The Montana Mavericks The Baby Bonanza series

Rust Creek Ramblings

A WEDDING IN THE WORKS?

We here at the Gazette are amazed to report that trust-fund cowboy Hudson Jones may soon be off the market. The boyish billionaire has been spending more time than ever with Bella Stockton, who manages his day-care center. It seems impossible that quiet, reserved Bella would have captured the fancy of such an alluring specimen of manhood.

Bella finds it hard to believe herself, and she keeps pushing Hudson away. What are the odds the footloose cowboy will stick around once he finds out she can't have kids? Don't tell Bella, but our sources report Hudson has his heart set on a Christmas proposal. When he finds out the truth, will it still be a holiday to remember? 

Published October 18th 2016

 by Harlequin 

Available for Purchase:

Amazon  Barnes & Noble  iBook 

 Meet the Author:

Award-winning author Karen Rose Smith was born in Pennsylvania. Although she was an only child, she remembers the bonds of an extended family. Family is a strong theme in her books and she suspects her childhood memories are the reason.

In college, Karen began writing poetry and also met her husband to be. They both began married life as teachers, but when their son was born, Karen decided to try her hand at a home-decorating business.

She returned to teaching for a while but changes in her life led her to writing relationship novels. Now she writes romances as well as mysteries full time. Her first book was published in 1992; her 80th novel will be published in 2013. A winner of New Jersey's Golden Leaf Award in Short Contemporary Romance, Colorado Romance Writers Award Of Excellence for short contemporary, as well as the Phoenix Desert Rose Chapter's Golden Quill for Traditional Romance, she has also been honored with Cataromance.com's award for Best Special Edition and Washington Romance Writers Career Achievement Award. Her romances have made both the USA TODAY list and the Amazon Romance and Contemporary Romance Bestseller lists. 

Connect Online: 

Website 

Facebook 

Twitter 

My Thoughts:

Karen Rose Smith is a favorite author of mine.  Ironically enough I started reading her cozy mysteries before I ever realized she also wrote romance.  I learned so much about Karen by following her on Facebook and the more I learned the more I liked her not only as an author, but also as a person.  

This story is set in Rust Creek Falls, Montana and centers around bachelor Hudson Jones who has arrived in town to help his brother, Walker, out.  Bella Stockton is a beautiful, young woman who has not had what any would say is an easy life considering her parents were killed when she was young.  She went through her period of rebellion, but after getting her life back on track she headed off to college only quit and return to help her brother with his triplets when his wife died.  She is the director at Just Us Kids Day Care Center and resents Hudson and what she sees as his interference in her job.  Hudson is a trust fund cowboy and loves to travel.  He's not been very close with his family, but would like to change that.  When he meets Bella there's an instant attraction, but she shoots him down readily so he has to figure out a way to get her to trust him.  

I really enjoyed this story.  I fell in love with the small town immediately The plot is sweet and interlaced with a lot of romantic tension.  It flows effortlessly and pulled me in immediately.  This is an endearing story of trust, faith, forgiveness and romance.  This entertaining story is one I would recommend to anyone who loves romance.  

Caprice De Luca Mystery #6

SHADES OF WRATH is book 6 in Karen Rose Smith's Caprice De Luca Home Staging cozy mystery series.  Between her booming business, her family, and her work rescuing stray animals, home stager Caprice De Luca's life is packed. But when a murder unsettles peaceful Kismet, Pennsylvania, she adds amateur sleuth to her resume.

Thanks to a wealthy patron, Kismet's women's shelter, Sunshine Tomorrow, has inherited a run-down mansion. Now the shelter's director, Wendy Newcomb, wants Caprice's decorating expertise. Caprice is happy to help, but when she glimpses a few heated encounters between Wendy and some locals, she fears that Wendy may be in need of protection herself.

When Wendy is found dead inside the old house, Caprice is compelled to poke around in her affairs--and discovers she had her share of enemies. Now, with countless clients, a TV gig that could make her a household name, and rumors of a marriage proposal on its way, Caprice must find time to design an investigation that will lure a crafty killer into the wide open--before someone else winds up in a state of permanent disrepair... 

