. All of these writers influenced how and what I write about today.
Probably the most influential book was Anne of Green Gables where I learned about "kindred spirits." That phrase always stayed with me. Readers will find kindred spirits in all my books whether they are a man and woman falling in love, sisters finding their way back to each other or humans caring for animals and finding unique communication with them.
OMN: And what do you read now for pleasure?
KRS: I read mystery/suspense/thrillers for pleasure. I can't wait for the next Harlan Coban, Michael Palmer or Greg Iles books. Relationships make up the basis of their novels and these authors always pull me right in.
OMN: What kinds of movies do you enjoy watching?
KRS: I enjoy watching films that make me feel. Ghost, Dirty Dancing and Frequency are all-time favorites. An Affair to Remember, Roman Holiday and Three Coins in a Fountain are a few classics I still enjoy. More recently, We Bought a Zoo is on my watch-again list.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.
KRS: When I take a trip, my goal is to visit a place of power that will fill me emotionally and creatively. These places do that:
• The Grand Canyon – the grandeur;
• Sedona – the red rocks and positive energy;
• The Big Horns in Wyoming – the fascinating wild horses;
• Flagstaff, Arizona – the flavor of the West and the beauty of a town surrounded by pine; and
• Albuquerque, New Mexico – the absolutely beautiful scenery in every direction, art displayed everywhere — the dessert, the West and an amalgamation of cultures all rolled into one place.
OMN: What's next for you?
KRS: Now that I've started in the genre, I love writing murder mysteries. The second Caprice De Luca mystery — Deadly Decor — will be released in June 2014. I'm working on the third one with a Valentine's Day theme for 2015. Since I also love happily-ever-after romances, I'll continue my Mommy Club series with Harlequin Special Edition. In my "spare" time, I hope to indie-publish more romance and women's fiction.
Since my visit to the wolf sanctuary, I find myself wanting to return — to photograph them, blog about them, and advance the cause of returning them to the endangered species list. I'm certain something about the wolves will appear in one of my future novels!
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After having over 80 romance novels published, Karen Rose Smith will now be writing mysteries, too. "I'll be concentrating on planting clues and solving murders in my home stager mystery series," she says. "But a touch of romance will, I hope, add sparkle to all the books. I'm thoroughly enjoying the journey. I hope you are pulled into Caprice's adventures with me!"
For more information about Karen and her books, please visit her author website at KarenRoseSmith.com, her new mystery website at KarenRoseSmithMysteries.com, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Staged To Death
Karen Rose Smith
A Caprice De Luca Mystery
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