Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .

What drew you to the genre you write?
I began reading mysteries and romances from the time I was able. I remember going to the bookstore and I couldn’t wait for the newest Nancy Drew mystery. I began my career writing romances and did so for twenty years. But I needed a change so for the past twelve years I’ve written 3 mystery series.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
My sleuth Caprice De Luca in my home stager mysteries loved retro fashion and music. She shopped at a vintage clothes store.

Tell us how you got into writing?
My life changed when I had back surgery when I was 37. I lived mostly on a hospital bed in our family room for 4 years. I had been heavily into exercise for stress and now I couldn’t work or continue those activities. I needed a creative and emotional outlet. As a former English teacher who loved books and reading, I turned to writing short stories. When they became too long, I began writing a romance.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
While in college, I worked in the reference department of the college library. Over summers I worked in the hose and wig department at Montgomery Ward. After college I taught high school English to ninth and tenth graders. After my son was born, I worked in a jewelry store part time for about 3 years. I started as an independent contractor in a home interiors decorating company for a few years after that. By accident I began substitute teaching in my son’s elementary school. I was soon contracted for a teaching position for second graders. I also taught sixth graders for a couple of years. When back trouble began, I worked as a lay editor in a high school until I had surgery. All of my jobs gave me experiences I use in creating characters and plot lines.

How many books do you have published?
Booked For Revenge is due for release on April 29, 2025. It will be my one hundred and eleventh published novel.

Where do you write?
I write anywhere and everywhere. I have osteoarthritis, RA and fibromyalgia. In the beginning I wrote longhand on legal pads and typed in the manuscript afterward. After back surgery, I often laid on the floor and clothespinned my manuscript to a waste can to type in on the keyboard. In the late nineties, neck and shoulder problems urged me to use a tape recorder to write then a typist used a transcriber to type it in. A year ago I had knee replacement surgery. In order to write through the recovery, i returned to handwriting on a legal pad. My brain now seems to work better that way. I can find any spot where I’m comfortable—on the patio, in my recliner with my four inside cats supervising, in the basement with a feral cat I’m socializing. I keep her company. While she naps, I write.

What is your ideal time to write?
My ideal time to write changes. After my husband retired from teaching—for 42 years I had been in the house alone—I began writing at midnight when all was quiet. Now I mostly write in the morning. But I do promotion all hours of the day.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
For a deadline snack I enjoy dark chocolate covered walnuts and Harney & Sons cinnamon tea.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
My favorite genre to read is psychological and small town thrillers.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I love love love Ed Sheeran music and the Beatles.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
My favorite beverage to end the day is often a glass of milk.

Who is an author you admire?
Authors I admire are Harlan Coben and K.L. Slater.

Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?
The writing industry is very different now than it was when I began writing. It’s both more limited and more expansive. I wrote 13 manuscripts in six years then sold two books in one week to two different publishers. Now a writer can self publish. But that doesn’t always translate into sales. A beginning writer should write every day, hone their craft and keep improving through a compatible critique partner. They need to learn how to promote and who to take advice from. Most of all they need to be persistent.

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m listening to Look In The Mirror by Catherine Steadman.

What is next for you?
I’m working on book 3 of my Tomes & Tea series, starring Jazzi Swanson, Daisy Swanson’s daughter from my Daisy’s Tea Garden series. Working title is If Books Could Kill.

Where can we find you?
You can find me at my websites, karenrosesmith.com or karenrosesmithmysteries.com, on Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, X/Twitter, or TikTok.

Now to have some fun . . .

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast—almond yogurt with berries, half of a banana and almond butter granola

Fruits or vegetables
Favorite fruit—peaches and raspberries

Chocolate, vanilla, or another flavor
Chocolate

Sweet or salty snacks
Sweet snacks

Ice cream or cake
Ice cream

Cooking or baking
Baking

Dining in or dining out
Dining in

City life or country living
Country living

Beach or mountain
Mountain

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
Summer

Extrovert or introvert
Introvert

Early bird or night owl
Early bird

And even more fun . . .

What’s your favorite movie?
My favorite movie is Ghost.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
On a desert island I must have a legal pad, a pen, and my husband!

My bio:
USA Today Bestselling author Karen Rose Smith writes mystery, romance and women’s fiction. Booked for Revenge is her 111th published novel. Families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romance. One of the highlights of her career was to see her romance turned into a movie—A Very Country Christmas. Besides writing, her passion is caring for her five rescued cats. She has herb, tomato and flower gardens. She claims gardening helps her relax. In the winter, she cooks and bakes rather than gardens. Year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her cats who are her purrfect companions. She is recently working on her Tomes & Tea cozy series, a spin-off from her Daisy’s Tea Garden mysteries.