Expected publication: November 29th 2016

 by Kensington  

 

 

 

Available for Purchase:

 

Amazon  Barnes & Noble

 

 

 

Meet the Author:

 

 

Award-winning author Karen Rose Smith was born in Pennsylvania. Although she was an only child, she remembers the bonds of an extended family. Family is a strong theme in her books and she suspects her childhood memories are the reason.

In college, Karen began writing poetry and also met her husband to be. They both began married life as teachers, but when their son was born, Karen decided to try her hand at a home-decorating business.

She returned to teaching for a while but changes in her life led her to writing relationship novels. Now she writes romances as well as mysteries full time. Her first book was published in 1992; her 80th novel will be published in 2013. A winner of New Jersey's Golden Leaf Award in Short Contemporary Romance, Colorado Romance Writers Award Of Excellence for short contemporary, as well as the Phoenix Desert Rose Chapter's Golden Quill for Traditional Romance, she has also been honored with Cataromance.com's award for Best Special Edition and Washington Romance Writers Career Achievement Award. Her romances have made both the USA TODAY list and the Amazon Romance and Contemporary Romance Bestseller lists.

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

 

I absolutely love these cozy mysteries starring Caprice DeLuca. She is a very strong, compelling woman who loves a good puzzle. She has reinvented herself with the decline in the economy and is loving her business of staging homes. She is quiet busy with her work, but also she has a love of animals and helps with rescues and finding them forever homes. In this mystery she touches on a very tough issue, domestic abuse, and gives the reader a realistic view of it.

 Wendy Newcomb had established a woman's shelter in Kismet and is planning to expand her foundation and invites Caprice to an old Tudor home being renovated as housing for transitional care with the possibility of her doing the decorating. After meeting with Wendy it's decided that Caprice with formulate a design and they would discuss putting the final touches on it. Unfortunately for Caprice before anything can be put into motion Wendy is found dead in the Tudor mansion.

 As the investigation heats up so does Caprice's business and love life. As the story unfolds Caprice takes the opportunity to be involved in a reality show which will showcase her talents and she starts taking a deeper look at her relationship with Grant. Of course there's a kitty rescue involved in the story so Caprice's love of animals comes shining through.
This is a wonderful mystery with lots of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages quickly. The secondary characters are engaging and well integrated into the story. The plot flows effortlessly and brings beautiful imagery. The author brings an artful touch to the book by including recipes at the end. Each recipe is taken from the story and I love them. I have tried several. If you like a good, clean mystery then this one is perfect for you. Even though this book is part of a series this is an easy stand alone story. I think this is my favorite book in the series so far, but then again I say that every time because each story keeps getting better and better. I look forward tot he next one in the series. I volunteered to read the advanced reader copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Caprice De Luca Mystery #5

Release Day!!!

 

Published April 26th 2016

 by Kensington  

Synopsis:

Business has never been better for home stager Caprice De Luca, but her personal life could stand a few renovations. Just when she thought things were getting serious with her boyfriend Grant, his pretty ex-wife swoops into town and nabs his attention. Uncle Dom is living with her parents and desperately needs a new job. And her sister Nikki's catering business is threatened when rival Drew Pierson starts eating away at her share of the market. Things could not possibly get more chaotic when Drew is found bludgeoned to death by one of his grandmother's antique Tiffany lamps--and Nikki is the number one suspect. Now, Caprice must act fast to illuminate the truth and clear her sister's name--before a cold-blooded killer puts her lights out next. 

Meet Caprice:

 

 Caprice De Luca—Home stager and amateur sleuth

I never thought I'd solve a murder!
I'm just an ordinary woman, thirty-two years old this year. I love my big family. My younger sister Bella sometimes drives me crazy. My older sister Nikki always tries to give me advice. My brother Vince hovers sometimes like older brothers do. Because I've always been curious and slightly rebellious, my parents usually take a hands-off approach. Usually. However, my Nana Celia tells me exactly what she thinks and even gives me decorating pointers. Except for Bella, they all accept my quirks—I love anything retro, especially the 60's and the Beatles, and wear vintage fashions when I can find something that suits me. Bella can't understand why I like wearing "old" clothes and especially doesn't understand why I take in stray animals and find them good homes!
Speaking of animals, a long-haired calico named Sophia (after my Nana's favorite actress Sophia Loren) pretty much owns me. She has me trained to give her cream whenever I have it in the fridge and has her own turquoise carpeted cat tree in our living room. In addition to Sophia, an adorable mop of a dog, Dylan—I'm a Bob Dylan fan, too—lives with us for now.
Did I mention my roots are Italian and I enjoy cooking like my mom and nana? My sisters do join me in this hobby and at least once a month when we all gather at my parents' house for Sunday dinner, everybody cooks something...except for Vince who brings the wine.
When the economy declined, my home decorating business took a hit. So I reinvented myself into a home stager. My specialty is now themed, high-end client stagings. (Though I still love decorating a single room for a client, too.)
I can't tell you about the murder I'm solving. I don't want to give too much information to you because it will spoil your attempts at investigating with me. Just know I'm glad you're reading along, meeting my friends and family in Kismet, Pennsylvania, and getting to know my furry friends.

 Meet the Author:

In 2016, my 95th novel will be published. I'm having so much fun writing my Caprice De Luca cozy mysteries that I become more emotionally invested in each book. This is why.

I created a heroine that has a lot of me in her. Caprice De Luca, home stager, has a background similar to mine. An only child, I dreamed of brothers and sisters and a big family like my mom and dad came from—seven children in my mother's family and ten in my father's. On weekends I was often surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins. Caprice has that large family and the complicated relationships that accompany it. I'm a child of the 60's, a lover of the Beatles and now I appreciate antiques and retro fashion. (After all, haven't the 60's fashions just come back?) You'll see all of this mirrored in my amateur sleuth.
It is no secret that I fell in love in college. My husband and I will celebrate our 45th anniversary this summer. I believe in the power of commitment and the hope that goes along with the promise of everlasting love. You'll see that reflected in my mysteries as well as my romances. I'll be concentrating on planting clues and solving murders. But a touch of romance, I hope, adds sparkle to this mystery series.
Readers often ask me about my pastimes. I have herb, flower and vegetable gardens that help me relax. I enjoy raising heirloom tomatoes from seed. In the winter, I cook rather than garden. And year-round I spend most of my time with my husband, as well as our four rescued cats—Zoie Joy, Halo, Paddy and London. You can read about my cats, book news, gardens and giveaways in my newsletter IN TOUCH.

Connect with Karen:
Website
Blog  
Facebook 
Twitter 

My Thoughts:

Let me start by saying I loved this book!!
This is the 5th book in the Caprice De Luca mysteries and it was everything I had hoped it would be.  To be honest with you, I had read Karen's romance novels and loved them, but when I picked up the very first Caprice book I was hooked.  Caprice is a free spirit. She is a person who didn't dwell on the negatives of life, but took the negative, down turn in the economy, and made a positive, her home staging business.  Yet at the same time she always has time for others and that includes our fur friends.  I love that she rescues animals and finds them a forever home.  The other thing I really like about Caprice is her love and dedication to her family.  
In this book we find Caprice's business has taken off and she's really busy.  She puts a lot into each home she stages and the open houses for them.  She bases each house around a theme and works to incorporate every aspect around the theme, even down to the food.  She and her sister, Nicki, plan a menu of the food to be served.  Of course this also helps Nicki showcase her talents  and the possibility she can pick up some catering jobs. Unfortunately during the latest open house Nicki's former employee/rival, Drew, shows up unexpectedly to check out her latest dishes and to make trouble for her.  No one knows the extent of the trouble he could cause until he is found dead by none other than Nicki and Caprice.  Caprice knows that Nicki will automatically by a person of interest in the police investigation so she needs to solve this case before Nicki is arrested for murder.  
Caprice is still rescuing animals, don't you just love that.  Her uncle is pet sitting and notices a tortoise shell cat hanging around the property and it appears injured.  Knowing Caprice's history he gives her a call to help. They make the decision to safely trap the animal, but surprises are in store for when they finally are able to get it to the vet.  Miss Kitty is going to be a mother soon.  Will her neighbor still give this kitty and possible her babies a forever home? 
Grant and Caprice have gotten closer in the last couple of books and to me they are more than friends.  In fact I would put them in the couple category, but she hopes the relationship would turn into something more.  He is the one person she can always depend on.  Just as their relationship seems to be heading in the direction she wants there's a kink, his ex-wife shows up for a visit.  What does this mean for their relationship?  Will her history repeat itself? 
Poor Caprice.  Her life is going in so many directions I don't know how she keeps up with it all.   
Needless to say, I loved this book.  It's a spectacular read.  
The plot is steady and flows effortlessly, yet has a lot of twists and turns that keep you turning the pages.The characters are well developed and engaging.   For me this is a very addicting series.  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries.  
**I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley for a honest opinion without bias or outside influence.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.   


Available For Purchase:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO 

Coming December 2016

Shades of Wrath
Caprice De Luca Mysteries #6

Wendy Newcomb, director of the Kismet women's shelter Sunrise Tomorrow, is thrilled when the shelter receives a legacy. Leona Wyatt has left the organization not only her huge Tudor mansion but a monetary inheritance to accompany it. Wendy asks Caprice De Luca, home stager and decorator extraordinaire, to scope out the house and renovations. She hires Caprice to decorate the mansion to serve women who need more than an overnight port in a storm.
When Wendy is murdered in the mansion, Caprice is pulled into the investigation by the assistant director of Sunrise who wants a quick resolution to the investigation so new plans for the mansion aren't impeded. In her drive against domestic violence, Wendy has made enemies. Not only the husbands of women she has sheltered or relocated but also co-workers as well as Leona Wyatt's children. And what about Wendy's significant other who is instrumental in running the cooperative neighborhood where he, Wendy and his teenage boys live? Caprice's life is about to change as she accepts a marriage proposal, helps her uncle adopt kittens, sees her sister Bella attach to a stray cat, and learns whether Wendy was a blackmailer or the one being blackmailed. Caprice finds herself in danger once more as she asks questions and even calls on St. Anthony for inspiration to solve this murder mystery.

 

Gilt by Association

Guilt By Association

A Caprice DeLuca Mystery #3

Publisher: Kensington (January 27, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0758284888

ISBN-13: 978-0758284884

 5 Stars

Book Description

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.

My Review

I was so excited to be able to read the third release in the Caprice DeLuca's mysteries. I became invested in this series with the first book, Staged To Death, where I first met Caprice.  She is a lovely young woman with insecurities just like anyone else, but she tries to hide them.  With the downward plunge in the economy she has had to reinvent herself from an interior designer to a home stager.  She has taken a fledgling idea and turned it into a prosperous business.  At present she has been contacted by Louise Downing, a family friend, to stage her home for a Hearts and Flowers Open House.  With Louise's decorating style Caprice is lucky that it takes very little staging.  The day of the open house Caprice arrives to go over last minute details and unfortunately finds Louise in her greenhouse lying on the floor fatally shot. 

Now Caprice has a lot going on right now and not just with staging homes, but she is busy personally also.  She is very involved in animal rescues which has led to her latest addition to her house, a new puppy.  She has been trying to train her, but also Kismet's Valentines Day Dance which she is working to help raise funds for the animal rescue shelter.  So when her mother requests her to find out what truly happened to Louise how could she refuse.  As Caprice follows clues she starts to find more out about Louise than she ever imagined. 

This is a mystery interlaced with both humor and a little romance.  I love Caprice and the fact she loves all things retro. She is someone I could imagine as a friend and love how the author brings out her personality.  She uses a lot of common sense when it comes to life plus she has a soft spot for animals.  She loves her family and shows it.  She is very confident in the job she does, but not it matters of the heart. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who like a good, clean mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.  This fast paces story will quickly pull the reader in, but the plot along with the characters will keep you turning the pages. I was lucky enough to receive this ARC from the author for a honest review without bias.

I am looking forward to book #4 Drape Expectations which is set to be released in August 2015.

Meet The Author

http://www.karenrosesmith.com/

Award-winning author Karen Rose Smith was born in Pennsylvania. Although she was an only child, she remembers the bonds of an extended family. Family is a strong theme in her books and she suspects her childhood memories are the reason.

In college, Karen began writing poetry and also met her husband to be. They both began married life as teachers, but when their son was born, Karen decided to try her hand at a home-decorating business.

She returned to teaching for a while but changes in her life led her to writing relationship novels. Now she writes romances as well as mysteries full time. Her first book was published in 1992; her 80th novel will be published in 2013. A winner of New Jersey's Golden Leaf Award in Short Contemporary Romance, Colorado Romance Writers Award Of Excellence for short contemporary, as well as the Phoenix Desert Rose Chapter's Golden Quill for Traditional Romance, she has also been honored with Cataromance.com's award for Best Special Edition and Washington Romance Writers Career Achievement Award. Her romances have made both the USA TODAY list and the Amazon Romance and Contemporary Romance Bestseller lists.

She has written for Meteor/Kismet, Kensington, Silhouette and Harlequin. Readers can contact Karen through her website, on Facebook (Karen Rose Smith Author) and on Twitter @ Karenrosesmith. They can also follow her monthly e-zine IN TOUCH with KAREN ROSE SMITH which has the latest news about her books, recipes and contests.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7996b6c577/

Deadly Decor

5 Stars

Karen Rose Smith takes us back to Pennsylvania to visit with Caprice De Luca.  Caprice was an interior designer who turned to home staging with the downward plunge of the economy.  She has taken a fledgling idea and grown it into a prosperous business. 


Book Description
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. . .

My Review



This is a mystery interlaced with a mild romance. A good, clean story. This author brings us the second installment to the Caprice DeLuca series. Even though it is in a series, it's easily a stand alone story. She brings us lovable characters and uses real to life dialogue that the reader can connect with. We are introduced to Caprice DeLuca who is an interior designer, but with the downward plunge of the economy she has had to reinvent herself. She is a very clever girl and a great animal lover. She now stages homes that are for sale in hopes to bring in interested buyers. She has taken a fledgling idea and grown it into a prosperous business. Caprice comes from a close, Italian family and when one member is having problems it can put a great strain on everyone else. At present her sister, Bella, and husband, Joe, are having marital problems over an unexpected pregnancy. What Caprice doesn't expect is for her sister to show up at her job to talk to her or that she would agree to have coffee with an old boyfriend, Bob Preston. She plans to talk to Bella at the Sunday monthly family dinner, but once she finds a cocker spaniel needing to see the vet her talk with Bella is put on hold.
Caprice decides to intercept Bella at the community center before she meets Bob, but shortly after her arrival a blood curdling scream is heard. She finds Bella, covered in blood, leaning over Bob who is obviously dead. Due to Bella and Bob's history, the fact she is found over the body and covered in his blood, Caprice knows the police automatically have a viable suspect. As she starts connecting the dots Caprice knows Bella needs an attorney and calls her brother, Vince, for assistance. Suddenly Joe is also a person of interest and also needs an attorney so she calls her brother's partner, Grant for assistance. Caprice knows that neither Bella or Joe could have committed this murder, but once the police have a suspect she doesn't feel the will investigate further. She plans to start asking questions even after being told repeatedly not to by family and friends. This is when suddenly Caprice feels her life could be in jeopardy.
As I said before I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. I feel the author brings us a well developed plot and a storyline the will immediately draw the reader into the story. I loved the characters. The author makes good use of imagery.
I received this book as a gift for an honest review without any outside influence or bias as stated above.

Meet the Author

Karen Rose Smith is writing mysteries as well as romances now! Her plots, whether in mystery or romance, are all about relationships.

She began writing in her early teens when she listened to music and created stories to accompany the songs. After expressing feelings in poetry, earning a degree in English and French, completing short stories that became too long to find a market, she turned to her fascination with relationships to writing romances and now mysteries. This award-winning best-selling author (USA Today List, Borders Bestseller List, Amazon Romance Bestseller lists, Barnes and Noble Bestseller list) will see her 84th novel released in 2014. She has published with Silhouette, Harlequin, Kensington and Meteor/Kismet. Her awards include two Golden Leaf awards in short contemporary romance, the Golden Quill in traditional romance, two cataromance.com's awards for Best Special Editions and Romance Review's Today's Best series romance award. Jane Bowers of Romance Reviews Today states: "Karen Rose Smith's storyworlds are complete and realistic and lovely places to visit and revisit. She excels at stories that feature couples brought together by infants and children, and she handles her plots and characters with sublime sensitivity."

http://www.karenrosesmith.com

http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Rose-Smith

http://karenrosesmith.blogspot.com/

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